“Grandma, I definitely won’t blame you.”
Gu Dahu pleaded, “Erhu and Lingling won’t blame you either. On the contrary, we’ll be grateful.”
“Good child. You’re so sensible. Your grandpa and I can’t bear to see you upset. I’ll go to the neighborhood office right now and make a call. I’ll tell your aunt who works at the marriage registration office not to register your mother and that freeloader.”
Gu Dahu was overjoyed. “Really, Grandma? That’s great!”
Beaming with excitement, he pushed Niu Erya. “Grandma, go make the call now. I’ll go with you.”
Gu Weiguo coughed lightly and pulled Gu Dahu back. “Let your grandma go. You should head back to school now. If your mom finds out you skipped class to come here, she’ll definitely suspect your grandma.”
“Uh… I—I’ll go back to school now.”
At the Tongshan County Civil Affairs Bureau Marriage Registration Office.
After waiting in line for more than half an hour, it was finally Xiao Huai Dong and Xu Hua Ying’s turn.
Just as they took out their photos and handed over their household registration booklets, they were returned.
“Sorry, you two. I can’t process your marriage certificate here.”
“Why not? Is there something wrong with our household registration?”
The joy on Xu Hua Ying’s face vanished instantly. Her aura suddenly rose as she narrowed her eyes.
Looking at the staff member speaking, she felt vaguely that she had seen this woman somewhere before.
“The household registration is fine.”
Wu Juan pointed at Xiao Huai Dong with disdain. “This pretty boy is the problem.”
Xu Hua Ying slammed the table and demanded loudly, “What problem does he have? Comrade, I think you’re the one with the problem! My partner is just handsome and fair-skinned. Calling him a pretty boy is malicious targeting. I’m going to report you to your superior.”
Wu Juan sneered. “Report me? Do you think I’d be afraid? Take a look behind you. Every couple waiting here is from the city. The pretty boy beside you has a rural registration. We don’t process registrations for rural people here.”
Anger surged in Xu Hua Ying. “Is there a national rule that rural people can’t register marriage in the city?”
Wu Juan said indifferently, “There’s no such rule, but we’ve never processed one for rural people here. Alright, you can leave. Don’t delay the comrades waiting behind you.”
Xu Hua Ying slammed the household booklet back onto the table. “Since there’s no rule and this is just your personal decision, I have reason to suspect abuse of authority. Either process it now, or I’ll go report you to your superior. If your superior does nothing, I’ll submit a report to the newspaper and expose your discrimination against rural people.”
“You dare! You—”
“Are you going to process it or not? We’ve been waiting for over an hour. There are so many people behind us. And you all—she already said she won’t process it for rural people, yet you still won’t leave. Do you need someone to come out and drive you away?”
“I say, miss, you’re a city woman—why marry a rural man? That lowers your status.”
The people waiting behind them, seeing Xu Hua Ying’s beauty and stylish appearance, all showed flashes of jealousy.
“Could it be she’s marrying him just because he’s good-looking? Tsk tsk, I’ve heard of men keeping mistresses, but this is the first time I’ve seen a woman keeping a pretty boy.”
“Mind your own business!”
Xu Hua Ying gritted her teeth in anger.
Wu Juan curled her lips smugly.
Let them make a scene. Even if she was in the wrong, once things escalated and the director came, Xu Hua Ying and that pretty boy would never be able to register their marriage again.
Her brother might not be as fair or as tall as the pretty boy, but he was a formal employee in the steel factory’s security department. What could this pretty boy compare with? Yet Xu Hua Ying actually looked down on her brother?
Even if her aunt hadn’t called, she would still sabotage this marriage.
“What’s all this noise? This is the marriage registration office. Divorce is on the other side.”
A low shout rang out, and everyone fell silent, turning toward the entrance.
“Director Fang, you’re here! There are people causing trouble. Please handle it. If this continues, even by nightfall we won’t finish processing all these registrations. We might get reported.”
Wu Juan struck first, pointing at Xiao Huai Dong and Xu Hua Ying. “It’s those two causing trouble and delaying everyone.”
Director Fang wore black-framed glasses, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked about fifty years old, with thinning hair and a gaunt, sharp-featured face.
His gaze fell on Xiao Huai Dong and Xu Hua Ying, his expression turning stern as he was about to scold them.
Seeing this, Xiao Nanchu suddenly rushed forward and bumped into his side, quietly pressing a talisman onto him.
“Grandpa, I didn’t mean to.”
Xiao Nanchu already looked delicate and adorable, with her curly hair and soft voice. Her bright eyes blinked as if they could speak.
At first glance, she looked like a real-life doll—no one could bring themselves to be harsh with her.
Director Fang’s originally stern expression suddenly changed. He quickly waved his hand. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Be careful when you walk next time.”
Then, looking back at Xiao Huai Dong and Xu Hua Ying, his face even showed a faint smile. “You don’t look like troublemakers. Tell me, what happened?”
Wu Juan looked as if she had seen a ghost, her face full of shock.
Director Fang, who usually nitpicked over the smallest matters, had suddenly become so easygoing?
She felt uneasy and quickly tried to speak first. “It’s like this, Director Fang, they—”
“Be quiet. I’m asking them. Why are you interrupting?”
Seeing that Director Fang seemed reasonable, Xiao Huai Dong stepped forward and explained everything clearly.
“If there is a rule in the county that rural people cannot register marriage, I will take my partner and leave immediately.”
Director Fang turned and glared angrily at Wu Juan. “Comrade Wu, who gave you the authority to refuse marriage registration for rural people? You’re even dividing people into classes. If you don’t want this job anymore, leave immediately.”
Wu Juan’s expression stiffened as she looked at Director Fang in disbelief.
What was wrong with this old man today? How dare he treat her like this?
She was furious inside but didn’t dare argue in front of so many people.
It must be Xu Hua Ying—that woman. The old man must have recognized her.
If this woman really married that pretty boy, then all the plans she and her aunt had made would fall apart.
“Why are you still dawdling?”
Director Fang tapped the desk impatiently.
“I’m sorry, Director Wu—it’s my fault. I’ll process it for the two comrades right away.”
Wu Juan felt her chest ache with anger. Could this old man have taken a liking to Xu Hua Ying?
But with her around, she would never let anything happen between them.
A marriage certificate meant nothing.
Her brother and Xu Hua Ying both worked at the steel factory—there would be plenty of opportunities.
Just wait. Sooner or later, Xu Hua Ying would become part of the Wu family.
Everything Xu Hua Ying owned—her property and house—would belong to their Wu family.