Chapter 128: No Need for You to Worry

Upon opening it, there lay a necklace of gold intertwined with jade. In the center of the jade pendant was the character for "longevity," which looked remarkably festive and clearly quite valuable.

"Mother, here, this is a small token from Weifang and me. Let me put it on for you."

"Good, good, excellent. Weifang is truly filial." Old Mrs. Mei accepted it with great delight.

Shi Yuzhen observed the birthday gift from her eldest brother and sister-in-law, her gaze faltering. It seemed far too extravagant; the quality of the jade pendant was exceptional. This necklace had to be worth at least ten or twenty thousand. A shadow of gloom crossed her eyes.

Every year, there was this ritual of presenting gifts to the birthday honoree, but they were usually modest offerings. This year, however, the eldest brother had suddenly moved the celebration to such a high-end restaurant and presented such an expensive gift; it felt as if there were some ulterior motive.

Fortunately, she had prepared well herself. She and Qin Dedong stood up and presented a set of imported health supplements, specifically commissioned through an overseas agent, which had also cost over ten thousand.

When Old Mrs. Mei saw it, she was equally pleased. "Yuzhen, you have also gone to such trouble. Good, very good!"

Old Mrs. Mei had three children: Shi Weifang, Shi Yuzhen, and Shi Yufen.

Everyone turned their attention to Shi Yufen.

Shi Yufen stood up, offered her well-wishes, and then produced a hand-knitted sweater. Although the style and craftsmanship were top-tier, the moment it was revealed, Shi Yuzhen and the others covered their mouths, suppressing laughter.

"What era are we in? Still knitting sweaters?"

"How can a sweater be as warm as cashmere? The cashmere sweater I bought for Mother last time cost over a thousand, and it’s so warm."

"Our third sister is so used to poverty, she probably had to scrimp and save just to afford the yarn. Our old lady is refined; how could she possibly wear something made from yarn bought at a roadside stall?"

Shi Yufen stood to the side, her face flushed. Old Mrs. Mei neither accepted nor rejected the gift, leaving Shi Yufen standing there in awkward silence.

Shi Qingqing, feigning innocence, tugged at Shi Yufen’s sleeve. "Mom, Grandma doesn't seem to like the sweater you knitted. As it happens, I’ve grown taller this year and have nothing to wear, so give it to me. Grandma doesn't need this gift from you anyway. Next year, when we have more money, you can just buy Grandma a cashmere coat—it will save you from knitting every day until your fingers are swollen..."

Ignoring whether Old Mrs. Mei approved or not, she took the sweater from Shi Yufen’s hands.

Old Mrs. Mei’s expression turned sour, her displeasure with Shi Yufen now shifting focus onto Shi Qingqing.

Seeing that she had captured everyone's attention, Shi Qingqing simply stood up. She picked up a piece of longevity cake, walked over, and placed it in Old Mrs. Mei’s bowl. "Grandma, you know Mom and I are poor and have no grand gifts to offer. I’ll just use these flowers to offer my respect; this little piece of longevity cake is my greatest blessing to you. Happy birthday, Grandma!"

*Mom spent over half a year knitting that sweater, pouring her heart and soul into it. If you don't want it, I do! Sorry, but when it comes to me, there won't even be yarn gifts.*

She was thick-skinned anyway. Regardless, everyone else received red envelopes every year, but no matter what she and Shi Yufen gave, they never received one from Old Mrs. Mei. There was no point in standing on ceremony.

Old Mrs. Mei’s eyelid twitched. She disliked this granddaughter more with every passing moment, and the sight of her only reminded her of how her husband had died.

She offered some perfunctory pleasantries, "That’s enough. It’s not easy for you two, and I don't need you to give me any gifts. Qingqing, just taking good care of your mother is enough; you don't need to worry about an old woman like me."