Chapter 245: Together

Chapter 245 Together

After returning to the guesthouse, Lu Hanchuan went to drop off his belongings first.

Ye Jianguo, Miao Cuifang, and the rest were chatting in the next room.

Ye Xiaoxiao told her family about her decision to study abroad.

Miao Cuifang held Xiao Xiao’s hand and asked in a hushed tone, "When are you leaving? It’s so far away, and you won’t have anyone to look after you."

Ye Xiaoxiao replied, "I will—some classmates are going too."

Miao Cuifang then asked, "Are they boys or girls?"

Ye Xiaoxiao answered, "Boys."

Miao Cuifang followed up, "How does Xiao Lu feel about this?"

Ye Xiaoxiao said, "He’s quite supportive."

"You’ll be gone for two years. If you two don’t stay in touch, you could drift apart by the time you return."

Miao Cuifang wasn’t just worried about things changing for Ye Xiaoxiao—she was also concerned about Lu Hanchuan.

Looking at Lu Hanchuan’s appearance and family background, there’s no shortage of girls after him.

Young couples who don’t see each other often tend to hit rough patches.

Ye Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Mom, I know what you mean, but I believe Lu Hanchuan will wait for me. If he doesn’t want to, he should be upfront about it—there’s no need to deceive me."

If it turns out he’s dishonest, ending this relationship might not be a bad thing.

Miao Cuifang sighed, "As long as you’re both clear. I won’t say more. Just take care of yourself out there."

Ye Xiaoxiao reassured her, "I’ll visit when possible. Besides, two years isn’t that long."

Ye Changsheng was also on summer break, but this year, he was joining his teacher in the northwest for a project.

After attending Ye Chang’an’s wedding, he would head to the northwest with his teacher.

Ye Changsheng said, "It’s good to go abroad and see the world. The environment there is different from home, so be careful."

Especially with the current tense international situation—if anything happens, it’s the kids overseas who’d bear the brunt.

Zhang Xue and Ye Changqing learned about Ye Xiaoxiao’s plans to study abroad. As her older brother and sister-in-law, they supported her.

But the distance was too great, and it left them uneasy.

Zhang Xue sighed, "Xiao Xiao’s on her own out there. If anything happens, we won’t be able to help."

Ye Changqing added, "Don’t sweat the airfare. Come back whenever you can, even if it’s just for a day or two."

"Alright, don’t stress over my plans for now. How’s the wedding prep coming along for my second brother?"

Miao Cuifang replied, "We’ve met Xiao Yu’s family a few times. It’s a small family—just her parents and an older brother. The Shen family is very kind. After the wedding, your second brother will have people here to rely on."

Ye Xiaoxiao already knew her parents had gone to Shen City to meet the Shen family and had even bought a house there for her second brother’s new place.

At the time, she had asked if the family needed money, but Miao Cuifang said it’s all taken care of—they’re all set.

Ye Xiaoxiao, as the younger sister, didn’t need to bring a wedding gift for her brother’s wedding, but she still prepared one for the newlyweds.

Miao Cuifang told Ye Xiaoxiao about the next day’s arrangements: “We’ll rest at the guesthouse tonight. Tomorrow morning, your brothers and second brother will go together to escort the bride to the banquet. After the feast, we’ll stop by your second brother’s new place, and then we’ll return.

Three days later, your father, grandparents, and I will head back.

Our village is too far away, so your second brother and Qiuyu can have another celebration at home when they have time.”

The Ye family isn’t too hung up on tradition. In Miao Cuifang’s mind, as long as the children are happy, that’s all that matters.

Ye Xiaoxiao thought the arrangement was quite reasonable. “So, do we have to wake up early tomorrow?”

Miao Cuifang patted her head. “No hurry. You can go straight to the restaurant after you wake up.”

Ye Xiaoxiao: “Okay.”

That took some pressure off.

In the afternoon, Ye Changan took the family to the restaurant for dinner.

The guesthouse was right by the restaurant, so it was very convenient.

Shen Qiuyu was there with her parents, brother, and sister-in-law.

One table definitely wouldn’t be enough, so they split up between two tables.

This was the first time Shen Qiuyu’s parents met the rest of the Ye family.

At first, Shen’s father wasn’t on board with his daughter’s choice. No matter how good Ye Changan was, moving so far away meant they couldn’t know the Ye family’s character—how could they feel at ease?

Only after one meeting with Ye Jianguo and Miao Cuifang did Shen’s father and mother feel slightly reassured.

The Ye couple seemed like good people.

Now, seeing the other Ye children, Shen’s father completely changed his view of country people.

Each child in this family was different, yet all were impressive.

For Ye Jianguo and his wife to raise every child so well, their discipline must be strict, and they must have strong values.

As for Ye Jianye’s family, though not as accomplished, they were still very good relatives.

Only then did Ye Xiaoxiao realize her eldest and second sisters had also come.

However, neither brought their children, only their husbands.

The trip was too long, so they left the kids at home.

Ye Baocheng and Ye Baoyuan, however, were brought along since the whole family was present—even Old Master Miao had come—so there was no way to leave the two boys behind.

Ye Baocheng and Ye Baoyuan were well-behaved and quiet during the meal.

Shen’s mother quite liked the two children. She didn’t have grandkids of her own yet, so she loved little kids.

After the dishes were served, Shen’s father raised his glass in a toast. “Thank you all for making the trip. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. May Qiuyu and Changan have a long and happy marriage.”

Ye Jianguo was visibly smiling, feeling deeply gratified to see his second child settle down.

When Mr. Shen said this, he also raised his glass to offer his blessings.

Shen Qiuyu was still a little shy, but receiving her parents' blessings made her incredibly happy.

Ye Changan also promised that he'd treat his wife right in the future.

After everyone finished speaking, they started eating.

Ye Xiaoxiao had only eaten a little at noon and was starving by now.

Lu Hanchuan put food on her plate, saying, "It's pretty tasty."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Shen City has great food. We can go try it."

Lu Hanchuan had gotten extended time off this time and could stay in Shen City for a few more days.

"Sure, the day after tomorrow, we can check out the neighborhood. No need to rush back."

Lu Hanchuan was basically family already, even though they weren’t married yet, as he had long been accepted by the Ye family.

When Mr. Shen learned of Lu Hanchuan’s identity, he was quite surprised.

The Ye family kept surprising him.

Lu Hanchuan was an officer so young, clearly from a family with generations of military service, and likely had pull in Beijing as well.

Mr. Shen’s attitude grew even more amiable. Originally satisfied with the marriage, he couldn't be happier about it now.

After the meal, there was still time before night.

Those who wanted to rest could head back to the guesthouse, while the younger ones who weren’t tired could hang out.

Ye Mei dragged Ye Lian with her to go shopping. She had already bought many things during the day but still wanted to go out again.

Brother-in-law Wang Dongqiang and brother-in-law Zhen Wanlin ended up just carrying bags.

Ye Mei also called out to Ye Xiaoxiao, "Xiao Xiao, you coming?"

Ye Xiaoxiao shook her head, "Second Sister, I'll sit this one out."

When Shen Qiuyu was about to leave, Ye Xiaoxiao handed her the prepared gift in advance.

"Sis Qiuyu, this is a gift I prepared for you and Second Brother."

Shen Qiuyu accepted it, "Thank you, Xiao Xiao."