In the compound cafeteria, Old Master Shen apologized to Mother Li:
"My dear in-law, I've made a spectacle of myself."
"Sigh!" Mother Li sighed, "Every family has its own struggles. With too many children, you always try to balance things. In the end, everyone ends up resentful."
"It's better to be openly biased, at least the favored one won't complain."
"Haha." Old Master Shen chuckled, "My dear in-law, you see things so clearly. After decades of ups and downs, I still haven't shed that patriarchal mindset of a large family."
"It's different," Mother Li shook her head, "It's precisely because your family is large that you think of balance."
"For us small farmers with small families, we just show our favoritism openly. If you're happy, we stay together; if not, we split the household."
"Hahaha, that's right, that's right, my dear in-law is correct." Old Master Shen laughed heartily,
"From now on, I will live with my youngest daughter, whom they all believe I favor the most."
"Hmph!" Shen Jianrong snorted, "You're only interested in Jiyong's cooking."
"Yes," Old Master Shen nodded, "Yuan Feng must have taught Jiyong a lot during this banquet."
"Then stay," Shen Jianrong said proudly, "Your courtyard only houses you and two orderlies."
"Now that Ziyu has moved out, it will be convenient for you to move in."
"Besides," Old Master Shen said noncommittally, "I can't leave Jingdu for long."
"I'm not going to rely on my juniors for old-age support. Old Gao is doing well; he has company in the sanatorium."
"Dad~" Shen Jianrong tried to persuade him further.
Old Master Shen waved his hand, "For people like us, old-age support isn't entirely up to us. You and your eldest sister just need to visit me more often."
Shen Jianfang nodded, "We will. I live nearby, I'll visit Dad more often."
Shen Jianrong nudged her husband, "Can you be transferred back?"
Yu Jinghai looked at his father-in-law and shook his head, "That's not something I can decide."
"Are you planning to leave Ziyu here alone?"
Shen Jianrong shook her head, "Ziyu will of course come with us."
"Alright, alright," Yu Jinghai didn't want to continue the conversation,
"You lost your temper today and have already caused trouble for Xiaobo and Ziyu. Let's save these words for later."
"Xiaobo isn't that kind of person." Shen Jianrong said, still apologizing to Li Weibai, "I'm sorry, Xiaobo, I can't help my temper when it flares up."
"It's alright, it's alright," Li Weibai waved his hand, "Shen Xiaoping's attitude is something you can't tolerate."
"If you don't explode now, you'll have to hold it in until next time."
"The next time might be someone else's major event, which would be even more awkward to act out."
"Enduring this and that, who knows how long it will take. Today is perfect, very appropriate."
"See, see, my son-in-law is so generous and thoughtful." Shen Jianrong proudly showed off her son-in-law,
"Dad, your two sons-in-law combined, are they a match for mine?"
Old Master Shen glanced at his youngest daughter, "This is my grandson-in-law."
"You're one step removed," Shen Jianrong grinned, "This is my own son-in-law."
"Go away!" Old Master Shen waved his youngest daughter away impatiently, "Go on."
"You've had a long day, let's wrap up the feast quickly and all go back to rest. The day after tomorrow, Ziyu will have her return visit, and we'll gather at your place again."
Since Old Master Shen had spoken, everyone tidied up their belongings and prepared to leave.
Li Wuyan quietly squeezed Li Wanzhen's hand, "I'll call you later."
"Mhmm," Li Wanzhen responded softly.
...
Back at the villa complex, Li Weibai invited his brothers to stay at his villa instead of sleeping on the floor in the main house.
The brothers disagreed. They didn't want to disturb the newlyweds or eavesdrop, so they declared that sleeping on the floor in this weather was the most enjoyable.
Li Weibai didn't insist further. He bid goodnight to his family and went back to the opposite villa.
As soon as the villa door closed, Li Wuyan leaped onto Li Weihao's back,
"Hao Hao ge, we're really going to be brothers-in-law."
Li Weihao paused his movement to shake him off, "It's successful?"
"Mhmm," Li Wuyan nodded with a smile, "Let me shower first, and after that, I'll call her to chat..."
"Ouch~ Mother~" Li Wuyan's ear was pulled, and he feigned pain, begging for mercy,
"Mom, Mom, let go, I've found a daughter-in-law for you, and you're still treating me like this? How will I ever face your daughter-in-law?"
"Who is it?" Ouyang Meihua didn't let go, "Who is my daughter-in-law?"
"Oh, Mother!" Li Wuyan wailed, "Didn't you hear me say I might become brothers-in-law with Hao Hao ge?"
"Her surname is Li?"
"Yes! Li Wanzhen, the bridesmaid who carried the big bag for Yu Ziyu."
Only then did Ouyang Meihua release her grip, satisfied, "Hao Hao, what's going on? Are you dating?"
"Yes, yes, yes," Li Wuyan answered for his elder cousin, "Just before coming, I got her to agree. Mine is the other way around, uh."
Li Wuyan thought of Li Wanzhen's somewhat stubborn and capricious nature, and decided not to reveal that she had pursued him.
Seeing her eldest son fall silent, Ouyang Meihua asked, "How is yours the other way around?"
Uh, Li Wuyan's eyes darted around, and he thought quickly, "Her personality, her personality is the other way around."
"In short, the two Li sisters have been captured by me and Hao Hao ge."
Li Wuyan looked at Mother Li, "Grandma, aren't you happy?"
Mother Li beamed, "Happy, happy, Grandma is very happy. Our family is constantly growing, Grandma is happy."
"By the way, where are Lili and Lu Shi?"
Mother Li was asking Ouyang Lei and Zeng Jingrong in the living room.
As soon as lunch ended, Zeng Jingrong had quietly retreated. He couldn't stand their conversations.
What did he have to brag about to others? It was all about getting him to recommend a good son-in-law, and he wouldn't easily play matchmaker.
Ouyang Lei pointed towards the ceiling, "They're sleeping upstairs."
Mother Li looked at the two of them, "You two haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll make something for you."
"We've eaten, we've eaten," Ouyang Lei waved his hand, "You rest, you've had a long day. Yuan Feng made dinner for us when she got back."
"Her family of three hadn't eaten dinner yet, so she included us."
Mother Li felt a pang of sympathy, "A Feng is truly the one who's exhausted this time."
Zeng Jingrong chuckled, "I actually think she's quite happy to be able to help Captain Tian."
Tian Jing glanced at him, "Stop saying such sarcastic things. Are you leaving tomorrow morning?"
"Yes!"
"What time?"
"We'll leave at dawn."
Upon hearing this, Mother Li headed towards the kitchen, "I'll boil some tea eggs. And I'll proof some dough; you can eat breakfast before you leave tomorrow morning."
"I'll help," Li Min, feeling sorry for her mother, followed Mother Li to the kitchen.
Tian Jing sat down next to Zeng Jingrong, "Any news from over there yet?"
Zeng Jingrong shook his head, "No, that's why I'm rushing back. When are you returning?"
"The day after tomorrow. After Ziyu has her return visit, we'll head back to Kùshān."
Tian Jing's words reminded Zeng Jingrong of Han Lushi, "That kid Han Lushi actually applied for an extension of nine months' leave, saying he won't return to duty until after the fifteenth of the first lunar month."
"That's good," Tian Jing was pleased, "Lili is pregnant with his child and still has to work hard at the company. It's good that he's accompanying her, I can rest easy about Lili."
Zeng Jingrong gritted his teeth, "So, I still have to approve the leave?"
"If you don't, I will."
"I'll approve it!" Zeng Jingrong gritted his teeth, "You win, I admit this pair of father-in-law and son-in-law is formidable!"
Hearing Zeng Jingrong's gritted teeth, Tian Jing asked, "Is it that serious?"
"Why isn't it serious?" Zeng Jingrong shouted, "Han Lushi is my most capable assistant. He's solved many commercial cases."
Commercial cases?
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "So, by accompanying Lili, Lili will be more relaxed? Not bad, not bad. I didn't expect my Lili to have such a stroke of luck."
Zeng Jingrong almost spat blood, "You're not allowed to tempt him to retire with Lili."
Tian Jing blinked and asked, "Can Lushi retire?"
"No!" Zeng Jingrong rolled his eyes, "But that guy can be stubborn sometimes, you couldn't pull him back with ten horses. I'm just worried he might suddenly get this idea."
"Alright," to avoid making Zeng Jingrong uncomfortable, Tian Jing decided,
"Even if Lushi has thoughts of retiring, I will nip them in the bud."
Zeng Jingrong breathed a sigh of relief. He was the most helpless person when it came to Han Lushi.
If it weren't for the fact that Han Lushi had been homeless for the past thirty years and hadn't been willful many times, he wouldn't know how many times he would have been angered to the point of spitting blood by Han Lushi.
Fortunately, he had joined the Li family.