Free Web NovelChapter 221: Chapter 220 A Familiar Face [2 in 1 Chapter]_1
The second aunt glared her eyes. Now that Zhou Xiaoyu was already living with Zhou Ning in the city, if Zhou Xiaojun were to go too, wouldn’t that mean Zhou Ning had to take care of both of them?
"You go away, Xiao Ning is tired enough taking care of your sister. After you graduate, find a place to intern on your own, stop wandering in front of us, so that I can live a couple more years," she said.
Zhou Xiaojun’s face showed grievance, but he didn’t say much more, after all, he had grown somewhat accustomed to the family’s preference for girls over boys.
He Shancun poked Zhou Xiaoyu, found several gift boxes, and distributed them to everyone, of course, not including Zhou Ning. The old man had two boxes of Go pieces in his hands, with black pieces that were translucent and greenish, and the white ones made of slightly yellowed ivory, clearly these were Yunflat from Yunnan.
The old man kept nodding his head, seeming very satisfied with the gift.
"It’s a bit pricey, but I’ll accept it. I’m very pleased with this son-in-law!" he exclaimed.
Zhou Xiaoyu was displeased.
"Grandpa, you sold me out for two boxes of Go pieces?"
Everyone laughed again, and Zhou Xiaojun wanted to join in, but Zhou Ning grabbed his arm and pinched him, and he held back.
As for the second aunt, she got a box of skincare products—a calming series of plant essence from Sulwhasoo—nothing too high-end, but since men usually don’t delve into such stuff, to receive something this specific, tailored to her own rosacea, there were obviously some inside tips involved. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
The second aunt glanced at Zhou Xiaoyu and thanked He Shancun.
The second uncle received a set of fishing rods, professional sea fishing rods. He looked at He Shancun with surprise, and Zhou Ning candidly and directly raised her hand.
"I spilled the beans."
The crowd laughed heartily again, but when Zhou Xiaojun opened his own gift, his mood instantly soured. The heaviest and largest box of all contained nothing but books—books for the graduate entrance exam, all related to his field of study.
"Why does everyone else get their favorite things, and I get books for the postgraduate entrance exam? Brother-in-law, that’s going too far," he complained.
He Shancun just smiled.
"Quit complaining. Once you start working, you’ll understand. A higher degree gives you a competitive edge. Start preparing in January, and it will be a lot easier for you. Once you really start working, you won’t have the time to study."
Zhou Xiaojun didn’t argue any further; after all, everyone there was on He Shancun’s side.
The old man was extremely pleased. He patted He Shancun’s hand, almost wishing the two could get married right there and then.
"You two aren’t young anymore. Set the date and hurry up and get married."
He Shancun’s face took on a serious look as he straightened his jacket and pulled out a property deed and some cards from his chest, one of which he placed in the second uncle’s hand, and the rest he stuffed to Zhou Xiaoyu.
"Grandpa, uncle, aunt, my family situation is simple. My parents passed away when I was in college, and I don’t have much contact with other relatives. I didn’t earn much working at the hospital.
This card has 188,000 yuan in it, consider it my betrothal gift to Xiaoyu. As for the house, I just sold my Qidong property and bought it in the city. As soon as we get married, we’ll add Xiaoyu’s name to it.
As for the cards for Xiaoyu, there’s a salary card, heating fee reimbursement card, bonus card, and the supermarket shopping card given out for the New Year. I’m handing over everything I have to Xiaoyu now. After all, she’s the one I’ve chosen, there’s no yours or mine between us, we’re together for life."
Zhou Xiaoyu’s eyes reddened, and the second aunt burst into tears, touched by such romantic words, which Zhou Ning found incredibly moving, wondering if they had ever spoken them in private. Perhaps this was what true love looked like.
Though the two hadn’t known each other for long, their mutual attraction, need for each other, and overall harmony was perfect. If they received their family’s blessing, it couldn’t be more ideal.
The second aunt snatched the card from the second uncle’s hand and handed it back to He Shancun.
"We of the Zhou Family will accept this betrothal gift. You’ve just bought a house and need to deal with decorations and furniture, and we haven’t been any help. You keep this money for your small family’s reserve fund. Once Xiaoyu marries over, we’ll contribute an additional amount."
The second uncle hastily agreed.
"Right, we’re happy to have a well-known and dependable young man who will treat Xiaoyu well. What date have you two settled on?" he asked.
He Shancun nudged Xiaoyu, smiling as he spoke.
"Our Xiaoyu has the final say, whenever you decide is fine!"
Zhou Xiaoyu rolled her eyes, but she was very satisfied with He Shancun’s performance, particularly since she had not expected her parents to agree so smoothly.
"Grandpa, mom, and dad, we’d like to register on Valentine’s Day. As for the wedding banquet, if you really want to have one, let’s set it for February 25th. It’s during my holidays, and He Shancun can take his annual leave, so we’ll just need to prepare for the wedding reception. The house is already renovated, so there’s not much else to arrange."
The second aunt gave Zhou Xiaoyu a look and started counting on her fingers.
"It’s a bit tight, but we should manage. Is the hotel booked?"
He Shancun and Zhou Xiaoyu both shook their heads, and Zhou Ning looked down, thinking these two had no commonsense. Around Valentine’s Day is a peak wedding period locally, and without booking in advance, it’s almost impossible to secure a venue.
The second uncle waved his hand.
"Don’t worry, I’ll figure out the hotel. Just give me the guest count," he said.
Zhou Xiaojun raised his hand, and Zhou Xiaoyu glanced at him suspiciously.
"What do you want?"
"Save me a table!"
Whack, a slap landed on his head from the second aunt. Zhou Ning coughed twice and looked seriously at He Shancun.
"Alright, now that you’re going to be a Zhou family son-in-law, isn’t it time to start calling me ’brother’?"
"Here we go again?"
...
It wasn’t until later that night that the ’Zhou Family’ finally let He Shancun go; of course, after having drunk so much, he couldn’t make it back to the city.
