A sophomore in college starts by getting a marriage certificate with a female CEO.

The two stood under the jujube tree for a while.

The cup in Li Xixue's hand was empty, but she didn't put it down; she just held it there.

Lu Yang leaned against the tree trunk, looking at her.

The sound of washing dishes came from the courtyard, along with Zhang Xiulan's loud voice, which could be heard clearly even through a wall.

Li Xixue lowered her head and traced a circle around the rim of the cup with her finger.

Is it hard work?

It's not hard work.

"Your family... is doing well."

This was said very softly.

Although some of the questions asked were a bit tricky, overall the day went quite well.

Li Xixue didn't look at Lu Yang, her gaze falling on the few potted plants in the corner of the yard. After a pause, she added, "Your grandma is a very nice person too."

"That's right."

"Your mom too."

Lu Yang hummed in agreement and smiled.

Li Xixue's ears turned slightly red.

She's not used to saying things like that.

But I did feel something today.

It's different from her own home.

Of course, her home is nice too, but the atmosphere is different.

At home, no one dares to shout loudly, and everyone eats in a very proper manner.

Meanwhile, at Lu Yang's house, it was noisy and chaotic, with people grabbing food, complaining, and bickering. It was incredibly messy, but there was an indescribable warmth to it all.

Just then, a sound suddenly came from the kitchen.

"Let me tell you, this girl is definitely not simple, believe me or not?"

It was my aunt's voice.

"Stop speculating. I'm telling you, you're the same. The girl is perfectly fine, but you have to check her background."

Zhang Xiulan spoke in a loud voice.

"That's called caring! Don't you understand?"

"What concern? Forgive my bluntness, but that's just gossip."

"Zhang Xiulan, don't try to pin this on me. I was just looking out for Xiaoyang! What if this girl comes from a wealthy family and Xiaoyang can't hold his head up at home?"

Why are you worrying about that? It's their own business.

"If I don't worry, who will? Huifang says she's not in a hurry, but she's more anxious than anyone else."

Zhang Xiulan gestured with her shadow: "Alright, alright, say less. The girl is still outside; it wouldn't be good if someone heard us."

"Am I loud?"

Ask yourself.

"...I think it's alright."

"You woke up Old Wang's dog next door."

Through the kitchen window, Li Xixue could see the shadows of two women moving around inside, one holding a dishcloth and the other carrying a plate.

I can't quite describe the feeling.

She has attended many dinner parties since she was a child.

Business banquets, industry summits, family gatherings—but in those settings, everyone speaks with an ulterior motive, and even the order of toasting is carefully observed.

But it's different here.

They argued and made a fuss, but no one was plotting anything.

Although my aunt is sharp-tongued, she's actually just worried that her nephew will suffer in the future.

Zhang Xiulan verbally sparred with her aunt, but her words were all meant to speak well of herself.

On the other side of the courtyard, Lu Jianguo and several other men were gathered together drinking tea.

To be precise, it was drinking tea and bickering.

Lu Jianguo poured himself a refill of tea and then turned to Lu Shihao, saying, "Brother... that girl you pushed on me a while ago, she's got me hanging out of a tree."

"Comrade Jianguo, when it comes to betting on horses, it's common to make mistakes occasionally. Besides, even the best horse bettors can't guarantee a 100% win rate."

Lu Shihao coughed lightly and quickly changed the subject:

"By the way, Jianguo, what are you planning to wear for our meeting this weekend?"

Lu Jianguo took a sip from his cup: "What do you mean, how should I dress?"

The younger brother chimed in, "The older brother is right, what kind of clothes should you wear? You can't exactly go out wearing your army green jacket, can you?"

Lu Jianguo glanced at him: "What's wrong with that one?"

"I've worn that for ten years."

"So what if it's been ten years? It hasn't broken."

Lu Shih-hao put down his teacup and said earnestly:

"Comrade Jianguo, meeting your in-laws is a big deal, you should at least change your clothes."

Lu Jianguo finished his tea and put it on the table without saying a word.

The younger uncle chimed in again: "Big brother's right. Look how neatly that girl is dressed today. What will her parents think if you wear that army overcoat?"

Lu Jianguo frowned: "I'm not going on a blind date."

"You're going to meet your future in-laws! It's even more important than a blind date!"

Lu Shih-hao nodded in agreement: "That's right. Your outfit might be fine in the army, but if you put it on the dinner table, people will think you're here to collect scrap."

Lu Jianguo placed the teacup on the table, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

What I wear is none of your business.

The young man quickly waved his hand: "It's none of our business, it's none of our business, we were just making a suggestion."

Lu Shih-hao chuckled beside him: "Jianguo, stop being stubborn. I'll have Huifang take you to buy a new outfit later. It's not expensive, just a few hundred yuan."

Lu Jianguo ignored him.

But he glanced down at the faded jacket he was wearing.

It paused for two seconds.

It is indeed rather shabby.

Then he picked up his teacup and took another sip.

Then came a burst of loud laughter.

Li Xixue stood beside the jujube tree and overheard the conversation.

Lu Yang watched the middle-aged men bickering in the yard, shook his head, and then said, "See this? This is my home."

Li Xixue responded with an "oh".

"Is this normal?"

"Pretty much, but it's even more lively during Chinese New Year."

"Even more lively?"

Li Xixue didn't know why, but she suddenly became interested.

Lu Yang thought for a moment and then said:

"During the Chinese New Year, the two families would get together to play cards, and the loser would have to crawl under the table. My uncle did it three times one year."

"Oh, and another year during Chinese New Year, my dad was in charge of setting off firecrackers, but it was windy that day, and he couldn't light them even after striking several matches."

"and then?"

"Then my dad got anxious and said that matches wouldn't work, we had to use a lighter."

Li Xixue said "Oh," and waited for the rest of the story.

"The lighter was lit, but he forgot one thing."

"What is it?"

"The firecrackers were lit, but he threw out a lighter instead."

"..."

puff.

Li Xixue couldn't help but move her lips slightly, without laughing out loud, but the curve of her lips was unmistakable.

Lu Yang looked at her profile.

She kept her head down, her fingers tracing back and forth along the edge of the stone table.

"And you, how did your family celebrate the Lunar New Year?"

Lu Yang asked a question.

Li Xixue thought for a moment, then said, "My dad is hosting a dinner party, and then my mom will arrange for a chef to come and cook a New Year's Eve dinner."

"and then?"

"Then after we finished eating, we all went back to our own rooms."

"that's all?"

"Um."

"Not playing cards?"

"My mom won't allow it, saying it will affect my image."

"No firecrackers?"

"It's not allowed in the villa area."

"Not watching the Spring Festival Gala?"

"My dad is bored."