"Getting married?!" Chuxia was truly stunned by her cousin’s announcement. This speed was astonishing! She initially didn’t agree to anything, and now only two days after agreeing, she’s getting married?

"Sister Qihui, you... you sure are quick..." Xiaoqiong was so shocked that she stumbled over her words, even forgetting that they had already changed how they addressed each other.

"Qihui..." Zhao Yulan came forward, grabbing her niece’s arm, "Did something happen? We had all agreed that you two should date for a while and discuss marriage later, right?"

"Yes, Qihui, share with Grandma if something’s happened. If someone dares bully you, Grandma will fight to get justice for you!"

Old Master Zhao, sitting next to Old Lady Zhao, immediately nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, if anyone dares bully you, Grandpa and Grandma will stand up for you. Rushing into such things isn’t good; you have to know them well and feel content yourself..."

"..."

In the past, the whole family was eager for her to find a husband and get married quickly, but now that she really is about to marry, they’ve all become worried...

Zhao Qihui smiled helplessly, and after everyone finished speaking, she explained: "No one forced me, and no one bullied me. It’s a decision I made myself.

Though we’ve not spent much time together, it’s enough for me to see his family clearly. I believe I haven’t misjudged this time. He needs someone to care for him now, so I want to get married earlier."

Zhao Yulan looked at her incredulously: "Are you really sure about this yourself?"

"Of course!" Zhao Qihui looked seriously at Zhao Yulan, "Aunt, our family isn’t like it used to be. What do I have to be afraid of? Why would I endure grievances for others?"

By then, Chuxia had come to trust what she said, and her emotions had calmed down. She chuckled and shook her head, "We were worried for nothing. Who would’ve thought Sister understood things and decided so decisively."

"I’m not young anymore, nothing to drag out, and Liu Lianbao really does need me now. I’ve decided to get the marriage certificate first and wait until he’s completely recovered for the wedding."

"That works too." Chuxia looked at Zhao Yulan, still looking worried, "Mom always hoped Sister Qihui would capture happiness. Now she really has, why the face like that?"

"It’s just..." Zhao Yulan sighed, "Didn’t expect it to happen so fast. No matter what, better to understand each other more, even if you’re not married, you can still care for one another..."

Zhao Qihui interrupted her with a smile, "Aunt, what are you worrying about?"

"I..." Zhao Yulan sighed again in confusion, "It’s not that I’m worrying, I just feel you’re being too reckless with yourself in making this decision. What if your personalities clash?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Qihui responded, "Didn’t the family, including Aunt and Uncle, spend almost a day interacting with his family? Did you notice any unpleasant traits?"

"No, their family seems quite earnest."

"Then it’s settled..." Zhao Qihui spread her hands, "What else is there to worry about? If we’re talking rushed, wasn’t Chuxia’s wedding with Division Commander Zhou quite abrupt too? And didn’t it turn out well?"

With this point raised, Zhao Yulan really couldn’t argue back, and she gave a helpless smile, "Aunt is thinking for your best interest. If you’ve truly decided yourself, of course, Aunt won’t interfere mindlessly.

But, regarding your parents, take time to talk to them properly. Even though they’ve always hoped you’d find the right person, they can’t help but feel uneasy with you acting in such haste."

"I know..." Zhao Qihui nodded, "All of you can set your minds at ease; I’m truly not acting impulsively. I genuinely believe Liu Lianbao is the right person for me.

Moreover, since Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle met his parents today and had a favorable impression, it means that in the future, they and my parents will be able to get along well.

Good relations among elders are half the success of marriage. Plus, I have personal thoughts; marrying him now means he’ll feel too guilty to mistreat me in the future."

"Actually..." Chuxia gazed at him steadily, "You don’t need to justify it with these reasons. The fundamental reason you want to marry early is to help Brother-in-law recover sooner.

You’re essentially giving him reassurance, but I think there must be external factors driving you to this decision. Tell me, is there something we’re unaware of?"

"Why are you so perceptive?" Zhao Qihui shook her head helplessly, "Why can’t I keep anything hidden from you? Yes, today Jiang Wenyuan insisted on visiting Liu Lianbao at the hospital. I don’t want any further ties with him, so I agreed.

Afterward, I told them in detail about the setbacks in my relationship. To be honest, the attitude of the Liu family touched me a lot. Whether it was Liu Lianbao or his parents, they are very tolerant and kind people, so I don’t want to miss this opportunity again."

"Qihui, you’re doing the right thing!" Old Master Zhao gave his granddaughter a thumbs up, "Grandpa always knew you were a good kid, but this time, what you did really made me see you in a new light!"

"Old man, what are you playing at, putting on such a show for family?" Old Lady Zhao rolled her eyes at her husband, but she stepped forward to hold her granddaughter’s hand, smiling so much that her eyes turned into slits, "Qihui, what your grandpa said is what I wanted to say. He’s just quicker with his words, so you can’t only remember his kindness!"

Zhao Qihui felt a bit exasperated. How did this old couple become more and more like children as they aged?

Since the matter was settled, they chatted a bit more and then went back to their own rooms.

Zhao Qihui shared a room with Luo Xiaoqiong. Just as they entered and hadn’t even closed the door, Chuxia squeezed in with Yun Guoguo and Yun Doudou. Yun Guoguo’s eyes were smiling as she said, "Sister Qihui, congratulations!"

"Thank you." Zhao Qihui felt a bit embarrassed and quickly moved chairs for everyone.

"Sister Qihui, we came in to have a chat with you..." Chuxia glanced at the Yun sisters before continuing, "We’re all concerned about your plans going forward."

Zhao Qihui looked a bit confused at them, "What plans?"

"How can you be so oblivious?" Luo Xiaoqiong pushed her in exasperation, "We support you wanting to get married, but what about your studies? Is Liu’s family expecting you to have children immediately after getting married, or will it be discussed after some time?"

"Oh, oh, oh..." Zhao Qihui nodded in realization, "Your sudden question threw me off, and I didn’t know which direction to consider this from. Of course, I’ve thought about it.

Getting married now is to make Liu Lianbao feel more secure, to help him recover faster, and also to make Jiang Wenyuan completely give up, avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings in the future.

As for my studies, of course I will continue. Otherwise, how could I justify all my efforts? And Chuxia, you’ve told me before, girls must be self-reliant. If we always depend on men, any mistake could ruin our whole life.

So, I definitely won’t let myself go just because Liu Lianbao is good to me and devoted. Even for the sake of my child respecting me in the future, I must have my own career.

As for having children, I’ll just let nature take its course. Anyway, we’re not young anymore. If I do get pregnant, I’ll apply for a break from school when my pregnancy is advanced. I’m not as smart as you, Chuxia, I’ll probably need a year to catch up with the next batch of students.

Of course, I haven’t discussed any of this with Liu Lianbao yet. It’s just my personal hope for the state of things after marriage. I’ll discuss it carefully with Liu Lianbao later.

Actually, if it weren’t for the elders, I’d want to have children a bit later, but judging by the looks of his parents, they seem quite eager for a grandchild. Moreover, Liu Lianbao hasn’t had a suitable partner for a long time, and there are a lot of rumors in the village, so his parents are under a lot of pressure.

So, on this matter, I’ve decided to compromise mainly because they are good people. I like them and don’t want them to be unhappy due to rumors."

"You’re really the model daughter-in-law..." Yun Doudou laughed and shook her head, "It seems like you’re thinking about yourself everywhere, but actually, you’re planning for others in every way.

Liu Lianbao was indeed wise to insist. Now the advantages are showing, aren’t they? No way, when he gets married, we must make it tough for him. Can’t let him get his wish so easily, don’t you agree?"

Chuxia immediately chimed in, "Definitely, if he wants to marry my sister, it can’t be that easy!"

"Ahem..." Luo Xiaoqiong coughed, "My position is a bit awkward because my parents-in-law are Sister Qihui’s mom and dad. So, talking about how to get along with the in-laws seems a bit inappropriate, but for the sake of our past connection, I have to say it whether appropriate or not.

Being good to your in-laws is necessary, but when you live together, if some of their ideas clash with yours, don’t keep it all bottled up inside.

Some things, if you speak up, might not lead to any conflicts at all. It’s the unspoken understanding that magnifies problems indefinitely.

The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to speak up about things. Just bearing it can make you uncomfortable inside. That’s just my personal experience, and I hope it helps you."

"From the sound of things, Sister-in-law, did my mom and you have a lot of conflicts when you lived together?"

"I wouldn’t call it conflicts, just some compromises that made both sides feel tired..." Luo Xiaoqiong shrugged, "It was mostly about small differences in food preferences, but because I was too embarrassed to express my taste, mom would cook based on usual habits, which exhausted both of us..."

"Do you really need to be so vague?" Chuxia rolled her eyes at her and said to Zhao Qihui with a smile, "It’s actually just a difference in opinion over whether or not to have oily food, you understand?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)