NOVPUBChapter 266: Chapter 266 Clarification
Chapter 266 -266 Clarification
“Big Brother, I’ve filed a report!” I wouldn’t keep this from anyone, least of all Big Brother.
An Zhigao was stunned.
“You filed a report? Don’t tell me you’re really thinking of getting involved with that Ding Min? Let me tell you, Ding Min is like a second-rate product – she may look shiny on the outside like a donkey’s dung egg, but I don’t think she’s a good match for you! Besides, you know what kind of relationship she has with that woman! Marrying Ding Min would mean you’ll have endless troubles in the future.” He was firmly against his younger brother marrying Ding Min.
An Zhiyuan picked up his cup, clinked it against An Zhigao’s, and drank it down in one go; the Maotai was smooth and mellow, “This is good liquor! Big Brother, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s really nothing between me and Ding Min! My fiancée’s name is Bai Xiao! She’s a girl I saved when I was in a village in a certain province, and she will be nineteen after the New Year’s. I plan to marry her once she turns twenty,” An Zhiyuan narrated smoothly.
An Zhigao had another drink, and An Zhiyuan refilled his cup for him, “You better think it through. There’s nothing wrong with village girls, but usually those girls are not well-educated, and they come with a lot of relatives. Soon your whole family will be involved – today one person shows up, tomorrow another. It might drive you crazy with annoyance. Whether you help them or not, it will be troublesome. You have to consider this carefully; I’m not prejudiced, but obviously, a village wife comes with her own set of problems.” He was, after all, experienced and had seen many family conflicts that arose from marrying village girls, so he had a clearer perspective on these matters than An Zhiyuan.
As a big brother, he certainly didn’t want his own younger brother to have a restless home life, especially since his brother was a professional. If the family support was not well-managed, it would be very difficult for a man so troubled to achieve success in his career.
It’s always said, “Marry a virtuous wife and you’ll have fewer woes.”
An Zhiyuan nodded and said with a smile, “Big Brother! Bai Xiao is different. Although she’s also from a village, she currently works at the hospital. She’s a doctor. Her parents passed away early, and the siblings she’s closest to are all good people. Her eldest brother is someone like me, and now he’s also at the same place as me, with proper credentials and skills no less than mine. Her two older sisters are also good people.” He couldn’t put his big brother’s concerns to rest without clarifying Bai Xiao’s circumstances.
An Zhigao became curious, “The way you describe her, this girl seems quite capable. But she’s only 19, how can she be a doctor already? Even if she’s attending Medical College, it would still take several years to graduate. And coming from a village family, they certainly won’t have any connections to pull strings for her. This really piques my curiosity.” He knew well about the medical students in the compound.
“Bai Xiao inherited her family’s Acupuncture skills, and she’s very talented. Although she can’t claim to bring the dead back to life, her treatments are remarkably effective. You know about Uncle Wang’s precious son, Wang Han, right? He was almost at death’s door, and it was Bai Xiao who saved him. Now she works in the Acupuncture department of the hospital, and many comrades who get injured during training or suffer from chronic pains find relief after she gives them a few needles. She’s now quite the renowned Dr. Bai,” An Zhiyuan couldn’t help but sing Bai Xiao’s praises when he thought of her.
An Zhigao took a longer look at An Zhiyuan, his clear understanding of his younger brother meant he knew that although he was not a troublesome person, he was very steadfast. A girl that received such high praise from him must be someone he really liked.
“It seems you really like this girl.”
An Zhiyuan felt shy; after all, it was his big brother. To speak so openly made him somewhat embarrassed.
“Well then, it is time for a man to marry when he comes of age, and a woman to marry as well. Since you’ve set your heart on this girl, if you want to get married, of course, your big brother wishes you happiness. However, you probably haven’t told the old man yet, and that woman at home certainly won’t make it easy for you. In her eyes, you’re a hot commodity. I doubt my conflict with her will ever be resolved in this lifetime. The third brother is too gentle, not cut out for heavy responsibilities, and you’re probably the only one in our family who’s really promising. It’s unlikely she doesn’t have plans for you,” An Zhigao seriously advised An Zhiyuan, quite aware of Wei Shufen’s character.
An Zhiyuan nodded, “Originally, I wanted to come clean with Dad this time, but since his blood pressure is so high, I fear that if I told him outright, he might just keel over. Anyway, Bai Xiao isn’t of age yet, and we still have to wait for more than a year. I’ll talk to him about it after some time.” Of course, he was well aware of the situation.
“When can I meet my future sister-in-law then? They say an ugly wife still needs to meet her in-laws. I should’ve insisted that you bring her home when you came back for New Year’s. Even with his high blood pressure and temper, Dad wouldn’t lose his cool in front of the girl,” An Zhigao was now even more curious about Bai Xiao.
“Next time, I suppose. She went back home for the New Year anyway.” An Zhiyuan and his elder brother enjoyed their drinks.
“You’re getting married, and don’t worry about a thing—house, car, all the furniture you’ll need for marriage, I’ll prepare everything for you. It’s not just about other things; even if you don’t need them, you don’t want to mistreat the girl, right? Marrying you is hard enough, and she’ll endure more hardships in life than she has ever imagined. It would truly be unfair to her if our family had the means but failed to provide her with the best conditions,” An Zhigao refused to give up.
An Zhiyuan shook his head, “Big brother, that’s all in the future, still a long way off.”
“How can it be far off? The city where you live now is relatively backward, and it’s much colder there. After the New Year, I plan to visit and scout out a location for a branch office. It’ll be a good opportunity to meet my future sister-in-law. Plus, setting up a house for you there means I’ll have a place to stay when I visit. You wouldn’t begrudge me that, would you?” An Zhigao blocked any objections An Zhiyuan might have had.
“You wear me out. Let’s talk about it when the time comes. I haven’t finalised the plans for next year— who knows what might happen by then.”
“What could possibly happen? If I had my way, I’d convince Dad to transfer the two of you back to Capital City. It’s closer to home, and the living habits among other things are more convenient. You’re so far away, if I wanted to take care of you, it would be miles apart. It’s fine now with just the two of you, but once you have kids, are you going to let them suffer in that bitterly cold place too?”
“Big brother, why are you even considering kids now? We haven’t even gotten married yet, where would the kids come from? Besides, our children will naturally have to accept the conditions of our home. It’s okay to be a bit tough or tired,” An Zhiyuan didn’t think that family life was necessarily bad. If other families’ children could live there, why not his?
“Alright, alright, I won’t persuade you anymore. Of course, you won’t consider these things until you encounter them. You’ll think differently once you have kids. For now, let’s just enjoy our meal and drinks.”
The two indeed didn’t stop until they were thoroughly drunk. But of course, the one who ended up unconscious was naturally An Zhigao.
An Zhiyuan drove An Zhigao home, facing his sister-in-law’s disapproval with repeated apologies. Every year he had to deal with her disapproval; who else could he blame?
