Chapter 352: Suitcases and Smiles: First Impressions at the Family Villa

“You’re leaving so soon? I was hoping to have a meal and a few drinks with you before you go.”

Hearing Zhou Can was heading back to the provincial capital today, Cheng Dazhuang felt a twinge of reluctance.

“There’ll be plenty of opportunities in the future! If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”

“Alright, get back to it!”

After receiving Zhou Can’s advice, Cheng Dazhuang finally felt grounded. Quietly, his fate started to shift.

He’d gone from giving up on his studies to throwing himself into hard work, rediscovering his fighting spirit. All thanks to the confidence Zhou Can had given him.

His status at the hospital had risen sharply as well—another change brought about by Zhou Can.

To run into such a benefactor even once in a lifetime was a rare stroke of luck for Cheng Dazhuang. But good fortune alone isn’t enough; you’ve got to seize the opportunity with your own hands.

Otherwise, if you’re just a pile of useless clay, no amount of powerful connections will save you.

After reaching the hotel, Zhou Can mentioned that his parents had invited Su Qianqian home for lunch. She looked happy and a little nervous—this was her first official meeting with his parents.

“Honey, do you think this outfit is alright for meeting your family?”

She pulled out a set of casual clothes and showed them to Zhou Can, waiting for his opinion.

Before Zhou Can could respond, she shook her head and vetoed it herself.

With a sigh she muttered, “No, no, I should dress more formally.” Then she brought out an elegant dress meant for important occasions. “Would this look too over the top? I don’t want your parents to think I’m putting on airs or showing off.”

Just like that, Su Qianqian found herself tangled up over which outfit to choose.

Watching her, Zhou Can could barely hold back his laughter.

“Just go with those casual clothes, they’re comfortable and look nice. It’s only a family meal—no other guests except my uncle.”

If he didn’t help her decide now, she’d probably still be picking by nightfall.

In a way, all this fuss showed how much she cared. She’d racked her brains to make a good impression.

By the time she’d finally changed and finished her makeup, it was nearly eleven o’clock.

He had to admit, getting ready is a real ordeal for women.

Just makeup, choosing an outfit, and picking accessories could eat up an hour or two.

Su Qianqian was already a natural beauty, but with a bit of skillful makeup and several elegant pieces of jewelry, she looked breathtaking. Truly the kind of beauty that would make flowers shy and fish dive.

Zhou Can’s mother had already called.

“Son, did you pick up Qianqian? Where are you two now?”

“We’re on the road, about ten minutes away!”

The hotel where they stayed wasn’t far from his home.

Truth is, the county town was tiny. From east end to west, you could drive across it in half an hour.

Wei Fang was at the wheel of the BMW, with Zhou Can and Su Qianqian in the back.

Soon, the car slid smoothly past the gates of his villa.

This time, compared to a few days ago, the official seals on the gates had been removed. Zhou Can had the villa’s gate key on him, so he simply pressed the remote and the gates swung open.

Rolling into the driveway, they saw three cars parked in the garage.

The black Mercedes was Boss Zhou’s ride—a business car, necessary for meetings and negotiations. Even so, it was already covered in dust. When their family’s property was frozen, it seemed even the car wasn’t spared.

The white Audi beside it was his mother’s.

It, too, wore a thick jacket of dust.

And the third, a Toyota Prado, belonged to his uncle.

His uncle just loved driving that beast of a car—like a tank stomping down the road.

Judging by the fresh tire marks, his uncle must’ve arrived not long before them.

“Wow, your villa is huge!”

“Yeah, it’s one of the biggest in town for both the house and garden. My dad’s crazy about real estate. He always said, if you buy a house, get the biggest. He even got the developer to put in a pool. The same thing with the factory—when he bought land, he went for the best plots and biggest area.”

Zhou Can chuckled.

Walking into the villa really did give off an impressive, grand feeling.

“If I ever get rich, I want to buy a place like this in the city, pool and all. Just looking at it, it’s gotta be six or seven hundred square meters, right?”

Sitting in the car, Su Qianqian peeked out, curiosity and admiration sparkling in her eyes.

“The official papers say it’s just over four hundred, but the real usable area is over eight hundred. Big houses like this do have downsides—property fees aren’t cheap, cleaning’s a nightmare, and it can feel pretty empty. Maybe if you give me a soccer team of kids it’d be worth it, otherwise we might as well get something smaller.”

Zhou Can shared his thoughts.

“Yeah right! A whole pack of kids? I’m not a baby-making machine!” Su Qianqian protested, but deep down she loved the idea of raising children in a villa as happy as this.

“Come on, at least two or three, right?”

Zhou Can did like kids. His ideal was at least a couple.

“Wei Fang, just park in the fourth spot in the garage.”

The villa was so big the garage could handle four cars. For guests, there was room for four more outside—no trouble parking up to eight vehicles.

The backyard was even bigger than the front.

No sooner had they stepped out than Zhou Can’s mother appeared at the steps, beaming from ear to ear.

Apart from Zhou Can’s parents, he was the only one with the keys to the main gate.

“Mom, this is your future daughter-in-law, Su Qianqian!”

Zhou Can grinned as he introduced his girlfriend.

Su Qianqian gave his hand a quick squeeze and blushed shyly.

Zhou Can never did things the standard way; announcing her as his future daughter-in-law made Su Qianqian feel sweet and a little embarrassed all at once.

After all, this was her very first formal meeting with his mother.

“Hello, Auntie!”

She’d seen plenty of big scenes before, so even though she felt shy, she carried herself with grace, smiling politely as she greeted his mom.

“What a lovely girl! My son’s told me all about you—you’re even prettier in person. Come in, Qianqian, make yourself at home. No need to be nervous here.”

Zhou Can’s mother smiled warmly, reaching out to take Su Qianqian’s hand.

She was a businesswoman in her own right.

She was amazingly approachable and great at conversation. Plenty of the family’s business came from her connections.

“Mom, this is our driver, Wei Fang.”

“Hello, Miss Wei Fang! Please, come in and sit down.”

His mother greeted the driver with a smile.

Zhou Can hadn’t said Wei Fang was Su Qianqian’s driver, only that she was someone they’d both hired.

A man is the bridge between his family and his partner.

If a man is emotionally smart and knows how to ease tensions between wife and parents, everyone ends up getting along.

If a guy is just blindly obedient to his parents and never has his own say, his wife will start resenting it, and trouble’s sure to follow.

On the flip side, if he spoils his wife and ignores his parents, that’ll upset the folks too.

To his wife, she’ll always feel like the outsider. If her in-laws nitpick her from time to time, she’ll start to think they’re picking on her, and then all the family drama erupts.

So really, whether a family is harmonious depends a lot on the man’s attitude.

Of course, if the man’s moved in with the in-laws, then it’s up to the woman to make it work.

If possible, living separately from the parents—close enough for comfort but not on top of each other—is ideal.

What’s that mean? ‘A bowl of soup away’—

Close enough that when you make soup, you can bring it over while it’s still hot.

That’s the best kind of distance.

“Mom, these are gifts Qianqian picked out just for you and Dad. Can I leave them by your bedroom door?”

Zhou Can grabbed the gifts he’d prepared from the car.

It’s a big mistake for a future daughter-in-law to visit her boyfriend’s parents empty-handed.

Anyone with a bit of social savvy knows to bring a gift.

Even a bag of fruit is better than walking in with nothing.

“Oh, just having you here is what makes us happiest. You really didn’t have to buy gifts, Qianqian—you’re too thoughtful!”

“I just hope Uncle and Auntie like them, they’re nothing much. Your house is gorgeous, are those rosewood furniture pieces?” Su Qianqian’s social skills shone—she was a celebrity, after all.

Without enough smarts and savvy, you’d never survive in her line of work.

With just a few words, she moved the conversation along.

That way things wouldn’t get awkward.

If you fuss over gifts too much, the chat could get dull fast.

“Haha, good eye, Qianqian—these were custom ordered from the coast.” As they chatted, everyone headed to the living room.

His uncle’s family was already there, sipping tea.

As soon as they walked in, all eyes naturally fell on Su Qianqian.

After all, she was soon to be the Zhou family’s new daughter-in-law. Everyone was curious about her looks and what she did for a living.

“Son, go greet your uncle and aunt!”

Zhou Can’s mom nudged him.

“Uncle! Aunt! Cousin! Sis-in-law!”

Zhou Can went over and greeted them all.

“Haha, you’re getting more handsome by the day! We heard you have a girlfriend, so we came by to check for ourselves.”

His uncle laughed, heaping praise on Zhou Can.

“This kid always said there was no rush while your dad and I worried sick. We kept telling him, ‘Your cousin’s kid could practically shop alone by now!’ Well, finally he’s brought someone home, so we can stop fussing!”

That got everyone laughing hard.

“Hello Uncle! Hello Aunt!…”

Su Qianqian was the picture of etiquette: composed, calm, and smiling as she greeted his uncle’s family.

“Such a beautiful girl! Zhou Can, you’d better cherish her!”

His uncle nodded to her, then gave Zhou Can a reminder.

“Of course! It’s a blessing for me if Qianqian is willing to marry me. Plus, our family’s got a tradition—every man treats his wife with respect and kindness. Just look at Dad and you—you both dote on your wives. And judging by Sis-in-law’s happy smile, my cousin must treat her well too. When it’s my turn, I promise not to let us down!”

Zhou Can took the chance to praise not just his uncle, but his cousin and father as well.

They say cousins are closer than distant relatives.

Zhou Can was tight with his uncle’s kids. With his third aunt’s side—not so much. Mostly just a smile and a quick chat at holidays.

“Haha, listen to Zhou Can—smooth talker! No wonder he won a beauty’s heart!” His aunt was clearly pleased as could be, flashing her two silver crowns when she smiled.

Time waits for no one. His uncle and aunt were pushing sixty, and the years were beginning to show.

Time’s blade carves its deepest lines on his aunt.

She’d lost at least two teeth, and even heavy foundation couldn’t hide the wrinkles on her face. As for her hair, it was jet black—everyone knew why.

Every woman loves beauty—even as they age, they’ll dye their hair to keep it young.

There are two things women fear most: being ugly, and growing old.

A lot of women think getting old means turning ugly. But really, some age with poise, inner strength, a good heart, and enough means to live gracefully. Even as time passes, they remain elegant and beautiful.

We all move through different phases, and each brings its own changes. There’s no need to fear getting older.

There’s no sense in worrying about it anyway.

Time is the one thing that’s fair to all—it slips by quietly, and nothing can stop it.

At that moment, Zhou Can’s father returned home.

“Sorry, there was something I had to handle at the factory. I’m late.”

“Dad! This is my girlfriend, Qianqian.”

Zhou Can hurriedly introduced her.

Su Qianqian greeted him with a gentle smile. “Hello Uncle Zhou!”

“Wonderful, wonderful! I’ll be honest, the moment I saw you, I thought a fairy had come down from the moon palace! Don’t be shy, Qianqian—take a seat, treat this like home.”

Boss Zhou couldn’t hide his joy. His son had finally brought a future daughter-in-law home.

“Uncle Zhou, you’re too funny!”

Su Qianqian couldn’t help but laugh. At least so far, she was getting along great with Zhou Can’s family—the mood was warm and lively.

After greeting Su Qianqian, Boss Zhou also said hello to his brother and sister-in-law.

Once introductions were done, everyone sat down and dove into conversation.

“Zhou Can, I heard you landed a job at Tuyu Hospital—nice going!”

As the oldest, his uncle had a strong presence.

Even at someone else’s house, he naturally steered the conversation.

“It’s nothing special. Right now I’m just a resident, so I guess you could call it an internship. Two thousand a month.”

Zhou Can answered modestly.

“Xiao Hai, aren’t you a health official? Give your cousin a hand if you can!”

His aunt, in truth, always loved to show off a little.

Nine out of ten women are a bit vain—only the degree is different.

It’s not just talk.

It’s rare to find a woman who doesn’t like to show off.

Everyone wants a little recognition. Get rich or make it big, and anyone would want to honor the family name.

Women love to compare and show off even more than men.

Bring home a new car, and she’ll be sure to compete with the neighbors. If her son gets into a top university, she’ll want the whole world to know.

That doesn’t necessarily make it a bad thing.

There’s an old saying—if you don’t return home in glory, it’s like sashaying around in fancy clothes with no one to see.

Zhou Can knew his cousin had become a civil servant. He’d also heard he was now an official in the county health department.