Compared with the past weekend when we were alone, the Doctors and I spent more leisure time with our families after our trip to X city. From girlfriend suddenly upgraded to prospective fiancée, there is an unspeakable subtlety. Suddenly jumping from two people, to two families– from two people"s feelings, into feelings of the two families.
On the Doctor"s side, we get along well, meet almost once every two weeks. Gu Wei was very surprised that his Grandparents and I got along so well. On my side, Lin Zhixue, who has been away for many years, took the opportunity to meet in X City; To have a cup of tea with the Doctor and fulfill his duty as the eldest brother. Lin Zhiren, who is far away in Germany, is even more threatening in the video call: “If you dare to be unkind to my sister… No matter how far away I am, I will come back and kill you!”
In early July, after nearly a month"s vacation, I returned to Y city. Visit Grandma, accompany Grandma, help Yin s.h.i.+ prepare for the wedding. Life is very fulfilling.
Then, some ‘poor person" came to Y City on my first weekend back.
When he came to my house for the second time, the Doctor and his parents discussed growing flowers, with Teacher Lin. They discussed owning a car and were familiar with the road.
On the second weekend, Grandma saw the Doctor. She dressed her ap.r.o.n beautifully and stir-fry in the kitchen. She was very satisfied.
On the third weekend, the Doctor chatted with Grandma about San Cao for more than an hour. When he accompanied Teacher Lin for a walk, people who already knew him joked, “Teacher Lin, where are you taking your son-in-law?”
Before returning to X City on Sunday, the Doctor formally asked my parents: “My Grandparents" 60th wedding anniversary this weekend, I hope Xiao Xiao can attend with me.”
So, I was packed back to X city.
I was a little confused about what should be given for such an important anniversary, so we put our heads together.
San San: ” For Grandmother-in-law.”
Yin s.h.i.+: ” It"s a gift for great-grandchildren.”
Me: “…”
The Doctor smiled: “They will like whatever you give them.”
Finally, I picked a pair of cups. Misty rain green thin porcelain, clean and warm. I don"t know how to choose porcelain, but I like it at a glance from a distance. Doctor"s Grandfather and Doctor"s Grandmother, met and fell in love with each other in the flames of war. More than half a century of supporting each other, making their feelings like years of was.h.i.+ng ceramics, simple and elegant.
(Tnote: Ceramics washed for years would still keep its l.u.s.ter.)
I wrapped the gift contentedly and strangely asked the Doctor: “Won"t you pick a gift?”
The Doctor smiled: “Is this gift not big enough?”
On the way back, I realized that the gift he spoke about was me…
The Grandfather and Grandmother of the doctor are a pair of happy and kind old people. They were very happy to receive the gift. His Grandmother shook my hand and said, “Xiao Bei, let Xiao Xiao stay with us for two more days.”
Of course, the Doctor had no problem with it. So, I officially checked in "Xiaobei"s room" and lay on the bed where Xiaobei used to sleep. I flipped through "Xiaobei"s childhood photos" and called the Doctor: “It turns out that when you were a child, you cried with your eyes open.” (normal people closed or squinted their eyes.)
The Doctor calmly threatened: “Lin Zhixiao, there are no cars on the road at this hour. I only have to drive there for little more than half an hour.” He expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that I accompanied them 24 hours a day without giving him such treatment.
On Friday night, the Doctor with his Father, and Mother rushed back to their Grandparents" house. After dinner, as soon as I washed the dishes with the Doctor"s Mother, I was carried back to my room by the Doctor on the grounds of ‘not seeing each other for many days and exchanging feelings".
“Aunt and cousin, they are flying from Z City tomorrow morning, Gu Xiao"s plane tomorrow night, and will arrive the day after tomorrow and come with Uncle and Aunt.”
It suddenly occurred to me that the situation was a little too big.
“Then we will go to the studio to take pictures of the whole family.”
My mouth opened slowly. The… whole… family?!
The Doctor sighed slightly: “Grandma"s physical condition is getting worse and worse. The Aunts are far away, Gu Xiao lives in a foreign country. We are taking advantage of this opportunity to get together— it may be the last family photo."
My hand was held by the Doctor and I looked into his eyes. It never felt so clear– that I was no longer just the second girl of the Lin family.
The doctor put his hand on my cheek and said, “do you know why I asked you to come? Parents" meeting the daughter-in-law.”
My throat went dry.
Slowly, I close my eyes and bury my head in his arms: “Doctor, you have to be nice to me.”
The Doctor was amused by my resigned expression: “Yes, or my Grandparents wouldn"t let me go.”
I know that the Doctor"s uncle, cousin and brother-in-law are coming. What I don"t know is that there are more than four of them.
So, the next day, when I opened the door and saw a baby on the step not much higher than my knee, wearing a little beret and s.h.i.+rt, holding his hand high and blinking at me, I was gloriously stunned.
The Doctor came up behind me and picked her up slowly: “Liu Yue is here.”
Looking at her hugging the Doctor"s neck, the corners of her mouth warped up and called out softly, “Uncle~”, my heart felt crisp.
The Doctor turned to me: “This is your Aunt. Say Aun– ty– ”
The baby that had Gu Wei"s long eyelashes, blinked at me and said, “Aun~ ty~”
I completely lost my resistance as if I had been thrown into a wine barrel…
The Doctor"s cousin was so powerful that she not only got her degree during her graduate study, but also took the boss of the interns.h.i.+p company back home. Andre is an Englishman, tall and thin, gentle, smiling with fine lines in the corners of his eyes, with the taste of a mature man.
(TNote: why am I picturing Tom Hiddleston? d.a.m.n it! I"m still fangirling so hard… lol)
The two gave birth to their beloved daughter on the sixth day of June the year before last, so she was named Liu Yue.
(Liu Yue/ 六月 = June.)
The table was so lively that the Doctor and I couldn"t help being teased. Andre said, “Sister in law, is that right? Sister-in-law, I can lend you Liu Yue as a flower girl.” It made me completely shy. For most of the time, I concentrate on peeling pickled shrimps for Liu Yue. We had a good interaction, and she insisted on feeding me dumplings with a spoon.
Everyone drank and stayed at their Grandparents" house that night. There were five rooms with beds, large and small, including two elders, one uncle, one cousin, one brother-in-law, and one Doctor and his parents.
So, after dinner, everyone sat around chatting, and the Doctor"s Mother looked at me and Gu Wei: “You two at night—”
The doctor asked the baby in my arms, “will Liu Yue sleep with Aunty today?”
Liu Yue concentrated on playing with my s.h.i.+rt b.u.t.tons and nodded. (Liu Yue sleeps alone at home)
“Do you want Uncle too?”
“Yes.”
Then, the Doctor calmly said to me: “Take Liu Yue upstairs to take a bath in the bathroom. There is a bathtub.”
I think— it"s really none of my business…
Taking a bath with Liu Yue is a very enjoyable process, not noisy or chaotic. Head wrapped in pink towels, shower gel poured, extend the arm, extend the foot, all washed off with water. She also kissed me, with a honeyed voice: “Thank you Aunty~”
By the time I finished blowing her hair and humming an out-of-tune lullaby for her in my arms, the Doctor had already taken a shower and read on the bed.
He hugged Liu Yue and said, “sleep quickly.”
I got into the quilt: “Andre said that she was too excited and slept late last night.”
Liu Yue sleeps between us, with a slight sound of breathing. I looked at her curly eyelashes and little mouth and touched her little hand. “If all children were like Liu Yue, there would probably be no family without children.”
Doctor: “We have good genes.”
I bit my lips.
Doctor: “Try it if you don"t believe me.”
Me: “Hooligan!”
Turn off the lights. We slept.
Special Dialog
Doctor: I still remember Grandma saying she is happy the girl the grandson brought home is suitable for the family.