“Since we’ve already become intimate like husband and wife, I’ll take responsibility for you.
“If you agree, I can immediately submit a marriage application report to the army.”
The army?
Meng Yao was shocked again.
“You’re a soldier?”
Feng Chen sounded confused.
“Yes. You… only just realized that?”
Only then did Meng Yao remember what he had written in the note that day.
When he said he had to return to his unit, he meant the military!
Her foolish brain must have been left behind when she was reborn.
It had to be!
“Actually, although something like that happened between us, you don’t have to force yourself.
“It really isn’t worth sacrificing your marriage and feelings merely out of responsibility or morality.”
As she spoke, Meng Yao raised her fingers and swore, even though he could not see her.
“Don’t worry. I absolutely won’t cling to you!
“Why don’t we just treat it as a brief affair and put the whole matter behind us?”
Meng Yao asked cautiously, but all she received in response was an eerie silence.
They had only “met” once and knew almost nothing about each other.
Talking about marriage so quickly was indeed far too impulsive.
The voice on the other end of the phone carried hesitation and disappointment, becoming noticeably deeper.
“So you’re unwilling to marry me?”
The failed marriage in Meng Yao’s previous life had left her deeply wounded and fearful.
Therefore, in this life, marriage was absolutely impossible for her.
“Comrade Feng Chen, we’ve only met once. Do you sincerely want to enter into a marriage with me?
“I truly hope you’ll think this through carefully. If you’re doing this only because of responsibility and morality, there’s really no need. After all, you also suffered a great loss in this matter.”
Knowing that she was the one at fault, Meng Yao did not want to speak too harshly.
She could only reject him as tactfully as possible.
However, his next response completely caught her off guard.
A low male voice suddenly came through the receiver.
“You’re right, but I’ve already thought it through. As long as you’re willing, I can take responsibility for you.
“Are you rejecting me only because you don’t know me well enough?
“If so, I can briefly explain my situation. My name is Feng Chen. I’m twenty-six years old, currently serving in the army, single and never married. I have a younger half-sister, and my family lives…”
“Cough, cough! Stop, stop!”
Meng Yao pressed a hand to her forehead, completely speechless.
Was this man planning to conduct a blind date over the phone?
“Comrade Feng Chen, how about this? Let’s find an opportunity to sit down and talk properly in person, all right?”
It was not that she lacked the patience to continue arguing with him.
The problem was that Old Jiao, who stood nearby, was overflowing with curiosity and had been staring at her for quite some time.
Moreover, long-distance calls were truly expensive.
This was not something they could explain clearly in a few words, so it would be more appropriate to discuss it face-to-face.
It was not that Feng Chen did not want to meet her in person.
He was stationed far away with the army and was about to leave on another mission, so he simply had no time to return.
“But…”
Meng Yao was already eager to end the call.
“Let’s stop here for today. We’ll talk another time. I’m hanging up now.”
Before Feng Chen could react, a series of beeps came from the other end.
He stared blankly at the receiver as three questions arose in his mind.
Meet another time?
When exactly?
Did this woman dislike him that much?
After hanging up, Meng Yao patted her chest in lingering fear.
That was close.
She had almost entrusted the rest of her life to someone again.
The moment she turned to leave, her gaze accidentally landed on a familiar car parked to the right of the small shop.
Her eyes fixed on the license plate she remembered all too well, and her fists unconsciously tightened.
In her previous life, she had been stuffed into the trunk of that very car, dragged back to the Qi family, and beaten to death.
What strange wind had blown the Qi family here today?
It seemed the Meng residence was lively again.
At that moment, inside the Meng residence—
“I’m telling you, don’t go too far. You’re giving us so little bride price. Are you trying to dismiss beggars?”
Looking at the secondhand bicycle, sewing machine, watch, and radio on the floor, along with the scattered cash, Li Yuqin sat there unhappily.
Her eyes and nose twisted with displeasure, as though the other family owed her hundreds of thousands.
Meng Liangcai lowered his head, unsure what to say.
The Meng family’s reputation was now even worse than the Qi family’s.
It was no wonder the other side looked down on them and refused to treat them politely.
Still, it was difficult to swallow such humiliation.
“That’s right. In-laws, this bride price is indeed rather inappropriate.”
Lin Xiuzhu abruptly rose from her chair, planted her hands on her hips, and snapped sharply.
“We’re inappropriate?
“You still have the nerve to say that?
“The engagement had only just been arranged, yet you impatiently tricked my son into your house and had him sleep with your shameless daughter.
“Afterward, you pretended to be innocent and tried to use the incident to force us to increase the bride price.”
Qi Shuai’s gaze turned fierce.
“If we hadn’t heard all those rumors, we would still be kept in the dark.
“To marry your adopted daughter into our family, you used so many filthy methods behind our backs.”
He cast them a disgusted glance and continued, “With a daughter like yours, you should be grateful anyone is willing to marry her, yet she even looked down on our Qi family.
“If she truly doesn’t want to marry, we won’t force her. Let’s simply cancel the marriage.”
As he spoke, he waved his hand, signaling for them to return all the money they had previously accepted.
Meng Liangcai knew he was in the wrong and felt extremely frustrated.
Given Yingzi’s current reputation, it was almost impossible for another respectable family to propose marriage.
Moreover, the family factory still depended on Qi Shuai’s connections to recover.
Therefore, he could not possibly agree to cancel the engagement.
He immediately stood, pulled out an expensive cigarette, bent forward, and spoke ingratiatingly.
“Director Qi, what are you saying? Since the marriage has already been arranged, how can it simply be canceled?
“The two children are quite well matched. Now that things have already happened between them, it truly wouldn’t be appropriate for them not to marry.”
Qi Shuai maintained a cold expression as he accepted the cigarette, his eyes filled with contempt.
This man was certainly capable of swallowing his pride.
For money, he behaved like a shameless dog.
Meng Liangcai quickly lit the cigarette for him.
“Since you’re already here today, why don’t we quickly choose a wedding date for the children?”
Lin Xiuzhu arrogantly pointed at the bride-price gifts on the floor.
“That’s exactly why we came. We’ve already delivered everything. You’re the ones who said you didn’t want it.”
Li Yuqin was truly furious.
Looking at the couple’s rapidly changing attitude and arrogant expressions, she finally understood why none of the families in the surrounding villages wanted any connection with the Qi family.
They were indeed extremely unpleasant.
Although the couple both held secure positions at the steel factory and possessed many connections and resources, marrying into a powerful family was difficult.
Moreover, Qi Yunhai had that particular problem.
“You didn’t come here to deliver a bride price at all. You came here to humiliate us.”
Li Yuqin was also ruthless.
“You despise my daughter for being shameless, but how much better is your son?
“He’s a useless thing who can’t produce children. Meeting our Yingzi is the result of your family burning incense for generations.
“Don’t think I don’t know what schemes you had in mind when you first came to our family.
“We’re all old foxes here. Why pretend to be innocent?”
Lin Xiuzhu clutched her chest and pointed excitedly at Li Yuqin’s nose.
“Your family begged us to marry your daughter in the first place. Now you’re acting as though my son can’t live without her…”
“Isn’t that exactly the case? With your son’s reputation, which family would dare send their daughter through your door?”
Li Yuqin’s face turned red as she shouted loudly.
“If you don’t believe me, open the door and ask everyone outside whether I’m right!”
She wanted to see whether the arrogant Qi family truly dared to open the door today.
Seeing Qi Shuai’s terrifyingly gloomy expression, Meng Liangcai anxiously tugged at Li Yuqin and blamed her for speaking too much.
Li Yuqin immediately shook off his hand and shouted, “What are you afraid of? If they truly dare cancel the engagement, I’ll accuse their son of rape!
“We have nothing to lose. Why should barefoot people fear those wearing shoes?”
“Go ahead! Open the door and announce it to everyone. Today, I want to see which family will be more humiliated!”