Both of them were holding their breath, so they didn't bother to ask a passerby for help. Amidst the congratulations all the way, they returned to their own courtyard.
When they suddenly returned, Tian Guihua was stunned. "Why does it feel like they were away for a shorter time this time?" Usually, they would be gone for several months. Did they change routes again?
Hua Baoguo said, "There were some problems at the border, so we turned back midway."
"Mom, why are you home alone? Where's Dad?"
Hua Baoguo didn't talk much about work, and turned to ask about his family.
Tian Guihua glanced at Xun Liangfen, disliking the face that was becoming more and more like her mother's. "Your father went fishing. At least he can add a dish to the family."
"Mother, have we found a suitable partner for Zhi'an?" Hua Baoguo was used to Tian Guihua's tone and didn't mind. He placed the bag he had brought back directly in the main room. This was the gift he had brought back for his family from his trip.
"No," Tian Guihua said irritably. She didn't believe that no one had mentioned it to them along the way, which showed that the couple hadn't bothered to inquire at all.
"..." Hua Baoguo was stunned. "Then why are they keeping congratulating me? Zhiping's wife shouldn't be due to give birth yet, right?" Pregnancy lasts ten months, isn't it supposed to be until the end of summer? Did he remember wrong?
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Tian Guihua spat a few times. "How can you act like an elder? You're spewing out everything, good and bad."
Hua Baoguo also realized that there was something wrong with what he said. His eldest grandson was not yet due, so he couldn't say anything carelessly. He quickly put on a smile and said, "Look at me, I'm getting a little confused about my days, and I'm just talking nonsense here."
Tian Guihua glanced at the couple and said, "Xiao Guai's marriage has been arranged. The groom's family sent over a few auspicious dates, and they're waiting for you to come back so you can choose one."
"What?" Xun Liangfen suddenly screamed, startling Tian Guihua, who clutched her chest and stared at her in bewilderment.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?! If your dad were home, and he got scared out of his wits, what would you do then?"
Hua Baoguo was also startled, but not by Xun Liangfen's scream, "Xiao Guai is still young, how come she's talking about boyfriends?"
"Whose brat is this? Did he get scammed? I'll teach him a lesson!"
He had only been gone a short time when someone with ill intentions came to abduct his daughter.
This is simply unacceptable! "Mother, how could you agree to this? How old are our children?"
“Yes, Xiangyun hasn’t graduated from high school yet,” Xun Liangfen quickly added. “What good families can there be in this county? I’ll find one for her in the city.”
Tian Guihua ignored her and said to Hua Baoguo, "It's Jiang Yi. Your father and I think he's suitable in every way, so we agreed."
If Xun Liangfen were to make the decision, she would truly be harming her own child.
“Jiang Yi?” Hua Baoguo said with a frown, “He’s a few years older than Xiao Guai, and I think he’s the same age as the eldest brother, just a few months younger.”
Even with a five-year age gap, a father can always find something to criticize, "Besides, he's all alone..."
A child raised alone like this is bound to have some personality problems, but Hua Baoguo never voiced these concerns.
Tian Guihua understood, and said in an annoyed tone, "You've seen that child before. Besides, she grew up with her aunt and served in the army for so many years. I think she's a good person in every way."
“That’s true,” Hua Baoguo agreed, but he didn’t want his daughter to get married so early. “Let her date first, and then we can talk about marriage in a few years.”
"..." Tian Guihua didn't know how to explain to her silly son that their family wasn't in a hurry...
Seeing that Hua Baoguo was about to be persuaded, Xun Liangfen quickly interjected, "Mother, what good is it even if he's good enough? He's still stuck in such a small place. If this were in the city, I could definitely help her find a better match..."
Upon hearing this, Tian Guihua finally looked at Xun Liangfen properly, "You're helping her find a partner? What right do you have?"
“I’m her mother, how can I not be qualified?” Xun Liangfen was still feeling uneasy, afraid that her mother-in-law would ask about the job transfer, but now that she heard that they were going to finalize Hua Xiangyun’s marriage, she couldn’t help but get anxious.
He no longer cared about his previous guilty conscience. "Besides, how could I not want what's best for her? The conditions in this city are so much better than in our small county. Jiang Yi may seem to have good conditions in our county, but compared to people in the city, he really can't compare."
Besides, he's all alone, with no one to help him. How far can he go in the future?
"Mother, you should go out and see the world. Don't be misled by the conditions of our small town."
Tian Guihua looked at her with a half-smile, "Indeed, our little place is too unfair to people, especially to you."
"Our place is so small it can barely accommodate someone as important as you. No wonder you're increasingly looking down on your in-laws and refusing to set foot on our lowly ground."
Xun Liangfen was enraged by Tian Guihua's pointed words. "Don't be so sarcastic, we're discussing our child's marriage."
Xiangyun came from my belly, so as her mother, I naturally have to help her make the best choice.
She is young and grew up in our small county town, so she doesn't understand the outside world and is therefore misled by some of the more attractive conditions.
But I'm a mother, and I always think the best for my child.
I won't lie to you, someone mentioned to me on my way back that I wanted to take Xiangyun to see a fortune teller this time.
"Stop bringing up that the child came out of your belly. You are the mother, but look at yourself, what have you done that a mother should do?" Tian Guihua was furious, and with all the anger she had been holding in for days, she pointed at Xun Liangfen's nose and started yelling.
"Didn't I tell you to transfer your work to Zhi'an? You agreed so readily before, but as soon as you left, you acted like it never happened."
That's your own son. Don't you think that if I don't give him the job, he'll have to go back to the countryside?
Aside from betting that we, the old couple, would soften our hearts, you probably don't actually have much maternal affection for your child.
You put yourself on such a high pedestal, but you're actually a selfish and self-serving woman.
As a wife and mother, tell me, in which aspect are you qualified?
Don't think I'm picking on you as your mother-in-law. Look at your own conscience; do you have the nerve to make these demands?
Tian Guihua pointed at Hua Baoguo and scolded, "Don't think that just because you're silent, this has nothing to do with you. The reason she's so greedy and unreasonable is mostly because you spoil her."
You only care about giving birth, not raising them. Think about it, what have you done all these years?
“How can you say we didn’t have any children?” Unlike Hua Baoguo, who silently endured the scolding, Xun Liangfen said righteously, “We’ve given you all our income over the years.”
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