“Wait, what? Marriage?”
Lin Xiyan nearly spat out her milk tea. Without even bothering to clean herself up, she quickly pressed on: “Ningyue, you’re only twenty-four. Why are you thinking about marriage so soon?”
“Is Duan Mingrui pressuring you?”
Su Ningyue gently shook her head. “No, it’s not like that. We’ve been dating for over a year now, and I think it’s about time we got married. Mingrui said once he finishes up this busy period, our two families will sit down and discuss the wedding plans.”
“Ningyue, you’re still young. Are you really sure that person is Duan Mingrui?”
Lin Xiyan asked with genuine concern. “Besides, Duan Mingrui’s mother is no pushover. Do you remember the first time you went to his house, how cold and distant she was toward you?”
Ningning was beautiful and soft-natured, but Mother Duan, holding herself up as a city dweller, always felt she was above others and looked down on Ningning in her heart. She was truly afraid Ningning would get hurt.
Su Ningyue was unconcerned. “Once we’re married, we won’t live with his mother, so there won’t be any conflicts.”
“Ningning, I still think it’s too soon. Won’t you think it over a bit more?”
“Yanyan, I’ll give it serious consideration.”
Lin Xiyan silently sighed. Ningning was straightforward by nature—once she set her mind on something, even nine oxen couldn’t drag her back.
She hoped Duan Mingrui was a good man.
That Friday, Su Ningyue got off work and immediately took a car back to the county town.
Mother Su had been overjoyed ever since she learned two days ago that her daughter was coming home.
She got up early in the morning and busied herself—not only cleaning Ningning’s room spotlessly, but also buying lots of delicious food.
Before four o’clock, she was already in the kitchen preparing dinner. As for Father Su, he was at the shop selling steamed buns. The business wasn’t huge, but every little bit counted.
“Mom, what smells so good?”
Su Qi’an, who had just finished playing basketball, smelled the rich aroma the moment he entered the courtyard. After putting his ball away, he walked into the kitchen.
Mother Su turned around and glanced at her son, who was now over 1.7 meters tall, then turned back to continue cooking. “Your sister loves the spring rolls I make, so I need to prepare extra.”
“You go take a shower too—your sister will be home soon.”
“Okay, I’m going now.”
He hadn’t seen his sister in nearly a month. The siblings had a close relationship, and she would always secretly send him spending money, worried that he wouldn’t have enough to eat at school.
An hour later, Su Ningyue returned to the familiar small county town. Along the way, she inevitably ran into neighbors.
“Aunt Wang, just getting back from grocery shopping?”
Aunt Wang paused for a moment, then beamed. “Oh my! It’s Ningyue! Back to visit your parents again?”
Aunt Wang carried her vegetable basket and looked Su Ningyue up and down. Sure enough, the big city really nourished people—Ningyue was fresh and radiant, surely destined to marry a wealthy man.
“Yes, Aunt Wang. I won’t keep chatting—my parents must be waiting for me at home.”
“Go on, go on.” Aunt Wang waved with a smile.
Su Ningyue gently pushed open the front gate, and the warm, memory-filled little courtyard of her home came into view.
Just as she was about to speak, a light, wind-chime-like voice reached her ears.
“Sis! You’re finally back! I missed you so much!” Her younger brother Su Qi’an came bounding over like a joyful little deer, his face beaming with undisguised delight.
Su Ningyue looked at the energetic young man before her with a face full of affection, a trace of tenderness shining in her eyes. “Qi’an, it’s been a while since I last saw you, and you’ve grown quite a bit taller. But why do you seem thinner? Has the pressure from your studies been too much lately?”
Su Qi’an chuckled and scratched his head, saying, “Sis, that’s not it at all. I’m just naturally the type who can’t gain weight no matter how much I eat. Besides, I like to exercise regularly, so that’s why I look lean. Actually, I do have some muscles.”
“No matter what, you need to take good care of yourself.” Su Ningyue took out an exquisite box from her bag and handed it to her younger brother. “Here, I specially bought you a portable music player. It’ll be perfect for practicing your English listening skills.”
Su Qi’an took the box and glanced curiously at the brand logo on it, then exclaimed in surprise, “Sis, this brand of portable music player isn’t cheap. You work hard to earn your money, so there’s no need to spend so much on me.”
Just as he was speaking, Mother Su heard the lively conversation in the courtyard and quickly put down the spatula she was using to stir-fry, hurrying outside. The moment she saw her daughter, a brilliant smile bloomed on her face. “Ningning’s back!”
“Mom.” Su Ningyue called out sweetly.
“Your brother is right. Your living expenses in the city are already considerable, and in the future, you’ll need to think about getting married and starting a family. You should save up more money.”
Su Ningyue smiled and linked her arm through her mother’s, coaxing her, “Mom, it really didn’t cost much. Besides, I bought clothes for you and Dad too. I’ll bring them out in a bit so you can try them on and see if they fit.”
“You child, why do you always waste money like this? Your father and I are busy at the bun shop every day—there’s no need for us to wear such nice clothes.”
Mother Su kept muttering under her breath, her face full of concern.
Seeing that her mother had started nagging again, Su Ningyue quickly shot a wink at her brother beside her.
The siblings were of one mind, and they tacitly moved to either side of Mother Su, speaking softly to comfort her.
“Mom, this is Sis’s way of showing filial piety to you. Just accept it happily!”
After some persuasion, Mother Su finally stopped nagging and shook her head helplessly, though the corners of her mouth turned up slightly—clearly, she was quite pleased deep down.
At that moment, Su Ningyue said to her mother with a smile, “Mom, I’ll cook with you.”
“No need, no need. You’ve just come back from a long journey—you must be exhausted, right? Go to your room and rest well.” Mother Su quickly waved her hand in refusal.
However, Su Ningyue was insistent and insisted on following her mother into the kitchen to help. Mother Su couldn’t talk her out of it, so she simply let her have her way.
And so, mother and daughter walked into the kitchen together. Before long, peals of laughter drifted out from the kitchen, occasionally mingled with the crisp clatter of pots and pans colliding. The whole house was filled with a warm and cheerful atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Su Qi’an, who had been sent by Mother Su to call Father Su home for dinner, had already left the house, walking briskly toward the bun shop…
The family of four sat around a round table eating, the table laden with all of Su Ningyue’s favorite dishes.
It was then that Su Ningyue announced that she and Duan Mingrui were planning to get married.
Mother Su was taken aback for a moment, then a smile spread across her face. “Have you and Mingrui discussed it?”
“Yes, he said that once he’s done with his busy schedule, the two families will get together for a meal to discuss the wedding.”
“You two just need to make the decision, and I’ll help you keep an eye on things when the time comes. Old Su, don’t you think so?”
Mother Su was grinning from ear to ear. When she noticed Father Su wasn’t responding, she let out a soft “tsk” and said, “Old Su, what are you thinking about? Your daughter is about to get married, and you don’t have anything to say?”
Father Su was a simple, honest man who spoke little, but he cherished his children deeply, especially his daughter. After all, she would be marrying into another family someday, and he worried she might not be happy.
Under the expectant gaze of the family, Father Su slowly spoke up. “Ningning, Dad thinks you two have just started working. There’s no rush to get married.”
“Old Su, what are you saying? That boy Mingrui treats our Ningning so well.”
Father Su said calmly, “I’m not saying Mingrui isn’t good. I’m just saying Ningning is still young, so there’s no hurry to get married.”
“Oh! You old fool…”
Mother Su had a fiery temper and always spoke her mind.
Su Ningyue didn’t want her parents to argue over her, so she quickly chimed in to mediate. “Mom, Dad, let’s not fight, okay? I’ll seriously think about the marriage.”
Mother Su gave her husband a cold snort, but Father Su didn’t take it to heart and continued to serve her food.
Su Ningyue and her younger brother exchanged glances, already used to their parents’ behavior.