"Hey, why are you so weak today!"

Xue Ning teased Li Yang, complaining for the first time.

Li Yang almost rolled his eyes, "Xue, we have plenty of time, do you really need to wear me out so many times in one day? I’m still a human being, even if I were an ox, I’d be exhausted by now!"

It was four in the afternoon, and Li Yang had eaten at ten in the morning, and ever since Xue Ning came back, she had been teasing him.

Was he someone who could withstand teasing?

A few hours ago, no, now yes.

...

A little after five, Wang Cuiping came home and saw Xue Ning mopping the floor in the living room. She asked, "Ningning, where’s Yangyang?"

"Oh, he’s still sleeping."

Hearing this, Wang Cuiping immediately went to knock on Li Yang’s door.

No response, she tried to open it, but it was locked from the inside.

"This kid, isn’t it too much? It’s almost dinner time and he’s still not up?"

She was just mouthing off, actually wondering if her son had stayed up late last night. Didn’t he sleep soundly when she left?

She cared about Li Yang. After all, there were three idle people at home now, and only Li Yang was making money.

If Li Likun dared to do this, she would definitely get angry, but for her son... it must be because of work exhaustion. She needed to set an alarm for the night, and prepare some food for him when he woke up.

She knocked on the door just to test if Li Yang was really asleep or just lazing in bed. If it was the latter, he should get up and eat.

Xue Ning quietly said, "Mom, it’s rare for Yangyang to have two days off. It’s normal for him to sleep a little longer. If you need anything, just call me."

Wang Cuiping glanced at Xue Ning and said, "Ningning, your main task now is to bring your boyfriend home. Didn’t you say last year that you found someone? Invite him over for a meal at least, let us meet him."

Xue Ning’s expression stiffened a bit, then quickly eased as she said, "Alright, I’ll invite him over after the New Year."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Wang Cuiping’s face.

She was really anxious. After all, Xue Ning would be twenty-seven after the New Year. Wherever you went, she’d be considered an old maid.

From her experience, she knew it’s best to marry early; if you wait too long, you can only settle.

The main thing was, Xue Ning was very good-looking. There were plenty of people wanting to propose, it’s not like no one wanted her, there’s no reason to wait.

The longer you wait, the worse it gets. After all, truly excellent young men aren’t likely to go for someone over thirty...

Twenty-seven is not too far from thirty, is it?

If last year after the New Year, Xue Ning hadn’t said she was looking for a boyfriend, Wang Cuiping would definitely have arranged several blind dates for her.

This year, there’s no question. If Xue Ning doesn’t settle it soon, the family would just stay home and find someone for her there.

...

With Xue Ning’s promise, the atmosphere at home became more relaxed.

Wang Cuiping even started thinking about preparing a dowry for Xue Ning.

On the eve of the New Year, the family was having dinner.

Wang Cuiping brought up the matter again, with Li Yang present.

The past two days, they had to return to their hometown, and Li Yang wasn’t sure what was going on; he slept till eight or nine at night every day, so there hadn’t been a chance to talk about it.

It was rare for Li Yang to have dinner with the family today, so Wang Cuiping said, "Yangyang, when are you leaving after the New Year?"

"Huh? Why ask all of a sudden? After the Lantern Festival, I guess."

Wang Cuiping, satisfied, said, "That’s fine. Your sister said she’s bringing her boyfriend home on the eighth. When the time comes, you help take a look. If everything’s good, the two families can settle it. Also, as her brother, prepare a gift for your sister in advance."

The main thing was that Wang Cuiping didn’t have much money. She didn’t want Xue Ning to be looked down upon after marrying into another family, so she wanted Li Yang to contribute to the dowry, to give Xue Ning some backing.

Li Yang looked over at Xue Ning, who was focused on eating.

Wang Cuiping continued, "Yangyang, do you remember how your sister took care of you in high school?"

"Huh? I remember... I remember..."

How could he forget? That time was quite stifling for him.

He was just very curious about why Xue Ning would say she’d bring her boyfriend home.

Usually, she would just make up an excuse. Is she serious this time?

And she’s been acting a bit strange these past two days.

After dinner, Xue Ning voluntarily helped to clear the table. Normally, Wang Cuiping would refuse, as Xue Ning wasn’t there to work when she visited.

However, today Wang Cuiping had something to discuss with Li Yang, and many things were inconvenient to say in front of Xue Ning.

She pulled Li Yang to the balcony and said, "Yangyang, during dinner, I noticed Ningning wasn’t in a great mood, so I didn’t continue. But you must understand, your sister is not young anymore. Even if she loves to play, she should settle her life’s major event soon."

Wang Cuiping could understand Xue Ning’s behavior; she didn’t want to get married.

It’s normal, after all, the family wasn’t lacking money. She could play however she wanted, having a boyfriend was good enough, why rush into marriage?

But understanding didn’t mean agreement.

If the family’s money was earned by the old couple, with Xue Ning having a share in the future, dragging on for another two years wouldn’t matter.

But the problem was, the family’s money wasn’t earned by the old couple; it was all earned by Li Yang.

How much could Li Yang give her? Even if she knew her son wasn’t heartless, he couldn’t take care of Xue Ning for her entire life, could he? Xue Ning would eventually marry someone, her husband would be her lifelong support.

"Hmm, hmm, you mean you want me to prepare a big gift, right?"

"Yes, check if it’s convenient with the money in your hands. It’s not about getting millions, but preparing two or three million would be good. In the future, give us less; your dad and I have been having fun for more than a year, we can find a job in the county to support ourselves."