After feeding Beibei until she was full, the old lady received a phone call from her eldest daughter-in-law.
“Junye, has Old Seventh’s betrothal gifts not been prepared yet?”
As soon as she answered, the old lady asked Tang Junye, “You have been gone so long without even calling to let me know.”
Tang Junye said with a placating smile, “Mum, I am calling you now, aren’t I? We have phoned before too. At least five times a week. Out of seven days, we call on five.”
“That really is not few. Once Old Seventh’s betrothal gifts are ready, phone Mum and let her help Old Seventh pick a new auspicious date. Then we can present the gifts. After they hold the engagement banquet, we can return.”
While Tang Junye was speaking to the old lady, Beibei heard her own grandma’s voice and immediately came over, calling out in her soft, sweet tone, “Grandma, Grandma.”
“Oh, Beibei is there too. Beibei, Grandma misses you terribly, misses you so much it is driving me mad.”
Tang Junye truly missed her only granddaughter, but with Old Seventh’s important matter still unsettled, she could not return yet.
The five calls a week were both to update the old lady on progress with Old Seventh’s betrothal gifts and to video-call so she could see her precious granddaughter.
“Grandma, Grandma, when are you coming back?”
Beibei asked.
She only knew that Grandpa and Grandma, along with her great-uncles and great-aunts, had gone far away. She had not seen them for a long time and could only look at them through the phone.
“Grandpa and Grandma will be back after a while. Beibei must be good at home with Great-Grandma, all right?”
“I am good. Where is Grandpa?”
Tang Junye immediately called her husband over, handed him the phone, and said, “Beibei is asking for you.”
Zhan Lirong was delighted. He took the phone, held it to his ear, heard his granddaughter’s soft voice, and his face broke into a wide smile.
“Beibei misses Grandpa, does she? Grandpa misses Beibei very much too. Beibei is so good. When Grandpa left, your words were still not very clear, but now you speak beautifully.”
She could say so many things now.
Zhan Lirong marvelled at how much progress his granddaughter had made, which showed indirectly that their time in Yangcheng had been rather long.
The main reason was that Old Seventh’s betrothal gift list was very extensive. Many items could only be bought in Yangcheng once the elders arrived, since the two cities were too far apart to bring everything from Guancheng conveniently.
So the elders had only taken the most valuable items with them.
After reaching Yangcheng, they also had to learn the local customs. Customs vary over a thousand miles, habits differ even over a hundred. Since Lan Ruoruo was from Yangcheng, they certainly had to respect Yangcheng traditions.
They could not allow Lan Ruoruo to be mocked. Whatever others had, Lan Ruoruo must have too. What Lan Ruoruo had, others might not necessarily have.
The old lady said from the side, “Beibei’s second birthday is coming soon. You must come back to celebrate it with her.”
Beibei had been born at the end of the year.
Zhan Lirong replied, “Mum, we will definitely return to celebrate Beibei’s second birthday. There are still two months left, aren’t there? Mum, do not say ‘soon’, or I will get anxious.”
“Two months pass in the blink of an eye.”
Zhan Lirong laughed. “Yes, yes, yes, Mum. First have someone help Old Seventh choose a good date. Once we have settled Old Seventh’s big matter here, we will come home. Then we will return again for the wedding day.”
“Old Seventh has bought a house here, so he has a home now. The wedding will be held here. Limin and his wife think the same. When the time comes, all our relatives can charter a plane together.”
