Du Heng found himself sowhat at a loss due to Wu Shengnan’s words. Not being naturally articulate, he was suddenly unsure how to continue the conversation. Left with no choice and unclear about the situation, he once again responded with silence, burying his head in the sand like an ostrich.
Du Heng was frustrated, but Zhu Minyan was thoroughly agitated. Her agitation intensified each day as she watched her father act like a ’pimp,’ calling every relative and friend who had a daughter of marriageable age. Knowing that in just two more days she would have to pack her bags and travel far away for her studies, she felt so agitated that she didn’t even want to pack her luggage.
Finally, hearing her father in the living room once again prying into another girl’s family affairs on the phone, Zhu Minyan couldn’t hold back any longer. She stord out, grabbed the mobile phone from Zhu Fanzhong’s hand, hung up, tossed it aside, then stord back to her room in a huff. She executed the whole series of actions with a swift and fluid motion. Zhu Fanzhong remained frozen in the gesture of holding his mobile phone even after his daughter had left. It wasn’t until he heard the door slam shut with a loud BANG that Zhu Fanzhong finally registered what had just happened.
"This girl is spoiled rotten. You should talk to your daughter when you have ti," Zhu Fanzhong grumbled to his wife beside him as he picked up the mobile phone to redial.
Zhu Fanzhong’s wife was an honest and straightforward woman, but as a woman and a mother, she knew exactly why their daughter was upset. "Why don’t you talk to her? She’s your daughter too. Besides, can’t you wait until she leaves before you make these calls?"
Zhu Fanzhong paused, his finger hovering over the dial button, then put away his mobile phone. "I’m deliberately making these calls in her presence so she hears them. Ideally, she’ll witness Doctor Du getting engaged before she has to leave."
"What do you an by that? Don’t you know what’s on our daughter’s mind?"
"Of course, I know. That’s precisely why I’m doing this. I want her to give up on the idea and focus on her studies."
Zhu Fanzhong glanced back at the closed bedroom door, then told his wife his thoughts in a firm voice.
This was the first ti Zhu Fanzhong’s wife learned that his active matchmaking for Du Heng was not only to repay a debt of gratitude but also to extinguish their daughter’s hopes regarding him. As a mother who loved her daughter, she grew uneasy upon hearing Zhu Fanzhong’s words. "But doing this... isn’t it too harsh on our daughter? She’s grown up now, and isn’t it normal for her to be dating?"
"I don’t object to her dating, but not Doctor Du."
"Why not? I think Doctor Du is quite good. He has a stable job, a good inco, and no complicated family issues. What’s wrong with him?"
Zhu Fanzhong’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected his wife to actually support their daughter. "Think about it. Yanyan is only a sophomore. Even if they dated and got married right after graduation, that would still be two and a half years. During those two and a half years, one would be in the Capital and the other in Jinzhou. Too many unexpected things could happen."
"Moreover, Doctor Du is already thirty this year. Can he really wait until Yanyan graduates to get married? Not to ntion, he’s ten years older than Yanyan. If people in the village found out, wouldn’t they say we’re shalessly trying to social climb? How could our family ever hold our heads high in this village or the surrounding areas again?"
In the end, it was Du Heng’s age that truly bothered him.But when Zhu Fanzhong’s wife thought about it, she understood. She herself had married young and had a child at twenty. Du Heng was ten years older than their daughter, and she herself was ten years older than Du Heng. If word got out, it would indeed sound outrageous.
"So... what should we do now? Should you keep calling?"
Hearing his wife’s thoughtless words, Zhu Fanzhong glared at her. "Call? What’s the point of calling anymore? Since it has co to this, we might as well be direct with her. Our daughter is a college student now; she should be able to understand us. You go talk to the girl. It would be best if you can get through to her. If not, call her out here, and I’ll talk to her."
Though he said this, Zhu Fanzhong felt incredibly frustrated himself. He reached for a cigarette and lit it.
Zhu Fanzhong’s wife looked back at him reluctantly several tis, but seeing his unyielding expression, she could only sigh and head to their daughter’s room to have a good talk with Zhu Minyan.
Zhu Fanzhong chain-smoked three cigarettes in the living room, his mind growing foggy. Only when he saw his wife and daughter erge from the room and walk towards the living room did his head begin to clear. He quickly waved his hand to disperse the smoke in front of him. Seeing his wife shake her head, Zhu Fanzhong’s heart sank.
His daughter had always been strong-willed. As their only child, she had admittedly been sowhat spoiled; she was used to having things her way. Now that she was older, she was even more stubborn. However, this matter was non-negotiable. It was for her own good.
Zhu Minyan ca out and slumped onto the sofa, pouting with a sullen face, not uttering a sound.
With a sigh, Zhu Fanzhong said earnestly, "My dear girl, ever since our visit to Doctor Du’s house, I’ve known what you were thinking. It’s not that your father has any objection to Doctor Du; I purely feel that you two are not suitable for each other."
"Why not? We’re from the sa village, so how are we not suitable? And we haven’t even dated yet. How would you know we’re not suitable?" Zhu Fanzhong’s words prompted Zhu Minyan to voice her true feelings.
Her words pained Zhu Fanzhong even more.
"My dear daughter, Doctor Du is already thirty this year. His goal is to find a partner, get married, have children, and live a stable life with his wife and children."
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