Anning knocked on Jiang Anan’s door in the evening, but no one answered for quite a while.
When Jiang Anan finally opened the door, Anning saw her face glowing and a smile on her lips; she seemed quite happy.
Anning was slightly taken aback and handed Jiang Anan a box.
"Mom said you were out of shoes, so I brought a pair for you to try."
Jiang Anan tried on the shoes right at the doorway, "They fit well, how much are they? I’ll pay you."
Anning waved her hand dismissively, "They’re just a pair of shoes, no need to pay me, just wear them."
She figured Jiang Anan must be busy with something and didn’t say more, turning to enter her own room.
Jiang Anan went back inside and started a video call with Wei Jiaming.
The next afternoon, Jiang Anan was busy from early on; she steamed buns, flower rolls, and bean paste buns, and also prepared the dough for noodles.
Mrs. Jiang was also bustling in the kitchen, handling fish and chicken, and even fried a plate of small meatballs.
Third could not resist the tempting aroma and occasionally stole some snacks for Xiao Hua.
Xiao Hua had eaten so much during the afternoon that she was too bloated to move, sprawled on the floor.
But the savory scents wafting from the kitchen truly made her want more.
When evening arrived and everything was ready, Xiao Yuan and Anning came over together.
Upon entering, Xiao Yuan presented the gifts he brought.
He was already familiar with Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, so he didn’t act like a stranger, exchanged greetings, and sat down to chat with Mr. Jiang.
Third, accompanied by Xiao Hua, sneaked the boxes of desserts Xiao Yuan brought into the room.
Eldest also entered Third’s room.
By the time she got there, Third had already opened the gift boxes.
Eldest took a glance, "These are custom-made desserts, clearly made by experienced artisans."
"I’ll try some."
Third reached out for the desserts.
Eldest slapped her hand lightly, "What’s the rush, did you reincarnate from a starving ghost?"
"It just looks so nice, I want to taste it."
Third didn’t care what Eldest said; she wanted to eat, so she did.
After munching on two pieces of dessert, Third looked out and said, "Eldest, what about the rest, surely it can’t all be desserts."
Eldest shook her head, "Definitely not. Judging by how these desserts are arranged, Second’s son-in-law is a man of taste; he surely didn’t just bring one type of gift. I reckon he must have prepared four different gifts."
"There’s a particular way to do this, huh."
Third was very curious about what the remaining items were, constantly craning her neck to see.
Xiao Hua crawled up next to Third and overheard all that Eldest was saying.
In the living room, Xiao Yuan and Mr. Jiang were chatting enthusiastically.
Mrs. Jiang sat nearby, all smiles on her face.
"I’ve noticed Uncle is looking healthier and even younger."
Xiao Yuan reached over to take Mr. Jiang’s pulse, "The recovery is good; pay more attention to your diet going forward. If you maintain it well, Uncle will surely live a long and healthy life."
"Then you should also take a look at me."
Mrs. Jiang also moved closer to have Xiao Yuan check her pulse.
After taking her pulse, Xiao Yuan said, "Auntie has been taking good care of herself in recent years, just that you overexerted a bit when you were young. But no worries, I’ll prepare some Medicine Pills for you. Take about one tael a day to replenish your Vitality first, and then we’ll slowly take care of the rest. If you do as I suggest, I’ll make sure you grow younger with time."
Continuing with a smile, Xiao Yuan added, "Speaking of which, Auntie still looks quite young. You don’t resemble the elderly at all; you could pass for someone in their thirties. If we walked together and I said you are our sister, people would believe that. But getting even younger is always good. After the new year, I’ll give you a proper Vitality boost. Your skin will be in such good condition that people will believe you’re in your twenties if they see you on the street. Someone might even mistake you for our younger sister."
Mrs. Jiang couldn’t stop smiling at these words.
Xiao Yuan took a sip of water and continued, "But with this, Uncle will need to start feeling a bit of pressure."
Seeing Mrs. Jiang laughing so happily, Mr. Jiang didn’t dare to say anything.
Xiao Yuan was making Mrs. Jiang incredibly happy, and then he turned again to charm Mr. Jiang, "Uncle has good fundamentals; you must have been quite handsome when you were young. I can tell just by looking at Anning. If Uncle were to become a few years younger, we would stand no chance."
Mr. Jiang couldn’t help but grin hearing this.
In the house, Xiao Hua was listening with rapt attention, then felt completely drained.
By the time dinner started, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang had already begun treating Xiao Yuan as if he were their own son.
The three Anning sisters were left aside. Mrs. Jiang kept offering food to Xiao Yuan, "Try this, it’s my specialty. Also this, it’s delicious. If you ever want to eat it, just call me, and I’ll make sure it’s prepared perfectly for you."
Mr. Jiang added, "Come by the house often, and just tell your Aunt what you want to eat. When you come here, treat it like your own home, don’t be a stranger."
Mrs. Jiang was even adding juice for Xiao Yuan, "Have a taste. I wasn’t sure what flavor you like, so I made several kinds. This one is strawberry, this one mango, and here’s pear juice..."
Eldest looked at Third, and Third looked at Eldest.
Both were thinking that Second, who was already sharp and favored at home, had found a partner even slicker than herself. His way with words could sweet-talk the dead; things would undoubtedly be even less about them going forward.
After the meal, Xiao Yuan took the chance of Mr. Jiang being in a good mood to bring up the topic of marriage.
He sat with Mr. Jiang on the sofa, and personally brewed some tea to offer him, "Both my parents are aware of my relationship with Ningning, and they like her very much. They are calling almost every day to ask about her. You see, I’ll graduate next year and have already secured a job. My master said that after graduation, he’ll place me in the health bureau. Of course, I’ll be working at the hospital too but not in an official capacity, more like a specially appointed expert. Ningning has already graduated, and I’m thinking after the new year, I’ll have my parents come over, so we all can sit together and talk about mine and Ningning’s relationship."
Xiao Yuan laid out his situation and sincerely suggested to Mr. Jiang about the meeting between both sets of parents.
According to the customs of Anning’s hometown, once both sets of parents meet, the marriage of the two is essentially settled.
Mr. Jiang thought for a moment, "Alright then, you two discuss it. As the elders, we just want to see you both happy and living a prosperous life. We don’t expect anything beyond that."
Xiao Yuan smiled, "I will let my parents know and arrange for them to come over during the Lunar New Year. They’ll be free, so they can meet everyone and also enjoy a few days here."
From the looks of it, Xiao Yuan had everything arranged.
Mr. Jiang thought that his own daughter had been completely charmed by this young man, so it was pointless for the parents to say anything now. Instead of making things difficult and risking resentment, it would be better to express full support.
Furthermore, Xiao Yuan was indeed a very eligible bachelor—owning a car, a house, and his family had farmland and property. Although he had three sisters, they had their houses, and he didn’t need to worry much about them. Anning marrying into this family would be a secure move.
Thinking this, Mr. Jiang’s face lit up with a smile, "Give me your parents’ mobile numbers. I’ll add them on Flying Messenger, and we can chat when we have time. Now that we are becoming relatives, we should get to know each other better."