Huo Jingrui returned to his unit after completing the rescue mission and had three days off.
Having received news about Yunyi from Kang Zilin, he was relieved to know that she was well.
Ever since he came down from the mountain last time, he had had the same dream whenever he slept. The dream was exceptionally vivid upon waking, which confused him greatly. He didn’t know why, but he felt that the person in the dream was Chuyunyi.
After reporting his work to the team, he drove home to discuss something with his father.
As soon as he entered the house, Jiang Jingya pulled him into a room. "Son, did you see Pan Huixin at the military region?"
Huo Jingrui shook his head, "No, what’s up?"
Jiang Jingya whispered, "Listen to me. If you ever see Pan Huixin, stay as far away as possible, got it?
"I’m serious. If you don’t listen and get involved with her, you won’t be able to get rid of her. And I will never approve of any connection with the Pan Family. Remember that."
Huo Jingrui didn’t understand what act his mother was putting on. "Mom, what happened? You seem so uneasy."
Jiang Jingya found it too difficult to speak those words directly to her son. "Just remember what I’ve said."
Previously, she had only heard gossip. But that day, she had personally witnessed Fang Minqing getting overly familiar with a much younger man. Their movements were clearly inappropriate, and she did not want such in-laws in the future.
Seeing that his mother didn’t want to talk, Huo Jingrui didn’t insist. "Mom, today is Dad’s birthday. Are they all coming back tonight?"
Jiang Jingya’s face showed no emotion. "Yes."
Her heart ached with frustration when she thought about the whole family gathering that evening, and then about her two children, who were worryingly indifferent about marriage despite their ages.
Seeing that his mother was about to nag again, Huo Jingrui quickly made an excuse, "Mom, I have something to do. I’ll be back in a bit."
Jiang Jingya knew what her son was up to. "Son, your older brothers have all settled down and have families of their own. Can’t you be a little understanding of your mother’s feelings?"
Huo Jingrui sighed, "Mom, haven’t we agreed on next year? Next year, I will definitely bring a daughter-in-law home for you, okay?"
Jiang Jingya saw her son’s uncompromising expression and comforted herself, Never mind. At least he made a promise. I shouldn’t push him too hard.
Huo Jingrui had only just seen the calendar in the house when he remembered what day it was, but he didn’t let on at all.
He left the house and headed straight for a courtyard house.
When he arrived, the person inside greeted him with a friendly punch. "How do you have time to come here?"
Huo Jingrui sat down with a smile, "One does not visit a temple without a cause."
"I thought so. What made you think of me all of a sudden?"
"Do you have any good antique ink slabs?"
"What do you want with that?"
"Of course, I have my uses."
His father was an unrefined man but loved calligraphy, so gifting him an ink slab would be the perfect way to please him.
When he returned home again, his eldest brother, Huo Weidong, had already arrived with his family. "Old Four, I didn’t expect you to make it back today."
His sister-in-law, Gui Hongmei, saw him enter. "Old Four, it just so happens that I have something I need to talk to you about."
Huo Weidong, seeing his wife’s expression, knew something troublesome was coming. He reached out to stop her, but he was a step too late.
Gui Hongmei walked forward a few steps. "It’s not easy to catch you, Old Four."
Huo Jingrui, out of politeness, asked, "Big Sister-in-law, what’s the matter?"
Huo Weidong quickly interjected, "Hongmei, you should go check on the dishes for tonight in the kitchen."
Gui Hongmei completely ignored him and looked at Huo Jingrui. "Jingrui, you’re not getting any younger. Xiaodong’s wedding is set, and you, his uncle, don’t have any prospects yet. That’s not good.
"There’s a girl in my department. She’s pretty, has a good temperament, and comes from a decent family. I think she’s quite suitable for you. Would you like to meet her?"
Huo Weidong, afraid that Jiang Jingya, his stepmother, might misunderstand, spoke up quickly, "Hongmei, Auntie Jiang takes care of Old Four’s marital matters. You should just look after your own children."
Gui Hongmei wouldn’t listen. "Xiaonan and Xiaodong are both spoken for, and Xiaobei is still young. I am also part of this family, so I ought to help share some of Auntie Jiang’s burdens."