When Pei Xi woke up, she thought meeting her in-laws was terrifying enough. Unexpectedly, Si Ruohan said his family might all be coming home today.
There was no way around it; his family was even more excited than he was to hear he was bringing his girlfriend home.
Except for those who absolutely couldn’t come, no one wanted to miss it.
Pei Xi, unsure whether to eat the steamed bun in her mouth or spit it out, quickly swallowed it.
“Are you kidding me? Your whole family? Are they all that free?” Si Ruohan spread his hands: “Well, it’s the weekend, everyone needs to rest. As soon as they heard I
was taking you home, they all wanted to come back to see you. But don’t worry, I’m here! I’ll protect you and I won’t leave your side.”
Pei Xi: “Are your family easy to get along with?”
Si Ruohan nodded:
“Yes, of course they’re good. My family is very nice.”
“That’s your family! Of course you think they’re good.
Anyway, I don’t care. Just be prepared! If anyone bullies me, I definitely won’t stand for it.”
Si Ruohan agreed wholeheartedly.
“If anyone gives you a hard time, just yell back.
If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility.”
With Si Ruohan’s words, Pei Xi felt much more at ease.
She had decided that if Si Ruohan’s family didn’t like her, she wouldn’t go back with him. After breakfast, Pei Xi went upstairs to get ready.
Looking at her overflowing walk-in closet, she was overwhelmed with indecisiveness.
What should she wear?
Desperate, Pei Xi turned to Si Ruohan for help.
“Honey, can you help me pick something out? I don’t know what to wear!”
Si Ruohan had already chosen his clothes when he heard Pei Xi’s call.
He went over, looked at Pei Xi, and quickly made his selection.
“Actually, you look good in anything, it all looks good.
The most important thing is that you feel comfortable. Wear this dress in this weather!”
Si Ruohan picked out a white lace dress with a high neckline and handed it to Pei Xi.
The color looked beautiful on her, like a fairy.
Last night, Si Ruohan had been careful not to leave any marks on Pei Xi’s clothes, so today, Pei Xi didn’t need to cover up.
They had been up so late last night that she had to get up a little late this morning.
If it weren’t for going home with Si Ruohan today, Pei Xi wouldn’t want to get out of bed.
Pei Xi applied light makeup, grabbed her bag, and left with Si Ruohan.
Once in the car, Pei Xi was still grumbling about her shoes.
“A dress should be paired with high heels! You just wanted me to wear sneakers, which looks so inappropriate. This isn’t a walk with you, how can I be so casual! Don’t worry, my shoes have thick soles, I’ll walk steadily and definitely won’t fall.”
Si Ruohan glanced at Pei Xi and started the car.
“When we get there, sit for as long as you can, there’s no need to stand up.”
He was genuinely worried; whether it was chunky heels or stilettos, they were still high heels. Pei Xi obediently nodded:
“Okay, if no one wakes me, I’ll sit quietly.”
Si Ruohan was satisfied; it was good that she was obedient.
“We’re still a while from the old house, you should sleep for a bit.
I’ll wake you up when we get there.”
Si Ruohan had eaten and drunk his fill, so he was full of energy and wanted Pei Xi to take this time to sleep.
The car drove further and further out of the way, with fewer and fewer houses and cars.
Seeing they were almost there, Si Ruohan woke Pei Xi.
Looking at the lush greenery but hardly any houses in sight, Pei Xi asked curiously,
“Your grandparents live here? Where is this?”
Si Ruohan explained, “This is an estate, bought a few years ago.
It’s a bit out of the way, but it’s spacious.”
The air here is fresh, perfect for the elderly.
There are ponds and farms nearby; his grandfather enjoys farming and fishing.
Soon, the car stopped in front of a white three-story villa.
Getting out, Pei Xi discovered that there wasn’t just one villa, but three side-by-side; they had simply parked in front of one of them.
“Are all these houses yours?”
Si Ruohan asked, carrying gifts in one hand and holding Pei Xi’s hand in the other.
“This house in front of us belongs to my dad, the one next to it belongs to my second uncle, and the one beyond that belongs to my eldest uncle.
My eldest uncle and aunt are rarely home, so my grandparents live there.
Let’s go over there now.”
At the last moment, Pei Xi felt incredibly nervous.
Holding Si Ruohan’s hand, she hesitated, afraid to go any further.
The Si family looked incredibly wealthy; she really didn’t have the courage to go!
“It’s alright. Have the same courage you had when you came to me. None of this will be a problem,”
Si Ruohan said, referring to the time when Pei Xi found out she was pregnant and came to him alone. Back then, Pei Xi had been incredibly bold.
Pei Xi took a deep breath and slowly followed Si Ruohan.
The house belonging to Si’s eldest uncle was bustling with activity.
Everyone was back except for Si’s eldest uncle and aunt, and Si Ruohan’s eldest cousin.
Grandpa Si played chess with his two sons who were at home, while Grandma Si sat on the sofa listening to her two granddaughters chat.
Meanwhile, Si’s mother whispered something to her second sister-in-law.
Si Ruohan’s eldest cousin’s wife was in the room with her child doing homework; the child had just started elementary school and was quite mischievous, requiring supervision.
Si Ruohan’s younger cousin, Si Ruoqi, was playing video games nearby.
Si’s mother said, “I can finally relax now. I thought my son would be alone forever! I never imagined I’d be a mother-in-law one day.”
Si’s second aunt said, “That’s right! Back then, everyone thought Ahan had suffered a major blow. Thankfully, he’s finally recovered. Let me tell you! When they arrive, you can’t be too picky!”
Si’s mother was naturally very agreeable.
“Don’t worry, I’m satisfied! I won’t be a bad mother-in-law.”
Grandma Si checked the time and urged her grandson, Si Ruoqi,
“Ruoqi, go outside and see. It’s already this late; your fourth brother should be here
by now!” Si Ruoqi, the youngest in the family and a high school freshman, went out with a “Yes!”
Before he even stepped outside, he called out,
“He’s here! Grandma, my fourth brother is here!”
Grandma Si stood up happily and peeked towards the door.
“Really? You’re here?”
Si Ruohan led Pei Xi in, guided by the butler. He noticed Si Ruoqi standing at the door and asked curiously.
“What are you doing standing here?”
Si Ruoqi kept glancing at Si Ruohan’s side, and when he saw Pei Xi, he exclaimed “Wow!”
“Fourth Brother, Grandma told me to come out and greet you and Fourth Sister-in-law! Hello Fourth Sister-in-law, my name is Si Ruoqi, the youngest in the family. You can call me Aqi.”
Si Ruoqi’s familiarity eased Pei Xi’s nervousness.
“Hello, Aqi, I’m Pei Xi.”
Grandma Si approached.
“Little Xi! You’re finally here! I asked you to come see me with Ahan when you had time, but I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
Pei Xi greeted her sweetly,
“Grandma, hello! I’m here now, aren’t I? It’s been so long, you still look as radiant as ever.”
Grandma Si was beaming with delight at Pei Xi’s flattery. “You little rascal, you’re still so good with words. Come, come here, let Ahan introduce you to your family.”
Si Ruohan, seeing his mother, his second aunt, and his two older sisters arrive,
quickly introduced them to Pei Xi.
Pei Xi greeted them all. Everyone thought Pei Xi and Si Ruohan looked quite well-matched, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
After greeting them, Pei Xi pulled Si Ruohan to the living room, leaving Si Ruohan aside.
Si Ruohan touched his nose, worried about Pei Xi, and seeing her looking at him, sat down beside her.
As Si Ruohan’s mother, Mrs. Si held Pei Xi’s hand, increasingly pleased with
her son’s luck! He had found such a young and beautiful girl; she had truly struck gold.
Pei Xi met most of the Si family members and found them all quite amiable, which put her at ease.
It was good t hat they were all easy to get along with; she had thought she was in for a tough fight today.
If anyone had made things difficult for her, she would have turned and left.
After a while, Si Ruohan’s eldest cousin’s wife came out with her child, and Grandpa Si and the others also came over after finishing their chess game. Pei Xi introduced herself to everyone.
Now, she had met all the Si family members who had returned today. Pei
Xi was truly relieved. She had thought the Si family was a very large clan, with many people!
However, upon closer inspection, she found the Si family to be quite simple.
The eldest uncle of the Si family had a son and a daughter. The son, Si Ruoqian, was the eldest son, and the daughter, Si Ruoxuanyun, was the third child.
The second uncle of the Si family also had a son and a daughter; the son was Si Ruoqi, whom Pei Xi had met earlier, and he was the youngest. Si Ruoxuan, the daughter, is the second oldest child in the family.
Si’s parents only have one son, Si Ruohan, who is the fourth oldest. In
Si Ruohan’s generation, only his eldest brother is married and has a six-year-old son.
His two older sisters don’t want to enter the “grave of marriage” so early.
Now, another member of the Si family is getting married—Si Ruohan.
Naturally, the Si family won’t give Pei Xi a hard time; they can’t wait for Si Ruohan and Pei Xi to marry. They want to show the Guan family that even without their daughter, their fourth son can still find a wife.