Chapter 73

In May, Zhu Ying came with her daughter and two grandkids for Ji Ling and Bai Jingzhi's wedding.

Originally, according to Ji Ling and Bai Jingzhi's plan, they were going to return during the summer break and get married by the end of the year. However, Ji Ling couldn't take time off recently, and Bai Jingzhi was also busy. Since Ji Ling's family already knew about their relationship, Zhu Ying decided to bring the gifts herself. Ideally, both sets of parents should be involved in such matters.

Ji An worried that it might not be appropriate for her mother to go alone, so she decided to bring her two children along as well.

Ji An had married early; her eldest son was already eleven years old and had taken special leave to come. Her younger daughter was seven and would start school in the second half of the year.

Mother and daughter carried many bags filled with local specialties from their hometown, including homemade cured meats and sausages, as well as nutritional supplements, candies, and cookies bought at the department store.

Jin Xiuzhu and Zhu Ying were quite familiar with each other, and Jin Xiuzhu warmly welcomed them into the house.

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu, Zhu Ying enthusiastically held her hand and praised, "You haven't changed a bit! You looked young before, and you still do. I wonder what you're eating that makes people mistake you for your kids' sister?"

Jin Xiuzhu laughed, "It's not that exaggerated; it's mainly because I don't worry much."

Zhu Ying nodded and said with a smile, "That's true. You and Minmin are both blessed. Your husband is capable, your child is well-behaved, and you can earn money yourself. Unlike my daughter, who is comfortable but doesn't compare to you."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled and greeted Ji An, "This must be Anan. You look just like Ji Ling. Come in and sit down; it's hot outside."

Ji An, with a lively personality, greeted Jin Xiuzhu warmly and called her "sister."

Then she asked her two children to greet Jin Xiuzhu.

The children were a bit shy and hid behind their mother. The elder son, slightly braver, whispered, "Auntie."

Ji An felt a bit embarrassed and glanced at Jin Xiuzhu, "They're both a bit shy."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "It's the same with my kids; they don't like greeting people either. They'll warm up eventually."

Ji An found this comforting, thinking no wonder her mother always said how nice the neighbors were when she visited. Indeed, it was pleasant. When she took her children to visit her husband's military base for the New Year, some military wives criticized her children for not greeting others, which upset her greatly.

Jin Xiuzhu invited everyone inside and served tea and fruits.

Fruits were cheap here, especially lychees. In the past, they were bought individually, but now they could be bought by bunches, fresh and inexpensive.

Jin Xiuzhu brought out lychees, bayberries, and mangoes. Worried they might not know how to eat mangoes, she peeled them and handed them to the children, teaching them to eat the yellow flesh and discard the flat, hard seed.

The children looked at their mother, who nodded, and they quietly said, "Thank you."

Jin Xiuzhu praised, "Very polite."

Zhu Ying laughed and, without being formal, started peeling lychees and eating them. She sighed, "Life is better here; fruits are cheap and delicious. We don't even have lychees back home. Last summer, I bought a few for five cents each."

Jin Xiuzhu sighed, "Life here is good, but it's lonely without friends to chat with. I spend most days painting and reading, which gets boring after a while."

Zhu Ying agreed, "That's true. When I went to the military base with Anan and her husband for the New Year, staying there for twenty days felt like twenty years. It was too quiet and boring. I wouldn't want to go back."

Ji An laughed.

Jin Xiuzhu asked, "Why didn't you move with him?"

Ji An explained, "His position isn't high enough yet. Once he gets promoted, we'll move. Without a father, life is tough for the kids. Many schools in the military bases are convenient and have excellent teachers."

"That's true. My kids struggled initially, saying the teachers here weren't as good as before."

Hearing this, Ji An looked thoughtful, considering the matter more seriously.

In the evening, Zhu Ying helped Jin Xiuzhu prepare dinner. When the three children returned, they were pleasantly surprised to see Zhu Ying. He Yan and Fu Yanyan remembered her and happily circled around her.

Liu Liu stood nearby, tilting her head, not recognizing her at all.

Zhu Ying smiled and patted her head, "You've grown so fast; you were once in my arms."

Jin Xiuzhu laughed, "Time flies."

Liu Liu disliked having her head touched and ran outside to play with the new kids. She told them this was her house and that she was their temporary leader, so they could only play if they followed her.

Ji An's elder son remained silent, but her younger daughter obediently called her "leader."

Liu Liu was delighted and waved her arm, "Follow me then."

Before leaving, she suddenly remembered something and ran to ask Jin Xiuzhu for money to buy snacks for the "soldiers."

Jin Xiuzhu chuckled, "Don't you have pocket money?"

Liu Liu cleverly replied, "I'm hosting them on your behalf, so you should pay."

Jin Xiuzhu pinched her cheek, "You're quite resourceful."

She then gave her five yuan.

Liu Liu happily ran out, shouting, "Charge—"

Zhu Ying found it amusing, "She's so lively."

"Don't envy her; she can be quite a handful."

Jin Xiuzhu asked Fu Yanyan to watch over her sister. Fu Yanyan, sitting outside eating lychees, wiped her hands and chased after them.

Ji An complimented, "Being lively is better. My kids are too quiet; they won't speak up even when wronged."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled and said, "Temperaments are innate; there's no good or bad. I'd prefer a quiet one myself; it can be quite noisy every day."

Ji An laughed at this.

Seeing the pleasant atmosphere, Zhu Ying couldn't help but ask about Bai Jingzhi and Ji Ling. She started by scolding her son, "This child has always had his own ideas since he was young. He never likes to share anything with us. If not for his uncle telling us, we might still be in the dark. His personality is truly worrying. But there is one good thing: he can handle responsibilities and likes to take care of things. If Jingzhi marries my son, she won't have to worry about anything in the future; he'll take care of everything for her."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded, "That's also good."

"Isn't it? My son, Ji Ling, is very capable. He went to a military academy and will continue to advance. His salary is high too. I've been saving his salary all these years. Once they get married, I'll give the money to Jingzhi so she can spend it as she pleases."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "It's good that you have this intention. My daughter-in-law Jingzhi's salary isn't low either. When they live together, their lives will be comfortable."

Zhu Ying laughed, "Indeed. When they have two children, while I'm still able, I can go over and help her."

Ji An saw her mother getting carried away and quickly added, "My brother marrying Jingzhi is like having good fortune from our ancestors. I heard Jingzhi is a university graduate and works at the newspaper in S City. How respectable."

Jin Xiuzhu's smile deepened, "Jingzhi is very talented. Her teachers liked her when she was studying and often asked her to help with translations. They only sought her out, no one else could do it."

Zhu Ying didn't catch the implication and happily said, "I wanted to matchmake Jingzhi with my son Ji Ling before, but I was afraid of making things difficult for you, so I didn't mention it. I didn't expect them to be so fated."

Thinking of Bai Jingzhi becoming her daughter-in-law, Zhu Ying felt proud and happy.

Ji An felt a headache coming on. She knew her mother meant well, but her words seemed to carry another meaning.

She quickly clarified, "My mother really likes Jingzhi. She kept talking about her after returning home, saying she wondered which family would be lucky enough to marry Jingzhi. We didn't expect the luck to fall on us."

Jin Xiuzhu understood Zhu Ying's nature but now stood on Bai Jingzhi's family's side, so her perspective was different.

She accepted Ji An's explanation, "Mingchuan will be back tonight. We can discuss the wedding details then. It's a big event, especially since both of them are busy. We elders need to take care of things."

Zhu Ying nodded in agreement, "That's true."

Ji An watched her mother being led along and couldn't say much more.

Before coming, her aunt and uncle had called to say Bai Jingzhi's brother and sister-in-law were kind people, and sincerity was key.

Jiang Mingchuan returned around eight in the evening, his usual time. Usually, everyone would eat first and leave some food for him. But today, he found several people gathered around a table full of food.

Seeing Zhu Ying sitting at the head of the table, he understood.

Yesterday, Commissioner Zhu had called him, saying Zhu Ying would visit soon. He didn't expect her to come today.

After sitting down, Zhu Ying didn't beat around the bush and directly asked how the wedding would be arranged and which date they should choose.

Ji An almost facepalmed. No wonder her brother didn't want their mother to come; she was too direct.

She quickly added, "In our hometown, there aren't many customs. We wanted to know if you have any traditions to follow?"

Jiang Mingchuan didn't mind and thought for a moment, "Since our families are far apart, the main ceremony should be held in your hometown. We'll handle the escorting here. As for the date, unless something unexpected happens, either the end of this year or early next year would be good, as we'll both be available then."

Ji An nodded, "Alright, how much for the dowry? We need to discuss this."

Zhu Ying, fearing Jiang Mingchuan might think she lacked sincerity, quickly said, "We plan to buy a watch, a sewing machine, and a bicycle. Would that be acceptable?"

Jin Xiuzhu interjected, "Change the sewing machine to an electric fan. Jingzhi won't use it, so it's a waste. Actually, she already has a bicycle, so buying another one is redundant."

Not knowing how to respond, Zhu Ying looked at her daughter.

Ji An suggested, "Change the bicycle to a radio."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded in satisfaction, "That's better. For the dowry, we don't need much, but five hundred yuan is necessary. We'll also provide a matching dowry of five hundred yuan, and my mother-in-law left Jingzhi a house in S City. After marriage, all these will belong to the couple."

Zhu Ying felt deflated. She thought her family was generous, but Bai Jingzhi's family was even more impressive, providing a dowry and a house. She felt less confident.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled and said, "The most important thing is hoping the two of them have a good life together. Other details can be discussed. Mingchuan and I have already talked about it. The escorting won't be done here but in the capital. Our hometown is in the capital, and our friends and relatives are there too, making it more lively."

Zhu Ying felt increasingly uncertain.

Ji An remained calm, having been briefed by her brother that Bai Jingzhi's family was well-off and to prepare more gifts.

After Jin Xiuzhu finished speaking, Ji An seriously replied, "We'll follow your suggestions."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded in satisfaction.

That night, lying in bed, Jiang Mingchuan couldn't help asking, "Are we really going to hold the escorting ceremony in the capital?"

Previously, they had discussed holding it in S City, but Jin Xiuzhu suddenly changed her mind tonight. Since she had already spoken, he didn't object.

Jin Xiuzhu immediately replied, "It's better to hold it in the capital. The Zhang family isn't familiar with Jingzhi, so it's good to build relationships there. It'll be livelier. If we hold it here or in S City, who would we invite? The tables might even be empty."

Jiang Mingchuan agreed and hummed in response.

Jin Xiuzhu glanced at him, thinking that maintaining these connections would benefit Jiang Mingchuan and Ji Ling in their careers.

The next day, Jin Xiuzhu was alone again. She decided to take Zhu Ying and Ji An out to play. In the morning, they went to the nearby beach. The mother-daughter duo and the children, who had never been to the beach, were very curious and collected many seashells.

At noon, on their way back, Jin Xiuzhu took them to a seafood stall, buying crabs, shrimp, fish, and some fruits.

Zhu Ying and Ji An stayed another night and left early the next morning with the children. Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan sent them off to the train station, giving them plenty of fruit for the journey.

Their hometown was in the north, making the trip difficult.

But Zhu Ying didn't feel the hardship. This visit had settled most of the wedding arrangements, leaving them only to prepare for the wedding later.

Though it would cost a lot, she was happy, believing that marrying someone like Bai Jingzhi was worth the expense.

On the train, Zhu Ying comforted Ji An, "Your sister-in-law has a good job. That she chose your brother means he's fortunate. Don't resent spending more money; he's worked hard all these years."

Ji An said helplessly, "What issues do I have? I'm too busy being happy for my brother."

Zhu Ying smiled, "That's good. When your sister-in-law gets pregnant, our two children will already be in school. At that time, I can go take care of her. I've always liked Jingzhi; she's gentle and kind-hearted."

Ji An looked at her mother with amusement, thinking how far ahead she was planning even before the wedding.

But remembering Jin Xiuzhu's words earlier, she said, "You're not getting any younger either. Who knows if you'll be taking care of your sister-in-law or vice versa? Forget it. Your sister-in-law might follow my brother to his post, where he can take care of her. Besides, are you really going to ignore me? Even if I can manage, the two kids can't."

Perhaps her mother didn't catch it, but Ji An did. Jin Xiuzhu meant to hire someone to take care of her sister-in-law, not wanting her mother to go over. She knew her mother's carefree nature, but others might not understand, and she didn't want her brother to be caught between them.

Hearing this, Zhu Ying hesitated. Her son and daughter-in-law were important, but so were her two grandchildren.

After some thought, she said, "We'll see about it then."

"Okay."

Ji An decided to talk to her mother more later.

---

At the end of June, Bai Jingzhi came back for a visit. Ji Ling couldn't get leave from the military, so she had to take time off to discuss the wedding plans with her brother and sister-in-law.

She also wanted to prevent her brother and sister-in-law from spending money on her, so she brought out all the savings she had accumulated over the past two years.

Jin Xiuzhu naturally refused the money, telling her to keep it, and showed Bai Jingzhi the wedding items she had prepared.

With some free time, she made pillowcases and quilt covers for Bai Jingzhi. In her previous life during The Great Jing Dynasty, women would embroider their own wedding clothes before marriage.

But Jin Xiuzhu never had that chance; she was promoted from a maid to a concubine, without even the proper entry into the family.

So now, with Bai Jingzhi getting married, she wanted to make some high-quality quilt covers and pillowcases, partly to fulfill her past regrets.

In addition to the quilt covers and pillowcases, there were two new outfits for Bai Jingzhi to wear on her wedding day.

Bai Jingzhi looked at them with misty eyes and playfully said to Jin Xiuzhu, "Sister-in-law is so nice to me."

"Who else would I be nice to?"

Bai Jingzhi smiled.

"I also had someone make a quilt for you, which I'll send directly to your place. When you move in, you can put it in your little house. I heard you need to buy things like spittoons and basins for the wedding. You can buy those in s city. There are other miscellaneous items you can add later."

"Oh, and you should take a few days off before the wedding. We can go back to the capital together, clean the house, and introduce you to my parents' old friends and elders..."

Bai Jingzhi nodded repeatedly, finally sighing, "Getting married is such a hassle."

Jin Xiuzhu laughed, "Is this a hassle?"

She thought Bai Jingzhi wouldn't say such things if she saw the marriage customs of The Great Jing Dynasty.

Bai Jingzhi suddenly remembered something, "Oh, by the way, I went to my alma mater to see Yan Xing recently. He's changed so much, I almost didn't recognize him."

Jin Xiuzhu: "Of course, we all grow up. Who stays the same as they were when they were young?"

Bai Jingzhi nodded, "That's true. Yan Xing and I had lunch in the cafeteria, and there was a little girl staring at me the whole time."

She smiled, "That girl was so bossy. When I left, she chased after me and asked what my relationship with Yan Xing was. When she heard I was his sister, she immediately smiled, changing her face so quickly."

Jin Xiuzhu laughed, "Being young is great."

Without hesitation, Bai Jingzhi said, "Sister-in-law is still young too. When you walk with Brother, you look like father and daughter."

Jin Xiuzhu burst out laughing.

That night, Jin Xiuzhu deliberately looked at herself in the mirror, then at Jiang Mingchuan.

Jiang Mingchuan looked puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Jin Xiuzhu suppressed a smile, "Someone said we look like father and daughter when we walk together. I was wondering if it's true."

Jiang Mingchuan: "..."

After a moment, he asked irritably, "Which bastard said that?"

Jin Xiuzhu covered her mouth, giggling, "Guess."

At the beginning of July, the three children started their summer vacation one after another.

Jin Xiuzhu took the children to s city with Bai Jingzhi, bringing along the wedding items prepared at home.

Initially, they didn't plan to bring He Yan, fearing it would affect his studies.

But He Yan insisted on going, saying it was no fun being alone at home. He completely excluded his father from the equation.

Bai Jingzhi was the happiest, talking about staying longer in s city.

Jin Xiuzhu had the same idea, hoping to visit Fang Min and others at the old military base since it was nearby.

After a day-long journey to s city, everyone stayed at Bai Jingzhi's little house. That night, Bai Jingzhi still slept with Jin Xiuzhu.

They chatted a lot in bed. Originally, Bai Jingzhi wanted to ask Jin Xiuzhu how to get along with Ji Ling's family, fearing she wouldn't fit in and be disliked.

Jin Xiuzhu knew Bai Jingzhi had been conditioned to please others, hoping to be liked. Despite Jin Xiuzhu's many words and actions, changing her mindset was difficult.

She said, "Just be yourself. If they don't like you, it's their problem. Don't worry. Remember, if it weren't for Ji Ling, you'd be strangers passing by on the street. Treat them as you would any stranger—neither humble nor arrogant, calmly and confidently."

Hearing this, Bai Jingzhi's tension eased. Thinking about it, she realized it was true. Without Ji Ling, she wouldn't know his family and wouldn't need to please them.

But Jin Xiuzhu added, "After marriage, think more about yourself. Don't always worry about pleasing your husband. Instead, focus on taking care of yourself."

Bai Jingzhi looked at her.

Jin Xiuzhu said calmly, "Men don't have it as hard as we women do. We bear children, take care of the family, and work. When we have money and time, we should be good to ourselves."

Bai Jingzhi nodded, seeming to understand but not quite.

Although she didn't fully grasp what her sister-in-law meant yet, she thought that since her sister-in-law said it, it must make sense.