Ruan Shujin thought her own charm was so great that she could bend men to her will—but she forgot that her acting skills were always extremely crude.
Her intentions were blatant, obvious, yet he willingly indulged them.
Zheng Yousai returned with the others, though she had no idea what time it was. Half-awake, Ruan Shujin could only hear the clattering from downstairs. She didn’t know what schemes they were hatching, only that as long as they didn’t disturb her, she could quietly recuperate and sleep.
Elsewhere, Xie Zheng stared at the wall clock until dawn. If he hadn’t been mindful of the elders’ age, he probably would have rushed to tell his Kyoto family everything the night before.
At seven o’clock, he stormed straight into the regiment commander’s office, treating himself as if he were not an outsider at all, and picked up the phone.
“Hello, please connect me to the Xie family at Jiuying Courtyard!”
Rustling sounds came from behind him, but Xie Zheng only glanced back, paying them no mind.
Commander Cheng Xinfeng grabbed the cotton green uniform and casually slipped it on. Watching Xie Zheng’s demeanor, he twisted his fists slightly, then collected himself. Xie Zheng was a wild wolf—he wouldn’t compete for face.
“Xie Zheng, consider yourself lucky I’m your commander. Otherwise, with moves like this, a stint in the dark room for reflection would be certain.”
Cheng Xinfeng looked at him.
“You went to see your fiancée yesterday, right? How was it? You’re not getting any younger—you need to settle down. Don’t grumble at us. If you don’t resolve your marriage before going to Mengdu, no one will let you go. Even if your grandmother cries to the higher-ups, who dares stop you?”
Xie Zheng kept his head down, making it hard for Cheng Xinfeng to get a clear view. Suddenly, he let out a deep sigh, and then a piece of paper appeared before him with the words “Marriage Report” written in large, glaring characters.
Cheng Xinfeng was dumbfounded. He coughed a few times, trembling as he held the report and carefully examined it.
Just then, the phone rang. Cheng Xinfeng tactfully left the room.
Listening to the deep voice of the elder on the other end, Xie Zheng’s heart softened slightly.
“Grandma, I’m getting married. There’s a small complication—the bride isn’t Cui Yingxue, it’s Ruan Shujin, the person I mentioned to you before, the one I’m going to Shanghai to find, my life-saving benefactor.”
In front of the elderly lady, Xie Zheng always appeared obedient. Even through the distance of thousands of miles and a mere telephone line, the old lady could imagine her precious grandson’s expression.
“It doesn’t matter who she is, as long as you’re willing to marry. If she’s not from the Cui family, then she isn’t. I’ll handle the original engagement on my end. You don’t have to marry Cui Yingxue. Whatever hardships you endured in Shanghai, Grandma’s heart aches just thinking about it. I only hope you find someone who truly understands you, and you two live as one. If you want to pursue your career, then pursue it.”
Xie Zheng felt a twinge of emotion, but his rationality prevailed.
“Grandma, the girl’s situation is special—her family runs a yarn factory.”
The old lady removed her glasses, her eyes bright and sharp.
“Grandma understands. That’s nothing serious. Just go ahead and apply for the marriage.”
“All right.”
After a pause, the old lady added,
“When the time comes, our family will send your bride’s dowry straight to Mengdu. For her safety, you should also persuade her to go with you. Or, if you’re willing, bring her to Kyoto. With our family protecting her, no one would dare harm her.”
“Grandma, she said she wants to go to Mengdu with me.”
A laugh came through the receiver. Xie Zheng felt his cheeks warm.
After hanging up, he remained dazed, looking like a naive young man.
In Kyoto, Xie Zheng’s grandmother nudged her eldest son who had been glued to her side.
“Go on, get moving. If it weren’t for you insisting on adopting my grandson, he wouldn’t have turned out like this. Truly heartbreaking.”
Xie Shouguo, the accused, hung his head silently.
The old lady snorted, glanced at a photo on her pocket watch, and tossed it aside.
“Forget it, your dead father wasn’t worth much anyway.”
She cursed a few times, then remembered the main task.
“The second son just said he’s getting married. Aren’t you, as a father, supposed to care? His bride is from a yarn factory in Shanghai. These days, the business world is stormy—one slip and it could all be gone.”
“Quickly take care of things, don’t let anyone block my grandson’s marriage report.”
Xie Shouguo scratched his head.
“Wasn’t it that Cui girl before? How come it changed?”
“You think the Cui family are good people? Something must have happened. But it’s just as well—the second son found someone he cares for. When I first brought him back, I investigated a bit. That Ruan Shujin he mentioned must be the girl who once served him water and buns. If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have seen your son again. Aren’t you going?”
After speaking, the grandmother tapped Xie Shouguo’s calf with her cane, then patted her unaware daughter-in-law.
“Yu’en, you also go help organize things. They probably won’t be able to hold a proper wedding, but what’s due to her must be given. Don’t let the eldest daughter-in-law feel wronged.”
“Mom, I know,” said Shao Yu’en.
The grandmother, seeing her daughter-in-law’s concern, added,
“Don’t be sad. Once he has a wife and children, all past grievances will fade. You did your best back then—the two old men caused the trouble. What gratitude? Two foolish donkeys.”
Shao Yu’en couldn’t help but smile, wiping her tears.
When Xie Zheng’s brothers returned to Kyoto, the grandmother gathered them. She and her husband had only one son, and the world was unstable. She had been injured during wartime and could not bear more children, but her son and daughter-in-law gave her four grandsons. She had dreamed of a soft, sweet granddaughter, but alas…
Yet with so many grandchildren, she was still happy.
The second son had been adopted into another family, and once they had their own child, they no longer spoiled Xie Zheng. Those early years were hard for him. By the time he was rescued by the Cui family, the childhood engagement had been fixed out of gratitude.
Over the years, she tried to urge Xie Zheng to marry, but he was unwilling. Only when pressured did he admit he had another love. Yet that boy was patient—if she hadn’t feigned illness and forced him back, he wouldn’t have gone to Shanghai to marry the Cui girl. She didn’t believe it!
So she played along, knowing Xie Zheng’s soft heart. Since he was willing to go to Shanghai, there was no worry about a granddaughter-in-law!
“Grandma, did you call us over to give instructions?”
The eldest daughter-in-law, a teacher, spoke softly, like a warm spring breeze.
The grandmother’s smile stiffened as her thoughts settled.
“Xie Zheng already submitted the marriage report. You are his closest brothers, so naturally you must show your acknowledgment.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Zheng’s brothers grew serious.
As the eldest, Xie Jun naturally spoke first.
“Grandma, I know you’re anxious, but honestly, the Cui family aren’t good people.”
“We didn’t know back then, so we were tricked into setting up a childhood engagement.”
“But later we saw how they treated our second brother. Why haven’t you broken the engagement?”
The grandmother made a hand gesture, smiling at Xie Jun’s worried face.
“Who said your second sister-in-law is from the Cui family?”