Chapter 21 - Meet Father

Chapter 21: Meet Father-in-lawTranslator: Wu YufanProofread by Liang Yaping

Ji Xiaoli belched a few times for she was stuffed at breakfast. Usually she would stay where she was and stop moving. But it was unpractical for Qin Zhenyang.

As a result, she was asked to walk with him to help her digest.

“Are you busy later?”

Qin Zhenyang looked at her with his narrowed eyes: “Yes, and it was not my business but our business.”

“What?”

“Now that we have got registered, it’s necessary for me to meet your parents sooner or later. I happen to be free these days, so let’s go there together”

Was he eager to meet his parents-in-law?

Mixed feelings filled Ji Xiaoli’s heart. On the one hand, she worried that her father would feel angry for she married a man casually; on the other hand, she didn’t know what her mother would do.

Thinking of Ji Xuewei’s pretending to be a pure and delicate girl, Ji Xiaoli was afraid that she would get her in trouble.

“How about going there another time? I’m afraid that my father is …”

Qin Zhenyang was changing his shirt. Most clothes in his wardrobe were the military uniform, and formal suits. Most suits there were black, and the shirts were only black or white. But Qin Zhenyang himself preferred black ones.

He stopped buttoning up and looked at her: “Do you want to make me as an unregistered citizen?”

Was it possible to regard a senior officer, a colonel, as an unregistered citizen? It was totally impossible for him to be a secret lover. Ji Xiaoli became silent after his severe stare.

“I didn’t mean that, I…”. The situation about her family was hard to describe: her father took care of her sincerely, but the other two people were different.

“Ji Xiaoli, you’re not single! I’m clear about the situation of your family. Even though someone confused right and wrong, your father would find out the truth as long as he wasn’t a fool. Or do you feel I’m not qualified to be introduced to others?” The man stared at her with his dark eyes, leaving her no way to retreat. ”

“Certainly not!” It was cool to come back home with such a man.

Qin Zhenyang smiled when their eyes met: “There is no problem now that you said no. Get dressed and let’s go!”

“Have you planned to go there today?”

The man nodded significantly. Though he always stayed in the military camp, it didn’t mean that he knew nothing about the world, especially for visiting the person who was most important in his wife’s mind.

Ji Xiaoli thought she couldn’t avoid this thing, so she got up from the sofa slowly and came to the luggage case for clothes.

Was it a HuiMen (the return of a bride to her mother’s home on the third day of the wedding)? No, it was just getting the license. She must be crazy…How could she have the thought that the man was better than her?

“Wait, look at this one!”

There was an old dress in Ji Xiaoli’s hands which had been kept for one or two years. But this dress was in her luggage for it was her favorite.

She raised her head and looked at him. Then Qin Zhenyang opened a wardrobe next to her. She thought there might be his clothes, but she was stunned when it was opened.

It was full of women’s wear…

Clothes of spring, summer, fall and winter… Although there were only a few clothes for winter, clothes for other three seasons were almost enough. She kept stunned for a while before asking: “What’s this for…?”

“These are prepared for you. Yesterday Aunt Wang and I talked about our decision that we would live here momentarily. So she bought them for you. Come and see. Are you satisfied?”

Ji Xiaoli closed her mouth and felt moved when looking at this big wardrobe filled with clothes.

“I feel that I’m counting on you.”

“If you like, you can depend on me for a life-long time.”

Ji Xiaoli smiled. Maybe it was fine to depend on a man, while for a life-long time, she couldn’t do it. She knew it was his way to show his care, but she had her dream. Although it was not realized, she would make it sooner or later.

She chose a white dress casually and when she went into the dressing room to put it on, she found suddenly that it was Armani and admired his luxury.

She stood before the mirror and Qin Zhenyang was behind her.

“Wonderful! It’s your color!” The man was amazing with his hands on her shoulders and he could not help praising her.

“Really?” Ji Xiaoli thought that Qin Zheng had said the same words to her before, but later…

The man laughed and said: “Let’s go. It’s late….And I’m afraid we would go there in the afternoon if we don’t set out now.”

As he walked, he thought it was necessary to get some more dresses for her… The clothes in this wardrobe always seemed to be insufficient. He needed more customized clothes, especially the beige and white ones, which matched her skin perfectly.

“Guess what my father’s reaction would be.” Ji Xiaoli asked him in the car.

The man turned the steering wheel, smiled and said,” There’s nothing to guess. We’ll find out when we get there, and if I’m right, your adoptive mother and your sister would have told him already.”

“Then what should we do?” Ji Xiaoli panicked. It was known that she wasn’t afraid of her adoptive mother or Ji Xuewei, but to her old father she could not do anything.

The man sipped his thin lips and raised his eyebrows mysteriously: “It’s not hard. There are always more methods than difficulties.”

Besides going to college on Mondays and Fridays, Ji Chunli often went to the school library on Saturdays. He spent most of his weekends reading books in his study. They called him a homebody.

Since his daughter moved out, Ji Chunlin was not in a good mood. Although his wife seldom quarreled with him about things of Xiaoli and his daughter Xuewei also became tender, he was still worried about Xiaoli’s living alone.

His wife said that he didn’t owe Xiaoli anything, and raising her to such an age was benevolent. But they had lived together for so many years and he and her had a good kinship. But man is not a stalk of grass. How could he stop worrying about her?

But he did feel shocked with the thought of his wife’s words that Xiaoli got married with a man very soon.

Ji Chunlin was very traditional and very conservative. He had high requirements about his daughter, especially Ji Xiaoli who was very clever. He had a great expectation of her and hoped she could find a good man to marry in the future, but hearing those words, he really felt not good. However, to query Xiao Li, he could not do it!

As a father, he didn’t take his responsibility well.

“Who will come at this time?” Ji Chunlin sat at his desk with a book, but was not in the mood to read it. Hearing the voice of his wife outside the door, he got confused.

Fang Youlan saw from the peephole and found that the person was Ji Xiaoli. So she frowned hard. Actually she did not want to open… but today her husband was at home, and it was not good to shut people out.

However, the thought of her vilifying the little girl, she felt proud. Even if she came back now, she couldn’t get anything, and sooner or later she would be kicked out by her husband! It was daydreaming that such a bitch whose sole goal in life was to seduce men wanted to stay in Ji family ? Impossible!

“Why come back?” Fang Youlan opened the door slowly , frowning at Ji Xiao Li.

According to the common sense, she should be more and more gaunt, but why that girl seemed to live a good life? Her face was in such a healthy red which was a real eyesore.

Ji Xiaoli had this premonition that she would be treated indifferently, so she was calm and replied: “I’m back to see my father.”

Fang Youlan was a little dissatisfied with her attitude. She was about to refuse her with an excuse that her father was absent, while Qin’s sharp eyes glanced at her. It was a tall man whose height was almost 190 centimeters high.At first sight, the man was dangerous, but with a second look one would find that he was extremely handsome, even better compared with her daughter’s boyfriend Qin Zheng…At the same time she found that this man’s hand was holding the wicked girl.Staring blankly for a few seconds, “ Come in, both of you.” She reluctantly said.On passing Ji Xiaoli, Fang muttered, “So why do you come back this time and with a man. Is he your boyfriend?”She was disbelieving when Xuewei told her that Ji Xiaoli would marry a man. But now…everything was so compelling. She felt unpleasant in that the wicked girl Ji Xiaoli could find such a handsome boyfriend, who looked much better than her own son-in-law.“Mom, this is the last time I call you mom…although I very appreciate your upbringing in these years, which is offset by what you have done to me. From then on, I will call you Mrs. Fang. Since I’m here to visit my father, who is he or what’s the relationship between us will be none of your business.” Ji Xiaoli smiled lightly in a manner that shocked Fang Youlan.

In the past, Ji Xiaoli would never contradict her, but she became bolder and bolder after she was forced to separate with Qin Zheng that she dared to talk to her in such a way!On hearing “Mrs. Fang”, Fang Youlan felt so sick, and snapped, “So ill-bred! Such an ingrate you are!”“Oh yes? That’s what you have taught me!” Ji Xiaoli said without lifting her eyes. Fang Youlan was really upset by her manner.“You are such a…”A cold voice of a man interrupted her words, “Do you really want to create a disturbance, Aunt? Our original idea is not to visit you today. Still less, Professor Ji Chunlin is standing behind you, so you are sure to speak out those words?”Fang Youlan was stunned for a few moments. As she looked back with a rush, her husband was staring at her unkindly. Suddenly, a feeling of disgust for this adopted daughter filled her heart.On the contrary, Ji Xiaoli was extremely touched. It was a really good feeling to be accompanied by him instead of toiling alone.

Qin Zhenyang had heard of Fang Youlan, such an importunate person from the information collected. Seeing his little wife’s dour expression and tart tongue, it seemed that there was nothing wrong instead, everything was gratifying.Ji Chunlin walked out from his study. Since no words were missed by him, he was somewhat disappointed with his wife. Then he looked at the little daughter, who looked excellent with ruddy cheeks and a light smile.Yet, the man by her side was carefully scanned by him.He was much better than Qin Zheng whether in terms of physical fitness, appearance, or temperament. Xiaoli must have a good taste! But looking at them hand in hand, Ji Chunlin coughed, and what happened?

“Xiaoli, so who is he? Could you introduce him to me?”Ji Xiaoli blushed.It was Qin Zhenyang who got up gracefully and greeted him: “Hello, Uncle, I’m Xiaoli’s husband and we were legally married in Civil Affairs Bureau yesterday.”

Patter.Ji Chunlin was shocked for a while, then turned to look at his daughter, “Are you really married?” After hearing his words, Ji Xiaoli put her head down and reflected upon her mistakes.Through his gritted teeth, Professor Ji’s words came out, “Ji Xiaoli, tell me what has happened!”

Ji Xiaoli smiled awkwardly, scratching her hair, “Dad, he is right, what he said is true…You have been hoping that I can get married as soon as possible, and I am 25 years old now. If I don’t get married, I must be a leftover girl…so I choose a son-in-law for you. Are you satisfied with him?”Ji Chunlin felt angry.

It was not the matter of whether he was satisfied!He never knew that his daughter had a boyfriend and even had got a marriage license! Subconsciously, he couldn’t accept their “flash marriage” no matter how good this man was.“How long have you known each other?”“About half a year,” she answered frankly. However, to be honest, they had spent a night together half a year ago and had met less than five times until yesterday.This answer relieved Ji Chunlin slightly and he asked, “Why did you never tell us about it?”“I just want to wait until everything is stable.” Finally, as soon as everything was stable, they got a marriage license.Ji Chunlin touched his forehead, speechless. Anyway, they had known each other for at least half a year. Even if he did not know it, this was not a flash marriage.Seeing this, Ji Xiaoli immediately walked to lock his arms and showed coquetry, “Dad, you have always said that the man who joins the army like my uncle is a true man!“Is he a soldier?” Ji Chunlin glanced at him without any suspicion, for his natural temperament belonging to a soldier without any doubt.“Yes.”“Good job, but it’s not so easy to be a spouse of a military soldier. Xiaoli, you need to think carefully about it.”Xiaoli looked up at the man, “Now that I’ve chosen him, there’s nothing for me to regret. Dad, please trust us…”“Guy, how old are you?”“Thirty-two years old.”“Seven years older than Xiaoli, but you’re still young in the army. My fourth younger brother is also in the troops, now he is just a lieutenant…” Ji Dazhi was the fourth younger brother of Ji Chunlin, who was 40 years old. It was likely that he had no chance to get a promotion.“Colonel.”“Really?”

Qin Zhenyang took out the certificate from the pocket of his shirt and handed it over. Ji Chunlin was shocked while he cast a glance at it…so young this colonel was!How was that possible?In reality, Qin Zhenyang was from special forces, who always fought in the battle, therefore, they could achieve promotion rapidly.On the side, Fang Youlan was startled, and the rank ‘colonel’ was not unfamiliar to a section member of government offices like her…her heart quivered involuntarily.Did the husband of this wicked girl surpass her own son-in-law?“Dad! This is some appreciation of me and Xiaoli to you!” There was just half a million RMB in the card. Though not much, it was the most substantial in China when people want to give gifts.Similarly, Ji Xiaoli was surprised, for she knew nothing…Qin Zhenyang had thought of everything, and also prepared a UnionPay card.No wonder…“I can’t accept it!”“I have heard that you like to do research in the laboratory, where money is prerequisite…There is just a little money to present our feeling of gratitude. You have raised Xiaoli for so many years and even do not allow us to show filial respect for you?”So upright were Qin Zhenyang’s words that Ji Chunlin couldn’t refuse his kindness with a determined look, and meanwhile he was thinking of the project not finalized, which might be carried out with the help of this money…He nodded, “I take it.”Having accepted the gift now, Fang Youlan’s original intention to make this man embarrassed came to naught.She widened her eyes, staring at the card…How fortunate this wicked girl was to find such an ostentatious man!It was at this moment that the doorbell rang.

Fang Youlan opened the door impatiently, but the appearance of her daughter and the son-in-law cheered her up.“Chunlin, Xuiwei and Qin Zheng come!”Ji Xiaoli’s body that was leaning against the sofa was a little startled, while her icy fingers were held by Qin Zhenyang’s hands. His low masculine voice echoed in her ear.“Don’t worry, I’m here!”