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The two whispered secrets behind the curtains until they grew tired. Eventually, Li Tiange climbed up to her upper bunk to sleep.
In the darkness, Wang Qian shook her head, amused by Li Tiange’s idea of making her a sister-in-law. She found the thought quite funny. Leaving for Xinjiang for her wasn’t an option—without seafood, it wasn’t worth it. No matter how great the place was, without seafood, it wasn’t appealing to her.
The next morning, Bai Jianing felt like her legs weren’t her own, particularly annoyed that the man had kept her up all night. Despite her own exhaustion leading to sleep, he had persisted throughout the night. As she tried to move, she realized his presence was still within her, causing her to blush once more.
As Bai Jianing stirred, Zhang Weiguo was already awake but seeing his wife’s reaction, he couldn’t resist teasing her further. “You naughty girl, get up. Everyone is waiting for us to have breakfast.”
At this point, Zhang Weiguo was shameless and paid no heed to her words, knowing that the family members who had breakfast early were already done. She joked, “Let’s not keep mom and the others waiting. You might end up being late.Stop, aren’t you afraid of being late” Bai Jianing had intended to get up, but Zhang Weiguo’s teasing led to her gasping and moaning, lost in the moment once again.
After another round of intimacy, Comrade Zhang Weiguo finally brought his new wife over for the meal.
The old lady smiled knowingly, “Young people, they tend to seek pleasure. When they arrive, don’t tease them. The young couple has thin skin, unlike you thick-skinned ones.”
Geng Lianhua set aside some food separately for them, keeping it warm in a pot.
When the young couple arrived, Zhang Hua teased her brother, “Weiguo, must be exhausted. Quickly, let’s eat. Mom has set aside some food for you separately. After eating, let’s take a family photo. We haven’t taken one yet. This time, let the newlyweds take a few shots too for a special memory.”
Zhang Weiguo agreed wholeheartedly. His sister had a great idea. Capturing a family photo under the Tiananmen Gate Tower would hold significant sentimental value.
“Mom, sorry we’re late…”
On Bai Jianing’s first day as a bride, Han Ying had repeatedly reminded her to make breakfast for her mother-in-law in the morning, a long-standing tradition. However, they overslept and hadn’t prepared any food. Feeling embarrassed that the family had already eaten, Bai Jianing felt genuinely apologetic.
Geng Lianhua warmly took her daughter-in-law’s hand, saying, “It’s okay. Young people often oversleep. It happens to everyone. Quickly go eat with your sister; you must be hungry by now.”
The kind and understanding words of the old lady made the young daughter-in-law feel extremely comfortable. She followed Zhang Lan into the kitchen with a cheerful smile to have her meal.
Geng Lianhua, concerned about her daughter-in-law and son, specially cooked some eggs for them. Bai Jianing, eating the eggs, suggested to her husband, “Weiguo, if our parents have nothing to do back home, they could stay with us. It would be more convenient for us to take care of them.”
Zhang Weiguo nodded with a smile, “Sure, when you have time, talk to them about it.”
Deep down, he knew his parents wouldn’t stay. They relied on their livelihood back home and likely wouldn’t want to leave their roots. He kept this to himself, letting Bai Jianing bring it up. This way, her mother would feel comforted hearing it from her daughter-in-law.
Zhang Lan didn’t need to stay in the kitchen with them. After they finished eating and cleaned up, they joined the others who were ready and waiting for them to depart.
The family took the opportunity to visit a photo studio in the Capital and captured some precious moments. Zhang Weiguo and Bai Jianing served as guides, showing their family around Tiananmen Square and leaving their mark at the Monument of the Heroes.
With the Great Wall too far for a visit, Geng Lianhua preferred to stay at home. Walking around, she found the city intriguing but ultimately felt that home was where her heart belonged.
Zhang Wanyou stood with a smile, hands clasped behind his back. “Indeed, our hometown boasts picturesque landscapes. Here, you can’t even see a complete vegetable garden, let alone a forest. While the capital is bustling, it lacks the tranquility of our home.”
Even Zhang Hua and the others felt tired, unexpectedly finding a visit to Tiananmen Square quite exhausting. Nonetheless, they captured memories to show off back home, proudly declaring themselves to have visited the Capital.
“Wow, I’m exhausted. My feet are starting to ache,” Zhang Hua exclaimed, taking off her half-heeled leather shoes and massaging her feet. Qu Cungen, lacking sympathy, remarked, “Exactly! Who told you to show off? Your sister suggested wearing comfortable shoes, but you insisted on flaunting. Whose fault is that?”
Despite the pain being inflicted on his own wife, Qu Cungen felt a pang of guilt and quickly went to the kitchen to boil some water to help alleviate Zhang Hua’s discomfort.
After soaking her feet in the warm water, Zhang Hua felt a surge of relief. “Oh my goodness, I’ll never wear high heels out again. I was afraid of being ridiculed by city folks, so I even bought a new pair of shoes. But, our traditional cloth shoes are the most comfortable.”
After a day of exhaustion, the family dined out for lunch. Upon returning home, each person retired to their rooms for a brief rest. As the sun set, they groggily rose, but Wang Xuan, who returned from school, had already begun preparing dinner with Yang Nuo assisting.
As the evening drew near and dinner remained unprepared, Zhang Hua and the others hurried to the kitchen. To their surprise, they found Yang Nuo and Wang Xuan working together seamlessly, cooking dinner. Zhang Hua admired their cooperation and efficiency.
“Sister, look at how lucky your daughter Xuan is, and how great Yang Nuo is. If only our Wen’er’s partner could be like Yang Nuo, I’d be truly fortunate,” Zhang Lan remarked with a smile.
Zhang Lan smiled, “Sister, your son-in-law has a good reputation too. You don’t need to envy me. In the future, you’ll also benefit from having a son-in-law.”
Zhang Hua hesitated to dwell on this thought. People’s true nature remains hidden, and it’s crucial to observe carefully. Perhaps it was time for her daughter to spend more time with her partner to uncover any potential flaws.
Their daughter couldn’t compare to the long-established relationship between Wang Xuan and Yang Nuo, built over the years. They truly understood each other inside out. Even her future son-in-law couldn’t match up to what Yang Nuo had to offer. Zhang Hua wondered where the dinner prepared by their son-in-law was.
“Don’t worry, Auntie, dinner will be ready soon. You must be exhausted after shopping today,” Yang Nuo said, noticing everyone had come back tired and were resting.
Zhang Hua chuckled, “Indeed, shopping can be incredibly tiring. Next time, I’ll definitely wear comfortable shoes.”
As Wang Xuan began cooking, she asked Zhang Hua to relax while she and Yang Nuo finished preparing dinner.
Zhang Hua limped back with sore feet, suffering from blisters caused by her shoes.
As everyone prepared to have dinner, a visitor arrived at the door. Seeing Wu Zhengyuan, Yang Nuo immediately punched him, “Brother, I thought you went missing. Where have you been after school started? Haven’t seen you around.”
Wu Zhengyuan’s once fair skin had tanned considerably, his dark complexion contrasting with his white teeth. Carrying a bag, he appeared dusty and wind-beaten.
“I’ve been out on a research trip with the professor since the start of school. I just returned and came to report to you,” Wu Zhengyuan explained.
Seeing Yang Nuo bring in a young man, Zhang Lan was initially puzzled. However, upon hearing Wu Zhengyuan mention his grandmother, she remembered him. Mingcheng had mentioned meeting him on the train, and that his grandmother was related to Hao Lianchun.
“You’re Wu Zhengyuan, right? I heard Mingcheng mention you. Quickly go wash up. What happened to you?” Zhang Lan inquired.
Wu Zhengyuan explained to Zhang Lan, and Yang Nuo had already prepared water for him to wash. Luckily, their house had a dedicated bathing area. This explained why Wu Zhengyuan came directly here instead of going back to his dorm—it was late, and he wanted a good wash.
Seeing Wu Zhengyuan return after washing up, Zhang Weiguo jovially introduced him, “Zhengyuan, let me introduce you. You can call her Auntie. Jianing and I just got married yesterday, and you missed the celebration. But it’s not too late. Today, we’ll have a good drink together.”
Wu Zhengyuan was so astonished when he looked at Bai Jianing that he was almost speechless. “Young Uncle, are you serious? Last time when you went back, your future mother-in-law didn’t agree to your marriage. How come, in just a few days, you’ve had the wedding ceremony? Am I hearing this correctly?”
Zhang Weiguo playfully patted his shoulder, “Young man, are you unhappy about my marriage? Let me tell you, this is real. We are legally married now, and tomorrow I’m taking my wife to visit my in-laws’ family. Can’t fake that, right? Come on, join us for dinner, and I’ll make sure you have your share of the celebratory drinks.”
Despite not being much older than the younger ones, Zhang Weiguo’s seniority was recognized, hence the younger boys in the family often referred to him as “Young Uncle.”
Seeing the sincerity in Zhang Weiguo’s words, Wu Zhengyuan apologized to Bai Jianing with a smile, “Auntie, I’m sorry. There were some matters at our school, and I was away for a long time. I missed both of your wedding ceremonies, but I did bring you a gift. I’ll get it for you shortly.”