Xiang Meilan ran all the way to the Zhou family’s fields. As it was the first day after both sons’ weddings, Zhou Zheng had planned to finish work half an hour earlier than usual. Spotting Xiang Meilan sobbing as she rushed along the ridge, he dropped his sickle in alarm and hurried over.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Xiang Meilan grabbed his arm and tearfully recounted the events. Wiping her tears at the end, she said, “Yiming’s dad, what should we do now? Yiming and that wretched Jia family girl are hiding in the room and won’t come out, and your eldest son and Xia Ying—who knows what’s really going on with them? You’re the head of the household, you decide!”
What decision could he make?
After hearing the whole story, Zhou Zheng already had a rough idea of what had happened.
Pushing Xiang Meilan aside, he sat on the ridge, fumbled out his pipe, lit it, and took a puff, his brow furrowed deeply. How could something like this happen? Both sons were his flesh and blood—what could he do in such a situation?
If there was no other way, then… they’d just have to let the mistake stand.
“Yiming’s dad, you can’t just let things stay like this! Xia Ying is the wife I picked for Yiming—what right does Zhou Qingbai have to keep her?” Having been married to Zhou Zheng for over twenty years, Xiang Meilan could tell he was leaning toward letting the mistake stand. She grew frantic: “Besides, the college entrance exam is coming up. Even though Yiming has always had good grades, he still needs to attend that final review session before the exam. For the review, you either pay money or give a decent gift. If Xia Ying ends up with Zhou Qingbai, how will Yiming manage the review? If Yiming doesn’t get into university, how will he bring honor to our Zhou family or lift our whole family to a better life?”
“Yiming’s dad, even though we combined two weddings into one, our family still borrowed money! Without Xia Ying’s money, it’s not just Yiming who’ll be ruined—it’s our entire family!” Xiang Meilan said fiercely, “I’m telling you, if anyone dares stand in Yiming’s way, I’ll fight them with my life!”
Zhou Zheng tapped the ash from his pipe onto the ridge and said gloomily, “Who’s standing in his way? He’s standing in his own way. Do you think I don’t know? We picked a good wife for him, but he didn’t want her—he had to get tangled up with that Jia family girl. Why doesn’t he think about it? We’re his parents—would we ever harm him?”
Xiang Meilan exploded at these words: “Zhou Zheng! What do you mean by that? I came to you for a solution, not to hear your sarcastic remarks! I’m telling you, if you don’t come up with a proper plan for Yiming, I won’t let this go!”
With that, she broke down in tears again, overwhelmed by anxiety.
Zhou Zheng sighed heavily and remained silent for a long moment before saying, “Then what do you want? To force Xia Ying to be with Yiming?”
Xiang Meilan immediately wiped her tears and said, “That would be best, of course. But if Xia Ying really refuses strongly, then she should hand over the valuable items and money from her dowry. It’s not that I’m greedy—it’s just that Yiming really needs it. Once he graduates from university and gets assigned a job, he can pay it back. It’s not like he won’t be able to.”
If Xia Ying strongly refused, she was likely already Zhou Qingbai’s woman.
Since she was no longer pure, Yiming naturally couldn’t have her.
Jiao Qinqin was also someone she looked down upon, but after this incident with Jiao Qinqin, she feared Yiming’s reputation would also be somewhat affected. Getting the money and valuable items first would give Yiming the freedom to either remarry or sell them for cash later. Xiang Meilan thought it over and felt she had considered everything thoroughly.
Zhou Zheng sneered coldly. Did she think Xia Ying was a fool, or Qingbai was a fool?
That boy Qingbai usually seemed uncompetitive and unassertive, but that was only because no one had pushed him too far. If someone really went too far, just watch whether he’d fight back or not!
But after all, the Zhou family’s hopes rested on Yiming…
Zhou Zheng put away his pipe, stood up, and brushed the dust off his trousers. “You haven’t sent word to the Xia family yet, have you? Alright, you go home first. I’ll go to the Xia family.” He paused, then added, “Go back and handle things properly. This mix-up must not be linked to Yiming.”
Xiang Meilan understood—this was to prevent Xia Ying from holding a grudge against Yiming and refusing to give the money later. Still, she was a bit worried. “Would telling the Xia family now have a negative effect?”
Zhou Zheng narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “No. Xia Ying’s father is different from others.”
·
Because of yesterday’s wedding celebration, breakfast this morning consisted of leftovers from the day before. Although it was summer, leaving the food in well water overnight kept it from spoiling.
After the three of them finished eating, Zhou Xiaocao quickly gathered the bowls and chopsticks to wash them. Xia Ying didn’t argue with her, as the lingering effects of the drug in last night’s wine still left her feeling unwell.
A farmer must never forget his crops. While Zhou Qingbai sharpened a sickle in the yard, Xia Ying brought a small stool and sat beside him, quietly explaining the situation in her family. “My father didn’t have much education, but my second uncle studied for several years. You’ve probably heard—he’s now the Party secretary in our town.”
Zhou Qingbai knew about this.
To persuade Zhou Yiming to agree to the marriage, Xiang Meilan had mentioned it many times at home. Xia Weixin, Xia Ying’s second uncle, was the town’s Party secretary. Not only did he provide financial support to Xia Ying’s family, but marrying Xia Ying would also bring benefits to the groom’s family. This was considered one of Xia Ying’s advantages. Zhou Zheng and Xiang Meilan believed Zhou Yiming was more promising than Zhou Qingbai, so he deserved a better wife. They hadn’t kept this from him.
“I’ve heard. Marrying you means gaining a second uncle who’s the town’s Party secretary—a good deal.” This referred to Xiang Meilan’s plan.
Xia Ying agreed and continued, “My second uncle is the town’s Party secretary, and my second aunt works at the town’s water conservancy station. Their life is much, much better than ours. That’s why my father believes educated people are superior. He insisted I marry someone educated, so that not only could I support my family, but I could also help my younger brother in the future.”
Zhou Qingbai understood. “You mean your father will look down on me because I’m not educated?”
Xia Ying said, “Yes. So I want you to lie to him. Tell him you’re actually very studious, but your family could only afford to support one person, so you gave the opportunity to Zhou Yiming. But now that I’ve married you, with my support, you’ll continue your studies. You’ll not only get into university, but you’ll definitely get into a much better university than Zhou Yiming. Then, whatever conditions my father sets, you can promise to meet them.”
This was essentially writing a blank check, with no intention of ever cashing it.
Zhou Qingbai pondered for a moment before tentatively asking, “Are you afraid that if I don’t say this, your parents will take back your dowry? Or that they’ll refuse to let you stay with me and force you to go back to marry someone else?”
Xia Ying sighed. “Exactly.”
If that really happened, she would have no choice but to run away with the money.
But if she truly ran away, she couldn’t rest easy leaving her mother and younger brother behind. Even though she had lived an extra lifetime, as a woman who hadn’t even finished middle school, she still felt uneasy about running off alone.
Unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to take that path just yet.
She tilted her head to look at Zhou Qingbai, her tone unconsciously turning persuasive. “Let me be honest with you. My father gave me a dowry of one thousand yuan when I married. My mother secretly gave me three hundred, and I’ve saved up two hundred in private savings over the years. My second uncle and aunt gave me another thousand. That’s a total of two thousand five hundred yuan. If you help me get through this, I’ll give you fifteen hundred of it later! As for the major items I brought with me when I married, I’ll give them all to you. When you remarry in the future, you won’t have to waste extra money.”
Hmm, quite generous—splitting the two thousand five hundred yuan in half and even giving him an extra two hundred fifty.
Having already made up his mind, Zhou Qingbai naturally wouldn’t go back on his word. “Alright.”
No sooner had he agreed than people were already arriving at the house.
Zhou Zheng had gone to a farther location today, while Xiang Meilan, in a cheerful mood, had walked back more slowly. By the time she reached the doorstep, Zhou Zheng had already brought Xia Weiming and Yan Lirong from the neighboring village. As the four of them entered, the first thing they saw was Zhou Qingbai and Xia Ying sitting together. Though not overly intimate, they certainly didn’t seem to have even the slightest hint of discord.
Yan Lirong’s eyes, red from crying, widened instantly, fixed unblinkingly on Xia Ying. “Yingying, you…”
Xia Ying and Zhou Qingbai stood up. Before Xia Ying could even call out “Mom,” Zhou Qingbai had already stepped forward, addressing them respectfully. “Mom, you’re here.” He then looked at Xia Weiming, who stood behind Yan Lirong with an angry expression. “Dad, please come inside and sit. You two haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Yingying, go serve your parents some food!”
The young man was tall and sturdy, and with a smile on his face now, he appeared very polite and courteous. Not only were Yan Lirong and Xia Weiming taken aback, but even Zhou Zheng and Xiang Meilan were left bewildered. Before they could react, Yan Lirong and Xia Weiming were already seated at the dining table in the main house’s living room, with warm food placed before them.
Although there had been a wedding celebration the day before, as farmers, Xia Weiming and Yan Lirong had been busy in the fields early that morning. Tired and hungry, they had returned home without even sitting down before Zhou Zheng brought them here. Now, smelling the food, their stomachs growled with hunger.
Having learned a bit about the Xia family’s situation from Xia Ying, Zhou Qingbai didn’t approach Xia Weiming directly. Instead, he smiled warmly at Yan Lirong and said, “Mom, it looks like you and Dad just finished working in the fields, right? You must be hungry. Let’s talk about other matters later. You and Dad should eat first. If it’s not enough, there’s more in the pot. Once you’re done, I’ll have Yingying serve you more.”
With him calling her “Mom” repeatedly and wearing a smile, while Xia Ying obediently accompanied them like a new bride, Yan Lirong didn’t know what to feel. She picked up her bowl and began eating.
The atmosphere was too harmonious, and his wife had already started eating. Xia Weiming thought to himself, I’ll deal with you later, and followed suit.
Zhou Zheng and Xiang Meilan stared in stunned silence. Just as Xiang Meilan was about to say something, Zhou Zheng dragged her into the kitchen, only to find that there was hardly any food left in the pot!
This was partly due to Zhou Xiaocao. Having grown accustomed to cooking for a family of five, she hadn’t quite measured correctly for seven people today. Zhou Qingbai had a big appetite, and Xia Ying, anticipating a tough battle ahead, also ate more than usual. By the time Xia Weiming and Yan Lirong arrived, Xia Ying had already filled two large bowls with rice mixed with dishes, leaving only enough in the pot for someone with a small appetite like Zhou Yiming to have one meal.
Xiang Meilan trembled with rage: “I—I’m going to kill that bastard!”
She was cursing Zhou Qingbai.
Zhou Zheng hurriedly held her back: “Are you insane? We still need to have a proper talk with Xia Ying’s parents later. If you cause a scene now, how can we possibly discuss anything?”
Xiang Meilan said, “Then… then are we just going to let this slide? Yiming probably hasn’t eaten yet, and neither have you…”
“Enough! Skipping one meal won’t kill us!” Zhou Zheng replied. “Add some water, and we’ll make do with whatever’s left. We still have a lot to deal with later.”