Chapter 29

When Lu Yun returned to her office to get her coat, Sister Sun asked her what was going on.

Upon learning that He Cheng’an had come back to see her, Sister Sun looked at Lu Yun with a smile that seemed to hint at the passage of decades; it would be fitting to describe her with a term that implied a certain intimacy after twenty or thirty years.

Sister Sun said, “There’s nothing much to do today. Why don’t you take a day off? I can help finish up the little bit of work you have left.”

Lu Yun replied, “I don’t even know when he will return to the provincial capital. Let’s talk about it later, thank you, Sister Sun.”

At that moment, taking a leave wasn’t really necessary; it was almost noon. As long as Lu Yun returned before her afternoon shift, it was fine. She put on her coat and wrapped her scarf around her neck before heading out.

—o—o—o—

Outside the Cotton Textile Factory, she saw He Cheng’an. Lu Yun stepped forward a few paces and smiled as she asked, “Why are you back? Aren’t you busy today?”

He Cheng’an’s tense heart finally relaxed at that moment.

He had worried that Lu’s family would not like him, that Lu Yun would want to break up, and that they would no longer be together.

Seeing Lu Yun smile as she always did, he reached out and gently tousled her hair, his movements light and tender.

After a while, He Cheng’an finally spoke, “I realize I was thoughtless. Since your family knows we’re together now, shouldn’t we pay them a visit?”

If He Cheng’an hadn’t asked, Lu Yun had also planned to wait until her second aunt’s family had returned home before inviting him to the Lu family.

Zhang Meili and the others were not at ease, and Lu Yun wanted them to meet He Cheng’an.

She believed that if they met him, they would also be satisfied, and then they wouldn’t have to worry about her.

So, upon hearing what He Cheng’an said, she paused for just a moment before nodding in agreement.

Lu Yun said, “Okay, I’ll go back and tell them.”

He Cheng’an smiled and said, “Ask them which weekend they’re free. Once the time is set, just call this phone number to let him know, and he’ll pass along my message.” As he spoke, he placed a neatly folded note into Lu Yun’s pocket.

The number belonged to a small shop near his residence in the provincial capital, which he had given Lu Yun before. He was worried that Lu Yun might find it troublesome to search for it again, so he wrote it down once more.

Lu Yun replied, “It should be fine this weekend.” After a brief pause, she continued, “He Cheng’an, my parents will definitely…”

He Cheng’an assured her, “Don’t worry; they will like me. You don’t need to be anxious.”

Lu Yun nodded, saying, “Yes, they will like you.”

He Cheng’an had things to attend to at noon, but when he came to find Lu Yun, he brought along some cut fruit and lunch.

The two of them carried the items back to the Cotton Textile Factory, with one of them standing outside.

Lu Yun’s smile faded slightly, and He Cheng’an’s expression grew a bit concerned. Each of them had their own thoughts weighing on their minds.

—o—o—o—

Back in the office, Lu Yun quietly told Sister Sun that she planned to bring He Cheng’an home to meet her parents and asked about Sister Sun’s own experience of introducing her partner to her family.

Upon mentioning such matters, Sister Sun reminisced for a moment and then began to speak, as if she could go on for three days and nights. Lu Yun listened intently.

Sister Sun recounted, “The day before I brought him home, I said a lot of good things about him, especially to my brother. I even mentioned that when my brother gets married, I would help out, but honestly, our family was already satisfied with him.”

Then she encouraged Lu Yun, saying, “You don’t need to be nervous or worried. If I had a daughter and could find a son-in-law as good and handsome as He Cheng’an, I would be secretly delighted. Don’t you think?”

Lu Yun lowered her gaze and replied, “Yes, they will definitely like him. How could they not? I’m just a bit anxious.”

—o—o—o—

It was still before noon, and Lu Yun asked Sister Sun to keep an eye on things for her, telling her that if anyone came looking, to say she was busy or find some excuse. Then she hurriedly rushed out of the office.

During this period, Lu Yun had been saving money diligently in order to start a business. She ran home and took out some of her savings before heading to the nearby State-Owned Restaurant, where she ordered a full box of braised pork and another box of tomato and egg, which Lu Xiang’an particularly liked.

She then set off to find Lu Xiang’an with her tote bag in hand.

When Lu Xiang’an saw Lu Yun’s hair in disarray, he playfully flicked her forehead and said, “What are you doing here? And carrying something too! Come on, what’s up?”

Lu Yun replied, “This box is braised pork, and this one is tomato and egg.”

Lu Xiang’an teased her, “But you didn’t bring rice! How am I supposed to eat without rice?”

Seeing Lu Yun’s expression darken, he quickly crossed his arms and added, “When asking for a favor, you need to have the right attitude! It’s just that you forgot to buy rice; don’t be angry!”

Lu Yun stomped her foot in frustration, “Lu Xiang’an!”

Several people turned to look at Lu Yun, and some even asked Lu Xiang’an who she was.

He smiled and introduced her as his sister before leading Lu Yun to the cafeteria of his factory since it was too cold outside to have a proper conversation.

Once they reached the cafeteria, Lu Xiang’an served up two portions of rice and added some fried meatballs that Lu Yun liked.

Lu Yun had visited his workplace a few times when he first started, and each time, many people would come over to ask about her. This time in the cafeteria was no exception, and soon several people had approached them.

From a glance around the cafeteria, Lu Yun stood out, looking strikingly different and beautiful.

When Lu Xiang’an opened the box to see the generous serving of braised pork inside, he laughed, “So, what’s the deal?”

Lu Yun took a breath and said, “I want to bring He Cheng’an home. Can you help me out by saying some good things about him or smoothing things over?”

As she spoke, she opened the other lunch box, “Look, tomato and egg.”

Lu Xiang’an took a bite but didn’t find it particularly tasty. Instead, he felt a pang of nostalgia as he remembered the days when his little sister would fall and cry at the slightest upset. Now she was bringing her partner home. He asked, “Do you like him more than Chen Zhiqiang?”

Lu Yun shook her head and said, “There’s no comparison between Chen Zhiqiang and him.”

Lu Xiang’an responded, “I get it. Don’t worry; I won’t eat your food for free.”

Lu Yun quickly pushed the lunch box toward him, urging, “Eat more.”

As they ate, Lu Xiang’an chatted with Lu Yun, saying, “Someone like you deserves to be pursued with kindness. Whether it’s Chen Zhiqiang or He Cheng’an, whoever marries you will be lucky. As for Chen Zhiqiang, he’ll just have to regret it.”

Unable to hold back a laugh, Lu Yun nodded in agreement.

—o—o—o—

When Zhang Meili heard that someone named He Cheng’an was looking for her, she was a bit surprised.

She knew that He Cheng’an was busy in the provincial capital and hadn’t expected him to return today.

She initially thought about calling Lu Dong but decided against it and went to see He Cheng’an herself.

Previously, Zhang Meili only thought He Cheng’an looked good, but upon meeting him, she found him to be composed and mature.

The more she observed him, the more she felt it was a pity; if only their family were better off, and if Lu Yun and He Cheng’an liked each other, she wouldn’t mind forgoing a bride price in favor of a dowry to let Lu Yun marry him.

He Cheng’an’s palms were sweating, but he maintained his composure as he introduced himself, saying, “Hello, Aunt. I’m He Cheng’an.”

Zhang Meili nodded, “I know.”

He Cheng’an continued, “I’m not sure if Aunt has time now, but I’d like to have a chat with you. If you’re busy, that’s fine; I can wait here.”

Zhang Meili asked, “Where to?”

He Cheng’an quickly replied, “I’ve booked a restaurant nearby called Fengji Restaurant.” As he saw Zhang Meili start to walk ahead, he hurried to catch up and followed her closely, saying, “Aunt, please take your time.”

Fengji Restaurant wasn’t the best place in the area, but it was the closest to where Zhang Meili and Lu Dong worked. Once they arrived in the private room,

He Cheng’an handed the menu to Zhang Meili. She didn’t order anything, placing the menu aside and watching He Cheng’an, who was still standing next to her.

Zhang Meili said, “You sit first. We can order later.”

He Cheng’an didn’t sit down; instead, he said, “Aunt, my family situation is quite complicated, and there are some issues. But don’t worry, I will never let Lu Yun suffer because of these matters. I may not have a formal job, but I’ve earned quite a bit, and all of it is for Lu Yun, especially if we get married in the future.”

When he mentioned marriage, he paused, swallowing hard, and then continued, “Once we’re married, all the money will be managed by her. If I ever do something wrong or make her feel wronged, I will give her everything I have and leave with nothing.”

He looked directly at Zhang Meili and added, “I really like her. I can’t stand to see her unhappy; I’d even pick the stars from the sky for her if she wanted them.”

Zhang Meili felt a bit moved. “She’s a bit spoiled and doesn’t usually do much, but recently she seems to have developed an interest in food and can cook a few dishes occasionally.”

He Cheng’an replied, “I can cook; I can do anything.”

Zhang Meili had already recognized Lu Yun’s determination, and hearing He Cheng’an express his feelings like this made it impossible for her to consider breaking them apart.

She had been young once, and it was clear to her that He Cheng’an genuinely cared for Lu Yun. After a while, she said, “You can sit down.”

He Cheng’an was overjoyed. “Aunt?”

Zhang Meili glanced at him and said, “If you have more to say, go ahead. If not, hurry up and sit down to eat.”

He Cheng’an agreed and then recounted the events of the day, candidly sharing what he had heard from Zhang Hao about Lu Xiang’an asking about him.

He Cheng’an said, “I realize I was inconsiderate. That day, I should have returned with her and visited you the next day, instead of making you worry about her. These matters should have been my responsibility, and I shouldn’t have let her face you alone. Also, about today, could you not mention it to her?”

Listening to He Cheng’an, Zhang Meili’s initial six out of ten satisfaction transformed into seven. However, she didn’t blame him; he couldn’t know that they would be inquiring about him.

It was only when Zhang Meili nodded at He Cheng’an that he finally took a seat.

During the meal, Zhang Meili asked questions, and He Cheng’an answered all of them.

He even poured her hot water, treating her with a respect that Lu Xiang’an had never shown her.

Zhang Meili thought to herself that if He Cheng’an could continue like this, she would accept his family situation.

If those people stirred up trouble, she would help Lu Yun and He Cheng’an out.

As they left the restaurant, Zhang Meili suddenly remembered something. She said, “Yesterday, Lu Yun told me she wants to shield you from the storm.”

She reached out and patted He Cheng’an on the shoulder. “You’re a good kid. Go back now; I won’t tell Lu Yun about today. When I return, I’ll tell her I went to ask Li Ling to bring you back for a visit.”

He Cheng’an repeated that phrase in his mind—“she wants to shield you from the storm”—countless times.

Finally, he bent down to Zhang Meili and stood up with utmost seriousness, saying, “Thank you, Aunt.”

—o—o—o—

When the evening shift at the Cotton Textile Factory ended, Lu Yun went to the market with Sister Sun. She bought the apples that Sister Sun mentioned, the kind her son could eat two of in one sitting. The apples smelled sweet and fragrant.

After purchasing the apples, Lu Yun remembered how much the Lu Family loved her braised pig trotters, so she bought four trotters and some chicken wings.

Still feeling like that wasn’t enough, she looked around the market and bought a pack of peach crisp cookies.

When she got home, Lu Yun went to find Zhang Meili.

In the Lu Family, Zhang Meili was the one in charge.

As for her father, Lu Dong, he wouldn’t have any objections as long as Zhang Meili agreed.

Even if he had any, Zhang Meili could easily convince him otherwise.

“Mom, here are the peach crisps, and I also have pig trotters and chicken wings. I’m going to start braising them now, and I’ll also make some braised eggs and braised pork belly. I remember we have some pork belly at home. I’ll make braised meat rice, and then we can have the pig trotters and chicken wings.”

Zhang Meili looked at her in exasperation. “You, your second aunt is still here.”

Lu Yun covered her mouth, realizing she had forgotten all about that.

Zhang Meili took the things Lu Yun bought and put them away.

She placed the peach crisps in her own room and stepped out, momentarily at a loss for words for Lu Yun.

Lu Yun had genuinely forgotten; her mind was occupied with thoughts of He Cheng’an. She smiled and said, “It’s fine; they’ll be going back in a few days, right? Once they’re gone, my brother will come back to stay, and we’ll eat together. Braised meat rice is delicious; the braised sauce mixes with the rice, and you add some greens on top, plus the braised eggs. It’s not greasy at all.”

Zhang Meili wasn’t quite sure what braised meat rice was, but Lu Yun’s description was making her mouth water. “You sound like you’ve read that in a book, as if you’ve eaten it before. If you really want to make it, do it when you bring He Cheng’an back.”

Lu Yun asked, “What do you mean…?”

Zhang Meili replied, “I mean, wait until you bring He Cheng’an back to make it. I think next weekend would work perfectly; we’ll all be free, and your second aunt will be gone too. If you’re dating, you have to bring him back for us to meet, right? It’s time to introduce him to the family.”