Chapter 53 The First Birthday Celebration (1)

ice station, had recovered somewhat and saw Liu Changfu's miserable condition. His heart clenched tightly with fear, beads of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he worried that these auxiliary...Chapter 53 The First Birthday Celebration (1)

Xiao Yu felt that there were no more hot currents escaping from his body, so he opened his eyes and looked at the clock on the wall. It was already past seven o'clock. Suddenly, Xiao Yu froze—past seven I remember it was around seven when I started meditating. Did it feel like only a short while had passed but in reality an entire night had gone by Picking up the phone on the table, he confirmed that it was indeed early morning.

Xiao Yu got up and stretched his body. Although he still felt sore, he was basically fine now, and his complexion had improved as well; at least it wasn’t pale anymore but rather had a hint of blood color in it.

After stretching, Xiao Yu looked into the mirror and was quite surprised. He knew his own condition, so it was impossible for him to recover this way within just ten days or two weeks. But now he seemed to have recovered almost completely overnight, and his mana had also replenished by more than half. What was going on

Could it be because of those slices of ginseng To achieve such effects, the ginseng would at least need to be over three hundred years old!

Xiao Yu washed his face and went downstairs. Seeing only his mother there, he asked, "Mom, where’s my sister"

"Today is Hanghang's first birthday. Your brother-in-law has already taken your sister to their place; they have a lot of preparations to make today!" Xiao Jianying noticed that her son's complexion had improved significantly and nodded while saying this.

"Hurry up and eat, then go over there to help out as well. Your sister’s place will definitely be very busy today!" When he saw his son standing still without moving, Xiao Jianying urged him quickly.

Although she knew her son was reluctant to go, she couldn’t do anything about it. According to local customs, the child's maternal uncle must attend such occasions as a representative of the mother’s family and help with preparations and hosting guests.

Hsiao Yu hurriedly ate a few bites of his meal and then left home to hail a taxi. While sitting in the car, he headed towards his sister's house. Suddenly, Hsiao Yu, who was seated inside the vehicle, saw an Audi 4S store.

The sight surprised him as he recalled that about half a year ago when he had passed by this place, it used to be a bustling supermarket. He couldn't believe that in merely half a year of not returning home, things had changed so drastically.

Soon enough, the car reached his sister Hsiao Yu's apartment complex entrance. His sister and brother-in-law lived with their parents in an apartment complex managed by the city government due to his brother-in-law’s father being a vice-mayor of substantial authority in the same city. As such, they had a small villa within the complex; though it was called a villa, it resembled more of a two-story building constructed at home. Such villas were only allocated to officials with considerable power within the government compound.

Since this was an official residence area, security and management were exceptionally strict, requiring all outsiders to register before entering. After registering, Hsiao Yu proceeded straight towards his sister's house.

He pressed the doorbell; shortly after, the door opened revealing his sister-in-law's mother, Liu Jinhua. Upon seeing him, her originally cheerful face immediately fell and without a word, she turned around and returned indoors.

Hsiao Yu noticed that Liu Jinhua had pulled a long face as usual when he visited last time. Today was his nephew’s first birthday, and since his sister and brother-in-law were on good terms, Hsiao Yu wouldn't bother her about it. He followed into the house where his sister was changing clothes for their child in the living room while his brother-in-law Lu Jianhong was arranging drinks.

"Little brother, you're here! Why didn’t you sleep more" Hsiao Yu’s sister greeted him as he entered.

"I'm not sleepy anymore. How could I be when Hanghang is calling for his uncle!" Replied Hsiao Yu and then went to play with his nephew.

"Then help your brother-in-law out, he's been busy since morning!" Said Hsiao Yu’s sister pointing towards Lu Jianhong who was busy.

“Brother-in-law, let me help you!” said Hsiao Yu as he walked over to his brother-in-law.

"Xu has arrived! Come help me bring out the wine!" When Lu Jianhong saw Xiao Yu arrive, he said.

In no time, the two of them had brought all the alcohol out. Around 8 o'clock, a few young men from Xu's sister’s family drove up in a pickup truck. They were all well-dressed and turned out to be government officials who came over spontaneously upon hearing that Mayor Lu was hosting his grandson’s first birthday celebration.

According to custom here, especially for boys, the scale of the celebrations marking their first birthdays could even exceed those held when a couple got married. The more grandiose the ceremony, the greater the importance placed on the child as the bearer of the family lineage. Although these beliefs were somewhat outdated and backward, in this remote city, no one found them excessive, especially with the decreasing number of children nowadays.

Xiao Yu and Lu Jianhong, along with the others who had come to help, brought the drinks to the hotel where they began setting up for the event.

Since Xu’s brother-in-law's father held an important position in Tong City, many people would be coming over to congratulate them on their grandson’s first birthday. Therefore, the level and scale of this celebration were quite high.

The venue for the celebration was the most luxurious hotel in Tong City, where they had booked the entire second floor. As Xu’s brother-in-law Lu Jianhong's father, Lu Guozhang, had worked in Tong City for half his life and held considerable sway there, many of the city’s top officials were expected to show up today.

After about an hour of decorating by Xiao Yu and the others, the second floor had been transformed. Small flags and balloons adorned the room; a large table in the middle was set with items such as pens, books, ledgers, and abacuses. The child would be placed on this table to pick up various objects, each symbolizing different auspicious meanings for the future—holding a pen suggested he would go to college, while holding a book indicated he might become an academic.

They also set up a registration desk at the entrance of the hall where gifts and cash presents would be recorded. At around 10:30 AM, Xu's sister arrived with her child and Lu Jianhong’s parents; by 11 AM, guests began arriving one after another. The young men from the government office took turns sitting at the registration desk to record the gifts and cash presents people brought, but Mr. Lu had instructed them not to accept any cash gift over two hundred yuan so as to avoid allegations of profiteering.

However, Xiao Yu's gift was not registered because after the banquet started, gifts from close relatives would be taken out one by one. These gifts are either held in the children’s hands for a while or hung around their necks to show the relatives' affection and importance placed on them.

By this time, there was nothing left for Xiao Yu to do. His sister, holding the child, was surrounded by her husband's large family of relatives. Xiao Yu tactfully did not go over but instead found a table to sit at himself.

The time slowly passed as more and more people arrived. The banquet was set for 12 o'clock, so those arriving now were mostly close friends and acquaintances. However, Xiao Yu didn't recognize any of his sister's husband’s relatives.

As the sole representative from his family attending on behalf of the bride, Xiao Yu should have been a key guest to be specially treated here. But since his sister-in-law’s parents looked down upon Xiao Yu and her ordinary background, they did not come over even as a formality to greet him, ignoring the etiquette.

Xiao Yu sat alone at this table while Xiao Yu's sister was surrounded by Lu family relatives and couldn't get out. Seeing Xiao Yu sitting alone at a corner table made her furious but knowing that her brother would be like this today, she could only worry helplessly as it was the child’s one-year-old birthday celebration and her brother had to attend.

As time drew closer to noon, more people continued to arrive. The hall was already filled with a majority of guests chatting in small groups except for Xiao Yu's table which remained untouched by Lu family arrangements, whether intentionally or not.

No matter the reason behind it, Xiao Yu didn't mind; he came today solely to celebrate his nephew’s first birthday and nothing else mattered.

"Xiao younger brother" legal trouble. However, they couldn't bear returning home in such a state and becoming the laughingstock of everyone.Li Zixiong had examined their injuries earlier and understood how difficult it was...