Chapter 116: Relying on Her Nest

  Song Shuwei smiled sincerely, nodded and smiled at Sang Dawei, then turned to the group of officials and said: "Everyone, sorry about this. Tonight is a dinner hosted by my father-in-law, it's impolite to decline."

  This remark was obviously directed at those officials who had warmly invited him to dinner.

  "Hehe, let's have a family reunion first and then invite friends over. That's the proper order of things. Let's schedule the welcome dinner for tomorrow night instead. Please do us the honor of attending, Song Tuan."

  The stout secretary naturally understood his meaning and readily fixed the time for the banquet, speaking very politely.

  "Alright, thank you for your kindness, I'll have to ask everyone to take care of my parents-in-law more often in the future."

  Song Shuyu politely bowed and thanked him, then turned around and said: "Dad, let's go back."

  Sang Dawei felt refreshed all over by this loud "Dad" and smiled: "Let's go, your mom must have been waiting for a long time too. Honghong, help Dad see these uncles off."

  He said, looking at the group of big shots standing over there, only to see those people smiling on their faces, and waving goodbye to them with courtesy.

  What kind of identity is this son-in-law, Song Tuan? He's a regimental commander in the army, which seems to have nothing to do with government officials. How can he make these people stand respectfully and see them off?

  Sang Dawei accompanied Song Shuyu as they turned and walked forward, while Sang Hong nodded and smiled at those people: "Everyone, slow down, thank you all for taking care of us."

  "Xiang Hong, you've found such a good boyfriend. In the future when Uncle goes to B city for a stroll, don't pretend not to recognize him if you run into him."

  Secretary Pang's chubby face smiled and playfully teased this little girl, when Song Shu Yu changed his name to Sang Da Wei's dad, not only was he shocked, but everyone else was also visibly delighted. This little girl is absolutely the designated daughter-in-law of the Song family.

  It was only after May and June this year that the military orders started, and now the factory's machines are still running frantically, bringing a good situation to employment and taxation in the city.

  Now he has become a son-in-law of this city. If nothing goes wrong, it will be hard for other cities to take away this fat position easily.

  Xiang Hong followed Qin Luoshui's guidance and made an effort to wear that elegant smile, exchanging pleasantries with these people.

  "You're too kind, the local environment nurtures local people, everyone is a pillar of our city. I'm just a small soldier who can only bask in the glory of Song Shuyu, many places still need your support and backing!"

  What Shang Hong said was very down-to-earth and easily narrowed the distance between them.

  "The little girl is really good at talking, on the big wedding day, we will definitely accompany the old couple to congratulate you and give you a boost, and get some auspicious air."

  The secretary's words were spoken with an air of authority, like a parent official, and everyone nodded in agreement, smiling, joyful and harmonious.

  "It's about the house, a newly renovated old town area with a fully decorated house, and they were asked to move in, but they said they couldn't bear to part with their old neighbors, so they didn't want to go. So, they just simply tidied up the living room of the original house, and for the places that weren't done well, please forgive."

  Another person was apparently telling Sang Hong that they had made some efforts for her.

  "Everyone has worked hard, they are used to living here and it's fine with me, this way helps to gather more people, I'm already very grateful; from young to old, I have never been short of care from neighbors."

  "After I visit home this time, I will be serving in the special forces camp of my unit and probably won't be back for a year or two. Please take care of my parents here, thank you all in advance."

  "Haha, the girl has a good future ahead of her, being selected as a special forces soldier is truly a blessing for our city. Alright, alright, you don't have to say it, we will take good care of your parents, you can go back now, they're waiting anxiously at home."

  Everyone nodded in agreement and urged Sang Hong to go home.

  Xiang Hong smiled and bid them farewell, turning around and leaving.

  Her heart racing non-stop, she finally had some courage to socialize, although her throat was tight with tension, after all this was a good start, proving that she didn't have social anxiety disorder.

  Those people watched her back disappear and no longer made a sound, looking at the secretary.

  "Is this girl the one Qin Luoshui gave him?" he asked in a low voice.

  "Yes, come to think of it, but it was just in May." someone responded.

  "This Qin's eyes are really poisonous, business has been done in B city, just from the point of view of his selection of people, it can be seen that he indeed has a special talent." The secretary said thoughtfully.

  "This girl is a talent, from the moment you told me to come and help the Sang family clean up the house, I've been asking around everywhere. She's extremely filial, serving her bedridden mother since she was young, never complaining, and her academic performance is also excellent. Regardless of whether Song helped her get into military school or not, her grades are among the top in our city this year."

  "Now that I've heard her words, she's been selected as a special soldier. A talent like hers should be well taken care of by us, even if she weren't the daughter-in-law of the Song family."

  The Secretary-General is obviously accustomed to collecting and sorting out various information, and what he says is detailed and true.

  The secretary nodded: "Not bad, this girl is not a bookworm, she has talent and virtue, can endure hardships, and her future is boundless. You think, with that kind of family background, letting her become a special forces soldier, isn't it to accumulate qualifications for war merits, what else could it be?"

  This year, the child who was admitted to Peking University and whom we sent off should be regularly visited and cared for in his daily life. He also needs to be taught some common sense about how to interact with others. It's not easy to enter a high-level circle, but just think about his classmates - they will likely become leaders in various industries in the future. So, it's necessary to have a long-term vision and reserve some high-level connections for the development of A city in the future.

  Everyone responded in unison and got into their own vehicles, leaving one after another.

  Xiang Hong slipped into the residential compound, looking up at the sky and guessing it was time for dinner. There were no people in the courtyard, so she quickly darted into her own home's entrance. The stairs that had once seemed shabby and gloomy to her now felt warm and familiar. Thinking of her mother waiting upstairs for her made her feel a surge of longing, guilt, and worry, making her eyes sting.

  He immediately ran home in a flash, using his arms to propel himself, jumping five steps at a time, and arrived at the door in just a few bounds.

  She leaned in and listened carefully, hearing the sound of people talking inside. They were speaking softly, and she couldn't even make out her father's voice anymore.

  Clutching her fists tightly, damn it, she's really too nervous. Song Shuyu actually managed to make Dad respectfully invite him back, leaving her standing alone outside the door, suffering and struggling. What should be her first sentence when she goes in?

  Xiang Hong's chest was heaving with low pressure, her hands clenched tightly as she pondered whether to eavesdrop a bit longer. Just then, the door was pushed open by Lin Qingran, whose pale and thin face had filled out a lot, her eyebrows and eyes full of smiles:

  "Red, why are you running so fast? Look, you're almost out of breath."

  Lin Qingran also felt that Sang Hong seemed to have grown taller, wearing a beautiful pale pink long windbreaker, looking as pretty as the girls on the calendar.

  "Mom, I've missed you so much!" Xiang Hong smiled foolishly as she wrapped her arm around her mother's and walked into the house, closing the door behind her. As she looked up, the bright and tidy home almost made Xiang Hong exclaim out loud.

  Obviously, the time was too tight and there was no time for decoration, so they just thoroughly cleaned it up, pasted elegant wallpaper on the wall, replaced the warm fabric sofa in the living room, and replaced the old 24-inch color TV with a 32-inch LCD TV hung on the wall, making the room look much more spacious.

  And those gifts sent by her future mothers-in-law filled up her small house so tightly that the door couldn't even be closed.

  Looking at the two women who came in from the doorway, they had similar eyebrows and body shape, but there was no sentimental hug or tears born of nostalgia. A word from Sang Hong's mother made Song Shuyu's tension dissipate.

  It seems that Qin Luoshui's work is indeed up to par.

  "Go wash your hands, dinner is ready." Sang Dawei saw his daughter come in and, as usual, loudly instructed her to do this and that.

  "Dad, you guys chat, the dishes are coming up soon." Shan Hong and Song Shu Yu exchanged a sweet and tender glance, smiled brightly, and responded in unison, following Lin Qing Ran as she skipped into the kitchen.

  "Mom, go out, this body has just recovered a bit, don't let the oil smoke get to it." Xiang Hong said, with both arms around her mother's shoulders, sending her out of the kitchen.

  "Hehe, your father has been preparing his signature dish for a long time, I just helped bring it out, how could I possibly be tired." Lin Qingran was obviously not used to being served by her daughter with such care and caution; she would rather do something for her daughter who had been away from home for so long.

  Song Shuwei has gotten up and come over, supporting Lin Qingru to sit on the sofa, saying: "Mom, you just sit there, I'll have Honghong help me serve the dishes."

  Song Shuwei turned around and walked into the kitchen, looking at Sang Hong with a smile: "Have you been beaten or scolded?"

  "Hehe, thanks for forcing me to come along, otherwise I don't know how long I would have been hesitant." Xiang Hong patted her rapidly beating heart and snuck a peek outside the kitchen.

  "It's better not to say anything emotional, let's express it with actions tonight." Song Shuyu took the dish handed over by her and whispered.

  Xiang Hong understood the implication of his words and involuntarily raised her spatula at him in a threatening manner.

  Sang Dawei was putting away the fruit plate on the tea table, tidying up the tea table, and asked his wife: "How is it? Are you satisfied? This girl has been out for half a year and already has the demeanor of an adult. Alas, from now on, we two won't have to worry about anything anymore."

  "She said our humble home would be looked down upon by her husband's family?" Lin Qingran asked with some concern.

  "Look at all these gifts, they were all brought by my aunt. If she wasn't so willing for us to be close with her son, why would she go to such great lengths to send us so many gifts from afar?"

  It's not that this gift has bought our hearts, but rather this thoughtfulness makes people feel that they attach enough importance to this visit.

  Sang Dawei comforted his wife, Lin Qingran thought he was reasonable, and when she saw the figure walking over from the kitchen, she didn't say anything else, just smiled: "These two people look quite compatible."

  "Uh-huh, they're quite a match." Sang Dawei glanced at Song Shuyu who was serving dishes and cleared his throat, hinting to his wife not to say more.

  As soon as Song Shuwei turned and left, he whispered: "I just saw that this kid doesn't have any airs about him. Later on, you should ask the things you need to ask in person. You can't let him leave and then regret it afterwards."

  "Really let Honghong live in a hotel with him? This isn't marriage, living together like this doesn't look good on the surface?" Lin Qingran said with a sinking face.

  "You're old-fashioned, aren't you? They're facing us, Dad and Mom have called out to them, Qin said they've always been together but scattered apart, this time they came back to see us, in total they'll only stay for five or six days, then one will go to work and the other will join the army, it's estimated that we won't see each other again for at least a month, or even longer. It's necessary to take advantage of this time to cultivate our feelings properly. Honghong told me not to make things difficult for her, she put in a lot of effort to chase after her boyfriend."

  Sang Dawei whispered to her.

  Lin Qingfu looked at him with an incredulous expression: "You can fabricate whatever you want, I'll believe it. Who would say such a thing? Could our Honghong possibly say something like this? What kind of person is my daughter that I wouldn't know? Would she utter such shameless and flirtatious words? How old is she?"

  Sang Dawei smiled: "You know that the girl in front of you has been taking care of your illness for many years, afraid of startling you, and hasn't even spoken loudly. She's been holding everything back, with a temper as stubborn as a wild cat. She's slightly more gentle in front of me, would I dare to bare my teeth at her?

  "You've forgotten that she once knocked me to the ground with a single kick and then kicked me down again in the living room? That was just over half a year ago."

  Lin Qingran felt a bit depressed. Was Sang Hong really like that? She couldn't tell if she was happy or worried in her heart, had she really grown up?

  In the blink of an eye, she's almost fifty years old, bedridden for many years, missing out on braiding her little pigtails, missing out on so much time watching her grow up. Now that she can finally stand up properly and live like a normal person, she actually got into college, has a boyfriend, and after graduation, it's time to get married. Looking back now, it was when she was sick that mother and daughter were closest.

  "Okay, after dinner I'll talk with her, she's been gone for so long, I think she must be thinking a lot."

  The dishes were soon served, and the four of them sat down to eat. They chatted softly while eating, and Sang Dawei even opened a bottle of wine to celebrate. Sang Hong and Song Shuyu naturally followed his lead, smiling and accompanying him.

  "Shu Yu, how many siblings do you have at home? How old are your parents?" Lin Qingran asked one question after another, asking so many questions that even Sang Hong wanted to rush over and rescue him.

  Song Shuwei smiled and patiently answered one by one.

  Sang Dawei also brought out his parental demeanor and warmly entertained Song Shuyu with wine and food.

  It wasn't late, everyone was full and drunk, Lin Qingran and Sang Hong were cleaning up the messy dinner table in the kitchen, Song Shuyu accompanied his father-in-law to continue drinking, sitting in the living room chatting nonsense while drinking.

  Xiang Hong naturally didn't let her mother help, she alone lowered her head at the sink washing bowls and plates while chatting idly with her mother.

  Suddenly, Lin Qingfu's shoulder touched Honghong's, and he leaned in to ask, "Honghong, did Madam Song really let you bring back so many gifts?"

  Xiang Hong naturally knew what her mother was worried about, so she comforted her: "It's really her who brought it back, I picked and chose again, finally selecting these useful ones, originally prepared more than this."

  Look at the confusion on her mother's face, and immediately told her about her experience of going to Song Shuyu's house in vivid detail. She also said that Zhang Yunping often called her, asking them to come home for dinner, and even prepared clothes and jewelry for her in the newly renovated military school suite, guessing that she really hoped she would marry Song Shuyu soon.

  Lin Qing's worries in her heart dissipated like smoke and clouds, replaced by joyful feelings.

  This old lady can prepare so many things for Honghong to bring back, doesn't it mean that Honghong is pleasing to her.

  For years their family has been short of relatives and friends, it can be seen that the daughter likes the warmth and popularity in that family, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

  "Mom, now you can rest assured. I don't want you to marry into a wealthy and prestigious family, as they face greater risks. Once they fall on hard times, it's even harder for them to live an ordinary life. Since you've taken a liking to him, not his family background, that's good, that's good."

  Lin Qing had been worried ever since Qin Luo told her about her daughter's boyfriend, fearing that Sang Hong would be deceived; fearing that she had never seen anything good and was blinded by small favors; fearing that Song Shuyu would not treat Sang Hong well, fearing that she would suffer bad consequences because of early love affairs being discovered by the school, she worried so much that she couldn't sleep all night.

  She also knew her worries were unnecessary, but she couldn't put her mind at ease until she got confirmation from her daughter.

  Now she's better, when her daughter mentions the man outside, her gentle eyes and delicate smile show that she has grown up, fallen in love, and is very happy.

  She asked Hong again about what happened at school, and Hong roughly told her mother everything that had happened after she went to study. She also pointed to the red spots on her face and said they were bitten by poisonous mosquitoes in the primitive forest. She told her about those plants and animals that she had never seen before, and told her about their unexpected victory in the special forces competition.

  She chattered on with flying colors, and Lin Qing felt that his daughter had changed dramatically in just six months, becoming more intelligent, lovely, diligent and capable.

  The mother and daughter chatted intimately for a while before they left the kitchen hand in hand.

  Sang Dawei was slumped on one side of the sofa in the living room, snoring loudly as if drunk.

  On the other side, Song Shuwei was sitting upright and properly, but when Sang Hong walked over and took a glance, he found that he was actually dozing off while sitting up straight.

  She looked at her mother for help: "Dad, what's wrong with him? It seems like he's never drunk in his life. Now look, two big men have become like this after drinking, what to do?"

  "What's going on? Help them to the bedroom and let them sleep." Lin Qingran said helplessly.

  "Maybe it's better for him to stay in a hotel, won't staying at home be too tiring for you?" Xiang Hong carefully probed her mother's attitude.

  Song Shuwei's head spun and he almost crashed into the coffee table in front of him, but Sang Hong hastily supported him and let him lean back against the sofa.

  He opened his somewhat dim eyes, looked at Sang Hong and said: "Hong Hong, don't give Dad and Mom any more trouble. I'm fine, you help me down to the lobby, call a taxi and I'll go back to the hotel to rest by myself."

  Xiang Hong was anxious: "You can't hail a taxi downstairs, you're so big, how could I possibly support you to walk to the roadside? It's very far from here."

  "What a nuisance! A son-in-law is half a son, and he's gotten drunk to this state. How can I bear to send him back to the hotel by himself?"

  "Ah——ah——" Xiang Hong didn't understand her mother's meaning, was she supposed to let Song Shu Yu sleep in their living room for the night?

  "Go back to your bedroom and rest." Lin Qingran's words were tinged with a hint of worry and helplessness.

  "Mom, aren't you angry with me?" Xiang Hong asked in a soft voice, her tone filled with shyness and guilt.

  "What's the point of being angry? Both families have acknowledged it, and that's what makes us a family. Where's all this fuss about?" Lin Qingran said as she turned to tidy up Sang Hong's room.

  Xiang Hong pinned Song Shu Yu heavily on the sofa, gritting her teeth and whispering in his ear: "Dare to crush my little bed, see how I'll flatten you."

  Song Shuwei abruptly tilted his head and didn't even open his eyes once.

  "Mom, I'll go pick up the laundry, you can rest first." Xiang Hong said, tossing aside Song Shu Yu and getting up to head towards her own room.

  The mother and daughter carefully stacked up the gift boxes that had piled up half of the room, clearing out half of the room.

  The room itself was well-organized and she could move in immediately, but a large number of gifts were sent over, the house had an old-fashioned two-bedroom and two-hall layout, which couldn't fit everything, so some things were put in her room.

  Xiang Hong went out to shake the sofa, where her old father was sleeping soundly. She lifted him up and carefully placed him on the bed in the master bedroom, took off his slippers and socks, hung up his outerwear, and let him lean against the pillow comfortably before coming back to help Song Shuyu.

  Lin Qingran followed behind, running back and forth, unable to help with anything. Sang Hong, laughing and crying at the same time, pushed her back into the master bedroom, telling her to rest.

  Lin Qingfu helplessly closed the door and turned around to look at the guy who was pretending to be drunk and enjoying his daughter's support:

  "Oh no, you old fellow, how can you drink yourself into this state?"

  "How did I know that kid could drink so much? He toasted me with a cup, and then had another one himself. By the time I felt it was getting bad, everything was spinning around me. At least I didn't throw up, right?"

  Shang Dawei had been a gambler and drunkard for many years, but he rarely got drunk. Tonight, he was forced to drink to this extent, and he also knew that the guy had played a trick on him, not wanting to leave, so he could only go along with his idea and pretend to be drunk obediently.

  Otherwise, he worried that if the two of them continued drinking back and forth like this, they would both get drunk and become even more troublesome.

  "Hey, aren't you thirsty? I'll go pour you some tea." Lin Qingran knew that drinking white wine would make one thirsty, so she got up and brought the teapot to the bedroom.

  "Wife, thinking about it, our life has become like a fairy tale. Your illness is gone, and our daughter is so talented. It seems that the second half of our lives will be smooth sailing." Sang Dawei smiled and reached out to hold his wife's hand.

  "It turns out that the two of us have been relying on Honghong to get by all our lives, and we've managed to make it to these good days." Lin Qingran said, feeling a pang of sadness.

  "Don't always bring up that girl with a guilty look on your face, having her is already a blessing for her, and you haven't spared any worries for her." Sang Dawei comforted his wife.

  Lin Qing did not say anything else and got up to go to the kitchen to lift the kettle.

  Xiang Hong returned to the living room, and with a steady motion, she helped Song Shu Yu up and rushed directly to her bedroom.

  Song Shu Wei walked alongside her with a gentle smile on his face, which was resting on her shoulder. His eyes, which had just been hazy and dazed, were now filled with clear and bright laughter.

  Xiang Hong carefully laid him on the bed, wrapped one arm around his waist and lifted her hand to take off his top.

  Her hands rubbed against the soft fabric, unbuttoning one button at a time, making her blush and palpitate.