Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 206 He Ci'en's View

He Ci'en shook her head: "I don't mind, I was just asking out of curiosity. Um, Auntie, is she pretty?"

Jing Yan nodded decisively: "She's good-looking, pretty, and has a straightforward personality. She's a girl with her own opinions."

"I do believe you have your own opinions. Being able to decisively give up a four-year relationship shows you can really let go. However, I have a rather introverted personality. Have you mentioned this to her? I don't want her to find me boring in the end, which would just be a waste of each other's time."

"You two were high school classmates. Back then, you were so much more withdrawn than you are now. Your teachers even thought you had personality problems. Do you think everyone is like you, forgetting everyone?"

"That girl still remembers you. I asked her about this first, and they're willing to meet. That's why we're waiting for you to come back and ask what you think." Jingyan playfully slapped him.

He Ci'en smiled somewhat shyly: "Then I'll trouble Auntie to arrange a time so we can meet first."

"Then call your grandparents later. Zhaohui is going to university this year, and since there are no children at home, the old couple has some free time. Tell them that once I've set a time, they can come and take a look and give their opinions," Jingyan instructed.

He Ci'en nodded: "It's interesting. Zhao'an and Zhaohui are three years apart, but they only started school a year apart. The two brothers are not that different. Zhao'an complained to me for a long time when he called me before."

"There's nothing we can do. Zhao'an started elementary school at eight, while Zhaohui started at six." Jingyan also found it interesting; it would be even more interesting if the two children, who were only two years apart, could start school in the same year.

He Ci'en went to make a phone call. Her uncle and his wife had been worried lately. Their children had all left home one after another. The elderly couple didn't have to worry about their children's lives and studies, but their personal problems were piling up.

My eldest grandson is already twenty-eight and there's still no sign of marriage. My second grandson is a junior in college and supposedly has a girlfriend, but we don't know if it will lead to marriage. However, the most pressing matter right now is my eldest grandson's marriage.

Lately, the couple has been making sure to glance at any young girls they see on the street whenever they go for a walk, hoping to spot a pretty one. They imagine how wonderful it would be if they could bring a wife home for their grandson!

Before the two of them could even have a target in mind, Jingyan already had someone in mind. Hearing this good news, the elderly couple couldn't wait to meet her tomorrow. However, after checking the calendar, well, they realized they'd have to wait.

At least everyone has time off on weekends, so from that point on, the elderly couple would tear off a page of the calendar every day, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the weekend.

That evening, Jingyan called Commander Shen's family and arranged to invite them over on Saturday afternoon. This is how it is at this time of year for matchmaking: find an excuse for everyone to sit together. If both sides like each other, they can get to know each other better; if not, it's just a visit, and both families can save face.

On Saturday, the uncle and aunt took the first boat to the island early in the morning and went straight to Jingyan's house, carrying large bags and small bags of cigarettes, alcohol, candy, canned food, and luncheon meat. They were afraid that the island was poor and had nothing. The scene reached its climax when the aunt took out a bright green and translucent bracelet.

"This is a family heirloom jade bracelet that I received from my mother. It was a gift from my father to her. I originally intended to give it to Ci'en's mother, but unfortunately, her personality is even more volatile than her father's, and she couldn't handle something so fragile. Now I can finally give it to my eldest granddaughter-in-law," the aunt said happily.

He Ci'en covered her face, feeling extremely embarrassed: "Grandma, this is the first time we've met, I don't know anything about you, and you're already giving away a family heirloom. Well, even though this heirloom is relatively new, it's still a family heirloom. Besides, look at the way you're doing this, anyone who didn't know better would think I'm desperate to get married... oh, no, I mean desperate to be married."

Aunt slapped him: "How dare you say that? The child who was the least troublesome when he was young has become the most worrisome when he grew up. Look at your younger brother, he was already dating in college and got married after graduation. Who knows, your child might have to call his child 'brother' in the future. Tell me, aren't you ashamed?"

He Ci'en clutched her shoulder: "Grandma, it's a good thing you're not tall enough, otherwise if you had hit my head with that slap, I wouldn't have had to go on this blind date today, I would have been sent straight to the hospital. At your age, you still have such a strong hand."

Aunt looked at Uncle with some surprise: "You know, your eldest grandson has changed quite a bit in the past few years. He wouldn't have talked so much before. He would have just dodged the question. He was the kind of person who wouldn't say a word even if you hit him three times. Hmm, not bad, he has made progress."

He Ci'en...

Jingyan smiled and stopped her aunt: "Aunt, don't take it to heart with the child. Let's calm down. When Commander Shen's family arrives, they might have a bad impression of our family if they see us making such a fuss. Let's not let it affect Ci'en's important matter."

The uncle also smiled and stopped the aunt: "Alright, you're seventy years old, why are you still so hot-tempered? Let's not argue with the younger generation. The girl's family will be here soon, so take a good look. You like pretty kids the most, right? Jingyan said the girl is beautiful, so you should take a good look."

Sure enough, the old man understood the old woman best. With just one sentence, the aunt calmed down. She ran her fingers through her gray hair and said with a hint of reproach, "I said I wanted to dye my hair, but you wouldn't let me. Look how old I look. Don't embarrass your grandson."

“We’re getting on in years, why bother with all that fancy stuff? Hair dye is all chemicals, it’s bad for your health. We need to take good care of ourselves and live a few more years. When we were young, we didn’t get to see each other often, but now that we’re old, we should spend more time together.” The uncle held his aunt’s hand, trying to stop her from worrying about her hair color.

Watching the interaction between the elderly couple, Jingyan winked at He Zhijun: "I didn't realize that Uncle was quite good at sweet talk. I used to have a narrow view of him. I always thought he was the kind of rough guy who only knew how to scold people and use the stick. I didn't expect him to have such a tender side."

He Zhijun took her hand and whispered back, "We'll be together for life, until we grow old."

Jing Yan tried to pull his hand away, but couldn't, so she let him be.

Just after noon, there was a knock on Jingyan's door. He Zhijun went to open it, and soon the family of three appeared in the living room. Everyone quickly got up, greeted each other, and then invited them to sit on the sofa in the living room. Everyone found a stool and sat around the sofa, making it feel like a discussion.

Aunt and Uncle sat in the middle. She looked at Shen Rongrong, who was a little shy but poised and allowed herself to be looked at, and smiled even more brightly: "Good girl, how old are you this year, and where do you work?"

Shen Rongrong answered obediently, her voice clear and crisp.

"Oh, she's about the same age as Ci'en, which is perfect. She has a nice voice and does a great job too," Auntie praised repeatedly.

Mrs. Shen smiled and said, "The job sounds good, but it's too busy. When there are tasks, she often has to work overtime. The salary and benefits are good, but she can't take care of her family. What woman doesn't take care of her family after marriage? I asked her to change to an easier job, but she just won't do it. She's very stubborn."

He Ci'en said calmly, "It would be a waste of her expertise to switch to an easier job. The current logistics staff are no longer on the front line. In fact, if you ask me, the front line is where you can still demonstrate your value, but it's too dangerous. She has already taken a step back, and we can't let her take a step back all the way. I think her job is very good."

Commander Shen and his wife exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with satisfaction. As a mother, she naturally had to set clear boundaries. Even if she was satisfied with her child's work and achievements, she couldn't be too obvious about it. If the husband didn't want the wife to be too strong, it would make people think that her family was too domineering.

The couple hadn't expected He Ci'en to have such thoughts. They were very satisfied that he supported their daughter's work. The aunt also nodded and said, "That's right. It's the new China now. Who says women have to take on all the housework? I'm not as good at housework as my husband, but we've lived a happy and harmonious life together."

He Ci'en... "Um, Grandma, I'm actually quite busy with work too."

My aunt glared at me and said, "Then make more money and hire people to do the housework and cook."

He Ci'en has truly fallen silent this time.

Both sets of parents were very satisfied with each other's children. Jingyan pretended to look around and said, "By the way, Rongrong likes to look at the stars, right? Why don't you ask Ci'en to take you to the study on the second floor to find some books? You can take them home and read them at your leisure."

Shen Rongrong blushed slightly. When she was in high school, she thought He Ci'en was amazing. He was good at studying, could play the guqin, and had a very attractive temperament. Unfortunately, he was too cold back then, and it seemed that nothing caught his eye. Unexpectedly, eight years later, after many twists and turns, she was on a blind date with him, and he was not as indifferent as before. At least he talked more than before.

He Ci'en stood up and waited for Shen Rongrong to follow him. Shen Rongrong followed with her head down, somewhat shyly. The two went upstairs, and He Ci'en opened the study door, leading her to the bookshelf to choose books.

"What books about celestial bodies have you read? Let me see how I can recommend some. If it's just a hobby, you don't need to read anything too academic. Those kinds of books are very boring. Instead, read some picture books, which are simpler and more accessible."

He Ci'en was giving a serious introduction, but Shen Rongrong wasn't really interested. It was just an excuse for the adults to have some alone time with her. She sat down in the chair by the desk and sighed, "He Ci'en, you don't actually think your aunt asked you to find me books because she really wanted to find books, do you?"

He Ci'en was a little confused and turned to look at her with a puzzled expression. Shen Rongrong rubbed her forehead and said, "She just wanted us to be alone and talk to each other to get to know each other better. She's not really here to discuss or study."

This time, He Ci'en realized what was happening. She scratched her head somewhat embarrassedly and turned to sit down, saying, "Sorry, I guess I've been in the research institute for too long, and my mind isn't quite sharp anymore."

Shen Rongrong smiled and said, "I actually have a deep impression of you. You had good grades in high school. I think everyone admires strength. Back then, many girls in the class liked you, but you were only focused on your studies. You would leave right after school and didn't get close to anyone. I guess you didn't care about these things."

He Ci'en thought about it seriously for a moment and smiled, "Back then, I was in a hurry to go home to see the stars. My aunt was very good to me. Knowing that I liked to look at the stars, she specially searched for a long time and bought me a telescope. I didn't want to waste her good intentions, so I always thought about making the most of it. Therefore, I spent most of my spare time on it and didn't really pay much attention to the people and things in my class."

"You seem very close to your aunt. Is it because your parents aren't around?" Shen Rongrong had actually been wanting to ask this question. She felt that He Ci'en's feelings for Jing Yan were more like a son's dependence on his mother, rather than the ordinary kinship that other families have.

He Ci'en shook her head: "My parents are in the Northwest Military Region. I've loved reading since I was little, but my mother only buys me two extracurricular books a year, no more. So I cherish books very much."

During the summer vacation after my second year of junior high school, my grandfather retired from the military and came back to take care of my great-grandmother. He brought all four of us grandchildren back with him. I remember my aunt was very gentle when she saw us and asked me what I wanted. I said I wanted to buy some extracurricular books.

She took me to Xinhua Bookstore for an afternoon. I initially selected about twenty books, intending to pick just two from them, but my aunt bought them all. You don't know, that was the happiest time of my life.

When I got home, my aunt told my grandfather that she wanted me to stay at home to study because I was the only one who was about to enter the third year of junior high school and was facing the high school entrance examination. So my grandfather agreed, and afterwards my aunt treated me even better than she treated Zhizhi and An'an.

Every semester, she would take me to Xinhua Bookstore to pick out books. Knowing that I liked astronomy, she would find me a telescope. At that time, my aunt wasn't that rich, but she didn't hesitate to spend money on me.

When I went to high school, I was given pocket money every month. When I lived with my parents, I didn't even get any pocket money or New Year's money. But my aunt would never take away the pocket money or New Year's money she gave us; she would let us keep it ourselves.

When I got into university, in addition to the tuition and living expenses my parents gave me, my aunt gave me more living expenses every year than my parents gave me. She was afraid that I wouldn't eat or live well at school, so she even bought me a house near the school.

After I graduated from university, my aunt let me keep all the rent from that house. The year I started graduate school, my aunt was worried I'd suffer, so she came to see me and tidied up my bedding. My mother never said a word about these things, let alone did them. Tell me, isn't my aunt more like a mother to me?

Shen Rongrong... "I know Auntie is kind and gentle, and I also know that you have lived in her house for several years. Before, when you were so aloof at school, people would talk behind your back, saying that it was because you were living under someone else's roof. But I didn't expect that the truth was quite the opposite."

“You know I can play the guqin and play Go. These are all taught to us children by teachers that my aunt hired. Otherwise, where would I have learned these things? As long as I am by my aunt’s side, I feel very at ease.” He Ci’en’s voice was gentle.