On the second day, all the Chinese, including Lisa, went back to China.
Because of the victory, the shooting association awarded the three of them with prize money of one million dollars.
It was the first time over a decade for them to receive such a glory – a rare occasion.
Since they split the prize money equally amongst the three of them, Lisa received around three hundred thousand dollars.
This money wasn’t anything much to her now, but it was money that she gained from her hard work.
Lisa brought the prize money happily back home.
Due to the preparation for the competition, she had yet to return home since her graduation.
Qi Yuefeng had called her a few times before this to check up on her.
Because of some matters, Jungkook did not accompany her this time.
But before she returned, Jungkook specially mentioned, “Wait at home and prepare to be a bride. At the same time, think of how to tell Dad and Mom about this matter.”
Jungkook already started calling them Dad and Mom.
Lisa felt troubled hearing that before sighing exasperatedly. “I will try my best to explain.”
The date for their wedding was inching. Because of a particular reason, they fixed their wedding on a national day.
National Day was an off day for everyone, and since Lisa wanted Rosé to be her bridesmaid, it was also the only day she was free.
Now she could stay at home for a while and also give her parents a preventive shot.
She was about to get married. There was no way she could still keep the secret that she already had the marriage certificate, right?
Holding onto the certificate of her victory, Lisa took the plane back to Dayi City.
From the start of the semester until graduation, it had been almost half a year since she returned.
But this time, when Lisa returned to her house sitting on her luggage, she saw several workers at her doorstep, looking like they were cleaning something.
Chen Yanhong didn’t change, still her detesting fat old self.
Sitting at the cashier in front of a fan.
Lisa was about to enter when Chen Yanhong stopped her. “What are you doing?”
Although it had been a while since she saw Lisa, she could still remember how she looked.
If she weren’t concerned about anything, she would’ve rolled her eyes at her.
Lisa paused as she held her luggage. With an indifferent expression and exquisite brows, she asked, “I’m going home. What’s it to you?”
“What your house or not. Your house is not here now!” Chen Yanhong shouted. “What? Did your parents not tell you about moving houses? Didn’t you move to the city center? Aiyo, now you’re not people commoners like us can compare to already.”
Moved houses?
Frankly speaking, Lisa was befuddled because Mom did not mention it when they were on call.
She stared at Chen Yanhong.
Although she had her suspicions, she knew that Chen Yanhong didn’t have the guts to lie to her.
Lisa returned to the entrance and called Qi Yuefeng.
“Hello, Mom. We moved houses?”
The moment the call got through, Lisa asked in a confused tone.
“Ah, that’s right. Lisa, you’re back?”
Qi Yuefeng sounded happy through the call. “I originally wanted to give you a surprise when you got back. You are already back? Our new address is at the city center on XX street. Your dad bought a condominium. Come over quickly.”
Although she didn’t know why they were suddenly moving after staying there for more than ten years, Lisa lifted her luggage and left immediately.
Honestly speaking, she didn’t have a deep sense of attachment to this place.
Other than the fact that her mother was on somewhat familiar terms with some neighbors, she didn’t know others all that well.
She especially found gossipy Chen Yanhong downstairs an eyesore.
Moving to a new home represented a brand new beginning.
The place Qi Yuefeng was talking about was the best building in Dayi City.
Although Dayi City wasn’t considered a big city and was merely an ordinary third-tier small city…
Its property prices weren’t shabby. Even in this building, apartments went for ten thousand yuan or so per square meter.
Such a place was no doubt one of the best in Dayi City.
Lisa knew that her father had saved up quite a sum over the years, but she was pretty surprised to see him buying property just now.
When Lisa reached, she waited outside the housing estate for a moment while the security guard called Qi Yuefeng and only allowed her in after confirmation.
It was the type of condominium that came with elevators, but it wasn’t the sort of luxurious condos that had one apartment per level.
There were two apartments on one level in that building.
When Lisa arrived at the level her mother told her, she pressed the doorbell, and her mother opened the door for her.
When she saw Lisa standing outside the door, she instantly revealed a joyful smile. “Aye, Lisa, it’s you. Hurry in.”
She pulled Lisa in, and a small figure dashed over from inside and abruptly hugged Lisa. “Sister Lisa!”
Lisa fixed her gaze and saw that it was indeed Xiaoxi.
It had been two years since she last saw Xiaoxi.
Last year Xiaoxi had, based on her outstanding performance, directly skipped grades to junior high. For the sake of Xiaoxi’s education, her Great Aunt had arranged for her to go to a boarding junior high school in the same province.
Although her family couldn’t bear to be so far apart from her, no one could say anything about it as it was her Great Aunt’s decision.
Looking at this young lass again, she looked bright and tender. Compared to before, her height had already reached Lisa’s shoulders.
This lass was growing fast. From the looks of it, her height would probably surpass Lisa’s in a few years.
“Aye, our Xiaoxi is already so tall!”
Lisa smiled in delight. Comparing her height to Gu Xiaoxi, she realized that the girl had gotten much taller than the last time she saw her.
That innocent and carefree young lady of the past didn’t show much change in her facial emotions.
It was just that she was gradually giving off the air of a blossoming young lady.
“Mm, mm, mm!!”
Gu Xiaoxi nodded. Her hair was naturally mildly curly, and at the moment, a butterfly blow held her hair held up, making her resemble a princess.
Qi Yuefeng pushed Lisa’s luggage from behind and said with a smile, “Xiaoxi recently came from school during this year’s summer break. Knowing that you’re graduating this year, she refused to go to her mother’s place and came over as early as she could. She said she wants to play with you the entire summer break.”
“Mm, mm, mm. Sister Lisa, I’m going to play with you all summer break.”
Gu Xiaoxi declared in a childish tone as she squirmed into Lisa’s embrace.
Lisa’s heart was about to melt, seeing this adorable child wheedling to her.
“Alright, alright. Just stay here with Sister.”
Lisa said in a sweet tone as she scraped Gu Xiaoxi’s sharp little nose with a broad beam. “It just so happens Sister is free these days, so I can bring you around to play.”
Catching a glimpse of Qi Yuefeng pushing her luggage into another room, Lisa said in a lowered voice, “Xiaoxi, have you ever been a flower girl?”
Gu Xiaoxi widened her eyes. “Are flower girls the children who follow behind the bride at a wedding and scatter flowers? I’ve seen it on television before.”
It seems like Gu Xiaoxi knew what ‘flower girl’ was.
“Yes, yes. Sister is going to tell you something. You are not to tell Aunt and the rest.”
Gu Xiaoxi’s aunt was Lisa’s mother.
“Okay, okay.”
Of course, Gu Xiaoxi nodded her head obediently.
“It’s like this. Can you be my flower girl at my wedding? When the time comes, you’ll be able to go overseas, to Penalan!”
“Wah, Sister is getting married…”
Gu Xiaoxi had just finished speaking when Qi Yuefeng came out after placing her luggage correctly.
Lisa wanted to cover Gu Xiaoxi’s mouth, but the smart young lass had already cleverly shut her mouth before she could do that.
The duo gazed at Qi Yuefeng with smiles on their faces in a sheepish manner.
Qi Yuefeng, who found it strange, asked with a smile, “What are you two doing? Be good and stay at home. Lisa, now that you’re back, Mom will go out to buy some groceries to cook some stew for you. Why do you seem thinner than half a year ago?”
As she spoke, a hint of heartache could be seen in Qi Yuefeng’s eyes.
“Is it?”
Lisa touched her face. “I don’t think I’ve gone thinner, though!”
Strictly speaking, because of her intensive training, Lisa didn’t often eat small amounts.
It was just that her body now had firm muscles.
Womens’ muscles weren’t as apparent as mens, but it was also a strong-looking figure.
Especially for someone like Lisa, who had an excellent figure.
“I feel that you have gotten thinner.”
Perhaps this was common among all mothers after not seeing their children for an extended period of time.
So long as the daughter didn’t look very obviously fatter, then she must have gotten thinner.
Unsure whether to laugh or to cry, Lisa watched as Qi Yuefeng went out the door to buy groceries.
She then sat on the sofa and sized up this house.
Gu Hong had splurged on this more than two-hundred square meters apartment.
There was plenty of space for small gatherings in the living room.
A tens-of-inch huge television hung on the wall.
On the right-hand sight, there was even a mini-bar.
There seemed to be several bedrooms.
The interior decor was also pretty tastefully done.
Near the dining area, there was a row of wooden cabinets that gave off an air of antiquity, on top of which, a lot of little trinkets that Gu Hong was fond of were placed.
They weren’t expensive stuff, but comparatively speaking, they had a specific value to them.
The curious Gu Xiaoxi started asking Lisa right after she sat down. “Sister Lisa, you’re getting married soon. Who is your boyfriend?”
Despite her young age, Gu Xiaoxi was a naughty one. Kids nowadays knew more, to begin with.
Speaking of which, even though she had been dating Jungkook for so long, other than her parents, her Great Aunt and the rest had no idea of this.
Moreover, Jungkook didn’t frequently come as well.
At the thought of her husband, Lisa couldn’t help but smile vibrantly. “Sister doesn’t know how to put it. But Sister’s husband is very handsome!”
“Eh, shame shame!”
Even Gu Xiaoxi knew to tease Lisa. Lisa assumed a posture of tickling Gu Xiaoxi. “How dare you tease Sister. Watch how I deal with you.”
Gu Xiaoxi shrieked and giggled as she fell backward, and the duo started tickling each other on the sofa.
Shortly after, Qi Yuefeng had yet to return, but Gu Hong came back first.
“Eh, is Lisa back?”
At the sight of Lisa, Gu Hong revealed the smile of a loving father.
Today, Gu Hong was dressed simply, in a greyish-brown shirt, giving off a refined air. But on his nose, there perched a pair of gold-framed spectacles.
Lisa stood up in shock. “Dad, why did you start wearing glasses?”
“I’m getting old, and my vision’s getting increasingly blurry lately. When I went to the hospital to check, they told me I have short-sightedness, so I started wearing glasses. It’s normal.”
Gu Hong walked over, and Gu Xiaoxi immediately greeted with a sweet voice, “Uncle!”
Gu Hong stroked Gu Xiaoxi’s little head with a smile, then sat down and gazed gently at Lisa. “Is the competition over already?”
He knew Lisa was away to take part in a competition.
“Mm!”
Lisa said proudly to her father, “Dad, me, and my two teammates won the competition. This is our country’s first victory in ten years! We made a big contribution and there will be benefits waiting for us.”
Lisa didn’t take all the credit herself, but she couldn’t help telling her father with pride that they won first place.
“Oh, my daughter is rather capable.”
Gu Hong raised his brows, looking proud of his daughter.
They didn’t quite understand the significance of this competition. After all, it wasn’t open to the public.
Lisa couldn’t talk about certain details as well.
She whipped out her bank card, as though she was presenting a treasure. “This is the prize money from winning the competition. Three hundred thousand yuan.”
She kept the remaining bit.
Gu Hong, who was happy for her daughter upon hearing that she won the competition, looked shocked to see that there was prize money of three hundred thousand yuan.
“Three hundred thousand yuan?”
Gu Hong took the card from his daughter, feeling like the card weighed a ton in his hand despite its small size.
His daughter only just graduated.
Gu Hong gazed at Lisa with a touched look as he held the card. “You’re all grown up now, and you’re really capable.”
To think that back then when Lisa decided to join the military, they weren’t too happy about it.
They hadn’t expected that Lisa would turn out to be someone so capable, winning glory for her country, and even winning prize money from a competition.
It wasn’t that he cared about this money, for the meaning behind it was much more significant than the money itself.
Although Gu Xiaoxi couldn’t quite understand, she could tell that Lisa was terrific. She slapped her face and sighed with astonishment. “Sister Lisa is terrific. If only I can be as terrific as Sister Lisa in the future.”
Lisa nearly burst out laughing after she heard the tone of voice she used. She lowered her head and pinched Gu Xiaoxi’s little face. “Xiaoxi is also capable of being able to skip grades in school. In the future, Xiaoxi will go to university with a scholarship, which is a much more incredible feat than what Sister Lisa accomplished!”
“Since the competition already ended, did your superiors tell you what arrangements they have for you?”
Gu Hong showed concern for Lisa’s future.
Lisa shook her head. “It hasn’t been decided yet. Under normal circumstances, I would be assigned to a military zone to be a commanding officer, but due to my involvement in the shooting association, I will be allocated differently. The higher-ups are still in discussion, but I should likely be staying on in the capital.”
Gu Hong nodded. “That’s good. At least you’ll be in the capital. Look at that older brother of yours. He said he would be back in two years, and it’s been three years already and he’s still not back.”
At the mention of this, Gu Hong couldn’t help but sigh.
Lisa fell silent for a moment, then said cautiously, “Dad, I need to tell you something important.”
She was prepared to lay her cards on the table.
“Mm?”
Seeing her daughter’s cautious manner, Gu Hong couldn’t help but smile. “Look at how nervous you are. What is it that you find it so hard to tell your father?”
Lisa couldn’t sit still on the sofa, so she bit her fingernails but ultimately went straight to the point. “Dad, I’m getting married.”
Gu Hong: “…”
He froze at this sudden news.
As though he hadn’t heard her clearly, he removed his glasses, rubbed his temples, but didn’t question her and instead said, “With Jungkook?”
“Mm.”
Perhaps realizing that her cousin and uncle were discussing something, Gu Xiaoxi picked up the remote control and started watching television by herself.
Gu Hong said nothing.
Seeing Gu Hong’s slightly fatigued manner, Lisa realized that the hair on Gu Hong’s temples had already turned white.
She couldn’t help but feel sad.
Her father was getting on in age.
But, thankfully, she had reversed all the unfortunate events of her previous lifetime.
At least in this lifetime, her family was still wonderful and able to gather together.
“So Jungkook proposed to you?”
After hesitating for a long time, Gu Hong said this.
Lisa turned awkward instantly. She fidgeted for a moment, then said directly, “Not a proposal. Err, I hadn’t told you back then because I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to accept it. Chief Instructor and I registered our marriage two years ago.”
Gu Hong stared at Lisa in disbelief. “Daughter, you’re too abrupt about this. Why didn’t you tell your mom and me about something so important.”
“Back then, I knew that you two wouldn’t agree to it, but the Chief Instructor said we’re just registering our marriage in advance, and it’s no big deal.”
Lisa stroked her face, feeling increasingly embarrassed the more she spoke about this.
Perhaps back then, she was too deeply enchanted by the Chief Instructor’s handsomeness and couldn’t help herself, especially since he had taken the opportunity to propose this when they were engaged in a particular disharmonious activity.
How could she have stayed rational at the time…
Indeed, one’s beauty could cause the downfall of another person!
“And you just took his words for it?!”
Gu Hong had wanted to scold her but couldn’t come up with the words to do so.
Recalling his impression of Jungkook in the past two years, Gu Hong perhaps also realized that such a thing was unavoidable.
He could tell that the child…
The child was extremely possessive of Lisa. Moreover, he wasn’t getting any younger.
They thought it was quite incredulous, to begin with, but what was even more incredulous was the fact they even registered their marriage without telling anyone!
Gu Hong sighed, but he didn’t know what to say.
He poked Lisa’s forehead and said, seemingly with heartache, “Oh you!”
Qi Yuefeng had just opened the door when she saw Gu Hong lecturing Lisa. She was displeased to see that. “Hey, Lisa just returned. What are you scolding her about?”
Gu Hong stood up, scoffed, and revealed a rare displeased look. “Ask your precious daughter yourself!”
With that, he walked to his bedroom.
Lisa called after her dad.
But Gu Hong ignored her.
“Fine, I’ll ask her myself!”
Qi Yuefeng first placed the groceries in the kitchen, then came out, sat down by Lisa’s side. She held her hand, before asking worriedly, “Why, what has happened?”
To think she had to experience the death penalty twice. Lisa repeated what she had just said with unease.
In her impression, Qi Yuefeng was even more unlikely to accept such a matter.
Who knew, the moment she finished, Qi Yuefeng exclaimed in delight, “You’ve already registered your marriage? That’s great!’
Lisa was dumbfounded.