Chapter 18 : Legal Couple

“Are you going?” Fang Xiaoluo asked.

Shen Zheng shook his head and said to Wei Yan, “We were just passing by the river and helping was the right thing to do, so there’s no need to trouble you.”

For Shen Zheng, it wasn’t a big deal, it was something he could handle quickly.

Wei Yan, however, seemed a bit anxious. He couldn’t just do nothing after all, these were life-saving benefactors. Moreover, he only knew their names and didn’t know anything else about them. At the very least, he needed to know where they lived.

“Where are you two headed? I can drive you back.”

Fang Xiaoluo waved her hand as she sat on the ground, “No, no, we came by bike. You should go to the hospital to check on the child, we’re heading back now.”

Fang Xiaoluo tried to get up, but Shen Zheng pulled her back. “Are you alright?”

Fang Xiaoluo did feel exhausted and nearly stumbled as she stood up. Thankfully, Shen Zheng was there to support her, or she might have fallen.

Wei Yan saw this and said, “Comrade Fang, you’re exhausted, you should sit in my car. Riding a bike is too tiring.”

Shen Zheng agreed with Wei Yan, “That’s right. It’s hard on her, so we’ll trouble you, Comrade Wei.”

Wei Yan grinned, “It’s no trouble, no trouble at all. It’s the least I can do.”

He was driving a small truck, the kind used for hauling goods. He quickly loaded both bicycles into the back of the truck.

On the way, they chatted, and Fang Xiaoluo learned that Wei Yan owned a furniture factory in Jiangcheng, the Anju Furniture Factory. He had been in business for just a few years and was already making a good income, a successful young man.

Wei Yan also found out that Fang Xiaoluo and Shen Zheng were getting married in a few days, and he decided that he would definitely attend their wedding with his family to show support.

Wei Yan drove Fang Xiaoluo back to Honghe Village, then dropped Shen Zheng off at the military district before returning to Jiangcheng.

His wife, Feng Min, was still by their son Wei Wenbo’s bedside.

“How’s Wenbo?” Wei Yan asked, noticing that his son seemed to be in poor spirits.

Feng Min replied, “The doctor did a full checkup. There’s nothing seriously wrong, just a shock.”

Of course, the shock was significant, he nearly lost his life.

“The doctor said if we hadn’t saved him in time, he probably wouldn’t have made it to the hospital.” Feng Min spoke with a bit of a trembling voice. If it weren’t for the two benefactors today, her son would have been gone.

Just thinking about losing her son made her feel like she didn’t want to go on living.

Wei Yan looked coldly at Wei Wenbo. “Let’s see if you go to the river again. You never listen, always acting recklessly, showing off!”

Wei Wenbo shrunk back, not daring to speak.

Feng Min didn’t say anything either. She knew that both of them had been so frightened that their souls were nearly gone. Now, they really needed to teach their son a good lesson.

Feng Min asked, “What about the two benefactors?”

“I dropped them off and then came back.” Wei Yan replied. “By the way, the two benefactors are getting married on Saturday. We should give them a generous gift and attend their wedding as a family.”

Feng Min was pleased to hear this and nodded in agreement. “Since it’s a wedding, you should ask the factory to work overtime and send a set of furniture as a gift.”

Wei Yan nodded, “Good thinking, it’s the right thing to do.”

Then, Feng Min suddenly thought of something. “By the way, didn’t Xu from the woodworking factory send you an invitation? He said his daughter is also getting married on Saturday. What should we do?”

Wei Yan casually replied, “I’m his biggest client, and I’ve already sent the gift money. Does he still care whether I go or not? If necessary, I can just stop doing business with his factory. It’s not like he’s the only woodworking factory in town.”

Feng Min nodded, “You’re right. Nothing is more important than the life-saving benefactors of our son.”

Fang Xiaoluo entered the house with her things. Zhang Xinyan saw her carrying several bags and quickly came over to help. “Where’s Comrade Shen?”

“He went back to the military.”

Zhang Xinyan looked at the pile of things covering the bed and asked, “Why did you buy so much stuff?”

Fang Xiaoluo sat down and replied, “Shen Zheng bought it for me.”

Fang Shijun also came over to take a look and remarked, “Shen Zheng is quite generous to you. This must have cost a pretty penny.”

Fang Xiaoluo waved the marriage certificate in her hand with a smile. “Well, starting today, we’re legally husband and wife.”

Zhang Xinyan sat down, taking the large marriage certificate to examine it closely. With a touch of melancholy, she sighed, “My daughter came back only a few days ago, and now she’s already married.”

Her voice was tinged with sadness, and Fang Shijun’s expression also carried traces of wistfulness.

Fang Xiaoluo leaned on Zhang Xinyan’s arm and comforted her with a smile, “Mom, it’s a new era now. Besides, the military district isn’t far from home. I can come back anytime, and you and Dad can visit me whenever you want, right?”

Zhang Xinyan patted her hand and nodded, “You’re right.”

Since Fang Xiaoluo returned late, Zhang Xinyan had already prepared dinner and was just waiting for Fang Qiang and the others to come home.

—

Elsewhere, Xu Yaqiu and Zhou Yanwen had just taken their wedding photos, but neither of them was in a good mood.

They had been arguing non-stop since leaving the photo studio. Zhou Yanwen, unable to suppress his anger, glared at Xu Yaqiu in frustration. Without warning, he kicked her in the stomach.

Xu Yaqiu was stunned. She never expected Zhou Yanwen to hit her. While she was still in shock, Zhou Yanwen had already walked away, leaving her behind.

Clutching her stomach, Xu Yaqiu felt pain coursing through her body. Furious, she shouted curses at Zhou Yanwen, but he didn’t even look back. She could only grit her teeth and force herself to return home.

Zhao Lihong was cooking when she saw Xu Yaqiu holding her stomach, her face pale and covered in sweat. She immediately dropped the spatula and ran to her. “Yaqiu, what happened to you?”

Seeing Zhao Lihong, Xu Yaqiu couldn’t hold back anymore. She collapsed into her mother’s arms and started sobbing. “Mom, why is my life so miserable? Mom…”

Hearing her cries, the rest of the Xu family rushed out.

Zhao Lihong and her younger sister, Xu Xiaojie, helped Xu Yaqiu into the living room.

With a cup of warm water in her hands, Xu Yaqiu sobbed and spoke in broken sentences, blaming everything on Fang Xiaoluo. “Yanwen… Yanwen and I were fine while taking photos, but Xiaoluo… Xiaoluo deliberately seduced him and made us fight.”

“Mom, I’ve already distanced myself from Xiaoluo since she went home. Why does she hate me so much? Why does she have to ruin my life?”

Xu Xiaojie muttered, “Is Sister Xiaoluo really like that?”

Zhao Lihong glared at her. “Xiaoluo has changed. She’s an ungrateful girl. She can’t stand the thought of you marrying Yanwen and is deliberately trying to sabotage things.”

“When your wedding day comes, let’s show them how grand the Xu and Zhou family wedding will be. The Fang family is so shabby, and Shen Zheng is just a soldier. What can their wedding look like? Formal but dull, nothing impressive.”

Hearing Zhao Lihong’s disparaging remarks about Fang Xiaoluo, Xu Yaqiu felt smug. Even the pain in her stomach seemed to subside slightly.

With tears streaming down her face, she sobbed dramatically, “Mom, after all, Xiaoluo has been part of this family for so many years. Now that she’s getting married, shouldn’t you and Dad visit her in Honghe Village?”

“Visit her?” Xu Zhigang’s voice boomed. “That ungrateful girl! We raised her for so many years, and now that she’s getting married, she doesn’t even think to bring her groom here to see us. Why should we, as her elders, go to her instead?”

Zhao Lihong chimed in, “Exactly.”

Xu Yaqiu’s eyes darted as she feigned understanding, saying, “Dad, Mom, don’t blame Xiaoluo. She must have her reasons. Otherwise, why would she marry that older Shen group leader so quickly? And Shen even gave her so many things, including a 3,000-yuan dowry.”

Hearing this, Zhao Lihong’s anger flared. “What gives Fang Xiaoluo the right to get a 3,000-yuan dowry for her wedding? We raised her for nothing! She took all those good things and didn’t even think of honoring us. And now, she’s meddling in your marriage, seducing Yanwen, she’s getting worse and worse!”

“Yaqiu, don’t worry. Your dad and I will stand up for you. We won’t let Fang Xiaoluo ruin your marriage.”

The next morning, after finishing some work at the factory, Xu Zhigang drove Zhao Lihong straight to Honghe Village to confront Fang Xiaoluo.