The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Old Madam Xu’s Eager Expectation

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Xiao Jing is bringing ten classmates over today. We don’t have enough room at the house to entertain them, so I told her to take them to the canteen. Have someone buy some extra fish and shrimp later. Make it delicious for her classmates.”

Liu Xiangnan heard this and thumped his chest. ”Sister Han, don’t you worry. I guarantee we’ll treat them well. We won’t let Xiao Jing lose face.”

Yang Jianguo was often away on business, so now the day-to-day operations of the aquaculture farm mostly relied on Liu Xiangnan. Despite his youth, he was a very conscientious worker.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Good. Keep up the good work. I’ll be giving everyone their bonuses and dividends tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Liu Xiangnan grew even more excited. ”Then we’ll be eagerly awaiting your arrival tomorrow, Sister Han.”

They received regular salaries, but they also got a quarterly bonus.

It was already October, which was perfect timing for the third-quarter bonus.

This quarter, the farm had earned a lot of money thanks to foreign trade orders, and everyone was privately speculating about how big their bonuses would be.

Han Xiaorui got the account books from the accountant and calculated incentive bonuses for the staff based on the figures.

The Canton Fair was coming up in late October.

She wanted to use these bonuses to encourage the staff and boost their motivation.

Hearing the sound of a car outside, Han Xiaorui went out.

It was Ye Feng, who had arrived with Old Madam Xu and Mr. Xu. Han Xiaorui finished packing, and together with her children, they all went to watch the tide.

Because Han Xiaorui had accepted Ye Feng’s proposal, Old Madam Xu and Mr. Xu had grown even closer to her and were even more affectionate toward Pingping and An’an.

The tide was turbulent and spectacular.

Someone got too close and was drenched by a splash.

People weren’t allowed to go down to the water while watching the tide, but some just wouldn’t listen and insisted on going anyway.

All the nearby police officers came over to stop people from going down.

Han Xiaorui took pictures with her children, and also with Old Madam Xu and Mr. Xu.

Granny Cai heard that Old Madam Xu and Mr. Xu were visiting, so she came over after breakfast to prepare lunch.

Old Madam Xu found a private moment to chat with Granny Cai. ”Little Sister Cai, there’s a matter I’d like to ask for your help with.”

Granny Cai looked at Ye Feng and Han Xiaorui playing with the children in the yard and said with a smile, ”Sister Xu, you’re too kind. Just say what’s on your mind. If I can help, I certainly won’t refuse.”

Old Madam Xu pulled Granny Cai down to sit. ”Ye Feng has proposed to Xiao Rui, and she has accepted. But that’s one of those foreign customs. We’re Chinese, so we still need to follow Chinese traditions. I’d like to ask you to be the matchmaker.”

”This is a new society, so we don’t need the whole ’three matchmakers and six ceremonies’ ordeal. We can just follow the current Shencheng custom: get engaged, present the betrothal gifts, and then get married. How does that sound?”

Granny Cai had already guessed what this was about the moment Old Madam Xu started talking.

”Since you think so highly of me, Sister Xu, I’ll accept this role as matchmaker and act as the go-between for you. How to arrange the engagement? How to present the betrothal gifts? Picking an auspicious date for the wedding—all of these things have their own customs.”

Old Madam Xu nodded in agreement. ”Yes, yes, exactly.”

Granny Cai thought for a moment, then added, ”All these pre-wedding matters aren’t really a hassle, especially since they’re in love and have already agreed on everything. But what about after the wedding? Do you have any requirements?”

Old Madam Xu and Mr. Xu exchanged a glance and smiled.

”Little Sister Cai, I won’t hide it from you. At my age, I don’t know how many years I have left. I just want to see Ye Feng have a child while I’m still alive.”

”But I also know that young people today think we’re old-fashioned. Their way of thinking is different from us older folks. We’ll leave it to fate. As long as the two of them are happy together, that’s what matters.”

Hearing this, Granny Cai smiled faintly. ”Sister Xu, it’s only human to feel that way. That’s not being old-fashioned at all. What family doesn’t want to add a new member? Actually, Sister Xu, you’re overthinking it. That girl Xiao Rui is so clever. How could she not know what you two are hoping for?”

”Don’t worry. The fact that she’s getting married and accepted the proposal proves she intends to have children after the wedding. Otherwise, she could have just kept dating without getting married anytime soon.”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Xu’s eyes lit up. ”Little Sister Cai, is that really true?”

”On that point, I’m quite certain,” Granny Cai said with a smile. ”Now, I’m going to say something a bit blunt, so please don’t be offended, Sister Xu.”

”When you’re young, there’s still room for romance and passion. But when you get older, life is really all about the children. As a prominent family, you understand this even more clearly than we do.”

Old Madam Xu laughed. ”Let me put it this way: in an ordinary family, a new wife is expected to work and help support the household. But when you marry into a wealthy family, don’t worry about managing the household or fighting over this and that. The first priority is to have children.”

”As long as her health permits, have many. If the first wife has four or five children, then no matter how powerful the husband becomes, how much money he makes, or how big his business gets, he would never dare to even mention divorce.”

Granny Cai laughed too. ”That’s true. Back in Old Shencheng City, those wealthy men would rather keep a mistress outside than get a divorce. After all, the children were there. The children are a woman’s kingdom.”

”But Xiao Rui has her own career now. I’m certain she likes children and is willing to have them, but as for when she’ll have them, that’s something she’ll discuss with Ye Feng.”

Old Madam Xu nodded repeatedly. ”I understand, Little Sister Cai. I won’t pressure them. My own son is thirty-five, that useless thing. He spends all day in the lab—I swear he’d rather marry his lab equipment and have children with it. I can’t even get my own son to hurry up, so I’ve given up trying.”

Seeing that Old Madam Xu was so reasonable, Granny Cai asked tentatively, ”Once they’re married, where will they live? Xiao Rui’s boat is here, and it would be better for Pingping and An’an to stay in a familiar environment.”

Old Madam Xu understood. ”If they want to live with me, that’s fine. If they want to live here, that’s fine too. In any case, that’s a matter for the two of them to decide. As long as they come visit me when they have time, I’ll be happy.”

Granny Cai smiled. ”You’re very open-minded, Sister Xu.”

”To be a good elder, one must be deaf and mute. What’s the use in us meddling so much in young people’s affairs? They won’t listen to you anyway, and you just end up getting angry for no reason.” Whatever feudal, wealthy-family airs Old Madam Xu once had were completely worn away by her own son, leaving her exceptionally open-minded.

That afternoon, after Ye Feng, Old Madam Xu, and Mr. Xu had left, Granny Cai told Han Xiaorui what Old Madam Xu had said.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”For the engagement date, please trouble Sister Cai to find someone to choose an auspicious day based on my and Ye Feng’s ’Eight Characters.’ As for the betrothal gifts, they can give whatever they see fit. After the wedding, we’ll live here in Jinshan Bay. It’s better for Pingping and An’an’s upbringing.”

”As for having children, I won’t use contraception after we’re married. I’m healthy, and if Ye Feng is healthy, I should be able to get pregnant quickly. I’d be happy for that to happen. I don’t have any of those ideas about being tied down by children.”

”There’s a fishing moratorium every year, which gives me plenty of time to spend with the kids, so it’s not like I won’t be able to look after them. And with help from nannies and bodyguards, it won’t be that exhausting either.”

Granny Cai patted Han Xiaorui’s back and chuckled. ”You’re a smart one, and clear-headed.”

’Given how much the Xu family treasured children and wanted them, even if Han Xiaorui and Ye Feng didn’t grow old together, the children would still be guaranteed a share of the Xu family fortune.’

’To be brutally realistic, if it weren’t for Pingping and An’an, would Yang Zhigang have agreed to give Han Xiaorui such a large settlement back then?’

When Granny Cai told Old Madam Xu that Han Xiaorui wouldn’t be using contraception after the wedding, Old Madam Xu practically jumped and immediately had her driver bring her over.

”Little Sister Cai, here are Ye Feng’s ’Eight Characters.’ Please go find someone to pick the dates. Whether it’s for the engagement or the wedding, if we can do it earlier, let’s do it earlier. The sooner they get married, the better.”

”As for the betrothal gifts: a villa next to the Xu Mansion, two boxes of jewelry, and a bride price of 588,888 yuan. In addition, Pingping and An’an will both receive a share of the Xu family’s education and living expense funds.”