Chapter 58: Do you want your sister to be a leftover woman?
Third Aunt Li Xuelian immediately furrowed her brows and said, "Xiaodong, how can you speak like that? Without your parents, it’s our duty as elders to take care of you. Xiaoru is already of age, other girls her age are mothers by now, and she doesn’t even have a partner. How can we not be anxious?"
Without waiting for everyone to speak, Third Aunt Li Xuelian glanced at Shen Ping and said, "Especially someone like Deputy Director Shen, young and promising—he’s as hard to find as if you were looking with a lantern at noon. If we had daughters in our family instead of boys, we would want to marry them off to him. Xiaodong, you must not take our good intentions for granted."
Song Xiaodong’s mouth twitched slightly as he said, "Such good intentions indeed."
At this point, Second Auntie also chimed in, "Xiaodong, I know you remember the past, when everyone was struggling and couldn’t provide for you two properly, but now that we are slightly better off, isn’t it natural that we think of you when good opportunities arise?"
Whether Second Auntie’s words were genuine or not, at least they sounded agreeable. Plus, under the table, Song Xiaoru had been secretly tugging at Song Xiaodong’s clothes. Song Xiaodong managed a smile and said, "In that case, I really do have to thank my uncles and aunties for their kindness."
Third Aunt lifted her chin and said, "Since I am your aunt, I must speak up about what I see is wrong. Xiaodong, not to criticize you, but since you’ve returned from the military where you had your fair share of training, you should now focus on working hard. Look at how you dress, knowing you were going out to eat, yet you dress so casually."
Song Xiaodong looked down at his clothes and said, "Isn’t this quite alright?"
Third Aunt frowned and said, "It might be fine for normal occasions, but when you go out, you should pay attention to etiquette. Look, Deputy Director Shen, he’s the Street Director now, but he’ll soon be Director. Without mentioning other prospects, becoming a district or county head wouldn’t be hard for him. You’ll be his brother-in-law; you can’t shame him, can you?"
Song Xiaodong frowned and said, "Third Aunt, that’s where you are wrong. He is who he is, and I am who I am. Whatever I do, other than considering my sister’s feelings, I don’t need to care about anyone else’s face. And besides, you’re really looking down on my sister. Just for the sake of a minor Street Deputy Director, you want to sell off my sister? I won’t stand for that."
Second Auntie scolded with a stern face, "Xiaodong, your words are inappropriate. What do you mean ’sell off your sister’? We’re merely introducing her to a potential partner. Whether it works out is up to them."
Third Aunt’s face turned unpleasant as she said, "You little troublemaker, I haven’t seen any improvement in you, but you’ve certainly become quite arrogant. Just a ’minor deputy director’, do you think these official positions are easy to hold? You try being one then."
Song Xiaodong retorted irritably, "I have no interest in becoming one."