First Marriage, Then Love 《先婚厚爱》Chapter 2 Translation

002. The Gu Parents

Gu An Ran returns home in despair, the stomach that was growling with hunger before is no longer present. Today can be considered as another experience. What she thought of the so-called high-quality man is just a fictitious invention from television, so, that’s all there is to life!

As she opens the door and enters, Lin Xiao Fen sits upright, watching TV in the living room, looking over her accounts on the coffee table. 

An Ran lowers her head and calls out to her mother, her scalp feels somewhat numb. Recently, almost every night has been like this. She’s expecting yet another lecture.

The Gu family is a normal, very ordinary kind of family. Gu An Ran’s mother, Lin Xiao Fen, works at a national enterprise doing accounting. Normally, it is not as busy. Back when Lin Xiao Fen was young, she was an outstanding beauty, and although at present she has aged, her health is not too bad. She is obviously nearing 60, but she doesn’t appear too old. On her face, the years have washed away the simplicity and elegance of the past; but still beautiful. And An Ran’s father, Gu Heng Wen, is a literature high school teacher. With over 30 years of teaching experience, he became the province’s top-quality teacher, bringing up many famous schools as if it were his child, as well as receiving much love and respect from his students and their parents.

Seeing that An Ran has returned, Lin Xiao Fen turns off the TV, and nods towards An Ran, “Come, I want to talk to you.”

An Ran braces herself as she walks forward, puts her bag on the coffee table, and seats herself beside her mother. She looks around to find that her father is not present, and asks, “Where’s dad. Sleeping?”

“He’s in the study preparing for tomorrow’s lesson.” Lin Xiao Fen looks into her daughter’s eyes, and smiles.

An Ran feels that her mother’s smile tonight has another meaning to it, her heart suddenly feels uneasy, she swallows, and says, “Mom, just say what you want to ask!”

“What, you didn’t like that man?” Lin Xiao Fen also doesn’t want to beat around the bush, and asks directly.

“He’s not bad, but me and him… I don’t think we’re suitable.” An Ran explained as gently as possible. She was not the kind of person who talks behind another’s back.

Hearing that, Lin Xiao Fen’s expression darkens, and says, “What’s not suitable, it’s okay to not be suitable. Ran Ran, actually what’s most important is still their moral standing, not their financial standing. If the person is good, then that’s what is most important. You have to understand that reasoning.”

“No, mom, I, me and him, we really aren’t suitable for each other, we couldn’t find a single topic to talk about. Furthermore, his household.. His household may not like me either.” An Ran explains.

“Nonsense, your aunt Zhang already told me about it, she said the other party feels that you two are suitable, you guys were able to have a good chat, and he also thinks that you are good, let me ask about your attitude.” Lin Xiao Fen reprimanded.

An Ran closes her eyes. She sighs. Now a civil servant’s efficiency to handle affairs is this great? How long will this take. Unexpectedly, the speed of the messenger is such to make a call and ask about their child. 

“Mom, I really don’t suit him, he wants me to pass on all of my wages to his mother, and the blind date this evening only amassed to 5 yuan. Both of our coffees were paid by a coupon, I can’t possibly like this kind of selfish, small-minded person, more so to marry him.”

Lin Xiao Fen was surprised, and immediately responds, “Men who listen to their parent’s words are indeed filial. If being stingy is saving money, then indeed he knows to be frugal and housekeep. Don’t tell me you want to find a man who is not filial, one that spends extravagantly upon leaving the house?”

“Mom!” An Ran gets anxious, her voice begins to raise a bit, standing up, she says, “Am I that much of a hindrance to you! You want to marry me off that much!”

“It seems to me that you just can’t forget that Mo Fei.” Lin Xiao Fen stands up angrily, her cold complexion is hard to look at.  

An Ran feels like a person had just stabbed her wound, and looks down at that spot. She clenches her teeth, trembling.

“You say you’re obstinate, I’ve raised you until adulthood. Just for a man, you would torment yourself like this, all because of him you deny yourself of marriage. You being this way is letting down your mother and father! An Ran, we don’t just live for ourselves, you have to think about me and your father. We also don’t live for the past, what’s most important is looking forward!” yells Lin Xiao Fen, the pits of her stomach undulates tremendously with anger.

The two stand face to face in this manner, Lin Xiao Fen, in actuality, feels sorry for her daughter. She was there when her daughter’s love walked away; she saw it all. Her daughter was always her favourite, the more her daughter hurt, the more she wanted to be the one to take it. But we do not, cannot, live in the past, what’s most important is what the future holds. Since then, she’s dragged out the issue of marriage again and again, until this age. She can no longer prolong it anymore. What kind of parents do not want the best for their children.

“What are you two fighting about,” The door to the study room opens. Gu Heng Wen comes out from the room, the hair on his head greyed. He wears a pair of spectacles, indeed befitting the air of a scholar.

Lin Xiao Fen angrily returns to sit on the sofa, her stomach still undulating from anger. 

Gu Heng Wen looks at his wife, then at his daughter. He’d heard what went on from inside the study. Lifting his legs, he walks over to An Ran, pats his daughter’s shoulder, and says, “Ran Ran, your mom is just thinking what’s best for you. Her way of handling it may be a bit impatient, but you should understand her intentions.

An Ran just feels her eyes burning up, bearing great effort to avoid letting her tears fall. With a choking voice, she says sorry to her mom. After picking up her bag on the coffee table, she runs towards her room, following with a loud “bang!” of the door.

Gu Heng Wen looks at the strongly slammed door, and sighs in sorrow as he shakes his head. He turns to look at the Lin Xiao Fen sitting on the sofa, sits beside her, holds her shoulder, and lets her rest her head on his shoulder. He sighs, “Don’t be mad. Ran Ran’s heart is also in pain.”

Lin Xiao Fen embraces her husband, unable to hold in her tears, “Tell me, how did I give birth to such a foolish daughter, so obstinate, it really is stupid, not even a bit carefree, just so infuriating!”

Gu Heng Wen chuckled and patted her shoulder, and said, “Ran Ran’s like you, so obstinate like you.”

Lin Xiao Fen breaks away from her husband’s embrace, looks at him, and says, “I’m afraid she doesn’t have my fortune, to be able to meet a man like you.”

Gu Heng Wen chuckles, and embraces his wife once again. He says to his wife in a low voice, “No, Ran Ran will meet this person.”

In her room, An Ran squats and leans against the door, burying her head in her knees, allowing herself a good cry. Her heart hurts. What her mother said wasn’t wrong. Even 6 years later, she hasn’t forgotten that man. The man that once gave her a sincere and beautiful love, yet also ruthlessly hurt her.

Not knowing how long she’s cried for, An Ran feels as if she’s emptied her tears built up after all these years. An Ran stubbornly wipes her tear-stained face. Mother was right. She mustn’t live in the past; she still has her parents. She has to move on.



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While you wait for the next chapters, check out the original story! It's just chunks and chunks of words but... I feel bad not citing it hehe