Chapter 162, Section 161: Double Happiness

(Damn it, 160 is in the blacklist again. I guess it triggered the keyword again. I'm so careful, but I still fall into traps from time to time.)

...

The couple returned home with the sister-in-law, and upon seeing the large red "囍" (double happiness) character pasted on the door, they both fell silent.

"Did you do this?" Lin Yanwan asked.

"...Look at my expression, do you think that's possible?" Jiang Xia was completely bewildered. What was her mother up to this time?

Are you sure this is a victory celebration?

Lin Yanwan looked at Jiang Xia speechlessly. Who the hell put up a double happiness symbol on the door of a celebration banquet? The last time she saw that character at home was when the two of them got married.

"This...this is called double happiness," Jiang Xia explained rather weakly.

"..."

Lin Yanwan remained silent. In terms of meaning, it barely qualifies, but it looks more like the two of them getting married!

So, the real purpose of today's gathering is actually the engagement party, right?

I was so careless; I never imagined that my mom had this hidden meaning when she invited both families to dinner together.

"Hey, don't overthink it. My mom probably just thinks the character '囍' is more fitting for the occasion."

Jiang Xia felt a slight pang in his heart. He knew his mother well; as a Chinese language teacher, she couldn't possibly be unaware of the meaning of the character 囍.

Perhaps on the surface they wanted to celebrate their admission to good universities, but in reality they wanted to solidify their relationship, perhaps through an arranged marriage or something similar.

"Um……"

Lin Yanwan nodded helplessly. What else could she do but agree? Tear the double happiness character off? Putting everything else aside, seeing that double happiness character brought back some memories.

Scenes from the past gradually surfaced in the deepest recesses of my memory.

She stepped through the door with the double happiness symbol on it again, as if she were marrying him again. For a moment, her feelings were somewhat complicated.

"Hey, Xiao Jiang, are you getting married? Congratulations! Is this your girlfriend? She's beautiful." The neighbor next door suddenly opened the door and, seeing the double happiness symbol on the door, instinctively offered his congratulations.

"Ahem, no, Uncle Zhang, it's because we got into university and our family wants to celebrate," Jiang Xia quickly explained.

"Oh, I see. I thought it was your wedding. I was just saying, I remember you were still in high school."

Uncle Zhang chuckled and patted Jiang Xia on the shoulder: "But it's alright. A man is grown up after he turns 18. He should still date. Remember to call me Uncle Zhang when we get married."

"Yes, yes, I'll take it."

"Is this...my girlfriend?"

"……Um."

Watching the old man go down the stairs, Lin Yanwan blushed and glared at Jiang Xia. See? Everyone thinks this is a wedding!

"Brother-in-law, remember to name your sister Xiaoman when you get married," the sister-in-law said, mimicking the old man's tone.

"You're so talkative." Lin Yanwan pinched her younger sister's cheek in annoyance. The little brat was precocious and dared to meddle in any topic.

"If you can talk, then talk more. Your brother-in-law will definitely provide plenty of wedding candy," Jiang Xia said with a smile.

Without a doubt, the sister-in-law is an outstanding wingman.

"Just spoil her."

Lin Yanwan glanced at the double happiness symbol on the door, then took her sister's hand and said, "Open the door quickly!"

If I don't go in now, someone will ask me again if I'm planning to get married, and I'll be so embarrassed I could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of my toes.

Jiang Xia took out his key and opened the door. Xia Shanshan was busy in the kitchen, and the smell of chicken soup filled the air. Hearing the noise, she leaned back and looked towards the entrance.

"Yanwan, Xiaoman is here? Come in and sit down."

Hello, Teacher Xia!

Hello, Aunt Xia.

Jiang Xia asked helplessly, "Mom, why did you put up that double happiness character on the door? Uncle Zhang next door thought I was getting married."

"Hahahaha." Xia Shanshan couldn't help but laugh: "Getting married isn't that easy. This is a celebration banquet. The character '囍' means double happiness, celebrating that you and Yanwan have been admitted to your desired universities."

Jiang Xia felt a sharp pang in her heart. You'd better think of this as a victory celebration, not an engagement party.

"Alright, I'll go make the food. You can order whatever you like."

Lin Yanwan blushed and nodded, then reached out to Jiang Xia, asking, "So, where's the acceptance letter?"

Jiang Xia sighed softly. His wife really went to great lengths to make him drink goji berry tea every day. He went back to the room, took out the admission notice, and placed it in his wife's hand.

Lin Yanwan casually flipped through the pages and confirmed that it was indeed Tsinghua University. Apart from the name and the major, everything else was the same.

Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving; only then can you feel at ease.

"Do you believe me now?" Jiang Xia asked.

"snort."

She gave a haughty snort, her fingers stroking the exquisite admission notice. The thought of going to university with him in the future filled her with joy.

"Yanwan, this kid called to tell you the good news as soon as he received the acceptance letter." Xia Shanshan came out to get some scallions and couldn't help but laugh when she saw the young couple whispering to each other.

Good news?

It's more like reporting bad news!

Lin Yanwan mentally complained, and without any hesitation, exposed the hypocrisy of the liar Jiang Xia in front of her mother-in-law.

“Auntie, Jiang Xia lied to me, saying he was accepted into the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He acted so pitiful that I believed him. I kept comforting him, but then he suddenly said he was just joking.”

Xia Shanshan was stunned for a moment, then she remembered that he had been running around the house all this time, and it turned out that he had been lying to his daughter-in-law.

"Don't be afraid, Yanwan, Auntie will back you up. This kid is really something else if you don't discipline him for a day." She said with a smile as she walked into the kitchen. How could she really get involved in the young couple's affairs?

"Baby, if you want to hit me, can you step on me with your foot?" Jiang Xia asked secretly.

"Why should I reward you?"

◇

Some time later, Jiang Wende returned with a large amount of groceries. After receiving Xia Shanshan's call, he didn't go to work that afternoon and focused on being a delivery driver until Lin Yanwan's parents got off work and slowly found their way to the address.

Not only Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan, but Ji Wanqiu and Lin Gaoyuan were also stunned when they saw the red "囍" character on the door. This is a bit unconventional.

Wasn't this supposed to be a celebration banquet? Is this a prelude to a showdown, with the two families becoming in-laws?

Just when the two thought they had gone to the wrong place, Jiang Wende suddenly opened the door.

The three people looked at each other, and each saw a hint of familiarity in the other's eyes.

"Are you Yanwan's parents?" Jiang Wende asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Lin Gaoyuan nodded.

"Come in, come in! I've heard Yanwan talk about you guys a lot, and it's great to finally meet you in person." Jiang Wende, with the friendly demeanor of a taxi driver, smiled and asked, "Just got off work?"

"Yes, that's right."

Lin Gaoyuan pursed his lips and carefully examined Jiang Wende. The sense of familiarity in his heart grew stronger, as if he had known him before, rather than just having met him.

"Are you Jiang Wende from Class 2 of Experimental Primary School?" Lin Gaoyuan asked in confusion.