22: Questioning, Gao Ze's response

Silence.

When Li Qingyan revealed Gao Ze's identity, the smile on Shen Xiuyan's face abruptly vanished, and the atmosphere in the air became eerily quiet, a pair of sharp and authoritative eyes falling upon Gao Ze.

It seemed that her mother-in-law, Shen Xiuyan, must be someone who held absolute authority at her workplace.

"Qing Yan, are you joking with me?"

Anger clouded Shen Xiuyan's face as she looked at Li Qingyan and Gao Ze, as if a volcanic eruption of fury was about to erupt at any moment, ready to throw Gao Ze out.

Gao Ze felt helpless, not expecting that Li Qingyan hadn't even told her parents about their marriage, had gotten married first, and then brought him to meet them.

"Mom, I'm not joking with you. Mr. Gao is my husband. We've already registered our marriage; we're a legal couple."

"Do you want me to show you our marriage certificate?"

Seeing that her mother Shen Xiuyan's anger was uncontrollable and about to burst, Li Qingyan quickly pulled Shen Xiuyan into the room, while saying to Gao Ze, "Husband, please rest in the living room for a while, have some fruit and tea."

"I'll have a private chat with my mom."

Gao Ze naturally could only wait quietly for the outcome. He sat in the living room, idly surveying the overall decoration and layout of the room.

From the decoration and layout of a room, one can often deduce many clues, such as the owner's personality.

In Shen Xiuyan's living room, many traditional Chinese rosewood furniture pieces were used, along with a screen depicting ladies. Instead of a traditional TV cabinet wall, there was an antique bookshelf, and in the corners, blue and white porcelain ornaments and embroidered paintings were displayed. The coffee table featured meticulously arranged floral art.

From these detailed arrangements, it was evident.

Shen Xiuyan was a woman with extremely good taste and a pursuit of quality in life, traditional yet with a touch of romance and poetry. Gao Ze gained a more detailed understanding of his mother-in-law's personality.

"Husband, sorry to keep you waiting."

After a full twenty minutes, Li Qingyan finally emerged from the bedroom with Shen Xiuyan. Her mother-in-law Shen Xiuyan's face no longer showed anger or coldness, only a hint of coolness.

"It's fine!"

Gao Ze glanced at his mother-in-law Shen Xiuyan, truly curious about what Li Qingyan had told her.

Getting married without informing parents first, such a matter would surely cause an explosion for ordinary parents, and it would be impossible to persuade them.

Shen Xiuyan, however, seemed to have accepted the reality.

"Mom, this is Gao Ze, the husband I chose."

Li Qingyan clung to Shen Xiuyan's arm, cooing:

"You have to trust my judgment; I definitely wouldn't choose the wrong person to marry. If you have any questions or curiosities about Gao Ze, just ask directly."

Shen Xiuyan didn't wait for Li Qingyan to speak. Her beautiful eyes scrutinized Gao Ze, as if she wanted to see through him completely or find some flaw.

But it was difficult; Gao Ze's appearance was simply impeccable. Even by her strict standards, she had to admit that Gao Ze was handsome, dignified, and full of vigor.

His gaze showed no timidity or nervousness, meeting hers with frankness and sincerity.

"Shen Jie, this is a small gift I brought for you. It's not worth much, but I picked them out carefully, and I hope you like them."

Since the elder hadn't spoken, Gao Ze, as the junior, had no choice but to greet her proactively; this was etiquette. He placed some selected local specialties, such as Jiangcheng rice noodles and Yunwu tea, on the table.

Shen Xiuyan's gaze swept over the gifts Gao Ze brought, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

They were actually specialties from Jiangcheng!

She had seen countless valuable and expensive gifts, but none had stirred a ripple in her. Yet, these specialties from her hometown, Jiangcheng, she hadn't seen in a long time.

However, Shen Xiuyan still remained silent; a few Jiangcheng specialties couldn't change her cautious scrutiny.

"Husband, what are you calling my mom? Still calling her Jie? You should call her Mom!"

Li Qingyan secretly covered her mouth and chuckled. Shen Xiuyan shivered, completely unable to hold on, and immediately said, "Just call me Shen Jie!"

Being called 'Mom' by an outsider, Shen Xiuyan couldn't accept it. Was she really that old?

"What do you do for work?" To prevent Li Qingyan from joking around and helping, Shen Xiuyan proactively questioned Gao Ze.

"Traffic Police!"

"You're similar in age to Li Qingyan, so you should have been working for some time, right? What's your current rank?"

Shen Xiuyan's questions were very direct; someone thin-skinned wouldn't even be able to respond. Gao Ze calmly said, "I've been working as a Traffic Police officer for over two years, and I'm still a staff member."

"A Traffic Police staff member, your salary shouldn't be high, right? At most eight or nine thousand a month, isn't it?"

"Do you have a house? And a car?"

"Mom, what kind of questions are these?"

Li Qingyan stamped her foot, immediately stepping forward to speak for Gao Ze: "You used to say that as long as I found a guy I liked, rich or poor, with or without a house, you'd be willing to let me marry him.

Gao Ze is the guy I like, he's the husband I chose."

"Qing Yan, you can't talk to your mom like that. Shen Jie is doing this for your own good."

"Moreover, as parents, it's natural and proper to scrutinize their children's significant other."

Gao Ze clearly knew that Li Qingyan was not simple, and his mother-in-law Shen Xiuyan would be even less so.

From a provincial-level family, with his mother-in-law being the branch manager of Donghai Bank, she must have seen all kinds of people. Even someone with a net worth of tens of billions, his mother-in-law would probably view them indifferently. Her questions were merely to test his psychological resilience and his thick skin.

Someone thin-skinned wouldn't be able to handle such sharp and direct questions, which would make the atmosphere very awkward.

"My Traffic Police salary is indeed only eight thousand a month. I don't have much money, I'm not a local of Donghai City, and I don't have a house or a car. Additionally, I have two younger siblings."

"Only younger siblings?" Shen Xiuyan frowned.

Gao Ze nodded: "Yes, my parents passed away early. My siblings and I grew up together from a young age."

Li Qingyan chimed in from the side: "Mom, my husband is very responsible. He raised his two younger siblings from a young age, and now both of them have been admitted to 985 and 211 universities; they're both very promising."

Shen Xiuyan was startled, and her furrowed brows finally relaxed. She nodded and said:

"I understand. Your work within the system is acceptable, but the Traffic Police job is too low-tier, the rank is low, and your salary and family situation are even worse."

"Given this situation, how will you take care of Qing Yan? How will you live with her?"

Gao Ze: "........"

Shen Xiuyan's questions were too blunt, which made him helpless. He and Li Qingyan were only in a contract marriage!

By rights, Li Qingyan should step in at this moment to help him out, perhaps say something like she's willing to share hardships?

But this enchantress was staring blankly, seemingly observing quietly. Gao Ze had no choice but to say:

"I won't stay stagnant. I might have a low salary and a low rank now, but in the future, I will definitely have excellent conditions and won't let Qing Yan suffer."

"I don't know how many young people I've seen making grand pronouncements in front of me. What do you have to guarantee it, and on what basis do you guarantee it?"

Shen Xiuyan seemed to transform into a harsh, snobbish mother-in-law, smiling coldly:

"Although our family's conditions are average in Donghai City, Qing Yan has been pampered since she was little. Do you know that one meal for her might cost ten days of your salary, and the cosmetics in her bag, you couldn't afford them in a month!"