CHAPTER 20: Meeting the Parents

Standing in front of them, Su Yuan’s face was redder than the evening clouds.

She avoided their eyes and said vaguely, “He did walk me back—he just didn’t come into the village. He’s a bit shy.”

She tried to sound as natural as possible.

From today on, she and Fu Mobai were officially in a relationship—at least in name.

Everyone crowded around, firing off questions. Su Yuan answered them one by one, patiently and without hesitation. Some of the answers were things she had already agreed on with Fu Mobai, so she wasn’t afraid of slipping up.

Under the setting sun, she looked as delicate and lovely as a flower, enough to make even Shen Qing stare in a daze.

“No wonder they say a girl becomes prettier once she has a boyfriend—you’re stunning today!”

“Am I?” Su Yuan touched her cheeks, feeling how hot they were.

The next day at work—

First period was Chinese. Now that the autumn harvest was over, the ten students who had taken leave had all returned to school.

Usually, Su Yuan would use her spare time to help them catch up. But some of the kids had grown used to slacking off and wouldn’t listen at all.

“Teacher, my dad says studying’s useless. Better to work the land and save money so I can marry a pretty wife someday—that’s worth more than anything.”

The speaker was Li Shu, wearing grimy, ill-fitting clothes. His long hair was greasy and clumped together. He leaned back on his stool, rocking it carelessly, looking smug.

He was the worst student in the class. Su Yuan set a piece of stationery paper in front of him and said, “Write down your home address, and better yet, draw me a map. I’m going to visit your family.”

“…”

Li Shu shot upright, shocked. “Teacher, I didn’t do anything wrong—why’re you coming to my house?”

“What you just said is the problem. I need to have a good talk with your father.”

Parents were the guiding lights in a child’s life. If the light was crooked, it would be hard to straighten the path later.

Still not realizing the gravity of his words, Li Shu stalled, reluctant to write.

Su Yuan handed him a pen and put on a stern face. “You can refuse, but I’ll find out anyway. Better to be honest—confession earns leniency, resistance meets severity.”

Since they hadn’t interacted much before, Li Shu couldn’t figure out her temperament and didn’t dare act rashly. He obediently drew a map — a few quick strokes, yet detailed and vivid.

After finishing, he handed it over and added pleadingly, “Teacher, please don’t say bad things about me, or my dad will beat me to death.”

Su Yuan took the map, glanced over it, and sincerely praised, “You draw really well. Have you learned from someone before?”

Hearing that, Li Shu lifted his chin proudly. “Self-taught! What’s the big deal? Just doodling. I can draw all sorts of things.”

The other students gathered around to look at his lifelike map, showering him with praise.

It was the first time in his life he had ever been complimented so much — Li Shu was over the moon.

As the bell for the second period rang, Su Yuan gathered her things and left the classroom. Passing by the east corner office, she instinctively glanced in.

She saw several teachers moving furniture out — desks, chairs, and bookcases — all looking very busy.

She walked over, curious. “What’s going on with that office?”

A male teacher looked up, and when he saw it was her, his expression instantly warmed. “That room’s being turned into a laboratory, so the teachers will have to squeeze into other offices.”

Su Yuan’s mind stirred — perhaps she could find a way to get Tan Li into her office; it would make approaching her much easier.

Before long, it was lunchtime.

As promised, Fu Mobai arrived carrying a lunchbox.

Thinking that from now on he could stand openly by her side, the corners of his lips lifted in a faint smile.

Su Yuan came out through the school gate just in time to see him, paused for a moment, then walked over as if nothing unusual had happened. “You seem in a good mood. Almost finished your task?”

“No, still a long way to go.”

Fu Mobai looked at her deeply, standing tall and straight as a pine.

For a moment, Su Yuan felt he looked exceptionally dignified, and her heart softened.

Back in the jeep, Fu Mobai opened the lunchbox as usual and handed her the chopsticks.

But Su Yuan didn’t start eating immediately. After thinking for a moment, she said softly, “I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Go ahead.” The man unconsciously straightened his posture.

Su Yuan briefly described her life in Baiyun Village, then added, “My godmother and the Jiang family have treated me very well. Now that they know you’re in this city, I’d like you to come back with me this Sunday.”

Hearing it was to meet the family, Fu Mobai’s lips curved in a smile, and he agreed without hesitation.

“I should prepare some gifts. What do they like?”

Not wanting to neglect proper etiquette, Su Yuan thought for a moment and listed each person’s preferences.

When she mentioned Jiang Song, the man’s tone soured. “You even know what he likes?”

Su Yuan looked puzzled. “We live under the same roof every day — how could I not know?”

“…”

Fu Mobai was at a loss for words, lips pressed thin, saying nothing more.

….

Sunday arrived.

He came to Baiyun Village in casual clothes, riding a bicycle.

This time he didn’t hide in some remote corner but rode straight into the village.

Worried the villagers might find him unfamiliar, Su Yuan waited for him at the village entrance.

When she saw him, she quickly went forward — and was startled by the large bundles of gifts. “Why did you buy so much?”

“They’re all useful things. It’s not too much.”

Since the back seat was piled with gifts, there was no room for a passenger. Fu Mobai swung his long legs off the bike and walked beside her.

Some villagers noticed them and came over to greet her.

“Comrade Su, who’s this? Is he that soldier boyfriend of yours?”

Su Yuan smiled politely and confirmed their guess, openly acknowledging her relationship with Fu Mobai.

“Oh, so he’s been transferred to our Northeast? Such a fine-looking young man! When you two get married, you’d better hand out wedding candies to everyone!”

All this time, Fu Mobai had been quietly standing in the background. Upon hearing this, he pulled a few hawthorn fruit rolls from his pocket and handed them over, seriously promising, “When we get married, I’ll definitely give you wedding candy.”

Fruit rolls weren’t cheap, and his generosity caught the villager off guard before they gratefully accepted.

Seeing this, the other villagers caught on, cheerfully tossing out one congratulatory remark after another.

Fu Mobai listened with delight, and before long, he had handed out all the fruit rolls and peanuts he’d brought.

Standing beside him, Su Yuan’s face flushed. For some reason, her heart brimmed with warm happiness.

Ten minutes later, they reached the Jiang family’s door.

Fu Mobai parked the bicycle, unloaded the gifts, straightened his clothes, and asked, “How do I look?”

Su Yuan gave him a serious once-over and praised, “Very good.” Then she knocked on the door.

Inside, Ye Jie and the Jiang family were already waiting in the main hall. Hearing the sound, Ye Qin’s eyes lit up and she hurried to open the door.

When she saw Fu Mobai, her gaze filled with appreciation. “Comrade Fu, come in quickly!”

Her eyes then fell on the large bundles of gifts, and she was both shocked and a little distressed. “You didn’t need to buy so much.”

“Auntie, thank you for taking care of Yuan Yuan all this time. This is just a small token of my appreciation.”

Those were the first words Fu Mobai spoke upon entering, and the people in the hall immediately warmed to him.

They all thought he was polite, treated Su Yuan with great importance, and was a man worthy of a lifetime commitment.

As her godmother, Ye Jie naturally assumed the role of a mother and found herself liking this prospective son-in-law more and more.

Still, some things had to be asked.

“Since you’ve come all this way after her, when are you planning to get married?”

Sitting up straight across from them, Fu Mobai answered, “Whenever Yuan Yuan says the word, we can get the certificate right away.”

Su Yuan: “…”

Everyone turned to look at her. With no way out, she braced herself and said, “I’m still young — I’m not planning on marrying this year.”

Jiang Yuan suddenly chimed in with a cheeky grin. “Any romance that isn’t aimed at marriage is just fooling around. Teacher Su, you can’t be a scoundrel.”

Seeing her speak so casually, Ye Qin shot her a fierce glare, then turned to Fu Mobai with an embarrassed smile. “This child just needs a little discipline—a couple of beatings would fix her right up.”

But Fu Mobai looked at Jiang Yuan with approval instead, praising her as smart beyond her years and destined for great things.

Sitting diagonally across from him, Su Yuan wished she could kick him—twice.

When it came time to hand out gifts, Fu Mobai not only gave out the ones he had prepared earlier but also added a fountain pen for Jiang Yuan, thanking her for speaking up for him just now.

Jiang Yuan was quick-witted. She understood his meaning instantly and accepted the gift without a shred of guilt.

Ye Jie, holding the wool sweater in her hands, liked it very much but also felt it was too expensive. When she tried to decline, Fu Mobai smiled and said, “You’re Yuan Yuan’s mother. I hope you’ll speak well of me from time to time. She picked out the sweater herself, so please accept it.”

The words “mother” were music to Ye Jie’s ears. Overjoyed, she happily accepted the sweater.

By dinnertime, Jiang Song had just returned from working outside.

Fu Mobai had always regarded him as a potential rival, so his smile was faint. If it weren’t for the presence of the Jiang family, his expression would have reverted to its usual cool detachment.

Jiang Song could vaguely sense the hostility, though he had no idea why. He truly only saw Su Yuan as a younger sister—without the slightest romantic thought.

Su Yuan noticed the change in Fu Mobai and, while no one else was paying attention, leaned closer to whisper, “What’s wrong with you? Weren’t you smiling quite happily just now?”

In the ten-plus years she’d known him, this was the first time she’d seen him smile so much—like some kind of counterfeit version of himself.

The man turned his head, his gaze locking on her dewy eyes and rosy lips. “You really can’t guess the reason?”

The ambiguity in his eyes sent her into a fluster. She quickly put some distance between them and shook her head honestly. “I can’t guess.”

The next second, he took her hand and placed it over his heart, his expression serious. “Everyone has seven emotions and six desires. I get jealous too—jealous that another man gets to live under the same roof as you.”

Understanding dawned instantly, and her face turned crimson. She tried to pull her hand back, but he held it firmly in place.

Her heart started pounding wildly again, so hard she thought she might not be able to stand it.

After dinner, Fu Mobai prepared to leave.

The Jiang family escorted him to the door, warmly inviting him to visit again. He nodded, agreed, and waved to them with a smile.

Su Yuan walked beside him, intending to see him off to the entrance of the village.

Pushing his bicycle, Fu Mobai asked casually, “What are you planning to do later?”

She answered truthfully, “I need to visit a family in the neighboring village.”

It was autumn in the Northeast, and the sky darkened early. Worried about her going alone, he mounted his bicycle, pointed to the back seat, and told her to get on.

With a personal chauffeur, Su Yuan didn’t stand during the ceremony. She handed him the map first, then climbed onto the back seat.

Fu Mobai glanced at the map once, slipped it into his pocket, and had already memorized the location perfectly.

Then he said over his shoulder, “Let’s go. Sit tight—and hold on to my waist.”

Su Yuan: “?!!”