Although it was too dark to see clearly, Tian Niu knew who she was just by her voice.
"Mom! It’s me, Tian Niu. Why aren’t you staying at home on such a dark and snowy night? Why did you come out?"
"I just had dinner and didn’t have much to do. The day before yesterday, I had a dream that you came back, so I thought I’d wait here at the entrance of the village to see if I could really wait for you. And look, I did wait for you today."
"Yes mom, I’m back," Tian Niu said as he walked forward.
Gu Shuangshuang got a big scare when she heard it was Tian Niu’s mother and quickly whispered to him, "You better put me down quickly!"
"It’s okay! If my mom sees me carrying you, she’ll be overjoyed," Tian Niu insisted, refusing to let go.
The two were arguing when they reached Tian Niu’s mother.
It wasn’t until they got close that they could clearly see a young girl on Tian Niuniu’s back.
"Oh my! You gave me a fright! I was wondering what that dark thing was on your back, never expected it to be a person!" Tian Niu’s mom spoke in an interesting way; she looked about fifty percent like Tian Niu.
She was dressed simply, clearly a kind-hearted old lady at a glance.
Gu Shuangshuang silently compared her to her own mother and immediately felt, in an unkind comparison, that her mother was like an old witch.
Tian Niu himself was amused by his mother’s comment and chuckled, saying to her, "This girl isn’t just anybody; she is your future daughter-in-law."
Hearing Tian Niu say this, his mother’s face blossomed with joy, "Oh my, I’ve been longing for stars and moons, and finally the day has come. I’m so happy I don’t know what to say."
"Aunt! My name is Gu Shuangshuang, and I’m very happy to meet you," Gu Shuangshuang jumped down from Tian Niu’s back and greeted Tian Niu’s mother politely.
"Just call me ’Auntie’," said Tian Niu. "It’s customary to call me ’Auntie’ here."
Before Gu Shuangshuang could say anything, Tian Niu’s mother went straight on, "Hey, now that you’re said to be the daughter-in-law, why call me ’Auntie’ or ’Aunt’? Just call me ’mom’."
With a single sentence, she made Gu Shuangshuang blush.
"My mom’s just too eager to get me married off. Don’t take it to heart if she seems a bit rushed, just call her ’Auntie’ it’s fine," Tian Niu quickly explained to Gu Shuangshuang, fearing she might be offended.
"I’m not upset. I understand Auntie’s feelings." Besides, sooner or later he would be hers, and calling her ’Mom’ was a matter of sooner or later.
"What a good girl!" Tian Niu said with satisfaction.
Though they hadn’t interacted with Gu Shuangshuang much, her intuition told her that Gu Shuangshuang was a very nice girl.
She trusted her son’s judgment.
After chatting for a bit more at the entrance of the village, the cold night prompted Tian Niu’s mom to hurry them back home.
When they arrived home, Tian Niu’s older and younger sisters were tidying up the kitchen, and seeing a pretty girl holding Tian Niu’s hand excited them beyond measure.
"Brother, is this our future sister-in-law?" Tian Niu’s talkative younger sister blurted out the title ’sister-in-law’ without hesitation.
"Yes, who else would it be?" Tian Niu glanced at Gu Shuangshuang and proudly confirmed.
"Sister-in-law is really pretty, like someone who just stepped out of a painting," the younger sister sweetly flattered, amusing both Tian Niu and Gu Shuangshuang.
"Hello, sister-in-law!" The older sister, more reserved and shy, still joyfully greeted her.
In the light of the kerosene lamp, the old lady clearly saw Gu Shuangshuang’s appearance, feeling even more excited than when she got married herself.
Her unimpressive Tian Niuniu found himself a city girl, far prettier than that other girl named Hua or something!
His luck in love was truly not shallow!
PS: Dear readers, sorry for the confusion with the Chapter titles these past two days, but the content is coherent. It does not affect reading.