"Hello, Grandma." The elderly lady glanced at Xiaofeng and then invited her, "Have lunch here at noon, and go back after having eaten."
"Okay." Xiaofeng nodded.
The food at home was simple, just noodles with a small bowl of side dish.
The elderly lady’s cooking skills were good; the noodles were very tasty.
"Grandma, Grandma." A mother and son, carrying a box of pastries, came over: "Grandma, you’re having a meal, oh, Shui Xian is at home today as well."
The woman who entered, dressed plainly, had a rather mean look about her face.
The man who entered with her, of average appearance, did not dare to look at Lan Shuixian, appearing rather timid.
Seeing the mother and son enter, the old lady did not even lift her eyelids: "What are you here for again?"
"Grandma, I’m obviously here for Shui Xian’s marriage. Grandma, I don’t disdain the fact that she is an orphan, and there are younger ones to take care of above and below you. What more are you picking on? Moreover, my son works in a factory with a stable salary. Where could you find someone like my son, given Shui Xian’s circumstances?"
"Yes, how could your son, with such good conditions, want someone like me? I have a grandmother to care for above me and younger siblings to look after below me. How come you set your sights on me? It’s easy if you want me to marry; after the wedding, I’ll come to live here with your son, and we won’t live with you."
To bring Grandma and younger siblings to their home, of course, they would be unwilling; hence, she should come back to live here.
"Shui Xian, I know you’re a filial child, and you wouldn’t neglect Grandma. Look, you’re not getting any younger. If you insist on these conditions, it would be strange if you could marry off. Look at your sister, she’s not young anymore. Even if you get married, she can take care of Grandma, can’t she? At worst, I agree to give your sister a bit of money every month in the future."
"After getting married, who would stay at their parents’ home? It’s not as if he’s a live-in son-in-law." The woman, Jin Lian, said with a light smile, "Grandma, at your age, because of you, Shui Xian has not married into a good family yet. Do you really want to watch as she stays home, unable to marry? Yes, she is still young now, but try waiting two more years and see who would want her. Those who are interested in her will probably be either old bachelors or men without wives."
"Jin Lian, what kind of talk is that." Grandma spoke up, her voice very gentle, with little force behind it.
Indeed, women of the past paid attention to their image, not showing their teeth when they laughed, and not speaking too loudly.
"Don’t speak about my grandmother in such a way. To tell you the truth, I just don’t fancy your son. Would it be shameful if I never married? Not at all." Lan Shuixian continued eating her noodles, completely indifferent to the woman’s words.
"Oh my, this is really laughable. Son, did you hear that? She said she doesn’t plan to marry. Have you ever heard of a woman not getting married? Shui Xian, let me tell you, a woman should get married. Marriage and childbirth, that is a real home for a woman. It’s not me, but now you regard your grandmother and them as your relatives, but when they grow up, they may not necessarily regard you as family. You’re still young, you don’t understand the complexity of human hearts, tsk tsk."
"Shui Xian, I really like you." The man, Liu Yi, looked shy: "I really want to marry you."
Xiaofeng put down her bowl and glanced at the mother and son.
She had been listening for a while and had pretty much understood the situation. The other side wanted to marry Lan Shuixian, but Lan Shuixian had yet to agree.
"I don’t want to marry right now." Lan Shuixian outright refused: "I want to stay at home for another two years. If you want to marry me, then wait for me for two years. If your family can’t wait, then forget it."
By the sound of it, Lan Shuixian probably liked the other party, but would not have him wait for her.
"Pah, wait for you two years? Do you think you are a Heavenly Immortal or something? Two years later, if my son fancies another man, where’s he supposed to cry? Son, why insist on marrying her? With her , it’s not that I can’t find someone else. If they’re not willing, let’s just forget it and go back."
"Shui Xian." The man, named Liu Yi, worked in a chemical plant and earned a decent wage: "Don’t be , I really want to marry you. You make it very difficult for me, and my mom won’t agree. My mom is right; your sister isn’t that young anymore and can assume the responsibility of caring for Grandma. Besides, after we get married, it’s not like we won’t come back. We can still visit Grandma regularly, right?"
Lan Shuixian put down her eating utensils and stood up: "Then forget it, I don’t want to get married right now. I’ve said all I have to say. You guys should go back, and there’s no need to come by in the future."