CHAPTER 394: CHAPTER 393: HOSPITALITY

That night, Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei talked the entire night and didn’t sleep a wink.

Gu Xiaoqing’s bombshell was just too shocking.

Gu Ruhai always felt they didn’t lack anything, but after hearing Li Xuemei’s analysis, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Indeed, they were just a family from the countryside. Now they might have money and status, but compared to those with real power and influence, it was nothing.

There’s simply no comparison.

At its core, people would just call you nouveau riche and wouldn’t think your family background has significantly changed. A family’s foundation isn’t altered by words, money, or a company.

The Fang Family is one of those families.

Their family members are all officials, and not just any officials, but ones with important positions.

For such families, there must be specific standards for choosing a daughter-in-law.

Just like in the countryside where a wife must at least look sturdy, seem capable of bearing children, come from a clear family background, and not have hereditary diseases or be shrewish, educational background is crucial.

Not to mention these influential families, do you think they’d casually marry a daughter-in-law?

Thinking about this, Gu Ruhai became unsettled.

His daughter has sacrificed so much for the family, and if the family she marries into can’t treat her well, Gu Ruhai will never agree, no matter how powerful they are. It can’t outweigh his concern for his daughter.

He’d rather her marry into an ordinary family, where their wealth becomes an advantage and can hold sway over Xiao Qing’s future in-laws. Nowadays, many couples don’t live independently; most still live with their in-laws.

This way, they belong to a higher status family, which could even give Xiao Qing a firm footing. At least the mother-in-law, considering their wealth, would hesitate to treat her poorly and would think twice.

Fang Shaohan is not a bad person. In Gu Ruhai’s mind, Fang Shaohan is a good man—responsible, mature, and upright, making him a potential lifelong partner.

But as for Fang Shaohan’s family, it’s another matter.

He Cui and Fang Jianguo, Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei had met them before; there was some interaction between the two families. Every year during holidays, they would exchange gifts, so there was a bit of a relationship.

However, Gu Ruhai knew what kind of family Fang Shaohan’s sister-in-law was from, a family with government officials. Fang Shaohan, being so outstanding, has already become the director of a division at such a young age, and his career trajectory seems only upward.

In this case, Gu Xiaoqing’s family background is too weak.

So weak, it couldn’t ensure Gu Xiaoqing’s standing and voice in the Fang Family. Gu Ruhai wouldn’t allow his cherished daughter to be bullied at someone else’s home.

No matter how good the family conditions were, Gu Ruhai wouldn’t send his daughter to suffer. He no longer needed to sell out his daughter for anything; he had enough money.

Currently, Fang Shaohan treats Gu Xiaoqing well, but what if his career advances further? After ten years, would he still treat her well?

Officials have endless social obligations and face numerous temptations. Over the years, Gu Ruhai saw the flashy world outside; had it not been for Li Xuemei tightly controlling their finances, aided by Gu Ruhai’s own reserved nature,

who knows how many women would have tried to cozy up to him?

Everyone loves money, don’t they?

Especially young girls nowadays, like blooming flowers, who don’t care about anything. Can Fang Shaohan avoid that? What if one day he’s not good to their daughter? Gu Ruhai couldn’t help frowning.

It seems Fang Shaohan might not be a suitable match after all.

Gu Xiaoqing’s temperament is something Gu Ruhai understands well. His daughter isn’t someone who bows and takes it easily. Issues would certainly arise if family minor disputes, frictions between in-laws, and fading passion between spouses combined with outside temptations came into play.

In his own family in the past, his constant concessions and retreats, when he couldn’t stand firm, made his wife and children suffer tremendously, and that was with a simple rural family.

Who knows what could happen with Fang Shaohan’s family?

The one to suffer would still be his own daughter.

Throughout the night, the couple couldn’t close their eyes, just chattered the night away, and the more they talked, the more worried they became. Ultimately, they both concluded that even though Fang Shaohan is good, they couldn’t approve.

Gu Xiaoqing had no idea what her parents went through that night.

She, meanwhile, had a carefree and good sleep.

The next morning, the house was bustling with activity.

Gu Xiaoying and Liu Ming had stayed over at the Gu Family house the previous night. The couple often stayed at the Gu Family’s place because sometimes Liu Ming was so busy that he wasn’t home. Liu Ming’s parents wanted to look after Gu Xiaoying, but Liu Ming’s father had suffered from chronic arthritis for many years, and it was especially severe now, so he was mostly in a wheelchair.

This made it too exhausting for Liu Ming’s mother to care for two people at once.

Gu Xiaoying felt for her mother-in-law and volunteered to stay at her family’s house, as it was just her mother, who could manage. So most of the time, Gu Xiaoying stayed with her family.

Especially on a day like today, she needed to be there, so the couple stayed over.

Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei were up at the crack of dawn.

Even if they disapproved, they still had to host, as there was no need to sever ties with the family, and Gu Ruhai and Fang Shaohan had some camaraderie.

So, they treated them as esteemed guests.

The business might not succeed, but benevolence remains.

Gu Xiaoqing was probably the calmest, lounging in her room until eight, when a phone call woke her up.

Of course, it was Fang Shaohan calling.

He was set to depart and wanted to chat with Gu Xiaoqing first.

Only then did Gu Xiaoqing get up.

After washing up, she leisurely went downstairs.

Downstairs, Li Xuemei had already instructed the maid to clean up everything nicely; everything was spotless, the room was well-lit, with fresh flowers and fruits arranged on the coffee table.

It felt a bit like they were expecting a son-in-law.

Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai adhered to a standard of hospitality.

Regardless of whether they’d become family in the future, respect was essential—it was about respecting their daughter.