CHAPTER 801: CHAPTER 798: JIANG FAMILY

"Come here, let Auntie hold you."

Qi Huilan took Dou Dou from Great Grandma’s arms, touching and pinching, both curious and fond of this little one.

It felt like a dream, and there was no hint of a "ghost" about Dou Dou, almost indistinguishable from any ordinary child.

No, there was still one difference—Dou Dou was very light, and holding her felt like holding air.

Even though she had held her many times before, she couldn’t help but remain curious.

Dou Dou, though being held, wasn’t listening to Auntie at all, as her attention was entirely on the TV.

Next to her, Duoduo held a little red carp in her hand.

The carp wasn’t real, of course, but rather an ornament like a charm pouch hung on a door handle or wall during Spring Festival for decoration.

Gold and red, the little ornamental carp was adorably round, and as soon as Duoduo saw it, she liked it. Qi Huilan noticed and immediately gave it to her.

But now, the carp in her hand was almost falling to the ground because she was so focused; the TV was playing her favorite, Dora the Explorer.

Each episode of the cartoon wasn’t very long, so that state quickly ended, making both of them snap back to reality.

Dou Dou then complained to Duoduo, "We shouldn’t have listened to Sister Xiao Yue last time; we should have caught a little monkey."

They were talking about the fun they had teasing little monkeys in the forest when Shen Siyuan went out for cultivation last time.

The reason they brought it up now was that Dora’s best friend was a little monkey named Boots, and naturally, they also wanted a little companion like that.

Qi Huilan, listening nearby, was intrigued and asked about the little monkey.

Since Qi Huilan already knew about their adventures, there was no longer any need to hide, so as soon as she asked, Dou Dou couldn’t help but start babbling excitedly.

Her small hands waved, mimicking the little monkeys at the time, exclaiming about their cuteness.

Seeing Dou Dou’s mixed-up narration, Shen Siyuan offered an explanation.

"Last time when I went out for cultivation, these three little ones spent some time in the mountains, with monkeys everywhere that would hide when they saw them."

"Cultivation?"

"Three of them?"

Jiang Hongtu and Qi Huilan, upon hearing this, focused on completely different aspects.

Only Great Grandma chuckled, not paying much attention to these details.

She took Taozi’s hand and asked, "When are you and Xiao Shen planning to get married?"

"You better hurry; Grandma still wants to have your wedding candies."

"Ketong?"

The word ’wedding’ seemed to trigger some keyword for Dou Dou, who immediately opened her mouth to speak.

But Shen Siyuan suddenly looked at her, and her just-opened mouth quickly closed.

"Mmm mmm mmm~" Yet she found herself unable to speak a word.

Naturally, this was Shen Siyuan’s doing. He knew Dou Dou too well and knew exactly what she wanted to say, but some things were better left unsaid today.

Then Shen Siyuan turned and replied, "After the New Year, we’ll agree on a date; we’ll see when the aunts and uncles are free to let both parents meet first."

Jiang Hongtu and Qi Huilan exchanged glances at this, both seeing the joy in each other’s eyes.

If Shen Siyuan was willing to let the parents meet, that meant he intended to give their daughter a formal title.

At this point, they heard Shen Siyuan continue, "We plan to hold the wedding at the Great Hall, but it’s too far; I’m worried it might be inconvenient for you to travel."

"Great Hall, which Great Hall? Where is it?" Jiang Hongtu asked, puzzled.

"Xiajing, the People’s Great Hall," Shen Siyuan replied.

"Oh, that’s great, that’s great..."

Jiang Hongtu was visibly excited, his cheeks slightly flushed. As a public official, Shen Siyuan’s words particularly appealed to him.

But he hesitated a bit: "Can you really hold weddings in the Great Hall?"

"Of course you can, but you need to book in advance. The only risk is that if your priority isn’t high enough, it might get canceled due to other important meetings."

"Is that so..." Hearing this, the couple sobered up.

On such an important day, if the hall was scheduled for a meeting instead, it would be troublesome, not to mention Xiajing is so far away, and the relatives attending might have nowhere to go.

"But you don’t need to worry about this; as long as Taozi’s relatives are willing to go to Xiajing, I will take care of the rest."

Shen Siyuan believed that with his status, the Special Affairs Bureau would arrange everything perfectly. His priority would never be compromised; he was the top priority.

Jiang Hongtu and his wife, upon hearing this, realized that given the visit from the National Security Bureau people to their home that day, Shen Siyuan must be registered somewhere high up, his importance self-evident.

Such a small request from someone like him simply couldn’t be denied.

"Then the Great Hall it is, the Great Hall..." Jiang Hongtu exclaimed excitedly again.

"The wedding date needs to be set first. When are you planning for us to meet your parents?" Qi Huilan also asked.

"That depends on your schedule."

"We’re available anytime, anytime." Jiang Hongtu eagerly said, as if afraid Shen Siyuan might change his mind halfway through.

"Okay, I’ll go back and discuss it with my parents."

This was the best news the Jiang couple heard all day. Indeed, bringing Grandma over today turned out to be quite fruitful.

At noon, Shen Siyuan naturally stayed at Taozi’s family for a meal.

The meal was quite sumptuous. In addition to Qi Huilan’s specialties she cooked herself, many other dishes were brought back from a famous nearby restaurant.

"Taozi said you have a big appetite; eat more." During the meal, Qi Huilan frequently served Shen Siyuan more food.

Shen Siyuan, who usually didn’t drink much, had a few drinks with Jiang Hongtu. He was now incredibly satisfied with this prospective son-in-law, scoring a perfect 100, and then raising it to 119, with the remainder being unspoken matters.

As for Dou Dou and Duoduo, Shen Siyuan let them go play outside, as the New Year was the most lively and carefree time for children, letting the two little ones join the fun.

The meal lasted from 12:30 until almost 3:30 in the afternoon, mainly because Jiang Hongtu drank a bit too much and kept talking with Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan could only sit by helplessly and listen.

Jiang Hongtu, who handled his liquor well, didn’t ramble even when tipsy, continuously reminisced about Taozi’s childhood, their care and effort, and how Taozi was protected so well that her character was overly pure and naive.

Shen Siyuan listened with a smile, feeling like Jiang Hongtu was putting on a show, giving Shen Siyuan a heads-up in advance. But Shen Siyuan understood his fatherly feelings and didn’t expose him, staying with him at the table.

Meanwhile, Ruan Hongzhuang’s family was growing impatient.

After having lunch at Uncle’s house, they drove back, arriving home before one o’clock. Yet, no matter how long they waited, Shen Siyuan still wasn’t there, and they had no word from him, finally growing anxious. They then asked Ruan Hongzhuang to call and ask.

Ruan Xiangqian and his wife didn’t even know that Shen Siyuan had gone to Taozi’s house first.

PS: Returning to regular updates, with daily posts.