Having stood up my mother-in-law yesterday, I really should go and offer a proper apology today.
…
Even though I didn't show up yesterday, and didn't even send a message, which made the entire Rong family wait for me until nine o'clock before they went to dinner, Chen Ruolan didn't seem to hold any grudges against Shu Guan.
And Shu Guan explained that he had encountered an important matter at the last minute. Rong Duanpu was smiling as he comforted him not to worry about it and mentioned that he had sent someone to the telecommunications office to apply for a telephone installation at Shu Guan's Zouma Hall as soon as possible.
In this era, having a telephone installed was no simple matter; it involved a very cumbersome approval process. After applying, it was very normal to wait for several months, and the subsequent usage fees were also outrageously high, so much so that even ordinary wealthy families could hardly afford it.
