“Get in the car.” Yang Ming nodded helplessly. Yang Ming couldn’t refuse Zhou Jiajia’s request.

Yang Ming was seated in the front passenger seat. Zhou Jiajia and Song Yu sat behind. Yang Ming asked the two girls at the back after getting in the car, “Where are you both going?”

“Drop us right at the Red Flag High School. We can go from there,” said Zhou Jiajia.

“Okay.” Yang Ming nodded and said to the driver, “Sir, first go to Red Flag High School, then go to the Song Jiang Bus Factory Workers Area.”

“Okay, no problem.” The driver nodded and started the car.

In the car, Zhou Jiajia didn’t talk to Yang Ming anymore. She was whispering to Song Yu. Yang Ming didn’t take the initiative to chat with them. After arriving at Red Flag High School, the two of them got out from the car.

Yang Ming returned home and his parents were busy cooking. Before returning, Yang Ming had already called and said that he would be back for a meal. Therefore, Yang Dahai went to the supermarket to buy some fresh food in advance and started cooking it with Mother Yang.

Not only was Yang Ming enrolled in the university, he was able to make money on his own. The family had also won a lottery. Therefore, there was a decent amount of savings. Yang Dahai no longer had to be as frugal as he used to be. At least, now the wages from the two of them were sufficient to subsidize their household expenses.

“Dad and mom, why have such a luxurious meal? A simple meal would do! No need to cook extra!” Yang Ming took off his coat, washed his hands and went into the kitchen to help his parents with the cooking.

“Big Ming, you don’t have to help. I will settle it with your dad. The meat is just fried. You should eat some first!” Mother Yang handed a pair of clean chopsticks to Yang Ming.

“Mom, I am not hungry. What else is there to be done? I will help out.” Yang Ming left the chopsticks on the table and didn’t rush to eat.

“Big Ming is right. He is already a grown-up, and he should learn some housework!” Yang Dahai nodded and said, “After Yang Ming marries his wife, we can’t always have us to serve them anyway!”

“Why not?” Mother Yang didn’t mind. “How many young people would know how to do housework? Chen Mengyan is also the only child in her family. Once she’s married to Big Ming, I will go over and serve them!”

“Look at what you said. The young couple is living together. Aren’t you going to be a third wheel by going over?” Yang Dahai said with a smile, “When the children want to eat ready-made food, they will just have to let us know in advance. We will prepare it at our home. They can come back for a meal, and return after eating.”

“That’s right too. Why not have Yang Ming and Chen Mengyan to come home daily just to have a meal after their marriage?” As Mother Yang talked about her son getting married, she felt reluctant and wanted to see her son every day.

Yang Ming listened to his parents and felt that their conversations became more and more outrageous. He quickly coughed and interrupted, “Dad and mom, I am a first-year student. I am still far from marriage. What are you all blindly worrying about?”

“How is that far? Don’t think that I don’t know you, young people, once I am old! Now there are news reports in newspapers and on TV, as well as many colleagues’ children who have gone to university. They all told me that it was common for university couples to rent a home to live together outside!” Mother Yang said, “Big Ming, you can rest assured that your mother is not some closed-minded and stubborn old woman. I won’t interfere in these matters!”

“Mom, the more you speak, the more ridiculous it becomes!” Even though Yang Ming said so, he thought in his heart, Lan Ling and I have lived together long ago. I just haven’t said anything to the family.

“Yes, Big Ming. How’s your progress with Chen Mengyan? When are you bringing her to visit us? Didn’t we agreed to it last time?” asked Mother Yang.

“This… let’s talk about it later.” Yang Ming was a little awkward. His recent relationship with Chen Mengyan was rather tense. Even if he had invited her, she might not agree to it.

“How can it be delayed again? Big Ming, your mom was once young, and I know some of your things too! You all are children in the 90’s. It isn’t rare to have a relationship in university. Many children had begun to fall in love since junior high school!” Mother Yang said, “Sister Wang in our community went to rent a house to stay with her male classmate. The two people’s affairs were 80% set!”

“Well, if I have the opportunity, I will bring her back!” Yang Ming had no choice but to speak to his mom perfunctorily. But he also understood his mother’s mood now! Yes, most of the parents in the country share the same thoughts with them. They will still worry about their children’s future from the time they were born, regardless of their age.

From kindergarten to preschool, they would plan a bright future for them. They would send them to a famous elementary school and a prestigious junior high school so that they get admitted to a good senior high school. Finally, the parents hope that they would go to university! After university, it was about looking for a job and a wife and child!

Yang Ming had now successfully gotten himself enrolled in a top university in his country, and he didn’t have to worry about his future career. Therefore, Mother Yang had her eyes on her son’s lifelong marriage!

Even though Yang Ming could understand his mother, his situation now was a bit special! He would never give up Lan Ling, but Chen Mengyan… after all, was still the first girl whom he really fell in love with after his first love with Su Ya. He didn’t want to give up on her either! So, the question was whether Chen Mengyan could accept himself and Lan Ling!

Yang Ming didn’t think that the girls, in reality, would be like the girls in the online novels, allowing their boyfriends to have three wives and even helping them to find other girlfriends! Every girl in the present was assertive so it would be difficult for Chen Mengyan to accept himself.

During the conversation, Yang Dahai put the last dish of sweet and sour carp [1] on the table and said, “Okay, it’s time for our meal.”

Yang Ming took out the rice bowls from the cupboard, scooped three bowls of rice and placed them on the table. Mother Yang had also prepared the tableware. The family of three sat around the big table and enjoyed their meal happily.

However, this warm moment was interrupted by sudden telephone ringing! Mother Yang got up and answered the phone. Yang Ming and Yang Dahai also put down their chopsticks and waited for Mother Yang to come back before continuing to eat.

“What? Yang Li, calm down!” Mother Yang’s voice carried over. “Don’t worry, your second aunt is listening! Okay, you wait for a minute. I will find your second uncle to answer the phone!” She shouted as she finished saying the sentence, “Dahai, come over and pick up the phone!”

In fact, Yang Dahai and Yang Ming had already stood up and was ready to go even if Mother Yang didn’t shout for them. From Mother Yang’s abnormal tone, they could both hear that something was wrong on the other end of the phone!

Yang Dahai quickly took the call, “Yang Li, your second uncle is here. Why are you looking for me?”

“Second Uncle, my father was kidnapped!” Yang Li’s panicked voice was heard over the phone.

“Big Brother was kidnapped?” Yang Dahai was stunned and asked, “What happened? Who kidnapped him?”

“I don’t know. Dad didn’t come back last night. My mom and I thought that my father was socializing outside, so we didn’t care. However, he didn’t contact us up until this evening. When we called his cell phone, it was turned off.” Yang Li continued, “Not long after that, our family received a phone call from a stranger, claiming that my father was in his hands! He said that my father was safe now, but he warned us not to call the police. Otherwise, he would kill my father!”

“Then did you call the police?” Yang Dahai asked quickly.

“No, we didn’t dare to!” Yang Li said, “My mother was scared to the point that she sat on the bed paralyzed. I have no idea what to do either, so I called you to see what we should do…”

“Yang Li, you wait at home. We will come over right away. We will speak again after we meet!” Yang Dahai said quickly as he knew that communicating over the phone might not be entirely clear.

“Okay, hurry up!” said Yang Li.

Because Yang Li was panicking and the house phone’s speaker was louder, Yang Ming could hear everything clearly. He knew that his uncle was kidnapped and sighed slightly. This cousin would only think of calling his home in this kind of situation! But no matter what, they were relatives. Yang Ming couldn’t leave them by themselves. Even if he didn’t want to care about it, his father wouldn’t sit and watch.

So, Yang Ming didn’t say anything. He dressed and went downstairs with his parents. They hailed a taxi and went straight to Yang Li’s home.

Yang Li opened the door. At this moment, Yang Li didn’t have her usual sense of arrogance. She was standing aside with an anxious face. Yang Ming’s aunt was sitting on the sofa with a pale face at the moment. When she saw that Yang Ming and the rest came, she could barely show a smile to them, and then it was replaced by a gloomy face.

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Let’s find a solution together!” Mother Yang quickly walked over and sat next to the aunt, comforting her.

“Yang Li, tell me the situation.” Yang Ming didn’t want his aunt to be sad. Even though Yang Li and his uncle weren’t kind to him, his aunt had always been caring for him. When he got enrolled in the university, his aunt secretly stuffed him with a thousand yuan as allowance. So, if he were to ignore everything else, Yang Ming had decided to help in this situation because of his aunt.