Chapter 1955

The next day.

It was Sunday.

After returning late from the old man’s place last night and spending time chatting with Xie Ran and the others, Dong Xuebing naturally slept in. He didn’t wake up until after 10 a.m. From the master bedroom on the second floor of his villa near Siiqing Bridge, he rolled out of bed, kicked off the blanket, and got up to wash.

Washing his face.

Brushing his teeth.

As he was busy with his routine, the phone at home rang.

Dong Xuebing quickly wiped his face with a towel and went out to retrieve the phone from the second floor. The house had been unoccupied for a long time, and a thin layer of dust had settled on the phone, leaving his hand a bit dirty after touching it. This villa was initially purchased as a filial gift for his mother, Luan Xiaoping, when she married Uncle Yang. However, his mother adamantly refused to live there. Since Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan didn’t reside in the capital either, the house had been sitting empty. It was lucky to be occupied three or four days a year, typically when someone borrowed it for a gathering or event. Dong Xuebing himself rarely stayed there and preferred his siheyuan in the city center, which was far more spacious and comfortable.

“Hello, who’s this?” Dong Xuebing asked. He hardly used the home phone, and although it had caller ID, none of the numbers were saved, so he had no idea who was calling.

“It’s me,” said a familiar voice—it was his mother-in-law.

Han Jing replied with amusement, “Is this early?” It’s already past 10. You just woke up, didn’t you?”

Dong Xuebing nodded, “Yeah, just washing up. It’s not a busy day today, so I decided to sleep in. My flight is at 7 p.m.

Han Jing sighed, “You hardly get a chance to come back. Why not stay a few more days?”

Dong Xuebing smiled wryly. “There’s still a lot of work to be done at the county.” I really can’t take more time off. Next time, Mom. I promise I’ll spend more time with you and Dad when I come back.”

Han Jing sighed again. “Since you and Huilan left, I don’t even have anyone to talk to.” I can’t even see my grandson. Oh well, I know you’re both busy and doing important things. Mom’s just complaining a bit. As long as you visit often, that’s enough. By the way, are you coming to the old man’s place for lunch? Your uncle and aunt are taking Xie Ran to meet Xiao Ling’s family to discuss the engagement. Your dad and second uncle went to work. So it’s just a few of us at home today. Oh, and Xiao Jing and Xiao Hao said they’d be coming over too.”

“Got it,” Dong Xuebing said. “I’ll tidy up and be there by noon.”

“No rush. It’s only a five or ten-minute drive from your place,” Han Jing said.

Dong Xuebing’s villa was near the western Fourth Ring Road, just a few kilometers from the old man’s house. So, he didn’t hurry to leave. Noticing the sunny and pleasant weather, he rummaged through his wardrobe and found an old pair of swim trunks. He inflated a small float and carried it down to the backyard pool. The pool was filled with leaves and dirt, having been unused for a long time. Dong Xuebing quickly cleaned it up and filled it with water.

The water was crystal clear.

Under the sunlight, it sparkled beautifully.

Unable to wait, Dong Xuebing dove into the pool and swam a few laps. Although it wasn’t yet summer and the weather wasn’t ideal for outdoor swimming, he soon felt the chill setting in. Shivering, he grabbed the float and climbed on, letting himself drift on the water while basking in the sun.

It felt great.

It was as comfortable as it could get.

Dong Xuebing finally drifted to the pool’s edge, lazily squinting his eyes as he lit a cigarette. He felt utterly relaxed, his entire body and mind at ease. Occasionally taking time to enjoy life like this indeed was terrific.

Half an hour passed.

An hour passed.

In the end, the leisurely Dong Xuebing fell asleep. When he woke up, he realized the sun was now directly overhead. With a groan, his body tilted, and he tumbled off the float with a splash into the pool. Surfacing, he swam quickly to the edge, climbed out, and rushed inside to check the time. Sure enough, it was already 12:30 p.m. He hurriedly dressed, grabbed his things, and drove off to the old man’s house as fast as he could. After all, he had promised his mother-in-law that he would arrive before noon. Now, he was embarrassingly late.

It was almost 1:00 p.m.

Dong Xuebing awkwardly pressed the doorbell of the old man’s villa.

The door opened, and it was Xie Jing who greeted him. “Brother-in-law, you’re so late!”

“I know, I know. Where’s Mom? Where’s Grandpa?” Dong Xuebing walked inside.

“Auntie’s in there. Grandpa already had lunch and went upstairs for a nap,” Xie Jing said, closing the door behind him.

In the living room, Han Jing was sitting on the sofa chatting with Ci Lifen. Only the two elder women were present; Xie Guobang and Xie Guojian were absent, as they were busy at work. Meanwhile, in a corner of the living room, Xie Hao was tapping away on a tablet, probably playing a game. He was so engrossed that he didn’t even look up when Dong Xuebing entered, muttering sound effects in sync with the game’s actions.

“Mom,” Dong Xuebing greeted with an apologetic smile.

Han Jing glanced at him. “Take a look at the time yourself.”

Dong Xuebing quickly tried to smooth things over. “I went for a swim and ended up falling asleep on the float in the pool. My bad, my bad. By the way, is there any food left?”

Ci Lifen chuckled. “There is, but it’s just leftovers.”

“That’s still food cooked by my mom! Even leftovers taste better than dishes from fancy restaurants,” Dong Xuebing flattered.

Han Jing couldn’t help but smile. “This kid and his sweet talk. Alright, wash your hands and get ready to eat. I’ll heat the food for you.”

“No, no, you sit down. I’ll do it myself,” Dong Xuebing said, heading to the kitchen.

Xie Jing sighed wistfully. “I envy my brother-in-law. I wish I had my private swimming pool too.”

Ci Lifen smiled. “In our family, it’s only your brother-in-law who gets this kind of luxury. Even the old man has never lived in a villa with a swimming pool.”

That was true. The Xie family wasn’t lacking in wealth, but they couldn’t afford villas like Dong Xuebing’s. The public often assumed that all officials were wealthy and owned multiple villas, but this was only true for a small minority, often through dubious means. The Xie family, being a relatively clean political family, lived modestly. Even the villas they resided in were assigned or part of family housing complexes, not privately owned, and certainly not equipped with swimming pools. Villas with private pools were strictly high-end commercial properties.

Not long after, Dong Xuebing emerged from the kitchen with a plate of reheated food. He placed it on the table and immediately began eating, savoring each bite with exaggerated praise. “Delicious! Delicious!”

Han Jing chuckled. “Eat slowly. No one is going to take it away from you.

Dong Xuebing smacked his lips and said, “I can’t eat slowly! The more I eat, the hungrier I get!”

At this moment, Xie Jing went to the bathroom alone.

Seeing that Xie Jing was not around, Ci Lifen began chatting with Han Jing. “Sister-in-law, Xiao Ran is about to settle down, and once the elder brother is married, Xiao Jing’s turn won’t be far off. What do you think? How much should we prepare for them? Would 100,000 yuan each be a bit low? How about 200,000?”

Han Jing replied, “We’ll discuss it when the time comes.”

Ci Lifen nodded. “There’s no rush.”

Xie Hao overheard the conversation. Being a money-minded young man, he immediately stopped playing his game and said, “That much? Wow! Then I need to hurry up and get married too!”

Dong Xuebing swallowed the food in his mouth and said, “You’re still so young. You’re not even of legal marriage age yet.”

Han Jing couldn’t help but laugh at Xie Hao. Looking at him, she said, “When it’s your turn to get married, your aunt will prepare a big gift for you, alright?”

Xie Hao grinned. “Thank you, Auntie!”

Dong Xuebing teased him, “But when you get married, I won’t give you anything.”

“What? That’s not fair, Brother-in-law!” Xie Hao exclaimed. “I’m counting on your gift! If you give me less than a million, I’d be embarrassed for you!”

Ci Lifen gave her son a playful smack on the back of the head. “Who asks for their own gift money like this?”

Xie Hao ignored her and pleaded, “Brother-in-law, you’ve got to give me a little extra when the time comes! By the way, you promised last time that if I got into college, you’d buy me a car. My college entrance exams are just a few months away. Don’t forget!”

Dong Xuebing continued eating, pretending not to remember. “Did I say that?”

“You did! My sister and brother heard it too!” Xie Hao was so anxious he almost shouted.

Dong Xuebing glanced at him. “I’ve been here for a while, and you didn’t even greet me. It’s as if you didn’t even notice I was here, just playing along with your game. And now you want me to buy you a car?”

Xie Hao immediately softened, quickly putting on a fawning smile. He moved closer to Dong Xuebing, putting an arm around his shoulder. “Don’t be like that, Brother-in-law. I was just too focused earlier and didn’t notice you came in. I’m greeting you now, aren’t I? So, about the car, let’s not go back on that, okay?”

Xie Jing came back from the bathroom and joined in the laughter and conversation.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Xie Jing got up quickly to answer it, smiling as she said, “That must be my parents coming back.”

When the door opened, it was indeed Xie Guoliang and Xia Yanzhen, the couple.

Behind them, Xie Ran followed them into the house, but his expression didn’t look good.

Dong Xuebing, still eating, glanced up curiously, not understanding what had happened.

It was Han Jing who spoke first. “Guoliang, Yanzhen, what’s going on? Weren’t the families supposed to meet and discuss the engagement? This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Why do you all look like this?”

Ci Lifen asked, “Did you have a conflict with Fang Family’s third son?”

Xia Yanzhen sighed. “No.”

“Did they change their minds?” Han Jing asked.

Xia Yanzhen replied, “No, it’s not that either. Ugh, don’t even mention it. Xiao Ling’s parents were simply too unreasonable. I’m so furious. I’ve said this engagement isn’t a good idea, but Xiao Ran insists—”

“Mom, please say less,” Xie Ran said, looking frustrated.

Han Jing turned to Xie Guoliang. “Guoliang, what’s the issue?”

Xie Guoliang hesitated before saying, “It’s about the bride price.”

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