Lu Xiaotang pushed the door to the cattle shed. It wasn’t locked, so he walked right in. As soon as Xu Mo saw him, he rushed over and hugged his leg, saying, “Big Brother Lu, you’re finally here! I’ve missed you so much!”

Lu Xiaotang laughed and picked him up. When he arrived in the afternoon, everyone already knew he was coming. After dinner, they had all sat there waiting for him.

Once inside, he placed the things he had brought on the table, greeted everyone, and let Xu Mo sit on his lap.

Father Xu and Mother Xu chatted with him for a while before preparing to head back inside, allowing the three of them to have some time together.

Father Xu smiled and said, “Xiaotang, it’s been a while since you came. Spend some quality time with your parents; we’ll head back inside now.”

Lu Xiaotang immediately stood up and said, “Uncle Xu, Aunt Xu, please wait a moment. I actually have something I want to discuss with you today.”

He then shared the news about his relationship with Xu Ning.

Upon hearing the news, Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu were overjoyed. Xu Ning had grown up before their eyes; she was talented and of good character. If she could become their daughter-in-law, it would be the best outcome possible.

However, Father Xu and Mother Xu’s expressions turned serious. Xu Ning’s Father, in particular, had a stern look on his face as he said, “Xiaotang, our Ningning is still young. It’s too early for her to be in a relationship at this time.”

Uncle Lu quickly stepped forward, placing a hand on Father Xu’s shoulder. “Brother Xu, Xiao Ning is already eighteen this year; she’s not a child anymore. The marriage law states that anyone eighteen can get married. Besides, they’re just dating; they’re not getting married right now. Xiaotang, you know him well; he’s not the kind of person who lacks responsibility. What are you worried about?”

Aunt Lu also chimed in, holding Mother Xu’s hand. “Ning is like a daughter I’ve watched grow up. Don’t worry; if Xiaotang ever bullies her, I’ll be the first to object.”

Xu Mo stood to the side, his eyes darting around curiously.

After Father Xu and Mother Xu returned to the house, Father Xu sat on the kang with a sigh. “Our Xiao Ning is going to get married.”

Mother Xu looked at him in disbelief and said, “They’ve only just started dating! When did we start talking about marriage?”

Father Xu shot her a glare and said, “They’ve already started dating; how far off is marriage?”

Mother Xu thought for a moment and replied, “I think Xiaotang is a good kid; he’s worthy of our Ning.”

Father Xu scoffed, and Mother Xu glared at him, choosing not to respond.

Noticing that his wife was ignoring him, Father Xu turned to Xu Mo, who was standing nearby. “Go tell your sister to come over tomorrow. I need to talk to her.”

After hearing his parents finish their discussion, Xu Mo approached and asked, “Dad, if my sister marries Big Brother Lu, does that mean we’ll be one family?”

Father Xu looked at the little brat and asked, “What do you mean? Do you want your sister to marry him?”

Xu Mo stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Dad, my sister is getting older; she’s going to marry someday! You can’t keep her forever. If she’s going to marry someone else, it might as well be Big Brother Lu. I don’t think anyone else is worthy of my sister; only Big Brother Lu is barely good enough for her.”

Hearing this analysis from his son, Father Xu also felt that there was some truth to it.

Mother Xu watched the two of them with calculating expressions and picked up some thread and needles, choosing not to engage with them.

In the adjacent room, Uncle Lu looked at his son with a satisfied smile. “Good boy, you’re quite swift. Did you start dating Xiao Ning the last time you visited?”

Lu Xiaotang cleared his throat, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Dad, please don’t say that in front of Uncle Xu.”

“Brat, do I need you to teach me?” Uncle Lu replied with a chuckle.

Aunt Lu took his hand and sat him down on the kang. “Xiaotang, Xiao Ning is a good girl. You’re a man now; since you’ve decided to be with her, you need to treat her well from now on, understood?”

Lu Xiaotang replied earnestly, “Dad, Mom, don’t worry. I know what to do.”

When Lu Xiaotang returned with Xu Mo, Xu An was sitting on the kang reading. As soon as he saw them, he said, “Big Brother Lu, little Mo, sit for a bit. I’ll go get some warm water for your feet.”

Lu Xiaotang said, “Xiao An, you can wash little Mo’s feet first; I’ll do mine later. Where’s your sister?”

“My sister went back to her room.”

When Xu An brought Xu Mo back after washing his feet, he noticed something off about his expression.

Lu Xiaotang realized that little Mo, being the little blabbermouth he was, had already told Xu An about his relationship with Xu Ning.

He smiled and said, “You two should head to bed! Don’t wait for me; I need to talk to your sister about something.”

Xu An quietly asked, “Little Mo, is it true that Big Brother Lu is dating our sister?”

Xu Mo sighed and replied, “Yeah, it’s true. They said they’re not far from getting married.”

Lu Xiaotang knocked on Xu Ning’s door and called out, “Ning, are you asleep?”

Xu Ning ignored him. Since he lingered at the door, she got annoyed, put on her shoes, and opened the door. She then went back to sit on the kang to do her needlework.

Lu Xiaotang stood at the edge of the kang and coughed. “Are you angry?”

Xu Ning kept her head down, silent.

He walked over, sat down on the edge of the kang, and took her hand. “Xiao Ning, don’t be mad, okay? I was too anxious; I should have discussed it with you first.”

In truth, Xu Ning wasn’t really upset with him; she just felt a bit embarrassed that the adults knew she was secretly dating.

She glanced up at him and asked, “Did you tell them everything?”

Lu Xiaotang nodded with a smile. “Yes! They’re very supportive!”

Finally, he composed himself and said seriously, “Xiao Ning, I really like you. Today, I, Lu Xiaotang, vow that I will treat you well from now on. In this lifetime, there will only be you for me.”

Xu Ning looked at him and thought that his feelings at that moment seemed genuine. However, life was long and unpredictable; until the end, no one could know what the outcome would be. Still, for now, she was willing to believe him.

She smiled gently and said, “If you can do that, I won’t let you down either.”

Lu Xiaotang looked at her smile, feeling a rush of emotions he found hard to contain.

He stood up and softly stroked her hair. “Xiao Ning, I’ll show you that I can. Now, get some rest!”

After stepping outside and standing for a moment, he washed up and returned to the room where Xu An and Xu Mo were sitting on the kang, looking at him.

Noticing the two boys seemed like they had something to say, he smiled and said, “Why aren’t you two in bed yet? Hurry and sleep; you’ll need to get up early tomorrow.”

Xu An asked, “Big Brother Lu, are you dating my sister? When did this happen?”

Lu Xiaotang nodded. “Yes, I’m dating your sister. We started when I came to visit last time.”

Xu An looked astonished. “You started dating last time you visited, and I didn’t know anything about it?”

Then he suddenly remembered something. “When you came last time, I thought something was off between you two. I even thought you were arguing; turns out you were dating.”

Xu Mo sighed and said, “Second Brother, they’ve been dating right under your nose, and you didn’t even notice. What are your eyes for?”

Xu An shot Xu Mo a glare, then looked at Lu Xiaotang with a sigh before lying down on the kang to sleep.

Xu Mo glanced at his older brother, shook his head, and walked over to Lu Xiaotang with a smile. “Big Brother Lu, let’s go to sleep too! Don’t mind my second brother; he’s just a bit petty.”

Xu An, who had just closed his eyes, thought, How am I being petty? They’ve been deceiving me for so long, and now I’m not even allowed to be angry about it.

Lu Xiaotang looked at the grinning Xu Mo and the sulking Xu An, finding his two little brothers-in-law quite amusing.