Mom and Dad, my boyfriend's name is Wei Ting.
As the high-speed train pulled into the small town's station, the cold mist outside the window, carrying with it the familiar smell of coal stove smoke, drifted in. Ning Zhichu's fingertips, gripping the canvas bag, turned white. Inside, besides down jackets and health supplements for her parents, was a velvet box—containing jade pendants specially made by a designer for her and her parents. The pendant for her parents was an old jade piece carved with pine trees and cranes, while the one for her was a small plum blossom pendant, strung on a matching necklace, radiating a warm glow.
"Zhichu! Here!" Under the streetlights at the platform entrance, her mother, Lin Xiuzhi, waved her scarf and smiled at her. She was bundled up in a camel coat, with stray hairs at her temples studded with snowflakes. Her father, Ning Jianguo, was beside her, carrying a hand warmer. He quickly stepped forward when he saw her, took her canvas bag, and slung it over his shoulder: "Why didn't you let your mother and me go to Shanghai? Look how tired you are, and you still took the high-speed train back."
Ning Zhichu felt a warmth in her heart and smiled as she brushed the snow off her father: "Oh, Dad, I can run back and forth, I'm still young." She followed her parents home, the snow crunching under her feet. Her phone, hidden in her pocket, vibrated—a message from Wei Ting: "Let me know when you arrive. My parents asked me to put the tea for my uncle and aunt in the passenger seat, and I'll deliver it after the New Year."
The warmth of the house, mingled with the aroma of braised pork, wafted over. The TV in the living room was playing a rerun of the Spring Festival Gala, and on the coffee table were her favorite candied melon and frozen pears. Lin Xiuzhi placed a hand warmer in her daughter's hands and poured her a cup of ginger tea: "Warm yourself up quickly, you must have been cold on the way." She stared at her daughter for a while, then suddenly smiled, "Have you lost weight? Is your job in Shanghai too tiring? If it's too much, come back. Mom asked someone to find you a job in a public institution."
"Mom, I'm doing fine in Shanghai." Ning Zhichu sipped her ginger tea, her gaze sweeping over the family photo on the wall—in the photo, she looked like she had just started college, with her hair in a ponytail and a youthful smile. She put down her cup, wanting to talk about Wei Ting, but then she saw her father carrying her canvas bag into the kitchen: "I'm steaming the braised duck you brought; your mom's been talking about it for days."
At dinner, the table was laden with her favorite dishes: braised pork belly until tender, soy-braised duck glistening with oil, and fried spring rolls, her childhood favorite. Lin Xiuzhi kept putting food on her plate, but just as her chopsticks touched the spring rolls in her bowl, she suddenly stopped: "Zhichu, you changed your necklace? Wasn't it pearls before?"
Ning Zhichu's hand suddenly paused, and the plum blossom jade pendant around her neck swayed slightly—she had specially changed into it this morning, hoping to use the necklace to lure out Wei Ting. She gripped her chopsticks, her fingertips trembling: "Yes, it's... it's a gift from a friend."
"What kind of friend is so valuable?" Ning Jianguo put down his wine glass, his gaze behind his glasses scrutinizing. "Male or female?"
Ning Zhichu's ears instantly burned. She picked at the rice in her bowl and whispered, "It's... it's a gift from my boyfriend."
The laughter from the Spring Festival Gala in the living room suddenly turned jarring. Lin Xiuzhi's chopsticks fell to the table with a crisp sound. Ning Jianguo frowned, poured himself another glass of wine, and remained silent. Ning Zhichu's heart pounded as if it would burst from her chest. She looked up and met her parents' complex gazes—surprise, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible worry.
"When did this happen?" Lin Xiuzhi spoke first, her voice trembling slightly. "What kind of person is he? Where is he from? What does he do for a living?"
“We’ve known each other for almost a year.” Ning Zhichu gripped the tablecloth and began slowly, “His name is Wei Ting, he’s from Shanghai, and he works at Wall Street Insights, doing investment. He’s a very nice person. Last time I had a problem at work, he…” She paused, not mentioning how Wei Ting helped her solve the problem, only saying, “He has always been very supportive of my work, and he’s even accompanied me on a few interviews.”
She pulled out her phone from her pocket and showed a photo of the two of them on a New York ferry—in the photo, she was leaning on Wei Ting's shoulder, with the Statue of Liberty's torch in the background. Wei Ting, wearing a camel coat, was looking down at her, his eyes full of tenderness. Lin Xiuzhi took the phone, zoomed in on the photo, and gently touched Wei Ting's face with her finger: "He looks quite mature, and he's probably much older than you, isn't he?"
“He’s six years older,” Ning Zhichu quickly said. “He’s very mature and reliable. Last time I went back to my hometown, he knew my dad loved tea, so he specially asked someone to bring me some pre-Qingming Longjing tea from Hangzhou.” She couldn’t help but smile as she thought of Wei Ting’s thoughtfulness. “His parents are also very nice. They own a company, but they’re not snobbish at all. Last time I went to his house, his aunt even made me crab roe xiaolongbao.”
Ning Jianguo finally spoke, his voice as deep as aged vinegar: "His family owns a company? Then your family's financial situation is quite different. Will his parents look down on you?" He put down his wine glass, his eyes behind his glasses filled with worry, "It's not that I think his family is well-off, it's that I'm afraid you'll be wronged. There are many rules in wealthy families, and you have a straightforward personality, so you won't be able to handle them."
“No, my aunt and uncle are very open-minded.” Ning Zhichu quickly explained, “My aunt runs a design studio and has a very easy-going personality. She even said she wanted to hire me as a brand consultant; my uncle used to be a university professor. He talked to me for a long time about his interview topic and gave me a set of philosophy books that he had annotated.” She took the set of books out of her canvas bag. “Look, this is it. My uncle’s handwriting is very good.”
Lin Xiuzhi flipped through the book, looking at the bold annotations on the title page, then glanced at the photos on her phone, and suddenly smiled: "He seems like an honest person, much better than that classmate of yours who only knew how to play games last time." She nudged Ning Jianguo's arm, "Don't keep frowning, the most important thing is that the child is happy."
Ning Jianguo didn't speak, but he put a piece of braised pork on Ning Zhichu's plate: "What's his character like? Does he have any bad habits? Is he good at dealing with people?"
“He has a very good character. I’ve never seen him smoke or drink, and he always keeps social engagements within limits.” Ning Zhichu’s eyes lit up, and she became more talkative when talking about Wei Ting’s good qualities. “Last time I worked overtime until late at night, he waited for me downstairs for three hours and brought me hot pan-fried buns; when I encountered trouble during an interview, he didn’t directly help me solve it, but taught me how to find evidence so that I could win back my dignity; he remembers all my little habits, and knowing that I don’t eat ginger, he always picks it out for me when I eat.”
She became more and more engrossed in her story, not noticing the exchange of glances between her parents. Lin Xiuzhi wiped her eyes and whispered, "Mom was worried you'd be mistreated in Shanghai. I'm relieved to have someone taking care of you." Ning Jianguo put down his wine glass, looked into his daughter's shining eyes, and finally nodded: "Bring him back to visit after the New Year, so we can meet him too."
Ning Zhichu's tears suddenly fell, not from resentment, but from a sweet sense of relief. She gripped her mother's hand, choking back sobs, and said, "Thank you, Mom and Dad. He'll definitely treat me well."
That evening, Ning Zhichu lay on her childhood bed and video-called Wei Ting. He had just finished work, was wearing casual clothes, and his hair was a little messy. Seeing her red eyes, he quickly asked, "What's wrong? Do your aunt and uncle not agree?"
"No, they agreed. They want you to come to their home after the New Year." Ning Zhichu smiled and wiped away her tears, pointing her phone at the family photo on the wall. "Look, this is me when I was little. Aren't I silly?"
A smile appeared in Wei Ting's eyes. On the screen, he leaned back on the sofa, with the record player they bought in New York behind him: "Not silly, very cute." He paused, his voice softening, "My parents heard that my aunt and uncle agreed, so they asked me to send the tea over tomorrow and wish them a Happy New Year in advance."
"No rush, let's talk about it after the New Year. You should get some rest too." Ning Zhichu looked at him on the screen, her heart filled with warmth. "By the way, my parents asked if you have any dietary restrictions. They want to make you braised pork."
“I have no dietary restrictions, I love everything Uncle and Aunt make.” Wei Ting’s gaze fell on the jade pendant around her neck. “It looks very nice on you, I knew Uncle and Aunt would like it.”
After hanging up the video call, Ning Zhichu leaned against the headboard, watching the fireworks outside the window. The fireworks exploded in the night sky, illuminating the room. The jade pendant around her neck shone with a warm light, and along with the sense of security Wei Ting gave her, it enveloped her heart. She remembered her parents' reactions that afternoon, her mother secretly asking her, "Is he good to you? Has he made you suffer?" and her father saying, "I'll bring him back after the New Year, and I'll have a couple of drinks with him." Suddenly, she felt that all the tension had been worth it.
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Ning Zhichu was awakened by the sound of firecrackers. She got dressed and went out of her room, where she saw her father putting up Spring Festival couplets, her mother preparing breakfast in the kitchen, and tea sent by Wei Ting on the coffee table in the living room—it was her father's favorite Longjing tea, with delicate plum blossom patterns printed on the packaging.
"Did Wei Ting send this tea?" Ning Zhichu picked up the tea canister and saw a note on it in Wei Ting's handwriting: "Happy New Year, Uncle and Aunt. This Longjing tea is from before the Qingming Festival, which is suitable for drinking in winter. I will bring Zhichu to visit you after the New Year."
"Yes, it was delivered by courier yesterday afternoon." Lin Xiuzhi carried the porridge out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "This child is quite thoughtful, knowing that your dad loves to drink Longjing tea." She nudged Ning Zhichu's arm, "When you bring him back after the New Year, wear a nice outfit, and Mom will make your favorite crab roe xiaolongbao."
Ning Zhichu nodded, leaned against the door frame, and watched her parents' busy figures, feeling a sense of peace. She took out her phone and sent a message to Wei Ting: "My parents really like the tea you sent. When you come after the New Year, my dad wants to have a couple of drinks with you."
I quickly received a reply with a smiley face: "Great! I've already learned how to open a wine bottle from my dad, I promise I'll keep you company while you drink."
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns on the tea canister on the coffee table. Ning Zhichu looked at the message and suddenly smiled. She knew this was the happiest year of her life—not only because of her parents' love, but also because she had found someone to share her future with.
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