Extra 9

"Xiaoye, didn't you say you had a girl you liked? Now that you're back, do you think you could ask her when we can go to her house to propose marriage?"

"We can't let the woman take the initiative when it comes to marriage. Why don't you seem to care at all?"

In the Kyoto Military Region compound, Tang's mother looked worried as she gazed at Tang Jianye, her eyes filled with disappointment.

Tang Jianye lay lazily on the sofa. "Oh my god, you'd better prepare in advance. I haven't told them yet. I'll ask them in the next couple of days, but their family isn't in Kyoto. If we're going to propose, we'll have to go to the Northeast."

Tang Jianye's mother, Liu Cuilian, nodded hurriedly, "The Northeast is fine, it doesn't matter where it is, as long as the girl is willing to marry you. You should call and ask to set a time so I can talk to your grandfather and your father and have them arrange the time."

Tang Jianye only returned from the battlefield last night. He originally wanted to go straight back to Northeast China, but his grandfather said that if he didn't come back soon, his legs would be broken.

In order to save his leg and prevent Lai Xiang from having to take care of his business for the rest of his life, he had no choice but to return to Kyoto in accordance with his grandfather's wishes.

That night, his grandfather and father took turns interrogating him, forcing him to confess everything that happened on the battlefield. He only slept for two hours before his mother dragged him out of bed again, and now he can barely keep his eyes open.

No matter how good Xiangxiang is, he still has to be alive to ask, "Mom, look at your son in this half-dead state, is it appropriate for him to call your future daughter-in-law? What if she thinks your son is not good enough and turns around and marries someone else?"

Liu Cuilian slapped him angrily, "Look at the things you're saying! If you manage to get my daughter-in-law gone again this time, see how I deal with you."

"Your grandfather won't even need to break your legs; I'll just snap them off myself, so you won't be so useless and still be unable to find a wife."

Tang Jianye jumped to the side in fright. "Ah! Where did my gentle and quiet mother go? Tell me! Where did you come from? Did you switch my mother with someone else?"

Liu Cuilian patted Tang Jianye a few times, both amused and annoyed. "Alright, stop joking with me. Now that you're not sleepy, tell me about that girl's situation so I can prepare and figure out what gifts to send."

"On our first meeting, we must make sure they feel our sincerity. We can't let them think we don't value their daughter."

Tang Jianye had been holding back for the past few years, never contacting Lai Xiang even once, but he still knew the general situation on her side. With the help of his comrades, their family should have been doing alright these past few years.

Now he straightened his expression and said, "Mom, Xiangxiang is such a good girl. You should have heard of Nie Youyu."

Tang Jianye's mother's expression grew more serious. Could it be Nie Youyu's daughter? What was that girl's name again? She vaguely remembered her, but they weren't familiar with each other since they didn't live in the same compound. If it really was Nie Youyu's daughter, Liu Cuilian gritted her teeth secretly.

Fine, as long as her son is happy, she has to clear her name no matter what the girl's background is like.

Tang Jianye stared at his mother's constantly changing expression and said jokingly, "Ms. Liu, what are you thinking about?"

Liu Cuilian looked up at Tang Jianye with a serious expression, "Xiaoye, don't be afraid. Even if Nie Youyu's daughter has a bad background, as long as your grandfather and father step in and exchange her for military merits, I will definitely marry her for you."

Tang Jianye retreated again, but there was nowhere left to retreat on the sofa, so he stood up abruptly.

"Mom, what are you saying? When did I take a liking to Nie Youyu's daughter? You can't just play matchmaker like that."

Liu Cuilian was stunned. She stood up angrily and pointed a finger at Tang Jianye.

"Tang Jianye, you came back just to infuriate me, didn't you? Since you don't like Nie Youyu's daughter, why did you bring Nie Youyu up?"

Tang Jianye was speechless; his mother's imagination was truly remarkable.

"Mom, Mom, no, I like Xiangxiang. Lai Xiang! She's the daughter of the Lai family. Her mother and Nie Youyu's wife are sisters, and Lai Xiang grew up at Nie Youyu's house when she was little. I just wanted to ask if you remember her."

Tang Jianye's mother thought for a moment, but seemed to have no memory of this person. "I seem to have heard of such a person, but I've never met her. Oh? So the girl you like is named Lai Xiang."

Tang Jianye puffed out his chest proudly, "That's right. Mom, let me tell you, she's not only beautiful, but also very filial and a responsible girl."

Her parents were implicated by Nie Youyu and sent to a labor camp in Northeast China. To take care of them, Xiangxiang resolutely signed up to be a sent-down youth there, specifically to look after her parents.

As Tang Jianye spoke, he quietly observed the changes in his mother's expression, especially when he mentioned the cowshed and going to the countryside.

He was afraid that his mother would develop a prejudice against Lai Xiang because of the Lai family's class background, which was not what he wanted to see.

Tang Jianye's mother did not disappoint him. She sighed softly, "It's all because of this world. Xiangxiang is quite pitiful. Are they still in the cowshed? Are we going to go there to propose marriage?"

"How far is this road? I need to see how many days your grandfather and father should arrange."

Tang Jianye shook his head. "I haven't been in contact with them since I went to the battlefield. I don't know what the situation is like there now."

"I'll call later to check on things, and then you can place the order, okay?"

Liu Cuilian became anxious, "Tang Jianye, you're really carefree! Huh? You've been on the battlefield for so many years, and you haven't contacted my daughter-in-law even once?"

Are you sure she's still my daughter-in-law? She wouldn't have forgotten you, and just dumped you because she thought you were too dull.

Tang Jianye...

This is definitely her biological mother!

"Mom, can't you wish me well for once? Your daughter-in-law ran away, and I'm never getting married again. If you want a grandson then, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

Tang Jianye's mother glared at him, annoyed, and pulled him to sit down by the phone. "Why am I wasting my breath talking to you? Hurry up and call my daughter-in-law. Ask her where she is now, and we'll go over in the next couple of days."

Tell her in advance, so she can be mentally prepared.

Lai Xiang was shocked when she received the call. "Tang, Tang Jianye, you're back? When did you get back? Are you injured anywhere?"

Hearing Lai Xiang's voice, Tang Jianye felt a warm glow in his heart. His wife was so kind; the first thing she did upon hearing he was back was to check on his health. Unlike his grandfather, father, and mother, who didn't offer a single word of concern and instead treated him like they were interrogating him.

"Xiangxiang, I'm perfectly fine, don't worry. I just miss you, I think about you every day, every night, all the time."

Lai Xiang's ears were bright red on the other end of the phone. Her mother sat to the side, seemingly unconcerned about listening to her gossip, but her perked-up ears and serious expression clearly showed that Wu Jinghua was listening very carefully to her daughter's phone call.