When they were very young, Shu Jiao, being nearly a decade older than them and with both their father and mother busy with work, it could be said that she raised them until she had to go to the countryside.
Therefore, the siblings had deep affection for Shu Jiao. They had to find out what kind of family she had married into, and if it wasn’t up to standard, they were prepared to take her back by force, if necessary.
However, currently it seemed that although this place was a bit backward, the family was still quite good, especially since they had such an adorable Little Jiaojiao.
"That’s good, that’s good," Ruan Jianguo hurriedly nodded in agreement.
In front of Shu Lang, he submissively bowed his head, acting somewhat timorously.
But he bowed his head willingly. He had always known that marrying Shu Jiao was like getting a jewel from a golden nest. If it weren’t for the tumultuous years, with his status, it would have been difficult to even get a glimpse of her, let alone bring her home.
Now that her brother seemed dissatisfied with him, a rough countryman, he felt this was normal. After all, if the roles were reversed, and his Little Jiaojiao grew up to marry a village man like himself, his face would probably look even worse than Shu Lang’s.
After chatting for a while, the Ruanlin Family’s matriarch noticed that Shu Lang looked somewhat tired, and said, "Shu..."
"Auntie, just call me Alang."
"Alright then, I won’t beat around the bush, Alang. You look a bit tired. How about you take a rest in the boys’ room first? We’ll call you when it’s time to eat."
Shu Lang had driven there all by himself while asking for directions, and now he was indeed quite tired. Hearing this, he did not stand on ceremony and set down Ruan Jiaojiao, whom he had been holding and was reluctant to put down, and went to rest in Ruan Hao’s room.
Soon after he laid down, the Ruanlin Family’s matriarch dragged Ruan Jianguo aside and said, "Jianguo, go to Auntie Niu’s to weigh two pounds of meat. I’m not sure if he drinks alcohol, but go check with the Captain first. If there’s any good liquor, bring it back. Oh, and you need to slaughter a chicken. I’ve saved two wild chickens; kill one of them."
This was Shu Jie’s maternal family, and it was obvious they looked down on her son. She couldn’t afford to relax and had to put her best foot forward to prepare this meal.
"OK. Shall I call Jiandang?" asked Ruan Jianguo, who had walked a few steps out, before turning back to inquire.
With an exasperated look that conveyed disappointment at his lack of resolve, the Ruanlin Family’s matriarch snapped, "What for? There’ll be plenty of chances to drink together later. Right now, the most important thing is for him to approve of you. Go on, no more dilly-dallying!" It was just a family dinner, after all; there was no point in involving outsiders.
"OK." Ruan Jianguo, too anxious for his own good, had been a little slow to catch on, thinking they needed someone to accompany them for drinks as before. Upon hearing her words, he did not dare delay any longer and quickly hopped on the tricycle to go out.
Ruan Jiaojiao and Xiu Xi sat in the main room, watching the fussing pair before exchanging a silent look and rising to head to the backyard.
Tuantuan lay suckling atop the mother sheep’s belly, which was as docile as any, lying on the ground, welcoming everyone, just as it had done for Meat Meat before.
Tuantuan must have often missed out on milk, which explained his frailty. Now that he could finally drink his fill, he did so voraciously, emitting warning-like purring sounds from his throat. His tiny paws pressed urgently against the mother sheep’s stomach. Barely a few minutes into his meal, his previously sunken tummy swelled visibly with speed.