To welcome Mandy's father that day, the Cooper family had made thorough preparations, hoping to leave a good impression.
Georgie and Mandy even arrived at the courtyard gate first, ready to greet him.
"Do you think I can satisfy your father?" Georgie, who had changed into a handsome suit and styled his hair like an adult, asked.
Having eloped with someone's daughter and gotten her pregnant before marriage, Georgie, who had done such an outrageous thing, inevitably felt a bit guilty when it came time to meet her parents.
Moreover, a son-in-law naturally feels inferior when meeting his father-in-law.
"Will you be responsible for me?" Mandy, who was by Georgie's side, retorted.
"Of course, you're my everything." Georgie promised earnestly, "We'll get married in the second half of next year once I'm old enough. I'll be good to you and the baby in your belly…"
"Then that's all that matters." Mandy gently squeezed Georgie's hand and comforted him, "As long as you have this intention, we won't fear any obstacles. And with me by your side, I believe my father won't do anything to you."
Her words were full of deep affection and protection.
In fact, given Mandy's circumstances, finding a partner like Georgie was already quite good.
At least Georgie was young, strong, and responsible, and his life was on an upward trajectory.
Mandy, on the other hand, was nearing thirty and had already passed the prime of her youth.
It was hard to say who was getting the short end of the stick in their relationship.
Meanwhile, to bolster their own side, George and Mary had specifically invited Connie and Mike to their house.
At this moment, everyone, including Sheldon, was sitting in the living room, waiting and chatting.
"Mike, are you sure letting Georgie leave the arcade is the better option?" George sought his opinion.
As for how he knew Mike had advised Georgie to abandon the arcade, that story began with Connie.
Over the past period, Connie's stock trading career had gotten on track. With Mike overseeing things, she quickly achieved her profit targets.
With such good results, Connie naturally couldn't help but share the good news with her family.
George and Mary also heard from her that Mike wasn't optimistic about the arcade's development.
"Arcades are, after all, a grey area and can easily run into problems. Georgie is still young; it's best if he stays away from them…" Mike briefly explained the dangers of gambling.
Even though the arcade was very profitable now, if a large-scale crackdown occurred, Georgie would definitely be implicated.
Fines would be light; being arrested and jailed for serious offenses was not impossible.
"You're right, I'll talk to him when I have a chance." George, who was more conservative by nature, wasn't originally optimistic about his eldest son's arcade either.
To elders, it was an unproductive pursuit.
Previously, George had chosen to turn a blind eye because the arcade was indeed profitable. Now, after hearing Mike's analysis, he was a bit scared.
At the same time, after witnessing Mike's capabilities in the stock market, George also had some new ideas.
Of course, these were all future matters, and George's ideas could be implemented gradually later.
The most important issue for the Cooper family now was to welcome their soon-to-arrive in-laws.
Just then, a loud engine roar came from outside.
"Cool! There's a powerful muscle car in the yard!" Missy, who was on lookout at the living room door, exclaimed.
"George, go to the kitchen and call Mary. The people we're waiting for should be here," Connie, with more life experience, made the arrangements at the crucial moment.
Outside in the yard, guided by Mandy, a heavy-duty muscle car pulled up next to the underground garage.
The car door opened, and a man over six feet three inches tall, built like a bear, stepped out.
"Mandy, my sweet girl—!" The tall man with a full beard showed a doting smile.
"Dad—!" On the other side, Mandy, like a swallow returning to its nest, flew into the man's arms.
For a moment, in this touching scene of father and daughter reuniting, Georgie became a complete "outsider."
This was the scene the Cooper family and Mike saw when they came out.
"You must be Mandy's father!" After the father and daughter finished their embrace, George stepped forward with a smile and introduced himself, "I'm Georgie's father, George Cooper."
"Hello, I'm Mandy's father, Jim ." The man bypassed Georgie, shook George's hand, and then, as if that wasn't enough, opened his arms and embraced George
"What does your father do?" Georgie asked weakly from behind.
To be honest, seeing his father-in-law's strong physique, Georgie felt a bit intimidated.
He was too imposing!
"Our family has a farm in New Jersey, so I guess my father is a farmer," Mandy, who had just met her father, still had a happy smile on her face.
However, seeing her boyfriend's expression wasn't quite right, Mandy comforted him again, "Don't worry, my father is actually a very gentle person."
Over there, Jim had already hugged George. To the astonished gaze of Mary and the others, the man easily lifted George off the ground.
George, who was also over six feet tall, looked "frail" like a child in front of the strong Jim, his neck now red from the squeeze.
Their "wrestling" looked somewhat like a "personal grudge" to outsiders.
"Are you sure your father is gentle?" Georgie's hands trembled a bit after witnessing Mandy's father's "ferocity."
His physique wasn't even enough to withstand one punch from the man.
"Don't overthink it, that's how men from our area express friendliness. At most, my father is just a bit overly excited today," Mandy explained, though she felt a little pleased inside.
The countryside in New Jersey indeed had a very tough folk custom.
However, Jim's way of greeting was indeed a bit too "enthusiastic" at this moment.
The reason for this goes back to the fact that Mandy's treatment at the Cooper family's home truly wasn't good:
A pregnant woman living in the basement and still having to work outside.
Under these circumstances, it's no wonder her father wanted to take the opportunity to give the Cooper family a "warning."
"Alright, Jim. George is almost out of breath." As the matriarch, Connie stepped forward to separate the two men and said with a smile, "Whatever it is, let's go inside and sit down and talk slowly."
"Yes, Jim. We've prepared a lavish meal to welcome you," Mary, who also realized what was happening, stepped forward and stood by her husband's side.
They looked like they were standing together.
"My apologies, I'm a rough man. Please forgive my rudeness." Facing the wary gazes of the Cooper family, Jim belatedly expressed his apology.
Compared to the Cooper family's proper attire, Jim, draped in an old fur coat, indeed had the air of a "barbarian."
Of course, this might have been intentional on his part.
The strong man, who had unknowingly delivered a "show of force," was clearly someone who was rough on the outside but meticulous on the inside.
"The house is a bit small… the furniture is also a bit old…"
Jim, upon entering the house, didn't go directly to the dining room but meticulously observed the Cooper family's environment.
The speaker had a purpose, and the listeners understood.
George knew that his in-law was deliberately finding fault, but at this moment, he could only force a smile.
After all, his eldest son was in the wrong.
Finally, after Mary and Connie finished arranging the food, Jim, accompanied by George, sat down in the dining room.
"By the way, son. When do you plan to marry my daughter?" As soon as the pre-meal prayer ended, Jim turned his gaze to Georgie.
"Next… next year, in the second half, once I reach marriageable age, we'll get married." Facing his future father-in-law's question, Georgie answered "obediently."
"Tsk—" Jim clicked his tongue, a sound of unclear meaning, and suggested, "How about you and Mandy go to New Jersey and get married there?"
Marriage laws vary among states in America. Some states allow marriage as early as thirteen or fourteen, while others require reaching eighteen years of age, and some places even require being twenty-one or older to have the right to marry.
Texas is relatively liberal, allowing marriage registration at eighteen.
But compared to New Jersey, where one can marry at thirteen or fourteen, it was still a bit behind.
If Georgie followed Jim's advice, he might indeed be able to complete the marriage registration in a short period.
"No, Georgie's career here is just starting, so he probably won't have time to go to New Jersey." When her eldest son was struggling, Mary found an excuse for him.
On one hand, Mary didn't want her eldest son to leave her life. On the other hand, she wasn't particularly satisfied with Mandy as a daughter-in-law.