Pei Zhan shot a cold glare at Zhang Guihua.
It seemed that after his father left, his older brother and sister-in-law had followed suit, causing certain people to lose their patience.
Pei Zhan’s gaze was fierce, especially with the scar he’d earned above his eyebrow during his military service, which made him look like a sharpened sword.
Zhang Guihua shuddered unexpectedly. She suddenly recalled Pei Zhan’s wild behavior in his youth—he was a madman, a ruthless man.
Fearing he might lose his temper and ruin her youngest son’s wedding, Zhang Guihua hurriedly retreated into the house.
“He really is a troublemaker. Why doesn’t your second uncle do something about him?”
“Never mind, don’t worry about that troublemaker. Zhan, go answer the phone right away and explain things properly to your wife—newlyweds shouldn’t be fighting.”
The old man at the phone booth advised kindly.
Pei Zhan nodded apologetically and hurried over to the public phone booth.
He saw the receiver lying next to the phone, reached out, picked it up, and held it to his ear. “Hello, this is Pei Zhan.”
The man’s voice was clear, smooth, and deep, spoken in a calm tone with a slightly heavy inflection at the end.
She wasn’t sure if it was because of the phone, but when the man’s voice suddenly reached her ears, Yu Yin felt a tingling sensation.
She quickly moved the receiver away and switched to the other ear to listen.
“…H-hello, this is Yu Yin.” She paused, then emphasized, “Your fiancée.”
A flash of surprise crossed Pei Zhan’s eyes.
Although Pei Zhan had never met his so-called fiancée, he knew that given his mother Sheng Siyang’s concerns, she would surely choose a woman with a gentle, meek personality—like his older sister-in-law—to be his wife.
It wasn’t that his mother, Sheng Siyang, wanted to bully anyone; in fact, she had a gentle disposition and was the last person to get into an argument.
The reason she sought out a meek woman as a daughter-in-law was out of fear that, behind her back, someone might take advantage of their mentally disabled younger sister.
But she never expected—
that the other party didn’t seem meek at all.
Pei Zhan raised an eyebrow. “Hello, Comrade Yu Yin. I’m sure you already know I can’t come over. I’m very sorry, but rest assured, I’ve already notified my comrade to come pick you up. If you have any concerns or requests, feel free to let me know.”
Yu Yin was rather sensitive; she always felt there was a hidden meaning behind the words of male cannon fodder.
But since they’d never met in person, surely that couldn’t be the case?
Yu Yin replied cautiously, “I don’t have any concerns or requests. I’ve already arrived in the county seat, so if you’re sending your comrade to pick me up, just have him meet me there.”
“Is that it? No requests?”
“None.”
“So how do you plan to make a living from now on?”
“How else? I’ll just have to eat and get by.” Yu Yin found the male cannon fodder’s question baffling.
“You… don’t you want a job in the provincial capital?” Pei Zhan was clearly testing the waters.
Yu Yin moved the receiver away, staring at it as if she were looking straight at Pei Zhan.
She finally realized something was off and asked in surprise, “Are you some kind of miracle worker who can help me find a job?”
Pei Zhan: “……”
It was confirmed: his new wife was either a bit slow on the uptake or just playing dumb.
Still, she probably wasn’t a complete fool.
As long as she wasn’t a fool, she wouldn’t do anything that harmed others without benefiting herself.
Pei Zhan let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I’m not that all-powerful.”
“Oh, so you were just making small talk? I can understand that, but Comrade Pei Zhan, phone bills are expensive.”
Pei Zhan: “……”
A hint of a smile gradually appeared in his eyes.
“Sorry,” he said, stifling a laugh. “I left something for you in the bridal bedroom. I hope you can forgive my mistake.”
Yu Yin twitched the corner of her mouth, unsure whether it was because she’d heard the words “bridal bedroom” come from his mouth, or because this male cannon fodder had left something for her.
Or perhaps both.
Yu Yin said awkwardly, “ “Oh, well, thanks?”
“You’re welcome.”
Yu Yin couldn’t keep the conversation going: “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to hang up now.”
“Wait.”
Yu Yin paused as she raised her hand to hang up. “What is it?”
Pei Zhan’s expression turned serious as he said earnestly, “As for the family, I’ll be counting on you to take care of things.”
“It’s no trouble—it’s my duty.” Yu Yin had never considered it a burden.
She had always believed in a fair exchange: she had used the Pei family to escape Cuizhu Village and the Yu family, so it was only right that she take care of the Pei family now.
Pei Zhan was finally put at ease. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I thank you, too.”
Thank him?
Thank him for what?
But by then, Yu Yin had already hung up, so Pei Zhan couldn’t ask even if he wanted to.
……
“Finished talking?” As soon as Zhao Ping’an saw Yu Yin hang up, he rushed over to her.
Zhao Ping’an was dying of curiosity, especially after vaguely hearing Yu Yin mention something about looking for a job.
He thought that man was going to help Yu Yin find a job in the provincial capital—if that were the case, it would be absolutely wonderful.
Zhao Ping’an, both nervous and excited, asked Yu Yin, “Did that man help you find a job?”
“What are you thinking? Is it that easy to find a job in the provincial capital?”
Yu Yin found it amusing and tapped Zhao Ping’an on his forehead.
It didn’t hurt, but it felt like Yu Yin was treating him like a little kid.
Zhao Ping’an wasn’t happy about it and pushed her hand away. “Don’t touch me—I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Mm-hmm, I know.” Her response was dismissive.
Clearly, she hadn’t taken his words to heart.
Zhao Ping’an puffed out his cheeks, an involuntary look of determination flashing across his face.
Just then, someone came in to make a phone call. Seeing Zhao Ping’an like that, they assumed it was that street thug causing trouble, so they took off at a run, fleeing the scene in a hurry.
Zhao Ping’an: “……”
Yu Yin: “……”
“Haha!” Ye Dong burst out laughing.
Feeling Zhao Ping’an’s death glare, Ye Dong immediately covered his mouth, playing it cool: “I didn’t laugh.”
He was… such a clown.
Both of them were.
Yu Yin felt that when Zhao Ping’an was with Ye Dong, even the usually gruff and unsociable Zhao Ping’an would become more lively.
That was nice.
That way, even after she left, she wouldn’t have to worry that Ping’an would become even more withdrawn because he had no one to talk to.
……
“How’s it going?” The old man turned around upon hearing footsteps; he was currently shielding Pei Zhan from the onlookers.
Pei Zhan stepped out of the phone booth and gave the crowd a cold glance. The people blocking the doorway instantly scattered, as if they’d encountered a raging flood or a ferocious beast.
The old man burst out laughing. “You’re still the one who gets the job done.”
After teasing Pei Zhan, he asked, “Have you explained everything to your wife?”
“You should tell her you had no choice—soldiers are supposed to put the country first.”
Pei Zhan didn’t take the bait. After handing over the money, he said, “Old Man, I’m heading home for a bit.”
“All right, all right, go on home. And while you’re at it, let your mom know so she won’t worry.” The old man patted Pei Zhan on the shoulder.
Pei Zhan’s home was at No. 12 Guiyuan Lane, right in the middle of the block.
Before he even reached the doorway, he saw two chubby little heads peeking out from behind the folding screen door.
Pei Zhan immediately shook off the chill that had settled over him. He walked over, grabbed one plump little head in each hand, and gave them a good rub. “Why are you out here? Didn’t I tell you to stay with Mom and Grandma?”
The two little heads belonged to Pei Zhan’s younger sister, Pei Rong—who was fifteen but had the mental capacity of a four- or five-year-old—and his three-year-old nephew, Pei Kangning.
Perhaps due to his family environment, Pei Kangning, though only three, already looked like a little adult.
He tugged at his aunt Pei Rong’s hand and explained, “Second Uncle, Grandma told us to come out.”
After a pause, he lifted his chubby face and added, “My maternal great-aunt just came over, and Grandma told us to come out.”
“Your maternal great-aunt is here?” Pei Zhan smiled. “All right, I understand. Go play, but don’t wander too far.”
“We’re not going anywhere—we’ll just sit right here at the front door.” With that, he and Pei Rong each dragged over a low wooden stool and sat down at the entrance to their home.
They looked just like two little door gods.
It seemed the atmosphere at home today had definitely affected the two little ones.
A cold gleam flashed in Pei Zhan’s eyes.
But he didn’t say anything; he simply walked straight inside.
Following the sound of voices, he made his way to the dining room.
At that moment, two relatives who had come for the wedding banquet were seated in the dining room: Pei Zhan’s aunt, Cai Cuihua, and Zhou Han, the wife of his best friend Cao Yang.
When Pei Zhan walked in, his aunt Cai Cuihua was trying to console his mother, Sheng Siyang: “Don’t dwell on it. Today is a joyous occasion—who cares if they show up or not? It’s actually for the best that they didn’t come. Now you can see their true colors, and in the future, you won’t have to feel sorry for these shameless people.”
Sheng Siyang had a gentle nature and was a real do-gooder; she’d usually help out any of those good-for-nothing relatives who came begging.
She had thought that such a “do-gooder” would have the upper hand when competing with Zhang Guihua for the relatives’ support, but to her surprise, those relatives—who usually talked a good game but didn’t follow through—had all rushed over to Zhang Guihua’s house to celebrate her damn youngest son’s wedding.
This was only because Sheng Siyang’s husband was gone, her eldest son and daughter-in-law had left, leaving behind a youngest son who was rarely home, and the household consisted of the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled—easy prey.
Although Aunt Cai was furious too—she’d have loved to slap each of them across the face—Sheng Siyang’s health was fragile, so she couldn’t say anything harsh that might cause her to worry unnecessarily.
“That’s right, Auntie. Today is Ah Zhan’s wedding—isn’t this what you’ve been looking forward to all along? On such a joyous occasion, you really shouldn’t dwell on these things.”
“You just need to look forward to the ‘daughter-in-law tea’ ceremony.” ” Zhou Han also tried to reassure her.
But it was one thing not to mention it; the moment the “daughter-in-law’s tea” came up, Sheng Siyang grew even more distressed.
Her youngest son had finally returned to get married, yet he was about to leave before she’d even been officially welcomed into the family.
How would the bride view their family and her son in the future? Would they ever be able to live a normal life together?
Sheng Siyang was utterly distraught.