Speaking of Zhou Hanzhang, Old Master Zhou let out a snort.
“Your Uncle is a very busy man these days. Where would he find the time to come see an old man like me? He can’t even make it home for the holidays. He was just promoted this year and given the rank of colonel. Among the leaders of his division, he’s the youngest and has the least seniority. He must be run off his feet right now.”
That was what he said, but there was unmistakable pride in his expression. No matter how one listened to it, it sounded like he was showing off.
After all, Zhou Hanzhang was his youngest son. Not only had he been born to him late in life, but he was also a genius. He had left home at a young age, and now they rarely even got to see each other. But as someone who had been through it all, Old Master Zhou understood better than anyone that the country needed people like him. And knowing that the Zhou family could continue serving the country in the military region, how could that not make him proud and gratified?
It was just a pity.
His youngest son was too strong willed, with his mind entirely focused on getting promoted. He didn’t give his marriage any thought at all.
Speaking of Zhou Hanzhang, Guo Huixiu came over as well and sat down beside Meng Jixue with a smile.
“Uncle Hanzhang has really given my mother a headache. Some time ago, she was trying to introduce someone to him, but he actually scared the prospective match away. That really brought out my mother’s competitive streak. She’s only getting more determined after every setback.”
The “mother” Guo Huixiu referred to was her mother-in-law, Zhong Youyi.
Back then, Old Madam Zhou had given birth to Zhou Hanzhang when she was already in her forties. After giving birth, her health deteriorated badly, and she was unable to care for the newborn Zhou Hanzhang.
At that time, Zhong Youyi had already married into the family and given birth to her eldest son and eldest daughter. Her daughter was a year older than Zhou Hanzhang, so Zhong Youyi had simply taken the initiative to help her mother-in-law raise her youngest son.
Whether it was one child or two, it was still the same. Zhou Hanzhang could practically be said to have been raised by his eldest sister-in-law.
Old Madam Zhou had passed away a few years ago. With an eldest sister-in-law who was like a mother, and considering that Zhong Youyi had raised Zhou Hanzhang herself, she had long regarded him as another son of her own. Naturally, she couldn’t help worrying about her youngest brother-in-law’s marriage.
Hearing this, Meng Jixue merely smiled and replied, “Eldest Aunt has always been the one who worries and works the hardest for the family. It really has been hard on her.”
But inwardly, she wondered whether she had remembered incorrectly. Could it be that Zhou Hanzhang wasn’t coming back these days after all?
The thought made her heart sink a little.
At that moment, Zhou Mingyuan, the eldest son of the Second Branch, peeled an orange and handed it to Meng Jixue.
“Jixue, have some orange.”
Meng Jixue accepted it and gave him a faint smile. “Brother Mingyuan, are you interested in me?”
If Zhou Hanzhang didn’t exist, Zhou Mingyuan would actually be a fairly good choice. He was honest, ambitious, and never did anything improper. He was the kind of person other families would praise, a mature and steady young man.
His only flaw was that he listened to his elders too much.
If Meng Jixue married Zhou Mingyuan, then whenever she had a disagreement with Second Aunt, Zhou Mingyuan would definitely make her apologize regardless of who was right or wrong. His reason would simply be that she must not talk back to her elders.
Meng Jixue could never live that kind of life.
Zhou Mingyuan continued smiling. “Since ancient times, marriage has been decided by one’s parents and matchmakers. Besides, I’ve watched you grow up since you were little. Now that something has happened to your family, how could I, as your elder brother, stand by and do nothing?”
It wasn’t that he had feelings for Meng Jixue. He simply regarded her as his younger sister, and now that something had happened to her family, he felt that as the eldest brother, he should help her.
After chatting with Meng Jixue for a few more words, Zhou Mingyuan went off to look after the other younger brothers and sisters.
He had always been like this.
As an older brother, he was practically perfect. He took care of every younger member of the family and treated them all fairly. But as a husband, he would be far too inadequate.
There was a commotion outside.
Meng Jixue looked over and saw that Zhou Zhishu had returned.
He entered the house covered in the cold air, shivering so badly that he looked like a drenched, wilted rooster.
Seeing him like this, Lin Qilan was terribly worried. She hurried over to bring him some ginger tea and then fetched a dry towel.
But Zhou Zhishu was still worried about Meng Jixue.
“Where’s Jixue? I didn’t manage to pick her up. Uncle Meng said she came over first.”
Lin Qilan was furious inside, but knowing that she still had to get Meng Jixue to marry into the family, she could only suppress her anger.
“Your sister Jixue arrived a long time ago. She’s sitting in the living room.”
The moment Zhou Zhishu heard that she had arrived, he immediately looked around. The instant he saw Meng Jixue dressed up so beautifully today, a flash of amazement appeared in his eyes.
He couldn’t hear a word Lin Qilan was quietly saying beside him. He simply placed the teacup and towel into her hands and hurried toward Meng Jixue, eagerly saying, “Jixue, I didn’t get to pick you up today. Let me take you home later.”
He also glanced at his other brothers. When he saw that none of them had made any move, he finally felt a little relieved.
The moment Zhou Zhishu had returned home last night, he had anxiously told Lin Qilan about what had happened. The marriage that had originally been arranged for him had now become a matter of letting Meng Jixue choose her husband.
Zhou Zhishu was terrified that he wouldn’t be chosen. If he couldn’t marry Meng Jixue, what would he do?
Lin Qilan had simply reassured him. “Your aunts and uncles are people I know very well. I have a way to make them give up on the idea. Then they naturally won’t take this marriage seriously. Once Meng Jixue gets ignored, you can step forward and make a good impression. By then, she won’t have any choice but to pick you.”
Only then had Zhou Zhishu felt at ease.
As for his brothers, he felt that none of them liked Meng Jixue as much as he did. If their parents weren’t particularly willing, they certainly wouldn’t go against their families for her. So there was even less reason for him to fear them.
Seeing this annoying fly, Meng Jixue really didn’t want to pay him any attention.
Her gaze swept around the room and landed on an unused redwood writing desk in the corner.
Hanging above it was a painting of a soaring eagle. It already had an impressive sense of power, but it was unfinished.
As though she had suddenly thought of something, Meng Jixue pretended not to hear Zhou Zhishu. Instead, she turned to Old Master Zhou and said, “Grandpa, it looks like this painting isn’t finished yet?”
Old Master Zhou followed her gaze. His eyes immediately lit up.
“This was painted by your Uncle Hanzhang seven years ago. He never added another stroke after that, so I could only hang it here. Jixue, your family is a family of traditional Chinese painters. Why don’t you help finish this painting? That way, the painting can finally be completed.”
After all, no one knew when Zhou Hanzhang would return. Leaving half a painting hanging there didn’t look right either.
Meng Jixue smiled. “I’d be honored.”
She naturally knew that the painting had been done by Zhou Hanzhang.
Among ordinary people, it was already an exceptionally good painting. When Zhou Hanzhang was young, his grandfather and father had also personally guided him in painting.
Meng Jixue thought that once Zhou Hanzhang returned and saw that the painting had been completed, he would naturally know that she had been the one to finish it.
With that thought in mind, Meng Jixue stepped forward. She spread out a sheet of xuan paper, ground the ink, moistened her brush, and focused her mind.
At that moment, she was incredibly captivating.
The other unmarried young men of the Zhou family were drawn to the scene without even realizing it. One after another, they couldn’t help walking over.
Zhou Zhishu, who had been completely ignored, looked rather awkward.
But when he saw that all his brothers had gone over, he grew anxious and hurriedly squeezed his way in as well, unwilling to fall behind.
Meng Jixue took down the painting and placed it on the writing desk.
She carefully studied the painting before her.
The brushwork and force used to depict the eagle were outstanding, and its proud, solitary spirit seemed almost ready to leap off the paper. Yet the painting had captured every bit of the eagle’s sharpness without giving it a sky in which to soar. Thus, a large portion of the scene had been left blank, as though the painter had never been able to bring himself to put brush to paper.
They said that a painting best reflected the artist’s state of mind.
Could this painting also represent what was in Zhou Hanzhang’s heart?
The thought flashed through Meng Jixue’s mind, and she quickly came up with an idea.
The corners of her lips curved upward.
She lowered her brush.
Meng Jixue became completely immersed in her work, as though she were standing in a place where no one else existed. An aura of intense concentration and detachment surrounded her, completely separating her from the outside world.
No one knew how much time had passed.
Just as Meng Jixue put down her final stroke. The sound of a jeep engine shutting off came from the courtyard, followed by the crisp sound of military boots stepping onto the snow.