After finishing lunch with the Si family, Pei Xi didn’t leave immediately.
Grandma Si wanted her to stay the night and return home the next day.
It was the weekend, and Si Ruohan didn’t have to work; why rush back after such a rare visit? She could stay another night.
Seeing Pei Xi asking for his opinion, Si Ruohan nodded:
“Sure, I knew Grandma would want you to stay, so I brought your clothes too. They’re in the car; you can get them later.”
Pei Xi was pleasantly surprised by Si Ruohan’s thoughtfulness, and she didn’t want to disappoint the elderly woman.
Knowing Pei Xi was willing to stay, Grandma Si didn’t immediately pull her aside to talk. It was time for her lunch break; Grandpa and Grandma Si always took a nap.
There was no rush to talk; there were still several hours before dinner.
Pei Xi was also feeling tired, so, led by Si Ruohan, they returned to Si Ruohan’s room in the old house.
Si Ruohan’s room was on the third floor, with a beautiful view from the window. The maid had already changed the bedding on the large bed. Si Ruohan told Pei Xi to change into soft pajamas before her afternoon nap, so she would be more comfortable.
Pei Xi hadn’t slept much the night before, and she fell asleep quickly after lying down.
Si Ruohan watched Pei Xi sleep, but he himself wasn’t sleepy. Thinking about his parents, who must have many questions for him, he came downstairs.
Si’s parents hadn’t gone back to their room to rest because they were jet-lagged and weren’t feeling very tired.
Seeing Si Ruohan come down, his mother called out to him,
“Hey, son, you’re here. Come on, let’s talk.”
She patted the sofa beside her, gesturing for Si Ruohan to sit down.
Si Ruohan looked at his mother and then at his father, sighed slightly, and sat down.
“Come on, ask whatever you want. I won’t hide anything I can tell you,”
his mother said with a slight smile.
“Don’t be so serious. Your dad and I like Xiaoxi a lot and we don’t object to your relationship. Just relax.”
Mr. Si nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. After meeting her this morning, we think Xiaoxi is a nice person, a very innocent girl. Your mom and I are quite satisfied. We just wanted to ask you, now that you’ve introduced her to our parents, when are you planning to get married?”
Mrs. Si chimed in.
“Yeah, you’re almost 30, so much older than Xiaoxi. Your relationship seems good now, but what if Xiaoxi thinks you’re too old later?”
Si Ruohan didn’t like hearing that.
“Do I look old? Mom, don’t belittle me. I still get unwanted attention.”
Mrs. Si couldn’t stand it
anymore. “You are, but you won’t admit it. If you don’t hurry up, your wife will run away. How about this, let’s talk about marriage tonight and ask Xiaoxi what she thinks about it?”
Si Ruohan saw his mother’s eager expression and his father’s agreement.
Si Ruohan waved his hand:
“No need, it’s fine to tell you. We’ve already registered our marriage, we just haven’t decided to make it public yet.”
They’d find out sooner or later anyway, so there’s no harm in saying it now.
Si’s parents stared at each other in surprise, asking in unison:
“Really?”
Si Ruohan nodded:
“Really. Although we didn’t bring the marriage certificate, Xixi and I got it from the Civil Affairs Bureau, it’s perfectly legal.”
Si’s mother patted Si Ruohan’s shoulder hard.
“Good boy, well done! How could you keep such a big thing from us?”
Si’s father looked at him disapprovingly:
“That’s right, how could you keep such a big thing like your marriage from us? If we hadn’t asked, when were you planning to tell us?”
“That’s right, how could this brat do something so big without a word? He didn’t even discuss it with us. You didn’t just give Xixi nothing because she has no family, did you?” Even
ordinary families have to give a dowry! This kid registered his marriage, I wonder if he even knows about giving a dowry.
Si Ruohan rolled her eyes.
“What are you thinking? Do you think I’m that shameless? I’ve already given her the car and the house. I was even thinking of giving Xixi some shares, but she didn’t want them, so I had to keep them for her.”
Si’s mother was relieved:
“That’s good. I thought you hadn’t given her anything. Now it’s good. If your grandparents knew, they would definitely be very happy.”
Si Ruohan added,
“Mom, it’s best if we keep this to ourselves. Don’t tell anyone. Xiaoxi said she doesn’t want to go public so early, so don’t spread rumors. If you anger her, you’ll lose your daughter-in-law.”
Si’s mother exclaimed, “Ah!”
“Can’t we say anything? Aren’t you planning to have a wedding? A wedding is such a big deal, how can you be so hasty? Xiaoxi may not understand, but you can’t be. Marriage is a major event in a girl’s life, it can’t be taken lightly. When Xiaoxi wakes up, I’ll talk to her. This wedding can’t be canceled!”
Which girl doesn’t dream of a wedding dress?
Si’s father also felt that the wedding was essential.
“Yes, the wedding is a must! Your marriage is a big deal, how can we not have a wedding?”
Si Ruohan raised her hand to stop her two excited parents.
“Mom and Dad, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not that we don’t want to have one, it’s just that we’ll have it later.”
Mr. and Mrs. Si immediately pressed,
“When are you planning to get married?”
Si Ruohan retorted,
“Next year, it’s probably too late this year.”
Mrs. Si frowned, “How can it be too late? If you’re willing, I can get it done for you next week.”
Money talks!
Si Ruohan looked up at the ceiling, not wanting to talk anymore.
“Can we change the subject? Let’s talk about something else! Was the place you went on vacation fun?”
Mrs. Si ignored her and continued,
“Is there something you’re having trouble telling us? Or are you facing some difficulties? Tell us, your parents are here, we can help you solve them!”
Mr. Si also stared blankly at Si Ruohan.
“Yes, if I’m having difficulties, I should just say it, there are so many people in our family!”
They were really going to dig deeper, weren’t they?
Si Ruohan nodded heavily:
“Alright, you’ll find out eventually anyway, so I’ll tell you. But don’t get too excited, be prepared.”
Si’s parents both nodded, looking at Si Ruohan, waiting for his next words.
Si Ruohan glanced at the stairwell, his voice much softer than before.
“Because Xixi is pregnant, you’re going to be grandparents! The baby’s over two months along.”
This bombshell was no less shocking than the previous one! Si’s parents both stood up, staring intently at Si Ruohan.
Si’s mother: “Really? Xixi’s pregnant?”
Si’s father: “I’m going to be a grandfather?”
Si’s mother spun around, pounding her hands.
“This is so sudden! You brat, why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why did you keep it a secret? If I had known earlier, I could have helped take care of Xiaoxi. How is Xiaoxi’s health now? Is she alright?”
This time, Mr. Si didn’t defend his son anymore, complaining,
“That’s right! You two made such a big decision so hastily. It’s really wrong of you. You should have told us sooner!”
A grandson! They never expected they’d be holding a grandson so soon!
This happiness came too suddenly!
The fetus is still small; even if it’s not a grandson, a granddaughter would be fine. In any case, they were very much looking forward to it.
“It’s not too late for you to know now, Xi Xi’s belly isn’t even that big yet! Mom and Dad, I was the one who proposed the marriage. Xiao Xi doesn’t intend to rely on having a child for status, so I hope you won’t have a bad impression of her.”
Mrs. Si waved her hand dismissively:
“Oh dear, what nonsense are you talking about? This is a good thing! Don’t worry, I’ve accepted Xiao Xi as my daughter-in-law. She’s a great contributor to our family. If anyone outside criticizes Xiao Xi in the future, I’ll definitely stand up for her and fight back.”
Mr. Si nodded in agreement:
“Since we were the ones who wronged her, we should take responsibility and give this girl a home. You did the right thing.”
Then, Mr. Si said to Mrs. Si:
“Wife, since things are like this, wasn’t the gift we gave a little too little?”
Mrs. Si nodded frantically:
“It was too little! Oh dear, let’s hurry back to our room and discuss what we should give her!”
They had assumed she was Si Ruohan’s girlfriend, so they gave her some gifts she had bought while traveling, although they weren’t cheap.
But things are different now. This is their daughter-in-law, and she’s pregnant with their grandchild. This gift seems rather meager.
Mrs. Si pulled Mr. Si back to their room to see what additional gift they should bring.
Seeing that his parents were gone and the downstairs was empty, Si Ruohan went upstairs to his room to rest.