Chapter 225: Idea
By this time, Zhang Fu had probably long forgotten that it was he himself who first brought up discussing the engagement.
That stroke in the birth chart had been drawn the moment Su Ning nodded.
“Pfft~”
Having witnessed the whole thing, the other onlookers desperately held back their laughter, and Jiaming had nearly pinched his own thigh purple.
The old couple’s reaction was just too adorable, especially Zhang Fu’s face pretending to be stern, changing uncontrollably every second without hiding it.
Although she didn’t know what everyone was laughing about, Xiao Qiu nestled in Zhang Qi’s arms also covered her little mouth with both hands like them, her wet eyes brimming with sparkling joy as they curved.
Meeting the accusatory glance with a hint of plea that he stole during a break, Su Ning raised her hand to rub her somewhat sore face and timely spoke up to rescue someone.
“Godmother, Godfather, I just told the young man to pass a message to Grandpa Yan and Grandmother. Should we go over first? Then invite Grandpa Yan and Uncle Fu them in the evening?”
“Oh, yes, yes!”
Almost forgot, there was still a lot of serious business.
It was she herself who had Ning Ning pass the message, so she couldn’t keep people waiting too long.
Xiao Bei was not only good-looking and pleasing to the eye, but her words were also exceptionally pleasant and to her heart.
Hu Yingtao was still somewhat reluctant to end it, but fortunately she could stay a few more days, with plenty of opportunities to talk with Xiao Yan. “Xiao Bei, how about telling the in-laws Grandpa and Grandmother later to come over for dinner, so our two families can formally meet?”
“Good, Aunt.”
Yan Bei actually wanted to go along, but in broad daylight it might cause trouble for Captain Su’s family.
It was also because they were sent down for reform under Team One; if it were anywhere else, it wouldn’t be like now, where as long as they avoided some people, they could still have relaxed and free times.
Coming out one after the other with Jiaming from the backyard small door, Yan Bei finally breathed in the fresh air deeply and freely, releasing the tension in his heart.
“How was it?”
“How was what?”
“Hehe, of course, the feeling of being nitpicked by your future father-in-law in every way, nothing to his liking.”
Jiaming grinned mischievously and nudged his hard chest with an elbow. “You’ve been the most outstanding person in everyone’s eyes since you were little. Isn’t this kind of experience pretty rare?”
“Looks like you experienced it plenty with Uncle Luo.”
“……”
This was a direct hit to the heart, a one-shot kill. Not surprising coming from you.
Silently giving a thumbs up, Jiaming helplessly spread his hands. “Zhang Uncle is still decent. Shuang Shuang’s dad and older brother are the truly terrifying ones.”
Recalling the looks Luo Fosen and Luo Wu gave him that day, he still couldn’t help shuddering now.
But who told them they wanted to take even the whole pot away? They had to endure it anyway.
Thinking that aside from his future father-in-law’s family, he only had his maternal uncle’s family—altogether just two mountains to cross.
While for Yan Bei…
Su Ning had not only the important godparents from the Zhang Family, but also the highly valued Fu Family in Beijing City, and the two good older brothers Zhang Ze and Mao Jinqian who protected her like the apple of their eye…
Who knew how many hurdles were waiting!
“Hahahaha!”
Leaving behind the inexplicably overexcited fool who was doubled over laughing, Yan Bei quickened his steps against the wind and snow.
……
The snow grew heavier, flakes falling one by one onto the mountain forest path, already covering a thin layer of white in just this short time.
The dilapidated house at the foot of the mountain, though simply repaired by Su Ning to barely keep out wind and rain, wasn’t actually very good for warmth.
Especially since it was so close to the mountain and on high ground, it felt even colder at night after snowing.
Afraid that Grandpa Yan and the old lady were too old to bear it, Yan Bei had early on taken out the thickest bedding and cotton-padded jackets that Su Ning had prepared and had them change into them.
Zhao Panpan even joked that it was the first time wearing something so thick, saying she almost forgot how to walk.
But knowing their grandson’s filial heart, even if inconvenient, the two still obediently did as told. Even inside the room, they layered small cotton-padded jackets inside big ones, and when going out, they absolutely added military overcoats.
“Grandpa, Grandmother, I’m back!”
“Quick, Xiao Qi, come into the room.”
Seeing the snow falling outside, Zhao Panpan knew her little grandson should be back, but she hadn’t expected it to take so long.
“Your hair is all frozen with ice. Quick, warm by the fire. Where did you and Xiao Ming go to gather firewood? How come it took so long to get back?”
Oh, right, firewood!
Yan Bei, who had felt like he forgot something, helplessly rubbed his forehead.
“Hehe, we left the firewood behind when we came back. If Grandmother hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve completely forgotten about it.”
“This, what happened?”
With his freakish memory, to forget something he went out to do— they wouldn’t believe nothing happened even if he said so.
Zhao Panpan was first worried, then realized her grandson would only turn like this over one person’s matters, and her expression visibly shifted to joy extremely quickly.
“Is Ning Yatou back?”
“Ning Ning is back?”
“Yes, I was just about to say. Grandpa, Grandmother, Ning Ning’s godfather and godmother came back with her. They said to go over later for dinner so the two families can formally meet.”
“Oh, the in-laws are here?”
Back when the connection was confirmed, Su Ning had told him everything.
Picking out a few important ones among them, Yan Bei told his own grandparents.
After all, he was thinking long-term, and when they married later, it wouldn’t just be the two of them, but also both families’ matters.
He had to let his own family know Su Ning’s attitude and recognize who were the households the Yan Family should truly treat with sincerity from now on.
So at this mention of the Zhang Family, the two elders didn’t simply see them as godparents but as proper in-laws, not only extremely surprised but also perking up with twelve times the spirit.
“This, what to do?!”
After the joy, Zhao Panpan couldn’t help slapping her thigh hard.
The two families formally meeting, from the meaning of the message her grandson brought, this was code between in-laws—if she didn’t misinterpret, they were preparing to discuss the big matters of the young couple.
According to custom, the things they should prepare, they… they had nothing now…
“No, no, we can’t treat Ning Yatou this shabbily.”
She had prepared several times more for this future granddaughter-in-law than for the two daughters-in-law back then, even outdoing what she prepared for her grandsons’ future wives.
Having painstakingly selected and prepared those treasured items with care, yet unable to give them, Zhao Panpan’s face was full of heart-wrenching discomfort.
“Grandmother, don’t worry. I’ll go find Jiaming.”
“Hm?”
“You’ll know when I get back.”
Recalling what that kid told him a few days ago, Yan Bei had an idea and, ignoring his snow-wet clothes, hurriedly stepped out after saying that.
“Xiao Qi, slow down, be careful not to slip and fall!”
“Got it, Grandmother. Don’t come out; wait for me to return.”
Having stepped half over the threshold, she drew her leg back and carefully shuffled back to sit by the fire basin.
Glancing at her husband who was fussing over himself, Zhao Panpan irritably said, “You’re not anxious at all.”
“Didn’t Xiao Qi already have a solution? Heh, unnecessary worrying. You know what kind of person Ning Ning is; even without those things, she wouldn’t nitpick or be unhappy.”
“It’s exactly because Ning Yatou doesn’t care about these and doesn’t fuss that I want to stuff her with all the best things at once. Only that is worthy of such a good girl as ours.”
Zhao Panpan truly liked her. Even without mentioning what Su Ning had done for the Yan Family, just how good the person was to her was reason enough.
But… they still owed her, let her down.
Patting her hand, how could Yan Changrong not know what his old wife was thinking.
But with things as they were, there was no way around it. Overthinking only added trouble.
“From now on, we’ll prove it with actions, treat her ten times, a hundred times, even a thousand times better. Isn’t that better than those fancy dead objects?”
“That sounds like human words for once.”
“Hey, you old woman!”
……
Meanwhile, Yan Bei, who had run to the Fu Family, quickly knocked on the door.
Before he could say the teasing words when Jiaming opened the door, he was directly locked in a neck hold and dragged headfirst into the room, only released when they reached his room.
“Cough~ Are you trying to strangle me?”
Face flushed red, Jiaming gasped for several big breaths, pointing at him with eyes full of accusation.
“Bring out that treasure you mentioned a few days ago for me to see.”
“What do you want? Taking advantage of the fire to rob?”
His mouth said that, but once his breathing evened out, Jiaming didn’t wait for an answer and his hand had already started violently lifting the bed board.
Under the bed was the cellar he had dug himself while building the house back then.
Moving aside the camouflaging floor tiles, there was a small door pulled open by a round log below. Once opened, three large boxes were placed tightly together.
“Here, all right here!”
