vstars Chapter 273
Chapter 273
"Alright, then tell me in advance so I can make a trip back to the family compound. With Eldest Brother Lin and Sister-in-law not around, we can't be absent. The most important thing is that you need to ask Xiaocheng for his opinion; don't force him."Lin Han nodded. "I'll come pick you up in advance. I have a few days off this time, so I can spend more time with you and the kids."
Thinking about how little time they spent together as a couple, Nan Sheng willfully took some time off, wanting to go out for a walk with her husband. In the end, however, she couldn't escape the fate of climbing the Great Wall.
She complained with a cold expression, "Is this what you meant by a place suitable for couples?"
"Yes!" Lin Han said confidently. "Don't you think the process of climbing the Great Wall is a lot like life? When we are tired, we support each other all the way to the highest point. How is that any different from growing old together?"
Nan Sheng was speechless, but since they were already there, her legs seemed to have a mind of their own, wanting to see if they could make it to the top.
Twenty minutes later, Nan Sheng stopped. Lin Han gave a doting smile and immediately picked her up—yes, exactly the kind of princess carry you're imagining.
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In her surprise, Nan Sheng glanced around. Fortunately, there were few people climbing the Great Wall right now, and no one was idle enough to pay attention, otherwise they would definitely be laughed at.
"Lin Han, put me down quickly. I just need to rest for a bit, you don't need to carry me."
"That won't do. When I get old, I won't be able to carry you anymore, so shouldn't I hold you a little longer now?"
Lin Han walked up step by step. Even as they neared the top, his center of gravity remained very steady, and Nan Sheng wasn't the least bit afraid of falling.
"Look, we've climbed to the highest point!"
Only when they reached the top did Lin Han let Nan Sheng's feet touch the ground. His eyes smiled as he looked into the distance, looking a little proud.
Nan Sheng couldn't help but smile too. She took a handkerchief from her bag to wipe her husband's sweat. This was the easiest Great Wall climb she had ever experienced.
On the way down, Nan Sheng and Lin Han locked fingers. Just this short journey made the two of them feel that their hearts were pressed closely together.
"You've worked hard today, our Brigade Commander Lin. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll cook it for you myself."
"Let's eat out. We can just bring something back for our daughter later."
By the time Sicheng returned to Kyoto, it was already October. Upon hearing about the blind date, he only had one thing to say: "I'll listen to Second Uncle and Second Aunt."
Sicheng was young before and hadn't considered starting a family. But during this trip, he constantly heard Han Yongxiang mentioning his wife and children, and he suddenly had the urge to settle down. Right after he returned, Lin Han brought up the blind date. It could only be said that the timing was perfect.
He only worried about one thing: his family's conditions were very ordinary, and he didn't know if the other party would take a fancy to him.
The location for the blind date was arranged directly at the Han family's home. The person they introduced was none other than the daughter of a brigade commander in the military region. It was said that she had seen Sicheng before and had a good impression of him. Her parents observed him for a while, felt that the young man was not bad, and then asked the Han family to act as matchmakers.
Since the Lin family represented the man's side, Nan Sheng and the others bought gifts the night before and sent them to the Han family, all meant for entertaining the prospective in-laws.
Han Yongxiang still had that unreliable look about him, even saying, "I'm going to take tomorrow off to watch the fun."
To put him in his place, Nan Sheng only needed one sentence: "Suit yourself. If it doesn't work out, I'll need someone to take my anger out on anyway."
Han Yongxiang replied, "Just joking, Sister-in-law! The military region is very busy, extremely busy. I'll go to work early tomorrow, I definitely won't let the Brigade Commander worry!"
Commander Han still didn't understand. His son was Lin Han's subordinate, so why was he more afraid of Lin Han's wife? If he wasn't worried about losing face, he would have wanted to ask her for advice.
The next day, Lin Han and his wife brought Sicheng over early in the morning, leaving Qiqi alone at home to sulk. Second Brother was going on a blind date, so only she wasn't worthy of seeing her new sister-in-law?
Nan Sheng saw that Sicheng was very nervous, so she told him that it didn't matter even if the blind date didn't work out. "You'll gain experience after a few more tries. If you don't believe me, ask your Second Uncle how many blind dates he went on back in the day."
Sicheng glanced at his Second Uncle but didn't dare to ask. Lin Han was equally scared. Although his wife's tone was very normal, why was he feeling so hot? His head was about to break out in a sweat.
Shortly after arriving at the Han house, the Xiao family came to the door. They were a family of three. Mrs. Xiao walked in and smiled, saying, "Auntie Xia, you have guests at home."
Aunt Xia waved Brigade Commander Xiao and the others over to sit. "This is Brigade Commander Lin and his wife. You guys should get to know each other. Everyone is eating at my place for lunch."
Both Mrs. Xiao and Nan Sheng took the initiative to go to the kitchen to help cook. Mrs. Xiao looked at the dishes in the kitchen and felt somewhat satisfied. At the very least, the Lin family knew how to conduct themselves; they didn't just go through the motions just because the Xiao family had initiated the match.
While prepping the food, they started chatting. "Sister, is your hometown in the Northern City?"
"Yes, our hometown is in a village under Huaishan County. There was a drought there a long time ago, I don't know if you've heard of it."
"I have heard of it. So it's over there. Was your family alright during the drought?" Mrs. Xiao's tone was very surprised.
"The government made timely arrangements, and every household stored grain. We were just scared stiff."
The two of them shared their family backgrounds with each other. Upon learning that Sicheng had an older brother who had been married for many years, Mrs. Xiao was very satisfied. Two sons were good; usually, it was the eldest son who took care of the elderly parents.
"Our girl has had her own ideas since she was little. She insisted on becoming a soldier. As she's our only child, my husband and I could only arrange for her to be an arts and entertainment soldier, but she knows how to do all the household chores too."
Nan Sheng smiled and said, "I was just thinking this girl had an extraordinary temperament, so she's an arts soldier. She's really beautiful. Whichever family marries her in the future will truly be blessed by their ancestors.
Speaking of which, my nephew isn't young anymore either. He's two years older than your daughter. He's been defending the country in the military region, which delayed his marriage. That child is filial and sensible. He has saved all his military allowances over the years, saying he's keeping it to marry a wife. He doesn't have any bad habits, and he never touches cigarettes or alcohol."
Seeing that the two were chatting so happily, Aunt Xia felt there was hope. When she went out and took a look, Brigade Commander Xiao and Lin Han were also having a very agreeable conversation. Most importantly, the faces of the two young people looked like they had drunk too much wine, blushing outrageously.
Great, another couple made!
Nan Sheng was the head chef for lunch. Her cooking skills were so good that even Mrs. Xia was surprised. "I heard you're very busy with work, I didn't expect you to be so proficient at cooking too. It's truly admirable."
"Don't praise me, Sister-in-law. I only honed these skills because I love to eat, though I've rarely cooked in recent years."
The Xiao family was willing to consider the match because they valued Lin Han and his wife. Lin Han had Commander Han as his backer in the military, and Nan Sheng was the director of the Kyoto Research Institute. Even if Sicheng's biological parents weren't capable, they were still willing to form this marital tie.
After the meal, the two families didn't stay much longer and took their leave. At the door, Nan Sheng asked Sicheng to walk the Xiao family back, and Brigade Commander Xiao didn't refuse.
On the way home, Nan Sheng asked Lin Han how his chat with Brigade Commander Xiao went. Lin Han evaluated the man and said this marriage prospect was quite good.
"They only have one daughter, so they probably want Sicheng to stay here in Kyoto in the future. We need to make this point clear to Eldest Brother Lin and Sister-in-law."
When the two returned home, they saw Qiqi with her bottom stuck in the air, her head buried in the blanket. The main point was, this was where the couple slept!
Nan Sheng went over and patted her. "Don't be angry, my girl. Mom brought you some delicious food. You eat first, and later I'll tell you if your new sister-in-law is pretty or not."
Hearing about a new sister-in-law, Siqi couldn't control her curiosity and pulled her head out of the blanket. "Is she pretty? I won't agree if she's ugly!"
Nan Sheng motioned for her to eat first. By the time she finished, Sicheng had also returned. Nan Sheng said mischievously, "Go ask your second brother!"
Qiqi was truly obedient and immediately surrounded her second brother, firing off questions. "Second brother, second brother, is the new sister-in-law pretty? Do you like her? Are you going to get married? Say something!"
Sicheng's face was almost buried in the ground. Thinking of that tall and slender figure, his face couldn't help but burn.
He really hadn't expected such a beautiful girl to like him, and to even confess her feelings to him right at his doorstep. He still felt like he was dreaming.
Nan Sheng also joined in teasing Sicheng. "Did you hear what your sister said? If you don't like her, I'll go and decline the offer. We shouldn't delay the girl's marriage prospects."
"Second Aunt, don't. I didn't say I don't like her!"
Sicheng was truly at a loss. Usually, he talked no less than Qiqi, but right now, a wave of shyness hit him, making him incredibly tongue-tied.
Lin Han told him about the Xiao family's situation. "The Xiao family has very good conditions. Although you young couple can apply to live in the family building after getting married, your living habits will definitely be different."
Nan Sheng explained on her husband's behalf, "Yes, that child Wanru gets quite a lot of military allowance every month as an art troop soldier. She spends it all herself, and sometimes her parents even have to subsidize her. She is used to spending money freely, which is completely different from you. If you can't accept this, even if you get married, you'll fight often. And don't think about changing her habits. She spends the money she earns herself. You can't expect her to live a worse life after marriage than before, right?"
Mrs. Xiao also felt that her daughter spent money too extravagantly, always buying things like vanishing cream, eyebrow pencils, and lipstick, and expressed hope that she would be more frugal after marriage.
Sicheng, however, didn't think this was a problem. "Second Aunt, a girl should dress up beautifully. She can spend the allowance she earns herself, and I'll give her what I earn too. Anyway, I don't have anywhere to spend money. At worst, I'll just work hard to get promoted and earn more in the future!"
After saying this, Sicheng won Lin Han's approval. The girl didn't have any bad habits; loving food and beauty was perfectly normal. If he could accept it, then he should. If not, he shouldn't belittle her for it.
"Alright then, write a letter back home. If they don't have any objections, we'll settle the marriage. Don't go on any missions for the time being. Spend more time with Wanru and see if your personalities are compatible."
Sicheng was also honest. He withdrew all his savings and handed them to Nan Sheng, saying that no matter what needed to be purchased in the future, he would pay for it himself.
Back in their hometown, they had previously received news that Sicheng agreed to the blind date. Zhou Wei was almost happy enough to set off firecrackers. Over the years, the eldest son's wife had taken a lot of medicine but still hadn't gotten pregnant, leaving them with only one grandson. She was counting on her second son to carry on the family line.
This time, after receiving the letter and hearing that both parties fancied each other and that the girl's family was well-off, she was so thrilled she wanted to go to the capital immediately.
Eldest Brother Lin stopped her. "Why go now? Wait until things are completely settled. Do you think they value us? They just see that our second brother and sister-in-law have respectable jobs."
It wasn't that Eldest Brother Lin looked down on himself; if they went over now, they might just end up causing trouble for their son.
"Remit whatever money we have saved at home to our son. We can't be careless when taking a wife. Our family's conditions aren't good to begin with, so we can't let Xiaocheng be looked down upon by his father-in-law."
Zhou Wei naturally had to listen at this time, but she couldn't keep a secret. Before Sicheng's marriage was even finalized, she had already blabbed about it so the whole village knew.
Sun Qian was naturally green with envy and secretly cursed that the marriage would fall through. Lin Guozheng and Fan Shuting also valued this match quite highly, even asking Zhou Wei if she had enough money. The old couple had saved a little over the years, and if she fell short, they could lend it to her first.
Zhou Wei wanted to borrow it, but Eldest Brother Lin disagreed, so the matter was dropped.
This kid Sicheng was highly proactive once he figured things out. He had the blind date in October, and by the end of the year, the marriage was pretty much settled. The Xiao family, from top to bottom, was very satisfied with him.
Good-looking, articulate, promising, and with no bad habits—such a good young man was popular everywhere.
Lin Han then said, "Call your parents and ask them to come over. No matter how far away they are, the parents must be present to finalize a marriage."
When Eldest Brother Lin's family arrived in the capital, Lin Han personally went to pick them up, and they stayed in the urban area first. The couple felt a bit constrained upon arriving here, terrified that their in-laws would be dissatisfied with them.
Lin Han comforted Eldest Brother Lin, "Eldest Brother, the Xiao family is very nice. Don't overthink it; just treat it like when Sizhong got married."
Zhou Wei also felt uncertain, so Nan Sheng told her, "Your second daughter-in-law is the only daughter in her family. Although her parents spoil her, she has a good personality and can endure hardship. Just say what you need to say when you go, but remember one thing: don't try to lay down rules for your daughter-in-law."
How would Zhou Wei dare? Her second daughter-in-law's father was a brigade commander. What if he got angry and shot her with a gun?
"I have no other requirements, as long as she can give me a grandson."
"You absolutely cannot say that either. The country is implementing family planning this year, and each family can only have one child. If you say you want a grandson, what if she has a granddaughter? Can she stuff her back in? Having a boy or a girl is all up to fate. Eldest Sister-in-law, you must not be foolish about this!"
Zhou Wei verbally promised that she definitely wouldn't say these things, but in her heart, she felt that since she had given birth to two sons, even if her eldest daughter-in-law was a disappointment, her second son would definitely have a son.
The next day, after breakfast, the four of them went to the family compound to visit the Xiao family. Mr. and Mrs. Xiao came out to welcome them with extreme enthusiasm. Knowing that the Lin family had traveled a long way, they didn't beat around the bush and kept the marriage requirements very low.
"Sicheng is an ambitious child. We don't ask for anything else, just that he treats Wanru well in the future. We don't want a bride price. For the three major items, a sewing machine is enough. As for furniture, he can apply for it from the military region and doesn't need to buy it. If you have some spare cash, you can buy a television for the young couple."
Hearing the first part, Zhou Wei felt that the in-laws were too easy to get along with. But upon hearing about the television, she almost fainted. If they bought a television, all of Sicheng's allowance would be eaten up.
Eldest Brother Lin calculated the money and felt that there would still be some left over after buying the TV, enough to host the wedding banquet, so he agreed.
Afterwards, they quickly set the wedding date for the two. They would host a banquet in their hometown, and they also had to host one in the military region.
After discussing the marriage, the two families went out for a meal together, treated by Lin Han. Mrs. Xiao felt that Zhou Wei was a bit petty, but Brigade Commander Xiao said that since they wouldn't be living together anyway, it wasn't a big deal.
Besides, a television was indeed quite expensive, and ordinary families couldn't bear to buy one. The Lin family had already been quite generous.