novelraw Chapter 452 "In some ways, she's quite open-minded"
Chapter 452 "In some ways, she's quite open-minded"
Chapter 452 "In some ways, she's quite open-minded"
"You understand me best, Uncle." Gu Zhiheng said in a lively tone, and even asked Lin Zhao to get him a drink.
Lin Zhao gave him a bottle of room temperature water.
"I want it iced."
"Why do you want it iced? Room temperature is fine. Drinking iced drinks is bad for your health." Lin Zhao patted his son's head. "Call me. I'm going back to my room."
He turned and left after saying that.
Gu Zhiheng sighed, "What's so good about drinking it at room temperature?"
Hearing this on the other end of the phone, Gu Qingzhou said, "Why can't I drink it? I never complained so much about drinking plain boiled water before. You've had your fill of the good life."
Gu Zhiheng chuckled, "How can you ever get enough of good days? Uncle, how did you and my future aunt meet? You had a boyfriend but didn't tell us. You just said you wanted to get married. It really surprised us."
"I wasn't sure before, so I didn't say anything," Gu Qingzhou explained, answering her nephew's question. "Yes, we met through a blind date."
He was a little embarrassed, "We got to know each other for a while because we felt it was a good match, and then we became a couple."
"Oh my~~" Gu Zhiheng's expression was as provocative as could be.
Gu Qingzhou was speechless. "I'm an elder, can't you be a little more polite?"
“Okay.” Gu Zhiheng became serious. “Uncle, I’ve decided. I’ll give you a big color TV as a wedding gift when you get married.”
"Really?" Gu Qingzhou exclaimed in surprise.
A large color TV is really expensive; he really can't bear to buy it.
If Mr. Gu gives it to him, his uncle will gladly accept it, hahaha.
"Really? Of course it is! You're my uncle, my dear uncle," Gu Zhiheng promised.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," Gu Qingzhou said politely. "I'll be waiting for you, hahaha. Big color TV, it's time to replace our old black and white one."
……
Gu Zhiheng was a blabbermouth. After finding out the details, he took an orange, peeled it, and walked towards his parents' room. He sat down on a stool and said, "Dad, Mom, I found out. My future aunt and uncle really did meet through a blind date."
Gu Chenghuai shrugged. "I wasn't wrong, it really was a blind date."
"You guessed perfectly," Lin Zhao said, praising him.
Gu Zhiheng was choked with emotion, so he shared half of the orange with his mother, asking, "Want some?"
Is it sour?
“It’s not sour, and I wouldn’t give it to you if it were,” Gu Zhiheng said.
"Then I'll take it." Lin Zhao took it and slowly began to eat. "I have plenty of time and can go back anytime. You and your son are both very busy people, so remember to arrange your time in advance."
“I’m quite relaxed too,” Gu Zhiheng said. “Being your own boss is so liberating. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. It’s really comfortable.”
Knowing that his words were offensive, he wisely left the room, not giving his father a chance to kick him.
Gu Chenghuai scoffed.
Hearing her husband's cold snort, Lin Zhao stuffed two segments of orange into his mouth. "Don't be angry. What's so great about Mr. Gu? At home, he still has to listen to Mr. Gu. There's no need to argue with him."
Old Gu?
Gu Chenghuai felt a wave of frustration.
"Am I old?" He frowned.
“…No, no, I’m still young.” Lin Zhao hurriedly said, “You could kill a strong man with one punch, you’re not old, and you don’t look old at all. You look very energetic.”
That's not an exaggeration.
Gu Chenghuai has been exercising day after day for ten years, and his muscles are strong. His body is so good that even Grandpa Meng is surprised. If he continues like this, he will be a handsome old man with a straight posture and vigor when he gets old.
Gu Chenghuai smiled, his daily exercise was worth it.
……
The Lunar New Year has arrived in the blink of an eye.
Lin Zhao's family arrived at the Gu family's Western-style house in Haicheng. When they arrived, the house was already full of people, including Gu Chan and Wei Xiangdong.
"Zhao Zhao, you're here." Gu Chan walked over and took the things from Lin Zhao's hands. "Are you cold? Come inside and warm up."
When she saw that Zhiyu and Zhiqian had also arrived, her face was full of smiles.
"Zhiyu and Zhiqian have come home too, that's great. Our family can finally have a reunion for the New Year."
Gu Zhiyu called out, "Auntie."
"Auntie." Gu Zhiqian took off the black scarf around his neck, took off his coat, revealing a dark gray sweater underneath. He rolled up his sleeves and poured hot tea for his parents.
During the Chinese New Year, the nanny from the Gu family went home for the holiday, so the Gu family had to do everything themselves.
Lin Zhao took the teacup and held it in her palm.
Yao Bao teased her brother, "Little brother, I want one too."
Qianbao poured a few more cups and handed one to his younger sister, saying, "Here, it's a little hot, drink it slowly."
With a sweet smile, Yao Bao sat down next to Gu Yu, holding a warm teacup.
"Sister Yu Yu".
Gu Yu looked at her cousin and touched her face. "Yao Bao, what did you eat? You're getting prettier and prettier!"
“I eat well, go to bed early and get up early, and go to dance practice every week. Maybe it’s because my life is quite regular that I have a good complexion?” Yao Bao answered seriously, but uncertainly.
Gu Yu was charmed by her cousin's cuteness. "How come she answers every question so seriously? She's just too adorable."
"Sister Yu!" Yao Bao pounded Gu Yu's arm, as if giving someone a back massage.
"What's wrong? Are you embarrassed? What's there to be embarrassed about? You're just too thin-skinned. Let me tell you, it's better to be thick-skinned, at least you won't be bullied." Gu Yu is working now, and she meets all kinds of people. She has found that being thick-skinned is good for her both physically and mentally.
People with thin skin seem easy to bully.
Yao Bao said, "I'm very powerful outside, and no one bullies me."
No one bullies her. Her mother often picks her up from school and eats with her. Her second brother is even more so; he goes to his sister's school whenever he has time. He looks shrewd and not someone to mess with. No one who can get into the Foreign Languages Institute is stupid; he knows who not to mess with.
“That’s true. Your brother is so protective of his own, he wouldn’t stand by and watch you get bullied,” Gu Yu said.
Yao Bao immediately said, "Brother Xingye and Brother Xingci are good to you too, and they will protect you."
Gu Yu waved her hand, "I don't need their help. I'm not someone to be bullied. Whoever makes me uncomfortable, I'll give them a taste of my fists."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Liuniang's face darkened. "Gu Yu! Who do you want to punch now? You're a young lady, can't you be a little more ladylike?"
“How am I not ladylike? You told me to grow my hair long, and I didn’t. Isn’t that ladylike enough? Mom, be reasonable.” Gu Yu kept refuting.
Zhao Liuniang said, "I'm talking about your words and actions. Can't you act like a girl?"
How will she ever get married like this? She's already in her mid-twenties.
Being a mother is a real headache.
Her daughter is a college graduate with a government-assigned job—a secure, stable position. She's also pretty and delicate-looking, but she's still single. She's in her mid-twenties and still acts like a playful child. It's really worrying. "Mom, you're being stereotypical," Gu Yu retorted. "Who says girls have to be ladylike? That's rigid thinking. Mom, you need to read more books."
Zhao Liuniang laughed in anger at these words, "What kind of books would I read at my age? I think you're asking for a beating."
The mother and daughter argued every day, and Lin Zhaoyuan had heard about it even in the capital.
She couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing the smile on her sister-in-law's face, Zhao Liuniang's face flushed slightly. "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, sister-in-law. It's just that this brat is so clueless. He's so old and doesn't know how to find a partner. It's really worrying me to death."
Gu Yu pouted, "Why are you only staring at me and not at my older brothers?"
Gu Xingye and Gu Xingci stiffened slightly, exchanged a glance, and tacitly left, moving away from the battlefield.
They didn't want to get burned themselves.
“They are boys. As long as they are good-looking and have a good job, they won’t have to worry about getting married even when they are in their thirties or forties. Girls are different.” Zhao Liuniang was practically talking herself hoarse.
"If I can't get married, I won't get married. It's too comfortable being single. I don't want to be someone's nanny without even getting paid!" Gu Yu replied quickly.
Zhao Liuniang choked, not knowing what to say.
I simply stopped trying to reason with my daughter, who was impossible to reason with.
She looked at her sister-in-law and third sister-in-law and said, "I can't win an argument. For every one sentence I say, she has eight more to say. Sigh."
Having achieved a temporary victory, Gu Yu took Yao Bao and Gu Lan upstairs to play.
Huang Xiulan was quite open-minded. "If the time isn't right, we'll talk about it when the time is right. Look at Alan, she wasn't very bright before, but suddenly she became bright. Isn't that great? Don't force the children. The more you force them, the more rebellious they become and the more they'll go against you."
Zhao Liuniang looked surprised. "Where did you learn that, sister-in-law? You speak so eloquently."
"I only learned this one line from the radio," Huang Xiulan said with a smile. "As the children fly further and further away, we parents can't be completely ignorant. Your older brother and I listen to the radio every day."
Lin Zhao gave a thumbs up.
Zhao Liuniang was also impressed, "I'll also ask Yu Yu's dad to listen to this from now on."
She'll be able to speak eloquently and fluently, leaving Gu Yu with no way to refute her.
Her expression was easy to understand, and Lin Zhao smiled.
"What are you laughing at, Third Sister-in-law?" Zhao Liuniang asked.
Lin Zhao said, "It's quite surprising to think that my second sister-in-law and Yu Yu used to be so loving and filial, but now they argue every time they meet."
She doesn't come back often, and you can always see the mother and daughter arguing. You can't convince me, and I can't refute you either. It's quite a spectacle.
Zhao Liuniang laughed and said, "I didn't expect it either. Who would have thought that such a quiet little girl would grow up to be such a tomboy?"
“There’s nothing wrong with being a tomboy. Yu Yu has a great personality, so Second Sister-in-law shouldn’t be too restrictive of her,” Lin Zhao said.
“It’s not that I’m restricting her, it’s just that she stays at home all day and doesn’t know how to date. I’m worried. It’s not a big deal if she doesn’t get married, but at least she should go and find someone to date.” Zhao Liuniang was afraid that if her daughter continued like this, she would have even less interest in dating.
She doesn't actually force Gu Yu to get married, but you have to try. If you don't try and keep delaying like this, you might regret it in the future.
Lin Zhao understood the implication in her second sister-in-law's words; to some extent, she was quite open-minded.
"If you haven't met the right person yet, you'll start dating without me having to tell you when you do," Lin Zhao advised. "The child is good-looking, has a good job, and isn't a burden at home. What your sister-in-law is worried about isn't a big problem."
"I hope so," Zhao Liuniang said hopefully.
It's not that she's in a hurry, it's just that in a few years her daughter will be almost thirty, and she's worried about that.
After refilling her daughters-in-law's teacups, Gu's mother said slowly, "My second daughter-in-law is just like me before, desperately trying anything. Parents really never have enough to worry about."
Zhao Liuniang glanced at her enviously, "Mother, your mission is almost complete, but my three are still nowhere to be seen."
Huang Xiulan said, "Alan has taken the lead, and her younger siblings should be coming soon."
The two sisters-in-law were eagerly anticipating their children's marriage and holding their grandchildren, but Lin Zhao was in no hurry.
Seeing that she wasn't in a hurry, Zhao Liuniang said, "Third sister-in-law, aren't you worried? Zhiyu and Zhiheng are not young anymore."
Lin Zhao shook her head, "No rush. As long as the child is happy, that's all that matters. It's fine if he stays single for life or never gets married. Gu Chenghuai and I don't mind."
Gu Chan sighed, "Zhao Zhao is so open-minded."
Lin Zhao looked at her, "Didn't your older sister urge you? Isn't that what you think too?!"
Gu Chan smiled and said, "I would like to manage them, but those two stones have to listen to me. They're both grown up now, and each one has their own ideas. I can't persuade them, so I'd rather not say anything."
She felt much more relaxed after giving up on the matter.
"It's really good that you're so open-minded," Huang Xiulan said.
She and her second sister-in-law are the same kind of people; they always say they don't care anymore, but they can't settle down.
I know this is wrong, but I just can't change it.
After complaining about the young people who don't date, the group started talking about Gu Qingzhou's boyfriend.
The main spokesperson was, of course, Gu's mother.
She teased, "Qingzhou was able to get rid of his single status entirely because of me. If I hadn't pressured him to go on blind dates, how would he have found a partner?"
The daughters-in-law offered a few words of praise, neither too much nor too little.
Gu's mother was very pleased.
"...On the way there, Qingzhou had a sour face, no different from a donkey pulling a millstone. When he saw the girl, tsk tsk tsk, you didn't see how worthless he was. He was tidying his clothes and combing his hair with his hands. The way he looked... I've never seen him so nervous before. He's really worthless."
Hearing this from not far away, Gu Qingzhou's face flushed red. "Mother! Give your son some face!"
Mother Gu snorted coldly.
"I can laugh at you for the rest of my life." Gu's mother raised her voice, "Who told you to put on a bad face when you went there? I warned you to be careful not to slap yourself in the face. You kept nagging and complaining, and now you know how to be embarrassed? You made your own mistakes, so you have to bear the consequences."
"How is it a sin..." Gu Qingzhou looked slightly embarrassed; it couldn't be that exaggerated.
"If I say it's true, then it is." Gu's mother was very proud, because she had suffered a lot because her youngest son resisted blind dates, and she had to vent her anger.
Gu Qingzhou surrendered, "Fine, fine, do whatever you want."
Ultimately, he was in the wrong; how could he have known he would fall for it at first sight?
Lin Zhao asked, "Sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, eldest sister, have you seen that girl? Where is she from?!"
Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang shook their heads.
Gu Chan said, "I saw her once from afar, but I couldn't see her face clearly. I could tell she was a girl with a good temperament."
"How could she not have a good temperament? She's a dancer," said Gu's mother.
"How could Mother know someone like that?" Lin Zhao asked curiously.
This question hit a nerve with Gu's mother, whose smile deepened. "With a troublesome son at home, I have to ask around everywhere. The moment I saw this girl, I knew Qingzhou would definitely like her. I went to great lengths to get him a blind date."
"At the time, I thought that if Qingzhou didn't get the hang of things, I would just give up on him and let him stay single. I never expected... hey, it actually happened!"
Lin Zhao finished eating the whole melon, feeling satisfied, and said with a smile, "This is what they call a destined meeting from a thousand miles away."
(End of this chapter)