https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-664-Bursting-the-Economic-Bubble/12580578/
Chapter 663: Lu An's Engagement
Chapter 663: Lu An's Engagement
On Chinese New Year's Eve, the entire family gathered at Lu Hongjun's house. With the dumpling filling ready, the sisters-in-law sat together to wrap dumplings, while Lu Jiaguang and the rest of the Lu clan pitched in with the preparations.
As the dishes were being prepared, Lu Shan and his wife, Er Sao, busied themselves in the kitchen, while the others waited outside. After all, the kitchen was rather small and couldn't accommodate everyone.
Lu Hongjun asked Lu Dan, the eldest sister-in-law, "Any news on A Yun's personal life?"
Lu Dan smiled and replied, "With A Yun's looks and talents, finding a partner won't be difficult. But finding someone who meets his high standards is another matter. He's only 25 this year, so there's no rush."
Lu Jiaguang intended to find a partner for Lu Yun who could benefit his future prospects, preferably someone from their unit's leadership. However, such an arrangement would come with expectations from the other party, so this matter had to be approached carefully.
Lu Hongjun brought up the topic, hoping to prompt Lu Dan to pay more attention to her son's love life. "Lu Yun's situation is unique, but what about Lu An? He'll be 23 next year, and it's time for him to settle down."
In fact, the one who should be considering marriage the most was , who was studying abroad. With his studies expected to take several years, and the recent incident, no one was rushing him to find a partner. Lu An, on the other hand, had graduated from university and started working, so it was time to address his personal life.
Lu Dan sighed helplessly, "I tried to arrange a match for him, but he refused to even meet the girl. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. I guess we'll just have to let nature take its course!"
His refusal to show up had angered the matchmaker and the prospective bride. Lu Dan had to buy expensive gifts to apologize and smooth things over. After that incident, she was too scared to force Lu An any further.
Upon hearing this, Lu Hongjun was about to call for Lu An to have a talk, but Lu Dan quickly stopped him.
"Uncle San, let it be," Lu Dan said. "He wants to find his own partner. With his looks and job, he should be able to find someone. Let's just leave it to fate."
She feared that pressing the matter further would only provoke his rebellious streak, so she ultimately decided to let him be.
Hearing this, Lu Hongjun dropped the subject. Times had changed since their youth, when marriages were often arranged by matchmakers, and couples would marry if they liked each other. Nowadays, people preferred to find their own partners. Of course, if one was willing, arranged meetings were still an option, as Lu Yun had agreed to.
Originally, Lu Dan thought it would take several years for Lu An to find a partner. However, on the second day of the new year, she received a wonderful surprise.
Lu Yun, who had brought a girl back with him, introduced her with a beaming smile, "Mom, this is Luo Chian, my girlfriend."
Seeing the graceful and poised young lady before her, Lu Dan cursed Lu An in her mind. Not only had he started dating without telling them, but he also brought his girlfriend home without any warning. What an irresponsible young man! However, she couldn't scold him in front of their guest, so she decided to address the matter later.
Lu Dan brought out the best new year treats and chatted with the girl. She learned that Luo Chian's father was a car factory mechanic, and her mother was a textile factory worker. Luo Chian had graduated from a teacher's college the previous year and was assigned to teach Chinese language at the eighth middle school.
Considering Lu An was a criminal police officer, his work would likely keep him busy and away from home. Having a wife who was a teacher would mean someone could take care of the home and their future children.
As Lu Dan looked at Luo Chian, her liking for the girl grew, "Luo Chian, please forgive us for not being prepared for your visit today. If we had known, your father-in-law and I would have waited at home for you."
Luo Chian blushed shyly, indicating that it was alright.
After chatting for a while, Lu Dan said, "Lu An, why don't you stay and chat with Luo Chian? I'll go prepare a meal."
Luo Chian politely declined, explaining that she had another engagement later.
Lu An spoke bluntly, "Mom, I bought movie tickets for the 10:30 show. Later, I'll be watching the movie with Xiao Chan, and then I'll take her out for roast duck."
In reality, they weren't going for roast duck but rather to Old Mo's Restaurant for a Western meal. However, that place was rather expensive, and he dared not mention it for fear of incurring Lu Da Sao's wrath.
Lu Da Sao and Lu Jiaguang were quite open-minded. After their children started working, they didn't ask them to hand over their salaries. They understood that their children were grown-ups now and needed money for socializing and entertainment.
As Lu Jiaguang was about to return home, he was delighted to learn that Lu An had brought someone back. But his joy quickly turned to anger as he scolded, "You good-for-nothing! You brought your girlfriend home without even giving me a heads-up beforehand. With only you at home, her family might think that we're displeased with her!"
Lu Da Sao was also angry. "It's not that the girl minds, but this isn't how things should be done. We'll teach him a lesson when he gets back. He's treating such a big matter like child's play!"
That evening, Lu An returned home to a scolding from both his father and stepmother. This was within his expectations, and he chose not to argue, letting them vent their frustrations.
After they had finished scolding him, Lu Jiaguang asked, "Since your girlfriend has visited us, we should also pay a visit to her parents. Otherwise, her parents might think that we don't value this relationship."
Lu An indicated that there was no rush. "I've already discussed this with Xiao Chan. Tomorrow, we'll go to her place to pay our respects for the new year. As for the other matters, we'll discuss them after I meet her parents."
He was worried that Luo Chan's parents might not approve of him due to the nature of his work, which could be dangerous at times.
Lu Da Sao felt like banging his head against the wall. "You good-for-nothing! Why didn't you tell us earlier? It's so late now, and the shops are all closed. Forget it; I'll go with you tomorrow morning to buy something."
Lu An smiled and said, "I've already bought two packs of good cigarettes, and we have plenty of liquor at home. We can bring a couple of bottles and also buy some cakes and fruits."
The Lu family had various high-quality liquors like Moutai and Wuliangye, all gifts from others. Lu Jiaguang rarely drank, so they had accumulated quite a collection.
Seeing that Lu An had everything under control, the couple felt relieved.
Lu An's visit to Luo Chan's home was also warmly received. Unlike him, Luo Chan had already given her family the full scoop on the Lu family. Now that they saw him in person—handsome and tall—they were delighted.
He stayed for lunch, and Luo Chan's father and eldest brother deliberately tried to get him drunk to extract more information. Unexpectedly, he passed out after a few drinks and fell asleep on the table. Their plan to pump him for information failed miserably. The father and brother duo didn't consider that Lu An, being a criminal police officer, was trained to handle such situations, and it wouldn't be so easy to get anything out of him.
Lu Jiaxin returned to Hong Kong City on the twelfth day of the new year. That very evening, she called Lu Jiaguang and Lu Da Sao to wish them a happy new year and also to inquire about Lu Hongjun's well-being.
Lu Da Sao assured her that Lu Hongjun was doing well and asked her not to worry. "As soon as Dog Egg and the others started their vacation, Shanzi and Da Mai moved in with their children. We had our reunion dinner at your dad's place on New Year's Eve. We've all agreed that from now on, we'll take turns hosting the family during the holidays."
This arrangement included Lu Jiajie's family as well.
Lu Jiaxin thought it was a great idea. She knew that Lu Hongjun had always feared a lonely old age, but now, with his nephew living nearby and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren visiting during the holidays, his dream of a bustling family had come true.
Lu Da Sao then shared the news about Lu An. "On the sixth day of the new year, your brother and I visited Luo Chan's family. We've set the ninth, a lucky date, for the engagement, and the wedding is scheduled for May 1st, Labor Day."
The swiftness of the engagement and wedding plans seemed like a whirlwind, but in modern-day China, rushing through weddings had become somewhat of a trend.
Lu Jiaxin laughed and said, "That's wonderful."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
