Chapter 6, Chapter 006...
006
"Lai Lai, come and have breakfast. The whole family is waiting for you." Liu Aihua called to Jiang Lai, who had just stepped out of the room.
As Jiang Lai stepped out of the room, she saw the entire Jiang family there: Jiang Bolin, Liu Aihua, the original owner's eldest brother Jiang Qin, sister-in-law Meng Wenying and their child Jiang Shaohui, as well as Ye Anguo, whom she had met briefly the day before, and one of his comrades.
"You're up too early? I'm still not fully awake." Jiang Lai had only slept for two hours yesterday, and her eyes were still half-closed, giving the impression that she might fall asleep at any moment.
"Fortunately, I'm used to early morning training." Ye Anguo added after saying that, "Our unit does morning exercises at 5:30 in the summer."
Jiang Lai did the math: if morning exercises start at 5:30, then she has to get up at 4 or 5 at the latest. Jiang Lai jolted awake, half of her sleepiness gone: "Let me make this clear: if I get up at 5, forget about getting married, I can't even date."
Jiang Lai's words drew a light laugh from Ye Anguo, and successfully provoked Liu Aihua's anger to flare up: "I think you're asking for a beating."
At the same time, Ye Anguo said, "You can sleep as late as you want." This was Ye Anguo's honest thought.
Jiang Lai didn't know if Ye Anguo could keep his word, but since he was being very nice, she didn't mind having an open and honest talk with him.
Jiang Lai plopped down in the chair next to Ye Anguo and said sincerely, "I think it's better to say some things upfront. If both sides state their requirements, they can better understand each other and more directly see if the other person is right for them. If they can accept it, they can continue the relationship; if not, there's no need to waste each other's time. What do you think?"
Ye Anguo was surprised by Jiang Lai's idea, but at the same time felt that what she said made a lot of sense: "I think it's possible."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai smiled, then composed herself and said to Ye Anguo in a very serious tone, "Then let me formally introduce myself. My name is Jiang Lai, I am 20 years old, and I work as a junior staff member at the Women's Federation."
Having understood Jiang Lai's meaning, Ye Anguo also introduced himself seriously: "Hello, Comrade Jiang Lai, my name is Ye Anguo, I am 28 years old this year, and I am currently serving as a regimental commander in the army. My salary is 159 yuan. I have three adopted sons."
"Would you mind asking about your family situation?" After Ye Anguo agreed, Jiang Lai continued, "If I marry you, will you live with your parents?"
“I am the third child in my family. I have older brothers and sisters, and a younger brother and sister. All my siblings are married and live separately. After marriage, I don’t need to live with my parents. However, after my parents turn sixty, I will send them 10 yuan a month for their retirement.” Ye Anguo told his family about his situation.
"My second question is, do you think it's better for women to go out to work or stay at home to focus on taking care of their family and children?"
"Asking me about this is pointless. I respect your personal wishes. You can work if you want, or you can not work if you don't want to. My salary is enough to support my whole family, and I can accept either way."
"What if I go to work and don't have time to do housework?"
“I can do housework too. A home is not just a woman’s home, it’s a home for one person. After I get married, as long as I’m at home, I can do the housework.”
"So how do you manage your meals? Training is so tough, do you really have to cook for yourself when you get home?"
"The army has a canteen, which is a good choice because the portions are large and the food is cheap. The children can also eat in the canteen, and they are very obedient. We have always eaten in the canteen. The children can also do housework, and we wash our own clothes. The only thing the children are not good at is cooking. Although I can eat well, I don't really like cooking. Most of the time, we eat in the canteen."
Ye Anguo said this with a proud expression, which showed that he had a good relationship with his three adopted sons.
"And what about your salary? Besides sending ten yuan back to your hometown every month, do you hand over the rest? Are there any other expenses?"
"My expenses are fine. Apart from social obligations and the children's food, clothing, housing and schooling, I don't have many other expenses."
Then Ye Anguo earnestly told Jiang Lai about the benefits in his unit. They could eat in the canteen or take the ingredients home to cook for themselves. Clothes and shoes were issued every year, so they basically didn't need to buy any more. Every five years, they would also receive a quilt and a pair of leather shoes. Overall, it sounded pretty good.
Then Ye Anguo said to Jiang Lai very seriously, "I didn't get married to find a wife to take care of the children and the family. I never thought about it when the children were young, and now that they can take care of themselves, I would never do that."
Ye Anguo wasn't very good at speaking; you could say he was quite clumsy. What he meant was that he liked Jiang Lai, which was why he wanted to marry her and agreed to Liu Aihua's proposal.
Ye Anguo was an upright man. If it weren't for the incident of falling into the water, even if he liked Jiang Lai, this whole thing wouldn't have happened. In Ye Anguo's eyes, Jiang Lai was young and beautiful, a well-behaved girl from the city, while he himself was a rough man with three children. He would have to go to that remote military region to be with his family after marriage. Ye Anguo felt that he was not good enough for her.
Of course, this doesn't mean Ye Anguo is a bad guy. His previous thoughts were based on the premise that Jiang Lai didn't like him. If, as it is now, Jiang Lai has shown willingness, Ye Anguo will fight for her no matter what, just like now, like a male peacock spreading its tail feathers.
Jiang Lai didn't know why, but she suddenly asked, "I will only manage the money in the house after we get married. We will discuss important matters together, and I will decide on minor matters. Do you have any objections?"
Ye Anguo was overjoyed when he heard Jiang Lai's words. Jiang Lai's words meant that she was satisfied with him and wanted to marry him. He had to make a good impression and try to marry her as soon as possible.
Fortunately, Ye Anguo managed to maintain his composure on the surface and quickly pledged his loyalty: "I'm fine with anything, I'll listen to you."
Those who came with Ye Anguo found it unbearable to watch. Ye Anguo was unaware of his comrades' thoughts, but if he had known, he probably wouldn't have cared. Compared to marrying the girl he liked, he could put his pride aside for now; so what if he lost face?
"Since you have no objections, let's go to the movies tomorrow to get to know each other better," Jiang Lai said. It was decided just like that, very happily.
"Huh?" Everyone present was bewildered by Jiang Lai's sudden turn of events. They had just officially become a couple, and all the effort they'd put into building their relationship had been for nothing. "Why tomorrow?"
"Because I didn't sleep last night, I only slept for two hours. I need to go back and catch up on my sleep," Jiang Lai said matter-of-factly.
"What are you sleeping for? Go out and see a movie." Jiang Lai was eventually kicked out by Liu Aihua because Ye Anguo's vacation was only a few days long, and he had to return to the army in three days.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com