Chapter 323

Even the fleeting years couldn't erase his deep disappointment in his son. "My wife, Xia Yan's grandmother, her surname was Yang, and she passed away very early." "We knew each other since childhood. Later, I joined the army, and she waited for me for many years. After my discharge, I was assigned to work in Shanghai, eventually getting a small house, and then Zhongshan came along." "Unlike my old comrades, I rarely treated Zhongshan harshly. I just wanted him to grow up well, to do what he wanted and was interested in. He didn't need to be academically outstanding or achieve great success." "Most parents just hope their children grow up healthy." The grandfather sighed softly, but the gentle smile he had just given his wife lingered on his lips. He said softly, "Twenty years ago, she died in a car accident." He then pointed to a photograph on the table beside him. It showed a relatively young man standing with a woman who exuded gentleness; their happiness left no doubt about the depth of their relationship. Just standing there, they seemed to be the epitome of love. Hua Xin had no doubt about this. But twenty years ago... that meant Xia Yan hadn't even met his grandmother? And his grandfather would have been middle-aged then, and similarly, hadn't considered remarrying. Even though the old man sitting opposite the girl didn't show any particular sadness or distress, Hua Xin could sense the sadness hidden beneath his calm words. Grandpa really loved Grandma. Hua Xin thought silently to herself, her gaze slightly lowered to the slightly cloudy tea in her hands. Under the lamplight, the cloudy tea slowly reflected a faint white halo. She didn't dare look at her grandfather's expression, nor did she dare look at the two young, happy photos on the table. Would Xia Yan ... always be by her side like this? This question had crossed the girl's mind more than once, and her worry had shifted from the earlier concern before she revealed her identity to "would Xia Yan me?" to "would Xia Yan always love me?" People change. Love changes too. When people see a cute, beautiful, and unique female character appear in games and anime online, they forget their previous "wife" and instead idolize the new character. Even love in the 2D changes, so can love truly last forever in the three-dimensional world? Actually, she shouldn't have such worries. To some extent, it's a sign of distrust and disrespect for Xia Yan. He clearly likes and loves her so much, yet she's thinking about these things. Hua Xin isn't questioning Xia Yan. She's always been afraid. Afraid that the only person who loves her will leave her, afraid that Xia Yan might suffer an accident like her grandmother's—what reason would she have to continue living then? Hua Xin has always been prone to overthinking. It's precisely because love is so hard to come by that she's so afraid. "But life goes on." "I believe Zhongshan will be a decent man and become the pillar of his family, while an old man like me can just return to my hometown and wither away." "But although his career is very successful, he also disappoints me." At this point, Grandpa sighed and didn't continue. As if all his strength had been drained, he turned to look at the heavy snow outside the window and murmured, "In this life, all one seeks is a happy family, a successful career, and happiness." "He only achieved his own happiness and didn't think about what Xia Yan and Xia Yan's mother would think." Then he turned to Hua Xin with a solemn tone, as if entrusting Hua Xin with a message, and said, "I don't want to talk about Xia Yan anymore." "If he really wants to marry you, he will tell you about his pain." "I understand this child." "He's actually not a very patient child, and he's not as strong as he seems on the surface. On the contrary, he's stubbornly foolish..." Hua Xin gripped her teacup tightly. Grandpa's voice seemed to have lost its strength. It grew weaker and weaker: "Please bear with me." "Please forgive my foolish grandson." "Dinner's ready, Grandpa? Hua Xin?..." Xia Yan's voice came from the kitchen, and the girl's tightly gripped teacup loosened. "I will." "I definitely will." She shouldn't be afraid. She wouldn't be afraid anymore. The old man smiled with relief, his spirits lifting considerably. The young couple's life had only just begun. So much nitpicking and fault-finding was pointless; it wouldn't make an unhappy person happy, but rather create distance between two people who already loved each other. Love was enough. As for the outcome, how could anyone know if they didn't love each other? But he believed that these two well-matched people would definitely go the distance. As for why... maybe because the girl in front of him looked so good. 247. Cold Water and Hot Water Actually, when visiting someone's family for the first time, both the boy and the girl want to leave a good impression. This is also the purpose of meeting the parents. The purpose, of course, is to increase the success rate of the "marriage proposal" by just a tiny bit. Bringing a case of Want Want Milk Calcium Milk, Want Want Gift Pack, and a case of Master Kang XX Flavor Instant Noodles elicit completely different reactions from elders compared to bringing two bottles of Maotai, two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes, and expensive jewelry. With the former... if there are younger siblings, they might be happy, but the elders will almost certainly have "get lost" written on their faces, telling you to take your Want Want gift pack and get as far away as possible. Forget about marriage proposals; they won't even offer you fresh tea leaves. At most, they'll give you some leftovers from last night. The latter, on the other hand, is arguably the unbeatable choice in any scenario. It doesn't require any special features, but it's very economical. The saying "I'd rather cry in BMW than laugh on an electric scooter" still holds true in today's society. Money isn't everything, but you can't do without it. In a world of abundant material resources, few people would genuinely pursue the so-called ethereal concept of "love." However... when both parties are on the same level, the probability of this happening decreases. If both are sufficiently poor or sufficiently rich, the foundation is the same for both, meaning that anything needed to be together often requires joint effort. For Hua Xin and Xia Yan, Hua Xin doesn't want a dowry, and Xia Yan has a car and a house. What else is there to worry about? Although Hua Xin appears penniless, she now has a considerable amount of savings. After moving in with Xia Yan, she naturally solved the huge expense of rent. The remaining expenses are likely limited to food and household items.