Chapter 339 – The Leaders Have Arrived
From the very first bite, Grandpa Xie’s eyes lit up. “In-law, your cooking skills are really good!” Grandpa Xie gave a thumbs-up.
Naturally, Zhang Ailian was delighted to receive such praise and recognition for her cooking.
“It’s good that you like it.”
“I don’t have any talents, but my cooking skills are decent.”
Grandpa Xie shook his head. “In-law, you’re being modest. How could you have no other talents? You’ve raised and educated such fine children. That’s a real talent.”
Upon hearing this, both Zhang Ailian and Xu Aiguo were even more pleased, their chests puffing out with pride.
They naturally thought their children were excellent, better than any other children. Neither Zhang Ailian nor Xu Aiguo liked to compare their children with others. To them, their own children were the best and unique, and comparing them to others was unnecessary.
Of course, if they had to compare, they would still believe their children were the best and something to be proud of.
Every parent would want to hear praise for their children, so to Zhang Ailian, Grandpa Xie’s compliment about raising good children was even more gratifying than praise for her cooking.
The meal passed in a happy and harmonious atmosphere.
Due to the long journey, Grandpa Xie soon retired to the arranged room to rest. Once he was rested and had more energy, they would discuss the marriage proposal.
As a young man, Xie Ting’an did not go to rest but stayed to chat with Xu Jinning and the Xu family.
Although it was the first time Xu Aiguo and Zhang Ailian had met Xie Ting’an, they were impressed with the young man upon first seeing him.
He was a handsome, polite, and modest young man. Standing next to their daughter Ningning, they made a perfect match. Most importantly, they could see that Xie Ting’an’s eyes were full of Ningning, which was enough for them.
If Xie Ting’an’s roommates from Beijing University had heard Xu Aiguo and Zhang Ailian’s comments, they would have been shocked. The description of “handsome” fit Xie Ting’an perfectly, as he truly was good-looking. However, the description of “modest” didn’t quite fit, since Xie Ting’an was famously aloof and indifferent in their dormitory.
Well, it could only be said that this guy treated people differently.
While chatting, suddenly the sound of a car was heard from outside the Xu family’s courtyard, and soon some people came in.
Xu Jinning noticed her godfather, Zhang Changzheng, among them, along with some county leaders who had come to their house before when she and her sister had won the top scores in the college entrance exams, to deliver awards and banners.
Some of them Xu Jinning recognized, while others she did not. Of course, they all looked like leaders.
Since Zhang Changzheng was the most familiar with the Xu family, he took the lead in greeting.
“Ningning, I heard that Old Leader Xie is visiting your home?” Zhang Changzheng asked.
“Do you mean Grandpa Xie? Yes, this is Grandpa Xie’s grandson, Xie Ting’an,” Xu Jinning introduced them.
She hadn’t expected her godfather and the county leaders to come, but she understood their reason for coming. It must be because of Grandpa Xie, whose status was indeed prestigious.
“So, it’s Young Master Xie. Hello, hello. I am the secretary of Anren County…” Upon learning that Xie Ting’an was Grandpa Xie’s grandson, they immediately began to chat with him.
Xie Ting’an wasn’t particularly interested in dealing with them, but the county leaders didn’t mind.
Even after learning that Grandpa Xie was resting, they expressed their intention to wait until he woke up to personally greet the old leader and offer their regards.
The Xu family could only agree. Additionally, the leaders had visited a few times before, leaving a good impression on the Xu family. Thus, the Xu family was more than happy to host them. After all, other families would be thrilled to have such leaders visit their homes.
Of course, the arrival of county leaders at the Xu family’s home was likely spreading news. People were expressing amazement at the Xu family’s expanding network and speculating about their limitless future.
Since Zhang Changzheng was familiar with the Xu family, he inquired about the reason for Grandpa Xie’s visit. He was surprised to learn it was related to Xie Ting’an and Xu Jinning’s marriage.
“Ningning is getting married? Brother Xu, you’re not being honest; you didn’t tell me, and I’m Ningning’s godfather,” Zhang Changzheng joked with a hint of reproach.
“They’re not getting married yet; Uncle Xie and Xiao Xie came here specifically to propose.”
“After the proposal, they’ll have an engagement first. The wedding won’t be so soon.”
Ningning mentioned that the wedding might be after graduation from university.
“I see. So, I’m just here to join the fun today? Haha.”
Meanwhile, the county leaders were astonished to learn that Old Leader Xie had come with Xie Ting’an to propose. They hadn’t expected that a family like Old Leader Xie’s would be interested in a girl from a rural family, even though they knew Xu Jinning was exceptional—an outstanding student and a top scorer in the college entrance exams.
They understood that the disparity between the Xu and Xie families was immense, so initially, they hadn’t considered this possibility at all. To their surprise, it was indeed a marriage proposal.
Whether the Xie family is less concerned with social status or Xu Jinning is truly remarkable—so remarkable that even the old leader would personally travel to Qinghe Production Brigade to propose for his only grandson—is unclear to them.
What they do know is that the old leader and Xie Ting’an both value Xu Jinning and her family highly. They believe that if Xu Jinning were to marry Xie Ting’an, the future of Xu Jinning and the Xu family would be truly extraordinary. They might need to elevate the importance of the Xu family in their own minds.
They even considered that after returning home, they should encourage their own family members to maintain and strengthen their ties with the Xu family.
Networking is always beneficial, and you never know when it might come in handy. Perhaps in the future, the Xu family might rise to a level that they themselves will look up to.
Zhang Changzheng, however, was well aware of Xu Jinning’s exceptional qualities. To him, Xu Jinning was the best young woman in the world, apart from his own wife. Such a remarkable young woman, even fitting for someone of Xie Ting’an’s status, was truly rare.
She was like a lucky star. Any family that married her would be seen as having great foresight and good fortune.
Although Brother Xu mentioned that Ningning’s marriage would have to wait until after she graduates from university, Zhang Changzheng felt that he needed to discuss with his wife about preparing some gifts for Ningning as a part of her dowry.
As Ningning’s godfather and godmother, they wanted to make sure they didn’t fall short in their duties.
