"That’s right."
Jiang Chen reached out with his chopsticks.
"Did you co back alone?"
Pan Hui asked with concern while eating.
"Yeah, alone."
"Why didn’t you bring your girlfriend?"
Fang Weiguo didn’t seem upset at all, as if he had figured it out, "It’d be nice for us to et her."
Pan Hui glanced at her daughter, her eyes suggesting that her husband was really putting on an act.
"My place is so small, it’s cramped for to sleep alone. Not very convenient."
Jiang Chen joked.
"You shouldn’t think like that. No matter how small or run-down, this is your ho. She’s your girlfriend; she’d definitely want to see where you grew up."
Fang Weiguo seed like a dutiful elder, his words leaving no room for selfish intentions, making Pan Hui wonder. Wasn’t he still brooding this afternoon? Now he was suddenly so talkative.
"Dad, this is his personal business. Why are you ddling?"
Fang Qing ca to Jiang Chen’s defense.
"I’m not ddling. Just making a suggestion. But it’s okay; there’ll be chances to et in the future."
Fang Weiguo raised his glass to Jiang Chen, "If you bring your girlfriend, you can’t surprise us. Your Aunt Pan and I need to prepare a red envelope in advance."
"Why prepare a red envelope?"
Jiang Chen, just about to drink, was puzzled.
"It’s just basic etiquette. Your Aunt Pan and I are your elders after all. A new bride coming in — we can’t ignore that."
Pan Hui was a bit at a loss, starting to admire her husband’s open-mindedness.
Jiang Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, silently taking a sip of his drink, unsure of how to respond.
"Alright, Jiang Chen has his own plans, no need for you to micromanage."
Pan Hui interjected, giving her husband a look.
Even if you’ve co around.
Still, shouldn’t you.
Consider your daughter’s feelings?
"Fine, we’ll wait for your notice. You can tell Fang Qing too. Don’t worry, we won’t embarrass you, we’ll prepare a generous red envelope."
Fang Weiguo spoke with gravity, his tone imposing, though it would have been better if he didn’t turn to Fang Qing with the next request.
"When the ti cos, you’ll need to help out your mother and ."
Jiang Chen was stunned.
What does Uncle Fang an?
Is he planning to let Fang Qing pay for them to save face?
"What does giving out red envelopes have to do with ?"
Fang Qing, educated to be an independent thinker, is certainly not foolishly filial. It’s natural to give money to show filial piety, but to pay for her parents to give others red envelopes, especially when the recipient is...
How could she accept such a ridiculous thing?
Pan Hui looked at her daughter’s reaction, then at her inconsistent, flip-flopping husband, suddenly seeming to understand his intention.
"How is it none of your business? Doesn’t that girl need to call you sister? Would she do that for free?"
Jiang Chen wanted to speak but held back, sitting uneasily.
"Co on, don’t you have money? Why make your daughter pay? Aren’t you afraid Jiang Chen would laugh at you?"
Pan Hui chid in.
"I need to save my money for the daughter’s dowry."
"You take the credit and let your daughter suffer, what kind of father are you?"
Pan Hui scolded playfully, then said to her daughter, "In the future, just send your dad to a nursing ho; soone as selfish as him should be educated by the caregivers there."
"Make sure you send your mom too. I absolutely have no objections," Fang Weiguo said, drinking.
"You..."
"Uncle Fang, Aunt Pan, if you keep arguing, Fang Qing might really send you both to separate nursing hos."
Jiang Chen’s comnt instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.
Fang Weiguo laughed, "You little rascal, you’re the ruthless one."
Dinner stretched from six to eight, with the setting sun and rising moon, the clear night gradually quieted the bustling world, making the lights in this laid-off workers’ dormitory building seem even more warm.
"Let’s call it a night. Don’t want to get you drunk, or your Aunt Pan will scold again."
With a final 3.3 ounces drink and then a bit more, Fang Weiguo finally stopped, having opened a bottle of Maotai that they didn’t finish.
"Thank you, Uncle Fang, for holding back."
Jiang Chen imdiately said.
"Don’t cover for him. He’s not afraid of getting you drunk; he’s afraid of getting himself drunk. Can’t defy aging, can he?"
Pan Hui cleaned the table.
Fang Weiguo was helpless, "Couldn’t you spare so face in front of the kids?"
"What face do you need in front of the kids?"
Pan Hui retorted.
Fang Qing, used to it, took the dishes into the kitchen.
"Jiang, take a break. You don’t need to clean up."
"No problem."
Jiang Chen insisted on helping, carrying a dish into the kitchen, taking the opportunity to be alone with Qing Gege.
Fang Qing was about to leave when he blocked her path, looking puzzled.
"What’s up?"
Jiang Chen lowered his voice, mysteriously, "Got any cash?"
"Why?"
"Lend so."
Fang Qing didn’t understand, "What do you need it for?"
"To package a red envelope for Uncle Fang and Aunt Pan. Didn’t you hear them hinting at just now at the dinner table?"
Hinting at you where?
The talk was obviously about senior hospitality.
Clearly overthinking it.
"I don’t have money."
Fang Qing didn’t want to argue with him, attempting to leave, but blocked again.
"Not much, just five thousand will do."
Five thousand.
And that’s just to an well?
But considering Boss Jiang’s current achievents, this tone doesn’t seem arrogant at all.
"Transfer it to ."
Fang Qing didn’t dwell; her parents were outside, better not stay long. Besides, this guy had been drinking, it’s pointless talking too much with a drunk.
Jiang Chen gestured an okay sign.
"What nonsense were you spouting just now?"
Outside.
Fang Weiguo and his wife were also whispering.
"Was it on purpose to provoke our daughter?"
"Of course not."
Fang Weiguo, face flushed from alcohol, imdiately denied it, "You saw it earlier, Qing Qing still feels bad, how could I provoke her further."
"If you didn’t provoke her, would you have realized she felt uncomfortable?"
"..."
Fang Weiguo was silent, then said, "Pour a cup of tea."
"Get it yourself."
Pan Hui whispered, "No matter if Qing Qing has thought it through or not, don’t test her again. It’s pointless. This is sothing between the young people; we’re in no position to dictate."
"I know."
Fang Weiguo smiled wryly, "...I just can’t help it..."
With the corner of his eye, he noticed the two kids coming out of the kitchen, Pan Hui shot her husband a glare, "If you can’t control your words, just learn to keep quiet."
Turning to face Jiang Chen and Fang Qing, Pan Hui quickly put on a smile, "No need to busy yourselves anymore, go have so tea to sober up."
"No more for , I need to go back and see if I’m missing anything."
"That makes sense. Then go, if anything’s missing, should buy it quickly, the store at the entrance closes at nine-thirty."
Jiang Chen nodded and bade farewell to the Fang family.
"Uncle, I’ll be heading back now."
"Check if your water heater still works, if not, tell and I’ll fix it for you."
Jiang Chen smiled, nodding, left the Fang Family, and entered the opposite door.
"Maotai isn’t that good, after all."
Fang Weiguo sighed, getting up to pour himself so water.
Fang Qing walked into her bedroom, and when she ca out, she had a wad of cash.
Not more, not less.
Exactly five thousand yuan.
"What’s that for?"
Sitting on the couch drinking tea, Fang Weiguo was puzzled, "Dad was just joking."
Pan Hui, who was wiping the table, also noticed and imdiately said, "Girl, quickly put the money back."
"This is from Jiang Chen for you both."
Fang Qing placed the five thousand on the coffee table, "He said he didn’t bring a gift, so he’s giving you a red envelope."
Fang Weiguo was stunned.
Pan Hui also ca back to her senses, then wiped her hands clean on her apron, walking over quickly.
"That child, why so polite. We can’t accept this money, quickly return it to him."
"He’s giving it to you. If you don’t accept it, go return it yourself. I’m going to shower."
Saying that, Fang Qing turned around.
"Just two bottles of beer, and he’s drunk?"
Watching her daughter walk into the bedroom, Fang Weiguo mumbled to himself.
Pan Hui glared at him.
"This is all your doing."
"So, what do we do with this money?"
Fang Weiguo looked at the stack of cash on the table.
Pan Hui turned around, continuing to tidy up.
"Keep it until that girl cos, then give it as a red envelope!"
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