After being rejected again, Zhou Weidong returned to the army dormitory feeling frustrated and complained to his comrades:
“My nephew is sick, and I can’t just ignore it. He’s my only sister, so I definitely have to pay for his treatment. Why can’t Xuezhi understand me?”
As for the rumors outside saying he was having an affair with Zhou Yuwei, they were simply ridiculous.
The innocent have nothing to hide—Zhou Weidong firmly believed he and his biological sister were completely innocent.
Comrade Qi Gang looked at him sympathetically and thought for a moment before saying, “Your fiancée is too pretty and too pampered. She probably can’t handle hardship. There’s nothing you can do about that. If you want a beautiful wife, you’ve got to provide better material conditions.”
“If it really doesn’t work, marry a rural woman instead. They’re usually hardworking and willing to endure anything. Not only would she help you pay for your nephew’s treatment, she might even help you support your sister for life without a word.”
Zhou Weidong’s expression darkened in embarrassment.
He was a battalion commander—if he married a rural woman, he would be laughed to death.
Besides, he himself came from the countryside, so he naturally longed for a city girl like Song Xuezhi. He liked how fair-skinned, pretty, clean, fashionable, and well put-together they were—pleasing to the eye.
Men were, after all, visual creatures.
But what Zhou Weidong didn’t realize was that beauty came with a price.
Or perhaps he once knew—but after being with Song Xuezhi, he gradually began to see her as something he already possessed, and no longer wanted to “pay” for it.
“I must marry Xuezhi,” Zhou Weidong gritted his teeth and said. Then he turned to his roommates. “Do you guys have any money? Lend me some. I’ll pool it together for the wedding in a couple of days.”
The soldiers were speechless.
It was the first time they had heard of someone trying to borrow money just to hold a wedding.
But since he was a battalion commander and they had years of camaraderie, they still managed to scrape together five yuan for him.
“That’s all?” Zhou Weidong frowned as he took the money. It wasn’t nearly enough.
Qi Gang shrugged. “I already lent you over a hundred last time.”
“Yeah, Comrade Zhou, we really don’t have any more…”
Everyone echoed in agreement.
Thinking about the dowry money he still owed Song Xuezhi made Zhou Weidong’s head ache. In the end, he had no choice but to send a telegram home to ask for money.
No matter what, he had to win his fiancée back first.
Time passed quickly. As the days went by and she was about to return home, Song Hongmei grew anxious and developed painful sores at the corners of her mouth over her daughter’s broken engagement.
She called her husband, but Yang Laishun thought she was overreacting.
“Honestly, marrying that battalion commander isn’t bad. What did he even do wrong? He didn’t cheat or anything—he just helped his sister’s family pay for medical treatment! I think your daughter is just overthinking things—too ambitious…”
“Say that again, Yang Xingde?” Song Hongmei raised her voice sharply and hung up in anger.
This incident made her realize once again that only she truly cared about her daughter.
People always said it’s easy to speak when you’re not the one suffering.
If it had been Yang Zhaodi who was treated like this, she didn’t believe he could remain so indifferent.
Blended families were difficult. Expecting Yang Laishun to treat Xuezhi like his own daughter was asking too much of human nature.
He was probably even hoping she would marry Zhou Weidong—after all, he had already spent money on her, and sending her off would clear up space at home. It would not only free up resources for his own daughter’s respectable job but also make room for his son.
The more she thought about it, the more guilty and unwilling she felt.
Why should Yang Laishun’s children live so smoothly while hers were either bullied or unable to find good marriages?
She wanted her family to live with dignity too.
Most importantly, she couldn’t rest easy knowing her daughter was alone in another city.
So in the end, she made up her mind and went to the military gate to wait for Li Chengyuan.
She had already found out these days that this general—though seven years older than her daughter—was extremely outstanding.
High rank, unmarried, and reportedly had never even had a girlfriend.
The only reason he was still single was because he had been focused on his career.
Such a “golden bachelor”—if she missed him, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
Even knowing she might be rejected, she still gathered her courage and came.
At the time, Li Chengyuan was reviewing documents when his guard at the door coughed and reported:
“Sir, there is an elderly woman outside who says she is Comrade Song Xuezhi’s family…”
“Let her in,” Li Chengyuan said, putting down his pen and rubbing his tired brow.
Song Hongmei squeezed through the half-open door, nervously stepping inside. In her nylon net bag were two cans of malted milk powder and some fruit.
“Chief Li, I’m Xuezhi’s mother,” she said, placing the bag on the corner of the desk.
“I heard you saved her last time. Our whole family is grateful.”
She fidgeted uneasily, stealing a glance at the man in uniform. Oh my—he truly was extraordinary. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, sharp nose, deep eyes, and nearly 1.9 meters tall. Everything about him radiated excellence.
Even she felt a bit intimidated—wondering if her daughter was worthy of him.
Li Chengyuan closed the documents and idly rubbed the metal pen cap with his finger. The image of the soaked military uniform from that day still lingered in his memory, and the faint scent of the girl seemed to drift through his dreams.
Perhaps because he had never been close to a woman before, that rescue had left a deep impression on him.
So much so that he had been dreaming about her lately… and, embarrassingly, waking up needing to change the sheets.
These dreams had become his greatest trouble recently.
“Just say it,” Li Chengyuan said coldly.
“You also know my daughter has broken up with the battalion commander Zhou,” Song Hongmei said, gripping the edge of the desk nervously under his imposing presence. “If you don’t mind… could you—”
“Comrade Song Xuezhi previously rejected my proposal,” Li Chengyuan interrupted, standing and pushing the bag back toward her.
Hearing this, Song Hongmei quickly stood up as well. “That’s just because young girls are shy! Please—”
“Comrade Song has the right to decide her own marriage. Even as her mother, you cannot decide for her,” he said firmly.
“Then if she agrees?” she asked urgently. “Would you still be willing to marry her, Chief?”
The guard at the side almost choked, thinking how absurd this was.
Their Chief Li was the youngest and most outstanding officer in the army—how could he be casually “offered” a wife like this?
But Li Chengyuan fell into thought.
He had always been disciplined, proud of his self-control, and had strict plans for his life and career.
He had never been involved with women and originally thought there was no rush to marry before thirty.
Women were not a necessity to him.
But recently, the interference of his dreams had begun to affect his work during the day.
He suddenly realized he might actually need a wife.
Perhaps getting married early would solve this issue and stop his troubling dreams.
Thinking of this, he nodded.
“If Comrade Song agrees, I am willing to marry her,” he said calmly.
“Regarding the incident of her falling into the water, I will take responsibility for her.”