Old Master Xu had already passed away, and his calligraphy was now exceptionally precious.
Many people subtly inquired, offering high prices for it, with the bids climbing higher and higher.
Naturally, some imitations began to appear on the market.
Looking at the characters in Cheng You's hand, he couldn't help but sigh.
What a pity, a generation of calligraphy masters was gone just like that.
This was the first time Cheng You had a meal alone with the two of them, and she felt a bit awkward.
Lin Sao glanced outside and muttered, "The snow is really heavy. I wonder if Qi Yang will still come."
Cheng You exclaimed with surprise, "Sister is coming too?"
Qi Yang had been away on a business trip for some time, and they hadn't seen each other for a while.
"She just returned. I called her, but I don't know if she'll come."
As soon as Song Qinglan finished speaking, she heard a knock on the door.
Lin Sao quickly ran out with a smile.
"It must be Qi Yang."
Cheng You took a couple of steps and waited by the door, not stepping into the courtyard.
Before long, she saw Qi Yang appear with a man.
Cheng You was stunned. Wasn't this the man who was with the scarred man last time?
She glanced back; Song Qinglan's expression was not good.
Qi Yang appeared calm and walked in, holding the man's hand.
"Dad, Mom, I've brought Xu Boyan to meet you."
Xu Boyan said in a deep voice, "Uncle and Aunt, I hope you are well."
Cheng You had vaguely heard about Qi Yang's situation. She was older and unmarried, not because she was a staunch supporter of singlehood or anything like that.
It was because she had someone in her heart, and they were forced apart in that turbulent era.
Later, Xu Boyan was transferred to the southwest, which was not much different from being sent down to the countryside.
At that time, many people were watching the Qi family, so Qi Yang couldn't refuse even if she wanted to.
Song Qinglan took a few deep breaths. She had accepted Cheng You, so as long as Xu Boyan wasn't too bad, it was fine.
She wasn't short of money; she could just give Qi Yang more financial support later.
With that thought, she gestured for them to come in.
"Lin Sao, add a few more dishes, and bring out the red wine I bought earlier."
Qi Yang's eyes widened in surprise. She had expected Song Qinglan to object.
Given her mother's personality, it would be abnormal if she didn't put the prospective son-in-law through at least eighty-one trials.
"What are you waiting for? Come in and sit down. We haven't seen Boyan for a while either. Let's sit and chat."
Qi Yang and Xu Boyan exchanged a glance and then sat down side by side.
Song Qinglan playfully chided them, "Looking at you two, one would think I'm a terrible person."
Qi Yang smiled flatteringly, "Mom, you're certainly not terrible. It's just that I'm afraid Boyan won't meet your expectations."
Song Qinglan rolled her eyes at her, "Then you should thank your sister-in-law. It was she who made me realize that character, ability, and background are unrelated."
Speaking of Cheng You, Qi Yang smiled and introduced, "A Yan is at the front lines. This is my sister-in-law, Cheng You. It's your first time meeting her, isn't it?"
Xu Boyan smiled slightly, "Comrade Cheng You and I have already met. You could say we got off on the wrong foot."
Mo Zi still felt indignant when he remembered how Cheng You and the other two women had tricked him last time.
Cheng You nodded with a smile, "I thought we would be strangers we'd never meet again, but who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, he'd become my brother-in-law? It truly is fate."
Lin Sao arrived with the charcoal.
"The charcoal is ready, Teacher Song. I'll bring it over."
Their table was specifically designed for barbecue. A large section in the middle was sunken to accommodate the charcoal stove.
The grill net was large, allowing for a lot of meat to be cooked at once.
Song Qinglan had also asked Lin Sao to prepare plenty of meat; there was a large plate of beef alone.
"Let's all pitch in. Grill your own and eat. There's plenty of meat."
Cheng You first placed a few mushrooms on the grill. She loved the sweet and delicious taste of grilled mushrooms.
Qi Yang had intended to ask her to go to the Forbidden City in a couple of days. The Forbidden City after a snowfall would surely be beautiful.
Cheng You felt regretful, "I plan to go back to my hometown tomorrow. You and brother-in-law should go."
Song Qinglan felt it was somewhat inappropriate to hear her call him brother-in-law repeatedly.
"Since you two are back together, do you have any plans for when you'll get married? Especially Boyan, are you still in the army?"
If he had been transferred back, Qi Shengwen would surely know.
Xu Boyan said solemnly, "I retired from the army several years ago and started a transportation company."
Song Qinglan was not entirely satisfied, but she couldn't stop Qi Yang from liking him.
"Then do you have any thoughts on when you'll get married? You're both not young anymore. You should consider it soon."
If she couldn't pressure Cheng You, she could still pressure Qi Yang.
Qi Yang smiled and nodded, "We've already made plans. We intend to get our marriage certificate sometime soon and finalize our lifelong commitment before the end of the year."
Song Qinglan nodded in satisfaction, "Then let's book the wedding banquet at Dong Shun Lou. Cheng You is familiar with the place, and the food is good."
Cheng You naturally had no objections. The place was spacious and suitable for holding a banquet.
"By the way," Song Qinglan looked at Cheng You, "Has your return to your hometown been confirmed? Is anyone accompanying you?"
"I'll go back by myself."
It was just a trip back to her hometown; most students traveled back and forth like this.
Song Qinglan shook her head, "That won't do. If something happens to you on the road, what then?"
But she had to handle Qi Yang's wedding arrangements and couldn't accompany Cheng You back to the countryside.
"Let Li Qin accompany you," Qi Shengwen pondered.
Cheng You couldn't refuse and accepted their kindness.
With Li Qin, she wouldn't need to take the train. Li Qin could just drive back to Wujing Village.
At the dinner table, they discussed Xu Boyan's transportation company.
Cheng You asked, "Brother-in-law, what kind of goods do you usually transport?"
Xu Boyan chuckled, "It varies. Whatever the client needs. It could be anything, or perhaps special products from different regions."
For example, buying seafood from coastal cities and transporting it back would naturally reduce costs.
"My family has a general store. Perhaps we'll have an opportunity to cooperate later."
Especially since the general store's business had been good recently, Qin Jianzhong was already looking for a larger storefront.
Xu Boyan readily agreed, "Alright. I'll stop by your store next time."
Qi Yang looked confused, "Xiao Youzi, how come I've never heard about your family having a general store?"
"It's my maternal grandfather's family store. I've also invested in it. We mainly sell dried goods, quite a variety."
By the end of the meal, the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.
Qi Yang had prepared herself to be scolded by Song Qinglan, but the outcome was beyond her expectations.
Before they left, Qi Shengwen finally remembered what he wanted to say.
"Boyan, when are you returning to Yancheng?"
Xu Boyan replied, "A couple of days ago."
He had been trying to inquire about his family members recently but had found nothing.
Qi Shengwen said gravely, "Your father has already passed away. Are you aware of this?"
This news was like a bolt from the blue for Xu Boyan.
The southwest was remote and poorly connected for information.
Coupled with his family's political status, he faced many restrictions.
Naturally, he had no way of knowing.
"Uncle Qi..."
Qi Shengwen's jaw tightened, and he looked at him with a deep gaze.
"Not only that, but your elder brother and sister-in-law also..."