Chapter 381 – If I Were to Marry into Yueyue’s Family
Xu Xiangbei stood up, retrieved his bag, opened it, and took out a black wallet, about the size of his palm.
Looking at the wallet, Xu Xiangbei’s gaze was tender.
This wallet had been a gift from Yueyue.
He opened the wallet, took out a small photograph, and handed it to Zhang Ailian.
Zhang Ailian hurriedly took it and saw that it was a colored photo.
In the photo was her younger son and a young girl.
The girl looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a light yellow floral dress and little leather shoes.
Her hair was styled in a high ponytail, and she wore a light pink headband, which gave her a very youthful and energetic appearance.
The young girl was smiling, with two dimples, and her smile was so sweet that it could warm someone’s heart.
Her round, almond-shaped eyes were big, bright, and very clean.
Even just looking at the photo made Zhang Ailian like her.
Zhang Ailian always believed that first impressions were the most important.
And the girl in the photo gave her a feeling of being very clean and comfortable!
If such a girl could become her daughter-in-law, she would be a hundred percent willing.
But…
She seemed to have never seen this girl before.
Also, the girl’s attire made her seem like she was from the city?
And when was this photo taken?
“Son, is this the girl you like?”
“Yes, her name is Huang Minyue. Mom, do you think she could be your daughter-in-law?” Xu Xiangbei asked, both cautiously and with anticipation.
“Of course, she can.” Zhang Ailian replied. A good girl like her becoming her daughter-in-law would be a blessing for the Xu family and also a stroke of luck for her foolish little son.
Previously, her younger son had not shown much understanding. Although she hadn’t pressed him, she was worried.
She feared he might end up a lifelong bachelor.
She had realized that the men in the Xu family only got married when they found a girl they truly liked.
Since her son hadn’t shown any such inclination, she was genuinely concerned.
To her surprise, he had found someone he liked so quickly.
How could she not be delighted and excited?
However…
The name Huang Minyue sounded somewhat familiar.
It felt like she had heard it somewhere before.
“Son, you haven’t told me where this girl is from?”
“Mom, Yueyue is from Beijing. The only child in her family, and a top student at Beijing University. She’s nineteen this year…”
As Xu Xiangbei explained, Zhang Ailian finally understood why Huang Minyue’s name sounded so familiar.
So, Huang Minyue is Ningning’s classmate? She’s the only child of Ningning’s godparents in Beijing? So, my son went to Beijing and ended up with Ningning’s godparents’ only daughter?
No wonder, no wonder this boy, who originally planned to be gone for just a few days, ended up staying for over a week.
But…
Even though Yueyue’s appearance, background, and character are undoubtedly excellent, there’s still the matter of…
“Abei, Yueyue is their only child. Do you think they would agree to you being with her?”
If their family only had one daughter, and some scoundrel tried to take her away, they, as parents, might even break the guy’s legs if they knew.
“Mom, didn’t I tell you before? I’ve met her parents. Uncle Huang and Aunt Bai are very pleased with me…”
Xu Xiangbei then recounted how Huang Yuxian and Bai Ling had praised him.
“…Mom, if they weren’t satisfied with me, would Uncle Huang and Aunt Bai have sent so many things back with me after they knew I was coming home?”
Zhang Ailian suddenly understood.
She had found it strange while packing things before. Even if it was for Ningning’s godparents, it seemed excessive. Now it made sense.
It wasn’t gifts for Ningning’s brother but for their future son-in-law.
Hearing that her son had received his future in-laws’ approval eased Zhang Ailian’s worries.
In truth, Zhang Ailian knew how outstanding her children were.
She wondered how she had the fortune to give birth to such excellent kids.
“But now that Yueyue is studying at Beijing University, and you’re here in our hometown, won’t it be hard for you to see each other…?”
“Yes…” That was indeed a problem. “But Mom, Yueyue and I have already agreed to stay in touch frequently, whether by phone or letters.”
“That’s good.”
“By the way, Mom, there’s something I want to ask you…” Xu Xiangbei suddenly remembered something important that he needed to discuss with his parents during this visit.
“What is it?”
“Well… it’s…” Xu Xiangbei hesitated, struggling to get the words out.
“You boy.” Zhang Ailian patted his shoulder. “What’s so hard to say directly?”
“Alright then.”
Without further hesitation, Xu Xiangbei revealed that the Huang family had initially planned to either take a son-in-law or find a local suitor from Beijing.
In the end, he asked, “Mom, if I were to marry into Yueyue’s family, would you and Dad agree?”
“Of course, if you didn’t want to, I was going to say that if Yueyue and I had a child in the future, our first child would take the Huang surname.”
Xu Xiangbei thought that marrying into a family was a significant matter and definitely required his parents’ opinion.
“I thought it was something major, but it’s just this?”
“Huh?”
“For something like this, you should decide on your own. Your father and I are okay with it.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“You little rascal, do you think your mother would deceive you? This is a major life decision and relates to your happiness, so your feelings are the most important. If you want to marry into their family, as long as you’re not afraid of others’ odd looks and external gossip, it’s fine.”
Zhang Ailian was speaking honestly.
She didn’t actually care whether her son marry into a family or not; she felt her husband wouldn’t mind either. What mattered most to them was their child’s happiness.
As long as their child was happy and the family was harmonious, they were fine with whatever.
However, marrying into a family as a son-in-law has never been an easy path.
To outsiders, a son-in-law like that was often ridiculed and seen as someone who lacked the ability to establish their own family, thus having to rely on marrying into another family.
If someone could ignore such gossip and focus on building a good life together, it would be possible.
The concern was whether the son-in-law would be affected by these judgments or lose sight of his original intentions.
Zhang Ailian didn’t want her son to become that way.
Though she trusted her son, she knew all too well the destructive power of rumors.
So, she needed to be upfront about it.
Marrying into a family was not an easy path, and if he truly decided to take it, he needed to be mentally prepared.
Xu Xiangbei understood his mother’s words. He knew that what she said reflected the reality he would face and recognized that she was both reminding and supporting him.
