The Ahu family's problem was solved, and after eating the hot hot pot, the family went back happily.
Some are happy and some are sad.
Cheng Tianyuan, however, couldn't eat enough and was absent-minded all night.
Xue Ling saw it, but did not dare to feel sorry for her husband. She quietly asked Lao Li from the big kitchen to cook a portion of white porridge and brought it back to the room in a small casserole.
Sure enough, Cheng Tianyuan was sitting by the window. There was a glass of water on the table beside him. It had already lost its temperature, but there was still more than half of the glass left to drink.
Xue Ling put the porridge down and said warmly: "The hot pot soup base tonight was a bit spicy. I saw that you didn't eat much, so I asked Lao Li to cook you a casserole of white porridge.
There is a handful of pickles on top, it should be very delicious to eat with it.”
"……oh."
Cheng Tianyuan replied absently: "Okay, I'll eat it later."
Xue Ling turned around and went to the cloakroom to change clothes.
After a while, she walked back to the room.
Cheng Tianyuan was already eating porridge and asked with concern: "Have your parents rested?
I lowered the temperature in their room a little earlier so that they wouldn't find it too stuffy again."
"Have a rest."
Xue Ling replied: "The weather is cold, and the old man can't help but feel sleepy as soon as it gets dark.
However, I probably won't be able to sleep that well in the second half of the night.
I originally advised them to go to bed later and try to sleep until dawn.
They said no, they might have fallen asleep earlier and had to wake up again at three or four in the middle of the night.
Instead of forcing yourself to doze off, it’s better to go to bed early and sleep as much as you can in the second half of the night, so there’s no need to force it.”
Cheng Tianyuan chuckled: "As long as the elderly can adjust themselves, they have to arrange their own work and rest time."
"yes!"
Xue Lingruo pointed out: "We try to treat others as we treat them ourselves, but what we think is good may not necessarily be suitable for others.
So, just stop in moderation.”
Cheng Tianyuan paused with the spoon in his hand and frowned.
"...Lao San really said he wouldn't get married?
real?"
How could his most well-behaved son suddenly become an unmarried person?
When did it happen?
Why would he think so?
Was he stimulated by something?
He couldn't accept it at all! Xue Ling smiled slightly and did not comment.
"He is still young and he still has a lot of time to make choices."
Cheng Tianyuan still couldn't believe it: "Most of them were joking, right?
You didn't take it seriously either?
Yes or no?"
"I... took it seriously."
Xue Ling took a deep breath and felt that his head was a little dizzy: "Maybe this is not the worst situation, but I think it is better to take it seriously, so as not to be unable to accept it in the future.
The eldest is in his late thirties and there is no sign of getting married yet.
We must also be mentally prepared that if he doesn't find the right one, he won't get married."
When Cheng Tianyuan heard this, he frowned. The porridge in front of him didn't seem to be fragrant at all.
"Daughter-in-law, you...what happened to you today?"
Xue Ling held her temples and smiled softly.
"I'm here to vaccinate you."
Cheng Tianyuan glanced at her and asked: "When did heart disease also have vaccinations?
Why didn’t I know!”
Xue Ling was amused by him and exclaimed: "Is it that exaggerated?
Are you really unable to accept your son's choice not to get married?
Overseas parents don’t care about their children when they grow up, they just let them marry and live with whomever they want, and even - even same-sex marriages choose to respect and understand them.”
"Overseas countries are foreign countries, and we are us."
Cheng Tianyuan tapped the spoon in his hand, "As long as they are my sons and as long as I am alive, I can't ignore them, just like they can't ignore us."
Xue Ling was not too surprised and let out a faint breath.
“It’s not necessarily a good thing to take too much care.
It may not be good for the children, and it may not be good for us either.”
Cheng Tianyuan couldn't help but suggest: "How about you listen to me and introduce them to a blind date?"
"Ha ha!"
Xue Ling shook his head: "No, they won't accept it.
Look at Ran Ran, my parents didn’t do enough for him.
When did he agree?"
Cheng Tianyuan fell silent.
Xue Ling raised his eyebrows and whispered: "I still know the son I gave birth to.
They are both people who would rather be in need than in excess. Unless it is the person they really like, they will never choose marriage.
As long as they live a good, happy and fulfilling life, why impose our views on marriage on them?
Maybe they will find the person they love tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, right?"
Cheng Tianyuan still didn't speak and continued to stir the porridge.
Xue Ling thought for a while and whispered: "Some people's marriage is a relationship of partners.
Together they support a family, divide work and cooperate, and support the family and take care of the children together.
For some people, marriage is a means to change their status and situation, using the other person's superiority to achieve a class leap and realize their own ideals and goals in life.
Some people fall in love because of love and want to stay with each other for a lifetime, so they eventually use marriage to consolidate their love.
Our eldest son and the third child are not in the first or second situation. They only get married for love.
Because of this, it is difficult for us to interfere.
If they force someone they don't like, wouldn't that ruin their happiness?
So, let it be."
After a pause, Cheng Tianyuan finally spoke in a low voice.
"Daughter-in-law, why did I suddenly realize that your handling of the problem of the eldest and the third child is a bit too idealistic...not very realistic."
Xue Ling chuckled: "Do you think it doesn't look like my previous style?
A practical and pragmatic style?”
"right."
Cheng Tianyuan nodded.
Xue Ling touched her nose and whispered: "We are talking about love... we can't be too practical."
Cheng Tianyuan couldn't help but complain: "We get married first and then fall in love. Is this kind of love practical enough?
What are they doing that they can’t learn from?”
"We are us."
Xue Ling asked funnyly: "God has blessed us with such great luck, but you are still so greedy?"
Cheng Tianyuan smiled slightly: "Can't I be more optimistic?
Where does the term ‘dreams come true’ come from?
It can’t just appear out of thin air, right?”
"Um."
Xue Ling chuckled: "It's worth looking forward to and being optimistic about.
But if it really doesn't go as we want...you have to learn to accept it.
We are old and have been abandoned by the ideological trends of this society."
Cheng Tianyuan took a deep breath and spoke with difficulty: "It's a bit difficult... In the past, poor old men in rural areas wanted to get married even if no one wanted them."
"Learn to accept it."
Xue Ling smiled bitterly: "When the conditions are too favorable, when their knowledge is beyond what ordinary people think, their choices are different."
"Can you really accept it?"
Cheng Tianyuan couldn't believe it.
Xue Ling shook his head: "Don't I study hard?
Take your time.
Don’t expose it yet, don’t say it, just let nature take its course and take your time.”
Cheng Tianyuan narrowed his eyes and stared at her, then raised his eyebrows.
"Daughter-in-law, are you still hiding something from me?"