Leveling Up With My Pet

The houses in this area were all five or six-story buildings, each consisting of staircase rooms. Li Changle's family lived on the third floor.

Liu Yong, carrying the items he had bought, couldn't help feeling uneasy about how Li Changle's parents would receive him.

As he approached the third floor, he noticed the door to Li Changle's house was slightly ajar. From inside, he heard the voice of an angry middle-aged man who seemed to be in a heated argument.

"Second brother, what are you trying to do? My daughter is pretty and has a respectable job, yet you introduced her to a cripple," the man said.

"Brother, please let me explain. He's not really a cripple, he just walks with a slight limp. Besides, he's the son of the deputy county magistrate. If Lele marries him, she's bound to become popular in the future. We'll all benefit," the second brother argued.

"There's no way I'm negotiating on this matter," the man replied firmly.

"Brother, please listen to me," the second brother pleaded.

However, another angry voice abruptly cut off his words, "Second brother, don't think I don't know what you're up to. Neither Jianguo nor Jianjun has suitable jobs, and you're hoping to climb the ladder by asking the deputy county magistrate to arrange work for them."

Liu Yong stood still, unsure of what to do next. It seemed that he had walked into the middle of a family dispute.

As Liu Yong approached the house, he could hear a heated argument inside. He glanced at Li Changle, who explained,

"That's my second uncle, who came to introduce me to someone, but my father disagrees."

Liu Yong nodded in understanding, "I see. It sounds like a delicate situation."

Li Changle agreed, "Yes, it's been a difficult conversation. But we should go in and face it together."

As they approached the door, Liu Yong took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Li Changle.

She nodded and pushed open the concealed door, announcing their arrival, "Dad, Mom, I'm back."

Inside the living room, Liu Yong saw a man and woman seated next to an older man while a woman in her fifties quietly sobbed and wiped her tears.

When they noticed Li Changle and Liu Yong enter, all eyes turned to them.

The middle-aged woman who was sobbing saw Li Changle come back, immediately wiped away her tears, and said in surprise, "Lele, why are you back?"

Li Changle replied, "Mom, today is the weekend, so I came back."

Liu Yong found that everyone seemed to be looking at him, like Li Changle's parents, her second uncle and second aunt.

Feeling nervous, he offered polite greetings, "Uncle, Auntie, hello."

Li Changle's father, who had been arguing with her uncle, noticed Liu Yong and nodded curtly, "Hello."

Li Changle quickly introduced her boyfriend, "Dad, Mom, this is my boyfriend, Liu Yong."

Liu Yong smiled and bowed slightly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Li Changle's mother, Meng Chunli, who had been crying just moments ago, perked up at the sight of her daughter and warmly welcomed her back, "Lele, it's so good to see you. And who is this handsome young man with you?"

Li Changle blushed slightly and replied, "Mom, this is Liu Yong. We've been dating for a while now."

Meng Chunli smiled brightly, "Oh, I see! Come, Liu Yong, come and sit here."

After arranging for Liu Yong to sit down, she took the initiative to pour tea.

Liu Yong couldn't help but notice the sudden shift in the atmosphere. It seemed that Li Changle's parents had been in the middle of a heated argument before their arrival, but their focus had now shifted to the presence of their daughter's boyfriend.

Despite the tension in the air, Liu Yong remained calm and collected, determined to make a good impression on Li Changle's family.

A couple of the second child had constantly been reminding Li Changle's parents that their daughter did not have a boyfriend yet, and offered to introduce her to someone they knew, who happened to be the son of the deputy county magistrate.

Although Li Changle's parents had never met this young man, they knew his family background and disability.

Recently, the couple brought up the topic again, but Li Changle's father, Li Zhengkai, sternly reprimanded them and refused their offer. However, things changed for the better, as Li Changle unexpectedly brought her boyfriend back.

Li Zhengkai looked closely at the young man, Liu Yong, and asked him severely, "Are you really Lele's boyfriend?"

Liu Yong respectfully replied, "Yes, uncle. Lele and I are truly a couple. I have genuine feelings for her."

Meng Chunli playfully slapped Li Zhengkai on the arm and said,

"Old man, you're getting confused. Could it be that it's all a sham?"

However, Li Zhengkai confirmed that Liu Yong's statement was true. Throughout this exchange, the second uncle and his wife scrutinized Liu Yong, clearly unimpressed with Li Changle's sudden showing of Liu Yong as her boyfriend.

The second aunt couldn't help but ask Liu Yong, "Young man, you also live in Huahai City?"

Liu Yong replied, "Yes, both Lele and I reside in Huahai City."

The second aunt asked, "Where do you work in Huahai City, and how much do you earn monthly?"

Liu Yong responded, "I don't really consider it work. I have my own company, and I just go there occasionally to check on things. It's not a serious job."

This statement seemed to change the second aunt's opinion of Liu Yong, and she regarded him with a look of contempt.

The second uncle shared the same sentiment and held a low view of Liu Yong.

Meng Chunli was irked by her future in-laws' attitude towards Liu Yong. She believed that the questions asked by her aunt were intrusive and inappropriate.

She then turned to Liu Yong and said, "Xiao Liu, it's alright if you don't have a job for the time being. You can find one later. In a big city like Huahai, finding a job should be easy."

Meng Chunli was quite content with her daughter's choice of partner. Liu Yong had a cheerful and attractive demeanor and appeared easygoing, which she thought would be an excellent match for her daughter.

Li Changle suddenly and quietly pinched Liu Yong's arm, which means,

"Whoever asked you to pretend to be aggressive, tell the truth."

Liu Yong gave an innocent look, which seemed to say, "Lele, I was wronged. I really didn't go to work, and I went to my job every now and then to sit and sit, is that called going to work seriously? Almost."

After the second aunt asked, before Li Changle's parents asked about Liu Yong's situation, the second uncle couldn't help but speak.

"Young man, where is your family, how many people are there, and what do your parents do?"

"My family is from Dongmen Village in this county. There are four people in my family. My father, my mother, and a younger sister who is a sophomore. My parents have been working in the countryside. My father used to be on the construction site occasionally. Get to work," Liu Yong replied.

The second uncle shook his head. Initially, guessing that Liu Yong's family conditions were poor, but now it seemed they were flawed and exceptionally so.

He knew that Dongmen Village was more than 20 kilometers away from Xiancheng and was a relatively poor place in the county. The fact that Lele was dating someone from such a poor background left him bewildered.

"I heard that houses in Huahai City are very expensive. With the conditions in your family, how can you buy a house? Do you want Lele to live with you in a rented house, or go back to your Dongmen Village to live?" the second uncle asked Liu Yong.

Meng Chunli winked at this second uncle more than once, feeling very dissatisfied in her heart.

"How can you say that? You're still an elder, and you should save some face for the younger generation," she thought.

Liu Yong remained calm and replied, "I have already bought a small villa in Huahai, with three floors, a total of 300 to 400 square meters, which is enough for the time being. When Lele and I get married, I am going to buy another bigger and better villa."

"What! You have already bought a villa in Huahai City? It's impossible, you must be bragging and lying," exclaimed the second uncle and the second aunt, who did not believe him.

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