“Does this outfit look alright?” Guan Hui’e stood before the mirror.

Zhou Guobin answered the same question for the umpteenth time: “Yes, that one’s fine!”

“You’ve said every outfit is fine. Are you even looking properly?”

Sigh, why were women so troublesome? A usually straightforward comrade was now agonizing over what to wear. Zhou Guobin felt like his wife had been replaced with someone else.

Guan Hui’e normally didn’t wear makeup, but now she spent ages in front of the mirror, applying makeup only to feel it made her look too aggressive, and quickly washed it off.

Should she wear the pearl necklace?

Without it, she looked too plain, but with it, too showy.

Remembering the brooch Xia Xiaolan gave her on her first visit, Guan Hui’e dug through her jewelry box and found the jade dragonfly brooch. Less conspicuous than the pearl necklace, it looked just right on her coat.

“This should work…”

Since it was Xiaolan’s gift, wearing it wouldn’t seem like showing off, right?

“Sister Zeng, how does this look?”

Giving up on Zhou Guobin’s opinion, Guan Hui’e turned to Mrs. Zeng. Knowing Guan Hui’e was nervous, Mrs. Zeng thought about how approachable Xia Xiaolan was, even respectful to the Zhou family’s housekeeper – surely her mother would be similar.

“You look good in anything, but this particularly suits your complexion – dignified without being flashy.”

Mrs. Zeng’s words hit exactly what Guan Hui’e wanted – dignified but not ostentatious. Finally satisfied with her outfit, she turned to criticize Zhou Guobin’s plain old cadre style.

Zhou Guobin was forced to change clothes, and Guan Hui’e personally polished his leather shoes until they gleamed.

From 8 PM until nearly midnight, they finally selected their outfits for tomorrow.

But that wasn’t all – they still had to decide what gifts to bring to Xia Xiaolan’s home and rehearse possible scenarios with Zhou Guobin – the worst is having nothing to talk about with Liu Fen. What should she discuss with old Zhou then?

Guan Hui’e had faced various situations, but meeting the girl’s parents was truly a first.

Her son was too honest – never dating before meant she had no practice, and now he was heading straight for marriage… Guan Hui’e felt guilty about having been picky about Xia Xiaolan before. While Xia Xiaolan seemed unbothered, what if Liu Fen minded?

Seeing Zhou Cheng’s determination, it seemed he wouldn’t marry anyone if not Xia Xiaolan. Guan Hui’e didn’t want her son to remain single and feared ruining everything.

Meeting her future in-laws made her more nervous than meeting her in-laws years ago. Zhou Guobin started to say this but held his tongue, fearing she might confiscate the recently returned tea in her anger!

“Go to sleep. If you don’t rest now, you’ll meet Xiaolan’s mother with dark circles tomorrow.”

Thank heavens this worked – she finally agreed to turn off the lights!

…

As nervous as Guan Hui’e was, Liu Fen felt similarly.

Though training had distracted her, she ultimately had to face reality. Liu Fen wasn’t too concerned about clothing – she’d never been particularly appearance-conscious. She was unconsciously beautiful now but still saw herself as before, unconcerned with her improved looks. If not for running a clothing store requiring her to dress well, she wouldn’t have bought so many new clothes.

Saturday afternoon, Manager Wu delivered the TV and washing machine as promised. With the TV in the main room, Liu Fen felt slightly less anxious – if the conversation dried up with Zhou Cheng’s parents, they could watch TV!

Grandmother Yu thought this naive – who would watch TV during such an important meeting?

“The seafood’s soaked, and we’ve served abalone and sea cucumber before. Isn’t that grand enough? You should thank Mayor Tang for bringing these things to Xiaolan.”

Fortunately, he didn’t mind carrying them from Shangdu to Beijing.

These were considered prestigious dishes anytime. Grandmother Yu thought Xia Xiaolan’s only weakness was being from a single-parent family.

Having Xia Dajun as a father was worse than having none, but in parent meetings, single-parent families showed their disadvantage. While Liu Fen could talk with Zhou Cheng’s mother, who would entertain his father? A man in the house would be useful now – the in-laws could share drinks and build rapport.

Liu Fen’s divorce from Xia Dajun made such occasions awkward.

But nothing could be done – even inviting Tang Hong’en wouldn’t work. Liu Fen wouldn’t agree, and Grandmother Yu feared making things worse.

Ultimately, not only Liu Fen but Grandmother Yu was concerned – the Zhou family’s status was too good. While Xia Xiaolan was excellent and matched Zhou Cheng perfectly, like a golden couple, their family backgrounds differed significantly.

Grandmother Yu heard from Xia Xiaolan that the Zhou family was easy to get along with, but without seeing for herself, she wasn’t completely convinced.

What if Xia Xiaolan only shared the good news?

Only after seeing with her own eyes could she judge the Zhou family’s attitude.

“With abalone and sea cucumber, plus two braised dishes and two side dishes, that’s plenty lavish.”

Not all dishes could be stir-fried – those would get cold if prepared early. While cooking right before Zhou Cheng’s parents arrived would ensure the best taste, Liu Fen shouldn’t greet guests smelling of cooking. Grandmother Yu suggested steamed and braised dishes plus two cold appetizers that could be prepared in advance. The stove would keep things warm, braised dishes wouldn’t cool, and Liu Fen could present herself properly.

Liu Fen nodded firmly.

“Without your advice, I wouldn’t know what to do…”

Xia Xiaolan watched them both fretting, whispering about menu planning and saw how her mother’s casual words delighted Grandmother Yu.

It was like they balanced each other – Grandmother Yu thought her mother simply yet worried for her.

Hard to tell if the clever one was managing the simple one, or if the simple one was cleverly managing the clever one… quite puzzling. Xia Xiaolan coughed twice, “Mom, shouldn’t you sleep early to get up tomorrow?”

Xia Xiaolan would stay to help, even pausing training for half a day.

The future employees, exhausted from Grandmother Yu’s etiquette training torturing their bodies and Xia Xiaolan’s training taxing their minds, couldn’t believe both their tormentors gave them a day off.

What could Xia Xiaolan say – that her boyfriend’s parents were visiting?

Initially, Xia Xiaolan hadn’t taken it too seriously – just parents sharing a meal. Now, influenced by Liu Fen’s anxiety, she worried too: Zhou Guobin’s quietness aside, what if her mother and Guan Hui’e didn’t get along?!