The air in the Lin household was thick with a nervous, electric energy. This weekend marked the first official visit of Shao Mingyuan [the prospective son-in-law]. The family viewed this meeting with immense gravity; it wasn’t just about a “good match,” it was about finally seeing the man Lin Ying had willing to legally tethered herself to. After all, they were about to get the marriage certificate , yet the groom was still a ghost to his own in-laws.
By Saturday, the house was a whirlwind of activity. Su Youfu [the maternal grandfather] did something truly rare: he unearthed his old Zhongshan suit [a formal, high-collared tunic symbolizing dignity and tradition]. He had Wang Guihua [the grandmother] scrub it until the fabric regained its crispness, determined to look every bit the respected elder.
Lin Siqing [Lin Ying’s father], usually a man of heavy silences, made a trip to the market. He returned with cuts of meat and jugs of wine—luxuries that bit hard into the family budget. Though he harbored a deep love for a good drink, the hardships of life had long ago forced him to tuck that craving away. Tomorrow, however, was for celebration.
Su Yulan [Lin Ying’s mother] was the general of this domestic army. She mobilized everyone for a deep clean and even summoned Lin He [the eldest brother, a young man working away from home]. Lin He had only just visited the previous week, and Lin Ying felt it was a bit much to drag him back so soon. “We’ll see him eventually, won’t we?” she’d muttered.
But Su Yulan was firm. “It is different. Bringing your brother back is a message. Shao Mingyuan needs to see that you have a brother—a pillar of support. If he ever dares to mistreat you, your brother will be the one to march to his door and settle the debt with his fists.”
Lin Ying was moved by her mother’s fierce, if traditional, protection. In her heart, however, she smiled. If that man ever dared to bully her, she wouldn’t need to wait for her brother. Having survived the brutal grit of the Apocalypse, her own fists were more than capable of teaching him a lesson.
Meanwhile, little Lin Qiu [the youngest sister] was buzzing with a much simpler joy: the promise of a feast. Two weeks of meat in a row felt like a perpetual Chunjie [Lunar New Year]. To her, Shao Mingyuan wasn’t just a brother-in-law; he was the patron saint of delicious food.
Sunday arrived, and by ten o’clock, the family was a tableau of “pretending to be busy.” Lin Siqing sipped tea with stiff movements; Su Youfu sat with a book he wasn’t truly reading; Wang Guihua looked on with the calm of a woman who had already seen two daughters-in-law enter the fold. Only Lin Qiu voiced the collective tension: “When is brother-in-law coming? I want the meat!”
Lin Ying watched her mother hover by the window and her father find endless excuses to refill his tea just to glance at the gate. “I’ll go wait by the bus stop,” she announced, unable to bear the stifling atmosphere. “He might be late—doctors are busy men.”
She took Lin Qiu with her, bribing the girl’s patience with a vitamin tablet.
“This month is the best,” Lin Qiu chirped, popping the “candy.” “You buy treats every day, and we have meat every week!”
Lin Ying patted her head softly. “Soon, you’ll have meat with every single meal.”
Shao Mingyuan was not late. At exactly ten, he stepped off the bus, arms laden with paper-wrapped bundles tied neatly with twine. Seeing Lin Ying, a flash of surprise crossed his handsome, somewhat stoic face. “Am I late?”
No “Quite early, actually,” Lin Ying smiled. Than he introduced him to the hopping, energetic Lin Qiu.
“You must be Lin Qiu,” he said gently, reaching into his coat. “Here, a little something for you.”
He handed her Dabaitu [White Rabbit creamy candy, a prized nostalgic milk sweet]. Lin Qiu’s eyes nearly doubled in size. “This is even sweeter than second sister’s candy! It has a little rabbit on it! I’m saving the wrapper for school.”
Lin Ying noticed the sheer volume of gifts he carried. “Why bring so much? Let me help.”
“It’s fine,” he insisted, though his knuckles were white from the weight. Lin Ying, not one for idle politeness, took several bags anyway, handing a light one to Lin Qiu, who immediately bolted home like a little scout delivering a victory report.
Left alone on the walk to the house, Lin Ying leaned in. “My family is a bit… high-strung today. Don’t mind if they say something odd.”
To her surprise, the composed doctor let out a breath. “Actually… I’m nervous too.”
Despite his cold, scholarly exterior, Shao Mingyuan was a man of books and quiet corners. He had grown up under the shadow of his grandmother’s past, bullied by classmates until his grandfather stepped in, leaving him with few friends and even less experience in the art of being a “son-in-law.”
Lin Ying felt a surge of warmth for him. She reached out, her fingers grazing his sleeve in a brief, grounding touch. “Don’t be. They’re good people. Just talk about the old days with Grandpa, drink a little with my father, and tell my mother her cooking is the best she’s ever made. You’ll be their favorite person in an hour.”
Shao Mingyuan looked at her, the tension in his shoulders finally bleeding away. With a small, determined nod, he followed her through the gate and into the heart of the Lin family home.
After there first meeting , she and Shao Mingyuan [the prospective son-in-law] had known each other for a month, and yet it was only then that the true warmth of the family began to bloom.
As Shao Mingyuan stepped across the threshold, he found the entire family gathered together. The room was not particularly grand, but it was impeccably tidy; even the window panes were scrubbed so thin they seemed to vanish, allowing the golden sunlight to stream in. The light caught the faces of everyone in the living room, bathing them in a glow that made the small home feel infinitely warmer.
Su Yulan [Lin Ying’s mother] let out a small gasp of surprise when she saw the sheer number of bags Shao Mingyuan was carrying. Her eyes widened even further when she noticed Lin Ying was also laden with packages. “Oh, you’ve come such a long way,” she fretted, though her voice held a hint of a smile. “Why on earth did you bring so much?”
Shao Mingyuan’s posture remained humble, his head bowing slightly in respect. “Not at all, Auntie. I am a junior [a term of respect used by younger generations when addressing elders], and it is only proper to bring a small token of my esteem for a first visit. Since I wasn’t quite sure what Uncle and Auntie preferred, I simply bought a little of everything. I truly hope you don’t mind.”
The neighbors’ whispers had already begun to shift. “Did you see?” one auntie murmured to another over her laundry. “The Lin family’s new son-in-law arrived with his arms so full he could barely walk. They say he’s a doctor with a steady hand and a polite tongue—a real gentleman. Su Yulan must have burned some very high-quality incense to get a match like that for her daughter.”
Su Yulan was already inclined to like him, but seeing his modesty and his generous spirit made her heart swell with genuine pleasure. After the gifts were settled on the table, she began to observe him more closely. It was that classic “mother-in-law gaze”—the more she looked at him, the more handsome and capable he seemed to her. She couldn’t keep the satisfied curve from her lips.
The rest of the family was equally charmed. Before Lin He [the eldest brother] could return, Shao Mingyuan sat at the low coffee table, sharing a drink with Lin Siqing [Lin Ying’s father] and chatting with Su Youfu [the maternal grandfather].
Lin Siqing was a simple man to please; as long as someone was willing to share a cup and a conversation, he was content. Shao Mingyuan, showing his hospitality as a guest, drank steadily and matched his pace. Slowly, the slight flicker of wariness in Lin Siqing’s eyes melted into a look of quiet approval.
As for Su Youfu, he found in Shao Mingyuan the perfect audience. Though the young doctor was a man of few words, he was an exceptional listener, offering thoughtful responses at just the right moments. The grandfather spoke at great length, his eyes sparkling as he recounted how he used to take down enemies with a single, sharp shot on the battlefield in his youth.
“You remind me quite a bit of my own grandfather,” Shao Mingyuan remarked gently. “He also holds the memories of his younger days very close to his heart.”
Su Youfu waved a hand, though he looked pleased. “Sigh, I’m no good now. I can’t even lift a rifle anymore; I can only live in the stories.”
“To have lived such a life is something many would give anything for,” Shao Mingyuan replied sincerely. “If the stars had aligned differently, I actually considered joining the army myself. Unfortunately, for several reasons, that path didn’t work out.”
Encouraged by the young man’s respect, Su Youfu launched into the tale of how he first enlisted. By the time Su Yulan called them to the table for lunch, the old man had moved on to the most important story of all: exactly how he had managed to win the heart of Wang Guihua [the grandmother] all those years ago.
Lin He finally hurried through the door just before the meal began. Being of the same age, he and Shao Mingyuan found they had much in common and fell into an easy rhythm of talk.
During the meal, Wang Guihua gestured generously toward the spread. “Little Shao, please, try your Aunt Su’s cooking. See if it suits your taste.”
Shao Mingyuan took a bite, a genuine smile breaking across his face. “It’s delicious. Truly, exceptionally delicious.”
Su Yulan’s heart fluttered with pride, but she waved it off with a humble air. “Oh, it’s nothing special, just some simple home-style dishes.”
“No,” Shao Mingyuan insisted, his voice earnest. “I eat at the hospital cafeteria most days. They claim to have hired chefs from state-run restaurants, but their skill is far inferior to yours, Auntie.”
“Oh my! Comparing me to chefs from state-run restaurants?” Su Yulan laughed, her cheeks flushing. “I feel almost embarrassed to be held in such high regard.”
The meal was a triumph. The Lin family was thoroughly captivated by Shao Mingyuan, and for his part, the doctor felt a sense of belonging he hadn’t expected. He rarely visited other homes outside of the mandatory New Year rounds, and he had never experienced a family atmosphere as harmonious as this.
He watched the quiet, meticulous way Wang Guihua looked after Su Youfu, and the obvious pride the grandfather took in his wife. He saw how Lin Siqing obeyed Su Yulan’s every word with unwavering devotion, and the way she would softly murmur, “Drink a little less,” out of genuine concern for his health.
Every interaction was laced with a deep, unspoken care for one another. It was a world away from the cold, stiff atmosphere of the Shao household. Shao Mingyuan found himself falling in love with this warmth.
However, when it was finally time for him to depart, Su Yulan didn’t let Lin Ying see him out as he had hoped. Instead, she called out to her son, “Lin He, go and see Xiao Shao [a friendly, diminutive nickname for someone younger] to the gate.”
Lin Ying caught his eye and gave him a quick, meaningful wink. Shao Mingyuan understood the silent signal instantly; he gave a small, barely perceptible nod in return, acknowledging the “battle” she was sending him into.
Once they were outside and away from the family’s watchful eyes, Lin He [the eldest brother] shed his polite dinner persona. His voice turned low and steady. “Listen. My family might not be as wealthy or influential as yours, but if you ever dare to bully my sister, I will never forgive you. Do you understand?”
Shao Mingyuan didn’t flinch. He looked the other man in the eye. “Don’t worry,” he replied firmly. “I will protect her just as you do.”
In his heart, Shao Mingyuan felt a weight of duty. Even if their marriage had started as a matter of convenience, he intended to take full responsibility for her well-being, at least for the next three years and beyond.
Lin He didn’t believe in overstaying a threat. Having made his point, he let the tension bleed out and changed the subject, his voice softening with a trace of brotherly worry. “Yingzi wasn’t very healthy when she was a child. Because of that, she was often bullied at school. If she ever offends you or acts out, please, try to be forgiving. She doesn’t mean any harm; she just tends to overthink things. She just needs a little guidance, that’s all.”
Hearing the first part, Shao Mingyuan was struck with a sudden realization. He was a doctor, yet he hadn’t noticed any signs of lingering illness in Lin Ying. She wasn’t short, and although she was a bit on the slender side, she seemed vibrant. However, since her brother had mentioned it, he made a mental note to keep a much closer eye on her health.
But it was the second part—the mention of the bullying—that made Shao Mingyuan fall silent. A pang of empathy twisted in his chest. It turned out that Lin Ying, just like him, had grown up knowing the sting of being an outcast.
“I will,” he promised, his voice carrying a new layer of sincerity.
Lin He walked him all the way to the bus station. By the time the brother returned home, he found the rest of the family huddled around the table, carefully unpacking the bundles Shao Mingyuan had brought.
Su Yulan [the mother] looked at the spread with a mix of awe and anxiety. There were two packs of high-grade cigarettes, two bottles of fine wine, two tins of premium tea, two jin [a Chinese unit of weight, roughly 500g] of fresh pork, two boxes of delicate pastries, and two jin of precious brown sugar.
The quality of the items was staggering. The cigarette coupons alone—required to purchase tobacco in this era—were incredibly difficult to obtain, and the items themselves were far from cheap.
Lin Siqing [the father] stared at the wine bottles, his fingers hovering over the glass; he felt it was almost a sin to drink something so expensive. Su Yulan focused on the pastries. They were so exquisite, so perfectly crafted, she had never seen anything like them in their local shops. The pork and brown sugar were practical treasures.
“This is too much,” Su Yulan whispered, feeling the weight of the social debt. “I don’t know what to do with all this.”
Wang Guihua [the grandmother] remained the voice of calm. “Young Shao brought these because he is satisfied with our Yingzi. We cannot return them. If we do, he’ll think our family is rejecting him. When the wedding day comes, we will simply provide a more generous dowry to balance it out.”
Su Yulan considered this and nodded, finally feeling at ease. A few days later, she took a leave from work and dragged Lin Ying to the grand department store to shop for the wedding.
She even brought along the precious fabric coupons Lin He had saved up. Her heart was set on a bright red shirt for her daughter. Lin Ying tried to protest the flashy color, but her mother shut her down with a firm look.
“You must wear bright red for your wedding! It brings luck and festive joy,” Su Yulan insisted. “There are so many girls who dream of wearing this color but can’t afford the fabric, and here you are complaining?”
“How about a coat then?” Lin Ying bargained. “At least I can wear a coat later on without it feeling like a waste.”
Su Yulan hummed, considering the practicality. “Fine. A thin, bright red coat it is.”
As they were browsing the racks, Lin Ying’s gaze suddenly froze. Across the aisle, she spotted Su Beibei . She wasn’t with her parents, but with Zhong Xu [the original male lead].
Lin Ying felt a jolt of shock as the plot of the book flickered through her mind. According to the original story, the two of them were supposed to visit the department store the day after receiving their marriage certificate. But wait… they’ve only known each other for about ten days! Is it really moving that fast?
Lin Ying thought about her own situation. She and Shao Mingyuan had waited a month just to meet the parents, which she felt was already rushing it. But Su Beibei was like a whirlwind.
A sudden realization hit her. In the book, did Su Beibei and Zhong Xu even bother to meet each other’s parents first? The whispers in the family had been silent on the matter. Could they have actually gone behind everyone’s back to tie the knot?
The gossip in the village would be relentless if that were true.
Lin Ying watched them from afar, wondering if her presence here was already rippling through the “destiny” of the original story.
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