Chapter 307: Only Children Make Choices!
While Jiang Tao was cutting Ma Jinsong leeks at Wangfu Teahouse.
A Mercedes-Benz GLS slowly stopped at the east entrance of Century City Residential Area.
“Old Jiang, do you see that girl? Isn’t that Xiao Yuan?”
In the front passenger seat, Tian Xiaomei pointed at a woman at the residential area entrance, who was wearing a neat, light gray ladies’ suit and carrying several shopping bags.
She had a feeling this should be the person she and her husband were looking for today.
“Looks like it. Let’s go ask.”
Jiang Wen said, and then started the car again, driving towards the woman’s location and stopping in front of her.
Tian Xiaomei asked from the car window, “Girl, are you Yuan Mengqi?”
“Ah! Yes, yes, yes! Are you Aunt Tian?”
The moment Yuan Mengqi saw Tian Xiaomei, her eyes lit up, and her heart instantly tensed.
She subconsciously made a gesture of tucking her hair behind her ear.
But her hair was currently lying flat against her head, not falling down at all.
It was understandable how nervous Yuan Mengqi felt about meeting Jiang Tao’s parents for the first time.
Although she knew it was unlikely she would marry into the Old Jiang family in this lifetime, they were still her boyfriend’s parents.
For this meeting, she had spent more than two hours getting ready in her room this morning, with the sole purpose of leaving a good impression on them.
After confirming each other’s identities, Jiang Wen drove the car to a temporary parking space at the residential area entrance that wasn’t in the way and got out with Tian Xiaomei.
“Uncle Jiang, Aunt Tian, you must have had a tiring journey.”
“Originally, I should have been the one visiting you two, and I apologize for troubling you to come all this way.”
“This is a small token of my appreciation that I prepared for you. I hope you won’t dislike it.”
As Yuan Mengqi spoke, she handed the two shopping bags in her hands to Jiang Wen and Tian Xiaomei respectively.
The old couple had lived with their son and daughter-in-law in Beijing for several months, and they were no longer the ignorant bumpkins they once were.
Seeing the conspicuous LV logo on the shopping bags.
Although they didn’t know the exact price of the gifts, they knew they were definitely not cheap.
Jiang Wen and Tian Xiaomei exchanged glances, surprised by the young woman’s enthusiasm.
“Xiao Yuan, we didn’t prepare any gifts for you for our first meeting. How can we accept yours?”
“Put the things away, Xiao Yuan. There’s no need to be so formal with us.”
After an exchange of glances, the old couple politely declined Yuan Mengqi’s meeting gifts in unison.
They had come today to seek advice from Yuan Mengqi, and in a sense, they were the ones who needed her help.
If they hadn’t prepared a gift themselves, how could they accept a gift from her?
“Uncle and Aunt, please don’t be so formal with me. Jiang Tao and I have been old classmates for many years, and I should have visited you long ago.”
“This can be considered a late gift.”
“Besides, the gift has been bought, and it can’t be returned. Please accept it, even if it’s a bit of a bother.”
Yuan Mengqi looked at the old couple with a smile, her face radiating warmth and sincerity, giving them a feeling of immense closeness.
“Alright then. We can’t let Xiao Yuan go to such expense, and we shouldn’t disappoint your kind intentions.”
Seeing Yuan Mengqi’s sincere and resolute attitude, Jiang Wen reluctantly accepted her meeting gifts, thinking he would find an opportunity to reciprocate later.
“Uncle Jiang, Aunt Tian, I’ll take you to see our store first.”
“My younger brother and sister-in-law are preparing lunch for us. Today we’re having a full clay pot banquet, and Jiang Tao will be here soon.”
Yuan Mengqi smiled gently, made a gesture of invitation to the couple, and said with a smile.
Jiang Wen chuckled and said, “Okay, we’ve come today to learn from you, Xiao Yuan. We’ll follow your arrangements.”
Yuan Mengqi smiled and said, “Uncle Jiang, you’re too kind. It’s this way. The store isn’t far from the residential area, so we can walk.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Jiang Wen and Tian Xiaomei walked towards the store, chatting and laughing with Yuan Mengqi.
Although the three of them were meeting for the first time today.
Under Yuan Mengqi’s warm welcome, they got along very harmoniously, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Jiang Wen and Tian Xiaomei were left with a very good first impression of this beautiful, gentle, and enthusiastic young woman.
After walking for less than five minutes, the three of them arrived at the store, which was currently under renovation and covered with scaffolding.
Inside the store, seven or eight renovation masters were diligently working on their tasks.
About one-third of the renovation work was completed, and a rough outline was already visible.
“Uncle Jiang, Aunt Tian, the total area of our store is…”
Yuan Mengqi led them into the store, smiling as she introduced the scale of the main store and some details of the renovation.
The three of them walked and talked, spending over twenty minutes touring every corner of the store before leaving.
Jiang Wen and Tian Xiaomei truly gained a lot from this tour.
Ring ring ring——
As the three of them walked out of the store, Yuan Mengqi’s mobile phone rang.
Yuan Mengqi took out her phone and saw the caller ID displayed as “Brother Tao.”
“Hello, Brother Tao.”
When others were present, Yuan Mengqi always called Jiang Tao “Brother Tao,” which was a normal term of address.
“Mhm, mhm, Uncle and Aunt arrived a while ago. We’ve already toured the store and are preparing to head home.”
“Yes, you can go straight home. Everything has been bought, so you don’t need to buy anything.”
“Drive slowly on the way. We’ll be waiting for you at home.”
“Okay, bye-bye.”
In front of Jiang Tao’s parents, Yuan Mengqi behaved very restrainedly, not saying anything inappropriate to Jiang Tao.
After the phone call, she smiled at the elder couple again.
“Uncle Jiang, Aunt Tian, let’s go. My mother and my younger brother are waiting for us at home.”
“Okay, thank you for your trouble, Xiao Yuan.”
When Jiang Wen and Tian Xiaomei returned to the entrance of the residential area with Yuan Mengqi.
The old couple took several gifts from the trunk of the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
They were going to Yuan Mengqi’s house for dinner today, so it would be impolite to go empty-handed. They had also prepared some small gifts.
The three of them returned to Yuan Mengqi’s house together and met Zhao Huilan, Yuan Mengjie, and Lin Ranran.
After Yuan Mengqi introduced them to each other, they quickly became familiar.
Jiang Wen and his wife were fellow villagers from Ping County with Zhao Huilan, and they were around the same age, so they hit it off even more as they talked.
Zhao Huilan praised Jiang Tao to the skies, without holding back her compliments.
The old couple, Jiang Wen and his wife, were even happier hearing Zhao Huilan praise their son than if she had praised them.
Everyone gathered because of Jiang Tao, and the topics of discussion mostly revolved around him.
From his elementary school days, through middle school, to high school when he and Yuan Mengqi attended the same high school and were in the same class.
It was from that point on that their fates began to intersect.
However, after a brief three years, their paths diverged once again.
Jiang Tao married Xu Li and had a child, then moved to Beijing to work,
becoming a truck driver outside the Hongxing Secondhand Wholesale Market.
Yuan Mengqi also met her ex-husband through a blind date…
Who would have thought that a decade later, their fates would intersect again.
And they even became boyfriend-girlfriend, a relationship that surpassed mere friendship.
Although this relationship could only remain private for now and could not be revealed to their respective families.
Yuan Mengqi had been experiencing unprecedented happiness brought by Jiang Tao during this time.
She had no regrets about her decision.
It was also the first time she had loved a man and was willing to give everything for him, even sacrificing herself.
Yuan Mengqi wished she could give everything she had to Jiang Tao, and had been completely open with him from the beginning.
She had decided on Jiang Tao for this lifetime and would be devoted to him until death.
Ding dong~ Ding dong~ Ding dong~
The doorbell suddenly rang at the door.
“It must be Brother Tao. I’ll get the door!”
The moment Yuan Mengqi heard the doorbell, she sprang up from the sofa and quickly walked to the door to open it.
Tian Xiaomei watched Yuan Mengqi’s hurried retreating figure, and a faint trace of worry flickered in her eyes.
For some reason, she suddenly had a bad premonition.
She increasingly felt that the young woman Xiao Yuan’s feelings for her son were more than just that of an old classmate and business partner!
“Could it be that Xiao Yuan likes our second son?”
Tian Xiaomei was startled by this thought that suddenly popped into her mind.
Although she also liked Yuan Mengqi very much.
If she had to choose between Yuan Mengqi and Xu Li, she would choose Xu Li without hesitation.
As a mother-in-law, she couldn’t find any fault with Xu Li, her daughter-in-law; she was more than satisfied.
“But if both…”
“Stop, stop, what am I thinking about!”
Tian Xiaomei shook her head and quickly pushed away the absurd thought from her mind.
“Brother Tao~ You’re here. You must have had a tiring journey.”
At the door, when Yuan Mengqi opened it and saw Jiang Tao, her already good mood instantly improved, and the smile on her face became even brighter.
Jiang Tao was like the sun in her life, illuminating her entire world.
Every time Yuan Mengqi saw Jiang Tao, her mood inexplicably became incredibly cheerful and free!
She couldn’t explain why, but she just felt that way.
“How was your chat with my parents?”
Jiang Tao acted as if he were home, casually changing into slippers at the door while chatting with Yuan Mengqi.
“Very good! Uncle and Aunt are very approachable and kind. They are not as stern as I imagined.”
Yuan Mengqi was also very satisfied with her interaction with Jiang Dad and Mom this morning, and their relationship had gotten much closer.
After changing his shoes, Jiang Tao walked side-by-side with Yuan Mengqi to the living room, greeted his parents, and then sank onto the sofa next to them.
When he came to Yuan Mengqi’s house now, he didn’t act like a guest at all; his demeanor was as if he were the owner of the house.
Tian Xiaomei watched her son’s behavior, outwardly remaining composed, but her inner doubts deepened.
As for understanding her own son, his mother naturally understood him the best.
Among the three siblings, Tian Xiaomei had always doted on her youngest son, Jiang Tao, the most and understood him the best.
“Son, come with Mom to the balcony to get some fresh air.”
Tian Xiaomei stood up and pointed towards the balcony, saying this to Jiang Tao, then turned and walked towards the balcony.
“You guys chat, I’m going to see my mom.”
Jiang Tao smiled and said this to Yuan Mengqi and the others, then got up and followed his mother onto the balcony.
No one thought much of it. Jiang Wen continued to discuss business strategies for Jiang’s Delicious Claypot Restaurant with Yuan Mengqi.
The apartment where Yuan Mengqi lived was a large unit of 180 square meters.
The balcony was some distance from the living room, and there was a glass door serving as a partition.
With the glass door closed, no sound from the balcony could be heard inside the room.
Click~
After stepping onto the balcony, Jiang Tao casually closed the room door.
Tian Xiaomei understood her son, and he understood his mother.
He knew his mother must have something she couldn’t say in front of everyone, which was why she had called him out.
“What is it, Mom? Is something wrong?”
Jiang Tao walked up to his mother and asked calmly.
“Son, tell Mom honestly, what is your relationship with Xiao Yuan?”
Tian Xiaomei looked at her son and got straight to the point, asking without beating around the bush.
“Boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.”
Facing his mother’s question, Jiang Tao did not conceal it and told the truth directly.
Daring to act and take responsibility was also a form of courage.
“Sigh! As expected! I knew it…”
Tian Xiaomei actually already had an answer in her heart, but upon hearing her son’s direct confession, she still felt a bit sorry for her daughter-in-law.
“Then what are you planning to do? What about Lili?”
Tian Xiaomei looked at her son with a worried expression and asked again.
“Lili will always be my wife. You can be assured of that.”
Jiang Tao’s words were from the bottom of his heart.
He had never considered divorcing Xu Li from beginning to end.
Hearing her son’s answer, Tian Xiaomei’s mood relaxed considerably, and she asked again:
“Then what about Xiao Yuan?”
Jiang Tao said, “Only children make choices.”
“You rascal, I really don’t know what good deeds you accumulated in your past life.”
“To be able to marry such a good wife as Lili in this life, and such a good girl as Xiao Yuan.”
Tian Xiaomei sighed softly after hearing her son’s words and finally didn’t say a word of blame.
“Heh heh, I feel like all my good deeds were used to earn the right to be your son, which is why I have such a good mom like you.”
Jiang Tao walked forward a few steps and put his arm around his mother’s shoulder, with a playful, carefree smile on his face.
Tian Xiaomei lightly punched her son, saying with a helpless smile:
“You’ve had a sweet tongue since you were little. Your brother and sister combined can’t speak as nicely as you do.
It’s no wonder you were able to charm both Lili and Xiao Yuan, such good girls.”
Jiang Tao argued with a playful grin, “You’re really slandering good people. How can you call it charming? We’re in love with each other, okay?”
“And you’re a good person?”
Tian Xiaomei rolled her eyes at her son.
Looking at her increasingly outstanding son, she, as his mother, felt happy but also quite helpless.
Based on her interaction with Yuan Mengqi this morning, and Yuan Mengqi’s behavior after Jiang Tao arrived.
Tian Xiaomei could see that Xiao Yuan’s feelings for her son were definitely genuine.
Moreover, it was likely that Xiao Yuan was the one pursuing her son.
As the saying goes, a man pursuing a woman is like climbing a mountain, while a woman pursuing a man is like breaking through a veil.
It was indeed not easy for her son to reject the pursuit of such a beautiful and outstanding woman like Xiao Yuan.
The more outstanding a man is, the greater the temptation he faces from various sources.
She now only hoped that besides Xiao Yuan, no other women would appear.
