◇ 【079】 Propose marriage
Xi Lang came over after finishing his call. "Whose letter is it?"
"This is an invitation to the Ancient Martial Arts Exchange Conference." Gu Juan opened the envelope. "I sincerely invite you to attend the Ancient Martial Arts Exchange Conference to be held in the Imperial Capital at 9:00 AM on September 5th... In addition, this exchange conference will be kept confidential to non-Ancient Martial Arts practitioners..."
Xi Lang frowned and asked, "Are you planning to participate?"
Gu Juan shook his head. "It's only May now, it's still early. We'll talk about it when the time comes."
"Alright." Xi Lang was already thinking about how he could sneak in if Gu Juan planned to attend. "Xiao Juan, I'm planning to go back to the capital to visit Grandpa and my parents next weekend. Would you like to come with me?"
"Next weekend." Gu Juan smiled at Xi Lang, with some meaning in his eyes. "Not next weekend. You should go back alone. I have something important to do."
Xi Lang was baffled by his gaze, wondering if he had overlooked something. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing." Gu Juan held his face and kissed his lips to divert his attention.
…
"Third brother, let's go to KTV together on Saturday night." Zhao Rui ran in from the dormitory with a basketball in his hand, sweating, and patted Gu Juan on the shoulder.
Gu Juan was packing up and shook his head, "Sorry, Boss, I have something to do this weekend."
"Okay, I'll be honest." Zhao Rui wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. "Actually, our school is having a big social with the Science and Technology Association this Saturday. You're not only our school hunk, but also our 'bed hunk.' If the girls knew you were going, they'd definitely flock to the social, and it would also bring a few romantic opportunities to the three of us. Let's go, huh?"
Gu Juan looked up in confusion, "Don't you have a girlfriend?"
"Well..." Zhao Rui rubbed his hands, "I'm mainly going with you."
Gu Juan shook his head and said nothing.
Zhao Rui quickly explained, "It's not that I want to have two girlfriends at the same time. It's mainly because Ling Xue is pushing me too hard. I feel like I can't breathe. I just want to take this opportunity to go out and have some fun. Let me tell you, I eat three meals a day with her. She doesn't like spicy food, so I have to give it up too. If I'm not with her one day, she thinks I don't care about her anymore, and then she gets angry with me. Why is dating so troublesome? On Monday afternoons, we have seven or eight classes, and neither of us has classes, so I have to stay with her in the library. She signed up for a yoga class, and on Tuesday morning, she practiced yoga, and I waited outside like an idiot... Saturday night is 'Couples' Day' at the Shuangcheng Cinema, and I have to go to the movies with her, and only the ones she likes. On Sunday, I have to go shopping with her. Tell me, when am I free? I feel like I haven't found a girlfriend, but a female boss."
Gu Juan felt sympathetic. His old man was so kind: old-fashioned, but devoted; boring, but gentle; pedantic, but tolerant. He loved to preach, so he could just shut him up with his mouth.
"I really have something to do. The second and fourth brothers will definitely be willing to go with you."
Zhao Rui had no choice but to say, "Okay then. Do you have another appointment with my eldest brother?" He now felt that Gu Juan and Xi Lang were a little too close, but he still didn't think about it in any other way.
"No, he went back to the capital. I won't talk to you anymore. I have to go home early to pack up because I have to go on a long trip tomorrow." Gu Juan picked up the car keys.
"Let's go, let's go, see you later." Zhao Rui waved his hand.
After returning home, Gu Juan checked the things he was going to take with him the next day and put them away. After washing up, he went to bed early.
Before dawn the next day, he took his suitcase and boarded the high-speed train to the capital.
After arriving in the imperial capital, he took a taxi to the Xi family compound, called Xi Lang first to make sure he was not at home, and rang the doorbell.
"Madam, it's Mr. Gu." Aunt Liu glanced at the monitor.
"Xiaojuan? Open the door quickly." Mother Xi put down the spray bottle, a little surprised. "Why didn't he come with Alang? Did they have a fight?"
Father Xi was pruning branches and didn't even look up. "Probably not. There wasn't anything wrong with Alang's expression yesterday."
"Too."
Mr. and Mrs. Xi went to wash their hands and returned to the living room.
After a while, Gu Juan came in.
"Uncle, aunt, how are you doing recently?"
"Okay, all is well." Xi's mother immediately asked her own question, "Xiaojuan, why didn't you come with Alang?"
Gu Juan touched his head and said, "I'll tell you about this later. Aunt Liu, please help me move the things in the car in."
Mr. and Mrs. Xi looked at each other in confusion as they watched the servants carrying gift boxes of varying sizes into the living room.
"Xiao Gu, it would be enough for you to just come. Why did you buy so many things?" Xi's father said disapprovingly.
Gu Juan smiled slightly and said, "I'll explain it to you later."
Mr. and Mrs. Xi had to suppress their doubts.
After everything was moved in, Gu Juan said to Xi's father and mother, "Uncle, Aunt, please ask the servants to leave first. I have something very important to say to you two."
Father Xi nodded to the servants.
The servants left one after another, and Aunt Liu poured a cup of tea for Gu Juan and then left the living room.
Gu Juan then sat down and said, "Uncle, Aunt, I lost my parents when I was young, and I lacked guidance. If there is anything I haven't done well in terms of etiquette, please don't mind."
"No," Xi's father waved his hand. "You're too modest. Even though your parents are dead, you've already done better than many. I heard from Ah Zhuo that your flower farm's net profit in May was at least over a million. Talking about money is vulgar, but money does, to a certain extent, reflect a person's ability."
"That's right." Xi's mother glared at Gu Juan in disapproval, "Don't say that again in the future."
Gu Juan smiled and said, "Thank you. Then I'll be frank. Actually, you two should have guessed that Xi Lang and I are already together."
Xi's father and mother both nodded. They had been mentally prepared for their son's potential relationship with a man for many years, and now they were very satisfied with Gu Juan. Therefore, in addition to some emotion, they were more relieved.
"He and I are serious about each other and have already planned to get married. I came here today to officially announce it to you two. Originally, I should have come with him to show my sincerity, but his presence would make me feel more nervous." Gu Juan spoke frankly, "So when he asked me to come with him, I refused."
Mother Xi laughed. "What are you so nervous about, kid? You should be able to tell that your uncle and I are very pleased with you."
Gu Juan smiled and said, "Of course I can tell. That's why I dared to be so willful in front of you two and come here alone. He meant to wait until I graduate from university before getting married, because my studies are indeed a bit tight. But if you don't mind, we can get engaged first. I also want to give him a surprise."
"Okay, okay, we can get engaged first." Xi's mother immediately agreed, "It's better to get engaged first. Your uncle and I can also put our minds at ease."
Father Xi had no objection. "Then get engaged first. Once you're engaged, it will be more convenient for you to visit each other."
Mother Xi was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. She asked Father Xi for his opinion, "I'll call Grandpa, the eldest son, and his wife right now and ask them to come back as soon as possible. This is a big deal for Alang!"
Father Xi nodded and said, "You call the eldest brother and his wife, and I'll call the old man."
Gu Juan hurriedly said, "Sorry to bother you, uncle and aunt."
"What's the trouble? Just sit down and pour yourself some tea." Xi's mother smiled happily, as if she had become a few years younger.
Mr. Xi, Xi Cong and Luo Qingyou all came back quickly, and Duoduo and Doudou were also picked up.
Mr. and Mrs. Xi told them the reason why they came over on the phone. After they entered the room, they all congratulated Gu Juan with smiles on their faces.
Xi Cong could already imagine Xi Lang's speechless expression when he found out that Gu Juan was one step ahead of him, and he laughed out loud in his heart.
Mr. Xi's favorite grandson was actually Xi Lang. He blamed himself for what happened to Xi Lang back then, feeling that he had failed to protect his grandson. Now that his grandson was finally acting like a normal person, it didn't matter whether his grandson's wife was a boy or a girl. With the status of the Xi family, who would dare to say a word?
Gu Juan picked up a small gift box and handed it to Grandpa Xi with both hands. "Grandpa Xi, this is the Wine Spirit Pearl. Soak it in a 200ml cup of water and drink it before going to bed every day. It will keep you healthy and live a long life."
"Wine Spirit Pearl?" Old Master Xi was startled and sat up.
Gu Juan smiled and nodded.
"Let me see." Old Master Xi took the gift box and looked at him. "You are a thoughtful kid. You can find such a rare thing. But, this thing is very rare. Don't be cheated." He only thought that this thing was bought by Gu Juanhua at a high price.
"Grandpa, what is the Wine Spirit Pearl?" Xi Cong asked curiously.
Mr. Xi talked about it, "The so-called wine spirit pearl is actually the tartar stone, a strange stone that turns water into wine when soaked in water. This strange stone is natural and is a magical product of nature. Some people say it is actually an alien stone. In any case, it truly contains the essence of heaven and earth, and its health benefits are even better than 500-year-old ginseng. However, because this stone is extremely rare, it is almost equivalent to a legendary object. I was fortunate to follow my father and meet several great figures when I was young before I knew about the tartar stone. Later generations think Because "tartar stone" sounded unpleasant, the name was changed to "Wine Spirit Pearl." Due to natural erosion, the Wine Spirit Pearl's appearance is unattractive, even ugly. However, there are three ways to distinguish the authenticity of a Wine Spirit Pearl. First, the countless tiny, winding pores inside create a whirring sound when held to your ear. Second, the pearl itself has no odor, but when immersed in water, it emits a rich, alluring aroma of wine in just three to five seconds, without discoloring the water. Third, remove the Wine Spirit Pearl and, regardless of the room temperature, all the moisture on its surface will disappear within five seconds.
Everyone looked at Gu Juan. It would be fine if the wine spirit bead was real, but if it was fake, wouldn’t it hurt the child’s face and heart?
The Wine Spirit Pearl was a valuable item Gu Juan had found in the space, so naturally, there couldn't be any problems with it. He said nonchalantly, "Grandpa Xi, please take a look at it."
Old Master Xi nodded, asked Xi Cong to fetch a bowl of water and a pair of unused bamboo chopsticks, and then opened the gift box. Inside was an irregular stone, slightly larger than a lemon. It had no flavor and was an unremarkable color, a grayish-gray hue with hints of green and rust-red.
Old Man Xi took a closer look and saw that it was indeed covered with numerous, pinhole-sized holes. He nodded, wrapped the stone in tissue paper, held it to his ear and listened, then nodded again and placed the stone in the water.
In less than three seconds, a faint fragrance gradually filled the living room. Soon, the fragrance became stronger and stronger, and soon it brewed into the fragrant aroma of wine, filling the entire living room, making people drunk without even drinking.
"Sweet!" Doudou clapped his hands.
"Good!" Old Man Xi praised and picked up the stone with bamboo chopsticks. Almost in an instant, the water stains on the stone disappeared completely as if they had evaporated.
Luo Qingyou exclaimed: "It's really magical."
Old Master Xi patted Gu Juan on the shoulder and said, "Child, this gift is too precious. However, I, an old man, will take advantage of my seniority and not be polite with you." When people get older, they are always in pain here or there. Gu Juan's gift was given at the perfect time.
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