The man held Jiang Mian's hand tightly, as if not allowing her to retreat.
He said in a low voice, "Grandpa, where is Mom?"
Old Master Ji glared at him, "The first time you bring a girl home, and you're looking for your mother before entertaining her?"
Jiang Mian stirred her palm, silently telling herself not to be nervous.
She took a deep breath, then her eyes curved into a sweet smile as she greeted, "Hello, Grandpa."
Old Master Ji beamed with delight, "Good, good, good, what a lovely young girl. Sit down first."
Jiang Mian sat down next to Ji Zhixiu.
"Dad, I'm going out today. My beauty salon card has expired. You and Zhilan eat lunch by yourselves..." Mother Ji slowly came downstairs, her gaze trailing off as she noticed Ji Zhixiu.
A sense of foreboding crept into her heart.
Ji Zhixiu stood up and greeted her, "Mom, good morning." He glanced down at Jiang Mian and said softly, "Say hello."
Jiang Mian instinctively followed his lead, "Mom..."
Mother Ji was still a bit dazed and responded reflexively, "Mm... Mm?"
She walked up to the two of them. She was no stranger to the young girl before her; Zhilan had mentioned her frequently.
But seeing the current situation, Mother Ji frowned, her gaze filled with scrutiny, "What is this?"
"My wife, your daughter-in-law." His voice was calm.
This bombshell of a revelation made Mother Ji's ears ring. She wished she could faint, but suppressed the urge and, without looking at Jiang Mian, gritted her teeth and said to Ji Zhixiu, "Come upstairs."
Ji Zhixiu said in a low voice, "You stay down here and keep Grandpa company. Wait for me, alright?"
Jiang Mian nodded obediently.
The two of them went upstairs.
Old Master Ji then spoke, "I brewed some jasmine tea myself. Would you like to try some?"
Jiang Mian was flattered and leaned forward, taking the teacup with both hands, "Thank you, Grandpa."
She took a small sip and exclaimed with surprise, "It smells so good!"
"How is it, not bad, right? I picked the jasmine myself. It's a shame only I like to drink it. If you like it, I'll have the maids pack a tin for you to take back later."
The old man's demeanor was kind, and Jiang Mian felt a little more at ease.
She nodded, "Thank you, Grandpa."
"No need to be so polite. You're family from now on. Tell me about Xiu'er and your story?"
...
The study.
"Ji Zhixiu, do you still have any regard for me as your mother!" Mother Ji exclaimed angrily.
"This is my fault. It was wrong of me not to tell Mom about getting the marriage certificate privately. Mom's anger is justified. I only hope Mom won't take it out on her because of this."
Mother Ji's anger was within his expectations, and Ji Zhixiu was not surprised. Since he had decided to confess, he was not afraid of her furious reaction.
"Fine, this is truly fine." Mother Ji sneered in anger, "Even now, you're still defending her. When Zhilan told me you had a woman around, I didn't take it seriously. Sons grow up, it's normal for them to have someone. But I never expected you to even get married. Bringing her into the house so openly, and I was even introducing you to Miss Jing. It's a complete joke!"
Ji Zhixiu frowned and poured a cup of tea, handing it to her, "Calm down."
Mother Ji slapped his hand away with a loud crack.
A few drops of tea splashed onto Ji Zhixiu's wrist, quickly reddening it.
Mother Ji's eyes flickered, and she suppressed herself again. She sat back down, unsure if she felt disappointed or something else.
"How long has it been?"
"We got married in 2021," Ji Zhixiu paused, then answered truthfully. He looked up, his gaze not lingering on his hand, but fixed steadily on Mother Ji.
"If Mother accepts her, I can handle the Jing family. I can give them three percent of the new project. It won't make Mother lose face."
Mother Ji rubbed her forehead. This son of hers had always been so determined since he was young.
He had never been swayed by personal gain in official matters, and now he was proactively offering a concession. He had gone this far for this woman.
"You're truly something. Secretly married for years, keeping a mistress. And you only tell me today. I'm curious, since you didn't want me to know, why are you telling me now? Is it just because I arranged for Miss Jing?" Mother Ji's lips curled into a cold smile.
Her eyes, identical to Ji Zhixiu's, were now sharp.
"I want one more person to care for her," he said softly, his usually sharp brows now softened, his voice gentler.
When speaking of Jiang Mian, Ji Zhixiu's eyes held a different kind of sparkle.
"Mom will like her, she's very cute and lively," he paused, then added, "She'll play mahjong with Mom too."
"Heh, do I lack mahjong partners?"
"Mom has good sportsmanship, so of course she doesn't lack. I want to find Mom a companion," Ji Zhixiu complimented her subtly.
Mother Ji almost burst out laughing. Her stoic son could even praise someone indirectly.
Remembering the current situation, Mother Ji became serious again. "Don't change the subject. I do not agree to this marriage."
"Does Mom know how we met?" Ji Zhixiu didn't rush to persuade her to accept Jiang Mian, but instead brought up another matter.
"She's from Qizhen Town in Jiangnan. Mom should remember, we went to that place years ago, right?"
Mother Ji's gaze drifted into memory. "I remember..."
Of course, she remembered. That year, Ji Zhixiu was fifteen, and that woman had come to their door. She had taken her son and left the Ji family, going to the water towns of Jiangnan.
She had waited desperately for that man to come and pick her up.
In the end, it was all in vain.
"She's the little girl from next door who lived with her grandmother," Ji Zhixiu's voice rang out again.
Mother Ji had no impression of this. At the time, she had no energy to pay attention to others, her sole focus was waiting for Father Ji to pick her up.
"I don't remember," Mother Ji's emotions were not good when old matters were brought up. Her tone was cold.
"I remember, you were in a bad mood then, and you punished me by making me stand in the courtyard. Only she voluntarily approached me and spoke to me," he said this with a flat tone, not blaming anyone.
But Mother Ji could hear a hint of grievance.
She slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on this son whom she had always been proud of.
"Do you really like her that much?"
"I love her," the man's voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
Mother Ji smiled bitterly and relented, "Let her stay at the Ji residence for a while."
Ji Zhixiu pondered for a moment, "Then I'll move back too."
Hearing this, Mother Ji gave him an exasperated look. "What, you afraid I'll eat her?"
"I'm afraid she won't know how to please Mother," he replied.
"Get out." Mother Ji was well-bred and never swore.
She really couldn't help it this time. What did he take her for? A blatant lack of trust in her as a mother.
Ji Zhixiu nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, "Alright, thank you, Mom. Then I'll take her and leave now."
"Come back for dinner tomorrow."
The door closed. Mother Ji looked at the teacup on the table.
Then she slowly raised her hand, picked up the teacup, and lifted the lid. The aroma of the tea wafted out, and the steam blurred her vision.
He had grown up. This child had played on her emotions. He had never mentioned the past in Jiangnan before, for fear of hurting her or making her feel guilty.
On the way back, Jiang Mian was still a bit dazed.
Had she just met the parents?
When they arrived home, Ji Zhixiu saw the young girl still sitting in the passenger seat.
He leaned in and pinched her soft cheek, "What, Grandpa wasn't scary, was he?"
Jiang Mian snapped back to reality, got out of the car holding the tea tin, and followed him a step behind, her lips curved into a smile, "Grandpa was very nice."
He was as kind and benevolent an elder as her own grandmother.
Ji Zhixiu's steps paused, and he walked alongside her, "Grandpa never gives this jasmine tea to anyone. He picked it himself from a jasmine tea garden in another place. It was dried using several ancient techniques."
Hearing Ji Zhixiu say this, Jiang Mian suddenly felt the weight of the tea tin in her hands.
"Then is it not good for me to take it back..." Jiang Mian hesitated.
"No, Grandpa likes you, that's why he gave it to you," Ji Zhixiu put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, gently comforting the girl who had been startled all morning, "Don't overthink it."
Jiang Mian looked up at him, "What about you? You..."
Jiang Mian wanted to say "your mother" but felt it was wrong. She closed her mouth and changed her approach, "Did you... did anything happen to you?"
"Mom wants us to move back and live with her for a few days."
Jiang Mian blinked. "You'll stay with me the whole time, right?"
"Yes, I will."
He affirmed her, his voice filled with utmost tenderness.
The doting in his eyes was evident.
Jiang Mian reached out and hugged him. As long as he was there, she had boundless courage.
It's just a mother-in-law, she wasn't afraid anymore.
The next day.
Mother Ji glanced at the time, then turned to the servant, "Has that snow clam sweet soup been stewed? Pay attention to the time."
The servant nodded, "It's already stewing, madam. You've asked twice today. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Old Master Ji smiled at this, "Shuhua, you're nervous."
"Is our family expecting guests?" Father Ji asked blankly.
"Dad," Mother Ji said helplessly, "I just want to do a good job and show our Ji family's hospitality. It was so rushed yesterday."
Old Master Ji didn't expose her, and rustled his newspaper, "You, you're just putting on a brave face."
No one paid attention to Father Ji, and he grumbled in dissatisfaction, "What's going on? Who is coming to our house?"
"Xiu'er is bringing his wife home," Old Master Ji said without looking up.
"When did he get a girlfriend? How come I didn't know?" Father Ji was shocked.
"What would you know? You're busy tending to your ridiculous birds all day," Mother Ji retorted sarcastically.
"Talk about me if you want, but why insult my beloved pets? You're something else," Father Ji didn't want to argue with her and mumbled a few words.
Ji Zhilan slowly came downstairs, "Mom, is it time to eat?"
"Not yet, wait a moment," she called out.
"Wait for what? I'm starving. Why isn't it time to eat yet?"
"Your brother will be back soon."
"Alright," she peeked from the stairs at the dishes on the table and counted, "Forty dishes?? So many dishes! Mom, brother is just coming home for a family meal, why are you making so much?"
"And your sister-in-law," Mother Ji added.
"My sister-in-law?" Ji Zhilan's eyes widened in surprise, "Have they progressed so quickly? They're already meeting the parents? That Miss Jing has some skills."
"It's not her," Mother Ji denied.
This statement simultaneously piqued the curiosity of both Father Ji and Ji Zhilan. If not her, then who could it be?
As they were speaking, the two walked in hand in hand.
Ji Zhixiu said in a deep voice, "We're back."
"Grandpa, Dad, Mom," Ji Zhixiu greeted them in order.
Jiang Mian was wearing a red cotton jacket today. The pockets of the jacket had two fluffy little round balls. The waist was designed with a drawstring, tied into a big bow.
Around her neck was a white scarf the same color as the man's, and she wore a fluffy hat on her head.
On the lower body, she wore blue distressed faded jeans, and on her feet, high-top round-toe boots.
She looked both well-behaved and sweet.
Now leaning against the man's side, the corners of her lips curved into a smile, "Grandpa, Dad, Mom."
Anyone who saw them would say they were a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman.
"Good child, we were waiting for you," Old Master Ji put down his newspaper and said cheerfully.
Ji Zhilan's eyes widened in disbelief, and she exclaimed, "Why is she here?!"