"Okay."
Little Tuanzi answered blankly and buried her head to continue her fight with the spareribs.
Cheng Ruan couldn't bear to look anymore. Miao Miao was really a person who never hesitated when it came to eating. As long as there was something in her mouth, nothing in the world could attract her attention.
The image of a chivalrous woman in the past had long since disappeared during such a long period of getting along. In Cheng Ruan's eyes, Little Tuanzi was now a silly and straightforward dope.
Well, a dope who needed protection.
"Isn't it a bit inappropriate to eat like this at someone else's banquet?" the noblewoman suddenly covered her mouth and let out a couple of giggles, then she restrained her smile and said haughtily.
This noblewoman had always looked down on others. No one in the Lin family was surprised that she would say such things.
If Miao Miao were really a child from someone else's family, the Lin family might just roll their eyes and mock her a bit and be done with it.
But this time it was different. The person she was mocking was the apple of the whole family's eye.
Little Tuanzi had just helped the second uncle solve a major case. After experiencing a series of scares and coming back, the whole family was being extra careful and loving towards her, afraid of stimulating her.
Offending Miao Miao at this time, this noblewoman was in for big trouble.
"You two are the only outsiders in this room. How can you have the nerve to say something about our Miao Miao? Besides, Miao Miao is our younger sister. She can eat however she wants. What does it matter to you?"
Lin Chengzhi couldn't hold it in any longer and spoke up first.
The noblewoman ignored the mocking words in the first half of the teenager's speech and grasped what she thought was the key point of the whole sentence.
Younger sister?
How come she didn't know that the Lin family had a new female member? How could a family of public servants have a second child?
No, this little girl was not that young. She had come to visit the Lin family two years ago, and there was no such little girl at that time. It was impossible for her to be born to any of the Lin family's daughters - in - law.
There was only one possibility then.
The noblewoman suddenly remembered that teenagers in puberty these days especially liked to recognize older brothers and younger sisters without blood relations, so she directly classified Little Tuanzi into this category.
"Younger sister? I didn't see any new addition to the family when I came here two years ago. I really have to say something about this. You kids are still young and don't know how to tell right from wrong. It's okay to recognize a favorite little friend as a younger sister outside, but how can you bring her home? It's Chinese New Year. This little girl doesn't get together with her family but comes to the Lin family for dinner. It's obvious that she has other motives. You can't be deceived by her appearance."
Lin Chengzhi was confused by the noblewoman's theory and looked at her with a questioning look on his face.
The other Lin family members also put down their chopsticks and watched the noblewoman as she rambled on, with varying degrees of displeasure on their faces.
Yao Mingxuan and Cheng Ruan didn't know that Miao Miao was adopted, so they were even more confused and didn't know what this woman was talking about.
"Kids these days really are. At a young age, they're already thinking about climbing up the social ladder. Just because they look okay, they go around randomly recognizing older brothers. How could their upbringing be good? Second Aunt, our Taoyao is a very honest child. She studies well, is well - behaved, filial, and worry - free. Lin Yao is already in his thirties, right? If he doesn't want to get married, we can't force him, right? Our Taoyao is only twelve. Since we're all family, instead of recognizing some shady people as god - daughters or god - sisters, our own niece is so much better."
"If Taoyao grows up, the third family also has a one - year - old little girl. The third brother also said that he feels sorry for you and for Lin Yao. He's afraid that no one will take care of Lin Yao when he gets old, so this daughter can be given to Lin Yao. As long as they can see each other every now and then, that'll be fine. In this way, Lin Yao will have a little kid to accompany him on a daily basis, and there'll be laughter and joy every day. That'd be great."
Grandma Lin couldn't listen anymore at this point. Usually a good - tempered person, she directly banged on the table heavily to show her dissatisfaction.
"Old hag! Who are you calling shady? Our Miao Miao is Uncle Lin's daughter. Where did you, this wild relative, come from? Saying such things about our Miao Miao. Why don't you take a look at yourself in the mirror? Is the girl beside you as cute as our Miao Miao?"
Before the Lin family could say anything, Cheng Ruan, a die - hard fan of Little Tuanzi, couldn't sit still. No matter what the Lin family thought of her, she was determined to protect her friend Miao Miao to the end.
"You little girl, why are you so rude? You don't go home for dinner on Chinese New Year but come to the Lin family. Is it possible that you don't have any motives? Am I wrong? The Lin family didn't say I was wrong, but you popped up." The noblewoman rolled her eyes and retorted.
Cheng Ruan opened her mouth, her face turning livid with anger. Indeed, the Lin family hadn't said anything. It was inappropriate for an outsider like her to speak up, but how could she watch Little Tuanzi being bossed around like this?
"We're Miao Miao's friends. It's only natural for us to say a few words for her. May I ask, Auntie, what's your stance to criticize us? After all, we were formally invited to sit here. I heard from the cousins that it seems you all are the uninvited guests, right?"
Yao Mingxuan refuted reasonably, unlike Cheng Ruan who only knew how to attack blindly.
Seeing these two kids defending Miao Miao so much, Lin Yao nodded in satisfaction. A friend in need is a friend indeed, and practice makes perfect.
These two kids had completely passed Lin Yao's test.
"Miao Miao is my daughter." Lin Yao wiped his mouth and calmly stated.
The words the noblewoman wanted to use to scold the two kids got stuck in her throat.
Five years ago, when Lin Yao made his fortune, they had the idea of asking Lin Yao to adopt Taoyao. But no matter how they tried, they couldn't succeed, and the already not - so - good relationship between the two families became even worse.
Later, the Lin family unilaterally cut off contact with them, and it had only eased up a bit in the past two years.
Their family had the idea of asking the Lin family to adopt Taoyao again.
After all, it was well - known that Grandma Lin's family was crazy about having a daughter. Taoyao was specially cultivated by their family. Her daily clothes, dressing, and every word and deed were strictly regulated, all for the day when she could be sent to the Lin family.
But they never expected that someone else would beat them to it and take the position of the only daughter in the Lin family.
"What! Lin Yao, when did you get married?" the noblewoman shrieked in shock, standing up abruptly and shouting.
"I'm not married. Miao Miao is my adopted daughter, but she's just like my biological daughter. Even if our family wanted to adopt a child, we wouldn't just bring any Tom, Dick, or Harry into our home." Lin Yao squinted his eyes and threw back the noblewoman's sarcastic words about Miao Miao.
"Adopted? A family that can abandon their child can't be a good one. They're born with a selfish gene. How can they be as good as our own family? Besides, for such a big thing, Second Aunt, why didn't you discuss it with the family?"
The noblewoman was so angry that her tone took on a bit of a questioning tone.
Hearing this tone, Grandma Lin recalled a lot of unpleasant memories.