Chapter 1946 - 1926:

Chapter 1946: Chapter 1926:

Just as expected, An Zilan grabbed her and gave her a long talking-to, especially about An Hao sneaking out.

Luo Qianqian swore up and down that she’d already lectured An Hao, and He Wenyu kept nodding beside her—otherwise they’d definitely be nagged for a while, right?

An Hao just pouted. "Sis even praised me for being brave today!" His sister would never criticize him...

So, ignoring An Hao, An Zilan dragged Luo Qianqian off to the side and nagged at her for ages before finally letting her go.

He Wenyu also grabbed enough ingredients, and then she and Luo Qianqian quickly took An Hao and Tantan and slipped away.

Can’t deny it, no matter how old you get, in front of your parents you’re still a kid, still due for a round of "education."

Lin Xu watched Luo Qianqian fleeing with An Hao in tow and couldn’t help laughing and crying. "How did you end up scaring that pair of siblings like that? The kids are big now, you don’t need to worry so much. An Hao’s got his own ideas, you really don’t have to be that anxious."

Qin Nuan hooked her arm through An Zilan’s, nodding nonstop. "Exactly. Shiqi is always talking about An Hao—those two siblings are practically telepathic, both wanting to see each other. Sure, the method was a bit off, but the outcome turned out fine, didn’t it?"

"If only this kid were as sensible as you," An Zilan patted Qin Nuan’s small hand, looking utterly helpless.

Luo Qianqian maybe looks like she’s never going to grow up mainly because she’s not married yet; no matter when, she gives off the vibe of a clueless middle schooler, the kind that’s always messing around.

Qin Nuan used to be a bit like that too, but maybe because she’s married now, there’s this added gentle grace about her, a kind of feminine charm you can’t look away from.

Luo Yanran came out carrying a cup of tea and smiled at An Zilan. "Shiqi looks all mischievous, but she knows what’s what. With Tantan’s upbringing, she and Shiliu play good cop, bad cop and somehow got a little kid to understand right from wrong. She won’t have problems with big principles. Whatever needs teaching, she’ll teach. She loves her, and Shiqi herself loves kids—she’s not going to let her child grow in front of her into someone she doesn’t like."

As she spoke, she handed Lin Xu a cup of tea too. "Uncle Lin, have some tea. My dad sent this—tastes pretty good. He said the transplanted tea trees have developed some Spirituality, so he sent some over for Shiqi to try."

Lin Xu took a sip, then laughed. "We actually drank this before we sent it over, just to test it. But it’s a one-off thing, apparently there wasn’t much to begin with, and we brought it all over here."

"My dad really dotes on Shiqi. We have to ask her permission if we want to drink it," Luo Yanran said with a grin.

Qin Nuan gave Luo Yanran’s arm a smack, exasperated. "Listen to you. When Shiqi’s not here, you don’t exactly hold back from sneaking some yourself, do you? You make it sound like she’s the one being unreasonable. And everything that gets sent over—except for the baby stuff—isn’t it all handed to you to manage?"

"I’m just trying to make Shiqi sound like she’s all high and mighty, that’s all... it just slipped out," Luo Yanran said helplessly. "At least don’t blow my cover in front of the elders, give me a little face?"

"This isn’t from your dad at all—this is stuff Shufan boxed up and then it somehow got sent off who knows where," An Zilan chuckled. "But the old Master doesn’t really like drinking this kind; he still prefers the taste he’s used to. And things over there grow fast, so this first batch was sent over for you all to try."

"Sigh, ever since Shiqi showed up, I’m no longer the youngest in the family, nobody spoils me anymore..."

"You were never spoiled to begin with," Luo Yanhai mercilessly exposed him. "What you carried was too many of our expectations—and then you let us all down. What kind of ’spoiled’ is that?"

"Exactly, exactly," Qin Nuan chimed in, giggling. "Grandma said when you were little they treated you like a girl. The minute you changed into boys’ clothes your brothers would beat you up."

Luo Yanran: "..." Grandma, how am I supposed to hold my ground in front of my own wife now? Stuff like that, please don’t tell her!

"Shiqi’s the one who’s really lucky, with all of you spoiling her. She’s so big already and still doesn’t have an ounce of worldly slickness about her," An Zilan looked around at them, laughing with deep emotion. "Auntie really has to thank you all."

"Please don’t say that. If Shiqi hears she’ll just make fun of us. We didn’t do anything; it’s all her own ability. We’re the ones riding her coattails," Luo Yanhai said with a smile.

Maybe because the big day is close, the little courtyard was full of cheerful warmth—though the obvious thing was, the two lovebirds... weren’t there.

Lin Jiayou was over there, practically crying without tears, keeping Cong Ying company as she rushed to finish new clothes.

He knew brides traditionally embroider their wedding clothes, but why did a big, burly man like him also have to make his own new outfit?

Even though An Zilan would come by from time to time to give guidance and lend a hand, he was still completely lost. But Cong Ying was stubborn; she refused to use the finished garments An Zilan’s group had brought and insisted on making them herself.

"I’m done, I’m just going to cry..." Lin Jiayou collapsed onto the fabric in front of him, his whole being radiating despair.

"Cong Ying still has to rush to finish Nianan’s clothes; look at you, absolutely no patience," Lin Xu, who had come in with An Zilan, looked thoroughly dissatisfied. And yet this was his son—already had a son of his own, and only after that was he finally getting married...

"Dad, I seriously don’t know how to do this. I’m not some little girl. Why don’t you... get Shiqi to try? She’d cry too!" Lin Jiayou really felt tortured. Ten fingers are all nerves linked to the heart—he was stabbing them to pieces here!

"That’s true enough," An Zilan burst out laughing. "Anyway, at the very least you have to finish your outer coat, right? Use the pieces we brought for the rest, they’re already in your size."

"I don’t know how to do the outer layer either..." Lin Jiayou still looked miserable.

"That’s enough out of you. What do you mean you ’don’t know’? Come on, I’ll do it with you!" Lin Xu couldn’t watch anymore. He grabbed the scissors and, with a couple of big, bold snips, cut off a few pieces of fabric, then started carefully trimming at the side. "It’s just this stupid thing, what’s so hard about it? I watched a few times and I can already do it. You’re just spoiled!"

"..." Watching this big, burly man sewing, Lin Jiayou was honestly overwhelmed with feelings...

He silently observed and followed along, learning from Lin Xu.

Very quickly, Lin Xu held up the finished outer coat in his hand and proudly showed it to An Zilan. "Aren’t I amazing? Just watched you do it twice and I already got it!"

"This size..." An Zilan wasn’t surprised at his skill, just suspicious about the measurements.

"This? I just copied what you were making. There’s a size issue?" Lin Xu looked genuinely confused.

"Judging by the size, this should be Shiliu’s," He Wenyu picked it up and examined it carefully. "That’s whose it fits."

If you’re attending a wedding banquet, you obviously need festive clothes, so they’d made a set for each of them. Luo Qianqian’s was slightly shorter than He Wenyu’s, so you could tell them apart.