"Father, Fourth Grandfather and his family won't appreciate our kindness. Why are we giving them gifts?" Zhu Zhibin frowned, looking displeased.
Zhu Shunyo laughed heartily. "Son, you are still young and don't understand these things. Let Father explain the relationships to you."
Zhu Shunyo pulled Zhu Zhibin to sit on the sofa nearby. "What your Fourth Grandfather did to us is indeed unforgivable. But now his son has been arrested. Moreover, your Uncle Xiangyao likely suffered such severe shock that he has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Your Fourth Grandfather has many children, but only one son. In our rural area, having no son is equivalent to having no descendants. Therefore, many people will sympathize with them. This is what is known as the 'principle of the weak.'"
Zhu Zhibin blinked his eyes after listening to Zhu Shunyo. "So, even though everyone knows Uncle Xiangyao did wrong, because he was arrested, people actually sympathize with Fourth Grandfather's branch?"
"Exactly." Zhu Shunyo smiled and spoke. "Our family naturally doesn't care about their situation. However, our roots are here. Why offend people when we can get along with them? Besides, do you think my gifts are easy to accept? Just watch. When I send gifts next year, your Fourth Grandmother will definitely throw them out."
Zhu Yanyi, standing nearby, heard this and smiled helplessly. Indeed, her father was showing signs of inheriting the cunning nature of their fox ancestors.
"Father, are you doing this just for show?" As a little genius, Zhu Zhibin instantly understood his father's meaning.
Zhu Shunyo chuckled and gave a thumbs-up. "Son, some social obligations must be fulfilled. It doesn't matter if she throws the things away, but I must do my part. There is no other way. After all, your father was raised by them, so we must be grateful. Now that Uncle Xiangyao will never return, as her nephew, I naturally need to take care of them a bit. Don't you agree?"
"Father, listening to you gives me goosebumps." Zhu Zhibin rubbed his arms. "I think you have become a fox spirit. They say no spirits are allowed after the founding of the country, so how did you become one?"
"Boy, stop talking nonsense." Zhu Shunyo scolded him with a smile and lightly hit Zhu Zhibin. "Do you want to go with Father to deliver the New Year gifts tomorrow?"
Zhu Zhibin nodded immediately, his eyes full of excitement. "Go, go, go! I definitely want to go. I want to see how Fourth Grandmother throws out the gifts we send." Then, he spoke mysteriously, "Father, how about we choose something slightly more interesting to send tomorrow?"
By "interesting," he meant delicate and fragile items, such as eggs or tender pastries. Zhu Zhibin specifically chose soft cakes. Of course, there were other items, such as wine, specifically bottled Maotai. Basically, they chose items that looked expensive but would likely be destroyed if dropped. Most surprisingly, they even used snake-skin bags to pack them, so no one would know what was inside.
Zhu Yanyi watched them pack the gifts and wanted to laugh. It was obvious they were plotting against Gan Juhua and her family. She wanted to see what the scene would be like if Gan Juhua threw the things away, so she said to Zhu Zhibin, "Remember to come back and tell us all about the spectacle."