Chapter 29
Gu Xi, still somewhat dazed, took Shen Mingzheng's bankbook back to her room.
She stood there for a moment, looked down at the card book in her hand, and then realized that there seemed to be no need to ask anything more.
Perhaps, she can really look forward to a future where she will survive.
On the other side, Shen Mingzheng had just seen Gu Xi off when he heard a knock on the door, followed by Feng Min's voice.
"Mingzheng, it's me."
Shen Mingzheng went to open the door and saw Feng Min standing at the door, holding two sets of clothes.
"These are clothes we had made for you." Feng Min brought in the new clothes and said, "Xi Xi chose this style for you. She has a good eye. Try it on and see if it fits."
Shen Mingzheng looked at the clothes in her hands; they were two sets of casual clothes.
In the military, he mainly wore military uniforms and combat uniforms, which were specially provided by the military. He rarely wore civilian clothes. However, there were several sets of casual clothes hanging in his wardrobe at home.
Shen Mingzheng tried it on and found that the clothes fit him well. The crisp white shirt made him look even more dashing and handsome.
Feng Min nodded in satisfaction, "He's much more handsome than your father was when he was young. He truly is my son."
He coughed lightly as he passed by, glanced at his son who had changed into new clothes, and thought to himself that he was more handsome than his son when he was young.
Ignoring his father's gaze, Shen Mingzheng tried on both outfits, which fit perfectly. He then changed out of them and put them away.
Feng Min didn't leave immediately. She peeked in and asked, "Did Xixi come looking for you just now?"
She had originally come to find her son, but when she saw Gu Xi standing at the door, she decided to come back later.
Shen Mingzheng grunted in response, ignoring her probing gaze, and said, "I'll give her my salary card."
"Oh dear, you're too impatient," Feng Min teased with a smile, but seeing that his expression remained unchanged, she immediately felt bored.
It seems that ever since this child joined the army, he has become unpredictable. It is rare to see any expression on his face. He always has that calm and composed look, and even she, his own mother, can't figure out what he is thinking.
Feng Min thought for a moment and asked, "Mingzheng, you don't consider Xixi as your younger sister, do you?"
She remembered that when she brought Gu Xi back, she intended to adopt her. So when Shen Mingzheng heard that she was in danger and came back to see her, she pointed at Shen Mingzheng and made Gu Xi call him "big brother".
At the time, she never imagined that the two children would be engaged. She guessed that Shen Mingzheng just thought he had gained a younger sister, with one treating him as an older brother and the other as a younger sister...
Feng Min became increasingly terrified as she thought about it, and looked at him anxiously. Could he really not treat Gu Xi as a younger sister?
Shen Mingzheng looked at her speechlessly, thinking that this was his own mother, and said patiently, "Mom, what are you thinking? Gu Xi is not my sister."
If she were really his sister, he wouldn't marry her.
"You considered her your fiancée?" Feng Min perked up again. "When did this happen?"
Shen Mingzheng didn't want to talk about these things with his mother, so he said, "It's okay, you should go back to sleep. Dad is waiting for you, don't keep him waiting!"
"Tell me first!" Feng Min insisted on an answer. She hoped the young couple would live happily ever after and that they had feelings for each other, because only couples with feelings for each other can last.
Shen Mingzheng remained expressionless and finally said, "When she came of age."
When she came of age?
Wasn't that just two years ago?
Feng Min suddenly remembered that two years ago, when Gu Xi came of age, she happily took her husband, youngest son, and Gu Xi to a photo studio to take pictures. She also took several solo photos of Gu Xi. After receiving the photos, she sent them to her eldest son...
Two years ago, Gu Xi had grown into a young woman, no longer the dark, thin, and plain-looking girl she was at fifteen. She was fair-skinned, beautiful, and quiet, and just standing there was enough to attract the attention of all men.
Feng Min was amazed at the time, never expecting that the little girl she brought back would grow up to be so beautiful.
Like a seedling that you have carefully nurtured, it finally grows into a tree and then blossoms. The sense of accomplishment is indescribable.
Feng Min was finally happy and said with satisfaction, "Luckily, you came to your senses and didn't really treat her like a younger sister."
Fortunately, she sent her son a photo of Gu Xi at that time. Otherwise, if the two of them had continued to act like siblings after getting married, she would have been devastated and worried that she would have ruined her two children's lives.
After returning to her room, Feng Min told Shen Chongshan about it, feeling somewhat frightened.
"If I had known that Xixi would marry Mingzheng in the future, I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble in the first place."
Shen Chenshan didn't think so, and laughed, "At the time, we didn't expect that Gu Xi's background would be problematic. She was switched at birth in the hospital! But it's good. Although we lost a daughter, we gained a daughter-in-law. A daughter will eventually get married and leave, but a daughter-in-law will stay at home."
Feng Min was coaxed into a happy mood, her face beaming with smiles. Then she complained, "Your son is just like you. He's fallen for that girl, but he pretends to be all high and mighty. Anyone who doesn't know the truth would think that I was the one who decided this marriage on my own."
Back then, some people in the compound said that she insisted on arranging a fiancée for her son, and that Shen Mingzheng was in the army and couldn't object.
If Gu Xi hadn't grown up and become more and more beautiful, the comments would probably have been even harsher.
While it's true that character should be the most important factor when choosing a daughter-in-law, it's undeniable that humans are visual creatures. Having a beautiful daughter-in-law makes one feel good and others envious.
Later, Gu Xi continued her studies and became an ambitious person, which stopped the gossips from spreading.
Shen Chongshan thought to himself, "Why did we end up talking about him when we were just talking about our son?"
He defended himself: "Comrade Feng Min, I don't agree with what you said. My son and I are different. When I saw you delivering water to everyone, I decided to marry you."
“But I didn’t know! I couldn’t tell!” Feng Min said matter-of-factly. “It wasn’t until my superiors were trying to set me up on blind dates that you suddenly appeared and said you wanted to date me. Who acts like that? If you hadn’t seemed like a decent person back then, why would I have married you?”
Heavy Mountain: "..." It seems they're starting to dredge up old grievances again.
**
The next day, both Shen Chenshan and Feng Min had to go to work, so they left early in the morning.
Gu Xi and Shen Mingrong followed the typical holiday student routine. By the time they got up, Shen Mingzheng had already gone out for morning exercises and returned, taken a shower, washed his clothes, and, at his mother's request, helped to take stock of the wedding supplies in the house and write them down one by one.
Gu Xi and Shen Mingrong, still groggy from just waking up, sat at the dining table eating breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of plain congee with steamed buns and pickled vegetables.
Gu Xi picked up a small steamed bun, dipped it in vinegar, and just as she put it in her mouth, she saw Shen Mingzheng, wearing a white shirt and military green pants, come out of the room with a small booklet in his hand.
Upon seeing him, Aunt Wang turned to them and said, "You all hurry up and eat, we still need to go to the old man's place later."
The siblings, who were eating breakfast, finally perked up and sped up their pace.
Gu Xi was also a little embarrassed. She had been spending a lot of time with Shen Mingrong lately, and their schedules were the same. To outsiders, it looked like they were sleeping in late.
Shen Mingzheng wasn't in a hurry. He glanced at them and said, "Don't choke."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Mingrong choked. Gu Xi quickly patted his back to help him catch his breath and brought him some water to drink.
Shen Mingrong pouted, "It's all my brother's fault. If he hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have snapped."
His brother never indulged him and immediately retorted, "If you say less, you won't be so confrontational."
After breakfast, Gu Xi went back to her room to change her clothes and braided her hair into two pigtails.
She was quite nervous about going to Grandpa Shen's place today with Shen Mingzheng and Shen Mingrong, afraid of not performing well.
Although she had been there before, she had always gone with Shen Zhongshan and his wife when they were preparing to adopt her and were taking her to meet Old Master Shen and his wife. This time, however, she would be going as Shen Mingzheng's future wife.
Gu Xi got dressed, and the Shen Mingzheng brothers were also ready.
When Shen Mingrong saw her, he ran over and took her hand, saying, "Sister Xi, let's go!"
Shen Mingzheng glanced at her, watched his younger brother pull her away, then picked up the gifts he had prepared for the two elders and slowly followed behind them.
A car was already parked at the entrance.
Gu Xi noticed that this car was not the one that Shen Mingzheng had picked him up when he came back last time; it must have been arranged by Shen Zhongshan.
The three of them got into the car together.
Half an hour later, the car drove into a more heavily guarded compound and stopped in front of a two-story building with a courtyard.
The gate was open, and in the yard stood an elderly woman with gray hair, watering the flowers.
As soon as Shen Mingrong got out of the car, she cheerfully called out to the inside, "Grandma, we're here!"
Grandma Shen couldn't stop smiling when she saw her lively grandson. When she looked up and saw two young people getting out of the car at the door, she was even more delighted.
"Oh, it's Mingzheng. When did you get back?"
Shen Mingrong pulled Gu Xi inside, while Shen Mingzheng followed behind them carrying things.
"Grandma, this is Sister Xi, do you still recognize her?" Shen Mingrong's cheerful voice rang out, "She will be my brother's wife from now on."
Shen Mingzheng called out "Grandma," and Gu Xi hesitated for a moment before also calling out "Grandma."
Grandma Shen smiled and responded, wiping the water off her hands before leading them inside. As she spoke, she said, "Old man, Mingzheng is back, and he's brought his wife with him."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xi felt nervous and somewhat uncomfortable, still not quite used to the change in her status.
When Old Master Shen came out of his study, he saw the group of people entering. His sharp gaze swept over them, and then a smile appeared on his face.
"You've arrived, please have a seat."
Grandma Shen called out, "Sister Hua, Mingzheng, his wife, and Mingrong are here. Oh, by the way, is Mingqi out? Go and call him back, his third brother is here."
Sister Hua is the caregiver for Mr. and Mrs. Shen. She is a woman in her thirties with short hair and a very energetic appearance.
After pouring them water, she went out to find Shen Mingqi.
A short while later, a vibrant young man ran back.
When Shen Mingqi saw Shen Mingzheng sitting in the living room, he exclaimed with delight, "Third Brother, you're finally back!" Then he greeted Gu Xi, "Sister Xi, it's been a long time. You've become more and more beautiful."
Gu Xi smiled at him; the last time they met was a year ago.
Mr. Shen and his wife had three sons and one daughter.
The eldest son, Shen Zhongting, is married to Shi Ailing. They live with the old man and his wife. They have two sons and two daughters who are scattered in different places. Only the youngest son, Shen Mingqi, is still in Beijing. He is currently on summer vacation and is here with the old man and his wife.
The second son is Chongyanshan, who also lives in Beijing.
The eldest daughter, Zhong Shenlian, and the youngest son, Zhong Shenye, went to the Great Northern Wilderness with their husbands, while the other was stationed in the South China Sea.
Old Master Shen said, "How can you talk like that? You have no manners."
Shen Mingqi immediately corrected himself: "Sorry, I should call you Third Sister-in-law. Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law are a perfect match. Congratulations!"
Shen Mingzheng is the third among his cousins. Shen Mingqi is most fond of this third brother who used to be particularly good at fighting. He calls him very affectionately and always wants to ask him for advice on how to hit someone in a way that hurts without injuring their body.
With a smile, Grandma Shen placed a snack box in front of Gu Xi and said affectionately, "Xi Xi, come and have some snacks, don't be shy."
Gu Xi whispered a thank you.
Grandma Shen looked Gu Xi up and down and said gently, "It's been a long time. Xi Xi looks like she's changed a lot."
Sister Hua brought over some cut fruit and smiled as she agreed, "That's right, she's grown into a beautiful young woman."
“She’s a perfect match for our Mingzheng.”
Gu Xi could only lower her head and smile demurely, unsure of what to say.
Fortunately, she didn't need to say anything.
The old master and his wife trusted Feng Min's judgment, not to mention that Gu Xi almost became the Shen family's adopted daughter. Although she was not adopted in the end, it would have been good for her to become the Shen family's daughter-in-law.
Otherwise, with Shen Mingzheng spending most of his time in the military, finding a wife wouldn't be easy, and he'd probably become another worrying older unmarried man.
At noon, Chen Chongting and his wife returned home for lunch.
The couple were delighted to see Shen Mingzheng and his family arrive, and playfully scolded them for not telling them they were coming.
"Uncle, Aunt, my brother just got back yesterday." Shen Mingrong was happy to explain for his brother. "We just didn't have time to tell you yet. Anyway, you'll see him when we come over today."
Shi Ailing smiled and said, "The wedding is on the 25th, it's only a few days away. I'll go and help out then, so your mother won't be too busy."
"That's good," said Mrs. Shen.
When Zhong Shenting and his wife were getting married, Feng Min and the others also came to help.
Shen Mingzheng said, "Thank you, Auntie."
Shen Mingrong said sweetly, "Thank you for your help, Auntie. I'll need your help when I get married!"
These words immediately amused everyone present, and Shi Ailing replied with a smile, "Alright, alright, let's help Mingrong too!"
Shen Mingqi poked the child's soft cheek: "What do you know, little one? Want to get married? You'll have to wait at least twenty years!"
"Why wait twenty years?" Shen Mingrong asked, puzzled. "If I wait twenty years, I'll be thirty years old, too old?"
Shen Mingqi said, "I'm afraid you won't be able to find a wife until you're thirty!"
Shen Mingrong was shocked, and then he was so angry that he cried.
Seeing that Shen Mingrong's eyes were starting to fill with tears, Old Mrs. Shen started cursing, and Shi Ailing also reached out to hit people. Shen Mingqi jumped around and hurriedly tried to comfort the child who had been teased by him.
Finally, Shen Mingrong nestled into Gu Xi's arms and said with a pitiful expression, "I want to marry a beautiful woman like Sister Xi in the future, so I won't wait until I'm thirty to get married!"
Gu Xi patted the child's head.
Shen Mingzheng looked at his younger brother nestled in her arms and felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Okay, okay, whatever you like." Shen Mingqi was really afraid of him, so he picked him up and took him upstairs to play.
A little while later, the two brothers came over again, looking like good buddies.
Seeing that his grandfather and father were both talking to Shen Mingzheng, Shen Mingqi sidled up to the group of women and started talking to Gu Xi.
"Sister Xi, are you really going to marry my third brother?" He looked at Gu Xi. "Although my third brother is very outstanding, a real man among men, he is clueless about romance. I heard that many women used to show interest in him, but he didn't even glance at them and just walked away."
Shi Ailing said angrily, "What are you saying, you brat?"
"I'm letting Sister Xi know about some of Third Brother's flaws in advance, so that there won't be any conflicts after the marriage," Shen Mingqi said matter-of-factly.
Gu Xi said earnestly, "I think it's good that you're like this, brother."
Shen Mingqi glanced at her, then turned to his mother and said, "Look, isn't this a good thing?"
Shi Ailing was so angry that she punched him a few times.
In the evening, when Shen Mingzheng and his family left, the old man and his wife gave Gu Xi a gift.
"This is a gift for my granddaughter-in-law who is visiting for the first time." Grandma Shen held Gu Xi's hand, her eyes, which had seen countless years, were full of gentleness and tolerance. "From now on, you and Mingzheng should live a good life together."
Previously, Gu Xi was always brought over by Shen Chongshan and his wife. This is the first time that Shen Mingzheng has brought her over personally, which is of different significance, so both Grandpa Shen and his wife have made some remarks.
Gu Xi responded softly, her heartstrings twitching slightly.
It feels so good to be blessed by everyone; it's as if the future is something to look forward to.
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