The conversation between the two was interrupted by a few classmates who suddenly appeared. After getting the certificate, Rosie dragged Jennie to a nearby cafe.
“Cappuccino and a slice of black forest cake, you buy it.” Once they entered the cafe, Rosie prompted Jennie without a trace of politeness.
“Alright, big sister, is there anything else?” Jennie cooperated harmoniously.
“That’s all for now, this big sister will add some more after finishing those.” Rosie shook her head like a tsundere, then went to find a seat inside.
Jennie smiled and went to the front desk to buy cakes and coffee.
Rosie took a sip of her coffee and swept a glance to the black coffee in front of Jennie. She frowned, “How can you drink black coffee, so bitter ah.”
Jennie blanked, then soon gave a respond. After going abroad, she was too busy because of her study and work, she often stayed up late to catch up with her design draft, so she developed the habit of drinking black coffee. But she remembered that the Jennie right now didn’t like drinking it.
“I haven’t slept well recently, this is just right to spike me up.” Jennie casually searched for an excuse.
“Uncle and auntie didn’t agree.” Rosie guessed.
“It wasn’t that they disagree, just that they’re still considering it.”
“Consider? When did uncle and aunt ever ‘consider’ your decision and not just support you wholeheartedly? If they’re considering it, then that means they disagree.”
Rosie’s envy was that Jennie has a pair of liberal and democratic-minded parents, unlike her hard-headed parents.
“They will agree.” Jennie answered confidently.
“There’s no use even if they don’t agree since you already got your marriage certificate.” Rosie said in ridicule.
“That’s right.” Jennie suddenly remembered that Lisa also seemed to have said something similar last night, and at once, she can’t hold back the laughter from her mouth.
“You’re still laughing?” Rosie reminded her, “Seriously, Lisa is autistic, does she even know what marriage is? Marriage isn’t just a sudden impulse to get certificate, although your husband’s looks is good, but then you have to spend the rest of your life with her together. And after that, you guys will have children…ah, does she know how to have children?”
“Rosie!” Jennie glared at her friend with a huff, at first, she’s still talking about serious things, how come it got more and more outrageous the more she talked.
“You guys…did it yet?” As soon as her thoughts deviated, how could it turn back? Rosie wasn’t afraid of Jennie glaring at her as her words became more explicit.
“What are you thinking about?!”
“Ahh, you haven’t.” With just a glance at Jennie’s look, Rosie already knew that the newly-married couple was still pure and indistinguishable from a white paper.
“No, I have to check. If that autistic person can’t do that, you should leave her as soon as possible uh.” Saying this, Rosie really grabbed her phone and start checking.
“You- enough!” Jennie was feeling ashamed and angry as she grabbed Rosie’s phone.
“Okay, okay, won’t tease you anymore.” Rosie saw Jennie became anxious and stopped teasing her. “When are you planning to hold the wedding?”
“Maybe… it won’t be held.” Jennie said hesitantly.
“Also, after all, there’s an old person that recently died.”
Rosie nodded in understanding.
When referring to Grandma Manoban, Jennie couldn’t help but glanced at the jade bracelet on her wrist.
“The bracelet on your hand was given by Grandma Manoban?” Rosie noticed Jennie’s expression and guessed.
“En.” Jennie nodded her head.
“This bracelet doesn’t look cheap ah, looks like the elderly was satisfied with the granddaughter-in-law.”
Although Rosie didn’t understand jade, but this kind of flowing water jade, as long as it’s genuine, the price was definitely not low. Jennie only smiled silently.
“By the way, how about Lisa’s parents’ attitude with you?” Rosie asked again, “Aren’t you going to study abroad next month? Will her family agree with you going?”
“I… won’t study abroad.” Jennie answered.
“You’re not going?” Rosie frowned, “You even gave up studying abroad for Lisa?”
“It’s not for Lisa, I myself don’t want to go anymore. I thought about it and decided to open a studio with you.”
Jennie originally wanted to talk with Rosie about it, so she took the chance as Rosie asked. She and Rosie both studied footwear design, but in the second half of her senior year, when they were about to graduate, she and Rosie made completely different choices. She applied for a post-graduate degree from SG design institute and intended to continue her studies.
“You want to open a studio with me? Didn’t you say that it would be a loss to open a studio with us as unrecognized university graduates?”
Rosie was surprised. When she said she wanted to open a studio, Jennie tried to interrupt her. Rosie knew Jennie was being worried, but she didn’t care. Actually, she wanted to open the studio for fun, it didn’t matter if she loses money because her dad was rich.
“You said it yourself, if you lose money then you just lose money, anyway, your sister is rich uh.” Jennie said exaggeratedly.
In her past life, Rosie’s studio wasn’t very successful, and Rosie herself supported the studio with her own money. If it was before, Jennie naturally wouldn’t choose to open a studio with Rosie, but now she just wanted to do a job that she likes and spend the next four years in ease.
“I almost forgot, you’re married to a rich family now, of course you won’t lack money~”
“That’s right.” Jennie responded with a smile.
Actually, she had some savings. When she was in college, she sold several shoes design to some manufacturer, after the sum was deducted with her own spending, they amounted to three-four million. It’s enough to use it as an upfront investment for their studio.
“Then we should go see some rooms this afternoon, how about I make an appointment with the agent?” With Jennie’s joining in, Rosie immediately became full of energy.
“Okay.” Jennie readily agreed.
After school, Min Ho and her wife went to the market to buy vegetables together, then slowly walked home. When they were discussing whether to cook meat or fish for dinner, they suddenly found two people were standing upright in front of their door, carrying many gift boxes in their hands.
“Teacher Kim, Teacher Hyun.”
“Mr. Manoban, Mrs. Manoban?” Min Ho blanked for a moment, then realized the other party’s intention of coming to their house.
Although he and his wife somewhat can’t accept their daughter’s sudden marriage, they still can’t keep people outside their door.
“Teacher Kim, Teacher Hyun, regarding the marriage between Lisa and Jennie, our Manoban family has been rude.” As soon as they entered, Gong Yo apologized first.
“Mr. Manoban doesn’t need to do this, Jennie had told us that the marriage was her own decision.” Min Ho wasn’t an unreasonable person as this matter wasn’t the fault of the Manoban family, instead, it was their own family’s daughter that married herself out.
Gong Yo and his wife looked at each other, both of them knew clearly that although Min Ho said it politely, he was actually reluctant to marry his daughter to Lisa. They knew about this point, and they had already prepared their hearts prior to coming here.
“Teacher Kim, Teacher Hyun, in fact, we’re here today to formally discuss our children’s marriage.” Go Eun said.
“How do you want to discuss it?” Min Ho frowned.
“Teacher Kim, Teacher Hyun.” Go Eun said sincerely, “ About this marriage, I know that our Lisa is unworthy for your Jennie, if Jennie was my daughter, I also won’t agree to marry her to an autistic husband. However, I’m Lisa’s mother, in my innermost heart and selfishness, I really wish for this wedding to continue. And so, we’re here today to seek your consent for our Lisa.”
Seeking the approval of the woman’s parents should be done by the groom-self, but Lisa was an autistic patient, it was impossible for her to do it, so Manoban’s family’s couple can only come themselves.
By chance, this point was what Min Ho and her wife minded the most, but they still listened to them patiently.
“Lisa has autism, she lives in her own world and it was difficult for anyone to enter it, this is also the point that you’re worried about. But what we want to tell you is that inside Lisa’s world, there’s a place for Jennie.” Go Eun said, “Lisa’s grandma said this sentence in her sick bed, she said, Lisa’s world is really small, so small that it can only hold himself. But when she opens up for someone, that person will be her whole world. For our son, your daughter’s existence has this kind of meaning.”
“Of course we know that what we said have no power to convince you, hence we brought Lisa’s doctor with us. If it’s convenient for you, can you listen to his professional opinion?” Go Eun asked for their consent.
The doctor in charge of Lisa? Min Ho and her wife looked at each other, then agreed with Go Eun’s suggestion.
Lisa’s doctor, Professor Wang, was the leading figure in the field of Autism. In order to visit Kim family today, Gong Yo personally went to the hospital to invite him, and now, Professor Wang has been waiting inside the car.
Gong Yo went outside and invited Professor Wang in. After a brief greeting, Professor Wang didn’t rush to introduce Lisa’s condition, but instead, he put up a few videos regarding Lisa’s treatment.
In the first video, Lisa was still very young, she looked like she was seven or eight years old. She was sitting quietly in the chair while drawing pictures, very focused, she always ignored Professor Wang no matter how much the Professor wanted to communicate with her, until Professor Wang asked her, “Is the girl on the painting your friend?”
“Jennie.” Lisa’s childish voice was clearly transmitted from the video.
In the second video, Lisa had grown a bit, she was about eleven or twelve years old. she was reading a comic book.
“Lisa, why do you suddenly want to read comic book?”
Lisa didn’t give a reaction.
“Is this comic book interesting?”
Lisa didn’t care.
“Who bought this book for you?”
Lisa replied after a moment passed, “Jennie.”
Later, two-three videos were played one after another, most of the content were familiar with each other: when Professor Wang had no way to communicate with Lisa, as long as she mentioned Jennie, Lisa would then give some responses.
Professor Wang later explained, “I have come across many children with autism. Some of them do not speak at all, some can’t even recognize their own family, a minority of them would express their desires, and very few of them have recovered to Lisa’s condition. Lisa’s recovery can be said as a miracle in the medical records that I studied, and it was because she almost recovered her ability to socialize.”
“Of course there’s still a gap between this ability with that of a normal person, but as long as she’s willing to go out, she’s entirely capable of living independently.” Professor Wang said, “The reason why she can recover well is because there’s a window between her world and ours. This window, most autistic patients may not have in their lifetimes, but Lisa is very fortunate to have two of this window.”
“One is Grandma Manoban, and the other one is Jennie.”
Min Ho and his wife’s mood became complicated, and they can’t help but looked again at the last frame of the video. In the video, Lisa who looked like a teenager, was painting. On the drawing paper was the back of a girl, she was sitting on the grass and looked at the distance, colorful flowers cushioned her puffy skirt. The colour of the painting was bright and lively, the brilliant joy appeared vividly from the paper.
That was Jennie in Lisa’s eyes.