Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 12

After dinner, the guests gradually left, eventually leaving only the parents of both sides.

“It’s a shame Grand-Aunt couldn’t attend my wedding banquet,” Lin Ran whispered. “When I transferred schools, I stayed at her house. She passed away a few years ago due to a tumor, which is why my mom was so scared of tumors last time.”

Fu Linling patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Zhang Wu led her in-laws home to drop off their luggage and then warmly invited them to stroll around the neighborhood together.

Lin Ran found a chance to secretly show Zhang Wu the large gold bracelet: “This is what Fu-mama gave me. Do you have any family heirlooms?”

“I only have one heirloom, and that’s you,” Zhang Wu said, patting her shoulder. “It’s fine. I know what to do.”

Before going out, Zhang Wu took out a large red envelope and handed it to Fu Linling: “Little Fu, from now on, we’re family.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Fu Linling accepted it respectfully.

“You’ve taken the ‘name-change money,’ and you’re still calling her Auntie?” Fu-mama remarked from the side.

“It’s nothing, nothing. It’s completely normal for the children not to be used to it yet. Once they’re accustomed, they’ll call us what they want,” Zhang Wu said with a smile. “Come on, let’s go out and wander around.”

At the mall, Fu-mama spotted a dress, held it up to Lin Ran to compare the fit, and immediately bought it.

Zhang Wu insisted on paying, but Fu-mama’s phrase, “A gift for my daughter-in-law,” stopped her. So, Zhang Wu pulled Fu Linling away to pick things out, saying it was also a gift for her daughter-in-law.

Lin Ran and Fu Linling were dragged around trying on clothes the entire time, feeling both helpless and amused.

The two men, carrying large shopping bags, sat on a sofa discussing health and wellness.

They ate dinner out that night. Fu-mama noticed that Zhang Wu didn’t look well. Upon asking, she learned that Zhang Wu had recently had surgery, so she quickly prescribed a few herbal formulas for her to take for recovery.

After Zhang Wu learned that Fu-mama was a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), she enthusiastically inquired about various health conditions, wishing she could take her pulse right then and there. She then grabbed Lin Ran’s wrist: “Sister, please check Ran Ran’s health too.”

Fu-mama took Lin Ran’s pulse, put on the glasses hanging around her neck, and asked her to stick out her tongue: “Excessive liver fire and yin deficiency.”

“That is exactly right! She stays up late and eats spicy food, yet her hands and feet are always cold,” Zhang Wu confirmed.

“Many young people have this problem. I’ll write a few prescriptions. Just pay more attention to diet and sleep schedule. Yuan Yuan, you need to supervise her more,” Fu-mama instructed.

Lin Ran wanted to say that this wasn’t necessary, but she saw Fu Linling nod seriously: “Understood.”

“Also, Ran Ran, do you have irregular periods? Do you get menstrual cramps?”

“Mm… a little,” Lin Ran nodded slowly.

Fu-mama gave Fu Linling a knowing, half-smile: “Oh, so you were that ‘friend.'”

“What?”

“A while ago, Yuan Yuan told me a friend had menstrual cramps and asked me for a prescription. That was you, wasn’t it?” Fu-mama asked.

Lin Ran was startled. She looked at Fu Linling, who was staring down at her food, feigning distraction. Lin Ran smiled: “Yes, that was me. She already sent me the prescription, but I haven’t had time to get the herbs.”

“No need to get them. I’ll mail all the herbs to you tomorrow when I get back. Have Yuan Yuan prepare the decoction; she’s been able to do it since she was a child and nearly inherited my practice,” Fu-mama said.

Lin Ran gave Fu Linling a look of schadenfreude and then asked, “Why are you rushing back? Won’t you stay and enjoy yourselves for a couple more days?”

“No, the clinic can’t do without me. They’re all long-time patients, and they’ll panic if they can’t find me. If it weren’t for the fact that she was getting married, I wouldn’t have bothered to travel all this way,” Fu-mama explained.

After dinner, they went back to Lin Ran’s current home to collect the luggage.

They hadn’t had time to look around properly when they first arrived. Now, feeling full from dinner, they took a leisurely stroll around the house.

“These pieces hanging up are all paintings and calligraphy done by Ran Ran,” Zhang Wu said, leading her in-laws to the study for a visit.

Lin Ran felt a little embarrassed listening to her mother praise her, so she went into the bedroom to rummage for something. When she turned around, she saw Fu Linling standing at the doorway waiting for her.

“Come with me,” she beckoned with her finger.

Fu Linling followed her back to the living room and watched as she opened the tripod she was carrying. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“We never took wedding photos, did we?” Lin Ran said.

Only then did Fu Linling remember that formality. She said, “If you want to take them, we can go and make up for it.”

“I don’t want to. Why spend so much money on heavily edited photos that don’t even look like us? There’s no need. Just sit right there and don’t move.” Lin Ran fixed the camera onto the tripod, adjusted the parameters for Fu Linling’s spot, set the timer, and quickly sat down next to her.

“Smile.”

Fu Linling immediately tried to force a smile.

“So, we’ll just take an authentic picture at home to record the moment. After all, it’s our first wedding day,” Lin Ran said, getting up to check the photo. She shook her head. “No good. Your smile is too stiff. Let’s try another one.”

“Mm.” She hadn’t been ready just now; this time she would be fine.

The flash blinked repeatedly. Finally, a click sound fixed the image.

In the photo, Fu Linling’s hands rested on her knees, and she looked at the camera, her lips slightly curved—a very standard template for a registration photo.

Lin Ran, however, was slightly turned to the side, throwing up a peace sign, smiling sweetly, visibly happy.

How wonderful, Fu Linling thought.

The elders noticed them taking photos and loudly insisted on a group photo. After taking several group shots, Fu-mama suggested, “We’ll stand behind you as the background. You two take a picture kissing.”

“Huh?” Lin Ran paused.

“No,” Fu Linling rejected the suggestion. “It would be so awkward with you as the background.”

“What’s awkward about that? You’re married now. A kiss is perfectly normal,” Fu-mama said boisterously.

Fu Linling: “No, I’m shy.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

“Such a timid child,” Fu-mama laughed until she doubled over, poking her on the head.

Finally, Lin Ran created a small group chat and sent all the photos there.

It was getting late, so Fu Linling took her parents to her own house to rest.

Fu-mama walked around her house a few times and then pondered: “I’ve been holding it in for a long time. Now that no one else is here, I can finally ask you. Why are you two still living separately when you’re already married?”

Fu Linling was drinking water, unhurriedly preparing to explain the reason after she finished. However, her mother then questioned her sternly: “Fu Linling, be honest with me. Are you impotent?”

“Pfft—” Fu Linling choked and unexpectedly spat out the water.

All Fu-mama could do was say, “I’ll prescribe you some medicine.”