Chapter 53 Mrs. Qingyun, would you do me the honor of a date with me? ...
"......"
Jiang Mingxue's good intentions were immediately rejected.
Thinking about his own future, he suddenly couldn't feel any sympathy for Rong Chengzhou.
She stood up with a stern face: "I'm not going to care about you anymore."
Rong Chengzhou chuckled softly and watched her enter the bathroom.
After changing my clothes, I received a message on my phone from Jiang's mother:
[Mom]: Peipei, what time are you coming home today?
Jiang Mingxue suddenly remembered that she had agreed to go home for dinner today, but Rong Chengzhou's interruption had almost made her forget.
I glanced at the time; it was just past eleven. There was still time.
Jiang Mingxue went into the bedroom to get the things she needed for the day. She glanced at Rong Chengzhou on the sofa, and since she couldn't hide anymore, she thought for a moment and asked him anyway:
"I'm going home today, do you want to come along?"
Rong Chengzhou was checking the calendar on his tablet when he heard this, so he looked up and asked, "Now?"
He thought it was a sudden decision.
Jiang Mingxue's gaze flickered, and she hastily came up with an excuse: "Yes, it's been a long time since I've been back."
Rong Chengzhou put away the tablet: "Okay, this is a good opportunity to discuss the wedding date with my parents."
Jiang Mingxue reminded him, "Take another set of clothes with you. Stay at my place tonight."
Rong Chengzhou nodded: "Okay."
They gave Aunt Lian two days off, and the couple drove together to the Jiang family's house.
As soon as she entered, Su Yun came to greet her at the door. Upon seeing Rong Chengzhou beside her, she asked curiously:
"Huh? Didn't Chengzhou say he couldn't come because of something?"
Rong Chengzhou narrowed his eyes slightly and turned to look at Jiang Mingxue.
He doesn't recall saying that.
"..." Jiang Mingxue was embarrassed for a moment.
The plan changed at the last minute, and I forgot to go over my story with my mother.
He gave a dry laugh, took Rong Chengzhou's hand, and walked inside.
"I must have misremembered; I thought something had happened to him."
Su Yun said, "Oh, I see."
Rong Chengzhou glanced at her, his sharp eyes seeing right through her original plan.
If the delivery hadn't arrived a day early, disrupting her plans, she would have definitely run back to her parents' home quietly today.
She suddenly found it somewhat amusing; if she hadn't comforted him last night, she would have continued playing this cat-and-mouse game with him for much longer.
He glanced down at her taking his hand, but didn't expose her. He obediently followed her into the living room.
Saturday was family day, and Jiang Huaijing and Shi Yunshu were also there. Jiang's children, daughters-in-law, and sons-in-law all gathered together, and the atmosphere was much more relaxed than when Rong Chengzhou first visited the Jiang family.
After dinner, the family sat in the living room on the first floor to discuss the wedding date of Jiang Mingxue and Rong Chengzhou.
Rong Chengzhou selected several dates and showed them to his elders: "September 20th is auspicious for marriage, and it's a Saturday, so it's a good time."
He never believed in horoscopes or auspicious days, but Mrs. Yung said that choosing a good date would make the marriage happier.
He still believes that such talk is nonsense, and that marital happiness depends entirely on both husband and wife, which angered Madam Rong so much that she scolded him for being stubborn.
He didn't refute her, but just a few minutes after leaving the military compound, he drove back and took a Chinese almanac from her again, flipping through it from beginning to end.
He didn't believe in auspicious days, but Jiang Mingxue might, and the elders of the Jiang family were also factors he needed to consider.
As it turned out, his decision to consult the almanac was correct; Grandpa Jiang and his parents were very satisfied with the date, September 20th.
"That's right, the auspicious star is present on this day, making it suitable for weddings." Old Master Jiang, wearing his reading glasses, flipped through his almanac and nodded in affirmation.
"It's quite auspicious." Su Yun and Jiang's father both agreed. Old Master Jiang turned to ask, "What about Mingxue? What do you think of this date?"
Jiang Mingxue was even more casual than Rong Chengzhou: "I'm fine with anything, as long as it's a weekend."
Grandpa Jiang glared at him and said, "You silly child, what's more important than getting married? You're the director, and no one will dare to say anything if you don't go for a week."
Jiang Mingxue smiled, holding her teacup: "Grandpa, you didn't say that before."
In Old Master Jiang's eyes, the honor of Yuanhe Medical Hall is greater than everything in the Jiang family. He has always adhered to this principle throughout his life, which is why Jiang Mingxue follows his example and devotes all her time and energy to the medical hall.
Old Master Jiang was momentarily embarrassed and earnestly advised, "You've already run the clinic very well; you should pay more attention to your own feelings and life."
Jiang Mingxue had no choice but to pretend to glance at the almanac a few times: "Let's go with this day, the numbers sound auspicious."
Saturday is the most important day.
Grandpa Jiang glanced at her, too lazy to lecture her.
The wedding date was set just like that.
September 20th, which is the 29th day of the seventh lunar month, is an auspicious day for marriage.
"By the way, is Chengzhou's leave about to end?" Old Master Jiang asked.
Rong Chengzhou nodded slightly: "Yes, there are less than three weeks left."
Jiang Mingxue paused involuntarily while drinking tea. Two months is neither a long nor a short time, and it had almost passed by in the blink of an eye.
The atmosphere of the conversation suddenly became a bit heavy. He had to go on a mission the day after getting his marriage certificate, and he had to return to his unit less than a week after the wedding.
Grandpa Jiang gripped his cane, his expression turning serious: "Chengzhou, I've always wanted to ask you, do you have any plans to retire from the military?"
The question was very direct, and Rong Chengzhou pursed his thin lips: "I haven't considered it yet."
Jiang Xingquan had expected this: "I don't mean to interfere with your career plans, but I feel sorry for Mingxue. In the future, when you have children, and you are often away from home, all the burdens of the family will fall on her shoulders alone."
Although the Jiang and Rong families would arrange the most attentive postpartum nannies and housekeepers for Jiang Mingxue, in the eyes of the older generation, no amount of servants could replace the companionship of her husband.
Rong Chengzhou lowered his eyes: "I understand, it is I who have wronged Mingxue."
Seeing that he was starting to waver, Jiang Xingquan continued to persuade him: "You've been in the army for thirteen years now. You could consider changing your career, like becoming a captain for an airline. With your abilities and experience, you can find any job easily."
Rong Chengzhou's jawline was taut, and his eyes held an unreadable emotion, as if he were seriously considering Old Master Jiang's suggestion.
However, before he could reply, Jiang Mingxue spoke first:
"Grandpa, I don't want Chengzhou to retire from the army."
Everyone turned their attention to her.
Jiang Mingxue sat upright on the sofa and said, word by word, "Serving the country is Cheng Zhou's ambition. I need him, but the country needs him even more. How much financial and material resources does it take to train an air force fighter pilot? It even takes the lives of test pilots. If we let him give up his pursuit for me, then we would be too selfish."
This wasn't an excuse she made because she didn't want Rong Chengzhou to come home. On the contrary, she had gradually gotten used to his presence and simply didn't want to be a burden to him. She hoped he could pursue his passion without any worries.
She knew Rong Chengzhou well; he was an extremely responsible person who had already made amends to her in many ways, and she didn't want to add to his guilt.
Jiang Xingquan sighed: "And what about you, Mingxue?"
The Jiang family knew that the Rong family had given her a large apartment and all of Rong Chengzhou's savings as compensation.
But these are all dispensable to the Jiang family. Jiang Xingquan only hopes that someone will take care of his only granddaughter in the future.
Jiang Mingxue held the teacup, a faint smile playing on her lips:
"I'm waiting for him at home."
Her features were delicate and clear, like a pool of pure spring water, flowing into Rong Chengzhou's eyes.
His throat moved almost imperceptibly, and his searching gaze fell on her. Suddenly, he felt a little dazed, unable to tell how much truth was in her words.
Jiang Mingxue's attitude was firm, so Jiang Xingquan naturally couldn't say anything more. He just slowly shook his head. His granddaughter always put others first, and he was sure she would suffer a lot in the future.
"Since Chengzhou doesn't have much vacation time, it's time for you to start thinking about getting pregnant."
Just then, Jiang Huaijing led Shi Yunshu down from the second floor: "I agree. If you don't have a child soon, the Jiang family line will end."
The topic shifted to having children, and Jiang Mingxue's eyelids twitched involuntarily as she looked to Rong Chengzhou for help.
The man caught her gaze, squeezed her hand reassuringly, and then said softly, "I'll be spending most of my time in Beicheng from now on, and I'll try to go home for weekends and short breaks. There will be plenty of opportunities to conceive, so there's no rush."
Jiang Huaijing raised an eyebrow: "Then can we have two? Lend one to each of us, and I'll raise it for you. When I get old, I'll inherit his (her) estate."
Jiang Mingxue frowned and scolded, "Huaijing—"
Rong Chengzhou was not angry, and smiled gently: "That depends on Mingxue's wishes."
He turned his head to look at Jiang Mingxue, his voice carrying a low, seductive tone: "Peipei, how many children do you want?"
Jiang Mingxue's face flushed, and she subtly pinched Rong Chengzhou: "...Let's discuss this matter when we get back."
Rong Chengzhou's smile deepened as he let her pinch him: "Okay."
--
They stayed at the Jiang family's house that night. Rong Chengzhou and Jiang Mingxue slept in her bedroom. It was the first time a 1.9-meter-tall tough guy had moved into the cozy girl's bedroom. The pink and purple decor of the bedroom was completely out of place with Rong Chengzhou's temperament. There were also a bed full of cushions and dolls.
Jiang Mingxue went to the bathroom to take a shower first. There was a photo album on the corner of the desk. Rong Chengzhou opened it out of boredom and found that it contained photos of Jiang Mingxue from childhood to adulthood.
There are full-moon photos of him wearing a bib when he was just born, commemorative photos of him lying on the table and drawing a Chinese herbal root when he was one year old, labor photos of him digging in the soil with a shovel at kindergarten on Arbor Day, and birthday photos of each year thereafter.
Jiang Mingxue wasn't as quiet and sensible as she is now when she was little. Instead, she would secretly wear adults' white coats from a young age. When she was four, she and Jiang Huaijing rolled around in the mud all over the house. When she was five, she was punished by being made to stand in the corner for hitting the boy who pulled her braids...
He flipped through the pages one by one, as if walking through her childhood. The album on his phone, which belonged only to her, had unknowingly grown from one photo to dozens.
After flipping through the photo album, Jiang Mingxue hadn't finished washing up yet. Rong Chengzhou then tidied up the books on the bookshelf for her, categorizing them from leisure books to medical books. He then wiped the mirror on the dressing table with a tissue and, seeing the dolls on the bed, casually put them all on the carpet.
The 1.8-meter princess bed instantly became spacious and tidy. Rong Chengzhou looked down at the neat row of plush toys and pillows, and then looked away with satisfaction.
After finishing all that, Jiang Mingxue was almost done washing up and was drying her hair and getting dressed in the bathroom when she realized that she had forgotten to bring her underwear in her haste to take a shower.
She scratched her hair in distress, hesitated for a moment, then opened the door a crack and poked her head out: "Rong Chengzhou... I forgot to bring my clothes, could you get them for me?"
Rong Chengzhou stood up: "What clothes? Where are they?"
Jiang Mingxue carefully considered her words: "It's the smallest piece of clothing..."
Rong Chengzhou took a moment to realize what was going on: "Oh, I see."
The magnetic voice carried a faint, indistinct hint of laughter.
A blush immediately crept onto Jiang Mingxue's cheeks.
Half a minute later, Rong Chengzhou took out a simple apricot-colored pure cotton brief from her wardrobe. The edges were embroidered with tiny cherry blossoms, and the brief hung loosely on the man's wheat-colored, bony index finger, which was even smaller than his hand.
Jiang Mingxue stood behind the door, reaching out to take it. Her bare arm was slender and fair, with a few drops of water clinging to it.
As she reached out, a glimpse of white flashed through the crack in the door. Rong Chengzhou caught a glimpse of this white and his prominent Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
Jiang Mingxue had already taken the underwear from him. Rong Chengzhou lowered his hand and subtly shifted his gaze. Looking at his wife wasn't illegal, of course, but this was his elders' house, and Jiang's parents' room was next door; he couldn't do anything inappropriate.
Jiang Mingxue came out of the bathroom after changing her clothes, and Rong Chengzhou went in next. The blush on her face hadn't faded yet: "Go take a shower."
Rong Chengzhou nodded and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Twenty minutes later, Rong Chengzhou came out of the shower, and Jiang Mingxue was applying a face mask in front of her dressing table.
Her hair was only half-dry; the ends were still a little damp. Rong Chengzhou walked over, stood behind her, and picked up the hairdryer from the table to dry the ends of her hair.
"Did you tidy up my room for me?" Jiang Mingxue asked after the hairdryer stopped.
A cleaning lady usually comes into the room to clean, but she only cleans the surface. She's afraid of making a mistake, so she won't tidy up the room herself.
Rong Chengzhou gave a light "hmm": "I just tidied up since there wasn't anything else. Do you have any other plans for tomorrow?"
Jiang Mingxue shook her head: "No, is there anything you need to do tomorrow? If so, we can go back in the morning."
Rong Chengzhou held a comb in his hand and gently combed her hair. It was the first time he had combed a girl's hair, so his movements were a little clumsy: "Well, there's something I need to do."
Jiang Mingxue looked up and asked, "What is it? Is it urgent?"
After combing the last strand of hair, Rong Chengzhou slowly put down the comb, looked back at her in the mirror, and spoke with a solemn tone:
"Mrs. Rong, would you be honored to have a date with me tomorrow?"
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