Chapter 1946
Noon.
Inside the villa.
The discussion inside was mostly finished, and the general sentiment from the family had been conveyed to Dong Xuebing. He absorbed the information, and although the parents of Xie Ran, Xie Guoliang, and Xia Yanzhen didnât seem too pleased on their faces, they were probably still willing to see this marriage happen. If Xieâs family and Fangâs family were to unite, Xie Ran would inevitably gain some form of support from the Fang family, even if it was not direct help, simply by not obstructing. Xie Ran was the leading figure of the third generation in Xieâs family. However, he was still in the process of maturing and developing; in a few years or decades, he would undoubtedly become the core figure of the Xie family. From this perspective, Fangâs little granddaughter was indeed a very suitable marriage partner for Xie Ranâa reduction in enemies and fewer barriers, more friends, and more pathways. If Fangâs family could transform their state of hostility with Xieâs family into a relationship, it would be more than just 1+1 equaling 2. Now, it all depended on whether Fangâs family was willing to agree to this marriage.
Dong Xuebing thought it was unlikely.
The reasons were straightforward. Many political things werenât purely about interests; they also involved face and emotions.
Xieâs family could agree to Xie Ran marrying Fang Shui Ling because Xie Ran is male, and Fang Shui Ling is female. Xieâs family was in a relatively advantageous position, as they were the ones who would be marrying into Fangâs family. Given that Xieâs and Fangâs families had been rivals for decades, Xieâs family had consistently held an advantage. Some things could naturally be put aside. But Fangâs family was different; they had always been under the heel of Xieâs family. Now, having to marry their little granddaughter to them was not purely an issue of interests; it was psychologically unpleasant. The matter of this marriage had many forces watching, so Fangâs family couldnât just ignore their face. Even though they knew a marriage would benefit both families, they couldnât quickly agree to it.
Troublesome.
There were too many entangled issues.
Dong Xuebing was already getting a headache just thinking about it. If it were up to him, he wouldnât willingly accept it, but now he had no choice; the family had already made their decision. Dong Xuebing had no choice but to comply. He couldnât refuse.
âThatâs when Iâll go?â Dong Xuebing asked.
Xie Guoliang pondered, âGo in the afternoon. The matter has already been made public, and Fangâs family is aware of it. Itâs better to go earlier.â
Dong Xuebing nodded. âAlright, I understand.â
Han Jing smiled. âLetâs have the kids come in, then. Iâll go make lunch.â
Ci Lifen stood up, âSister-in-law, let me help. Haha.â
âSure. Then Yanzhen can come too. We three can chat while preparing. Havenât had a good talk in ages.â Han Jing pulled Xia Yanzhen and Ci Lifen along to the kitchen.
Xie Ran, Xie Jing, and Fang Shui Ling all came into the room.
As soon as Xie Hao entered, he blurted out, âBrother-in-law, when are you going to make your move?â
Dong Xuebing said irritably, âWhat move? Iâm going to propose on behalf of the family, not go and conquer an enemyâs position.â
Xie Ran earnestly said, âBrother-in-law, youâve gotten us into trouble with this. Whatever happens with me and Xiaoling, itâs all down to you. If it doesnât work out, itâs not your fault.â
Dong Xuebing patted his arm, âLeave it to me.â
Fang Shui Ling also exchanged a few polite words with Dong Xuebing, then with a wink, went over to chat with Xie Guobang, Xie Guoliang, and others. Despite Xie Guoliangâs previous negative impressions of Fangâs family and strong opposition to the marriage, he had no reason to hold a grudge against the younger generation. Perhaps he liked Fang Shui Ling as a person. They started chatting about trivial family matters.
Xie Guojian laughed, âItâs time to eat. Everyone, wash your hands. Your aunt made lunch herself today. The little ones are in for a treat!â
âIâll help out,â Fang Shui Ling immediately volunteered, not missing a single opportunity to show her appreciation. Perhaps Fangâs family hadnât taken a stance yet, which made Fang Shui Ling feel quite apologetic.
Dong Xuebing said, âIâll help in the kitchen too.â
Xie Guobang stopped him. âXiao Bin, go upstairs and call Senior Xie to eat, and check on his health while youâre at it.â You havenât been home in a long time.â The last time Senior Xie was seriously ill, it was Dong Xuebing who treated him so effectively that within ten minutes, Senior Xie was able to get out of bed again. After that, everyone came to trust Dong Xuebingâs medical skills more.
Dong Xuebing agreed and went upstairs.
Upstairs, outside Senior Xieâs room, Dong Xuebing knocked on the door and opened it to find him alone, secretly drinking.
Seeing Dong Xuebing, Senior Xie smiled and waved, âXiao Binâs here! Come, have a drink with me.â
Dong Xuebing sighed, âWhy are you drinking again? Your health just got better.â
Senior Xie laughed, âJust a little, not even a full shot. Come, sit down.â
Dong Xuebing sat down, âGrandpa, let me check your pulse and see how youâre feeling.â
Senior Xie didnât say much, just extended his hand. âSince you treated me last time, I havenât had any issues; I even go for a one-kilometer walk sometimes and feel better and better.â
Dong Xuebing quickly said, âDonât push yourself too hard. No intense exercise, alright?â
Dong Xuebing checked his pulse, and as he did, he helped Senior Xieâs body âturn back the clockâ, trying to restore it to its younger state. Senior Xie was the pillar of the family and had to remain in good health. âGrandpa, I have to go to Fangâs family in the afternoon to propose on behalf of the family and discuss Xie Ranâs matters. Iâm not sure what to say, though. Any advice?â
Senior Xie took a sip of his drink and chuckled, âNo advice. Just handle it with flexibility.â
âBut I donât know what to do,â Dong Xuebing said helplessly.
âYou didnât know what to do when you were trying to marry my Xiao Lan either. You convinced me then, didnât you?â Senior Xie said.
Sweat.
Whoâs the frog?
Dong Xuebing was at a loss, realizing that Senior Xie was still holding a grudge from a few years ago when he had pointedly scolded him.
Senior Xie laughed, âIf you can convince even me, dealing with those old guys at Fangâs family shouldnât be a problem. You have the knack for it; otherwise, why would Guoliang and the others insist on having you represent our family to propose to them? When youâre mischievous, youâre mischievous; when youâre serious, youâre serious. Handling this matter suits you better than Guoliang.â
Dong Xuebing laughed, âIâll just take that as a compliment from you.â
âIt is a compliment,â Senior Xie replied, stroking his beard and laughing heartily.
If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.