As soon as the rough male voice fell, everyone looked in the direction of the entrance of the reception hall.

Chu Lian turned around in a daze and saw a middle-aged man with a full beard. He was wearing a commander's silver armor and carried a sword. He was tall and strong like a small mountain.

He Ying was also stunned. After a long while, she called out, "Brother" in a trembling voice, like a mosquito's buzz …

The sternness on Matriarch He's face instantly disappeared and was replaced by unconcealable joy. She reached out to the side and Liu nanny hurriedly supported her, helping her to get up.

Before she reached the middle-aged man, the matriarch's eyes reddened and she said in a hoarse voice, "Son, you're finally back."

At this moment, Chu Lian finally believed that the middle-aged man who suddenly appeared was her father-in-law.

She had to admit that her eldest brother, He Changqi, really looked like Uncle Jing 'an …

Whether it was his figure or his facial features, He Changqi looked very similar to her father-in-law, Uncle Jing 'an.

He Changdi's usually deep and calm gaze landed on Uncle Jing 'an with a rare trace of scholarly admiration. Chu Lian's worries because of He Changqi slowly disappeared after seeing Uncle Jing' an.

Uncle Jing 'an was mentioned in the original text. From that short sentence, Chu Lian knew that Uncle Jing' an was a smart person.

This was something He Changdi had inherited.

Although her eldest brother, He Changqi, didn't have any problems when it came to major issues, he tended to get into a dead end when it came to family matters and relationships.

Now that Uncle Jing 'an was back, there was someone to suppress him. Perhaps the entire Jing' an estate would finally calm down.

Chu Lian was in a daze when He Sanlang grabbed her wrist. She suddenly came back to her senses and looked at him in a daze.

He Changdi felt helpless. He bent down and whispered in her ear, "What?

Are you scared?

Don't be afraid. Father is very amiable. "

After hearing this, Chu Lian understood that He Changdi wanted to bring her to Uncle Jing 'an to pay her respects.

Everyone in the reception pavilion stood up. Some were nervous, some were ecstatic, and some were disappointed.

Uncle Jing 'an was welcomed to sit down. A servant wanted to help He Changqi up but was stopped by Uncle Jing' an coldly shouted, "After doing such a thing, you still have the right to stand?

Don't move. Let him kneel! "

With his words, no one in the hall dared to plead for He Chang Qi anymore. Everyone looked at him with sympathy.

After Uncle Jing 'an said this, his gaze swept across everyone in the hall. Finally, it landed on He Changdi and his wife.

At this moment, his dark face was replaced with the kindness of an elder. He waved at He Changdi and Chu Lian, "This must be Third Brother's wife!

You two, come here. "

Chu Lian raised her head and quickly glanced at He Sanlang. Although she didn't show it on her face, she was actually very nervous. After all, it was her first time meeting her father-in-law.

He Changdi gave her a comforting look and held her hand as they walked in front of Uncle Jing 'an.

After a pause, Chu Lian and He Changdi both called him "Dad".

Count Jing 'an, He Yanwen, looked at his extraordinarily handsome third son and his adorable third daughter-in-law standing next to him. The two of them seemed to be very affectionate as they moved, and the third son looked as if he was afraid that his daughter-in-law would be taken advantage of. He Yanwen could tell that this young couple was very close to each other.

He didn't blame his mother for begging the Empress Dowager to suddenly grant them a marriage.

He noticed that Chu Lian's gaze would occasionally land on him. She was curious and nervous, but her eyes were clear and bright. He laughed heartily and took out a green brocade pouch from his pocket. He extended his hand and handed it to He Sanlang.

"Take this. I wasn't here when Lian 'er served the tea. This is a greeting gift for Lian' er." Once Count Jing 'an let go of his military might, it was very easy for people to have a good impression of him.

No wonder He Changdi admired his father even though he had such a cold and callous personality.

He Changdi naturally didn't hold back in front of his father. He took the brocade pouch and handed it to Chu Lian without even looking at it. There was a rare hint of a smile in his voice as he said, "Lian 'er, open it and take a look. If what you're giving isn't good enough, I'll ask you for a few more."

Chu Lian glanced at He Changdi and thanked Count Jing 'an. Just as she was about to put the brocade pouch away, Count Jing' an smiled and said, "Aren't you going to open it and take a look?"

Only then did Chu Lian gently open the brocade pouch's seal. She poured out the contents from within. When the sparkling little objects rolled onto her delicate palms, Chu Lian could no longer conceal the shock on her face.

This … This brocade pouch actually contained about ten "pigeon eggs" …

There were even extremely rare red and pink diamonds among them … If this was the modern era, they would be priceless.

Chu Lian never expected that her father-in-law, Count Jing 'an, would bestow such a valuable gift upon her.

She clutched the brocade pouch and didn't know what to do. Thus, she could only look at He Changdi beside her.

He Sanlang instantly understood the meaning behind Chu Lian's gaze. He smiled faintly and grasped Chu Lian's little hand. "Since it's from Father, just accept it.

It's just a few gems in exchange for a daughter-in-law to change her mind. He won't lose out. "

Chu Lian really wanted to roll her eyes. A few gems … How could these top-grade red diamonds and pink diamonds be compared to gems?

She shook her head helplessly in her heart and carefully put away the items. Then, she bowed to Count Jing 'an as a junior.

"Father, you're travel-worn. I don't have much to show you. When the family banquet tonight, I'll personally cook a few dishes to go with wine."

Count Jing 'an laughed heartily. "Then I'll wait to taste Lian' er's cooking tonight."

Saying this, He Changdi pulled his wife's hand and retreated to the side.

Count Jing 'an ignored his eldest son, who was still kneeling on the ground. Instead, he exchanged a few words with Matriarch He. Then, his gaze landed on He Ying, whom he hadn't seen for many years.

His tone turned cold. "Sister Ying, I haven't seen you in many years, but you're still the same."

Count Jing 'an's words were filled with sarcasm. How was he praising He Ying for not changing her appearance? He was clearly mocking her for being unable to change her nature. It was fine if she did something shameful in the past, but now, she dragged her daughter into doing something shameful as well.

Back then, in the entire Count Jing 'an estate, the person He Ying was most afraid of wasn't the old Count Jing' an or her grandmother.

He Ying was both afraid and jealous of her biological older brother, who stood before her.

In the past, she hated that her older brother could stay by her parents' side and be personally raised by them. After they grew up and married, she hated that her older brother could inherit their father's title and bring glory to the family. She hated that her older brother had three sons, while she only had a good-for-nothing daughter. She didn't even have anyone to take care of her when she died.

Before Count Jing 'an returned, she could be arrogant and despotic because she had Matriarch's protection. She could even bully the juniors and her eldest sister-in-law, Countess Jing' an. However, once her biological older brother stood in front of her, she seemed to be reduced to dust. She didn't even have the courage to move.

He Ying stood to the side with her daughter. She lowered her head and didn't even dare to look at Count Jing 'an. She only mumbled, "Older Brother."

This was the first time Pan Nianzhen had seen her mother so nervous. She was also infected by it. She had always been a timid person. Now, she didn't even dare to raise her head. She followed her mother's lead and called him "Uncle."