Chapter 380: Extra (4)

"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Nuonuo is still young, so there’s no rush. Besides, if she doesn’t want to get married, she doesn’t have to. Don’t you think I, Li Xiu, can’t provide for my own daughter?" Seeing Zhou Lian look so speechless, Li Xiu’s heart ached. ’My daughter will find her own destiny. Why make things difficult for my Bao’er right now?’

Everyone in the room stared at Li Xiu as if he were some kind of monster. Was it really necessary to drag his own daughter into the mess just to bail out his wife?

Professor Xiao looked at Li Xiu’s expressionless face and sighed. She patted Li Xianglin, who was sitting beside her, and said softly, "Nuonuo, regardless of what your parents say, you need to think carefully about your own future. But your dad is right, it’s a bit too early to discuss this. Think it over. It’s your life to live, and no one can live it for you. The kind of person you want to spend your life with is your decision to make. We elders can only help vet your choices and offer our opinions, but we can’t decide for you."

"Grandma, I understand. I’m eighteen now. I may lack life experience, but I am an adult. Still, it really is a bit early to be talking about this. Like Dad said, no one can predict matters of fate. Let’s just see where life takes us and cherish the journey!" Li Xianglin said calmly with a small smile. ’I was really just making a casual comment. If I found someone with a temperament like my dad’s, I don’t think I could handle it. I’m not my mom. I don’t have her magnanimous and detached attitude, that ability to remain "unmoved by favor or disgrace, watching flowers bloom and fall before the courtyard; with no intent to stay or go, gazing at the clouds as they gather and scatter in the sky."’

"Yes, yes, yes! Our Nuonuo is still young, why are we even talking about this! Nuonuo, listen to your uncle, all the men out there are pigs, and they’re experts at deception. A man’s words are nothing but lies. You must never believe a single thing any man outside this family tells you!" Hearing that his young niece wasn’t interested in dating, Li Bo immediately tried to drill into her head the idea that all men were unreliable. ’My precious niece, a flower bud yet to bloom, can’t just be whisked away by some random guy!’

Li Guo pushed up his glasses and looked at Li Xianglin seriously. "Nuonuo, your uncle is right. There isn’t a single good man out there. Our Nuonuo is still young, so there’s no rush. Let’s wait another five, or seven, or eight years. When the time comes, your uncles will definitely vet any prospects thoroughly for you!"

"That’s right, your uncles are correct. Nuonuo, you’re very smart, but you’re still young. Men... not a single one is any good. We’ll take our time choosing. Once you’ve picked someone, I’ll check him out first to make sure he’s even human!" Zhou Huaitai said softly, looking gently at his little cousin. ’How can my sweet, well-behaved sister be carried off by some pig? For now, I’ll just placate her and change the subject.’

...

...

Li Xianglin watched the furious, teeth-gritting expressions on her uncles’ and cousins’ faces, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ’I’m only eighteen, just barely an adult. Is all this worry really necessary? Besides, it’s not like I’m interested in anyone. And even if I were, there aren’t many guys who could catch my eye. What’s more, with all the overprotective men in this family, from my elders down to my brothers... for any guy to pass their gauntlet and get to me? Forget one in ten thousand, you probably couldn’t find a handful of men like that in the whole world!’

"Alright, that’s enough. Nuonuo is still young, we can discuss this in the future. It’s getting late and it’s cold out. None of you should head back; just find a room and stay the night." Seeing the conversation spiraling out of control, Grandma Li quickly put a stop to it. ’If I let them go on,’ she thought, ’my great-granddaughter will never get married!’

The moment Grandma Li spoke, everyone present tactfully fell silent. She was the oldest and most senior person in the room. Normally, no one would dare to defy her, so they all obediently went to find rooms to rest for the night.

Back in their bedroom, Zhou Lian and Li Xiu lay in each other’s arms, sighing. It was only now dawning on them that the precious little baby they once cradled had grown up, reaching that age of blossoming youth: a graceful and shy young woman, her years still free from sorrow.

"Jin Chen, what do you think will happen with our Nuonuo in the future...?"

Gently patting Zhou Lian’s back, Li Xiu said softly, "Bao’er, don’t worry. Nuonuo has her own destiny to follow. As her parents, all we need to do is help screen potential partners and confirm they’re of good character. Besides, I’m here. What kind of scoundrel would dare bully her?"

"That’s true. Our son-in-law in the last life was wonderful. I wonder if those two are fated to meet again?" Zhou Lian mused softly. Her son-in-law from their past life had doted on their daughter immensely. Although he couldn’t compare to the Li Xiu of this life, for their daughter back then, he had been the perfect husband.

Sighing softly, Li Xiu said with a touch of melancholy, "To think that the daughter I worked so hard to raise will just be handed over to some other family’s little brat. It makes me angry just thinking about it!"

"That’s the classic father-of-the-bride mentality," Zhou Lian said, looking at Li Xiu with a teasing smile. "By that logic, shouldn’t my own father have been finding fault with you at every turn?"

Li Xiu gave Zhou Lian a helpless look and said softly, "Bao’er, are you really that oblivious, or are you just pretending? Of the five of us brothers-in-law, I’m your parents’ favorite. But at the very beginning, your father was always scrutinizing me and finding fault, wasn’t he?"

"Really? I remember my dad having a great impression of you. Back when we first got engaged, I had just returned home and wasn’t paying much attention to anything, let alone our marriage. I remember Dad saying you were steadfast, capable, and honest. He never picked on you, did he?" Zhou Lian sounded a little uncertain with her last question. ’With eight children, Dad doted on me the most. It’s not impossible that he criticized Li Xiu behind my back.’

Li Xiu smiled and said nonchalantly, "That’s all in the past. Bao’er, look at us now. Out of his five sons-in-law, isn’t he fondest of me?"

That was the truth. Ever since they married, Mr. Zhou had never given his son-in-law, Li Xiu, a hard time, and that became even more true after they moved to the Capital City. But then again, what parents-in-law could find fault with a son-in-law like Li Xiu? He didn’t just dote on and protect their daughter; he put his heart and soul into helping the entire Zhou family as well.

"How could they not be fond of you? All these years, you’ve done more than enough for the Zhou family. For my mom and dad, even their own son couldn’t have done more. Honestly, Jin Chen, after all this time, aren’t you exhausted? Juggling work and family, the Li family and the Zhou family... so many people, so many problems, and you’ve sheltered them all under your wing."

It had been nearly twenty years. He helped not just Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, Zhou Huaitai, and Zhang Yizhen, but also the families of Zhou Lian’s siblings. Whenever there was a problem, personal or otherwise, Li Xiu would step in to help if he could. The same went for the first and third branches of the Li family. He had even brought Grandma Li to live under his care in the Capital City.

Then there were Professor Xiao and Professor Fan, who were like adoptive parents to him, so his devotion to them went without saying. And of course, there were his own son and daughter, to say nothing of Zhou Lian herself. For years, barring special circumstances, Li Xiu had picked her up from work and dropped her off every day. For more than a decade, he had cherished and protected her as if she were the most precious treasure, and he had only grown more attached to her over time.

And that didn’t even cover his responsibilities outside the home, which were time-consuming, draining, and mentally taxing. Yet in all those years, Li Xiu had never once complained of being tired or of hardship.

"Bao’er, with you by my side in this life, with your love, how could I ever feel tired? As long as you’re with me, I would willingly slay a dragon for you."