He Min glanced at Bai Wensong, who was sitting on the sofa, and whispered, “He’s a bit short. Our Xinyi is 172. She might not be impressed.”
“Although he’s a bit on the shorter side, my nephew’s family background is quite good. Both his parents are civil servants, and they’ve already purchased the wedding house…”
Zhang Hongli naturally highlighted the positives.
“How old is he?” asked He Min.
“He’s exactly 30 this year.”
“That’s six years older than our Xinyi!”
He Min frowned slightly. Locally, there was a saying about an age gap of six years being problematic.
“That’s all superstition!”
Zhang Hongli knew what her sister-in-law meant and quickly spoke up.
“Actually, I don’t really want to interfere with Xinyi’s choice of partner. As long as she approves, that’s fine.”
“When Xinyi gets home, let them have a chat…”
He Min wasn’t too impressed with this Bai Wensong brought by her sister and brother-in-law. Skinny and small, he hardly gave the impression of being protective.
“When will Xinyi be back?” asked Zhang Hongli.
“Should be soon, said she’d be home by noon.”
He Min checked the time; it was already half-past eleven.
“Hmm, let them chat on their own later!”
“But sister-in-law, I’m telling you, Wensong’s family can afford a hefty dowry, two or three hundred thousand won’t be an issue. You and your husband could use it to replace this old house…”
Zhang Hongli added with animated excitement.
“Let’s just see how fate unfolds.”
He Min wasn’t the type of mother-in-law insisting on a huge dowry. Her primary concern was her daughter’s personal choice.
Downstairs.
After Yang Hao got out of the car, he started to take out gifts he had prepared from the trunk.
“Yang, did you know today was my mom’s birthday?”
Seeing the trunk nearly filled with various gift boxes, Sun Xinyi realized that her Yang wasn’t acting on a whim; he had planned this for a while, and she felt instantly touched.
“I heard it that day when you answered the phone~!”
Yang Hao gave a casual excuse, not about to say he found out from the System.
“Oh, thank you, Yang!”
Sun Xinyi couldn’t help but hug this considerate Yang.
It’s said that men of a certain age can be caring and attentive.
Sun Xinyi indeed felt a wave of warmth from an older man that day.
And it was a tad romantic too.
Yang Hao bought a case of Maotai, four packs of cigarettes, four boxes of tea along with some gifts for Sun Xinyi’s mother and sister.
Since there was a lot to carry, it was quite an effort moving everything up the stairs.
Luckily, Sun Xinyi’s home was on the third floor, so they arrived quickly.
With her hands full, Sun Xinyi had to knock on the door with her elbow.
At that moment, He Min was busy in the kitchen, and the three men were sitting in the living room, drinking tea and chatting. But Zhang Hongli, with her keen hearing, caught the sound.
As she went to open the door, she shouted towards the three men in the living room, “Xinyi’s back.”
Bai Wensong had actually seen Sun Xinyi before and had fallen for her at first sight, which was why he asked his aunt to act as the matchmaker.
They first met during this year’s Spring Festival when Sun Xinyi visited her second aunt’s home for New Year’s greetings and happened to leave the building as Bai Wensong, who was also visiting, came by.
At the time, Sun Xinyi didn’t pay much attention to this passerby, but Bai Wensong was captivated by her tall and striking figure.
Hearing that Sun Xinyi was back, he quickly rose from the sofa, adjusted his clothes and hair, hoping to make a good impression…
“Xinyi, you’re finally back!”
“We were just waiting for you~!”
Zhang Hongli greeted her with a big smile after opening the door.
However, in the next moment, the smile on her face froze.
Because there was a tall man following behind her niece…
“Second aunt, you’re already here.”
Sun Xinyi, unaware that her second aunt had come with someone else, greeted cheerfully.
Then she introduced Yang Hao, “Yang, this is my second aunt.”
“Hello, second aunt.”
Yang Hao followed Sun Xinyi’s lead, greeting her with a smile.
“Uhm…”
“Hello.”
Zhang Hongli hesitated, then still responded.
The others came over to greet them as well, and Bai Wensong, trailing behind, lit up at the sight of Sun Xinyi. He couldn’t help but inwardly exclaim: If such beauty isn’t by blood, who cares!!
One word: Stunning!
As he was thinking about how to greet her, he noticed something was amiss.
She hadn’t returned alone!
There was a man with her!!
This…
What the hell is going on???
It wasn’t only Bai Wensong who was dumbfounded.
Sun Xinyi’s father and second uncle, who first came to greet her, were also stunned.
Then, upon hearing the noise, He Min walked out from the kitchen.
“Yang, this is my dad.”
“And this is my second uncle…”
“Mr. Sun, second uncle…”
Yang Hao greeted each in turn.
“Eh?”
“Who might this be??”
Seeing the unfamiliar Bai Wensong in her home, Sun Xinyi was confused.
“Xinyi, this is my nephew Wensong.”
Zhang Hongli hurriedly introduced him.
Hearing this, Sun Xinyi immediately understood her second aunt’s intentions. She slightly furrowed her brow and subconsciously looked towards Yang Hao.
She was wondering if Yang would be upset!
But I really didn’t know.
“Xinyi’s back!”
At that moment, He Min came over.
Seeing Yang Hao standing at the door, she was also stunned.
“Yang, this is my mom.”
Skipping the part where she greets Bai Wensong, Sun Xinyi directly introduced her own mother.
“Auntie, hello.”
Yang Hao nodded with a smile.
“Xinyi, who is this?”
He Min looked Yang Hao up and down. Although she already had a guess, she still asked.
“Um, this is…”
Sun Xinyi hesitated, as she and Yang Hao didn’t have a defined relationship.
“Auntie, Mr. Sun, I am Xinyi’s boyfriend.”
“My name is Yang Hao~!”
Yang Hao probably guessed Sun Xinyi’s thoughts and took the initiative to introduce himself.
Upon hearing his introduction, Sun Xinyi instantly felt sweet inside, and her smile brightened considerably.
“Come on in!”
“Let’s talk inside…”
Even though it was an accidental meeting, they couldn’t just leave him standing at the door.
Yang Hao silently placed the things he was holding next to the shoe cabinet without mentioning them.
However, both he and Sun Xinyi held their hands full of items, which everyone could see.
Especially the box of Maotai liquor and the four packs of Huazi cigarettes that Yang Hao was carrying, which were quite conspicuous.
Sun Dehai, the editor-in-chief of the Jingmen Daily, had sent out his fair share of Maotai and Huazi during the New Year. He quickly calculated the price of the box of Maotai and four packs of Huazi.
Although the official price for a bottle of Feitian Maotai was 1499, it was hardly available at that price; a box with four bottles would cost about eight thousand, and four packs of Huazi another three thousand. Just the cigarettes and liquor alone amounted to over ten thousand.
“Dad, Mom, all these things were bought by Yang!”
Although Yang Hao didn’t mention it, Sun Xinyi wanted to make it known since he had purchased such expensive gifts.
Indeed, both He Min and Sun Degang had seen them, and it was He Min who made the remark, “If you’re coming, just come, no need to bring anything!”
“Sister~!”
“You’re finally back!”
At that moment, Sun Nannan, who had been studying in the room, also came out to greet them.
Then, this high school student, who resembled her sister quite a bit, also saw Yang Hao, the unfamiliar “uncle.”
“Yang, this is my sister Nannan.”
“Nannan, call him brother-in-law~!”
With the identity confirmation from Yang Hao just now, Sun Xinyi felt more confident, though her words were also for her aunt and Bai Wensong to hear.
“Hello, brother-in-law~!”
Sun Nannan was quite sweet-talking, promptly greeting him with a smiling face.
Yang Hao smiled and nodded. However, the girl’s sweet “brother-in-law” greeting took him back to the time, many years ago, when he first met Li Manni.
Li Manni back then seemed to be a bit younger than Sun Nannan.
He never expected that after so many years, a similar story would unfold again…
He’s gained another youthful and beautiful younger aunt!
“Come inside, let’s sit down and talk!”
He Min warmly invited Yang Hao, this “prospective son-in-law,” into the living room.
Interestingly, Yang Hao ended up sitting where Bai Wensong had been sitting earlier, but unlike before, Sun Xinyi directly sat next to him, affectionately looping her arm through his.
At that moment, Bai Wensong only wanted to sing a line: I should have been under the car, not inside it…
Damn!
What kind of situation is this!
Now he really wanted to post on Zhihu: [How to deal with a matchmaking date bringing her boyfriend? Urgent, online waiting]
“Wensong, Auntie didn’t know that Xinyi had a boyfriend.”
“But don’t worry, I’ll ask what’s going on…”
Zhang Hongli saw her nephew’s predicament clearly.
It was not just Bai Wensong who felt awkward; as the matchmaker, she too felt awkward. You bring someone over without even knowing if they already have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
“Yang, how long have you and our Xinyi been together?”
Zhang Hongli approached the sofa, pulled up a chair, and sat down.
As a prospective son-in-law just arrived, it was only right for her, being the aunt, to ask about the situation.
“For some time now,”
Yang Hao casually responded, blurring the sense of time. After all, saying it’s only been a few days wouldn’t be too good.
“I’ve never heard Xinyi mention it.”
Zhang Hongli smiled and then asked, “Yang, how old are you this year?”
“Auntie, I’m 35!”
Yang Hao replied truthfully.
“Ah?”
“35??”
When they heard his answer, everyone was shocked. Yang Hao was dressed in a Hermès suit and looked very sharp, appearing to be about thirty years old or so.
Therefore, when he said he was 35 years old, everyone was quite surprised.
But Bai Wensong instinctively puffed out his chest. He was only 30, with the advantage of being younger.
He Min and her husband exchanged glances. It’s true that nowadays people are more open-minded, and it’s not uncommon for couples to have an age gap of more than a decade, but this still seemed a bit much.
“35! That’s 11 years older than our Xinyi!”
Zhang Hongli exclaimed, and then added, “But it’s understandable since young people nowadays get married later.”
“I’ve been married before, but then got divorced.”
Yang Hao replied calmly, going for sincerity.
After all, this was an unavoidable issue.
But this statement was more shocking than the age of 35. All four elders were stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief.
35 years old and a second marriage!!
What did our Xinyi see in him???