"Nianhua is only twenty years old," Xu Qinghe said, with eyes rounded in disbelief, he abruptly stopped walking and turned to look at Ji Ying with a face of displeasure.
Ji Ying was not afraid of him, and she corrected, "This September, Nianhua will be twenty-one."
"Even so, there’s no rush. She’s only a freshman, and it’s not like we can’t afford to keep her at home." The thought of his darling daughter who had been raised since childhood soon becoming someone else’s wife and joining another family made Xu Qinghe’s heart feel incredibly heavy.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ji Ying belatedly realized, she sized up Xu Qinghe and asked, "Can’t bear to let her go?"
Xu Qinghe didn’t admit it, nor did he deny it, but countered, "Can you bear it?"
"Of course, I can’t bear it, either. But if we miss out on this opportunity, there won’t be another, and a match so suitable for Nianhua, who cherishes her and is willing to lay down his life for her, I’d regret it on Nianhua’s behalf if we missed it," Ji Ying thought. Despite her own feelings of regret, when she considered the outstanding Pei Yicheng, she believed her daughter’s lifetime happiness was more important.
"You haven’t seen how perfect Yicheng and Nianhua look together. The more I see of Pei Yicheng, the more I like him; I can’t wait to make him my son-in-law," Ji Ying said, her affection for him growing stronger by the minute.
Xu Qinghe didn’t answer and just rolled his eyes, saying annoyed, "You make it sound as if our daughter can’t find anyone to marry."
"Who said that?" Ji Ying became displeased when she heard this, retorting, "Xu Qinghe, don’t be sour now. Nianhua’s lifelong happiness is what matters most. For a woman, getting married is like being born a second time."
All the way, Ji Ying shared her thoughts, adding, "Besides, after Nianhua gets married, she can still come home often. It’s not like she will never return home."
"Yingzi, don’t get too excited all by yourself. What matters most is still what Nianhua thinks," he replied.
Seeing that his words were falling on deaf ears, Xu Qinghe simply changed his tactic.
The enthusiasm Ji Ying had earlier quickly died down completely. Just before the New Year, it didn’t seem like Nianhua had any interest in Yicheng. With this thought, Ji Ying’s fervor cooled down by half.
Zhou He, standing to the side, listened quietly to her in-laws’ conversation. She wholeheartedly agreed with her mother-in-law’s words -- a woman’s marriage was indeed of paramount importance.
If she had truly been married off by her birth mother to the Luo Family, her life would have been misery. Forget the happiness she had now; she even doubted she would have had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear.
Instead, like now, she enjoyed good food and clothing, and Nianji was tender toward her, capable of earning money. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law were very reasonable people who never looked down on her, nor had any disdain for her family. Even her younger brother, Zhou Qiang, had changed a lot for the better.
She Cherished her current life, she Cherished this family.
Gaoliang County, hospital.
"The water isn’t too hot anymore; you can drink it now." Xu Nianhua carried the warm water to his bedside.
Pei Yicheng didn’t move, but just gazed at her.
Xu Nianhua was taken aback for a moment.
Pei Yicheng’s gaze dimmed, as he lifted the arm with the IV.
Xu Nianhua saw it and immediately brought the water to his lips, reminding him, "Brother Cheng, your hand is on an IV drip. You mustn’t move it, or the needle might shift, and your hand will swell up."
Pei Yicheng drank the water in big gulps, and with her reminders in his ears, felt completely satisfied. He smiled with pursed lips, saying, "With you here, you certainly wouldn’t let me do it myself, right?"
Her gaze fell on Pei Yicheng’s hand that wasn’t on an IV.