Chapter 122 Convincing Family Members
Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. When families reunite, it is New Year's Eve again.
As night falls and the lights come on, thousands of houses are brightly lit, and the dazzling lights embellish the quiet night like stars.
Song Ci's family was warm and peaceful. Like in previous years, he brought his grandparents from the courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang to his home, and the five members of his family, three generations, lived together to celebrate the New Year.
The family worked hard for an afternoon to prepare a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. On the table, dishes of delicious food were arranged in an orderly manner, steaming hot and fragrant, which made people's appetites whet.
The whole family, young and old, sat together enjoying the delicious food. Song Ci glanced at the delicious dishes on the table and found that this year's New Year's Eve dinner was particularly sumptuous.
There are dumplings made by Grandma Song herself, symbolizing reunion and happiness; there is the braised pork carefully prepared by mom Liu Xiaoxian, with its tempting color, implying a prosperous year ahead; even dad Song Zhang shows off his skills with a specially made fish dish with sauce and flavor, implying surplus every year and a rich life.
The family of five was filled with laughter and joy. Song Ci rarely had two glasses of white wine and drank with his closest relatives. The crisp sound of clinking glasses seemed to be telling the story of the past year and their longing for the new year.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, in addition to Song poetry, my parents and grandparents all sat on the sofa and watched the Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Dog.
This is also an old tradition of the Song family. No matter how exciting the show is, you must watch the Spring Festival Gala every year, otherwise it always feels like something is missing.
At this time, a singing program called "Three Lucky Treasures" was playing on TV. The singing was melodious, and three singers, two adults and one child, sang in perfect harmony. Their pure voices instantly conquered thousands of viewers in front of the TV.
The simple and warm lyrics and catchy melody are like a breeze that blows into the hearts of the audience.
The little girl's tender voice echoes with her parents' singing, singing out the warmth and happiness of the family and making people feel the preciousness of family affection.
Grandma Song fell in love with the song as soon as she heard it, and she also wanted to let her precious grandson listen to this beautiful and warm song "Three Lucky Treasures".
He turned his eyes away from the screen and glanced at Song Ci, who was in the living room, looking for something. He asked his son and daughter-in-law curiously, "What is Yuandan doing?"
Song Zhang and Liu Xiaoxian looked at each other and shook their heads. Their son had been in the living room since dinner, and no one knew what he was busy with.
Grandma Song snorted in annoyance: "You guys are just letting Yuandan do whatever he wants!"
Then he raised his voice and shouted in the direction of the living room: "Yuan Dan, come over and have some fruit and take a rest, and listen to this song with grandma."
What was Song Ci doing? He was fiddling with his father's cigarettes and alcohol in the living room, preparing to pick out some good cigarettes and alcohol as New Year's gifts to take to Liu Shishi's house.
As the chief physician of surgery at Union Hospital, Song Zhang's living room would be filled with cigarettes and alcohol as gifts from friends and relatives during festivals.
Song Zhang himself doesn't smoke or drink, and doesn't really want to accept these gifts during the New Year or other festivals. But China is a society based on personal connections, and social interactions are always inevitable. Sometimes if you don't accept, the other party will be unhappy and think you look down on them.
Song Zhang gives most of the cigarette and alcohol gifts he receives every year to his father-in-law, brother-in-law, hospital leaders, and colleagues, and rarely keeps any for his own family.
It has been more than a year since Song Ci established his relationship with his childhood sweetheart. He plans to formally visit Miss Liu's home during the Chinese New Year this year. Of course, it would be bad to visit empty-handed during the New Year, so he plans to get some cigarettes and alcohol from her father.
It’s not that Song Ci can’t afford it, but the main reason is that his house is full of high-quality cigarettes and alcohol. His father is giving them away as gifts anyway, so he can just give some to his future in-laws and save himself from going out to buy them. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.
Hearing his grandmother's call, Song Ci thought for a while, picked up two packs of cigarettes of different brands, and walked to the sofa.
Holding one in one hand, he showed it to his father, asking, "Dad, which of these two packs of cigarettes is better?"
Song Zhang was eating melon seeds and watching the Spring Festival Gala. When he heard his son's question, he glanced at it and shook his head: "I don't know."
Song Ci immediately said in dissatisfaction: "Dad, you dare to accept the holiday gift given to you by others without knowing the price. Don't let anything go wrong someday."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhang glared at his rebellious son in front of him and replied angrily, "Pooh, pooh, pooh, you crow mouth, can't you just hope for some good from your father?
I don't smoke and haven't paid attention to it, so I really don't know the prices of various brands of cigarettes, but I think they are probably around 1,000 yuan a pack.
Your father never accepts red envelopes from patients' families when performing surgeries. This is already the most honest thing in the hospital."
Song Ci was speechless for a moment. His father Song Zhang was able to become the chief of surgery at a top domestic hospital at such a young age. On the one hand, he had outstanding abilities and was appreciated by the hospital leaders.
Another thing is that Song Zhang also understands the ways of the world and knows how to strike the right balance. Sometimes people who are not popular with the general public will not be able to get along well.
"No, you don't smoke, why are you asking me this?"
Song Ci smiled and explained, "I'm going to visit Shishi's house tomorrow to pay New Year's greetings. It's considered a formal visit. I can't go empty-handed on New Year's Day. Dad doesn't want to enjoy these cigarettes and alcohol, so I'll give them to Shishi's father as a holiday gift."
Song Zhang gave a thumbs up and said, "What a filial son you are. Thank you."
Grandma Song said in surprise: "Yuandan, you are going to visit Xiaoshishi's house tomorrow to pay New Year's greetings."
The man has to go to the woman's home on the first day of the Lunar New Year. This has a special meaning. She has always been looking forward to her grandson getting married, so she quickly patted her husband beside her and said, "Old man, please help Yuandan."
Mr. Song was a heavy smoker and alcoholic when he was young. He adjusted his black-framed reading glasses and looked at the cigarettes in his grandson's hand. The packaging was one gold and one red, which was a sharp contrast.
"A pack of slim Liqun cigarettes costs 1,000 yuan, and a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes costs 329,950 yuan. The prices are similar, but some men don't like to smoke slim cigarettes, so give them Huazi cigarettes."
Song Ci nodded without hesitation: "Okay, then I'll give you two Huazi and two bottles of Moutai, that should be enough."
Grandma Song smiled kindly and said, "Silly child, four is a good omen. How can you only give two gifts during the Chinese New Year? You should give at least four. Also, don't just focus on your father-in-law, you have to please your mother-in-law as well."
Song Ci smiled confidently, "I haven't forgotten my mother-in-law. I bought a set of high-end cosmetics for my aunt before the New Year. I also have a box of bird's nest at home. If I bring it with me, I will have four gifts."
Liu Xiaoxian, who had been silent for a long time, became angry and jealous when she heard this. She said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, you're not even married yet, and you're already so filial."
Grandma Song defended her grandson and said to her daughter-in-law, "Yuan Dan is still very filial. On your birthday last year, he bought you a jade bracelet and a jade pendant, all of which were expensive items."
Her parents-in-law were present and it was New Year's Eve, so Liu Xiaoxian knew that this was not the time to lose her temper. She could only frown and sulk with an unhappy look on her face.
Song Ci saw his mother's reaction and couldn't help but sigh. He had a quarrel with his mother when the fifth episode of "Wulin Waijia" was broadcast that day. Today, the whole family happened to be together, so he was ready to have a good talk with her.
Song Ci walked quietly to her mother's side, squatted down gently, her eyes full of concern. "Mom, why are you so unhappy now when I talk about Shishi?"
Song Ci's voice was gentle and warm, like a spring breeze, trying to blow away the haze in his mother's heart. He gently held his mother's hands, feeling the coldness of her palms, which were trembling slightly.
"Mom, weren't you very nice to Shishi before? And you didn't object to what I liked. You have always been reasonable. Why have you changed so much recently?"
Liu Xiaoxian stared at her son's handsome face and replied seriously, "Song Ci, your grandparents are here today. I will explain it to you calmly on New Year's Day.
Liu Shishi and you grew up together, and you have a lot in common. I have no problem with her. But I didn't know she was going to be an actress in the entertainment industry.
Now I know. I don’t like you marrying a celebrity. I don’t like the entertainment industry. It’s too chaotic.
It would be fine if Liu Shishi had never been famous, but if she becomes a big star in the future, don’t you understand that fame brings gossip? Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi and other female stars, which one of them is not surrounded by scandals?”
Song Zhang coughed lightly and interrupted quietly: "Yuan Dan, your mother taught a female graduate student. She was originally a very good student, but unfortunately she was a fan of Jay Chou.
This year, because of the scandals between my idol and Cai Yilin and Hou Pei-tseng, I was obsessed with chasing stars and even neglected my studies. So now your mother is particularly disgusted with the entertainment industry."
Song Ci suddenly realized that there must be a reason for his mother's sudden change in attitude. There must be a trigger, otherwise his mother would not have such an extreme reaction.
Seeing that her son seemed to be thinking with his head down, Liu Xiaoxian added: "Also, let me remind you, can you stop actors from filming kissing scenes?
I just can't stand my daughter-in-law kissing another man. If you can be so generous, I have nothing to say."
Hearing this, the whole family stared at Song Ci, waiting to see how he would respond. Even Grandma Song, who supported Liu Shishi the most, hesitated and looked worried.
Although the Song family is not a famous family, it is also a family of high-level intellectuals. All family members have a kind of literati arrogance and are very traditional in their bones. They absolutely cannot accept the Song family's daughter-in-law filming a kissing scene.
Song Ci understood the crux of the matter and said sternly, "Mom, your idea is too narrow-minded. You are subjectively prejudiced against Shishi's career. Why does Shishi have to film a kissing scene?
Let alone classic blockbusters like Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, even the common martial arts dramas by Jin Yong must have kissing scenes. A few days ago, Shishi's first starring movie was released, and there was no kissing scene in it.
Being an actor is a profession just like teaching. You can choose which acting style you want to play. Is there any rule that says actresses must do kissing scenes? "
Seeing that his family members’ expressions had eased, Song Ci continued to work hard, wanting to convince several of his closest relatives in one go: “I understand your concerns, but don’t over-demonize the entertainment industry. I still say that some people are dirty.
Shishi is a clean person, and with me protecting her, her career will surely be smooth sailing. She won’t have to compromise like some other actresses, and the troubles in the entertainment industry will definitely not be related to her.”
Song Ci's tone was calm, but it was full of vigor and dominance. He patted his mother's arm gently, trying to infect her with his optimism and confidence.
Liu Xiaoxian looked conflicted, and it was clear that she had not completely resolved the knot in her heart. Some opinions could not be changed immediately with just a few words.
Song Zhang glanced at his wife, then at his son, feeling awkward in the middle. He felt that his son was no longer under his control, so he could only sigh, "Yuan Dan, you are still young, you should handle your feelings yourself.
I watched Shishi grow up, and I hope she is happy. I don’t want our childhood sweethearts to end up breaking up. That would be such a pity.”
Song Ci nodded, feeling the love of his father: “Mom, Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, I have always hoped that our family can live in harmony. When you spend more time with Shishi, you will find that she is a very good girl.
Shishi and I love each other. Don’t you think it’s a beautiful thing that we have grown up together from childhood sweethearts to married? I wish we could grow old together with our love! One person is enough for my life.”
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, every household is decorated with lights and the community is filled with festive joy and peace.
Song Ci specially put on the birthday gift that Liu Shishi gave him, the long brown windbreaker, and he looked very energetic, handsome and cool.
At this moment, I was standing at the door of Liu Shishi's house, feeling both nervous and excited, holding the holiday gift that I had carefully selected last night.
Last night he tried his best to persuade his mother, and with the help of his father Song Zhang, he barely convinced his mother. Liu Xiaoxian agreed to wait and see how the couple would get along in the future.
Although he had been to Liu Shishi's house many times, today was obviously different from the past. Song Ci still felt a little uneasy and a little inexplicably expectant.
I took a deep breath, adjusted my mood, and gently knocked on my girlfriend's door.
The door opened quickly and Liu Shishi stood at the door with a sweet smile. Because the heating was on at home, she was only wearing a pink sweater and a pleated skirt, looking cute and playful.
When Miss Liu saw the gift in Song Ci's hand, her eyes were filled with emotion. Her boyfriend was always so considerate and thoughtful.
"Come in, dear." Miss Liu's voice was as gentle as the spring breeze. She bent down and picked up the slippers that had been prepared long ago and placed them at Song Ci's feet.
Looking down at Xiao Qingmei helping him change his shoes like a good wife and mother, Song Ci felt a little embarrassed. He always respected Miss Liu, and they didn't act like male chauvinists when they were together.
Liu Shishi didn't care at all. She squatted slightly, reached out to hold her boyfriend's ankles, and gently helped him take off his leather shoes.
Sensing Song Ci's slight resistance, Liu Shishi gently warned him, "Don't move, be careful not to fall, it will be fine soon."
Song Ci looked at her serious expression and felt a warm feeling in his heart. This was the best way for two people to be in love with each other.
Liu Shishi placed the leather shoes neatly aside, then picked up a pair of new slippers with both hands and put them steadily on her boyfriend's feet.
"Okay, now you're much more comfortable, dear." Liu Shishi stood up and clapped her hands, looking at her boyfriend with satisfaction as he put on his new slippers, which she had specially prepared.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
