On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Xia was awakened by a series of loud firecrackers. He had gone to bed late the night before. He took out his phone to check the time and found that it was not yet seven o'clock. No wonder he felt very sleep-deprived.
After thinking about how I still had to go back to my hometown to visit relatives today, I closed my eyes and slept on the warm bed for about two minutes before gritting my teeth, throwing off the covers, and quickly getting out of bed.
At times like this, he misses the days in the capital city. The house was heated, the room temperature was just right, and you would even feel hot under the covers. Getting up was no problem at all.
After putting on the new clothes his wife had bought him a few days ago, Jiang Xia pushed open the bedroom door and went out, only to find his mother kneading dough in the kitchen. As usual, they were going to have glutinous rice balls today.
"Good morning, Mom."
"You're up? I was planning to wake you up later." Xia Shanshan turned to look at him and smiled gently.
"I was trying to sleep, but the sound of gunfire woke me up." Jiang Xia couldn't help but yawn, looking somewhat helpless.
"Then hurry up and wash up. We'll eat in a bit. We have sweet rice balls with brown sugar, peanut, walnut, and sesame filling. Do you want some?"
Jiang Xia nodded. This was her mother's secret recipe, which her grandmother had taught her. She would prepare this filling every year during festivals, and had been eating it since she was a child.
Now that I think about it, it's been a long time since I've had my mother's homemade glutinous rice balls, and I really miss them.
While washing up, Jiang Xia took out her phone to send New Year's greetings to her relatives and friends. Looking at the company group chat, it was equally peaceful. If there were a red envelope function now, the group would probably be even more lively.
It's a pity the timing was wrong; as a boss, I couldn't even give my employees New Year's red envelopes.
I chatted in the group for a while, then ate some glutinous rice balls. The brown sugar filling was delicious with one, but two made me feel full, and three were too sweet.
After breakfast, once the kitchen is cleaned up, we have to go back to our hometown to visit relatives, sweep the graves, and pay respects to our ancestors. This is a family tradition.
The trip took most of the day, and the family of three didn't return home until after four o'clock in the afternoon, looking a little tired. Then Xia Shanshan started preparing dinner. She had arranged with her in-laws and godparents yesterday to eat here tonight and discuss the specific time for the engagement banquet.
Around five o'clock, his mother-in-law and her family arrived. Jiang Xia knew that they had just returned from their hometown.
In his previous life, after he married Lin Yanwan, he would go back to his hometown on the first day of the lunar new year and then go back to her hometown on the second day. The timing is slightly different now, but it's not a big problem.
A little while later, Li Weiya arrived with the chicken soup and steamed meat she had prepared in advance, as well as a very appetizing white-cut chicken, so that they could prepare fewer dishes for dinner.
The three elderly mothers were busy in the kitchen, Jiang Wende and Lin Gaoyuan were clearing the table, while the younger generation were eating sunflower seeds, watching TV, chatting and laughing, and playing on their phones.
Since confirming his relationship with Shen Ying last night, Wang Ming has been very envious of Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan. He wonders when he and Shen Ying will be able to interact as a couple in such a setting.
"Old Wang, where's Shen Ying?" Jiang Xia asked in a low voice.
Wang Ming replied, "She's still in her hometown, and she probably won't be home until very late."
"Does your godmother know about your relationship yet?"
Wang Ming shook his head.
When do you plan to meet my parents?
“She said there was no rush,” Wang Ming said, pursing his lips. Although he was quite anxious, he knew there was no use in being anxious.
After all, the two have only just started dating, and they should wait until their relationship has stabilized for a while before meeting each other's parents.
"That's good, take your time. Anyway, your relationship is already established, so there's no rush to meet her parents. You can spend some time preparing and make a good impression on her parents. Maybe they'll approve of you if they're happy," Jiang Xia said with a smile.
"That's what I think too."
Wang Ming nodded: "Hey, Lao Jiang, how did you and Yan Wan meet each other's parents?"
“Brother Wang Ming, I know that!” Xiao Man, who was watching the cat and mouse with great interest, suddenly interrupted the conversation.
"Then Xiaoman, you say it." Wang Ming smiled and peeled a White Rabbit milk candy and fed it to her.
"It was during a power outage last year. My brother-in-law took my sister home, and my mom and I waited for her downstairs. When my brother-in-law saw my mom, he called out 'Mom!' I remember this very clearly!" The little girl proudly raised her chin.
power failure?
Wang Ming paused for a moment, his brain engine quickly searching for memories related to the power outage. He recalled that last year during his high school years, after evening self-study, the whole city experienced a power outage, and he and Jiang Xia got separated in the crowd. Then he took Lin Yanwan home.
According to Lao Jiang, that was his first time meeting Lin Yanwan, right? He called his future mother-in-law "Mom" as soon as he met her?
This is something else entirely. He knew he couldn't do it; he might get a beating from the other person's parents, which would immediately lower his impression score to the lowest possible level.
"You're really awesome." Wang Ming gave a thumbs up in great admiration.
Jiang Xia was both amused and exasperated. He had only been reborn for two days at that time, and he had called his mother-in-law "Mom" for eight years. He simply couldn't change his way of addressing her. It was all a beautiful misunderstanding.
Fortunately, he rescued Xiaoman from the dog's mouth that day and took his wife home under cover of darkness. This helpful behavior left his mother-in-law with a fairly good impression of him.
“I don’t recommend you learn it,” Jiang Xia said seriously.
Wang Ming rolled his eyes: "I'll learn it? Whoever tries to learn it will die, okay?"
He should honestly date Shen Ying and wait until she tells her family that she has a boyfriend before he visits her and makes a good impression. That's the best way.
Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan exchanged a glance and smiled.
They are different from others. While others have to go through a dating phase, they were reborn with full affection. At most, they are like a couple who had a conflict and reconciled. After resolving their misunderstandings, their relationship took a step further based on their previous life, and it all came together naturally.
By the time they ate dinner, it was already past seven o'clock. It must be said that Xia Shanshan's cooking skills were excellent, earning high praise from the other two families.
During the meal, the three families discussed the engagement. After considering the opinions of the two main characters, they decided to move the engagement banquet to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. By then, most of their relatives would have already left, and they would have plenty of time to have lunch at the hotel.
As for the engagement ceremony, everything was kept simple. Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan didn't have much time to prepare, since it was more symbolic than practical. They just wanted to make their faces known to relatives and friends and that would be enough.
However, Jiang Xia requested that his identity as the owner of Qitian Animation Company not be made public. He believed that once exposed, all sorts of troubles would follow, and he disliked trouble.
Parents naturally understand the principle of not flaunting wealth.
To be honest, this kid kept it a complete secret from both sets of parents. If he hadn't confessed, they would probably still be in the dark.
(End of this chapter)
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