Chapter 794 - 688: A Flurry of Happy Events

The wedding was set for sometime this year. The elders of the Gu, Tang, and Hao families all urged Xiao Man not to travel far. Consequently, she had no choice but to stay in Beijing for the New Year and skip her trip back to Southern Village.

The official reason was to help with the wedding preparations, but what was there for her to do, really? Even if she tried to get involved, she was relegated to the role of a spectator. She didn’t have to lift a finger. Grandma Tang and Grandma Hao truly wanted to raise her like a sheltered maiden from ancient times.

Things were lively at the Gu residence this year, too. The house was full of people. Gu Shaojun, who rarely spent the New Year at home, was already in Beijing. Gu Shaofeng had also gotten leave and returned with Wu Xiangyun. With the sons, daughters-in-law, and daughters all at the family estate, Gu Qiyuan was sure to come home for the New Year. That, of course, gave Tian Xueqin a reason to move into the estate as well, at least until the holiday was over.

Zhou Jiayu, who was about to graduate, was interning in Beijing. Instead of returning to her hometown or to her parents in Jincheng City, she was staying with her aunt for the New Year. Zhou Jiayu and Wu Xiangyun got along very well. On most days, Xiao Man would bring her two younger brothers over to the Gu residence to play with Gu Shaoying. The young women and new wives would sit and watch them. Gu Shaoling was willing to get close to her Cousin Zhou, and the four of them would sit together to chat and gossip. Although Gu Shaoling still acted as if she couldn’t be bothered with Xiao Man or Wu Xiangyun, with Zhou Jiayu acting as a go-between, they could at least communicate indirectly. Granny Gu was very happy to see this. ’Her eldest granddaughter is finally starting to mature,’ she thought with relief.

There was more good news: Zheng Shaojin was returning to the country after the New Year, and he was bringing the girlfriend he’d met abroad with him.

Before the New Year, Xiao Man received a letter from Xia Qingting and was quite surprised. This was the friend who claimed to hate writing letters more than anything, yet she had actually sent one. Xiao Man recalled that Xia Qingting hadn’t sounded very cheerful during their last few phone calls because her family still hadn’t agreed to her marriage with Wei Zhenling, saying he was still "under observation." Wondering if the letter contained good or bad news, Xiao Man opened it. She couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. ’This is so typical of Xia Qingting!’ Even when sending a letter, she had only filled half a page of the snowflake-patterned stationery, refusing to write a single extra line.

Tucked inside were two photographs. Xiao Man examined them curiously. One appeared to be a family portrait, featuring two elders and Wei Zhenling. The other was a photo of Xia Qingting and Wei Zhenling together. It had clearly been taken under adult supervision; the two of them were standing side by side, prim and proper, not holding hands or even putting an arm around a shoulder. But the smiles on their faces radiated pure sweetness and joy. One look was enough for Xiao Man to know that the Xia family had agreed to discuss the marriage.

And she was right. Xia Qingting’s letter explained that the two elders in the photo were her maternal grandparents—the reinforcements she’d called in. Her grandparents had been satisfied with Wei Zhenling the moment they met him, so Mrs. Xia had been forced to relent. The Wei family, for their part, wasted no time. Mrs. Wei had already left Beijing for G Province with two of their own elders. The entire family planned to travel there for the New Year and, conveniently, pay a visit to the Xia family. Their intention was obvious: to have the future in-laws meet and discuss the wedding.

When Gu Shaojun came to pick her up, Xiao Man showed him the photos of Xia Qingting and Wei Zhenling. He smiled. "It’s not that her father is dissatisfied with Wei Zhenling; he just doesn’t want to agree too quickly. I guess all fathers with daughters are like that. Just look at Mr. Tang. He’s always scrutinizing me, wishing he could find a flaw even when there isn’t one."

Xiao Man’s eyes crinkled as she smiled at him. "Are you complaining?"

"I wouldn’t dare," Gu Shaojun said, placating his young fiancée. "It was just an observation, that’s all. Please don’t tell Mr. Tang. We’re so close to getting married—what if he gets upset and finds an excuse to postpone the wedding?"

Xiao Man looked perfectly innocent and composed. "A postponement wouldn’t be a big deal. I’m not in a hurry. We’re still young, after all. And you know, the state promotes late marriage and late childbirth as part of its family planning policy. We should be model citizens and respond to the call."

"No way! I’m already considered an older bachelor!" The moment Gu Shaojun heard his fiancée’s tone and saw her expression, he was dumbfounded. He was fuming with anxiety and about to launch into a lengthy lecture when he saw her turn her head, bite her lip, and suppress a laugh. He chuckled in exasperation. ’She was just teasing me. How did I fall for it again?!’

’This little rascal is getting more and more mischievous.’ Gu Shaojun’s mind started racing, trying to figure out how he could properly "discipline" her and see if she’d have any energy left for making trouble.

The Gu family had also been very busy. Not only did they have to prepare for the Spring Festival, but they also had to handle Gu Shaozheng’s engagement. Initially, Granny Gu and Zhou Hui Lan felt there was no need to rush. Pang Xiaoji was still in university, after all. They thought the young couple could date for a while; getting engaged next year or the year after, closer to her graduation, wouldn’t be too late. But they couldn’t withstand Gu Shaozheng’s constant pestering. He insisted he had his heart set on this girl. What if they didn’t lock it down quickly and she met someone better at school and was snatched away? He even threatened that if the family wouldn’t organize the engagement, he’d just throw a simple Western-style ceremony at his villa and have his friends act as witnesses. The elders, of course, would not allow that. Granny Gu was so angry she chased Shaozheng with a feather duster, and while Grandpa Gu warned him not to be so reckless, he also gave a nod of approval. He urged Granny Gu and her daughters-in-law to visit the Pang Family a few more times to see if they could get the engagement settled. The Pang Family was happy with the match, and Pang Xiaoji had made it clear she liked Shaozheng, so what was there to wait for? It was just an engagement, and with the festive New Year’s atmosphere all around, they decided they might as well get it done.

Gu Shaozheng and Pang Xiaoji’s engagement ceremony was set for the twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month. They held a twenty-table banquet at a hotel, with ten tables for each family’s relatives and friends. It wasn’t as grand as Gu Shaojun and Xiao Man’s engagement, but it was still very lively and festive.

The newly engaged couple looked a little awkward holding hands. Everyone assumed it was out of shyness, but Xiao Man suspected this might be the first time the two of them had ever held hands so formally.

While the family elders’ representatives were giving speeches on stage, the engaged couple’s mouths were moving, too. Gu Shaojun and Xiao Man were standing quite a distance away, but they had excellent hearing. Seeing the two misbehaving and whispering to each other at such a moment, they decided to eavesdrop. The result... left Xiao Man utterly speechless.

Gu Shaozheng: "Little Ji, you won’t regret marrying me. People will only praise you for your good taste."

Pang Xiaoji: "You said you’d give me the Rose Garden as my dowry."

"Of course. We’ll go transfer the deed tomorrow. The Rose Garden, the entire villa—it’ll all be yours. And later, after we’re officially registered, I’ll give you half of everything I own."

"I don’t want half. I want all of it. And that includes you—you’ll belong to me, too!"

"Deal. It’s all yours."

"And another thing! I don’t care what you were like in the past, but from now on, if you dare to fool around behind my back, I’ll... I’ll have you castrated!"

Gu Shaozheng: "..."

Getting threatened like that by his fiancée at his own engagement ceremony... Gu Shaozheng was probably the only man in the world to experience such a thing. After a long pause, he finally remembered to reply, "Fine by me, but you have to give me two sons first!"

Pang Xiaoji: "..."

Xiao Man covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. The corner of Gu Shaojun’s lips twitched as he shot his younger brother a complicated look. ’He’s so insistent on having sons. Don’t tell me he brought the regret of being childless in his past life into this one?’