Chapter 466: Chapter 438: Making Friends Carelessly, Scram!_2
Zhou Ning flipped through them, gave an introduction, and the old man took the first and second-class personal merit medals in his hands, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Xiao Ning has really made something of himself, this is recognition of your work. That scientific talent award is also inseparable from Qin University. No matter when, don’t get too proud, do things with dedication, and be honest in life. You must live up to the uniform you wear but also take good care of yourself."
Zhou Ning nodded seriously.
"Don’t worry, Grandpa, I know what I should do and I won’t forget my roots."
The old man smiled and patted Zhou Ning’s hand.
"That’s good. Mr. Hu and Director Xu will need you to give your all to the work they assign. As for these certificates, let your second aunt store them away. They are your honor, and they are our family’s honor too."
The second aunt wiped her hands and carefully stored away each certificate and medal.
"I’ll make sure to keep these safe. I might as well put them in your room on the second floor. I think I will need to order a cabinet soon. You’ve brought back so many awards this year; I need to find a large enough space to display them."
The second uncle stopped the second aunt’s actions and looked over each certificate, tearfully wiping his eyes, unable to hide his emotional expression. He was about to say something, starting with, "Your dad," when the second aunt kicked him.
"Stop wasting words, take these things up and put them in place properly."
The second uncle seemed to realize he had spoken too much and quickly shut up, though he didn’t move; the old man looked at Xia Momo, his face bearing a gentle smile.
"Momo, after the Spring Festival, I’ll host a dinner and invite your parents out. Let’s all meet and settle the two of you down, shall we? Both of you are not young anymore, and the relationship is so good, I presume your parents also agree to your marriage with Zhou Ning?"
Xia Momo was taken aback by the sudden shift of topic to her, she hesitated in surprise, then her face turned slightly red, but she still nodded firmly.
"They like Zhou Ning and also hope we start preparing for the wedding soon. However, I want to wait for Zhou Ning to finish his doctorate before getting married."
Zhou Ning had no objection to this, after all, his ’black and white silk’ requirements had been satisfied by Momo, except for some very scanty fabrics that had yet to be fulfilled, but he was in no hurry.
"I have no objections. I support Momo’s idea."
The old man gave Zhou Ning a stern look, poked him in the foot with his cane, and Zhou Ning let out an "Aiyo" in cooperation, looking somewhat innocently towards the old man.
"What’s the matter, Grandpa? Didn’t you tell me, ’Listen to Momo on everything’? Aren’t I doing exactly as you taught?"
The second aunt patted Zhou Ning lightly on the back, and Zhou Xiaojun spoke up with a cheeky smile:
"Bro, you really are asking for a beating. How can you not be eager to get my sister-in-law through the door sooner rather than later? If sister-in-law says to wait, are you really just going to wait obediently?"
The second aunt nodded her head.
"You’re not wrong, Xiao Jun has gotten a bit sharper since stirring up trouble. That being said, we need to start scheduling things that need to be prepared, like the wedding house. If you want to continue living in that house, you’ll need to renovate it for the wedding, right?
After meeting with the Xia Family and picking a date, we’ll need to find a designer, buy materials, have someone supervise the work. Even after the renovation, it’s not like you can just move in immediately. The place needs to be ventilated, air out any fumes, remove formaldehyde, and there are many things like the wedding dress, photo studio, master of ceremonies, banquet, and much more that need to be booked well in advance.
It’s not as simple as you think, to get married the very next day after you decide. Also, we need to choose a significant day for the marriage registration, a day that is memorable and comes to mind easily. So I think Dad is right; the two families should meet as soon as possible to discuss the marriage, and then start the process."
Zhou Ning glanced over and saw that the second aunt had a notebook in front of her, which listed at least twenty or thirty items. Just looking at the quantity, Zhou Ning felt somewhat overwhelmed.
But when He Shancun and Zhou Xiaoyu got married before, it didn’t seem to be this complicated, did it?
The old man listened to the second aunt and kept nodding, concluding decisively.
"We need to listen to your second aunt on this. Our family can’t cut corners when marrying Momo. I want a full set of traditional ceremonies done right. Oh, and we also have to see what Momo likes, whether a Western-style or Chinese-style wedding."
"I’ve seen it on TV, can’t quite describe the style, but it was festive and grand. After all, it’s once in a lifetime. We must make sure there are no regrets. Our family isn’t short on money."
Zhou Ning cleared his throat, just about to speak, when the interruption came from his step-auntie.
"You listen to me, in this matter we need to consider Momo’s opinion. Momo, you tell us what kind of wedding style you like. Also, think about when it will be appropriate for both families to meet, so we can start preparing."
Xia Momo was also moved by the sincerity of her step-auntie and the old master. She glanced at Zhou Ning and, seeing that all eyes were on her, thought for a moment before saying:
"I’ll ask my parents when I get back tonight. My mom can’t wait for me to get married tomorrow so I’ll stop hovering around her, and my dad sometimes feels the same way, though he can be a bit reluctant to let go at other times. Why don’t you come back with me tomorrow, Zhou Ning?"
Zhou Ning held back a laugh, rubbed Xia Momo’s head, and thought this girl was honestly sweet.
"Alright, I’ll accompany you to meet your parents tomorrow. Let me take you back to rest now; it’s getting late."
Zhou Ning stood up and walked Xia Momo out. After saying goodbye to everyone without much fuss, he escorted her home. Once Xia Momo had gone up, just as he was about to go back to sleep, his step-auntie called again.
"What’s up, step-auntie?"
"You, young man, are not taking your own affairs seriously. Hurry back. We need to discuss how you’re going to talk tomorrow. Don’t rush off to shower; it won’t hurt to shower later. Speed it up."
Zhou Ning, feeling helpless, quickly walked back towards the villa. As he approached the little building, someone bumped into his shoulder. Caught off guard, Zhou Ning took a couple of steps back to regain his balance. He turned and saw that the person was already far away, only a silhouette visible.
The person was wearing a down jacket and a baseball cap, and they ran at a good pace, disappearing at the crossroads of the central garden. Zhou Ning shook his head; perhaps it was someone out for a night jog?
But the person didn’t even look up. Although the path wasn’t wide, the streetlights were very bright. Jogging like that late at night was actually quite dangerous. Without thinking much of it, he quickly returned to the small building and as soon as he entered, he saw his step-auntie fussing with gifts again, four gift boxes now arrayed at the entryway.
"Step-auntie, isn’t this a bit too grand?"
His step-auntie glared at him and waved at He Shancun.
"You don’t understand a thing. You’re marrying the mayor’s daughter. Even though Mr. Xia is a cultured man, we can’t skimp on proper etiquette. After all, with the new year approaching, and since this is essentially a proposal visit, according to the older generation’s practices, as the oldest son and grandson, even if we simplify the process, we still can’t omit the required steps.
We can only help you so much with these matters; you’ll have to go to Mr. Hu personally and book him in advance to be the officiating witness at your wedding. Remember, you must handle that first thing when you get to work on Monday. Can you keep that in mind?"
Zhou Ning quickly nodded, aware that any delay would lead to more nagging from his step-auntie. However, he genuinely enjoyed her nagging because they truly cared about him and treated him well.
He Shancun checked everything one more time and nodded at the step-auntie.
"Mom, everything’s ready. Mr. Zhao took Zhou Ning’s car. He’ll come by himself to load the car tomorrow."
After one last inspection, the step-auntie finally relaxed.
"Alright, we’ll leave early from here tomorrow. I’ll remind them again before we go. By the way, Shancun, when you have time, take Xiao Ning to get a health check-up. He’s almost thirty and doesn’t seem to have any energy. Looking at Momo, such a beautiful girl, he’s not in the least bit anxious. Let’s see if there’s something wrong with him and treat it early if needed."
Zhou Ning was surprised and looked at He Shancun holding back a laugh. He felt a bit irritated.
"I’m perfectly healthy, step-auntie. That’s an insult to my character!"
He Shancun laughed without inhibition, patted Zhou Ning on the shoulder, and consoled:
"I tell you, when I came to your house to ask for marriage, I showed my physical exam report to your mom. Everything was healthy, especially certain *ahem* functionalities, very vigorous. Otherwise, how could Xiaoyu get pregnant so quickly? Mr. Xia and his family must be eager for grandchildren too. Don’t be shy. Talk to me if you need anything."
Zhou Ning gave He Shancun a look of disdain.
"Poor choice in friends. Get lost!"
