"Xiao Xia, did you say your mother is back?"
Grandma Xu asked hurriedly, "Where is she? Is she doing well?"
"She, she's doing quite well,"
Xu Yanxia tried hard to suppress her complicated emotions and said calmly, "She married a foreigner a few years ago and now lives in Europe. She's quite wealthy."
"Her current company has some business dealings with ours. She actually showed up straight at my engagement party with Jingming last night."
As she finished speaking, Grandma breathed a sigh of relief and said repeatedly, "As long as she is doing well, that's all that matters. This way, when we see your father in the future, we will at least have an answer for him."
Grandpa then asked her, "Did she recognize you and Dapeng? Did you talk?"
The two elders, bless them, didn't yet understand the complexity of the situation.
Xu Yanxia paused, just about to speak, when she saw her brother speak up first, "She came specifically for Xiao Xia. Xiao Xia's show is really popular right now, and with her marriage to Jingming, she even went out of her way to buy clothes for Xiao Xia a few days ago."
Compared to her, her brother was obviously still a bit angry. Afraid that her grandparents would get upset hearing this, Xu Yanxia quickly added, "She probably knew about my brother's and my situations for a while, which is why she specifically showed up last night. We all talked. Even though it wasn't the most pleasant conversation, we at least acknowledged each other."
Having raised these children since they were little, how could the grandparents not know the siblings' personalities?
Hearing Xu Yanxia say this, and looking at the expression on Xu Zhanpeng's face, they could roughly guess the scene when the mother and her two children met last night.
Grandma Xu sighed and told her grandchildren, "We know you two little ones are angry in your hearts, but she is your mother after all, the person who carried you for ten months and gave birth to you."
"She had her difficulties. When your dad passed away, she wasn't even twenty-five yet, the same age as you are now, Dapeng. In the prime of her life, we couldn't possibly ask her to remain a widow for your dad her whole life, could we?"
"Yes,"
Grandpa chimed in, "If your dad hadn't left so suddenly, she wouldn't have wanted things to turn out this way either. You two are all grown up now anyway. No matter what, she is your biological mother. When your grandma and I, these two old bones, pass away in the future, you'll still have a blood relative in this world. The two of us will be able to rest in peace down there."
"Grandpa!"
"Dad!"
As soon as Grandpa Xu said this, everyone in the room immediately spoke up.
Their aunt hurriedly said, "Don't Xiaopeng and Xiao Xia still have me, their aunt? I might not be very capable, but when they come home in the future, there will always be someone to make them some dumplings or a bowl of noodles."
Lu Jingming, on his first day as the official grandson-in-law, also quickly spoke up, "There's me too. I will love Xiao Xia just as much as Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie do. You two elders just need to take good care of your health right now. Our good days are still long ahead."
"Yes, Grandpa, Dapeng has me too!"
Luo Jiajia also quickly said, "My mom and dad only have me as their daughter. For all these years, they've treated Dapeng like a son, and I've always treated Xiao Xia like my own younger sister. You and Grandma really don't need to worry about any of this."
"Good, good."
Grandpa Xu nodded repeatedly and sighed with emotion, "You are all good children. For these siblings to have met you, it must be the accumulated blessings of our Xu family ancestors."
Grandma Xu then said to her grandchildren, "We have lived longer and seen more things than you have. Regardless, your grandpa and I are getting old, and one day we will have to go first. Your lives are still long. Your mother didn't have it easy back then either. For her to have gone so far away all by herself, she must have suffered hardships too. The fact that she can come back to find you now means she still remembers you after all."
"Don't hate her so much. Hating someone makes your own life difficult too."
After she finished speaking, although Xu Zhanpeng's expression was still not entirely relaxed, he finally nodded.
Xu Yanxia then asked her grandparents again, "Then she said she wants to meet with you. Are you... willing?"
She saw her grandparents look at each other, and then they both nodded and said, "Alright, if she has the thought to come see us, of course we should meet her."
"Even if it's just to see her on your dad's behalf, it's fine."
"Alright then,"
Xu Yanxia also nodded and said, "Then I'll tell her to meet you tomorrow at noon."
At this point, although the important matters had been settled, the atmosphere in the living room was still a bit heavy.
Lu Jingming took the initiative to speak up, "Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie are going back the day after tomorrow. Shall we all have dinner together tomorrow night? To see the elders off, and also to cheer Xiao Xia on for her competition in Jingbei!"
They had been in Rong City for over a month now. Seeing that he and Xu Yanxia had finished their engagement, the Xu family grandparents and aunt were also about to return to their hometown to prepare for their grandchildren's weddings.
It should be known that Xu Zhanpeng and Luo Jiajia were holding their wedding on New Year's Day, and his and Xu Yanxia's wedding was to follow closely just half a month later. The grandparents had to marry off their grandson and then immediately prepare to give away their granddaughter. The schedule was quite tight.
Hearing him say this now, Grandpa Xu readily agreed, "Jingming is right. Tomorrow night, you all come over to the house for dinner. Grandma and I will make dumplings for you."
"It's a farewell dinner for Grandpa and Grandma, how could we let you do the work?"
Lu Jingming smiled again and said, "Tomorrow night we'll go to the beach for a barbecue. My grandfather has been wanting to talk with Grandpa and Grandma again anyway."
"Sounds great,"
Xu Yanxia also chimed in to persuade them, "Let's just go to the beach to relax. My brother and sister-in-law have been busy at the shop lately, and they haven't had a break for a long time."
"Yeah,"
Her sister-in-law Luo Jiajia smiled and said to her brother, "It really has been a long time since we went out. Last time Xiao Xia and the others went to the concert, we couldn't make it, and I really regretted it."
As soon as she said this, how could Xu Zhanpeng, who always doted on his wife, refuse? He immediately nodded and said okay.
Seeing this, the grandparents and aunt naturally didn't refuse either. They all smiled and said, "Then we'll listen to Jingming. We'll get together with your grandfather tomorrow night. The next time we meet, it will be when they hold their weddings before the New Year."
With the family having agreed on this, it was already getting late.
Xu Zhanpeng and Luo Jiajia returned to the young couple's rented apartment, and Xu Yanxia also went out with Lu Jingming.
However, she had originally intended to just walk Lu Jingming out, but she didn't expect him to hold her hand all the way out of the elevator and into the garage.
"Today is the first day we got our marriage certificate. You're not going to make me sleep in an empty bed alone, are you?"
He held onto her and wouldn't let go.
Xu Yanxia was still a bit torn. "Grandpa and Grandma are leaving Rong City the day after tomorrow. I was thinking of spending time with them."
Lu Jingming, however, said, "You and your grandparents still have to go to Jingbei to see Mrs. He and the others. Once you leave the day after tomorrow, it'll be at least a week before you come back. Don't you want to spend some time with me?"
Saying that, he leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, "Besides, tonight is our wedding night."
What a "wedding night."
Xu Yanxia's face immediately turned as red as an apple.
She bit her lip, an amused smile touching her lips as she spoke. "Didn't we already last night... Besides, strictly speaking, it's only a true wedding night after the actual ceremony, isn't it?"
"Who said that?"
Lu Jingming immediately countered, "Today is our first day as husband and wife, so today is what really counts."
As he spoke, he continued to lead her toward the car, adding, "I even told my parents when we left tonight. If I go back without you now, they'll think we got into a fight."
Xu Yanxia was a little confused. "When did you tell them? How come I didn't know?"
"While you were getting your bag."
As the words left his mouth, he had already opened the passenger door for her.
He smiled and said, "I've got all my things packed. Let's just go back to our little place. I like it there, too."
Alright then.
Looking at his earnest expression, Xu Yanxia really didn't have the heart to turn him down.
Especially since they had just gotten their marriage certificate today. Making him go back home all by himself did seem a bit cruel.
With that thought, she got into the car.
