Seeing that Chen Xiang was slow to respond, Zhou Dingbang wasn't anxious either. He began introducing his family background and relationship history.
"My parents are both still alive. I have three older brothers and one older sister, but we've all split up into separate households… I was married once before. She was a battlefield nurse who stayed on the battlefield to save people. I have two sons, but they're not my biological children—they're my comrade's…"
Chen Wen listened with a sigh of emotion, feeling both admiration and satisfaction toward Zhou Dingbang, wishing the two could go get their marriage certificate right away.
Chen Wen also introduced his sister's situation, including the reason for her divorce.
The two seemed to be chatting enthusiastically, but Zhou Dingbang's gaze kept drifting toward Chen Xiang from time to time.
Upon learning that the siblings had found work at a dyeing and weaving factory in the city that day, and that the three of them had no place to stay yet, Zhou Dingbang glanced at the sky outside and said, "It's too late today—no time to look for housing. Let me take you to a guesthouse for the night, and tomorrow I'll find you a place to live."
Chen Wen naturally wouldn't refuse the kindness of his prospective brother-in-law. "Then we'll trouble you, Comrade Zhou."
On the way to the guesthouse, Zhou Dingbang found opportunities to talk with Chen Xiang, while Chen Wen and Zhao Wansheng quietly made themselves less conspicuous on the side.
The two of them somehow ended up walking side by side at the front. Chen Wen led Zhao Wansheng along behind them at a moderate distance.
Whatever Zhou Dingbang said up ahead, Chen Xiang visibly relaxed considerably, and occasionally a low laugh or two could be heard.
Soon they arrived at the guesthouse. Zhou Dingbang saw them in, checked them into rooms, and arranged the meeting time with the Chen siblings for the next day before turning to leave.
Zhou Dingbang's trip home this time wasn't just for visiting family—he'd also come with the task of finding a marriage partner. However, he'd been introduced to several women since returning, and not a single one gave him the urge to marry.
Having finally settled down, Zhou Dingbang didn't want to fool himself into marrying just anyone and going through the motions of life.
Back when he'd married his first wife, it was entirely arranged by his superior. In those days, everyone lived as if there might be no tomorrow, and his superior urged him to take a wife to stay behind the lines, perhaps to carry on the family line. So he'd married in a daze.
After the marriage, the two were often apart and rarely together, and children never came. After one battle, his wife was gone too, leaving him a widower approaching thirty.
Perhaps it was because of his age, but he found himself utterly uninterested in those naive young girls of eighteen, nineteen, or early twenties.
This time, when he saw Chen Xiang at the small noodle shop, he didn't know why, but he found himself taking a second look. Unexpectedly, that look caught his eye and stirred his interest.
Meanwhile, after the mother and daughter had washed up and lain down on the guesthouse bed, Zhao Wansheng soon began to doze off, but Chen Xiang couldn't sleep.
Earlier on the way here, she didn't know how it happened, but in a daze she'd agreed to date that man. Now that she'd calmed down, her mind was filled with the man's intimidating aura.
Thinking about spending her life with someone like him, Chen Xiang couldn't help but feel afraid and worried.
Her second brother was sleeping in the next room, and it was so late that Chen Xiang didn't feel right going to talk to him. With all her thoughts bottled up and nowhere to go, she could only pull her daughter into conversation.
"Wan Sheng… do you think Mother was too impulsive? Agreeing to date someone I just met. That man looks so fierce—what if he's a bad person…"
After her daughter's persuasion the night before, Chen Xiang had already come to regard Zhao Wansheng as someone who could make decisions. Speaking her heart to her daughter now, she didn't feel that her six-year-old wouldn't understand.
Hearing Chen Xiang's words, Zhao Wansheng suddenly became much more alert. Although she was happy that Chen Xiang was dating Uncle Zhou, she couldn't ignore Chen Xiang's concerns. "Mother, how long did you know my father before you got married?"
Chen Xiang was stunned by the question.
When Chen Xiang was young, her aunt had married into Zhao Family Village. Through the exchanges between the two families, she'd come to know Zhao Zhiwen. After growing up, the two had taken a liking to each other before getting engaged and married.
But Zhao Zhiwen had still changed his heart when he wanted to.
Seeing her mother stay silent for a long while, Zhao Wansheng seemed to realize something. She spoke softly, "Mother, whether someone is good or bad has nothing to do with how long you've known them. I think that Uncle Zhou being willing to raise his comrade's children shows that his character probably isn't a problem."
Most importantly, the movement that would come more than a decade later would basically not affect people in the military.
That was also the main reason Zhao Wansheng supported Chen Xiang marrying Uncle Zhou. Otherwise, even if it were a millionaire capitalist, she would never agree.
Chen Xiang thought it over and found it made sense.
If Zhou Dingbang was willing to raise children with no blood relation to him, then he would surely treat her daughter well in the future. That one point alone was enough.
Chen Xiang comforted herself, and that restless heart gradually settled down.
"Mother, we're going to live in the city from now on. I've noticed that city kids don't call their parents 'die' and 'niang'—they call them 'baba' and 'mama.' From now on, I'll call you 'Mama' too!" Zhao Wansheng leaned against Chen Xiang's arm, mumbling drowsily.
Chen Xiang heard her daughter's words, and only then did her still-dazed heart feel a sense of reality. "Alright, in the city, we'll follow the city's rules."
Zhou Dingbang was a man of efficiency. As soon as he got home, he pulled his already-sleeping parents out of bed.
"Father, Mother, I already have someone I'm going to marry. You don't need to arrange any more blind dates for me."
"Where is she from? What kind of girl is she?" Mother Zhou was still a bit groggy, but at these words, she perked up immediately.
"In a couple of days, I'll bring her home for you to meet." Zhou Dingbang had no intention of telling his parents right now that the woman he was going to marry was a remarried woman with a daughter.
He knew without even thinking.
If his parents, who were set on him marrying an unmarried young woman, found out about Chen Xiang's situation, they would definitely not agree.
But he was nearly thirty now, and a widower with two sons to boot. It was rare to find a woman he actually wanted to marry—why be picky!
He told his parents not to ask for their approval, but simply to inform them.
Zhou Dingbang's attitude was clear. The Zhou parents couldn't get anything out of him, so they had no choice but to wait for their son to bring the woman home.
They were just ordinary people, and toward their youngest son, who had been to war, killed Japanese soldiers, and become an official, they were quite deferential.
Zhou Dingbang wrote his marriage application that very night.
The next morning at seven o'clock, after mailing the letter, Zhou Dingbang headed straight to the guesthouse.
Zhao Wansheng hadn't gotten enough sleep. She was leaning against Chen Xiang, eyes half-closed, dozing off, when suddenly she was scooped up into someone's arms. Startled, she immediately opened her eyes and realized the person holding her was Zhou Dingbang!
"Good morning, Uncle Zhou!" Zhao Wansheng quickly flashed him a brilliant smile.
Zhou Dingbang was used to the cold, indifferent faces of his two step-sons at home. Seeing such a bright smile all of a sudden, he felt almost flattered.
"Come on, Uncle will take you out for breakfast!"
He laughed and hoisted her up a little higher, but his gaze kept drifting to the woman beside him. Seeing that Chen Xiang's expression was more at ease than yesterday, his mood improved as well.
After breakfast, Zhou Dingbang took the three of them to rent a house in the residential area near the dyeing and weaving factory.
Through an introduction from a comrade-in-arms, Zhou Dingbang knew where there were houses for rent nearby. After looking at several places, Chen Xiang finally settled on renting a small courtyard.
The courtyard was small but complete—it had both a kitchen and a bathroom.
With Zhou Dingbang's help, they rented the house by mid-morning, then spent a few hours cleaning it. At noon, they grabbed a quick bite outside. After the meal, Chen Wen was anxious to return to the village to take care of some business.
"Sis, I only have tomorrow off. I'll head back to the village now to get the paperwork. You and Wansheng stay in the city. I'll bring your things from home over for you."
"I only have two trunks. Just bring those over." Chen Xiang didn't plan on going back to live there anymore. In the future, she'd only return to visit their parents.