Chapter 354 - 217: Lu Fan Gives His Mother-in-Law an Extra-Large Gold Bangle, Shocking the Entire Village

Chapter 354: Chapter 217: Lu Fan Gives His Mother-in-Law an Extra-Large Gold Bangle, Shocking the Entire Village

Her aunt, apparently not satisfied, continued to ask, "What kind of business is it?"

"I opened a few shops, selling pastries and things like that," Lu Fan replied.

Hearing this, her aunt’s lips curled slightly, her tone tinged with condescension. "Oh, selling pastries. Well, that’s nice too. A small, stable business."

She paused, then added, "The man our Liu Yan found opened two restaurants in the city. He earns quite a lot in a year. You’ll see him in a bit, the young man looks very sharp."

Lu Fan just smiled and didn’t respond.

Pan Lanfang’s expression soured, but she didn’t feel it was her place to say anything.

Jiang Guoqiang just smoked his cigarette silently off to the side.

Watching her parents’ reactions, Jiang Yixia felt a knot form in her stomach.

Her aunt’s curiosity was piqued again. "Oh, right, when are you two planning to have your wedding banquet? Don’t forget to invite us when the time comes."

"It’s still a ways off, we’re not in a rush," Pan Lanfang said with an awkward laugh.

Her aunt said, "Oh," gave Lu Fan a meaningful look, and turned to leave.

Pan Lanfang sighed. "That woman... she just loves to show off."

"It’s alright, Auntie. Don’t take it to heart," Lu Fan said with a comforting smile.

At that moment, Jiang Yixia was looking down, silent.

She thought about the smug look on her aunt’s face earlier, and her heart ached.

’It wasn’t for myself, but for my parents.’

Over the years, their relatives had constantly been comparing them to others.

Lu Fan noticed her mood and gently tapped her hand. "Don’t overthink it."

Jiang Yixia looked up at him but said nothing.

But suddenly, her heart felt a little more at ease.

A short while later, the bride and groom came out.

Liu Yan was in a white wedding dress, holding the groom’s arm with a sweet smile on her face.

The relatives crowded around them, showering them with praise all at once.

"The bride is so beautiful."

"The groom is handsome too. They’re a perfect match."

Her uncle stood nearby, grinning from ear to ear. His voice boomed, "Come, come, let me introduce everyone. This is my son-in-law, Xiaochen. He’s opened two restaurants in the city, and business is booming."

Xiaochen greeted everyone politely with a pleasant smile.

Her uncle then pulled Xiaochen over to Pan Lanfang’s table. "Sis, this is our Xiaochen," he said.

Then he turned to Xiaochen and said, "This is your aunt, this is your uncle, and this is your cousin Yixia."

Xiaochen greeted each of them in turn, then his gaze fell on Lu Fan. "And this is?" he asked, curious.

The aunt glanced at Lu Fan and said dismissively, "Oh, that’s a friend of your cousin Yixia."

"Congratulations," Lu Fan said with a smile, standing up to shake Xiaochen’s hand.

Xiaochen responded politely, but his father-in-law quickly pulled him away.

Pan Lanfang’s expression turned even fouler.

’What does she mean, "friend"? He’s clearly her boyfriend, but she just had to call him a "friend."’

She was about to say something when Lu Fan suddenly stood up, walked over to her, and took a small box out of his pocket.

"Auntie, I was out shopping the other day and saw this bracelet. I thought it would suit you." Lu Fan opened the box. Inside was a gold bracelet that glittered in the light. Judging by its weight, it had to be at least thirty or forty grams.

Pan Lanfang was stunned and quickly waved her hands in refusal. "This... How can I accept this? It’s too valuable. I can’t take it."

Lu Fan smiled and said, "Don’t be polite, Auntie. I noticed your wrist was bare last time, so I wanted to get you something. If you don’t accept it, it means you don’t see me as family."

He took out the bracelet and, without another word, slipped it onto Pan Lanfang’s wrist.

The brilliant gold bracelet dangled from her wrist, and the surrounding relatives all turned to look, their eyes filled with envy.

"Wow, that bracelet is beautiful! It must have cost a fortune, right?"

"Sister-in-law Jiang, your son-in-law is so generous."

A smile spread across Pan Lanfang’s face. Though she kept saying, "No, no, I can’t," she shyly pulled her hand back a little.

The aunt sidled over as well. She looked at the bracelet, a complicated expression flashing in her eyes.

She touched the jade bracelet on her own wrist and said with a forced laugh, "Sis, your son-in-law really knows how to spend money."

"It’s only right. Auntie is good to me, so it’s my duty to show her my respect," Lu Fan explained.

He paused, then looked at the aunt and asked casually, "Auntie, the bracelet on your wrist is quite nice too. Is it jade?"

"Y-yes... it’s jade. Old-mine jadeite. It cost tens of thousands," the aunt stammered, looking a bit flustered and forcing a laugh.

Lu Fan nodded and said no more, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Pan Lanfang stroked the gold bracelet on her wrist, her heart swelling with delight.

She stole a glance at Jiang Yixia.

She saw Jiang Yixia looking down, her face flushed red, but she was smiling too.

Jiang Guoqiang, who was watching from the side, also smiled, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.

The banquet began, and the dishes were served one after another.

Lu Fan sat next to Jiang Yixia, putting food on her plate and pouring her water, taking thoughtful care of her.

As Pan Lanfang watched, she grew more and more pleased.

The aunt, sitting at another table, kept glancing over, her expression sour.

She had wanted to show off how capable her son-in-law was, but Lu Fan had completely stolen her thunder with that one gold bracelet.

Her uncle also drank his wine sullenly, saying nothing more.

Liu Yan, however, didn’t seem to mind. When she came over to toast the tables in her new dress, she made a point to chat with Lu Fan for a moment, saying with a smile, "Brother-in-law, you should come visit more often."

Lu Fan smiled and agreed.

Hearing the two words "brother-in-law," Jiang Yixia’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.

After the banquet ended, the relatives began to leave one by one.

Pan Lanfang grabbed Lu Fan’s hand, reluctant to let him go. "Xiaolu," she called out, "stay for dinner tonight! I’ll make you something delicious."

Hearing this, Lu Fan naturally wasn’t going to pass up such an opportunity. "Okay, Auntie."

"Mom, he has other things to do," Jiang Yixia quickly interjected from the side.