Chapter 19: Domestic Trifles

"Brother, pull yourself together. You aren't the type to be easily defeated, and we still need to take revenge on Xu Xiu." After offering these words of comfort to Xia Luo, Xia Yu returned to his room.

He hesitated for a long moment before picking up his phone and dialing his sister-in-law’s number.

"Hello?" A cheerful female voice came from the other end. "Xiao Yu, is there something you need?"

"Sister-in-law..." Xia Yu lowered his voice and quietly told her about what had happened to Xia Luo in the secret realm.

"Sister-in-law, that's what happened today. My brother is in a very bad state, and I could only think that you might have a way to talk him through it," Xia Yu said.

"I'm coming over right away." Yu Mengyu was Xia Luo's childhood sweetheart. Although she was just an ordinary breeder and her parents were everyday people, it didn't affect their relationship in the slightest. As soon as she heard about Xia Luo’s ordeal, she immediately insisted on coming over. "Keep talking to your brother and don't let him do anything foolish."

"Okay. Please hurry. Don't knock when you arrive, sister-in-law. Just call me, and I'll sneak out to open the door for you."

"All right."

...

Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang, and Xia Yu immediately opened the door for Yu Mengyu.

Even though she had rushed over, Yu Mengyu was still wearing light makeup and carrying several boxes. "Xiao Yu, these are Dragon and Flying-type energy cubes. I heard from your brother that you caught a Noibat, so I brought these specifically for you. This is honey and Moomoo milk for your mother—good for skincare—and these are gifts for your father..."

Even in her haste, Yu Mengyu had brought gifts for everyone in the family. Her impeccable manners made Xia Yu sigh, feeling that his brother was truly blessed eight times over to have found such a wonderful wife.

"Sister-in-law, we're family, you don't have to be so formal. Go check on my brother."

"Mm." Yu Mengyu was visibly anxious. "I'll leave these on the table; you tell your parents later."

"Got it. Go ahead."

Yu Mengyu knocked on Xia Luo’s door, and his voice came from inside: "Xiao Yu, is something the matter again?"

The door opened immediately. When Xia Luo saw Yu Mengyu standing there, the exhaustion on his face vanished, replaced by a look of pleasant surprise. "Why are you here?"

"You go through something this big and don't tell me? I had to hear it from Xiao Yu," Yu Mengyu said, using a complaining tone that immediately brought her boyfriend back to reality.

"I didn't want you to worry," Xia Luo replied.

"Do you want me to stand here in the doorway and let Xiao Yu watch us make fools of ourselves?" she retorted.

"My fault, my fault. Come in quickly."

Xia Yu naturally couldn't hear the rest of their conversation, and he had no interest in eavesdropping on lovers' whispers, so he quietly returned to his own room.

He checked his online post to see if there were any new replies regarding his search for various stones. The Key Stone he had purchased was still in transit; due to the situation in Starlight City, outside deliveries were temporarily suspended, and he would have to wait a few days.

He browsed through his private messages, but they were all useless junk—either people trying to scam him with fake stones or spam advertisements for local dating services. Xia Luo ignored them all, as his looks meant he had no need for such services, and he closed the post.

Having barely rested the night before, Xia Luo felt exhausted and fell asleep on his bed, not waking until dinner time.

"Xiao Yu, time to eat."

"Coming."

He heard Yu Mengyu’s voice; she was wearing an apron and cooking alongside his mother. The two women were chatting and laughing about skincare products and which clothing stores were having sales.

The table full of dishes made the hungry Xia Yu drool.

After being comforted by Yu Mengyu, Xia Luo still looked a bit haggard, but his spirit was clearly much better.

His father opened a bottle of white liquor and poured a glass for both Xia Luo and his other brother, Xia Yong. "So much has happened today; let's all have a drink."

"Old Lin, you take care of Little Yu. If you want juice or red wine, just help yourself," his father said.

"I'll have juice. I need to rest today, I have a shift tomorrow," Lin Xuemei said with a smile. "Xiao Yu is still in school; don't let him drink too much."

"Yes, juice it is. I'll listen to Auntie Lin," Yu Mengyu said, nodding and standing up. "I'll go get it, Auntie, you just sit down."

"Let's eat."

Yu Mengyu and his mother were excellent cooks. Xia Yu spent the meal mostly eating, occasionally chiming in to chat with the family. After one small glass, his mother wouldn't let him drink any more.

...

When everyone had finished eating, Xia Luo suddenly raised his glass and, holding Yu Mengyu’s hand, stood up. "Dad, Mom, I want to tell you something. Mengyu and I have been dating for twelve years, and now, I want to marry her."

"Good, that's a good thing," his mother said with a bright smile. Her eldest son was already twenty-eight; it was time for him to marry.

Xia Yong was also quite satisfied with Yu Mengyu as a daughter-in-law; aside from her slightly modest family background, there was almost nothing to complain about. However, with the Xia family's power currently diminished, he had hoped that Xia Luo might marry someone from a wealthier family to help the Xia family through this difficult time.

But Xia Yong wasn't a snob; he had to think about his family, but he ultimately respected Xia Luo’s wishes. He wanted his children to be happy, and as the saying went, a virtuous wife is a blessing. Seeing Yu Mengyu, who was intelligent, kind, and someone he had known for years, he smiled at Xia Luo and said, "Since you’ve made up your mind, go propose properly. Find a time to meet with her family and get this settled as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Dad, Mom."

"We're family, why the thanks? You should be thanking Little Yu for thinking you're good enough for her."

...

The once-depressed family was suddenly filled with joy due to the news of the upcoming wedding.

Three days later, the secret realm had stabilized. The entrance was fixed in the eastern part of Starlight City, and the Pokémon Association had dispatched personnel to guard it around the clock. At the same time, construction began around the entrance, and large numbers of Grass and Bug-type Pokémon populations were being transported to the realm. The plan was to turn it into a Grass and Bug-type preserve and build a breeding facility. The rich energy within the realm was highly beneficial for these types of Pokémon, and the breeding operation alone would generate significant revenue each year.

The appearance of the secret realm was good news for the development of Starlight City; the tax revenue alone would be a major boon. The Pokémon Association would also station a King-level Trainer to guard the realm. Because of his outstanding contributions, Xia Yong was exempted from this year’s Gym Leader ranking tournament. This was bad news for the Bug-type trainers in West Shu Province, who would have to wait another three years before they could challenge for the Gym Leader position; during those three years, Xia Yong would continue to serve as the Starlight City Bug-type Gym Leader.

As for Xia Luo, because his strength didn't meet the requirements, he was removed from his position as the Crimson Lotus City Gym Leader. However, in recognition of his contributions, he was granted two opportunities to choose a Pokémon from any breeding facility in West Shu Province, excluding quasi-legendary Pokémon.

Finally, the Pokémon Association estimated the value of the secret realm. The Xia family was given priority to purchase a twenty percent stake, entitling them to dividends once the facility was built. They were also given first priority to select one Pokémon from the realm for the first two years. From the third year on, they would have one spot annually to catch a Pokémon in the realm, which could be sold or transferred.

Meanwhile, express delivery in Starlight City returned to normal, and Xia Yu received his shipment: a genuine Key Stone.

Xia Luo spent the next few days visiting the Yu family to propose. Both families met and set the wedding date for October 1st, two months later.