Xiao Xiao was too lazy to argue with her, so she waved her away. She was still a little worried about what to wear that evening. She couldn't dress too smartly; judging from Jiang Sicheng's appearance, his father wasn't exactly an enlightened person. But she also couldn't dress too shabbily, after all, he came from a family of generals.
What should I wear? Xiao Xiao was worried.
When Jiang Sicheng picked up Xiao Xiao from the store, Xiao Xiao had already changed into the new clothes he had bought. She wore a simple white shirt and dark high-waisted wide-leg pants. Even her long hair was simply tied back with a hairband.
Jiang Sicheng's eyes showed more appreciation. He looked at Xiao Xiao's delicate and fair face, smiled, and whispered in Xiao Xiao's ear, "You look even better without makeup."
Seeing the ambiguous smile on the saleswoman's face, Xiao Xiao's face flushed. She pushed Jiang Sicheng away and said, "Let's hurry up and leave, or we'll be late."
Jiang Sicheng took Xiao Xiao's hand and walked out. When they reached the door, he stopped and looked at Xiao Xiao. Before he could speak, his face flushed. "You blushed just now," he whispered.
Xiao Xiao looked at his flushed face, both amused and exasperated, and asked, "Really red?"
“Yes,” Jiang Sicheng nodded honestly.
Xiao Xiao glanced at him with a smile in her eyes, then pulled him back into the store, pointed at him in the mirror, and asked, "How does it compare to now?"
The saleswoman covered her mouth and kept laughing, making Jiang Sicheng blush even more. He quickly pulled Xiao Xiao out of the car and only spoke after they got inside, saying, "You look so cute when you blush."
Xiao Xiao nearly fainted. Why was this honest boy still thinking about her blushing? Could it be that she never blushed normally? She asked Jiang Sicheng, "Hmm, haven't you ever seen me blush?"
"No."
"That's because I usually wear too much powder, so you can't tell when my face is red," Xiao Xiao said earnestly.
Jiang Sicheng looked at Xiao Xiao with a half-smile and suddenly said, "You were famous before!"
"Hmm?" Xiao Xiao was also a little curious. She thought she had never blushed in front of Jiang Sicheng. She asked, "I have blushed in front of you? When? I don't remember. That time just now doesn't count."
"Mm," Jiang Sicheng nodded, suppressing a smile, but a deeper blush rose on his face.
Xiao Xiao felt a little suspicious, sensing something amiss in his smile, and asked, "When?"
Jiang Sicheng backed the car out of the parking space, then leaned close to Xiao Xiao's ear and whispered quickly, "It was that time I treated my colleagues to dinner."
"That time at dinner? I blushed? Was it because I drank alcohol?"
“No, it was when I kissed you at night,” Jiang Sicheng said softly.
Xiao Xiao suddenly understood what he was talking about, and she remembered his teasing that night, and the scene of him holding her tightly and whispering. Suddenly her heart skipped a beat, and she glared at him angrily and shyly, "Nonsense, I didn't! Drive properly!"
Xiao Xiao
Xiao Xiao was furious and slapped him angrily. Jiang Sicheng laughed and shouted, "Stop messing around, I'm driving!"
The Jiang family's old house is in the suburbs. It's a rather simple two-story building. If it weren't for the guards standing at the door, Xiao Xiao would never have imagined that she would be here.
"Don't be nervous. Grandma lives here. She's easy to please. She was overjoyed when she heard I could bring her grandson's wife back. Just don't be intimidated by her enthusiasm." Jiang Sicheng thought Xiao Xiao was nervous because she wasn't saying anything.
Xiao Xiao retorted, "I never said I would marry you. Stop making empty promises."
Jiang Sicheng smiled without saying a word, parked the car, and led Xiao Xiao into the house. There were already quite a few people inside. Jiang Sicheng's stepmother greeted them warmly, saying with a smile, "Sicheng, this must be Miss Xiao?"
Jiang Sicheng smiled and nodded, then pulled Xiao Xiao aside to introduce her: "This is your aunt."
"Hello, Auntie, you can just call me Xiao Xiao." Xiao Xiao had heard about Jiang Sicheng's stepmother from him. Seeing that she was only in her forties, she realized that she was indeed much younger than Jiang Sicheng's father.
Zhang Qin pulled Xiao Xiao over and looked her up and down, then looked up at Jiang Sicheng and teased, "Good lad, you managed to fool such a pretty girl."
Feeling a little embarrassed by Zhang Qin's words, Jiang Sicheng quickly changed the subject and asked, "Where is Father?"
Zhang Qin smiled and handed Xiao Xiao's hand back to Jiang Sicheng, saying with a smile, "Your father is playing chess with your second uncle in the study. You take Xiao Xiao to the back to see Grandma first. The old lady has been talking about you for a long time. She said that she has spoiled you for so many years, but she has not even seen a granddaughter-in-law."
Jiang Sicheng quickly responded and pulled Xiao Xiao towards the back. Before they even reached the door, they heard laughter coming from inside. Jiang Sicheng pulled Xiao Xiao back and whispered, "Auntie's here too," then grinned mischievously at Xiao Xiao, "Be careful she doesn't tease you!"
Before she could finish speaking, she heard a few laughs from above. Xiao Xiao looked up and saw a woman in her fifties smiling at her from the doorway. She asked Jiang Sicheng with a smile, "You brat, what are you saying?" Then she turned back to the house and laughed, "Mom, look at your precious grandson. Now he knows how to dote on his wife and is already on guard against his aunt."
Jiang Sicheng was a little embarrassed for a moment, then quickly smiled and called her "Auntie," pulled Xiao Xiao into the house, and introduced her to her relatives and friends one by one.
Jiang Sicheng's grandmother is over ninety years old and in good spirits. When she was young, her husband left for the army just two days after their marriage, and they never heard from him again. She single-handedly cared for her in-laws until their deaths, enduring nearly twenty years of widowhood before finally seeing her husband again. When they met again, it felt like a lifetime had passed. She stood there for a long time before embracing him and weeping uncontrollably, wanting to release all the bitterness of the past decade. At that time, he had become one of the first generals of the Republic, while she was still an illiterate village woman. Some people advised him to divorce his wife and find a young, beautiful, and educated woman in the city. He was furious, slamming his fist on the table and cursing the person who gave the advice as heartless. He declared that even if his wife were dead, he would only ever recognize her as his wife!
When Xiao Xiao heard Jiang Sicheng tell this story, she wondered what kind of strong woman she was, to have waited for her husband, who had been missing for nearly twenty years, in an era filled with famine and war. What belief sustained her? Was it love? Could there be such steadfast love in marriages of that era?
When Xiao Xiao met the old lady today, she never expected that the old lady would be such a kind and gentle old woman.
The old man held Xiao Xiao's hand and looked her over carefully. He was so happy that even his wrinkles were full of smiles. He kept saying to Jiang Sicheng's aunt next to him, "Look how good this child is. How can he grow up to be so good? He looks like he stepped out of a painting. He has such a good face. You can tell at a glance that he can give birth to a son."
The aunt smiled and nodded in agreement.
Xiao Xiao had never received such praise before, and was a little uncomfortable being praised by the old man. She looked at Jiang Sicheng for help, only to see that the guy was sitting on the sofa leisurely peeling an orange. When he saw Xiao Xiao looking at him, he even smiled at her and pointed to his face, indicating that Xiao Xiao's face had turned red again.
Xiao Xiao glared at him angrily, and he then sat down next to the old lady, broke off a segment of orange and handed it to her, saying with a smile, "Grandma, you can't be too biased. You said you missed me, but I've been here for half a day and you haven't paid any attention to me."
Before the old lady could even speak, her aunt came over and teased, "Mom, hurry up and let go of Xiao Xiao's hand! Look how anxious your grandson is, he's practically on fire!"
Xiao Xiao just pursed her lips and smiled shyly, determined to play the shy card and not say a word. Jiang Sicheng pulled her hand out of the old lady's hand and said with a grin, "Grandma, you talk to your aunt for a while, and I'll take Xiao Xiao to see Father and Second Uncle."
Auntie laughed and said, "Go ahead, after you've seen your father and your second uncle, take Xiao Xiao to your room to rest for a while. I'll call you when everyone's here for dinner."
Jiang Sicheng glanced gratefully at his aunt, said with a grin, "Thank you, Second Aunt," and then pulled Xiao Xiao to see his father.
The older generation of the Jiang family consisted of three siblings. Jiang Sicheng's father was the eldest, and he followed in his father's footsteps. However, the second son and the youngest daughter refused to wear military uniforms. One studied medicine, and the other simply went into business.
Mr. Jiang was playing chess with his younger brother in the study. When he saw Xiao Xiao, he simply asked her a few questions and nodded, which was considered a pass. However, Mr. Jiang Sicheng's uncle smiled and asked a few more questions about the recent situation of Xiao Xiao's father. He said that Mr. Xiao was a painter he admired very much and that he had met him once in France. He also asked Xiao Xiao to give him his regards.
After leaving the study, Jiang Sicheng pulled Xiao Xiao upstairs to his room.
Xiao Xiao wandered around his room casually. When she came to the bookshelf, her eyes were drawn to a photo on the shelf. In the photo, a young soldier in camouflage was embracing Jiang Sicheng, who was still a boy. The two of them were smiling brightly.
Jiang Sicheng wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and said softly, "This is my older brother, my idol since I was a child. He was a special forces soldier who sacrificed his life eight years ago, which is why Grandma wouldn't allow me to stay in the army."
Xiao Xiao leaned back and gently touched his cheek with her forehead, saying softly, "Try to understand the old man. His life hasn't been easy."
Jiang Sicheng smiled gently and kissed Xiao Xiao's forehead. "I know. Father was busy with work back then, and Mother's health was not good. My older brother and I grew up with Grandma. My older brother's sacrifice was a huge blow to the old lady. She said she was too old to bear it anymore."
Xiao Xiao didn't say anything, but gently patted Jiang Sicheng's arm and comforted him, "Being a traffic policeman is good too. If you were still in the army, I wouldn't have been able to get to know you!"
Jiang Sicheng chuckled softly, pulled Xiao Xiao closer to his chest, and said, "The old lady has one more wish, and it seems we can only rely on you."
Xiao Xiao's eyes darted around and she guessed what Jiang Sicheng was going to say. She laughed and said, "It's just seeing my grandson's wife, right? Well, I'm here!"
“No,” Jiang Sicheng chuckled in her ear, “the old lady wants to hold her great-grandson.”
Xiao Xiao looked at Jiang Sicheng with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "Hey, don't show your true colors so soon, I haven't even agreed to marry you yet!"
Jiang Sicheng pointed at Xiao Xiao's face and laughed, "Look, it's red again!"
Helpless, Xiao Xiao glared at him and changed the subject, "Where's your sister I saw the other day? I haven't seen her."
“Sitian is my second uncle’s daughter. I heard she’s been arguing with my second aunt lately,” Jiang Sicheng said. “I heard she found a boyfriend, but my second aunt is not satisfied with his family, so she’s really upset about it.”
Xiao Xiao smiled faintly, and suddenly wondered if her father wasn't a somewhat famous painter, and if she were just an ordinary family's daughter, would her family still treat her as warmly as they did tonight? Although she knew that this assumption was unnecessary, she still couldn't help but ask.
"What if my family is also in a bad situation, and your family members also oppose me?" Xiao Xiao asked, knowing full well that the question was foolish, but she still couldn't help asking it. Xiao Xiao herself was starting to despise herself.
Jiang Sicheng stared intently at Xiao Xiao, as if he were going through a fierce internal struggle. Xiao Xiao looked at him with a sense of relief, thinking to herself that he was still an honest boy after all, and that he hadn't yet learned how to be a smooth talker. If this were a slightly more cunning man, he would definitely have made a bold statement without hesitation. It was only him who, knowing full well that it was an impossible hypothetical, still insisted on thinking about it for a long time!
After holding it in for a long time, Jiang Sicheng said very seriously, "Now it seems that all you need to get married is an ID card and a household registration book. I can get both of those myself. What can they do after we get married? I'm not afraid of anything. The only thing I'm afraid of is you being afraid."
Hearing his disjointed words, Xiao Xiao felt a surge of emotion. Was this the answer he had been thinking about all this time? Although there were no flowery words, it sounded more beautiful than any flowery words.
Xiao Xiao laughed, cupped Jiang Sicheng's face and pressed a deep kiss to him, kissing him until he was so passionate and dizzy that he didn't stop. Looking into his eyes, his pupils couldn't focus for a long time, a clear reaction of being confused and bewildered.
She chuckled, took two steps back, and looked at Jiang Sicheng triumphantly.
Jiang Sicheng then came to his senses and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and angry. With a feint, he fooled Xiao Xiao, who was ready to run away at any moment, and pulled her into his arms to carry out "violent punishment" on her.
The two were joking around when there was a knock at the door. Aunt's unhurried voice came through: "Young man, bring your wife out. The feast is about to begin!"
After a while, Jiang Sicheng and Xiao Xiao finally came out, both with slightly flushed faces. Their aunt suppressed a laugh and deliberately touched Jiang Sicheng's forehead, asking in a serious tone, "Kid, what's wrong? Do you have a fever? Remember to come to Auntie's tomorrow, and Auntie will give you a good check-up."
Not only did Jiang Sicheng blush deeply, but even someone like Xiao Xiao was made a little embarrassed by his aunt.
Jiang Sicheng knew that his aunt liked to amuse the younger generation, so he didn't dare to respond to her. Instead, he asked, "Didn't Second Aunt say she was coming to call us?"
Aunt chuckled and said, "Sitian brought her boyfriend here without saying hello. With the old lady and her older brother around, she can't turn against them, so she's feeling quite annoyed!"
Speaking of Jiang Sitian, Xiao Xiao recalled that glimpse of her at the entrance of her workplace that day; she only remembered that she seemed like a very lively and cheerful girl.
As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, a young girl greeted them with a smile, extending her hand to Xiao Xiao and saying, "Jiang Sitian, I've been curious about you for so long, but unfortunately, my second brother has protected you too well. I almost had to hire a private investigator!"
Xiao Xiao smiled and shook Jiang Sitian's hand, saying generously, "Xiao Xiao, there's no need to hire a private investigator. Just come to me if you have any questions!"
Jiang Sitian gave her cousin a defiant look and snorted through her nose, "Look, Sister Xiao Xiao is much more straightforward than you!"
Jiang Sicheng found it amusing that she was still holding onto Xiao Xiao's hand and wouldn't let go. He went up and slapped her hand away, asking, "Where's your new boyfriend? Didn't you say you brought him? Why didn't you let your second brother come and see him?"
Jiang Sitian gestured towards the study and muttered under her breath, "He's being interviewed by my uncle and dad in there! Honestly! Humph!" Then she turned to Xiao Xiao and grinned, asking, "Sister, were you interviewed too? How was it? What questions did the interviewer ask?"
Seeing that her words were becoming increasingly illogical, Jiang Sicheng patted her head and chuckled, scolding, "What nonsense are you spouting, little girl! If you're in such a hurry, go see for yourself!"
As they were talking, the study door opened, and Jiang Sicheng's father and second uncle came out one after the other, followed by a young man. Xiao Xiao glanced at the man casually and was immediately stunned.
The man looked up and was clearly taken aback when he saw Xiao Xiao. He hurriedly lowered his head to cover it up.
“Father, Second Uncle,” Jiang Sicheng called out.
Mr. Jiang nodded expressionlessly, while his second uncle responded with a smile. However, when he saw his daughter, his face darkened, and he scolded, "You're so old, and all you do is fool around all day!"
Jiang Sitian made a face at her father's back, then quickly stepped forward, took her boyfriend's arm, and introduced him to Jiang Sicheng and Xiao Xiao: "This is my boyfriend, Li Chenxing. This is my second brother, Jiang Sicheng. This is my future sister-in-law, Xiao Xiao."
Li Chenxing shook hands with Jiang Sicheng, but his expression became somewhat unnatural when he saw Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao generously extended her hand and said with a smile, "Senior Brother Li, it's been a long time."
Li Chenxing shook Xiao Xiao's hand with a slightly awkward expression, his expression complicated.
Jiang Sitian stared with her round eyes, looking at Xiao Xiao and then at Li Chenxing, and asked in surprise, "You two know each other?"
Xiao Xiao smiled and saw that Jiang Sicheng was also looking at her with a puzzled expression. She chuckled softly and said, "Well, Senior Brother Li and I are from the same hometown, and we're even high school classmates. But maybe Senior Brother Li has forgotten about me! Right, Senior Brother Li?"
"No, of course I still remember, hehe," Li Chenxing chuckled and forced a smile, "but it has indeed been a long time since I've seen you, so I didn't recognize you for a moment."
Xiao Xiao ※ Zhang Jingzhi
When Zhang Jingzhi received Xiao Xiao's call, she was taken aback. In the seven years they had known each other, she had never heard Xiao Xiao speak in such a tone. Xiao Xiao's voice was always calm, gentle and pleasant. Today, Zhang Jingzhi was immediately stunned. The first thought that came to her mind was that this girl must have either won tens of millions in the lottery or had been overly stimulated at Jiang Sicheng's house. This voice was too excited!
Xiao Xiao shouted, "Zhang Jingzhi, come downstairs right now! I'm waiting for you downstairs!"
Zhang Jingzhi glanced at her watch; the hands had just passed midnight. Xiao Xiao was urging her on the phone, so Zhang Jingzhi didn't have time to ask any more questions. She simply changed her clothes and headed out. Unexpectedly, her parents in the next room were still awake. Hearing her movements, her grandmother came out of the room and asked, "Where are you going so late?"