Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Mother Shi looked at Zhan Haoze with a questioning gaze. Zhan Haoze was calm when he met her gaze.
“Hello, Auntie. Yes, I’m Zhan Haoze. Wanwan just woke up and she’s inside.”
Zhan Haoze took a step back as he spoke and gestured for Mother Shi to enter. Mother Shi entered the room but wasn’t in a hurry to see her daughter. Instead, she sized up Zhan Haoze.
“Zhan Haoze?”
She didn’t expect Zhan Haoze to be such a handsome young man. Then she looked at the way he dressed and talked, as well as the feeling he gave off.
Such a man was actually with her daughter?
However, Mother Shi’s hesitation didn’t last long. She was still carrying bags in her hands, so Zhan Haoze took the initiative to take them and placed them on the coffee table.
“Auntie, do you want to go check on Wanwan?”
“Okay.” Mother Shi decided to see her daughter first.
Zhan Haoze followed Mother Shi into the room. As soon as he entered the room, he remembered. There were still pieces on the floor and porridge on the floor.
That mess didn’t look good at all. Zhan Haoze was a little embarrassed. Maother Shi looked at him and then at Shi Mengwan. Her eyes appeared alarmed.
“Mom?”
Shi Mengwan saw Mother Shi and feeling that she was really done for, she put her hand on her forehead.
“Why are you here?”
She hadn’t fully recovered yet, and her voice sounded weak. Shi Mengwan was very worried, but seeing the mess on the ground, she bent down first.
“You lie down first. We’ll talk later.”
Mother Shi stepped forward. She was used to tidying up. Even though she wasn’t very familiar with this place. She cleaned up the floor in no time.
She was afraid that Shi Mengwan would step on the debris when she went down, so she carefully swept the floor and cleaned it up. Only then did she sit in front of Shi Mengwan’s bed again.
After a while, Zhan Haoze brought out another bowl of porridge and placed it on the bedside table.
“Auntie, you’re just in time. Wanwan hasn’t had breakfast yet.”
Mother Shi had experience accumulated with age, so looking at the mess on the floor, she knew something had happened between the two of them. She glanced at Zhan Haoze with a baffled expression.
“Mr. Zhan, right? Can you leave first? I need to talk to Wanwan.”
“Of course.”
Zhan Haoze nodded. Then, he glanced at Shi Mengwan and left.
Only Mother Shi and her daughter were left in the room. Shi Mengwan picked up the bowl of porridge and looked at her daughter with some heartache. “Why are you so sick? Why didn’t you tell me? Didn’t you know that I would be worried?”
“How can a person not get sick from eating grains? It’s not a big deal.” Shi Mengwan reached out to take the bowl, but Mother Shi didn’t let her. She fed her a spoonful of porridge.
Mother Shi focused on feeding the porridge, and Shi Mengwan focused on eating the porridge. Soon, she saw the bottom. Shi Mengwan looked like she didn’t want to drink anymore, so Mother Shi put the bowl down.
“Tell me, what’s going on?” Mother Shi pouted and looked in the direction outside the door.
“Nothing, it’s just that.” Shi Mengwan didn’t want to say more.
She didn’t expect Zhan Haoze to pick up her call, and she didn’t expect Zhan Haoze to be caught by Mother Shi.
No matter what kind of situation it was, it wasn’t what she wanted to see. In this situation, she didn’t know how to answer her mother’s question.
“Your boyfriend? Why didn’t you mention him before? How long have you known him? Where is he from? What does he do?”
He even went on a blind date with Xiao Qi during the new year. At that time, she didn’t know this person. It seemed that she met him later.
“Mom, are you checking his registration?”
“My daughter has a boyfriend. Don’t I have to check it out?” If it weren’t for the fact that Shi Mengwan was still sick, Mother Shi would have flicked Shi Mengwan’s forehead to see what she was thinking. “Do you want to tell me yourself, or do you want me to go out and ask him?”
“Mom.” Shi Mengwan was a little annoyed. She was thinking of breaking up with Zhan Haoze. She had already made up her mind. She didn’t know that her illness would give Zhan Haoze a chance.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t annoyed, but she couldn’t reveal anything in front of her mother.
“Mom, her name is Zhan Haoze. I haven’t known him for long. He runs a company.”
“Haven’t known him for long?” Shi Mengwan wasn’t an idiot. “Haven’t known him for long but you allowed him to step into your home for so long? Are you two living together now?”
“Mom.” Shi Mengwan’s face was flushed red. She was too embarrassed to continue, “Can you stop asking?”
“How can I not ask? You’re a child.”
Shi Mengwan was also anxious. Ever since she was young, other than the time when she ran away from home, Shi Mengwan had never let her worry about anything else.
She also knew that Shi Mengwan had always been proud. Since she said something like that in front of Grandma Shi the last time, she would probably do it.
However, how could Zhan Haoze be a man willing to marry into a family and let his child take someone else’s surname? Such a man was probably out of Shi Mengwan’s control.
“Mengwan, what’s going on with you?”
Shi Mengwan was referring to the mess when she came in just now. Why did these two people look a little strange?
“Mom, can you just leave it alone?” Shi Mengwan was really annoyed. She wanted to get rid of Zhan Haoze, but she didn’t know that not only did she not get rid of him, but she was sinking deeper and deeper into the mess.
She finally made up her mind, but who knew that such a thing would happen again?
“You child.”
Shi Mengwan had been stubborn since she was young. Mother Shi wanted to say a few words to her, but she knew that this child couldn’t be dealt with.
“If you don’t want to say it, then you should rest first. What do you want to eat for lunch? Mom will make it for you.”
“Whatever.” Shi Mengwan really didn’t mean to go against Mother Shi, but she was in a mess now, and she really didn’t know what to say.
Seeing her like that, Mother Shi silently sighed and went out with the bowl.
Zhan Haoze was in the living room and seemed to be on the phone. Hearing the sound of Mother Shi coming out, he hung up the phone.
Mother Shi put the bowl into the kitchen and looked at the kitchen. There was no grease. It seemed that they didn’t cook much.
Zhan Haoze stood at the kitchen door. “Auntie, have you eaten?”
“I’ve eaten.”
Mother Shi looked in the direction of the living room. Zhan Haoze understood and the two of them walked out together.
Mother Shi sat down on the sofa and gestured for Zhan Haoze to sit down as well. Compared to usual, Zhan Haoze sat very upright.
His two hands were placed on his knees, and he looked very serious.
Mother Shi’s brows moved slightly, and she sized up Zhan Haoze again. His eyes were long and narrow, and although he tried his best to restrain himself when he looked at people, he still looked very imposing.
Mother Shi was a person from a small town. The most powerful person she had seen before was only the county magistrate of their county.
When she saw Zhan Haoze today, she had a feeling that the person in front of her wasn’t an ordinary person.
“How old are you this year?”
“Auntie, you can just call my name Haoze. I’m 29 years old this year.”
“Where do you work?” Mother Shi didn’t answer his question. Her form of address was a little distant and polite.
“I own two small companies. In addition, I have a small business under my name.”
Zhan Haoze said it modestly, but Mother Shi wasn’t as relaxed as he thought. Instead, her gaze towards him became more guarded and distant.
He was out of her league; Shi Mengwan had been beautiful since she was young, so Mother Shi was afraid that the man in front of her had bad intentions.
“When did Mr. Zhan and Wanwan meet?”
“Wanwan and I have known each other for a long time.”
Mother Shi was stunned for a moment and recalled what Shi Mengwan had said to her before. “Known each other for a long time? But Wanwan didn’t have a boyfriend during the New Year.”
If she didn’t know that Shi Mengwan didn’t have a boyfriend, why would she arrange a blind date with Xiao Qi?
“Wanwan and I met last year, but we’ve only been together recently.”
“In other words, you two haven’t been together for long?”
Zhan Haoze didn’t avoid Mother Shi’s question, on the contrary, he was quite calm. “Wanwan and I haven’t been together for very long indeed, but I feel that the length of time between two people doesn’t depend on how long they’re together. Some people don’t understand each other even if they spend their entire lives together. However, there are some people who can hit it off at first sight. It can be seen that the depth of their feelings can’t be measured by the length of time they’ve known each other. What do you think?”
Mother Shi reluctantly accepted Zhan Haoze’s explanation, but she asked, “Then according to your words, you’re sincere towards Wanwan?”
“Yes.” Zhan Haoze nodded and replied with incomparable determination.
Mother Shi’s expression was a little more relaxed than before. Her gaze swept across Zhan Haoze before she finally made up her mind and spoke softly.
“Mr. Zhan, did Wanwan ever mention our family’s situation to you?”
“I wonder what you’re referring to, Auntie?”
“I don’t think Wanwan would tell you. Since that’s the case, let me tell you.”
Mama Shi’s greatest regret in her life was that she didn’t have a son. However, that regret wasn’t a regret after having two daughters.
In her heart, nothing could compare to her two daughters.
“My husband, Wanwan’s father, is the eldest in the family. He has two brothers. After I married her father, I only had Wanwan and her sister. When I gave birth to Wanwan’s younger sister, Wanwan’s grandmother was very unhappy and wanted me to send Wanwan’s younger sister away. To give birth to a new son. At that time, Wanwan was very unhappy. Because of this, she even ran away to protest.”
Zhan Haoze’s eyes dimmed slightly when he heard this, but it only lasted for a moment. Very quickly, he sat there expressionlessly and listened to Mother Shi.
“After she ran away from home, his father and I slowly came to terms with it. What son? How is it more important than a daughter?”
When Mother Shi said this, she thought of the time her daughter spent wandering outside for more than a year, and her facial expression didn’t look pleasant. “After Wanwan returned home, her father and I also gave up on the idea of having another child. It’s just that we didn’t want to have a child, but Wanwan’s grandmother didn’t think so.”
She briefly recounted what Shi Mengwan had said when Grandma Shi came looking for them the other day. Mother Shi had been paying attention to Zhan Haoze’s expression.
“That’s how it happened.” Zhan Haoze was expressionless. Shi Mengwan couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. “Wanwan promised that if she find a partner to marry into the family, the child she gave birth to would have the surname Shi –”
Mother Shi paused and realized that Zhan Haoze was still expressionless. She could only continue, “I know. Normal men wouldn’t agree to such conditions.”
“I didn’t mean anything by saying so much. I just wanted to say that if you agree, you can continue dating Wanwan. If you don’t agree, I think we should just forget about your relationship. After all, if time passes and the relationship grows deeper, everyone will be in pain.”
Shi Mengwan’s mother never took Shi Mengwan’s words seriously. She also never thought of letting Shi Mengwan make a man marry into her family.
She even thought that if Shi Mengwan met the man she truly liked one day, if the other party wouldn’t agree to her conditions, for Shi Mengwan’s happiness, she was willing to take a step back and adopt her brother-in-law’s child.
She was very open-minded and didn’t have any objections to the kind of man Shi Mengwan wanted to be with.
It was just that she met Zhan Haoze today, and such a man was definitely not her ideal son-in-law. The most important thing was the mess she saw just now.
Her daughter had never been an unreasonable person who would cause trouble to the point of knocking over porridge. No matter who started it, it meant that the couple had a conflict now.
Her daughter was a piece of flesh that had fallen off her body. She would always protect her no matter what. That was why she wanted to say what Shi Mengwan had said. It wasn’t for anything else but to make things difficult for Zhan Haoze.
Zhan Haoze hadn’t spoken all this while. Mother Shi couldn’t tell what he felt in her heart. There was disappointment, but there was also uneasiness. Her daughter was good in every way. Zhan Haoze’s refusal to respond to her words made her feel a little dissatisfied.
“Since it has come to this, if Mr. Zhan can’t make a decision, then it’s better to just let it go. After all, if it wasn’t suitable, but you two adamantly stay together, it would only increase each other’s pain. Moreover, with Mr. Zhan’s talent, I believe that Mr. Zhan isn’t worried about not finding a partner.”
“Auntie.” Zhan Haoze finally spoke. “I know what you said. I think there’s no problem.”
“Huh?” This time, it was Mother Shi’s turn to be stunned. “You, what do you mean?”
“I mean, I agree to marry into the family. I don’t mind giving birth to a child with the surname Shi.”
“…”
Mother Shi’s mouth was wide open. She suddenly realized that she had lost her composure. She cleared her throat. “Mr. Zhan, you’re a man. You don’t need to randomly make promises to make an old woman like me happy.”
“Auntie, I’m not randomly making promises. I’m serious.”
Zhan Haoze’s voice wasn’t loud. His sincere words made Shi’s mother speechless.
“Mr. Zhan, can you take responsibility for what you said?”
“Of course. A man can’t go back on his word. Since I dared to promise you, I can naturally take responsibility for what I said.”
“…” Mother Shi, who didn’t expect such an answer, finally looked at Zhan Haoze differently. She thought about it and couldn’t help but ask.
“When I came in just now, I saw that the porridge was overturned. Can I ask what happened?”
Zhan Haoze didn’t seem to be surprised by Mother Shi’s question. “It’s my fault. Wanwan has been with me for quite some time, but I haven’t brought her to see my family yet. Wanwan might be unhappy about that.”
Mother Shi didn’t completely believe Zhan haoze’s words. “Then why didn’t you bring Wanwan to see your family?”
Zhan Haoze fell silent. He crossed his hands and placed them on his knees. His eyes drooped, as if he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“My mother passed away.”
“After my mother passed away, my father married another woman. After that, my relationship with my father wasn’t good, so –”
Zhan Haoze didn’t finish his sentence, but Mother Shi seemed to understand what he meant. “I see.”
“Yes.” Zhan Haoze raised his head and looked into Mother Shi’s eyes. “Actually, I know about Wanwan’s dilemma in her heart, but my relationship with my father isn’t very close. So, I don’t feel that I have to involve my father in the major events of my life.”
Mother Shi nodded and seemed to understand Zhan Haoze’s thoughts. “That’s true, but you’re family after all. It’s better to talk about some things properly.”
“Yes, I will.”
Zhan Haoze nodded and didn’t seem to object to Mother Shi’s words.
Mother Shi began to sympathize with Zhan Haoze. If the biological mother died prematurely, the father would marry someone else. As the saying goes, if you have a stepmother, you have a stepfather.
Since Zhan Haoze’s father married someone else, he wouldn’t treat Zhan Haoze very well. This way, Zhan Haoze had a knot in his heart about his father, so it was normal that he didn’t want to bring Shi Mengwan home.
She knew a little about her daughter’s temper, so she was afraid Shi Mengwan would think that Zhan Haoze didn’t value her.
Now that she thought about it, it wasn’t entirely Zhan Haoze’s fault.
“Haoze, I’m not afraid to tell you the truth. Wanwan has always had a bad temper since she was young. Her father and I both pampered her and spoiled her too much. Since you can even accept the condition of marrying into the family, it means you’re sincere about Wanwan. I believe that since Wanwan will allow you to marry into the family, it means she has feelings for you too. Since that’s the case, you two should get along well. It’s better to understand each other.”
In just a short while, Mother Shi even changed her address. It was obvious that she had already ackowledged Zhan Haoze. Zhan Haoze’s expression didn’t change, but the feeling he gave off was much more relaxed.
“Auntie, don’t worry, I know.”
Mother Shi nodded. Although having such a son-in-law wasn’t part of her plan, she really felt like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law. The more she looked at him, the more interesting it was.
She looked at the time and stood up. “I brought some local specialties from home. Are you still going out today?”
“No need.” Zhan Haoze wouldn’t say that he still had a bunch of business to deal with in the company, so Mother Shi was satisfied. She nodded. “Alright, I’ll go buy some vegetables. Let’s have lunch together.”
This was an acknowledgment of Zhan Haoze’s identity.
“How can I let Auntie buy groceries? Let’s have lunch outside.”
“Wanwan likes to eat my food. Besides, Wanwan hasn’t recovered from her illness, so it’s not suitable for her to go out to eat greasy food.”
“Then I’ll go buy groceries.” Zhan Haoze stood up as well. Mother Shi couldn’t help but laugh when she saw his pleading expression. “No need, you can accompany Wanwan. I’ve been here before, so I know where the grocery market is.”
As she spoke, she pouted and looked in the direction of the room. “Wanwan seems to be still angry. Go pacify her. She has a bad temper. Since you’ve decided to be with her, you should be tolerant.”
“I will. Don’t worry, Auntie.”
Zhan Haoze spoke sincerely. From what she saw, Mother Shi didn’t feel dissatisfied with his performance. She turned around to pick up her bag to go out to buy groceries.
