Feeling Mom Huo's gaze, Shen Modi froze again.
She felt as if she had forgotten how to walk, her whole body was so stiff that she couldn't take a step.
She also seemed to have lost the ability to speak, as if her mouth was sealed with wax and couldn't utter a single word.
Mom Huo smiled gently and took the initiative to greet her, "Are you Modi?"
"A... Auntie, hello." Shen Modi summoned up a lot of courage and stammered.
She was really afraid that Mom Huo would be like Gu Tianxi's mom and say to her, "Who's your aunt? You don't deserve it."
However, she heard Mom Huo say with a reproachful yet smiling tone, "You two have already got the marriage certificate. Still calling me auntie? It's my fault too. I haven't given you the red envelope for changing your way of addressing me yet."
Shen Modi was even more confused.
Was she having hearing problems or was it just an illusion?
Did Mom Huo mean that since they were married, she should call her "Mom"?
She just couldn't bring herself to say it.
She was also afraid that she would be humiliated if she did.
Seeing Shen Modi's stunned look, Huo Mingze smiled and said, "Mom, Modi is shy and not good at social niceties. Please forgive her."
Mom Huo gave Huo Mingze a dissatisfied look, "We're family. Why do we need those social niceties? Modi, come in quickly. It's cold outside."
Shen Modi: "!"
Don't blame her for being shocked.
She really couldn't react in time.
Mom Huo didn't ask her anything and just asked her to go inside?
What had she just said?
That she was family?
Did she already know about her situation?
Could it be that Huo Mingze didn't tell her the truth about her and his mom mistook her for the daughter of some wealthy family?
Otherwise, how could she talk to her so kindly?
"Let's go." Huo Mingze was about to hold Shen Modi's hand and lead her into the ward.
Shen Modi was afraid and stood still.
She still hoped to make things clear outside.
Mom Huo reached out, took Shen Modi's hand, and stuffed a big red envelope into it, smiling and saying, "It's our first meeting. I've prepared some small gifts for you."
Shen Modi was so startled that she quickly withdrew her hand, "A... Auntie, I can't take it."
"Silly girl, it's from Mom. Just take it." Mom Huo wasn't angry at all and reached out to hold Shen Modi's hand again with a smile.
Shen Modi was extremely anxious. She was really flustered. If she didn't take it, it would seem disrespectful, but if she took it, she really didn't dare to.
"It's from Mom. We'll take it." Huo Mingze took the red envelope.
Mom Huo, Meng Qiulan, looked at Shen Modi and then at her own son. She smiled and said, "Come in quickly."
She had supported Huo Mingze's breakup with Yao Yutong. That girl Yao Yutong was too calculating.
When she heard from Grandpa that Huo Mingze was going on a blind date and getting married, she was a bit worried. She thought that since they didn't know each other well from just a blind date and hadn't known each other for long, she was afraid that he might meet someone bad.
Grandpa analyzed it with her. People who meet on a blind date don't have feelings for each other at first, so Huo Mingze would be more rational.
Huo Mingze was an emotional person. Those who could deceive him or hurt him were always the ones he had feelings for.
After hearing this analysis, she felt relieved too.
Yes, going on a blind date would make Huo Mingze choose someone with good character more carefully.
Compared to six years ago, he had really matured now and was better at judging people.
Last night, she learned that the girl Huo Mingze was going to marry from the blind date came from a poor family. But this little girl had shouldered the burden of the whole family by herself. She had to work and also run to the hospital. Her father had liver cancer and her younger brother was deaf and mute. She worked hard to raise medical expenses for her father.
For three years, she had lived a very simple life. No matter how serious her father's illness was, she had never thought of giving up.
She had been filled with admiration at that time.
At the age of 53, although she had always lived a wealthy life, she had also seen a lot of people and things.
She knew too well what was the most important thing.
Character came first, wealth second.
Anyone could follow others to enjoy a good life.
But how many people could follow others to endure hardships?
Life was full of ups and downs. Who could guarantee a lifetime of wealth?
Marrying someone with good character, even if Huo Mingze didn't do well in the future, she would stay by his side and never leave.
She had a ready example around her.
Two brothers of her friend Wen Min. The eldest brother married a daughter from a wealthy family of equal social status, while the second brother married a girl from an ordinary family.
When the Wen family was thriving, everyone looked down on Wen Min's second sister-in-law, thinking that she came from a poor background.
Who would have thought that a few years later, the Wen family's investment failed, its market value shrank crazily, and it went bankrupt in just two years.
Before the bankruptcy liquidation process was even completed, Wen Min's sister-in-law from the wealthy family filed for divorce and left the Wen family.
On the contrary, her second sister-in-law, who came from an ordinary background, had always stayed by her second brother's side.
When her second brother was ill for two years, the second sister-in-law took care of him without complaint.
She also took out all her savings to let Wen Min's second brother start a small business.
Wen Min's second brother was also smart and caught a good opportunity, and revived the Wen family business.
So, this morning, she went to see Grandpa and said that she wanted to visit the relatives of Huo Mingze's wife. And by the way, the two families could discuss the wedding date.
Grandpa, who had been retired for twenty years, had been studying the Book of Changes all the time. He personally picked out several auspicious days, prepared some gifts, and then came to the hospital.
"Xiao Di, Mingze, you're here." In the ward, Shen Weiguo was having an intravenous drip.
Because Grandpa Huo and Mom Huo had come, he asked the nurse to raise the head of the bed and forced himself to sit up.
A few days ago, he felt that he was dying and couldn't even sit up. Today, perhaps because he was in a good mood, he felt that his condition had improved again.
"Dad." Huo Mingze and Shen Modi called out in unison.
Seeing Grandpa Huo, Shen Modi immediately greeted respectfully, "Grandpa, hello."
It was relatively natural for her to call him "Grandpa" because even when facing an unfamiliar old person, she could address them as "Grandpa" out of respect.
"Good, good. Come here, granddaughter-in-law. This is for you." Grandpa saw Shen Modi and smiled all over his face.
At his age, although he couldn't be 100% accurate in judging people.
"Grandpa, I can't take it." Shen Modi said anxiously.
Huo Mingze reached out and took it, "Thank you, Grandpa."
Grandpa smiled and said, "This is for my granddaughter-in-law. You're not allowed to take it."
"Okay, I'll help keep it for her." Huo Mingze smiled.
Shen Weiguo looked at the harmonious atmosphere of the family and also smiled.
Who wouldn't hope that their daughter could marry into a harmonious family?
Grandpa Huo smiled and looked at Shen Modi and Huo Mingze again, and said to Shen Weiguo, "In-law, we were just discussing the wedding just now. What do you think? How about we choose a good day nearby? The Huo family is a big family, and none of the grandchildren have gotten married yet. This is the first wedding of the grandchildren in the Huo family. Logically, we should spend more time preparing. But your illness is so serious, and I hope you can see your daughter's wedding with your own eyes."
"Okay, okay." Shen Weiguo was very happy.
Grandpa Huo unfolded a piece of red paper and pointed to several dates, saying, "These dates are all auspicious days for getting married. How about we choose the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is the closest one? We can hold a lively wedding next month?"
"Okay, okay." Shen Weiguo replied repeatedly.
He also hoped that he could hold on a little longer and see Xiao Di's wedding.
"Mingze, Modi, what do you think?" Grandpa Huo asked Huo Mingze and his wife with a smile again.
Shen Modi was still in shock.
Did Grandpa Huo and Mom Huo really not object?
Huo Mingze smiled and said, "I'll listen to Grandpa."
Shen Weiguo smiled and said to Shen Modi, "Xiao Di, you should also express your opinion."