1987 My Era

Chapter 691, Engagement, Criticism
A courtyard house and four properties in Changsha—this was a truly extravagant undertaking, which stunned Jiang Yue.

She later quietly told her husband, Song Shi, about the news, and he remained silent for a long time as well.

Seeing her husband silently smoking, Jiang Yue said, "If only Li Heng weren't such a womanizer. This son-in-law...sigh..."

Song Shiyong flicked the ash from his cigarette with his little finger: "Difficult. Just like my little sister said, even if Li Heng stays at home and doesn't go out, women will always come to him on their own."

The couple looked at each other and both understood one fact: no matter which man had Li Heng's current status and wealth, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't have only one woman.

This was also the first time Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e had visited Xila Hutong. After touring the three courtyards, Tian Run'e said to her son, "Manzai, did you have this courtyard house renovated?"

The furniture and decorations in this courtyard are even better than those in Old Li's house near Gulou, no wonder she asked that question.

Li Heng replied, "These courtyard houses were bought by Teacher Yu, and she also helped me decorate them."

When Teacher Yu was mentioned, the elderly couple immediately fell silent. Song Yu and her family of three were still in the house; saying more might lead to leaks and overhearing, which would be problematic.

After a quick wash and rest, around 5 p.m., the two families started grocery shopping to prepare for dinner.

Originally, Li Heng wanted to take everyone out to eat, but Song Yu said that cooking at home would create a better atmosphere and promote the relationship between the two families.

This suggestion was unanimously agreed upon, so everyone went to the market and bought some vegetables.

As the sun sets in the west, its rays illuminate the courtyard in a golden glow.

The two families huddled together on the stone benches under the grape trellis, picking and washing vegetables while chatting.

They started by chatting about everyday matters, such as the customs of Yueyang and Shaoyang, fishing stories from Dongting Lake, and anecdotes about their children's childhood. Since both the Song and Li families had come with the intention of making friends, they were quite enthusiastic and the atmosphere was very pleasant.

Dinner consisted of 12 dishes, filling the entire table. This symbolizes prosperity every month, which is considered an extremely auspicious sign in our hometown.

As the head of the male household, Li Jianguo took the initiative to stand up and pour wine for Song Shi and his wife, which was Moutai.

Song Shi and Jiang Yue didn't refuse, and watched with smiles as Li Jianguo poured the wine.

After the wine was poured, Li Jianguo and his wife stood up, raised their glasses and toasted Song Shi and Jiang Yue: "In-laws, this is the first drink we've had at home. It's just a small token of our appreciation. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and help with Li Heng and Yu Bao's matter."

Song Shi and Jiang Yue also stood up, the four of them clinked glasses, and then took a small sip.

After finishing their drinks, they each sat down.

At this moment, Jiang Yue took the opportunity to say, "Since we're talking about Xiao Heng and Yu Bao, Jianguo and Run'e, I have something on my mind, but I don't know if I should say it?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e put down their chopsticks, sat up straight, and looked at Jiang Yue. Tian Run'e said amicably, "Since we are all sitting at this table today, we are family. If you have anything to say, please speak frankly. As long as it is something we can do and do well, we will do it without hesitation."

Seeing the other party's sincere attitude, Jiang Yue no longer stood on ceremony and first asked Li Heng, "Xiao Heng, do you really like our Yu Bao?"

Li Heng reached out and grabbed Song Yu's hand: "I really like it."

Jiang Yue smiled and nodded, then turned to Tian Run'e and her husband again, "Run'e, I won't hide it from you. Because Xiao Heng has come to Dongting Lake several times, now not only do people in our hometown know that he is Yu Bao's fiancé, but even my sisters-in-law's workplaces are spreading the news. This is originally a great thing, and our whole family agrees."

However, I have one request.

At this point, everyone present realized that Jiang Yue's next words were of utmost importance, directly affecting the future of Li Heng and Song Yu's relationship.

Tian Run'e and Li Jianguo exchanged glances, the former maintaining her usual friendly demeanor: "My dear in-law, you speak."

Jiang Yue looked around at everyone, her gaze finally settling on her daughter. She said earnestly, "Song Shi and I only have this one daughter. We've cherished her dearly since she was little. She's also very promising. She got into Peking University, and the man she's dating is a rare gem among men."

Xiao Heng just said he truly loves our Yu Bao. Song Shi and I came to Beijing for one thing: if the two of them remain together, we hope Xiao Heng can openly marry Yu Bao and register their marriage.

The core message is: to enter the Li family openly and legitimately, one must obtain a marriage certificate.

Knowing it would be this, Tian Run'e and Li Jianguo looked at each other again, then looked at Li Heng together.

Jiang Yue and Song Shi also looked at Li Heng.

Li Lan also looked at Li Heng.

Only Song Yu sat demurely in her seat, her gaze fixed on her wine glass, her eyes serene. They say true gold fears no fire, and now was the time to test Li Heng, but she trusted him.

As expected, Li Heng did not disappoint her.

Before everyone had had to wait long, Li Heng squeezed Song Yu's hand tightly again, looked at her affectionately, and said, "Of course, I am more than willing to marry Song Yu. Not only will I marry her, but I will also marry her in the traditional Chinese wedding of our ancestors, and have a grand wedding so that everyone can bless us."

Li Heng wasn't making this up without reason, because in her previous life, Song Yu loved watching short videos of traditional Chinese weddings. Although she had never mentioned the word "marriage" to Li Heng, she longed for it deep down.

So he catered to their preferences.

In front of everyone, Song Yu's indifference vanished after receiving Li Heng's promise, replaced by a smile full of emotion. She parted her red lips slightly and said softly, "Okay."

Seeing that the two young girls were in love, Tian Run'e happily chimed in, saying to Song Shi and Jiang Yue, "Such a good girl, our Li family will not be unruly. We will definitely marry Yu Bao into our family with great ceremony."

Jiang Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance with her husband, smiled and nodded, then raised her glass and toasted Tian Run'e and her husband in return.

After the elders finished drinking, Li Heng poured wine, stood up, and pulled Song Yu to say to Jiang Yue and his wife, "Dad, Mom, Song Yu and I toast you to thank you for raising Song Yu all these years. Please rest assured, I will take good care of her from now on."

This change of heart surprised Jiang Yue and Song Shi. After drinking with the two younger ones, they stood up and ran to the bedroom, where they immediately gave each of them a red envelope.

Li Heng and Song Yu accepted the red envelopes and said, "Thank you, Mom."

Afterwards, the two poured more wine and addressed Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e, saying, "Dad, Mom, Song Yu and I would like to toast you. After you finish drinking, please give your daughter-in-law a red envelope."

Everyone laughed.

For the first time ever, Song Yu blushed and said, "Dad, Mom, I toast you."

"Oh, thank you, Yu Bao." Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e felt flattered and overwhelmed by the toast from their beautiful daughter-in-law. They quickly responded, their smiles practically reaching their foreheads.

After the four finished their drinks, Li Jianguo and Tian Run'e, as expected, pulled out two large red envelopes, each containing 1200 yuan.
Song Yu accepted the two red envelopes: "Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom."

Tian Run'e smiled and patted Song Yu's hand: "I wish you happiness, a fulfilling life, and a long and happy marriage."

Song Yu smiled and thanked her again.

Looking at all this, Li Lan thought to herself: Now you treat Song Yu like a treasure, but later you'll have a lot of headaches with those other women.

This meal was essentially an engagement banquet. The two families enjoyed themselves immensely, and by the end, both Li Jianguo and Song Shi were slightly tipsy.

Jiang Yue helped her husband to the bedroom, closed the door and whispered, "Finally, the thing I was most worried about has been resolved. Li Heng has not let me down."

Song Shi plopped down on the edge of the bed, lit a cigarette, and smiled without saying a word.

Jiang Yue asked, "Why are you just smiling?"

Song Shi said, "If Yu Bao is happy, then I am happy."

How could he not be happy? He's a doting father, doing everything for his wife and daughter. Tonight, his daughter smiled throughout the meal, a rare sight indeed. Jiang Yue sat down next to her husband: "Before leaving home, I thought this trip wouldn't go smoothly, and I thought I'd have to do a lot of persuading. I didn't expect Run'e and her husband to be so understanding."

Song Shi asked, "Why do you think that way?"

Jiang Yue named two names: "Yu Shuheng and Zhou Shihe. These two women are not simple. I think Run'e and her husband will feel a lot of pressure when facing them."

Song Shi, with a cigarette between his fingers, nodded slowly.

....
And sure enough, Jiang Yue and her husband were right.

In the west bedroom, Tian Run'e and Li Jianguo were sitting on the left bed, while Li Lan sat in the chair opposite them.

Tian Run'e asked her daughter, "Lanlan, it's so late, aren't you going to rest?"

After glancing at her parents, Li Lan asked, "Are you satisfied with Song Yu?"

Tian Run'e said, "Is this still not satisfactory? Can you find something even more satisfactory? There's something I'm not sure if it's true, it feels very mysterious."

Li Lan asked, "What is it?"

Tian Run'e said, "When I first saw Yu Bao at the airport, I had a sense of déjà vu, as if we had known each other for a long time. I felt like she was our Li family's daughter-in-law."

Li Jianguo chimed in, "You feel the same way?"

Tian Run'e retorted, "Do you have one too?"

Under the watchful eyes of the mother and daughter, Li Jianguo nodded: "Although this is our first formal meeting, Song Yu has made a very good impression on me. Just like Run'e said, it's as if we've known each other for a long time. Perhaps she was a member of the Li family in her past life."

Li Lan frowned: "Is there really such a magical thing in the world? Isn't it just because Song Yu has a good appearance and temperament?"

Tian Run'e shook her head: "Zhou Shihe is a pretty girl with a good temperament, but your father and I are intimidated as soon as we see her."

Li Lan pouted: "That's because you two are useless, you lack confidence, and you surrendered before you even started getting to know each other, thinking that our Li family is not good enough for such a good daughter-in-law."

Tian Run'e was speechless. She opened her mouth, but couldn't find any words to refute it.

Li Jianguo asked his second daughter, "You've seen Zhou Shihe several times in Shanghai. What do you think is the biggest difference between that girl and Song Yu?"

This topic piqued Tian Run'e's interest, and she couldn't help but perk up her ears.

Li Lan thought for a moment and said, "Let's not talk about their looks and temperament. I can't say whether they are better or worse, and I can't say who is better."

If my brother really marries Song Yu, our household will be peaceful and we'll live a good life. But I can't control the women outside of his marriage.

"But if it were Zhou Shihe, my personal feeling is that those women outside wouldn't be able to cause much trouble; they'd probably be completely under her thumb. This would, to a certain extent, ensure the strength and legitimacy of the Li family's direct line."

Tian Run'e asked, "What if it were Teacher Yu instead?"

Li Lanheng rolled her eyes.

Tian Run'e asked, puzzled, "You don't think highly of Shuheng?"

Li Lan commented: "If I were the younger brother, I would marry Yu Shuheng. That way, I could give him the greatest freedom, pamper him, and use the family's influence to keep other women in check. Uh, this woman doesn't include Zhou Shihe."

My woman's intuition tells me that Yu Shuheng is no match for Zhou Shihe, and might even lose to her in the future.

Not only Yu Shuheng, but Song Yu, who currently holds a favorable position, might also suffer a setback. She could also fall into Zhou Shihe's hands.

Li Jianguo was taken aback: "You're so biased towards the Zhou family's daughter?"

Li Lan nodded and then shook her head. "It's not about bias. Around the Dragon Boat Festival, I went to Shaodong to attend Grandpa Maisui's funeral on behalf of my younger brother. During that time, I talked a lot with Maisui."

Do you think, between the lines, the wheat ear is most biased towards whom?

Tian Run'e said, "I heard that Mai Sui and Song Yu are very close. Could it be Song Yu?"

Li Lan scoffed, "Yes and no. I deliberately set many traps to test Mai Sui those few days. After a week of conversations, I came to a conclusion: Mai Sui likes Song Yu and Zhou Shihe the most, but admires Zhou Shihe the most, and is also the one she dislikes the most."

I asked my younger brother today, and he said Mai Sui is now in Yuhang, with Zhou Shihe.

Li Jianguo asked, "Fear? Why do you say that?"

Li Lan crossed her legs and said, "Don't you all know? Besides Song Yu, I guess Zhou Shihe, Xiao Han, and Mai Sui are the ones who have won my brother's heart the most right now. My brother has emphasized many times that he wants to marry Song Yu and wants to have Mai Sui with him all the time."

Imagine being able to take someone with you anytime, anywhere—how much must you love them? How much must you be pampered? What's the difference between this and marrying them? The only difference is a marriage certificate.

But Mai Sui both likes Zhou Shihe and deeply admires and fears her. What does this mean? It means that Zhou Shihe has used her influence to subtly infiltrate Mai Sui and win her heart. All of this is undoubtedly aimed at her younger brother.

Everyone is having a great time today, and I shouldn't spoil the fun.

But I still want to remind you to prepare yourselves mentally for the possibility of facing Zhou Shihe and her family at any time in the future.

Tian Run'e asked blankly, "Lanlan, are you so sure?"

Li Lan analyzed, "If Song Yu were to graduate from university now, Zhou Shihe's chances of turning the tables would be less than 30%. But don't forget, my brother will be staying at Fudan University for another two years, or even longer. That's Zhou Shihe's home turf, and with Mai Sui's help, I can't even imagine what the future holds."

Upon hearing this, Tian Run'e and Li Jianguo, who had just been filled with joy, froze and fell into deep thought.

After a while, Tian Run'e asked, "And what about Teacher Yu? Did he really not do anything at all?"

Li Lan stretched and said, "Yu Shuheng's path is too upright, but she's also late to the game, so she's at a disadvantage from the start. Plus, your precious son is very greedy, so he doesn't dare to touch her now, making it difficult to get married even if she gets pregnant."

This is what they mean by "even a clever cook can't cook without rice."

If nothing unexpected happens, and if Yu Shuheng doesn't change her ways, in the end, she might not even be able to defeat Xiao Han, let alone Zhou Shihe.

Tian Run'e felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, and sighed, "I quite like Teacher Yu. Apart from being a bit older, he's perfect in every way."

Li Lan asked in surprise, "Aren't you afraid of Teacher Yu?"

After a moment's hesitation, Tian Run'e said, "The Yu family did put a lot of pressure on your father and me, but Teacher Yu's understanding helped us overcome many of our stubborn prejudices. She visited our hometown twice, and we got along very well. At that time, I really hoped that she could keep your younger brother in check."

Li Lan questioned, "Control him? Judging from your tone, you didn't encourage Yu Shuheng to get pregnant and have a child first to control your younger brother, did you?"

Tian Run'e guessed correctly on the first try and acquiesced.

Seeing this, Li Lan suddenly clapped her hands, stood up, and walked away briskly.

Before leaving, Li Lan couldn't help but complain, "I really doubt how you two, who both seem so dull, could have such a brilliant daughter like me. Am I really your daughter, or was I adopted?"
You two are such terrible teammates! Even the gods in heaven, knowing your lousy ideas and constant mishaps, would be tempted to smash their heads against a block of tofu and die.

Tian Run'e's eyelids twitched, and she felt an urge to punch someone.

Li Jianguo: "..."

(End of this chapter)