It was almost noon when Ming i and her husband returned ho for their post-wedding visit, as they had been delayed by the morning's festivities.
Ming i's father, Ming Xiangdong, was a long-haul truck driver for a freight company. Their family lived in the company's residential compound, which consisted mainly of apartnt buildings, unlike the courtyard houses where the machinery factory workers lived.
Zhuang Zhixi parked the car beneath Ming i's family building after driving his wife into the compound.
Lan Ling, Ming i's mother, had been watching from the window since early morning. After anxiously waiting to see her daughter, she finally spotted the young couple. Despite the cold, she pushed open the window and called out, "Nan-nan."
Being from the South, Ming i's mother used "Nan-nan" as an endearing term for daughters, as was customary in her hotown.
Ming i looked up and responded with a sweet "Yes!" while happily waving her hand.
As soon as she responded, several windows in the building had people peering down. In those days, with limited entertainnt options, any family event beca pri gossip material. Ming i's post-wedding visit was certainly noteworthy gossip.
The neighbors were particularly interested in the return gifts the newlyweds had brought.
The quantity and quality of these gifts were significant indicators of how well the new bride was treated in her husband's family - it was quite aningful. When they saw the fish, they couldn't help but notice how large they were.
While the neighbors were busy observing, the young couple had already parked and headed upstairs. Lan Ling opened the door to welco them, saying, "What took you so long? We've been waiting. Co in quickly, it must be cold outside." She ushered them inside.
The Ming family lived on the second floor. Upon entering, they found the whole family present. Ming i's little nephew Jun Jun ran to her side, hugging her leg while saying in his childish voice, "Auntie, where did you go? Why didn't you co ho? I missed you."
Ming i burst into laughter and picked up her three-year-old nephew. She swayed him gently and said, "Auntie got married, so now I have to live sowhere else. But look, I brought you candy!"
Jun Jun's eyes sparkled with joy as he clapped his hands, "Candy, candy!"
He was even a year younger than Little Yanzi.
Ming i held the little one while taking a handful of candy from her bag and giving it to him. The little fellow imdiately broke into a smile, showing his tiny white teeth, even drooling with happiness.
Ming i smiled sweetly and said, "Dad, I'm ho!"
Ming Xiangdong, not yet fifty, was tall and sturdy with broad shoulders. A scar on one corner of his forehead gave him a sowhat fierce appearance. Ming i didn't resemble her father much; she took after her mother Lan Ling, as did both Ming siblings.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Ming i's father bead at the sight of his daughter, gesturing, "Co here, darling. I bought your favorite snacks."
He acted as if he hadn't even noticed his son-in-law.
Zhuang Zhixi, however, was naturally sociable and greeted everyone.
Ming i's father rely grunted in response, but her older brother Ming Cheng smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, please have a seat."
Ming Cheng and Zhuang Zhixi were already acquainted - Ming Cheng and Zhuang Zhixi's brother, Zhuang Zhiyuan, had been classmates from elentary through high school and were now colleagues. When Zhuang Zhixi was young, he often followed his brother around and played with these older boys. Being young and sweet-talking, always respectfully addressing them as "big brother," he had left a good impression on Ming Cheng.
If he hadn't liked him, he wouldn't have introduced him to his sister.
He smiled and asked, "Are you treating my sister well?"
Zhuang Zhixi hurried to prove his loyalty: "Of course! She's my wife - who else would I treat well if not her? I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful wife, I wake up smiling. I couldn't bear to treat her badly. Brother Ming Cheng, it hurts that you would doubt ."
Ming i's father snorted.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Dad, I'm telling the truth... Oh, Mom, let help you with that!"
Lan Ling was preparing to clean a fish for cooking, and Zhuang Zhixi quickly got up to help. Lan Ling said, "We don't need you, the two of us can manage."
By "the two of us," she ant herself and her daughter-in-law Tao Qing, not her daughter. Tao Qing smiled at Zhuang Zhixi.
Zhuang Zhixi persisted: "Mom, just let show what I can do. I might not be the best cook, but I can help out. Let sister-in-law go chat with Ming i in the living room, and I'll help you here and keep you company."
Zhuang Zhixi was quite skilled at flattery. Though he might slack off at ho, this was his first official visit to his in-laws' house, so he was on his best behavior.
At the very least, Lan Ling thought this son-in-law was quite nice. She smiled and nodded, saying, "You're a grown man, what are you doing in the kitchen?"
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "What's wrong with that? n are people too, and housework isn't gender-specific. Here, let help."
The kitchen was small, and three people would have made it crowded. Lan Ling turned to her daughter-in-law: "Tao Qing, you can go out."
Tao Qing glanced at Zhuang Zhixi once more before saying, "Alright."
This brother-in-law seed decent enough.
With just the two of them in the kitchen, although Ming i and Zhuang Zhixi had brought four items as return gifts, Lan Ling was particularly pleased with the fish - four equally sized fish, each over thirty centiters long, looking quite impressive.
The thoughtfulness of the gifts indicated how much they valued her daughter, which made Lan Ling satisfied.
She said, "My daughter has been spoiled by everyone since she was little. She's a bit naive and carefree. Now that you're married, you'll need to be patient with her. She's actually a simple child, without much cunning, and sotis her good intentions might lead to mistakes. If she does anything wrong, tell , and I'll back you up."
Although Lan Ling had several tis considered calling off the marriage before it happened, now that they were married, she wouldn't say anything unpleasant or annoying. Her words were considerate and comforting.
Zhuang Zhixi responded, "Ming i is wonderful, I can't love her enough. I would never think she has any flaws."
Zhuang Zhixi was being straightforward, which pleased Lan Ling. She nodded slightly, feeling that this son-in-law had many good qualities, especially his sweet talk - sothing the n in her family couldn't manage.
She smiled and said, "As parents, we're at ease when we see you living well together. You don't need to worry much about us, whether it's Ming Cheng and his wife or you two. If you're doing well, we're happy. Don't mind his father's stern face - he actually likes you very much, he's just tough on the outside but soft on the inside."
Zhuang Zhixi quickly replied, "I know. Actually, my father-in-law is a bit like my mother - tough on the outside but soft-hearted. She scolds us fiercely, but it's because she cares about us. But don't worry, Mother, even though my mom can be harsh, she would never scold Ming i - I'm the only one who gets scolded."
Lan Ling nodded slightly and smiled, "That's how parents are. No matter who's right or wrong, we can't scold other people's children. With our own, we're more casual." Though she seed to be making casual conversation, Zhuang Zhixi understood his mother-in-law's aning.
He wasn't surprised - he had known before marrying Ming i that the Ming family raised their daughter differently from most families, treating her like a treasure.
Who would let their treasure be bullied by others?
Thinking of this, Zhuang Zhixi quickly added, "Mom, our family has separated finances."
Lan Ling's eye twitched as she suppressed her joy, asking, "Separated? When did this happen?"
Zhuang Zhixi explained, "We had a family eting on our first day of marriage. Well, it's not exactly separation. We're still sharing the house and eating together, but we only pay for food expenses now. My parents won't manage our other expenses. We handle our own money, and since I'm not good with finances, my wife manages our money."
Lan Ling couldn't help but smile, saying, "That's fine. These matters are for you two to handle. If your parents don't interfere, we certainly won't either. We won't cause any trouble."
She hadn't expected her in-laws to keep their word so well - they had promised to address this issue, and they actually did. Initially, Lan Ling had been sowhat uncertain, as verbal agreents often don't amount to much. It wouldn't have been surprising if they had wanted to favor their eldest son more.
But unexpectedly, her mother-in-law had kept her promise.
Her mood brightened even more as she humd a little tune while putting the fish in the pot, saying, "This fish is really good."
If it weren't for the bride's traditional visit ho, she definitely wouldn't have felt comfortable accepting so many fish, but since it was her daughter's hocoming gift, she didn't say a word about it. She put the lid on the pot and said, "Alright, you can go out now. The remaining things here just need a quick stir before serving. Go sit outside, and today at lunch, keep the old man company for a drink."
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Okay~"
The lunch prepared by Ming's family for their daughter's hocoming visit was quite lavish, with fish and at dishes that looked very impressive, even better than the wedding feast at their own house. The whole family sat down at the table, and Ming i's father brought out a bottle of Maotai.
Zhuang Zhixi remarked, "This liquor seems expensive."
Ming i's father retorted, "Just drink it, why so many words?"
As a father, he wasn't particularly fond of the 'pig' who had taken away his precious daughter. But to say he disliked him wouldn't be true either. He filled his son-in-law's glass, then his son's: after all, people always said Ming i's family was well-off.
This was absolutely true. Previously, when Ming i was still in school, her father drove long-haul trucks, and her mother was a bus ticket collector: they were both employed. Later, Ming i's brother Ming Cheng also went to work at the railway station. Even Ming i's sister-in-law, though a temporary worker, sold tickets at the railway station. You could say the whole family had respectable jobs with decent incos.
Even after Lan Ling passed her job to her daughter, their family's living conditions remained quite good.
After all, Ming i's father drove long-distance trucks, and in those days, being a driver was a very respectable job, especially for those who could do long-distance deliveries like him. Their good financial situation stemd from this.
"Co, let's drink! Son-in-law, let tell you sothing: our daughter has never suffered any grievances at ho. If your family makes her suffer, I'll beat you up..."
"My precious daughter, whom I raised so well, married at just twenty-sothing. Isn't that frustrating? How did she end up choosing you, you little rascal? Must be your looks: she definitely fell for your handso face. She's always liked pretty things since she was little. When she was small and saw her grandmother's gold bracelet, while others didn't care for it, she couldn't take her eyes off it, clutching it tightly..."
"I see you're quite the smooth talker, but you better behave yourself. If I ever find out you're flirting around outside, I'll finish you! Let tell you, I have many brothers-in-arms, and dealing with you would be as easy as handling a chick..."
"I could take on a hundred of your kind..."
Ming i's father hiccupped from the alcohol. He'd only had half a glass but was already drunk, completely dropping his initial cold deanor and turning into a chattering ss, full of lancholy...
Zhuang Zhixi sat up straight, appearing to take the lecture seriously. While Ming i's father continued his rambling, Lan Ling glanced at her husband, then at her son-in-law, and smiled aningfully... She said, "Alright, just eat your food. Why are you trying to scare our son-in-law? I think he's quite good."
"Hmph, the old saying is right: a mother-in-law always finds her son-in-law more and more pleasing. I think you've lost your stance." Ming i's father took another sip, his eyes growing hazier. "Anyway, anyway, if you bully my daughter, I'll co to your door with an axe to teach you a lesson..."
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Alright, alright, please feel free to correct wherever I'm lacking."
Ming i's father glared, "You're planning to misbehave?"
Zhuang Zhixi quickly changed his tune: "I promise to be good! Don't worry! You can absolutely trust ! I won't give you any reason to teach a lesson!"
Ming i's father continued glaring: "I'm your father-in-law, and I can't even teach you?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Of course you can! How could you not? I'll listen to whatever you say."
Ming i's father: "...That's more like it."
Lan Ling: "Enough already, just eat your food. Stop scaring our son-in-law."
Ming i's father: "Hmph!"
Ming Cheng and his wife pretended to be invisible.
Zhuang Zhixi wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead and quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Ming i looked around at everyone, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled... Seeing her expression, Zhuang Zhixi nudged her foot and mouthed: "Laughing at your husband's predicant!"
Ming i laughed even harder.
Zhuang Zhixi: "???"
Ming i's father looked up: "...Why are you kicking ?"
Ming i finally couldn't hold it in anymore: "Pff, hahahahaha~"
Zhuang Zhixi froze for a mont, then joined in the laughter...
anwhile, Zhao Guihua was musing at ho: "Wonder how that little rascal Zhuang Zhixi is doing over there today." After pondering, she added, "Though that little rascal has thick skin, he should be able to handle his in-laws..."
Zzzzt.
Suddenly, there was a sound from outside. Zhao Guihua raised an eyebrow, quickly pulled open the window, looked down, and saw three "big rats" beneath the window...
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