Rong Jiaojiao took Yueyue's hand and said, "Let's go inside and talk, it's cold outside."
They had just entered the house when Rong Lianhu and Fu Ya returned one after the other, making for another lively evening.
The next day, Rong Jiaojiao secretly took Rong Yue out to play, taking her to a secluded place where they flew close to the ground on a sword. They also went to the city to buy gifts for their family.
From then on, Rongyue never left Rongjiaojiao's side, and even slept with her aunt at night.
On the 28th, Rong Zhiyuan returned, but he didn't come back alone; there was a girl with him.
The girl had two braids and wore a thick cotton-padded coat, but she was still shivering, clearly not used to the northern climate.
Fu Ya came out of the kitchen and was taken aback when she saw this scene. Then she exclaimed with delight, "Zhiyuan brought his girlfriend back?"
Rong Zhiyuan blushed: "Mom, this is Lin Xue."
Fu Ya quickly wiped her hands and went to greet her: "Come in and sit down, it's cold outside."
Then he blamed Rong Zhiyuan: "You brought a girl back without telling me beforehand. I'll have your dad go to the county to pick you up."
Rong Zhiyuan laughed and said, "I was going to say that, but Lin Xue wouldn't allow it."
Rong Jiaojiao and her sister-in-law were playing with Rong Yue in the living room when they heard the noise and came out to greet her.
Yueyue peeked out from Rong Jiaojiao's arms and looked at Lin Xue curiously: "Second Aunt?"
Lin Xue blushed deeply at the address, and Rong Zhiyuan's ears turned red.
Rong Jiaojiao suppressed a laugh and pinched Yueyue's little face: "Yueyue is so smart."
After introducing themselves, everyone quickly became familiar with each other.
Rong Jiaojiao could see that Lin Xue, despite her gentle appearance, possessed a strong side.
In the evening, the family sat around the dining table, and the atmosphere was even more lively than the previous two days.
Rong Lianhu sized up Lin Xue and nodded with satisfaction: "Which unit does Xiao Lin work for?"
Lin Xue's voice was soft, with a hint of nervousness: "Zhiyuan and I are from the same military region, and we work as nurses at the military region's health center."
Fu Ya spoke up: "Can you tell me about your family situation?"
Seeing that Lin Xue's face was a little pale, Fu Ya added, "Of course, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
Lin Xue knew that now that she had met the parents, it was time to discuss marriage.
Of course, she couldn't avoid talking about her family background. She said nervously, "My father sacrificed his life, and my mother remarried with my father's pension. My younger brother and I were raised by my grandmother."
Looking at everyone's faces, and seeing no signs of disappointment or disdain, she continued, "After I turned eighteen, with the help of my father's comrade-in-arms, I got a job as a nurse at the health center. My younger brother also joined the army last year."
Lin Xue said solemnly, "Uncle, Aunt, Zhiyuan and I have come back to ask for your consent to our marriage..."
Rong Zhiyuan interrupted, "Lin Xue, I'll say these things."
Lin Xue shook her head at Rong Zhiyuan, then looked at Rong Lianhu and Fu Ya. Before that, I have two more things to say: "First, my brother and I will share the responsibility of caring for our grandmother in our old age. Second, my brother's allowance will be kept by me after he joins the army. I will help him arrange his marriage in the future, and then I will let go of his family affairs."
She pursed her lips and added, "I hope you two will accept me after you find out."
Lin Xue's words silenced the living room for a moment.
Fu Ya was the first to react. She got up and sat down next to Lin Xue, gently holding her hand: "Good girl, you've worked hard all these years."
Rong Lianhu nodded: "You are a responsible and good girl."
Lin Xue's eyes reddened slightly, and she could hardly believe it: "You... don't mind my family situation?"
"What do you mind?" Fu Ya patted her hand. "You are filial to your grandmother and take care of your younger brother. These are all good qualities. When the Rong family chooses a daughter-in-law, we value character."
Lin Xue's face lit up with joy, but Fu Ya changed the subject: "But your aunt still has some questions for you."
Rong Zhiyuan, standing anxiously to the side, wrung his hands repeatedly: "Dad, Mom, I truly want to marry Lin Xue! She's had a tough time all these years, and I want to give her a home..."
Rong Lianhu waved his hand to interrupt his son, "Look at you, so useless. Wait until your mother finishes speaking."
Lin Xue nervously gripped the hem of her clothes: "Auntie, please ask."
"In the future, will you love your younger brother's children more than your own? For example, if their family is not as well-off as you and Zhiyuan, will you use your combined salary to help your brother's family? When your child and your brother's child have a dispute, will you side with your brother's child?"
Lin Xue didn't answer, but instead imagined the scenario. Finally, she shook her head: "Probably not. I might help them if they're struggling, but I won't overstep my own family's boundaries."
Rong Jiaojiao frowned slightly upon hearing this, while her elder brother and sister-in-law shook their heads inwardly.
Fu Ya's heart sank, and she stopped asking questions. This girl had too much responsibility. If her younger brother and future sister-in-law were good people, that would be fine, but if they had bad intentions, this girl would probably be trapped for life.
They had no objection to taking care of Grandma Lin in her old age, but Fu Ya was worried that in the future, Grandma Lin would wrong her own children and grandchildren for the sake of her younger brother's family. Some feelings are not about money.
It's like having a toy. If a mother favors her nephew, she'll subconsciously tell her own children to give it up. Over time, this kind of harm can be terrible.
Fu Ya looked up at her second son: "What do you say?"
Rong Zhiyuan said, "Mom, I want to marry Xue'er. I hope you and Dad can agree."
Fu Ya and Rong Lianhu exchanged a glance and nodded. Rong Lianhu asked, "So, what are your plans for getting married?"
"Xue'er and I have discussed it. If you agree, we can hold a party in the cafeteria, just like our older brother did last time, while my sister is at home."
Thankfully, they didn't mention holding the wedding banquet at the woman's place, so Fu Ya nodded in agreement.
Rong Zhiyuan looked at Rong Jiaojiao: "Jiaojiao, please help your brother prepare meat dishes."
Rong Jiaojiao nodded: "Second brother, don't worry, you will receive the same treatment as eldest brother."
"Thank you, little sister!"
Rong Lianhu said, "There are only two days left before the New Year, so we can only choose to do it after the New Year." He looked at his two sons, "How many days of vacation do you both have?"
Rong Zhiyuan took a wedding leave before returning, and he still has twelve days left.
Rong Zhigao only had five days left, so after discussing it for a while, everyone decided to hold the banquet on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
After the discussion ended, everyone went to rest.
Early the next morning, Rong Jiaojiao quickly slipped away before her niece woke up.
At the Rong family's breakfast table, Fu Ya said, "Tomorrow is Jiaojiao's birthday. Your dad and I have discussed giving her a gift. You brothers shouldn't forget."
"Mom, I'll never forget!"
The two spoke in unison.
Lin Xue was puzzled. Was it really necessary to make such a big deal out of a birthday celebration?
But she couldn't bring herself to ask, so she quietly tugged at Rong Zhiyuan's sleeve and asked, "How should I prepare a gift?"
Rong Zhiyuan knew she was short of money, so he comforted her, "We'll go together, so you don't need to prepare anything."
Thinking that she would tell her brother and sister-in-law later not to give two gifts in front of everyone tomorrow, otherwise Lin Xue would be embarrassed.
Unaware that her family was preparing a surprise for her, Rong Jiaojiao went into the mountains and hunted a large number of animals.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com