Chapter 70

*Extra: Marriage Arc — Meeting the Parents.*
As for marriage, Qin Sang had also sought Wen Shuyu’s opinion. Before returning from Beijing to Ningjiang, Qin Sang first went with Xie Yuncheng to meet his family.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the prospective granddaughter-in-law was coming to visit. The whole extended family started bustling from five in the morning. Old Madam Xie personally took charge in the kitchen; her daughter-in-law helped on the side. Even several of the Xie uncles weren’t idle—people were sent to clean the house inside and out all over again. Even though they’d already swept and dusted before the New Year, this was the first time Xie Yuncheng had ever brought his girlfriend home. Of course they couldn’t treat it lightly.
When it came to arranging rooms, it was a bit difficult. Xie Yuncheng’s eldest uncle asked Old Madam Xie for her opinion. “In principle it’s more proper for them to stay separately, but the west wing was renovated before the New Year and still hasn’t been put in order. I’m afraid it can’t be lived in right now.”
The Xie family had deep roots and a huge household, with many descendants. They rarely gathered all together in ordinary times, but for the New Year they always returned to accompany the two elders for Spring Festival. Although there were plenty of rooms, the west wing had caught fire last year and had to be rebuilt. Before New Year, there were still a few minor finishing tasks that hadn’t been completed. To arrange someone to stay there now would be inappropriate.
“In that case, let the two kids squeeze a little. Free up one clean empty room and make sure it’s tidied impeccably,” Old Madam Xie said. “This is Sang-sang’s first formal visit. Everything must be prepared properly—with her as the priority.”
Old Madam Xie continued, “Our family isn’t some archaic feudal household, but a girl comes cleanly and properly to visit elders. Their relationship is their business, but when she comes to the door, you can’t damage her reputation. It’s better they stay separately. You can squeeze, that’s fine—just don’t let Sang-sang feel wronged or neglected.”
The eldest uncle thought it made sense and immediately agreed. “Alright. I’ll arrange it right now.”
Everyone in the Xie household was busy preparing to welcome her, and she wasn’t idle either. As they neared the door, she couldn’t help feeling nervous—her palms were sweating.
Xie Yuncheng noticed her fear and soothed her softly. “Don’t be afraid. They’re easy to get along with.”
“I’m not afraid. I’m nervous.”
It had been a long time since she’d felt so nervous her hands and feet trembled.
When they arrived at the Xie home, Qin Sang still felt a bit constrained. But unexpectedly, the Xie family was far easier to get along with than she’d imagined.
When she entered, everyone was still busy—they didn’t stop what they were doing.
A beautiful middle-aged woman noticed her first. She hurriedly set down her work and came forward with a smile. “This must be Sang-sang, right? Seeing you in person, you’re even prettier than on last night’s Spring Festival Gala. Xiaochen, you really are blessed. If your cousin had even half your taste, I’d be so much less worried.”
Qin Sang looked to Xie Yuncheng for help. A faint smile flickered through his eyes, and he went along smoothly. “Third Aunt.”
Qin Sang understood and obediently greeted her. “Third Aunt, Happy New Year.”
“Good girl, good girl.” The woman pulled out a red envelope and shoved it into her hand. “Take it. Just a little bit of Third Aunt’s goodwill—you’re not allowed to refuse.”
Hearing that, Qin Sang could only accept it. Her worries and nerves seemed to vanish in an instant. She smiled gracefully. “Thank you, Third Aunt.”
“Ah—right.” The woman suddenly remembered something, looked around, then called out to a housekeeper who was cleaning. “Xiao Cui, have you seen Qingqing? Where did that kid run off to again? Wasn’t she making a huge fuss yesterday about wanting to meet her sister-in-law? Go—send someone to call her. Her sister-in-law is here and she’s still hiding—what kind of behavior is that.”
Then she turned back to Qin Sang with a smile and explained, “Sang-sang, don’t mind it. My kid is just loud and reckless, but she’s your die-hard film fan. Later when you meet her, please don’t get scared.”
Third Aunt spoke with genuine worry, giving her a warning in advance—afraid that when Xie Zhiqing got carried away, her over-the-top personality might frighten Qin Sang.
Before Qin Sang could reply, a soft, sweet voice came from behind:
“Pretty sister! Little uncle!”
Huanhuan had just woken up from her nap and was being carried out. When she saw Xie Yuncheng and Qin Sang, the little girl—who had been yawning sleepily a moment ago—lit up immediately. She patted the nanny’s hand to signal to be put down.
Then she pitter-pattered over in a flash, ran up to Qin Sang, spread her arms, and said, “Sister, hug.”
Qin Sang remembered her. During that video call, the little girl had still been in the hospital—weak and listless. Now she looked much more lively.
Seeing her with her arms out asking for a hug, Qin Sang’s heart softened. She bent down, and the little girl nestled into her arms, clinging warmly. She rubbed her cheek against Qin Sang’s and asked in a particularly affectionate voice, “Pretty sister, did you come to see Huanhuan?”
“Yes. Are you feeling better, Huanhuan? I also brought you a gift.”
Qin Sang had picked it out herself. She didn’t know what children liked, so she’d even asked classmates who already had kids.
Huanhuan was a lovable little girl—and so was Qin Sang. The two girls chatted together. Huanhuan clung to Qin Sang especially; a child who usually refused to be held by anyone now stayed obediently in Qin Sang’s arms, so well-behaved it made your heart melt.
By the time it was time for dinner, Qin Sang finally met everyone in the Xie family. Before coming, she already knew the Xies had many relatives, but she hadn’t expected that once they sat down, seating would be strictly by seniority: the younger generation together, the elders at the main seats.
But Qin Sang was the important guest today, so everything centered on her. Xie Yuncheng and Qin Sang sat at the main table. Other relatives who’d come to pay New Year visits also came over to greet them.
It was also then that Qin Sang finally met the “Qingqing” Third Aunt had mentioned—also a young girl, just started college, only eighteen. The moment she saw Qin Sang, her eyes lit up and she was so excited she spun around and ran off.
Qin Sang was a little confused. Everyone else acted as if it were normal. Xie Zhiqing had always been like that—she was wind and rain in one, doing whatever she pleased. When she was little in the Xie household, she’d drag the younger kids around all day, either climbing trees to pick fruit or running to the nearby arcade to play, playing all day long. The whole family would be frantic, searching everywhere for them. And she—after eating and drinking her fill—would stroll home on her own. When they finally returned, they’d find the girl asleep in the inner room, snoring away.
The speaker had no intention, but the listener did. Qin Sang felt oddly guilty. Thinking back, she hadn’t been much better as a child either—running around everywhere with Yan-yan. Later, after she started school, Yan-yan collected trash to help make ends meet, and she went with her, rummaging store by store. If there were discarded cardboard boxes or plastic bottles, they’d save them up and sell them together.
Sometimes they got home too late, and she’d take Yan-yan to eat rice noodles—Ningjiang rice noodles were a local specialty, the pride of Jiangnan.
Xie Zhiqing dashed back to her room and then immediately ran back. Turns out she wasn’t shy—she’d gone to fetch things. She came back with an armful of all sorts of items: Qin Sang’s photo cards, a fan-club T-shirt, and a pile of support merch. Her eyes sparkled as she said, “S-Sang-sang… wife! C-can you sign for me?”
Qin Sang was startled by the sheer spectacle. She’d thought Xie Zhiqing had something important to say, but after stumbling for ages, it turned out she just wanted an autograph.
Qin Sang suddenly laughed. “Sure. You want me to sign on these?”
Xie Zhiqing nodded like a pecking chicken. Her face was red and she didn’t dare look at Qin Sang directly, but inside she was screaming: Ahhh my wife’s smile is so sweet and gentle—so soft—I want to hug her so badly!
Even the Xie family laughed: the little demon king who was usually afraid of nothing actually knew how to tuck her tail and behave today.
When a middle-aged man came over with his wife and daughter to greet them, his first sentence nearly scared Qin Sang to death. He raised his glass to toast and said, “Little grand-uncle, little grand-aunt, Happy New Year. I hope we’ll have the honor of hearing your good news this year.”
Qin Sang choked on her water and coughed hard. After the man left with his wife and daughter, Qin Sang still hadn’t recovered. “Grand… uncle?”
Xie Yuncheng smiled and poured her a cup of warm water. “That’s what the clan genealogy says. The ‘Yun’ generation is ranked earlier.”
“So complicated.”
So that’s how big aristocratic families were—rules this complex.
Her own family was much simpler. Qin Dahai didn’t have many siblings, and Wen Shuyu only had two blood siblings.
Not complicated, the structure was transparent—unlike the Xie family: a huge crowd. Could you even tell who was who?
“Don’t worry,” Xie Yuncheng chuckled. “Today just happens to be the first day of the New Year. They’re here to pay respects as usual. In the future, you won’t have many chances to meet them.”
The Xie family only got lively during holidays. Usually everyone had their own duties and their own work, and it was rare to gather. Besides, Old Master Xie had already retired and brought his wife back to Ningjiang to live out their retirement. Even if someone wanted to curry favor through connections, they wouldn’t be able to find them. If it weren’t for the New Year, the two elders probably wouldn’t have returned to the old residence to manage things.
Old Madam Xie genuinely liked Qin Sang; otherwise she wouldn’t have made such a fuss—getting up early to oversee everyone’s preparations, even cooking personally.
Qin Sang had a good temper, a gentle personality, and spoke softly, with the uniquely sweet, soft accent of a southerner. She coaxed the old madam into smiling from ear to ear. The old madam held her hand and, right there, slid off the jade bangle she was wearing and put it onto Qin Sang’s wrist.
At first, Qin Sang didn’t know what the bangle meant. Only when Third Aunt reminded her did she learn it had been passed down to Old Madam Xie by her own mother-in-law. Old Madam Xie hadn’t passed it to her daughters-in-law—she’d given it to Qin Sang. Qin Sang refused no matter what.
Old Madam Xie patted her hand. “Take it. If I gave it to you, it’s yours. Sang-sang, don’t treat this bangle like some incredible treasure. No matter how valuable it is, it’s still just a dead object. Grandma gave it to you because she truly likes you—nothing more. Even if today you weren’t coming as Xiaochen’s girlfriend, and were just an ordinary younger generation paying a visit, Grandma would still give it to you.”
Old Madam Xie pitied her from the bottom of her heart. At first, she only felt Qin Sang’s works were good. And with Xie Zhiqing chattering in her ear all day long, she learned how hard this girl had fought her way up on her own.
So the gift had nothing to do with anything else. She simply liked Qin Sang—and wanted to hand the bangle to her.
After dinner, aside from the two elders—too old to keep going and returning to their rooms to rest—no one else had left. Everyone found their own amusements. Several uncles were talking about work with Xie Yuncheng; mostly elders asked and Xie Yuncheng answered.
And Qin Sang had basically become the Xie family’s most beloved “group pet.” Xie Zhiqing and Huanhuan even competed for her attention. If Third Aunt hadn’t come to rescue her—calling the nanny to carry Huanhuan back to sleep, and using elder authority to send Xie Zhiqing back to her room—Qin Sang might have been pulled apart by the two of them.
Third Aunt dragged Qin Sang over to play mahjong. Qin Sang hesitated. “I’m not very good at mahjong.”
“It’s fine.” Third Aunt linked arms with her and led her inside. “Just play a couple rounds for fun. After a few times you’ll get the hang of it—it’s easy. Anyway we’re all family. No one will bully you for being new.”
Qin Sang wasn’t lying—she really didn’t know how to play. After several rounds, she still hadn’t figured out the winning rules, and she’d thrown out quite a bit of money—mostly the New Year’s money she’d received tonight from various uncles.
When Xie Yuncheng came over, what he saw was a girl sitting under the lights, her brows and eyes holding a warm, gentle sheen. She pursed her lips, looking a little troubled. An apricot-colored knit dress made her look even more soft and jade-like.
Maybe because she was from the south: no matter how standard her Mandarin was, her voice still carried that soft, warm southern lilt. “I think… I lost again.”
Third Aunt laughed. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Give and take. Losing is winning. Next round, when your luck gets better, maybe you’ll win it all back at once.”
“Exactly,” Second Aunt agreed. “Sang-sang, that’s how cards are—sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Someone like Xiaochen is rare.”
Qin Sang was curious. “He… is he really good at cards?”
Third Aunt nodded. As if thinking of something, she smiled. “You two are extremes. Xiaochen has never lost at cards. We don’t dare play with him.”
“Oh—”
Second Aunt noticed Xie Yuncheng. “Speak of the devil. Look—he’s here, isn’t he?”
Qin Sang turned and saw the young man leaning at the doorway, smiling at her, his gaze soft as water.
Second Aunt teased. “Youth is so good. Honey and oil. My husband and I haven’t been this clingy in years. Look at them—can’t bear to be apart even a moment. The second he gets time, he runs over to find her.”
Qin Sang was teased into not daring to look at him directly. But Xie Yuncheng looked as calm as ever. He walked in, his hand naturally resting behind her chair back, and asked in a low voice, “Lose a lot?”
Qin Sang glanced at him secretly and nodded. “A lot. All the New Year’s money I got from the uncles is gone.”
Xie Yuncheng raised a brow. “It’s fine. I’ll help you win it back.”
Third Aunt surrendered immediately. “No, no—that won’t do. Who substitutes in mahjong? I’m not playing with you.”
“I won’t play. Let Sang-sang play with you. I’ll just watch from the side—no problem, right?”
Xie Yuncheng’s lips curved. “Third Aunt, my Sang-sang hasn’t played before. You dragged a newbie here to play—aren’t you bullying her too?”
“Fine. If you put it like that, and I still refuse, wouldn’t that make me a bully—using my seniority to pick on the young?”
Third Aunt said it like that, but she wasn’t angry at all.
They played a few more rounds after that. Xie Yuncheng watched from the side. He rarely interfered; only when Qin Sang truly couldn’t decide would she glance at him secretly, asking his opinion with her eyes. A few rounds later, not only did she earn back what she’d lost—she even won quite a bit of scattered change.
In the end, the two aunts surrendered and begged for mercy. “Not playing, not playing. If we keep going, the money in my little stash will be squeezed dry by you two.”
With the mahjong buddies gone, there was nothing left to play.
When they returned to their room, Qin Sang happily began counting her spoils. “I really won so much!”
It was her first time winning so much money at mahjong. She was completely immersed in the joy of winning. Seeing her smile so brightly, hugging the red envelopes with satisfied delight—so docile and sweet—Xie Yuncheng smiled, his gaze especially gentle. “Winning money makes you this happy?”
“Mm.” Mahjong itself wasn’t what made her happy, and the money itself wasn’t that big a deal, but the feeling of “first time playing and actually winning” was different. The happiness stacked. The joy of harvest rose in multiples.
Seeing her clutch them so tightly, the softness in Xie Yuncheng’s eyes deepened. “Then from now on, all the money I win will be yours to manage—okay?”
Before she could even process it, his presence completely filled her vision—then her sense of smell, her sense of touch. Dazed, she was lifted and pressed to sit on the desk. The height fit perfectly, making up for their height difference. His scent was cool and clean, yet strong. He pried open her lips and teeth, coaxing her bit by bit into the chaotic winter night. Outside the window, someone was still setting off fireworks—booming, dazzling. Colored light fell across her eyes and brows. Her breathing turned uneven. A thin layer of mist gathered in her eyes. She braced on his shoulder for support, but her body was soft and boneless, her limbs slack, as if all strength had been drained in an instant.
He kissed down inch by inch. The fine, dense kisses were like rain threads. His lips were slightly cool, and on her skin they stirred shivers. When she managed to collect herself enough to look at him, his eyes were like a gentle deep sea, rippling with warmth. His voice was tender beyond belief.
“What I mean is…”
“Sang-sang, let’s get married.”