"Besides him, there's another older sister in his family. She's thirty years old and still unmarried, just to support his education. Then there's a younger brother who started working after junior high school. He's the only one in the family who gets to study. Their family's finances are very tight. In other words, the whole family will depend on him in the future. And that's not even counting the other relatives." Amelia continued.
"Mom, maybe it's not as bad as you think," Evie said, trying to comfort her.
"There's an old saying: you have to match the family. I'm not saying we look down on someone's background. Our family has had its ups and downs too. We were in debt when we were poor. I wouldn't mind if your sister's boyfriend was poor, as long as he was willing to work hard. Your father wasn't rich when he was young either. But values are what matter. When you choose a partner, you're choosing someone to spend your whole life with. If your values don't match, how can you live together? And marriage isn't just about two people. It's about two families. If two families have completely different ideas, we don't need them to be exactly the same, but they should at least be similar! If they're completely different, how can we even talk about being in-laws?" Amelia replied.
"Mom, what you're saying makes sense. But we only met him once. We don't know the full picture yet. If you oppose it outright, no wonder my sister reacted so strongly. How about this: I'll have dinner with my sister and her boyfriend sometime. I'll ask Alexander to come along and help me take a look," Evie suggested.
"Alexander? How can he waste his time on something like this?" Amelia shot back.
"How is it a waste of time? It's to help my sister check him out. If you agree, I'll ask Alexander to make time. If you don't, I don't mind. Don't bring up other people. We were the ones who climbed up to the Sterling family back then. I didn't even see Alexander's face before I registered with him. And look at us now—we're living happily," Evie said with a smile.
"Alexander is nothing like your sister's boyfriend! How can you compare them?" Amelia said, annoyed.
"Mom, I'm just saying you can't judge a book by its cover. Besides, you and Dad only met once. You couldn't have known everything about each other, right?" Evie said softly.
Amelia looked at Evie and finally said, "Anyway, I don't agree with her. As for what your sister wants to do, I can't control her anymore!"
"Mom, my sister is just dating now. It's not like she's getting married. Maybe after spending more time together, they'll realize they're not right for each other and break up peacefully. If you and Dad oppose it from the start, it might make her rebellious. If you don't agree, she'll just dig her heels in."
"That's true. Your sister has always had a strong personality. If we really don't let her have her way, she'll turn the whole house upside down," Amelia sighed helplessly.
"So you and Dad should just wait and see for now. If anything comes up, we can figure out how to handle it."
"You're here to be your sister's lobbyist, aren't you?" Amelia glanced at Evie.
"No, I'm staying neutral. I just want my sister to be happy. Of course, it would be perfect if the person she chooses also meets with your approval," Evie said, coaxing her mother with a smile.
"You're getting better and better at talking," Amelia said, looking at Evie with satisfaction. "Come on, let's buy some groceries. I'll cook something delicious for you tonight. And ask Alexander to come over for dinner."
"Okay!" Evie nodded.
She followed her mother to buy groceries and called Alexander to come over for dinner that evening.
They bought vegetables and fruits. Along the way, mother and daughter chatted and laughed as they walked home.
Alexander had already arrived. He was sitting in the living room, talking with his father-in-law.
"Dad, where's my sister?" Evie asked, secretly winking at Alexander before turning to her father.
"She just went upstairs," William said with a smile.
"Then I'll go find her," Evie said, running toward the stairs.
"Alexander just got here. Aren't you going to keep him company?" Amelia called after her daughter.
"Alexander isn't an outsider," Evie said, smiling at Alexander before heading upstairs.
She went to Victoria's bedroom and knocked on the door. "Sister, can I come in?"
"Come in," Victoria answered from inside.
"Sister, did you eat anything this afternoon?"
"Yeah, I'm still full."
"That's what you get for not eating properly earlier."
"I was angry!" Victoria rolled her eyes. "How did your talk with Mom go?"
"It went well. Mom really does care about you. It's not because your boyfriend is from the countryside that she's against it. She's worried that your burden will be too heavy in the future," Evie said honestly.
"What burden? It's not like he's poor," Victoria sneered.
"Sister, Mom isn't prejudiced, and neither am I. I told Mom that we should try to get to know your boyfriend better. You should get to know him better too. After all, you two are the ones who will spend your lives together. If your boyfriend is really right for you, I believe Mom won't object. And even if she does, I'll be on your side," Evie said seriously.
Victoria looked at Evie's earnest expression and chuckled.
"Alright, alright. You win."
Evie laughed too. "Let's go downstairs. Alexander is here."
"I already said hello to him. Your husband is getting more and more handsome," Victoria replied with a smile.
"What do you mean, 'more and more handsome'? My husband isn't a woman," Evie retorted.
"Fine, I can't use that word. Then let's say your husband has a face like jade and looks like a Greek god," Victoria continued.
Evie smiled and shook her head. "He shouldn't be too handsome, or I'm afraid someone else will take him."
"Any signs of that happening now?" Victoria looked at Evie.
"No, I'm just saying I don't want him to get any more handsome. I'd lose my sense of security."
"That's true. Rich and handsome men are really dangerous."
Evie laughed. "Let's go downstairs. When can we meet your boyfriend? I want to take a look with Alexander. Is he very handsome?"
"He's not as handsome as your Alexander, but I think he's very pleasant to look at," Victoria replied.
"Good-looking is good. The key is that you feel comfortable with him."
"That's the most important thing," Victoria echoed.
They both couldn't help but laugh.