Er Ya liked Hu Peizhen very much, seeing in her the optimistic side of Hongmei. Thinking about her son's job, she felt that a girl like this was more suitable for Ping An.

A son should have a kapok tree by his side, accompanying him through life, rather than a beautiful dodder vine that entangles him for his entire life.

Li Cuihua was naturally cheerful, so she had a much better impression of Hu Peizhen than of Du Huiyu.

“Madam, you seem to be a reasonable person, but are you aware of my family’s situation? The elderly in our family are not in good health now. Although we have elderly people in our family, we are not financially well-off because Peizhen does not have a father.”

Er Ya laughed, "I'll call her Sister Hu from now on. Even if we're not children, we'll still be friends."

I've heard about your family's situation from Hongmei. I admire you both very much. It must be incredibly hard for a woman to support a family all by herself.

Suga Akemi smiled and said, "I'm used to it. Pei-chen's father passed away early, and over the years, I've really gotten used to it. I don't find it hard at all."

Now that we've explained things clearly, let's ask Pei-chen what she thinks.

Also, as you all know, my family is in a difficult situation. Peizhen is only a freshman in college, and we don't know when her great-grandfather will pass away. Peizhen is an only child, so she still has to observe mourning for her great-grandfather. This isn't something that can be done in a year or two, so I hope you'll consider that as well.

Hu Peizhen was listening from the side when she suddenly heard her mother telling her to make the decision.

The little girl blushed. "Grandma, Madam, Aunties, let us meet first before we talk."

Ganlu went down, and a little while later, Ping'an came into the living room.

I saw a mother and daughter sitting to the side, whom I didn't recognize. The little girl was quite pretty, especially her bright and innocent eyes, which made her instantly likable.

"Ping An, this is Aunt Hu and Hu Peizhen," Zhang Hongmei introduced to Ping An.

He greeted the elders and then the mother and daughter.

Hu Peizhen looked at this refined and cultured man and thought he was quite nice. Although he wasn't particularly handsome, his scholarly air pleased her.

"Ping An, why don't you invite Pei Zhen to take a stroll in the garden?" Zhang Hongmei suggested with a smile.

"Okay, Hu, let me show you the garden here. It's very well maintained."

Hu Peizhen stood up without hesitation, her face flushed.

After the two young men left, the women in the living room stopped talking.

Li Cuihua cleared her throat. "Hu family niece-in-law, now that it's just the two of us, it's easier to talk. I'll get straight to the point. You mentioned the old man earlier, and I was thinking that if the two children are willing, we should take advantage of the old man's continued existence and let them get married. That way, we won't have to wait."

Suga Akemi was taken aback. This was certainly a good idea. Actually, the old man was just worried about Pei-chen. He would be happy to see Pei-chen get married, right?

“Auntie, this idea is really good. I just met Ping An, and he is definitely a good man. He will definitely treat Pei Zhen well in the future. Moreover, this boy has a clear mind and is very knowledgeable. He will definitely be good. Let’s wait for the young man’s opinion.”

The two families reached a consensus, so Er Ya and Li Cuihua told Hu's mother about their family situation.

“We’ve already prepared a house, a two-courtyard house. If you don’t want that, there’s also an apartment building. The children can live wherever they want.”

Actually, what we feel most sorry for Pei-Chen about is because of Ping An's work.

There's no time. Even if I come home every day, it's usually after 10 PM. I don't have much time to rest on holidays either.

I know this is very unfair to my daughter-in-law. It's making a woman support the family alone, and she'll have to take care of the children in the future. It will be incredibly hard for her.

The moment I saw Pei-chen, I thought, "You've raised this child so well; she's optimistic and strong."

"Thank you for saying that. Actually, it's not as good as you make it out to be. This child is very strong-willed. Her father died on the battlefield. She also wanted to be a soldier, but she knew that if she left, it would just be the two of us left at home. So she applied to Jiaotong University. It's us who are holding her back."

“Hu family niece-in-law, don’t worry too much. You only have Peizhen as your daughter. We, Ping An, will definitely take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die.”

Our family is right here; you can probably tell. We're not the kind of family that makes a fuss. And we'll definitely treat Pei-zhen like our own daughter.

Upon hearing this, Suga Akemi was even more willing. Good qualities, a good person—where else could she find someone so wonderful?

Afterwards, Zhang Hongmei inquired about the old man's health. Zhang Hongmei held the veteran general, who had risked his life for her, in high esteem.

About an hour later, the two returned. Ping An still had a smile on his face, but those who knew him well knew that there was something else on it.

Zhang Hongmei asked them both to sit down. "Peizhen, what do you think of Ping An?"

Hu Peizhen blushed, glanced at Zhang Hongmei, and nodded.

"Ping An, what about you?"

"Auntie, I also have a crush on Hu, and I like her personality."

"Alright, since you both agree, why don't you go out for a walk and get to know each other better?"

The two young people went out again, and now they spoke much more directly and without any restraint in the living room.

"Auntie, sister, since that's the case, let Ping An go over tomorrow and let my grandfather take a look!"

"Of course, Ping An will go tomorrow morning. I'm not bragging, but my Ping An will definitely make your grandparents happy."

Suga Akemi nodded; she was also very satisfied with An.

After that, Er Ya gave a more detailed introduction to her family situation, just to put the woman at ease.

Another hour passed, and it was almost five o'clock when the two returned, both with smiles on their faces.

Zhang Hongmei specially asked Ping An to drive the Hu family mother and daughter to their home.

We're going there again tomorrow, so today is a good opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the place.

Hu Aifen was even more satisfied with the safe driving, as the family had also prepared a yard and a house for her.

Of course, I don't want to ask for an exorbitant amount, but I still hope my daughter can have an easier life in the future, without having to work too hard to make ends meet.

After listening to Hu Peizhen's words, Ping An stopped the car in front of her house, got out, and opened the car door for them.

"Ping An, this is my home. Come over tomorrow morning."

"Okay, Auntie. You can go home now, I'll come over tomorrow morning."

The mother and daughter watched as Ping An drove away before entering their home.

"Peizhen, how is Ping'an?"

"Mom, I like this kind of boy. I like gentle and refined boys."

"Okay, as long as you like it. I think Ping An has a very gentle temper, so he'll know how to be considerate of you in the future."

"Yes, I think so too. And he's exceptionally knowledgeable and speaks eloquently."