Chapter 286 Do you really want to be a lonely person?

The Qiao family's New Year's Eve dinner was very lavish. In addition to the poultry and other meats raised by their own family, Yan Liti also spent a lot of money to have a lot of seafood, which was scarce in Hongfeng Town, delivered, including king crab, which Qiao Qiao liked very much.

The Qiao family has many members, and Yan Liti wanted to give the Qiao boys a fresh meal, so she bought all the seafood in increments of ten catties.

In addition to Qiao's own family, some gifts were also sent to Qiao Xiaoyun's husband's family, as well as the families of Qiao's daughters-in-law, and the Pei family as well.

The meal was almost ready.

Qiao Changqing pulled Qiao Changdong aside and asked him, "Why don't we invite that person from the Shen family over? It's just a matter of having a few more people and a few more pairs of chopsticks. Or we could send them some food."

"He probably doesn't have any other relatives in Hongfeng Town. Neither Comrade Wei nor Comrade Tang are from here. They probably don't know that in our small town, no shops are open during the Spring Festival. Even grocery stores don't open."

The "Comrade Tang" that Qiao Changqing mentioned refers to Mr. Shen's driver, whose surname is Tang and name is Tang Xilai.

"Okay, I'll go ask him." Qiao Changdong nodded without any objection.

She turned around and went to find Shen Qingyan, who was with Qiao Qiao as she set off sparklers.

I asked him, "Do you want to invite your partner over for New Year's Eve dinner? Our place is small, and from New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, there are basically no restaurants open. How will you solve their food problem?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Or perhaps you could deliver some food to them?"

"Dad, go pick him up," Qiao Qiao replied.

Both fathers looked at her at the same time.

"Spending the New Year alone is not pleasant." Qiao Qiao lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, and snuggled into Qiao Changdong's arms.

In her previous life, she was taken away by Shen Qingrong in October, so she spent New Year's Eve in Kyoto that year.

I live alone.

The two nannies prepared her meal before 10 a.m. and then left.

She was left alone in that big little Western-style house to spend the New Year.

At that time, she did not know that she was not Shen Qingrong and Bi Yatong's child, nor did she understand why she had to spend New Year's Day alone in that small Western-style house.

At that time, she missed Qiao Changdong and the Qiao family terribly.

She swallowed that meal along with tears, eating only white rice.

She had experienced that kind of loneliness and knew how unbearable it was. Old Master Shen didn't like her, and she didn't like him either. She didn't care whether he spent the New Year alone or not.

But the two uncles who were with him, especially the one driving, reminded her of her own father driving his car.

One year, her father was away from home for the Chinese New Year, and she couldn't help but wonder if her father also had nowhere to eat at that time.

"Then go and pick them up. He doesn't mind, but don't make things difficult for Xiao Wei and Xiao Tang. I bet their families are worried about it too." These words came from Yan Liti, who had appeared behind them at some point.

Yan Lidi looked at Shen Qingyan and said, "Let's just consider it as accumulating good fortune for our baby, and also to prevent people from saying that we are abusing the elderly."

Shen Qingyan nodded and drove to town.

On the way to town, Shen Qingyan found the road exceptionally deserted. There were hardly any pedestrians, all the shops were closed, and apart from the occasional smoke drifting from the chimneys of a few houses along the roadside, it was eerily quiet.

When he drove to the guesthouse and saw Wei Xingzhi carrying several packets of biscuits and a pot of hot water walking towards his room, he wasn't surprised at all.

"Chief Shen." Wei Xingzhi was also surprised to see Shen Qingyan enter.

Shen Qingyan nodded to him, then turned and went into the room where Old Master Shen lived.

Old Master Shen sat in his wheelchair with his back to him, looking out the window. Hearing footsteps, he assumed it was Wei Xingzhi and didn't turn around.

She simply said, "I don't have an appetite right now. Just leave the food on the table. I'll eat later. Don't worry about me. Go back to your room and rest."

There was no response from behind.

Only the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer could be heard.

Only then did Old Master Shen turn around.

Upon seeing that the visitor was Shen Qingyan, he was slightly lost in thought, and then his eyelashes trembled slightly.

“Baby asked me to pick you up for New Year’s Eve dinner,” Shen Qingyan said as she approached.

"She...she..." Old Master Shen's eyelashes trembled even more violently, and his voice choked with emotion.

In the end, Old Master Shen didn't say anything, but his eyes, which were covered by his hand, became moist.

When Shen Qingyan returned to the Qiao family home with Old Master Shen, the Qiao family's food was almost all on the table, waiting only for Shen Qingyan.

Knowing that Old Master Shen's car had arrived, only Qiao Changqing went out to greet it.

As for the rest of the Qiao family, they just did what they were supposed to do.

Their willingness to invite Old Master Shen over for dinner does not mean they accept him as a person.

Treating him as just an ordinary old man is the same as giving a bowl of food to a homeless beggar on New Year's Eve.

So, for this New Year's Eve dinner, Old Master Shen only came to eat. The rest of the Qiao family were all very lively, but his side was a bit quiet.

After spending the past month together, Yan Liti has clearly integrated into the Qiao family and shows no signs of discomfort whatsoever.

Shen Qingyan didn't talk much, but his facial expression was always gentle. Most of his attention was on taking care of his daughter, but he would occasionally glance at other people, talk to them, and have a drink.

From this perspective, he is the only outsider.

Old Master Shen recalled the questions Old Master Tan had asked him when he left.

Does he really want to be all alone?

He has children, a wife, and a granddaughter, yet he lives like a lonely man. Is this what he wants?

Old Master Shen was deeply moved, but he didn't show it on his face.

His gaze was mostly fixed on Qiao Qiao, who was sitting between Qiao Changdong and Shen Qingyan. The little girl was well taken care of by her two fathers. Her fair little hands held special chopsticks, and she buried her head and obediently ate the food that the adults put in her bowl.

She's not a picky eater.

Whether it's meat or vegetables, she eats everything that an adult puts in her bowl obediently, her cheeks bulging out, which melts your heart.

Old Master Shen had seen some families' children eating in Kyoto.

Those little ones may have developed picky eating habits because they grew up in a good environment. They often refuse to eat this or that, and some even need adults to hold a bowl of rice and chase after them to feed them.

Unlike the little girl in front of me, who not only doesn't need to be fed, but can also hold chopsticks and eat rice by herself. If a grain or two of rice falls on the table, she will carefully pick it up and put it in her little mouth to eat.

Grandpa Shen could hardly imagine what it would be like for such a lovely and well-behaved little girl to be tied to an operating table and have her heart and kidneys removed.

She's so young, yet so sensible and well-behaved.

How could Shen Qingrong...?