Chapter 114: 90: A Family by the Spring Chapter 114: Wanting to Marry a Wife, Must Curry Favor with the Maternal Grandmother

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

Days passed in fulfilling busyness, and before long it was the end of the month again; the search for famous springs ended, and filming was approaching its epilogue.

Before the documentary wrapped, admission notices from major universities were mailed out one after another, and Lin Xiyu received her own admission notice—East China Normal University, English Department.

Director Du and the others were all happy for her, deliberately setting the last day of filming at her maternal grandmother's home, ostensibly to let her spend a memorable day.

——

Donghua Street No. 9.

On the day of filming, relatives who heard the news all came.

Wang Fan, Li Liang, and Wu Meng also came to join the fun, and the small courtyard was packed with people.

Worth mentioning is that Xu Weiguo, who had almost severed ties with his mother-in-law since Lin Xiyu was driven out of the Xu family, brought his ex-wife's daughter Xu Jie as well.

The moment the father and daughter appeared in the small courtyard, the noisy courtyard suddenly fell quiet.

Lin Xiyu stared coldly at her pretty face, saying nothing.

"Maternal Aunt, what's going on?"

The female cousin widened her eyes, looking incredulously at the two uninvited people, the disgust in her eyes obvious: "It's a family gathering, why did you bring outsiders?"

"Xu Jie hasn't seen a documentary being filmed; she wanted to come see the excitement."

Lin Xiyu's birth mother, Chen Xiulan, was questioned on the spot by her niece, her expression slightly unnatural.

"See what excitement?"

The female cousin sneered disdainfully: "She just saw Xiyu become successful and has ill intentions, wanting to come stir up trouble again, right?"

"That was all things from childhood."

Chen Xiulan explained embarrassedly: "It's been so many years, Old Xu and Xu Jie don't take it to heart anymore. I was thinking that after Donghua Street's demolition, Xiyu still needs to live there for a while, so let her meet Xu Jie in advance and clear things up, so they can get along better at home in the future."

"Ptooey."

The female cousin spat displeasedly: "Making it sound like they were the wronged ones."

"Leilei, how can you talk like that?"

Aunt Da, mindful of her sister's face, scolded coldly: "This house is decided by your maternal grandmother; you can't make trouble."

"They've come, guests at the door; come inside for some water."

The maternal grandmother considered the overall situation, not wanting outsiders to see a joke; though she felt awkward in her heart, she still smiled and welcomed them as the head of the family.

"I want to drink sour plum soup."

Xu Yi was a little person of influence, happily pouncing into the maternal grandmother's arms, licking his small face and acting coquettish.

"There's some in the kitchen; get it yourself."

The maternal grandmother pinched his nose, her eyes and brows full of pampering.

"Drink sour plum soup, drink sour plum soup."

Xu Yi happily jumped high and sneaked into the kitchen himself.

"Who are those two?"

Wu Meng hadn't seen Xu Weiguo and his daughter before, and being a guest didn't stop her from gossiping.

"Two dung beetles..."

The female cousin was feeling depressed and urgently needed to vent; Wu Meng coming over suited her mood perfectly.

She cursed the father and daughter roundly in her heart, and her mouth wasn't polite either, firing off sarcastic remarks without stop.

"Ah? These two people are so disgusting..."

Because the maternal grandmother was present, she didn't dare speak loudly, but Wu Meng still heard everything clearly.

Wang Fan saw her expression change and also came over to listen to the gossip.

You tell me, I tell you; before long Guben and Li Liang both knew.

Gu Binjun's face sank, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

——

The program group shouldn't meddle in other people's family affairs; Director Du and the others were smart enough to pretend not to see, silently lowering their presence.

They didn't want to cause trouble, but unfortunately someone was clueless and deliberately came over to them.

"Director, do you need a cameo role? Do you think I can do it?"

Xu Jie wore a calico dress, dressed up like a flower peacock, and came up to Director Du.

"Hiss."

Director Du looked at her face painted deathly white, and the corner of his eye couldn't help but twitch.

"How many pounds of powder did she put on her face?"

Wang Fan had a poisonous mouth and wasn't stingy with insults: "Like a female ghost; in broad daylight, don't come out and scare people."

"Pfft."

The female cousin couldn't hold back and laughed, spraying it out.

"Hahaha."

Wu Meng also slapped her thigh, laughing bent double: "Wang Fan, your metaphor is so apt, you've made me die laughing."

"What are you laughing at?"

Xu Jie turned around and glared at her displeasedly.

"I'm just laughing, what can you do to me?"

Wu Meng stood up for her good sister, hands on her hips, her attitude just as arrogant.

"Stop arguing."

Li Liang poked her arm from behind and whispered, "This isn't your own home where you can do as you please; making a scene won't look good."

"I just can't stand her flirtatious look."

Wu Meng grumbled unhappily, "It's like scribbling talismans, who is she trying to seduce? Director Du's taste isn't that bad; he wouldn't take just anyone. Wanting a cameo role? Try your next life."

"She came at the wrong time."

Wang Fan added fuel to the fire: "When filming night scenes, she could cameo as a ghost."

"Pfft."

The female cousin couldn't hold back and spat out a mouthful of water.

"That's exactly right."

Wu Meng and he played off each other: "Wang Fan, I was shallow before and didn't realize you were so humorous..."

"Fallen for me?"

Wang Fan raised his eyebrows and threw her a flirtatious glance: "It's not too late to wake up now; dump Li Liang and follow me from now on."

"Want to die? Say a word..."

Li Liang's handsome face darkened, and he grabbed his neck from behind.

"You few, come over; it's time for the interview."

Li Yan smiled and waved at the boys and girls at this moment.

"Coming."

Wang Fan escaped the disaster, broke free from Li Liang's restraint, and ran off nimbly.

Wu Meng and Li Liang followed closely behind, and Xu Jie also came over thick-skinned.

"Come, come, come, boys and girls about to enter university, take out your admission notices, hold them up together, and say a few words to the camera."

Director Du gave on-site filming guidance: "Before I came up front, add the names of your respective universities; for example, Xiao Bin, you say Fudan University, Xiyu says East China Normal University, and so on. After everyone has reported their university names, say 'We're here' together. Understood?"

"Understood."

The boys and girls answered in unison.

"Good, start."

Director Du waved his hand satisfiedly, the five gathered in a circle, holding up their admission notices facing the camera.

"Hey, hey, hey, you there..."

The assistant director looked at the camera, suddenly frowned, and impatiently chased people away: "Step aside, don't affect the filming."

Xu Jie's mouth twitched, and she left the filming area embarrassedly.

The female cousin snorted and was speechless at her thick skin.

Lin Xiyu was calm and composed, too lazy to give her a single stingy glance.

Xu Jie gritted her back teeth, a flash of jealousy and hatred in her eyes.

"Again, look at the camera..."

Director Du ordered again and shouted with full energy: "Start."

The boys and girls had great tacit understanding; hearing the order, they simultaneously raised their admission notices and formed a semi-circle in front of the camera.

"Fudan University."

"East China Normal University."

"Suzhou University."

"Nanjing Army Academy."

"Shanghai International Studies University."

"We're here!"

With a "We're here," the boys smiled brightly, and a vibrant youthful breath surged toward them.

"Cut!"

Director Du waved his hand satisfiedly, and filming ended.

"Wang Fan, you little brat are something..."

Li Yan took the opportunity to come over and snatched the admission notice from Wang Fan's hand: "Not bad grades, got into International Studies University."

"That is..."

Wang Fan was just about to show off when Li Liang gave him a scarred rebuke.

"How did he get in? His dad used money to buy his way in; it's not a real International Studies University at all, just a nominal private school used for getting a degree to study abroad."

"What's wrong with a private school?"

Wang Fan didn't care: "If it weren't for my dad insisting I get a degree, I wouldn't even want to go to university; going is a waste of time. Better to open more decoration company branches and make money faster through business."

"He's obsessed with money."

Li Liang looked at him with disdain: "Always talking about money, reeking of copper stench."

"As long as it's money, I like it even if it stinks."

Wang Fan glanced at the female cousin happily watching the show nearby and found an accomplice for himself: "Sister Lei, don't you agree?"

"Yes."

The female cousin was indeed very supportive, answering decisively.

"Hahaha."

Wang Fan laughed loudly and proudly: "I said it, Sister Lei and I are the same kind of people, our souls are in harmony. Just for Sister Lei giving me this face, I'll add another twenty percent to your commission this month."

"Thank you, Boss."

The female cousin quickly took it up, afraid that if she was even a minute late he would regret it: "Everyone be my witness, I want my commission at the end of the month."

"I'll bear witness."

Lin Xiyu was the first to respond.

"I'll bear witness too."

Wu Meng joined in the clamor, not forgetting to raise Li Liang's hand as well.

"Is running a decoration company very profitable?"

Li Yan found it interesting and smiled as she joined in: "Can I also go to your place to do a part-time job, drum up some business and make some extra money?"

"Sure, absolutely."

Wang Fan took out a stack of flyers from the shoulder bag he carried with him, handed one to each of the program group staff, and didn't even leave out Director Du: "Our own decoration company, as long as it's an acquaintance's introduction, all get an 88 percent discount; the discount counts as a rebate, which can be returned in cash. Exactly how much, discuss with the business manager."

"Tsk tsk."

Li Yan shook the flyers and teased jokingly: "Look at you all, the abacus beads are clicking so fast they're about to hit my face."

"Discount rebated as cash—that's commission."

The female cousin, as business manager, felt obliged to back up the boss: "Renovating a house costs at least several tens of thousands at minimum; an 88 percent discount isn't small, and a commission of a thousand or so per order is no problem."

"Renovating a house is that expensive?"

Li Yan's gaze showed surprise: "Ten thousand yuan? I thought it was just painting walls and laying floors, nothing that complicated."

"That's basic renovation; there's no need to hire a decoration company to lay floors—when you buy floor tiles, the merchant can find someone to lay them."

The female cousin had been in the decoration business for a month and already understood the ropes: "We do high-end renovation, the all-inclusive kind. If you're not in this trade you wouldn't know—there really are a lot of rich people. Big bosses living in villas spend over a hundred thousand just on renovation, throwing away money lavishly without blinking."

"Are there really that many rich people in Jinan?"

Wu Meng was stunned, her beautiful eyes wide open.

"Of course there are. Why wouldn't there be?"

The female cousin pointed at Wang Fan and smiled teasingly: "There's one right here, flashing before your eyes every day, and you still haven't noticed?"

"My family isn't like that."

Wang Fan was unusually humble: "Locally we're just middle-of-the-road; go to Beijing and you can't even reach the threshold of being rich."

"That's why everyone wants to go to Beijing."

Wu Meng's gaze showed longing: "That's like the ancient Chang'an—gold everywhere."

"Being a Beijing drifter isn't as easy as you imagine."

Li Yan poured a basin of cold water on her: "When I first graduated, I was just like you, dead set on going to a big city. I worked at Beijing Television Station for a while."

"The cost of living in Beijing is too high. Rent and taxis are outrageously expensive. The little bit you earn in a month isn't even enough to support yourself, let alone getting a Beijing hukou. It's too hard—harder than climbing to heaven."

—

"Sister Yan works at the television station, so her salary is already considered high."

Wu Meng's small face fell, and she instantly lost all spirit: "Even you say so, so it really is too hard. Forget it, I give up. No more daydreaming."

"You want to go to Beijing, and it's not impossible."

Lin Xiyu interjected, giving her an ambiguous little glance: "Don't forget, your Li Liang's ambition is the Three Armed Forces Honor Guard. If he really gets in, staying in Beijing isn't impossible either."

"Hey hey, what does whether he goes or not have to do with me?"

Wu Meng was teased by her "your Li Liang" and blushed bright red.

"You two are almost engaged, aren't you?"

Lin Xiyu continued to tease her: "Not your family's, then is it someone else's?"

"Almost engaged and actually engaged are two different concepts."

Wu Meng blushed and argued: "As long as we're not engaged, I'm still free and not tied down."

"Li Liang, she's saying this for you to hear."

Lin Xiyu took the opportunity to tease Li Liang: "Hurry up and buy her a ring to put on. She's complaining you're too slow, deliberately provoking you."

"The Three Golds have already been bought."

Li Liang said very seriously: "I'll give them to her on the day of the engagement."

"Wow..."

Lin Xiyu deliberately drew out her voice, smiling as she teased: "The Three Golds are already bought. Looks like someone can't wait and wants to put them on as soon as possible."

"You're the one who wants to wear them..."

Wu Meng blushed: "Don't just talk about me. You yourself are looking forward to getting engaged, wishing you could tie someone down right now."

"I don't."

Lin Xiyu's ears turned red, and she firmly denied it.

"You can."

Guben suddenly spoke, saying something astonishing: "As long as you want, we can get engaged anytime."

"What nonsense are you talking?"

Lin Xiyu's ears felt hot: "Who wants to get engaged to you?"

"Is that not allowed?"

Guben's gaze was fervent: "Actually, I've been waiting for this day for a very long time."

"Wow, is this a proposal?"

Wu Meng quickly followed the rhythm, clamoring enthusiastically: "Accept him. We'll hold the engagement banquet together."

"Stop messing around."

Lin Xiyu was red in the face and ears: "That's something that hasn't even been decided yet. Listen to his nonsense."

"What an injustice."

Guben clutched his chest and cried out in protest: "I'm not talking nonsense, don't badmouth me in front of Grandmother—I've worked so hard to build up a tall and imposing image in her old man's presence, I can't let you ruin it with a single sentence."

"Go curry favor with Grandmother."

Lin Xiyu laughed in exasperation: "You talk as if she were your own grandmother—in your eyes, she's more important than I am."

"Want to marry a wife? You have to curry favor with Grandmother."

Guben nodded with a serious expression: "Only if her old man agrees can I enter the door openly and aboveboard, with a proper status."