Chapter 164, Page 163: Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom.
Since that incident, Lin Gaoyuan has come to terms with it.
These days, it's almost inevitable for boys and girls to get physical when they're dating. As long as they don't do anything too outrageous in front of him, his father-in-law will turn a blind eye.
After all, in some ways, Jiang Xia is really quite outstanding and is indeed worthy of Yan Wan, and could be the son-in-law of the Lin family.
He had initially worried that this matter would create a rift between the two families, but Jiang Wende was more open-minded than many parents, and the pleasant conversation inexplicably turned into a blame-dealing session—
One said he was too lax in disciplining his children, and the other said he was too impulsive. In short, Jiang Xia had nothing to do with it; the only thing that was done was that he got beaten.
At 6:30, the sun had not yet set, and layers of crimson clouds spread across the horizon.
Jiang Wende brought out the round table from his home, and one fragrant dish after another was served on the table.
"Quickly, the children have washed their hands, then get ready to eat." Xia Shanshan brought out a bowl of chicken soup, with goji berries and red dates floating on top, it looked very fragrant.
The group sat down in a circle, with the two sisters habitually placing Jiang Xia in the middle. Jiang Wende quietly opened his treasured Wuliangye liquor, which he had kept for over a decade, and filled his old classmate's glass.
"Hey kid, want a drink?" Lin Gaoyuan patted Jiang Xia on the shoulder with a smile.
"No, no, Uncle Lin, you and my dad can drink, I'll have a soft drink." Jiang Xia opened the Fresh Orange Juice and filled everyone's cups one by one.
It's not that he doesn't drink, but he's worried that if he gets drunk, he might end up like in his past life, calling someone "Dad" and someone else "Brother." He'd rather forget about that embarrassing past.
After all the food and drinks were served, Xia Shanshan, being the teacher, started with the first drink.
"Come on, let's celebrate before we eat! Let's congratulate Yan Wan and Jiang Xia on getting into Tsinghua University!"
Congratulations!
All four adults raised their glasses, their faces beaming with happy smiles.
"Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom. You've worked so hard and raised such an outstanding daughter."
Jiang Xia also picked up his wine glass to return the greeting. He said it very skillfully, but the adults weren't stupid. They knew he was taking the opportunity to call his father-in-law and mother-in-law "Mom and Dad."
Lin Yanwan's face was flushed. She wanted to thank her father, mother, uncle, and aunt properly, but when the words came out, she only called them her father and mother, just like Jiang Xia.
However, the adults didn't seem to have any strange reaction to the issue of address, since either the aunties present had never been called "Mom" or the uncles had never been called "Dad."
To be honest, it's all Jiang Xia's fault. He calls everyone "Mom and Dad" as soon as they meet, and we get used to it after a while.
The way the two of them stood up together to toast had a strange sense of déjà vu, like they were at a wedding banquet.
He kept saying it was a celebration banquet, but it still felt like an engagement party. His mother was definitely setting him up on purpose.
"Xia, when you go to Tsinghua University, I'll have to trouble you to take care of Yanwan." Ji Wanqiu glanced at her daughter, her eyes filled with a smile.
Lin Yanwan blushed slightly. Her mother's tone sounded like she was entrusting her life to her son.
"Don't worry, Aunt Ji, this is the last thing you need to worry about," Jiang Xia said with a smile. "With me here, Yan Wan won't suffer any injustice."
Under the table, Lin Yanwan pinched his thigh hard. This guy was talking nonsense again. So Jiang Xia silently tightened his legs and squeezed her soft little hands between his legs.
She tried pulling hard a few times but couldn't get it out, so she had no choice but to give up. Luckily, there was still cartilage to play with.
"Mom, I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. Besides, we're not in the same college, and our majors are completely different. It's hard to say whether we'll even see each other in a day," Lin Yanwan said, making excuses for herself.
"You know everything now? Xia is a boy and you are a girl. When you're out and about, what's wrong with looking out for each other?" Ji Wanqiu glared at her daughter, who knew how to expose her.
Xia Shanshan chuckled and said, "This kid is usually very carefree, so it's more accurate to say that Yanwan takes care of him."
Lin Yanwan nodded in complete agreement; her mother-in-law really saw things clearly.
"For the second toast, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Yanwan's mother for raising such an outstanding daughter. Yanwan deserves a lot of credit for Jiang Xia's admission to Tsinghua University," Xia Shanshan said, raising her glass.
In her opinion, the dramatic change in her son in just three months was definitely related to his relationship with Yan Wan.
Jiang Xia picked up his wine glass and gently clinked it against his wife's, saying with a smile, "Thank you (wife)."
He only mouthed the last two words without uttering them, but Lin Yanwan understood. A look of embarrassment appeared in her eyes. How dare he say it in front of his parents?
"Teacher Xia, please don't say that. Xia got into Tsinghua University because he's smart and hardworking. It has little to do with Yanwan. Even if someone who isn't smart realizes things early, they still won't get in," Ji Wanqiu said.
“That makes sense. But it was Yanwan who brought out his potential; otherwise, he might have ended up in some obscure place. So, I must thank you,” Xia Shanshan said with a smile.
She was already extremely satisfied with her daughter-in-law, who had a face that seemed to bring good fortune to her husband.
Lin Yanwan quickly stood up to return the greeting: "Aunt Xia, you flatter me. We need to encourage each other on the road to learning."
Her face was flushed; if we're talking about unleashing potential, then it has to be her body.
Even after a long day of work, he can still muster the strength of an ox plowing the field when he gets to bed.
"Not only in studies, but also in life and work, I hope that you two can support, help, encourage, and understand each other," Xia Shanshan said earnestly.
Many people understand this simple truth, but few can truly put it into practice.
And those couples who grow old together, supporting each other through thick and thin, are no exception.
"Um."
"Mom, isn't it a bit too early for you to say these things now?" Jiang Xia said with a hint of helplessness.
"You don't know anything." Xia Shanshan rolled her eyes at him.
Although the two are currently only dating, Xia Shanshan sincerely hopes that they can smoothly enter the hall of marriage.
"The third cup."
Xia Shanshan pursed her lips, looked at Jiang Xia, and warned, "If I find out that Yan Wan has been bullied by you, I'll skin you alive!"
Jiang Xia: "..."
His face twitched violently. The previous messages were blessings and hopes, how did they turn into warnings for him?
"Xia, your mother is just joking with you."
The mother-in-law smiled and chimed in, "There's no such thing as a smooth-sailing relationship. It's inevitable that two people will have disagreements, but as long as their initial intentions remain unchanged, the relationship can last."
"So, today, in front of your parents, I'm handing Yanwan over to you."
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