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The management of the county party committee courtyard was still strict, and everyone had to register before entering.
Once they had registered, the security guard allowed them to wait and then passed the message along.
When Third Sister Han Shijia came out, she was very happy, because she had overheard the security guard say that her younger brother had brought a girl along.
Considering that her younger brother had asked her to help buy a bicycle and a sewing machine, and also mentioned the “48 legs” as part of the dowry, it didn’t take much to figure out.
It was definitely the girl her younger brother had taken a liking to.
If he had brought her here, it was clear—it was a done deal.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw the girl standing beside her younger brother. The girl was stunning—delicate, fair-skinned, and exuding an air of refinement. She was from the countryside, yet she looked nothing like the kind of girl one would expect to grow up there!
Han Shijia was very pleased and smiled at Jiang Qian. “Shiguo, this must be Qianqian, right?”
Han Shiguo had mentioned her name when they came in that day.
“Yes, my girlfriend, Jiang Qian.” Han Shiguo introduced her formally, and his sense of pride made Jiang Qian blush.
But he didn’t forget to introduce Jiang Qian to his sister. “Qianqian, this is Third Sister.”
Jiang Qian might have felt embarrassed, but she was gracious all the same. “Third Sister.”
“Alright, alright, come on in. Don’t stand out there in the cold.” Han Shijia said with a smile.
Jiang Qian and Han Shiguo pushed the bicycle inside with her.
At that moment, there weren’t many people at Han Shijia’s house. Her husband was at work, three of the children were either at school or playing outside, and the youngest had run off to play with the neighbor’s kids after breakfast, not expected back until around meal time.
It was just her and her mother-in-law, Old Lady Zhao, at home.
When Old Lady Zhao saw her in-law Han Shiguo arrive, she was quite pleased. “Shiguo’s here?”
“Auntie, hello.” Han Shiguo smiled and introduced, “This is my girlfriend. Auntie, you can call her Qianqian.”
Jiang Qian followed suit, greeting her as well. “Auntie, hello.”
“Ah, aren’t you the girl who helped me cross the street that time?” Old Lady Zhao’s eyes lit up as she saw Jiang Qian. Her memory was quite sharp, and she immediately recalled the encounter. After all, the girl was so beautiful.
Jiang Qian, who often helped elderly ladies across the street: “…”
She had helped so many people, and both her previous relationships were ones she had helped bring about—but those were from the last year or two, and they had all happened in the village, so she remembered them clearly.
But as for Old Lady Zhao, she didn’t quite recall.
“You were in your second year of high school that time. I went to buy groceries, and those disrespectful troublemakers caused some issues. I didn’t notice and ended up straining my back, and you were the one who helped me, over on East Street!” Old Lady Zhao said, clearly happy.
Jiang Qian slowly started to recall the incident and couldn’t help but smile. “So it was you, Auntie. I had completely forgotten, but I didn’t expect you to remember.”
That year had coincided with a lot of events, and she hadn’t just helped Old Lady Zhao—there had been another, even more serious incident.
She and her Fourth Brother had ended up helping get someone to the hospital.
“Of course, I remember! Later, I even went to your school to find you, but then I found out you had graduated and returned to the village!” Old Lady Zhao said, holding her hand with joy.
Han Shijia and Han Shiguo hadn’t expected this little twist either.
But once they processed it, Han Shijia was even more pleased with her sister-in-law. She smiled and said, “So it was you, Qianqian, who helped back then. Mom has been talking about it ever since she came back!”
As for Han Shiguo, this rough-and-tumble man couldn’t hide the admiration in his eyes as he looked at his wife.
Not only had she helped his mother, but now she had helped his sister’s mother-in-law as well—what kind of fate was this?
Moreover, she was the type to act with kindness in small ways every day.
How could there be such a beautiful and kind-hearted girl?
She was truly the embodiment of goodness and beauty, like an angel!
If she married him, he would definitely cherish her with all his heart!
Jiang Qian couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “It’s just something anyone would do.”
But because of this one incident, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more familiar—there wasn’t the slightest sense of awkwardness.
Old Lady Zhao was truly delighted and praised Han Shiguo. “Shiguo, you really have good taste. A wife like Qianqian is exactly who you should have. If I had gone to the school back then and found someone, no one would’ve had a chance with her. I would’ve introduced Qianqian to work in the cafeteria as a temporary worker, and now, she’d probably be married off to someone else.”
Han Shiguo chuckled. “That just means Qianqian and I have fate.”
Old Lady Zhao had also heard from Han Shijia, the daughter-in-law, about Han Shiguo’s previous fiancée breaking off the engagement, and now she agreed, saying, “It’s all fate. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. Marrying a girl like Qianqian, your luck is only beginning.”
Of course, she didn’t forget to praise Han Shiguo to Jiang Qian as well. “Shiguo’s a good man. He’s always kept his integrity, has a good character, is motivated, and knows how to cherish his wife. If you marry him, you won’t suffer any hardship!”
Old Lady Zhao had an exceptionally good impression of Han Shiguo. He was truly impressive.
At his age, he had already reached the rank of Battalion Commander, and looking ahead, his future was definitely promising.
She was also hoping that Han Shiguo would soar even higher.
After all, he was the younger Uncle of her grandchildren. If he did well, wouldn’t her grandsons benefit from it too?
Jiang Qian smiled and looked at Han Shiguo. “Auntie, you think so highly of him?”
“Of course! From the very beginning, I could tell you were a great girl. Back then, it was only because Shiguo was already engaged to your cousin. I heard from Jiajia that it was your aunt who made the introduction, right?”
“That’s right.”
“If it weren’t for the engagement, I would have introduced you to Shiguo,” Old Lady Zhao said. “But it’s not too late now. It’s your fate, and after all these twists and turns, you two are still together!”
Whether this was true or not didn’t really matter—it sounded pleasant and was certainly well received.
Han Shiguo smiled and asked his sister about the “48 legs,” the sewing machine, bicycle, and radio.
As for the watch, he didn’t need it because he already had tickets, and the counter had stock available. He had already planned to take Jiang Qian to pick it out himself.
“Don’t worry, the things I promised you won’t be delayed. The 48 legs, along with the other three big items, will be ready the day after tomorrow. I’ll have people bring everything back for you,” Han Shijia said.
Since her brother was getting married, Han Shijia knew she would have to go back, and she planned to return with the vehicle.
Han Shiguo smiled and nodded.
They stayed for lunch at Zhao’s house, and Old Lady Zhao wouldn’t hear of them leaving. If they left, she would definitely be upset.
She had specifically gone out to buy groceries—meat, fish, and there were eggs at home. Lunch turned out to be quite a feast.
Third Brother-in-Law Zhao Shuxu came home early. When he walked in and saw Han Shiguo and Jiang Qian, it was clear he had already heard about them from Han Shijia. He smiled and said, “Shiguo, you’re here?”
“Brother-in-law,” Han Shiguo nodded, introducing Jiang Qian.
Jiang Qian also greeted him.
While stir-frying, Old Lady Zhao came out and introduced Jiang Qian to Zhao Shuxu, saying, “She’s the girl who helped me back then. I’ve been looking for her, and now she’s here as a guest brought by Shiguo. Can you believe the coincidence?”
Zhao Shuxu smiled when he heard this. “What a coincidence!”