Xu Weiliang paused with the cigarette between his fingers and squinted at him.
After a long moment, he finally spoke.
“You’ve taken a liking to her?”
Xu Qingyan didn’t bother to hide it and admitted it frankly.
“Yes, I have. But I’ll pursue her on my own. Don’t interfere.”
His father was not a good man—there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
He didn’t want, nor would he allow, her to suffer any grievance or harm because of him.
Xu Weiliang took the last drag of his cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, tossed the butt to the ground, and crushed it under his foot.
A meaningful smile spread across his unruly, arrogant face.
“Fine. I won’t interfere. Let’s see when you manage to bring the beauty home.”
It was obvious he didn’t take Meng Luosheng seriously at all.
Every word dripped with disdain.
Xu Qingyan looked at him solemnly.
“Dad, Comrade Meng is the woman I like. I don’t need you to like her, but I do need you to respect her. Let her take over the accounting job tomorrow. Don’t let her know she got it because of me—let it be because of her outstanding performance.”
Xu Weiliang clicked his tongue.
He hadn’t realized he’d raised such a hopeless romantic of a son.
Trying to play Lei Feng and do good deeds without expecting recognition?
Raising an eyebrow, he said,
“So what you call ‘pursuing her’ is doing good deeds anonymously?”
Xu Qingyan withdrew his gaze from him and looked back at Meng Luosheng.
“Not everything needs to be known. I know exactly what I’m doing, and I know what I want.”
His eyes lowered slightly.
“I hope she’s a selfish person—always upright, always moving forward, never bound by anything.”
Xu Weiliang was surprised by his son’s ideals.
He even felt that the light radiating from him was more sacred than the Buddha statues in the temple back in the day.
Young men were just naïve.
Love was selfish. Someone as selfless as him would never find happiness.
In the end, he was still inexperienced, too soft-hearted.
A trace of regret rose in his heart.
If not for his crippled leg, he could have gone to the army like his eldest son and made a name for himself.
Still, he was his own son, so he offered a reminder.
“If you want to obtain anything, you must stop at nothing—cast aside morality and conscience. You’ll find the world opens up before you, and everything comes easily.”
If it weren’t for the gentle and kind Chen Xiu’e, a father like him would never have raised children properly.
Xu Qingyan’s voice was calm, carrying a faint hint of a smile.
“I understand everything you’re saying. I can abandon my conscience toward anyone—but not her.”
His gentle brows and eyes looked respectful, yet were in fact a warning.
“Dear father, rein in your overflowing malice. The person I want to protect—if you dare touch her, I will be very angry.”
Even the most ruthless man would hold back somewhat when facing his own son.
He wasn’t angered by the immature threat and merely asked indifferently,
“You’re that serious?”
Xu Qingyan nodded.
“Rotten bones have found their backbone. Life finally has meaning.”
Xu Weiliang’s brow twitched slightly.
“If you like her that much, then go and propose. I’ll make sure she stays with you for life—unable to leave you.”
He spoke with keen interest.
“From what I know, her family is in the capital. People from those compounds—who knows, one day they might return. You’d better be prepared.”
Xu Qingyan hadn’t known this.
He’d never inquired into it—only that her family background was extraordinary.
Her looks were stunning, her temperament exceptional; anyone who saw her would be captivated.
He thought that even if she had never shown him any kindness, he would still have fallen for her at first sight.
Pulling his thoughts back, he said,
“Take care of what I asked you to do. It’s almost time to knock off work. I’ll be leaving.”
Meng Luosheng was utterly exhausted. She wanted to leave, but an auntie grabbed her hand, forcing her to support her drained body and listen patiently.
“Comrade Meng, if I remember correctly, you’ll be eighteen in another couple of months.”
The woman grinned, showing a full set of white teeth.
“At our place, girls this age can already get married. I have a nephew from my maternal family—he’s in the army, twenty-three this year, a platoon leader…”
She rattled on at length. Only after she finished did Meng Luosheng reply.
“Sorry, Auntie. I have a fiancé.”
Those nearby who had been eavesdropping all turned to look at her.
The auntie, nearly fifty years old, had a very pleasant name.
It had been given years ago by the village’s private tutor—Liu Pianran.
Hearing this, she reluctantly let go of Meng Luosheng’s wrist, her face full of regret.
“Is that so? What a pity. I was thinking you two would be such a good match—how wonderful it would’ve been.”
Her eyes lingered on Meng Luosheng’s face, clearly fond of her looks and temperament.
Meng Luosheng gently twisted her wrist free and smiled.
“My fiancé and I grew up together. Our marriage was arranged when we were young.”
Someone in the crowd spoke up.
“Comrade Meng, is that really true? You’re not lying to us, are you?”
Immediately, others echoed.
“That’s right—Comrade Meng must be lying.”
Someone else said,
“Comrade Meng, could it be that you look down on us villagers and deliberately made up a fiancé…”
“Comrade Meng, that’s not very decent of you.”
All kinds of accusations flew.
With everyone talking at once, Meng Luosheng was pushed to the center of the storm.
Realizing something was wrong—someone seemed to be deliberately guiding the crowd against her—she was about to explain herself.
At that moment, Wang Xiaoli stepped forward without hesitation, blocking her.
Her pale face flushed visibly red.
“What nonsense are you talking about! Shengsheng didn’t lie, and she didn’t make anything up. She really does have a fiancé! Looking down on villagers is complete nonsense. We came here to help build a better motherland. Every day we work hard, going to and from the fields, treating you all warmly and sincerely, like family. What right do you have to slander Shengsheng like this? What right!”
After saying that, she couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into tears.
Her sobs were filled with heartbreak and despair.
The people here were even more unbearable than she had imagined.
What did they want to do?
Force Shengsheng to marry one of them?
No! Absolutely not!
Meng Luosheng pushed her aside and looked at everyone with a stern expression.
“Everyone, I don’t know how you came to this conclusion. I do have a fiancé—there’s no doubt about that. There’s no need for me to lie. I didn’t want to delay the bright future of a promising military officer, so I told Auntie the truth…”
“Quibbling! Comrade Meng is lying and looks down on villagers!”
“Comrade Meng is a rightist with improper thinking—down with the rightists! Make her live in the cowshed!”
All kinds of vile, unbearable words were hurled at Meng Luosheng.
In the crowd, Xu Ziyi stood quietly.
As long as her claim of having a fiancé was overturned and she was firmly labeled a “rightist,” he would be one step closer to getting her.
A smile crept up the corners of his eyes and brows without warning.
His face wore the expression of someone holding victory in his grasp.
Liu Pianran had never imagined that her momentary enthusiasm would cause such a huge disaster.
She was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, trying to rein in the chaotic and terrifying scene and get everyone to calm down.
“Everyone, listen to me! I was the one who wanted to introduce Comrade Meng to my nephew from my maternal family. None of this has anything to do with her!”
She was truly panicked, afraid that because of her, Meng Luosheng would become the target of public condemnation.
She would be guilty for life—too ashamed to ever face Meng Luosheng again.
Suddenly, a voice that was neither loud nor soft sounded slowly and calmly beside everyone’s ears.
“Comrade Meng is already engaged to my son, Ayan. They’ll be getting married soon. In her anxiety just now, she misspoke. Are you… still going to keep making trouble?”
A mature, handsome face appeared before them, his gaze deep and inscrutable as he looked at the crowd.
In an instant, the people fell silent.
No one dared to speak again.
Xu Ziyi, who had orchestrated all of this, didn’t dare to stir up trouble any further.
Meng Luosheng abruptly turned her head.
What met her eyes was a pair of dark, silent eyes.
The brigade leader—Xu Weiliang.
From the first time she saw him, she knew he was not a simple man, nor someone to provoke.
She had always kept her place, deliberately avoiding encounters with him.
Low-key, friendly with others.
Yet she still ended up falling into this trap.
Everything that happened today was completely unexpected.
Of course, she could prove that she hadn’t lied.
But the label of “rightist”—that was something she didn’t dare to gamble on, nor could she ever fully wash away.
Once the topic continued, what awaited her would be utter ruin.
Just then, Xu Weiliang smiled and asked,
“Comrade Meng, we’ve set the wedding for the day you come of age. Do you have any objections?”
Before she could answer, he withdrew his smile and looked sternly at everyone.
“Comrade Meng is my future daughter-in-law. I’m very clear about her background. Don’t casually dump the filth of ‘rightist’ onto her. If I hear it again, I’ll treat the speaker as a counterrevolutionary and send them to the Public Security Bureau for interrogation.”
On the surface, it sounded like protection; in truth, it was a warning and a threat.
At this point, Meng Luosheng could not refute it.
She must not refute it.
She dared not refute it.
Wang Xiaoli had already stopped crying, clenching her teeth as hatred for everything here filled her heart.
By the time Xu Qingyan learned of the news, everything had already been settled.
Xu Weiliang was a man who never dragged his feet.
Decisive, ruthless, and swift.
The news spread throughout the entire village.
Everyone knew that on the day Meng Luosheng turned eighteen, she would marry Xu Qingyan.
Not yet eighteen, Meng Luosheng was pale and powerless, without the slightest ability to resist.
The two words “rightist” alone were enough to crush her completely.
Agreeing to marry Xu Qingyan was something she had no choice but to do.
When the two met again, everything felt as though a lifetime had passed.