The new residence was a fair distance from the restaurant, so ordinarily, they would have taken an ox cart.

But the sun was pleasant, and everyone had just finished lunch, so they decided against it. Only Chen Song drove the ox cart while the rest walked at a leisurely pace, figuring it would help them digest their meal.

Xu Su Ying kept Zhao Jing by her side, chatting with him the entire walk.

She alternated between asking about his mother’s recent health and inquiring about the wedding preparations on his family’s side.

Zhao Jing’s attitude was perfectly respectful, yet also familiar and warm. Walking alongside Xu Su Ying, an outsider seeing their easy rapport—without looking at their faces—might have mistaken them for a real mother and son.

His replies were exceedingly earnest. "My mother’s spirits are high with the happy occasion approaching. Her health has been excellent recently, and her complexion is much rosier than usual. We’ve replaced all the roof tiles, repainted the walls, doors, and windows, and all the furniture has either been revarnished or replaced..."

Chen De’an nudged his sister with his shoulder. "Look at Zhao Jing, sucking up like that. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was Mom’s real son."

"A son-in-law is half a son. It wouldn’t be wrong to call him Mom’s son."

Chen De’an looked shocked. "Sis, you’re not even married yet! How can you say that without blushing?"

"Then what should I say? Should I join you in criticizing Jing for trying to please our mother?"

"But that’s exactly what he’s doing."

"But that’s exactly what he *should* be doing," Chen Wanqing said, a smile playing on her lips. "He’s about to marry me. If he didn’t try to win over Mom and Dad, it would mean he’s not happy with the marriage and doesn’t care about me, right? It’s because he’s taking this so seriously that it proves he truly cares for me." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

De’an stared blankly. "Is that how it works?"

"That’s how it works."

De’an scratched his head, unable to quite put a finger on what he was feeling.

After thinking it over, it was probably a mix of relief, annoyance, and a sense of grievance. As for what the grievance was about, even he didn’t know.

The new residence was spacious. The main building at the front had four rooms alone. There were also wing rooms to the east and west, and with three more rooms in the rear courtyard, there was more than enough space for everyone in the family to have their own room.

This was all thanks to the old couple’s son-in-law, a notorious local scoundrel. Not only did he have many brothers, but he also ran with a pack of shady friends.

That was why the old couple had secretly approached Sun to sell the house. Otherwise, the property would never have been on the market long enough for Xu Su Ying to buy it.

The residence was a good one and well-maintained, but Xu Su Ying had no interest in using second-hand furniture. She was especially particular about the beds and wardrobes. Therefore, she planned to hire a carpenter to take new measurements and build everything from scratch.

As for how the rooms would be divided, Xu Su Ying had already made up her mind.

"The central hall will be for entertaining guests. We’ll knock down the wall of the room to its left, and your father and I will take that. The East Wing Room is for De’an, and the west wing room is for Yao’an. As for the three rooms in the rear courtyard, they’ll all go to your sister."

De’an gave his mother a thumbs-up. "Let me ask again, Mom. Are you sure you don’t favor daughters over sons? A whole row of three rooms in the back, all for my sister?"

"They’re for your sister. One will be her bedroom, one will be a room for her incense making, and we’ll knock down the wall of the third one to make a study for Jing."

"I don’t even have a study!"

"How many books do you even own? All of them fit on your desk with plenty of room to spare."

"I have tons of books! They won’t all fit on my desk!"

"Fine. I’ll have the carpenter build you several massive, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Then we’ll see how long it takes you to fill them up."

Chen De’an gave up. He didn’t say another word.

Yao’an came over and pulled him aside.

"Why even bother, Big Brother? We both know Mom basically picked us up from a field somewhere. Why on earth would you try to compete with our sister? You should know exactly how much she means to Mom, and how much *you* mean to Mom. Have you no self-awareness at all!"

"Shut up! Would it kill you to say a little less!"

The two brothers started bickering again, much to Xu Su Ying’s annoyance.

She waved a dismissive hand. "Go check out your rooms. Figure out what furniture you want and tell me later. Go on now. After you’re done, head to your lessons."

De’an and Yao’an went off to their respective rooms. Xu Su Ying took Chen Song’s arm, ready to head to the main building.

Then, remembering something, she turned back to her daughter. "Qing’er, why don’t you take Jing to the rear courtyard? Those three rooms are for the two of you, so start thinking about how you want to furnish them."

As she spoke, she gave her daughter a wink, as if to say, ’I’ve created this opportunity especially for you, so you’d better make the most of it!’

’You have to build a good rapport before the wedding so you can have a harmonious and sweet life together afterward!’

’Go get ’em, sweetie! Mom’s rooting for you.’

Chen Wanqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and she couldn’t stop a blush from creeping up her face. But Jing was clearly even more embarrassed. He turned his head to stare at a nearby wall, but the blush creeping up his neck and behind his ears gave him away.