Chapter 606 - 605: Dowry and Stuff

Tang Mo saw the corner of Wu Sheng’s mouth twitch. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Su Li and Wu Qihua, who were pretending not to hear a thing. A quick smile flashed across his face before he put on a serious expression and continued.

"It’s true what they say. People with dark skin shouldn’t wear dark clothes, especially not red."

Wu Sheng stared at Tang Mo’s handsome little face and ground his teeth.

"I’m still handsome, even with a tan."

Tang Mo made a face that said he begged to differ.

"You’re certainly pale, Little Point," Wu Sheng huffed, "but you’re just so skinny. Not an ounce of meat on your bones. Who knows if you’ll even grow tall." He suddenly puffed out his chest and strode in front of Tang Mo.

He crossed his arms, casually sizing up Tang Mo’s height. Tilting his head back slightly, he launched into his usual verbal assault.

Tang Mo: "..."

’Little boys always want to be tall. They want to grow up in an instant, but unfortunately, that takes time.’

Tang Mo was ten now, right at the age for a growth spurt. The baby fat had vanished from his face, and he was one of the tallest among kids his age, already approaching 1.5 meters.

But... young boys don’t tend to put on much weight. They’re usually just tall and lanky.

On top of that, Tang Mo had skipped grades. If he hadn’t, he would’ve definitely been one of the tallest kids in elementary school. But here he was, a ten-year-old in the ninth grade.

Compared to the fourteen- and fifteen-year-old boys who were either hitting puberty or already well into it, he was far behind. Unsurprisingly, he was among the smallest and shortest students in his class.

Although his genius-level intellect allowed him to reign as the top student in the entire school, and none of his classmates ever brought up his height, Wu Sheng’s sharp tongue still left Tang Mo feeling quite frustrated.

Wu Sheng’s height and build were undeniable; he was the type to stand out in any crowd. When Tang Mo stood next to him, the difference was stark.

Wu Sheng had zeroed in on Tang Mo’s boyish desire to grow taller and stronger, and his counterattack was precise.

This was far from the first time.

Su Li and Wu Qihua exchanged a glance and pretended not to notice the boys’ skirmish. Not wanting to watch their childish antics, they started a new conversation.

After all, this was a regular occurrence. The two of them had to trade barbs and engage in a battle of wits every time they met; it would feel strange if they didn’t.

Wu Sheng had been spending a lot of time outdoors recently. As the New Year drew near, the weather had suddenly turned beautiful, and all the time spent in the sun had given him quite a tan.

It hadn’t been that noticeable at first, but he just had to wear the red sweater Su Li had knitted for him. The color contrast really made his skin look dark.

Tang Mo called Wu Sheng tan, and Wu Sheng called Tang Mo short. The insults were flying back and forth between them.

As for Su Li... she couldn’t be bothered to deal with them.

’After all, I have fair skin, so I’m not tan. I’m not short, either, so I have no desperate wish to grow taller.’

After chatting with Wu Qihua for a bit, Su Li learned that she was going to some party in a couple of days. When Wu Qihua asked if she wanted to come along, Su Li thought for a moment and decided against it for the time being.

’Even though we’re engaged, I should probably wait until after we’re married to start attending social functions with Wu Qihua.’

’Then we’ll officially be mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.’

In the end, Su Li didn’t go to the party with Wu Qihua, but she didn’t miss a single detail about the people and events that transpired there.

As fate would have it, Wu Qihua not only ran into Ye Xilan at the party, but Li Anna as well.

The moment Ye Xilan saw Wu Qihua, her first instinct was to tremble. It took a great deal of effort for her to save face and resist the urge to turn and flee.

She didn’t run, but she spent the entire evening on high alert, not daring to go anywhere near Wu Qihua. She just kept Li Anna by her side, talking. Who knows what they discussed, but they certainly looked like they were having a pleasant conversation.

Wu Qihua called Su Li to tell her what had happened.

"...The moment I saw her, my hands were itching to slap her. But I held back, considering she hasn’t caused any trouble recently and it wasn’t the right time or place."

"But Su Li, that news anchor, Li Anna, was with her the entire time. You two work at the same TV station. I just worry she might be foolish enough to try and cause problems for you. You should be careful from now on."

The only reason Wu Qihua even knew who Li Anna was, was because she watched the news to see Su Li.

Su Li found it strange to hear that Ye Xilan and Li Anna were now hanging out together, but she agreed verbally.

"I understand, Auntie. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone push me around."

"Mm, that’s good," Wu Qihua replied.

The fact that Li Anna could attend such a party indicated that her family background was likely not simple, but Wu Qihua didn’t mention this.

And Li Anna’s background was indeed impressive; she came from a well-respected, scholarly family. This was precisely why Ye Xilan had taken an interest in her.

’Now this is the kind of woman worthy of Wu Sheng!’ Ye Xilan thought upon seeing Li Anna.

’So much better than that Su Li.’

She had spent a lot of time lately scheming for ways to prevent Su Li and Wu Sheng from getting married. Unfortunately, no matter how she looked at it, she was powerless to do anything.

But then, she noticed Li Anna.

’Wu Sheng seems to like women in the public eye, and Li Anna is perfect! She’s beautiful, capable, and comes from a good family. She’s a tailor-made, top-choice daughter-in-law!’

And so, Ye Xilan couldn’t resist taking action. She had always avoided banquets where Wu Qihua might be present, but this time, she made an exception to observe Li Anna.

After meeting and speaking with her, she was very satisfied. She didn’t reveal everything to Li Anna the way she had with Bai Xinyue in the past, but she did mention that she wanted to introduce her to an excellent young man from a good family.

Li Anna, of course, couldn’t have been more pleased. It wasn’t every day one got the chance to curry favor with someone of Ye Xilan’s status!

Thus, the two made a connection. They were like dry tinder and a raging... wait, no. They quickly hit it off.

Su Li had no idea that Ye Xilan was once again plotting to ruin her relationship with Wu Sheng. She took Wu Qihua’s warning to heart but didn’t waste time with wild speculation.

She had something else on her mind that required her attention.

Once Su Li’s ten-day vacation was confirmed, Wu Sheng arranged to take leave as well. Since Wu Qihua was also free, Wu Sheng suggested they all go back to his old hometown, Wu Family Village.

The main New Year’s festivities were over, but the first month of the lunar year hadn’t ended yet. A trip back now would still feel like part of the holiday celebration.

They hadn’t been back home for the New Year in many years. A trip back now would be perfect... and it would make it easier to ask Grandma Wu and the others to come to the Imperial City next year.

’And why would they come to the Imperial City? To see their precious grandson—me—get married, of course.’

Wu Sheng thought, secretly rubbing his hands with glee. In the end, he successfully coaxed his mom, his future wife, and his "son" back to his hometown.

Wu Family Village in the winter was a little different from how it was in the summer, but it was still the same wonderful place.

Upon their return, Su Li was absolutely ecstatic.

Though, she did have a rather embarrassing moment... On the very night they arrived, Grandma Wu and his Little Aunt took her measurements. Su Li assumed they were going to make her some new clothes.

Three days later, she found out they were indeed making her an outfit—but it wasn’t just any outfit. It was a bright red wedding dress.

Ahem... And besides the bright red wedding dress, Su Li discovered something else quite remarkable.

They were also preparing her trousseau, which included things like quilts—enough to last for twenty years.

Yes, you read that right. Twenty years’ worth of quilts.

Eight new cotton quilts, ranging from light summer ones to heavy ones for the dead of winter. They had every season covered for the next twenty years... no doubt about it.