An Qingbai responded with a smile: "We've set it for June 27th!"
Shang Jingshu shook his head and chuckled at his excited expression. They were both experienced people and could understand.
Then tell them.
"I understand. I'll prepare an engagement ceremony for you two! But let me tell you, if you give me an engagement ceremony, I won't give you a wedding ceremony!"
"Thank you, Grandpa Shang. We can't let you give us everything. We'd be happy with just one gift!"
"Zhizhi is right. You don't have to give us anything. How can we accept one gift from you and then shamelessly ask for another?"
"Just don't hold it against me!"
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai both shook their heads, indicating, "No!"
Shang Jingshu was satisfied. He turned to look at Shi Jiashu and his wife, and then told Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai about their story.
"Lao Shi was a senior mechanical engineer in Beijing, and Lao Liu was a master embroiderer. They, like me, were framed by villains! I was betrayed by my deputy, but they were even worse off, betrayed by their adopted son!"
Zhuang Zhimeng was a little curious. Why would he be an adopted son?
An Qingbai also looked at Shang Jingshu with a puzzled expression.
Knowing they would be curious, Shang Jingshu continued to explain.
"Old Shi and Old Liu originally had two children, but they passed away one after the other. After they finally calmed down, they adopted a child."
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai both nodded, "So that's how it is."
Zhuang Zhimeng didn't understand. She asked, "Since he's an adopted son, isn't what he's doing the same as framing his parents?"
Liu Huaying had just finished giving Zhuang Zhimeng the fever reducer and was walking over when she heard her question, so she directly answered it.
"Some people are just ungrateful wretches! Logically speaking, since we adopted him, he should at least be happy, if not extremely grateful! But he hates us!"
Zhuang Zhimeng was even more puzzled and asked again, "Huh? Why is that?"
Liu Huaying took a sip of water. She hadn't had a chance to drink any water all night while taking care of Shi Jiashu, and only answered after drinking some.
"They blame us for not handing over all our money to him, and they think we don't trust him!"
Zhuang Zhimeng shook her head, disagreeing.
"His request is extremely unreasonable!"
An Qingbai also disagreed.
"That's really going too far. How could anyone make such a request?"
Liu Huaying shook her head and sighed, feeling heartbroken as she recalled how her adopted son took money for granted every time he asked for it.
Seeing that Liu Huaying looked very sad, Shang Jingshu answered for her.
"He feels that since he's the only child in the family, he wants to control all the money so that he'll think he's irreplaceable!"
Zhuang Zhimeng sighed, and after thinking it over for a while, she asked the question.
"So, in the end, this adopted son won't get his way, will he?"
Liu Huaying calmed down at this point and smiled.
“He kept mentioning the family savings book. At first, I didn’t pay attention, but after he brought it up repeatedly, I hid the savings book in the rice jar. He never went into the kitchen. When I received the news of my being sent to the countryside, I immediately hid the savings book on my person!”
Zhuang Zhimeng breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, otherwise just listening to it would have made her very angry!
“You did the right thing by not leaving him any money. We can’t let this kind of person get away with it! If we had given him the money, he might have thought it wasn’t all and would have kept asking for more. There will be countless times like this in the future!”
Liu Huaying thought this made sense. If she softened her heart even once when he asked for money, it meant there would be countless times.
Shang Jingshu then explained to Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai why he had told them the story of Shi Jiashu and Liu Huaying.
"Zhimeng and Qingbai, Lao Shi and Lao Liu are planning to take you two as apprentices. They want Qingbai to learn mechanics from Lao Shi, and Zhimeng to learn embroidery from Lao Liu. They want to ask for your opinions?"
He then added another sentence of explanation.
"They're afraid you won't agree to let Grandpa Shang come and ask!"
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai exchanged a glance, both of them showing interest.
Zhuang Zhimeng asked uncertainly, "Are you really going to take us in? We've never even dared to think about it!"
Shang Jingshu was anxious for them. With such a good opportunity right in front of them, why didn't they agree quickly? What were they waiting for?
"How could this be fake? If you haven't thought about it, start thinking about it now!"
Zhuang Zhimeng thought to herself, "No wonder he's my grandfather's good friend. He has the same quick temper as me. I didn't say I wouldn't agree, so why can't I even ask?"
Seeing that Shang Jingshu was anxious, Liu Huaying quickly spoke up.
"Go back and think about it. Jia Shu and I are indeed interested in taking you two in. We like you both, and we've seen how you conduct yourselves over the past two months. To be honest, we're quite satisfied!"
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai exchanged another glance. An Qingbai nodded to her, and Zhuang Zhimeng, as their representative, expressed her wishes to Liu Huaying.
"Master, no need to think about it anymore, we all agree!"
Before Liu Huaying could speak, Shang Jingshu clapped his hands happily.
"That's right. We'll set aside a day later for you to formally become my disciples!"
Neither Zhuang Zhimeng nor An Qingbai had any objections.
Shang Jingshu looked at Liu Huaying after seeing that they agreed.
"Old Liu doesn't have any objections, right?"
Liu Huaying shook her head.
"Let's do as Lao Shang says and find a special day. I think we can arrange it after your engagement. When you get engaged, I will also represent Jia Shu and me to give you an engagement gift."
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai both agreed and thanked them in unison.
"Thank you, Master!"
"Thank you, Master's wife!"
Zhuang Zhimeng suddenly realized she didn't know how to address Shi Jiashu, so she asked.
"Now that I've become your apprentice, what should I call Uncle Shi?"
Hearing Zhuang Zhimeng's question, especially her serious expression, Liu Huaying laughed, Shang Jingshu also laughed, and An Qingbai kept his mouth tightly shut, not daring to laugh out loud.
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