The next day, Zou Bowen found Zou Zhanyang and demanded coldly,
“You’re getting married—why didn’t you inform me? If it weren’t for Aunt Zhen telling me, I wouldn’t even know that my son is getting married the day after tomorrow!”
Zhanyang, who was directing workers to move furniture, turned at the sound. He pulled two packs of cigarettes from a drawer, handed them to the workers, and told them to step outside for a smoke before returning.
Then he turned to Zou Bowen. “Why wasn’t it notified? It simply hadn’t reached you yet.”
Zou Bowen sneered. “When were you planning to tell me? Did you even consider that I might not have time to attend the wedding?”
Zhanyang shrugged, nonchalant. “If you don’t have time, then don’t come. It’s not that important to you anyway.”
“You… you unfilial wretch! I am your father!”
Zou Bowen was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at Zhanyang. He was about to speak when he suddenly saw Zhanyang spring up. His previously casual demeanor completely changed. He ran eagerly to the door and took the plate from Shen Qingyun.
“This is red bean cake made by Aunt Su, brought over for us. Try it and see if you like it,” Shen Qingyun said, just back from discussing wedding details at Su Xiangmei’s house.
Zhanyang held the plate with one hand and pulled Shen Qingyun to sit with him, picking up a piece of red bean cake and bringing it to her mouth. “Wife, ah—”
“I just ate. You have it.”
“Just one bite.”
Shen Qingyun took a bite, but couldn’t eat more. Zhanyang, practiced at such matters, quickly fed her the bitten piece himself. It smelled so good and tasted delicious, carrying his wife’s subtle flavor.
Seeing his son feeding Shen Qingyun and wiping her mouth, Zou Bowen was utterly shocked.
Shock quickly turned to displeasure. This worthless son had been bewitched by this woman, infatuated to the point of blindly wanting to marry her.
Zou Bowen’s brows knitted tightly. He could hardly contain his frustration.
“I do not approve of this marriage. Cancel it immediately!”
“You… when will you learn from Li Cheng to give me some peace of mind?”
Shen Qingyun noticed a man had appeared in the living room. She looked at Zhanyang, then at Zou Bowen. “This is your father?”
Zhanyang nodded.
Feeling ignored, Zou Bowen repeated himself.
Shen Qingyun noticed Zhanyang’s entire body was tense, anger simmering beneath the surface. She patted his arm to soothe him, then straightened, calmly meeting Zou Bowen’s gaze.
“Uncle, Zhanyang and I are freely marrying. We’ve also submitted the application to the organization. Why do you disapprove of our marriage?”
Zou Bowen looked up. For the first time, he studied Shen Qingyun closely. The girl before him was stunning—her features striking, her eyes clear and determined, radiating a resilience he hadn’t expected, unlike the cunning, worldly image he had imagined.
For a brief moment, he felt a flicker of déjà vu. He must have seen her somewhere before.
No—it was an illusion. His face darkened abruptly, and his voice hardened. “Comrade Shen Qingyun, you may be a fine young woman, but marriage is no trivial matter. Social compatibility must be considered.”
“Our Zou family has a pure lineage, upright and respectable. You? Your parents are ‘reassigned personnel.’ You know what that means. Zhanyang is a soldier with a bright future. Marrying you would tarnish his record; any official review would fail, jeopardizing his future. You are not loving him—you are harming him and dragging down our entire family!”
At the word “dragging down,” Shen Qingyun’s gaze sharpened. She inhaled deeply, meeting Zou Bowen’s eyes.
“Uncle, I cannot agree with what you say. My parents obeyed the superior’s orders and went to the countryside for re-education by the peasants, contributing to the construction of socialist new villages. How can you call a national strategic plan a ‘burden’?”
“Moreover, if you worry that I might affect Zhanyang’s future, is a true revolutionary’s path secured by distancing oneself, or by wholehearted service to the people? I believe you understand this better than I do.”
“I, Shen Qingyun, rely neither on my parents nor on my family’s status. I survive through my own labor. If you believe that the families of revolutionary cadres are inherently noble, I would say that those who are forged through labor are equally worthy of respect. Uncle, wouldn’t you agree?”
Zou Bowen’s face shifted from red to pale. His hands, resting on his knees, trembled. He hadn’t expected this seemingly gentle girl to speak with such sharpness.
He suddenly stood, but had no words. In frustration, he waved his hand. “You… you’re being unreasonable! Zhanyang, look at the woman you intend to marry! Fine, fine, I will not attend your wedding. I am done with this!”
Zhanyang snorted. “Even if you don’t come, I’ll still get married. I’ll have Uncle Lu sit in your place anyway. After all, he raised me—I’m half his son.”
Hearing this, Zou Bowen staggered, furious, and stormed out.
At the factory residential compound,
Zou Bowen sat in a chair silently, the remaining anger on his face revealing enough to gauge the situation.
Cao Cuizhen covered her mouth, considering going to persuade Zhanyang herself.
Zou Bowen frowned and waved her off. “Don’t! Go prepare a gift.”
Cao Cuizhen paused. “A gift?”
“Of course, a wedding gift. Choose carefully. Don’t give that brat a reason to mock me,” Zou Bowen said, then asked, “And how did you find out Zhanyang was getting married?”
“Qinqin heard it from a classmate, and that’s Shen Qinghe, Shen Qingyun’s sister,” Cao Cuizhen said, sensing something was off but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “Bowen, what’s the matter?”
“Keep your niece away from that classmate!” Zou Bowen rubbed his temple, irritated.
Hearing Shen Qingyun’s fiery, confident spirit, he didn’t believe a word Cao Cuizhen had said about her being pitiful or cunning.
Playing the victim? Cunning? If that were true, she wouldn’t have mocked him, her father-in-law, in front of him.
Zou Bowen laughed in exasperation. He had to admit—Zhanyang was marrying a capable wife.
Cao Cuizhen felt alarm bells ring in her mind.
What had happened to make Zou Bowen’s attitude change so dramatically in one visit?
Ever since Shen Zhigao slapped her, Sun Lanzhi had been unwilling to accept defeat. That day, she ran into Zhou Weiguo’s mother and learned that Zhou Weiguo had already returned to the southern province. Sun Lanzhi realized she had been tricked by Shen Qingyun.
Old grudges and new hatred burned in Sun Lanzhi’s mind. She ran straight to Ma Daqiang’s house, staying from afternoon until evening, leaving at last with three hundred yuan in hand.
Days passed as preparations continued, and Zou Zhanyang grew busier and busier.
On Saturday, with Zhanyang away, Shen Qingyun told Zou Liye and left to pick up the wedding photos herself.
Handing over the pickup slip at the studio, she successfully retrieved the photos, glanced to confirm they were correct, and carefully placed them in her bag to avoid creasing.
Then Shen Qingyun bought a few more items before heading back. At the compound entrance, she saw a man and a woman lingering. Aunt Ma spotted her, eyes lighting up, and rushed over.
Seeing the woman’s triangular eyes, identical to Ma Daqiang’s, Shen Qingyun immediately recognized her.