Chapter 30 Live-in Son-in-Law Mu Mian, when are you planning to marry my son...?
Meeting her father's teasing gaze, Ji Yu was afraid he might misunderstand and upset the little girl, so she quickly stepped forward to explain, "The one holding my mother's arm is Chen Mianmian, and the one following behind is her friend."
Ji Yu was also a little puzzled. Wasn't it said that only she was invited to dinner? Why was Li Cuiping involved? Could it be that she was still angry and didn't want to come to the house alone?
But what exactly was she angry about? Ji Yu couldn't figure it out. Was it because my confession last time was too abrupt and scared her, or did she discover my pre-made dishes?
Before Ji Yu could figure it out, the three people at the door had already come in, and Yu Xiaoyue warmly introduced them to each other.
Ji Feng nodded solemnly to the two of them, his voice concise and full of energy: "Hello!"
Chen Mian was momentarily stunned by Ji Feng's cold and imposing aura. She subconsciously straightened her back and loosened her grip on Yu Xiaoyue's hand, letting it fall naturally to her sides.
Li Cuiping behind him also stood obediently. Ji Yu noticed the restraint in Chen Mian's expression and blamed her father for not to tone down his imposing manner. This was not the army, why be so serious?
He turned his head and tried to signal to his father with his eyes to be more amiable so as not to scare his little girl, "Pfft... Dad, you haven't even taken off your apron, haha!"
After being reminded by his son, Ji Feng looked down and realized that he was still wearing a pink plaid apron. He quickly tore it off and threw it behind him.
Yu Xiaoyue couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't mind him, come and sit down." The tense atmosphere was broken just like that, and Chen Mianmian secretly breathed a sigh of relief and sat down as well.
Li Cuiping took the initiative to sit at the end of the table. Her eyes were completely fixed on all kinds of food. Her animal-like intuition told her that this meal was not simple, but it probably had nothing to do with her. She was just a background figure who loved to eat.
At the large table, Ji Feng sat in the center, while Yu Xiaoyue and Li Cuiping had already taken their seats on the left. Chen Mian had no choice but to sit next to Ji Yu on the right.
When no one was looking, she quietly moved her chair away. The man was tall and handsome, with a very strong presence. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself if she sat too close.
After a few brief greetings, everyone started eating. Ji Feng had prepared a table full of dishes, mainly Northeastern cuisine, including candied sweet potatoes, sweet and sour pork, and pork stew with vermicelli.
Chen Mian's previously somewhat chaotic thoughts vanished completely after she began to enjoy the food.
Yu Xiaoyue was right; Ji Feng's cooking skills were comparable to those of a hotel chef, and his knife skills were also superb. The sweet and sour pork was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the pork was stewed until it was very soft. A bite of meat, a bite of vermicelli, and then a bite of steamed bun—it was so delicious!
Chen Mian ate two steamed buns in a row and still wasn't satisfied, while Li Cuiping across from her was so engrossed in her food that she didn't even bother to lift her head. Even Yu Xiaoyue and her son were eating with gusto; they had missed Chef Ji's cooking culinary skills very much since Ji Feng had been studying in the capital for the past few months.
After everyone had almost finished eating, Ji Feng got up and took out a bottle of wine from the study. "This is wine I brewed myself last year. It's not very strong. Since there are so many people here today, I'll open it and let everyone have a taste."
As he spoke, he pulled out the cork from the bottle, then took out a few wine glasses and poured one for each person.
Chen Mian picked up the glass, took a small sip, and her eyes lit up. The taste was indeed good, with a strong fruity aroma. Although it was called wine, it was more like fruit juice.
She felt that this wine had a completely different flavor from the mare's milk wine she had drunk at a wedding banquet before; the former was refreshing, while the latter was rich.
It was a rare treat to have a drink that suited her taste. With a smile, she raised her cup and asked, "Uncle Ji, can I have a little more? It's really delicious."
Seeing that she liked it, Ji Feng gestured to Ji Yu to put the whole bottle of wine next to her, and Ji Yu silently filled the little wine drinker's glass.
Ji Feng also picked up his wine glass, took a sip, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked casually, "Mian, when are you planning to marry my son?"
Chen Mian choked on the wine she had just swallowed, slamming the empty glass onto the table. "Cough cough cough..."
Chen Mian's face suddenly flushed red, like a maple leaf falling in the autumn wind, which was suddenly swept up by a gust of wind, revealing the flat surface paved with bluestone. Then a sudden rain was coming, and dark clouds covered the sun.
She felt a mix of panic and a subtle, expected unease. Had it finally come to pass? By the Swan Lake, she had inexplicably voiced her deepest thoughts, already acknowledging that they were not meant to be. Today's dinner was merely an excuse for not being able to refuse their hospitality.
But were there any hidden meanings in Ji Yu's father's words at this moment? A tiny sprout unconsciously emerged from the previously calm ground, as if anticipating a spring breeze to grow wildly.
The wine glass that Ji Yu had just picked up had already spilled most of its contents before he even brought it to his lips. He remained expressionless, but a closer look revealed that his ears were flushed red from the smell of alcohol.
He downed the rest of his drink in one gulp, seemingly trying to hide it, and said, "This wine has a strong aftereffect; I'm a little drunk."
After saying that, he casually tossed his wine glass aside, leaned slightly to the left, and placed his large, warm hand on Chen Mian's back, patting her gently. He asked with concern, "Mianmian, are you alright? Do you want some water to calm down?"
The itching in Chen Mian's throat subsided, and she picked up the wine bottle and glass beside her, poured herself another drink, and continued Ji Yu's earlier words, replying, "I'm fine, it's just that this wine does have a bit of an aftereffect."
After speaking, she raised her hand and kept fanning her cheeks to relieve the inexplicable heat, avoiding any response to Ji Yu's father's startling words.
Li Cuiping was still engrossed in battling the delicious food on the table, determined to win, and didn't listen carefully at all. She thought Ji Feng was asking when the two of them were getting married.
She scratched her head in a daze. How come she didn't know they had been together? But it didn't matter. They were a perfect match, and her family supported them.
Yu Xiaoyue raised her eyes and smiled slightly at her husband. Suddenly, her left hand, hidden under the table, reached down and pinched the muscle on Ji Feng's thigh, twisting it hard. Anger was secretly overflowing in her eyes, but her face remained peaceful.
She leaned close to her husband's ear and whispered through gritted teeth, "Have you lost your mind? You didn't even give any warning! Look how scared that young girl is..."
Ji Feng remained unmoved by his wife's attack, only feeling secretly aggrieved. What was there to build up? It was a matter of mutual consent and a quick agreement. After Ji Yu's pathetic kneeling on the ground yesterday, what else could he say? A son is meant to be, so he should hurry up and get married.
Rewind to last night. Yu Xiaoyue and her husband had just sat down on the sofa when Ji Yu suddenly knelt down with a thud, startling them so much that they thought their son had done something terrible, like murder or arson.
Yu Xiaoyue's hands tremblingly reached for her husband, as if holding something in her hands would make her feel more at ease.
Ji Feng scanned his son with an appraising gaze, but his attention was quickly drawn back by his wife's wandering hands, and his mind began to wander.
Ji Yu's face was heavy and cold. Without saying a word, he kowtowed three times, then paused before slowly saying, "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. Our Ji family line will end in death."
Yu Xiaoyue sat bolt upright, shocked. "What did you say? You can't... you know?!"
Ji Yu choked, desperately trying to defend herself, risking all her dignity for the rest of her life, "I didn't mean that. What I meant was that the girl I like only accepts a son-in-law who lives with the family."
Ji Yu stammered for a long time, then said hesitantly, "So I might... not be able to continue the Ji family name in the future."
Yu Xiaoyue breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, and like a deflated balloon, she slowly leaned back on the sofa.
She thought something serious had happened, but it turned out to be just this? She nudged her silent husband, signaling him to say something.
Ji Yu, however, thought that his mother was completely disappointed in him, so she asked his father to discipline him. His heart sank, and his originally straight kneeling back slowly slumped.
Ji Feng frowned and said in a deep voice, "If you're going to kneel, kneel properly. What kind of posture is this, crooked and twisted like that!"
In the same time and space, Ji Feng repeated what he had said to his son last night. He stared intently in the direction where Ji Yu and Chen Mian were sitting, "Since you have made up your mind about this matter, you have to be responsible for that girl. My Ji family has never divorced someone because of something I did wrong to my wife."
Ji Feng emphasized: "Especially since you're planning to become their son-in-law, you must keep your word, because you're going to be the head of their household..."
Chen Mubai: I'm not dead yet! Our Chen family has a son!
Ji Feng's words, each one resounding, struck Chen Mian's heart repeatedly, like a deluge of raindrops crashing into a lake, creating ripples that lingered for a long time.
Ji Yu, who was standing beside him, suddenly stood up, raised his right hand to salute his father and Chen Mian, and solemnly promised: "The spirit of the sharp knife means that what is said must be done!"
The powerful voice reached Chen Mian's ears, and she was somewhat moved. She wanted to say that she was not worthy of his kindness, but her lips parted slightly. She hesitated several times, and unconsciously bit her lower lip, trying to use the pain to clear her mind. After a long while, she slowly replied, "I believe in Officer Ji's character, but this matter is of great importance. I hope we can both seriously consider it for a while longer."
"With marriage in mind," she finally couldn't bring herself to say, and added.
Ji Yu was overjoyed just from the last sentence. "Great! Mianmian said she would consider marrying me. She really does like me!"
Outside the window, the storm had stopped, the sun was scorching, and only a gentle breeze was blowing. The delicate buds had finally received their spring breeze and were growing upwards with all their might. The ripples in the lake gradually subsided and returned to their usual calm.
Everything seemed normal, yet something was different.
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Author's note: Ji Feng: A grown son is like an old dog; keeping him around will only lead to enmity. Just marry him if you meet a good person!
Chen Mubai: I'll repeat myself, I'm not dead yet! There's someone in our Chen family to carry on the family line!
Ji Yu just smiled blankly and remained silent.
After finishing this chapter, I've dug myself two more holes. The stories that have everyone wondering about will gradually unfold!
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