"You know, the person your mother was talking about is the daughter-in-law," said Xu Nanshan, after twenty years of marriage, recognizing the underlying meaning in Liu Shuxian's complaints. He shook his head and said seriously, "Don't add fuel to the fire. Xiaomo is only eighteen, and this kind of thing is still too early for him! Aren't you encouraging him to fall in love too early?"
"Love? When you were fourteen, you were already passing me notes. Why don't you mention that?" Liu Shuxian shot a displeased look at Xu Nanshan.
Huh? That really happened?
Xu Mo immediately perked up, his ears sharp with curiosity. Xu Nanshan's face turned red, stammering, "That was a different time! Now Xiaomo still has his studies to focus on."
"Don't use your impulsive youth as an excuse. Our Xiaomo is already eighteen. He's had his ID for two years now. In a few years, he'll be graduating from college and should start thinking about marriage. But now, he hasn't even brought a girl home. Instead, he spends all his time hanging out with that He Shang kid. How can I not worry?" Liu Shuxian waved the rolling pin as she spoke.
Xu Nanshan stroked his chin thoughtfully, a playful glint in his eyes. "From what you're saying, it does seem like Xiaomo's behavior isn't quite what you'd expect from a normal boy his age..."
"You two, why are you talking so indirectly? Just say you're questioning my sexual orientation," Xu Mo said, feeling both amused and exasperated. If being too close with girls was a problem, now it was a problem to be too close with boys. Parents these days were really hard to please.
Liu Shuxian hurriedly comforted him, "Xiaomo, don't listen to your dad. I trust you... But our neighbor Aunt Zhang's son, Da Fei, is your age, and he's already brought home four or five girlfriends. I've heard that kids your age are very mature, and it's normal to start dating early. Honestly, your low-key behavior is a bit odd. Tell me, have you ever had a girlfriend at school?"
It almost felt like she was fishing for information...
Xu Mo shrugged nonchalantly and answered calmly, "No."
"This is something you can have now..." Liu Shuxian started to press him.
"This really isn't the case..." Xu Mo quickly interrupted.
Xu Nanshan gave the table a few taps and said, "Are you two doing a comedy act? Just get back to wrapping the dumplings. Look at the time, and we've barely made a dent in them."
"I'm just concerned about our son," Liu Shuxian grumbled, unwilling to give up.
"Don't worry. There's always a way when you get to the mountain pass. Kids today aren't as conservative as we were. If Xiaomo really had a girlfriend, I'm sure he would've already brought her home for us to meet, right?"
Although Xu Nanshan's words were half-joking, Xu Mo didn't want Liu Shuxian to continue this conversation, so he quickly nodded. "Exactly, our family isn't some kind of dragon's den. If I had a girlfriend, I'd definitely bring her over to let you two meet."
Ding dong~!
At the sound of the doorbell, Liu Shuxian, who was closest to the door, wiped the flour off her hands and stood up to open the door. "Who would be visiting at this time on New Year's Eve?" she muttered.
"Maybe it's the neighbor coming over to borrow some vinegar for their dumplings?" Xu Nanshan guessed.
"Or maybe it's them coming over to borrow dumplings because they've run out of vinegar?" Xu Mo joked.
Liu Shuxian rolled her eyes at the two of them and replied, "You two just make stuff up. Who would borrow vinegar or dumplings on New Year's Eve? Why don't you just say it's your future daughter-in-law coming over?"
"Because that sounds even more ridiculous than borrowing vinegar and dumplings," Xu Mo answered confidently.
"Cut it out, that might not be so far off..."
Almost as if to confirm Liu Shuxian's prediction, when the door opened, a familiar, sweet voice rang out from outside.
"Happy New Year, Auntie! Is Xu Mo home?"
Oh my god! Xu Mo nearly fell face-first into the dumpling bowl. With such a sweet voice, he didn't even need to look to know it was Tang Guo. No one else could make a voice like that.
Clearly, Tang Guo had put a lot of effort into her appearance today. Her face was adorned with a translucent pink jelly makeup look, and her signature double ponytails had been replaced with fashionable spiral curls. She wore delicate blue crystal earrings, giving her a cute yet slightly seductive charm. It was hard to believe that she was only thirteen years old.
"Oh? Who are you?" Liu Shuxian was momentarily stunned by Tang Guo's sudden appearance. When she heard Xu Mo's name, she suddenly wore a curious and slightly awkward expression.
"Hello, Auntie. My name is Tang Guo, and I'm... Well, didn't Xu Mo mention me?" Tang Guo said, a little unsure.
What the heck! Xu Mo's heart sank, ready to strangle Tang Guo on the spot. Why couldn't she just finish her sentence? Instead, she left things hanging at such an easily misinterpreted point. Knowing her mischievous tendencies, Xu Mo was sure she did it on purpose!
"Uh... Yes, he did mention you! His memory isn't great, though!" Liu Shuxian quickly caught on to the trap Tang Guo set, sending Xu Mo a sly look. She hurriedly grabbed her slippers and ushered Tang Guo into the living room, saying, "Xiaomo, stop wrapping dumplings. Come, pour some hot water for Tang Guo. It's cold outside..."
Xu Mo helplessly rolled his eyes and, with much reluctance, stood up to get the hot water. As he passed Tang Guo, he shot her a death glare.
Tang Guo, seemingly oblivious to his murderous look, flashed a smile that could melt anyone's heart and carefully placed the big bags she was carrying on the couch.
"Auntie, this is a gift I brought for you from my friend in France. These cosmetics are perfect for your skin type... And this bag, too. It's a bit mature, but it should be just right for you."
Tang Guo placed two large bags in front of Liu Shuxian, who immediately smiled widely, her face glowing. "You're such a thoughtful child! You shouldn't have brought so much. Just the thought is enough!"
Looks like Mom's totally fallen for Tang Guo's sugar-coated charms... Xu Mo helplessly placed the hot water in front of Tang Guo and cast a final, pleading look at his father, Xu Nanshan, who was sitting properly on the couch.
"Uncle, I didn't know what to bring, so I just grabbed a few things from my family's storage room. I hope it's to your liking..." Tang Guo said, as she pulled out two bottles of 50-year-old Moutai, two packs of Yellow Crane Tower cigarettes, and a can of top-grade Dahongpao tea.
Xu Nanshan's usually stoic image collapsed in an instant...
As the parents gleefully went about preparing the gifts, Xu Mo pulled Tang Guo aside and whispered fiercely, "What are you doing here? Don't you know how easily my parents could misunderstand your visit?"
"I'm just here like a normal person, bringing normal gifts! And everything I've said has been just polite small talk. There's no way your parents could misinterpret it," Tang Guo said with a completely innocent expression.
Xu Mo felt a bit dizzy from her "normal and abnormal" speech. After a moment of thought, he realized that maybe he was overthinking it. There was nothing wrong with her visit; it was just the timing that seemed too coincidental.
Tang Guo caught on to his nervousness and whispered in his ear with a sly laugh, "Do you think your family really believes I'm your girlfriend? I'm only thirteen!"
"They're too busy looking at your gifts to care about how old you are!" Xu Mo said, poking her forehead. "Just act normal, okay? Don't say anything that could make my parents misunderstand even more."
"Don't worry! I know what I'm doing!" Tang Guo promised with a confident pat on her chest.
Xu Mo's concern grew. The more she promised, the less sure he was about her intentions. But he couldn't send her away now. It was already too late, and at least he was here to keep an eye on her.
By now, Liu Shuxian and Xu Nanshan had returned to the couch. Tang Guo's awkwardly timed visit had somehow become a well-mannered and gracious gesture thanks to the impressive gifts. Both of his parents now looked at Tang Guo with a strange warmth, making Xu Mo break out in cold sweat.
"You shouldn't bring such expensive gifts next time, okay? How much did all this cost?" Liu Shuxian smiled as she sat next to Tang Guo, her voice devoid of any complaints.