Pei JianGuo was stunned for a moment, feeling that Pei Jing's attitude was a little inexplicably stern today.
Isn't he always like this, and didn't argue much either!
How could An ZhiXia be made of paper and be blown apart by him in one breath?
"Uncle, did she say something to you?" Pei JianGuo was a little guilty. The difference between him and Wang Yue was that he at least knew he was wrong, but Wang Yue only felt that it was what she deserved.
"Who said something to me?"
Pei JianGuo had always avoided calling An ZhiXia, and only called her a couple of times in front of Pei Jing. At other times, people just thought he was shy, after all, they used to be of the same generation.
But under Pei Jing's stern gaze, he had to admit one fact in shame and anger, "Auntie..."
He was thinking that he didn't make any mistakes recently. Uncle suddenly became like this, certainly because An ZhiXia was backbiting behind the scenes.
Yet he didn't know that what Pei Jing wanted was exactly what he said, "Pei JianGuo, who taught you to be so rude? I don't care what you thought before, but you have to recognize one fact clearly, now that An ZhiXia is married to me, she is your aunt. Being disrespectful to elders, is this your etiquette? Is this what you learned at school all these years? Even elementary school students know to respect their elders, don't you know?"
"I...I know." Pei JianGuo didn't understand why he was being scolded like this, but he didn't dare to refute.
Old Pei came over from the back garden and saw the scene in front of him. He gently coughed and said, "JianGuo is here. Come in and sit down. Third brother, you should come in too."
Only then did Pei JianGuo breathe a sigh of relief. He secretly glanced at Pei Jing and saw him leaving before he dared to follow behind.
In the living room, three generations sat together.
Old Pei looked at Pei Jing, then at Pei JianGuo, and asked kindly, "Why did you come at this time? Didn't Shuangshuang come with you?"
Ever since Wang Yue and Pei Shuangshuang came back unsuccessfully last time, they never visited again. Pei JianGuo's face instantly became a little awkward. "Grandpa, my mom happened to have time today and took Shuangshuang to the mall. She said they would come to see you another day. I came because I wanted to ask if the job my dad arranged for Shuangshuang last time could still be available for her?"
Although Pei Yong was very unwilling to come back to this family as a father, he could not completely ignore his own children.
It was just that Shuangshuang was too picky about the job Old Pei got for her, so he said in a moment of anger to let her go to the countryside.
In any case, staying in the city was better than going to the countryside to farm.
People appreciate having a job these days. She was just being picky about wanting good benefits and a decent job. Things have been getting more difficult over the years. You can't always get what you want.
"So she has come around and doesn't insist on working for the government?" Old Pei still felt somewhat embarrassed. That job arrangement was from last year. People look for jobs, not the other way around!
At first, she refused to take it. More than half a year has passed since then. Isn't it too late now that she's bringing it up again!
Pei JianGuo didn't actually want to talk about this either, but Wang Yue felt she lost face and was even more unwilling to see Old Pei, so he had no choice but to speak up.
"Yes, the neighborhood committee has been urging lately. Shuangshuang doesn't have a job yet, so she went to my mom's work leader." Although the leader didn't say it outright, people know in their hearts what the ideological awareness meeting was talking about.
Anyway, Pei Shuangshuang's matter could not be dragged on any longer. If she didn't go to the countryside, she had to work.
Old Pei considered it for a moment and said, "I can't guarantee that there will be job openings. That was something arranged last year. Let me ask your dad if there are any arrangements."
Among his three sons, the eldest's family caused him the most worry, and felt most pity for the eldest as well.
Marrying an unvirtuous wife had ruined his entire life!
"Then I'll have to trouble Grandpa." Pei JianGuo was most afraid of his dad, to be precise, they were all afraid of him.
When they were young, Dad seldom came home, unlike now where he's away for years. At that time, every time he came back, he would argue with Mom about everything big or small - parenting, eating, drinking, each time with the same old routine of Mom crying and making a scene, making it seem like the whole Pei family owed her.
After a long time, he got quite annoyed by it, let alone his dad. Slowly, he came back less and less.
At that time, Pei JianGuo was too young to understand. He only knew that Pei Yong was very afraid of arguing with Wang Yue. As long as Wang Yue complained, he would slip away, while Wang Yue doted on him very much. So every time he was disciplined, he would go complain to Wang Yue, and then they would fight.
If time could flow backward and return to those days, he would definitely not act that way again, making Dad very disappointed with the whole family.
Pei JianGuo respected Old Pei and Pei Jing greatly, also because as he grew older and more sensible, his own father was not by his side, and the people who taught him how to be a person were Grandpa and Uncle, the only one in the family who wasn't afraid to argue and beat him despite Wang Yue.
So after being beaten many times, he became obedient.
Old Pei waved his hand. As the elders say, the eldest son and eldest grandson are the lifeline of an old person.
Although the grandson didn't amount to much, he had watched JianGuo grow up after all. His character wasn't too bad, which was decent enough. An old person tends to be somewhat sentimental.
"JianGuo, your uncle is leaving soon. Come see Grandpa often if you have time. Don't listen to your mother. You are my own grandson. What grandfather doesn't dote on his grandson? What happened last time was just your mother going overboard..." Old Pei sighed. "Alright alright, let's not mention the past."
Yet Old Pei didn't see Pei Jing's pupils suddenly constrict after he finished speaking.
When Pei Jing looked up again, his gaze carried some scrutiny. "Dad, isn't JianGuo quite old already? Has he found a partner yet? If so, he should hurry up and get married, have children, and settle down. That's how a man gains stability and understands responsibility."
"I was just about to say, I've brought it up several times. Some granddaughters of my old friends are so shapely and graceful, yet he refuses to meet them. I don't know what he's trying to do!" Old Pei looked at Pei JianGuo and sighed, "JianGuo, your uncle makes sense. Forming your own family and career, you're not young anymore. I introduced some girls but you looked down on them, which is fine, we can meet some more. Or if you have someone in mind, that works too...A grown man can't stay single forever, that would be a laughing stock."
After Old Pei's words, Pei JianGuo felt even more awkward.
"Grandpa, I don't want to get married yet. I'm only 24. Uncle only got married at 26, so I'm in no hurry."
"How can you compare yourself to your uncle? He was in the army, gone for a year without coming back even once, without even seeing a woman's face. You can't drag this out anymore..."
Other than Pei JianGuo himself not being in a hurry, even Wang Yue was anxious about his marriage.
The ones she knew were all ordinary families. Old Pei had mentioned two girls she liked before, but Pei JianGuo refused to go on blind dates, useless no matter how she persuaded. She almost got angered to death.
"You have to say what kind of girl you're looking for, then we can try to find some suitable ones. Or if there's someone you have in mind, that's fine too...A grown man can't stay unmarried forever, that's embarrassing." When Pei Jing said this, he probably forgot that just a few years ago, he had also been determined to devote his life to the country.
What kind of girl was he looking for? An image automatically appeared in Pei JianGuo's mind.
Many years had passed, and her looks were now blurry to him, yet he would never forget what she once said.
"Brother JianGuo, you should believe in yourself. You're good-looking and talented, much better than many others..."
"Brother JianGuo, you're really kind and gentle, with a mild temper too. Your future wife will be so fortunate..."
