"If the other person is good-looking, then you just say, 'Your lifesaving grace is beyond repayment, so this humble girl has no choice but to offer herself to you.'" Tang Yuran's mom turned her head, smiled mischievously at her daughter, and raised her eyebrows, "Why, what's with the question?"
"Just asking for fun." Tang Yuran eyed her mother's gossip-thirsty expression, and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly settled back into the rear seat.
When they reached the front door of the house, Tang Yuran's mom had barely opened it when a small figure sprinted towards them.
"Mommy—! Sister—!" A tender voice filled the living room, and the next second, a soft little body crashed directly into Tang Yuran's arms.
"Nannan." Tang Yuran wrapped her arms around her brother, bending down to kiss his chubby, fair cheek.
Three-year-old Tang Nan lifted his head, unabashedly planted a kiss on his sister's lips, and then said in a babyish voice, "Sister, play with me."
"Okay." Tang Yuran nodded, took Tang Nan's hand, and walked toward the bedroom.
Tang Yuran's mom glanced at the figure standing at the kitchen door and casually asked, "You got off work so early today?"
"Nothing much to do at the unit. I bought the ribs that you and Youyou like. How about we have sweet and sour ribs for dinner?" Tang Yuran's dad leaned against the kitchen door, smiling warmly.
"Sure." Tang Yuran's mom nodded, went to wash her hands, grabbed an apron, and went into the kitchen to help her husband.
In the bedroom on the other side, Tang Yuran was absentmindedly helping Tang Nan build blocks, and in no time, the tower they had built collapsed four times.
"Sister, why did it fall again?" Tang Nan tugged at Tang Yuran's sleeve with some displeasure, pouting his lips.
"Nannan." Tang Yuran put down the blocks she was holding, held Tang Nan's shoulders with both hands, and looked at him with a serious expression, "Sister has a question for you."
"What question?" Seeing her so serious, Tang Nan's little face also turned stern.
"Do you know what it means to offer oneself in marriage?"
"Don't know." Tang Nan shook his head, puzzled.
"Sigh... never mind..." Tang Yuran let out a sigh. If even she didn't know, how could her little brother possibly know?
Watching her look dismayed, Tang Nan's shiny black eyes twirled around, and suddenly he stood up from the floor and ran out saying, "Sister, just wait here, I'll go ask Dad for you!"
"Hey... wait a second..." Tang Yuran couldn't stop him in time, and the little figure had already vanished.
A moment later, Tang Nan ran back with an excited look on his face and yelled at Tang Yuran, "Sister, sister, I know what it means to offer oneself in marriage now."
"What??" Tang Yuran looked at her brother expectantly.
"Dad said, to offer oneself in marriage is to give a peck, then a pat, and finally, hehehe..." Tang Nan earnestly repeated to Tang Yuran what he had been told.
"..."
Tang Yuran tugged at the corner of her mouth; she seemed... not quite to have understood...
"It's like, a peck!" Tang Nan simply hugged his sister's face and planted a smooch on her, then patted her hair and continued, "Then you pat, and afterward give the person a smile, hehehe."