As soon as the door opened, the rich aroma of food greeted us.

Xu Feng and Tang Jianying, who had been waiting for a long time, beamed as they saw the two of us come in.

"Oh, Qingning is here!"

"Uncle, Auntie, sorry for the disturbance."

"What are you talking about! Come in, come in, the food is just ready, and we’re waiting for you!"

The dining table was filled with a hearty spread of homemade dishes.

Sweet and sour ribs, steamed bass, oil-braised shrimp...

All were Liu Qingning’s favorites.

The four of us sat together, the atmosphere warm and lively.

Xu Feng kept serving Liu Qingning dishes, asking about her well-being, her fondness and satisfaction almost overflowing.

The meal was very delightful.

After the meal, Tang Jianying took the initiative to take on the task of washing the dishes, while Xu Feng pulled Liu Qingning along with Tang Song.

Sitting on the living room sofa, watching TV, they started chatting casually.

Just then.

"Ring ring—"

The wall-mounted video doorbell suddenly lit up.

Xu Feng stood up and went over, glanced at the screen, pressed the unlock button, and shouted toward the kitchen where Tang Jianying was, "Tang, it’s Maolin and his wife who are here."

"Oh, I’ll go down to the elevator to greet them." Tang Jianying quickly wiped the water from his hands and hurried out.

Xu Feng smiled, sat back next to Tang Song, and explained to him, "Your Uncle Maolin has been visiting often lately. This time, he heard you’re back, so he must be here to see you. Speaking of which, in our hometown, the quick refurbishment of your grandparents’ house and resolving the petty conflicts at your fourth uncle’s home were helped a lot by your Uncle Maolin."

Tang Song smiled softly, suddenly understanding.

Last time he got his parents this house through Xie Yue from Handing Group, which also showed some strength.

For this uncle who has immersed himself in the system for many years, he naturally knew what to do.

With his help, his parents’ status in the family indeed improved a lot.

After waiting two to three minutes, the door opened.

In the midst of lively greetings, Uncle Maolin and Aunt Qiaoling walked in, carrying a carton of milk and fruits, full of gestures.

"Uncle Maolin, Aunt Qiaoling." Tang Song stood up from the sofa politely to greet them.

Uncle Maolin immediately walked over with a cheerful smile: "Oh, it’s been months, and Song looks more spirited!"

"Indeed." Aunt Qiaoling’s expression was full of warmth and affection as she shifted her gaze to Liu Qingning beside Tang Song, "Oh, Song, who is this...?"

Xu Feng proudly introduced, "This is Song’s girlfriend, Liu Qingning."

"Wow! When did you get a girlfriend? Keeping it really tight!" Aunt Qiaoling immediately switched to a warm elder’s demeanor, went forward to hold Liu Qingning’s hand, looked her over from head to toe with her shrewd eyes, and praised, "This girl is really pretty! Her skin, her figure, she’s like a TV star!"

Xu Feng added calmly, "We also just found out with Jianying. The two kids are high school classmates, and Qingning was the top scorer in the county for our year!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Top scorer? Wow! No wonder she stands out so much!" Aunt Qiaoling’s voice instantly rose a few notches.

Liu Qingning, caught in the fiery compliments, blushed slightly and felt shy.

However, having seen the big scene before, she quickly adjusted and chatted freely with the "future relatives."

The living room was filled with laughter and joy.

Aunt Qiaoling fully showed off her talent for playing the supporting role, making the atmosphere very lively.

While Uncle Maolin mostly sat with a smile, occasionally saying a few words, his gaze often falling on Tang Song.

After several rounds of tea, the atmosphere matured well.

Uncle Maolin finally seemed to have made up his mind.

He personally took the teapot and refilled Tang Song’s teacup, adopting a low stance.

Clearing his throat, he spoke in a tone seemingly idle, "Well... Song, Uncle wanted to discuss something with you."

The laughter in the living room gradually quieted down.

Tang Song put down the orange in his hand, and replied warmly, "Uncle Maolin, feel free to say whatever’s on your mind."

Encouraged, Uncle Maolin rubbed his hands, looking a bit embarrassed.

Cautiously, he began, "It’s like this. I’ve been working at the unit for almost twenty years now, and recently there’s an opportunity at the bureau. Well... we have a deputy director about to retire, and the deputy director’s position will be vacant, and I’d like to vie for it."

After he finished speaking, the entire living room fell silent.

Xu Feng and Tang Jianying exchanged glances.

They never thought such a significant thing would come seeking help from their son.

Originally, they expected Uncle Maolin and Aunt Qiaoling to come over, at most just...

Tang Song’s brows raised slightly, and he suddenly understood.

Aside from him, Uncle Maolin was the most successful in their family.

Currently working at the Housing and Construction Bureau in Jing County, according to his father, his rank was deputy section chief, the head of a section in some department.

And the deputy director of the Housing and Construction Bureau is also deputy section level, though it’s a lateral move in rank.

But transitioning from a "mid-level cadre" to a "member of the bureau leadership team" is a qualitative leap.

Probably because this opportunity is too rare, Uncle Maolin thickened his skin to ask him.

Seeing Tang Song remain silent, Uncle Maolin feared awkwardness, quickly adding:

"Of course, Uncle doesn’t want to put you in a tough spot. It’s just knowing that you’ve got success now, mixing the best in the family, want to see if you know any connections, if not, forget it, it’s just a presumptuous question.