Arriving abroad, Lan Yu did not expect Xiao Anjing's mother to live in a small town rather than a crowded big city.
The town's natural environment was beautiful, with small villas, front courtyards, and back gardens, giving people a sense of peaceful and comfortable living.
Upon seeing Lan Yu, Xiao Anjing's mother became more and more pleased. She was fair-skinned, had a good figure, and was well-mannered, unlike the disreputable women outside.
When she heard Xiao Anjing say that Lan Yu was a dance teacher and a former ballet dancer, she was even more delighted. She chided Xiao Anjing for not telling her sooner, which had caused her to worry and busy herself in vain for his lifelong happiness.
After Xiao Anjing and Lan Yu settled down, Xiao Anjing's mother called him to the living room, assuming Lan Yu had already gone to sleep.
The mother and son had not seen each other for two years. Previously, Xiao Anjing visited her at least once a year. For the past two years, he had been busy with something, always saying that Qin Tianyi and the company needed him, and he didn't even have time to come back and stay with her for a few days.
She had to resort to frequent phone calls or video chats. However, the boy would get annoyed with her after only a few sentences, which greatly angered her.
"You always say you're busy, but I think you have a wife and have forgotten your mother," Xiao Anjing's mother said, unable to resist tapping his head. Although she spoke angrily, she was smiling.
Xiao Anjing protected his head and said cheekily, "Be gentle, don't knock me silly! I'm really busy. A lot has happened with Tianyi these past two years, and it's been chaotic. I can't just abandon him. You were the one who said before that one must repay kindness."
"You're always so flippant. Can you really help Tianyi? It's good enough if you don't cause him trouble."
Xiao Anjing immediately retorted, wanting to argue with her. But she didn't give him a chance to respond and directly asked, "Now that you've got your marriage certificate, when will you have the wedding? How long will you stay here? Have one ceremony here first, and then another when you return to Lancheng. Such a big event as marriage shouldn't be so low-key."
"Mom, please spare us. Lan Yu and I don't like too much fanfare. As long as we're happy, why make it so tiring?" Xiao Anjing actually wanted a lively wedding, but Lan Yu was reluctant to make it widely known. Therefore, he had promised Lan Yu not to have a wedding when they got their certificate.
Xiao Anjing's mother pouted and said, "What kind of talk is that? Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event. How can having a wedding be called fanfare? I think you're just too lazy, so lazy you're twitching. How could a good girl like Lan Yu fall for you!"
"Mom, in your eyes, I'm always useless."
"Not entirely. If you let me hold a grandchild someday, then I'll think you're useful." Xiao Anjing's mother was so happy she couldn't close her mouth when she thought about the imminent fulfillment of her wish to have a grandchild.
Xiao Anjing clicked his tongue in exasperation and joked without reservation, "So, in the end, I'm just a tool for procreation."
"You rascal," Xiao Anjing's mother hit him again. Her expression turned serious, and she said, "I think this way: you must at least have a wedding here so my friends can know my son is married, otherwise, even if I don't arrange it, they'll keep introducing potential partners to you."
Xiao Anjing didn't know if Lan Yu would agree, but since his mother had said so much, he nodded forcefully and said, "Okay, we'll do as you say on your turf."
"That's my good son." Xiao Anjing's mother smiled, took out a box from under the coffee table, and pushed it towards him. "You're so busy now, I don't know when you'll have time to visit me next. Inside this box are the deed to this house and two deposit slips. The account passwords are also inside. I'll leave them in your care from now on..."
"Mom, why are you suddenly entrusting these to me? Don't tell me you have some terminal illness?"
Xiao Anjing was so frightened that before he finished speaking, his mother hit him again. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm in very good health. I just feel I'm getting old, so it's not bad to settle things with you first."
"Oh, that's good." Xiao Anjing didn't take the box and said, "I don't want your old things. Keep them yourself. But I can let you deposit another copy of the account password."
Xiao Anjing's mother opened the box herself, took out a written note, and a gold diamond ring. She asked him, "Are you serious about Lan Yu? Will you be together forever?"
"Mom, of course. Can't you see I truly love her?" Xiao Anjing immediately raised his right hand as if to swear.
His mother pulled his swearing hand, placed the note and the ring in his palm, and said, "I can see it. It's just that Lan Yu seems a bit cold, and she has no parents. I'm just worried if you'll be happy together."
"Didn't I also lose my father very early? Our personalities complement each other, so please don't worry." Xiao Anjing smiled relaxedly.
His mother pointed at the ring and said, "Give this to Lan Yu. As long as you like her, I like her as my daughter-in-law too. This ring was given to me by your father back then. When we got married, the Xiao family hadn't declined yet, and he gave me a lot of jewelry. Later, we pawned most of it for a living. Only this ring did I not bear to pawn even in the most difficult times. It's my only remembrance of your father and our blessing to you."
Xiao Anjing fell silent, clutching the ring tightly.
His father had passed away when he was young. After so many years, honestly, his memory of his father's appearance had become a bit blurred.
What impressed him most now was seeing his father often massaging his mother's shoulders when he was a child, and finding white hairs hidden among his mother's dark hair, carefully plucking them out... They often sat by the window like that, passing the afternoon hours.
It was then that he understood his parents were in love. Later, his father died of illness, and his mother remained a widow, never remarrying.
When he grew up, he had also advised his mother that he didn't mind her finding a companion.
But his mother just smiled faintly and said, "I promised your father that I would only be with him for life. I don't want him to blame me for not keeping my promise when I see him in heaven."
Thinking of this, he held his mother's hand, feeling the warmth in her palm. "Mom, thank you and Dad."
"What are you thanking me for? Let me hold my grandchild soon." His mother opened his hand with a smile, disliking his melancholic mood, and prepared to put away the box. She started to nag again, "When you have children, if you're both busy, bring the child to me."
Xiao Anjing did not fall into sadness and quickly smiled and said, "Okay, no problem. In the future, we'll have seven or eight children, and you can just run a kindergarten here..."
Lan Yu quietly retreated back into the room, shedding tears of relief.
She had only dozed off for a moment. When she woke up, she found Xiao Anjing wasn't in the room, so she got up to look for him. She also wanted to get a drink of water from the kitchen, but she unintentionally hid aside and overheard the conversation between Xiao Anjing and his mother.
It turned out he wasn't pitying her but loving her. Why should she pretend to be strong in front of him?