Chapter 7

In the courtyard.

Cha Jizu stood under the pomegranate tree he had personally planted, filled with mixed emotions.

The hope he had when he first planted the tree was now replaced with deep disappointment.

He truly did not want to maintain this engagement anymore.

That girl, Jiang Hongmei, clearly did not want to marry into their family. If she stayed, the marriage would only turn into a union of resentment.

Turning a marriage alliance into a feud would only waste the years of goodwill between their two families—there was no need for that.

Once Jiang Jianhua arrived, they would discuss annulling the engagement.

Even if they couldn’t become in-laws, the longstanding friendship between their families would remain.

Once he made up his mind, his body instantly felt lighter.

Cha Jizu patted the trunk of the pomegranate tree. A good marriage wasn’t about being early or late—he would just find another match for Jiuzhang.

Cha Jiuzhang stepped out of his room and stood quietly under the eaves, listening to the fragmented conversation between his grandfather and another person inside.

Then, he walked toward his grandfather, who was standing in a corner of the courtyard.

Cha Jizu turned and saw his grandson standing behind him, as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.

Seeing that his grandson’s years of waiting had come to nothing, he patted his shoulder apologetically.

“Jiuzhang, I’ve decided to annul your engagement. What do you think?”

Cha Jiuzhang stared at the pomegranate tree for a long moment before speaking calmly.

“Grandfather, I just delivered tea inside and overheard that girl telling Grandpa Jiang that she was already mine as of last night.”

“Huh?”

Cha Jizu was stunned. That girl was bold enough to lie about something like this.

“She really said that herself?”

“Yes, I heard it with my own ears at the door.”

Cha Jizu had a headache. Now things were complicated. Would it even work if he tried to explain?

“What is she thinking? Does she not care about her reputation as a young lady?”

Cha Jiuzhang’s lips curved slightly as he spoke in an unhurried tone. “She said she fell in love with me at first sight and doesn’t want to leave me.”

Cha Jizu was surprised for a moment, then looked at his grandson’s strikingly handsome face and suddenly understood.

Which young girl wouldn’t harbor romantic feelings?

No wonder she had stayed silent all of last night.

“So, what do you think?”

“Do you like that girl too?”

“I’m warning you—she’s still young, not yet of age.”

“When she was just born, you even held her in your arms. Do you remember that?”

Cha Jiuzhang recalled waking up this morning with a soft, warm little body curled up against him. The other half of the bed was almost empty.

Perhaps it had gotten cold in the middle of the night, and she had foolishly rolled into his arms on her own.

He had watched her silently for a long time in the early morning light, a sense of certainty and quiet joy settling in his heart.

The bruise on her forehead had faded, and thinking back to last night’s misunderstanding, he couldn’t help but smile. He gently pressed a kiss on her forehead.

For the first time, a woman had occupied his heart with a clear and complete image.

This woman was his now.

Once she grew a little stronger, she would bear his children.

At that moment, he never imagined there had been a mix-up. But regardless of whether she was called Jiang Hongmei or Jiang Tiantian, he had already set his heart on her.

And now, since she herself had chosen to stay—whether she was sincere or not—he would never let her go.

The girl he had touched, hugged, and kissed could only be his.

Cha Jiuzhang looked at his grandfather and smiled with satisfaction.

“What do I think?”

“Of course, everything will go as she wishes.”

Cha Jizu studied his grandson’s subtle expressions and couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

Fine.

Grandchildren were debts—he would have to thicken his skin and renegotiate with the Jiang family.

Swapping the older sister for the younger one?

That… actually didn’t seem like a bad idea.

——

Jiang Jianhua was woken up by a punch.

Dazed, he opened his eyes to see Cha Chengye standing beside his bed with a furious expression.

Instinctively, he shot up straight.

There was no helping it—Cha Chengye was a few years older than him and was the same age as his two older brothers. As a child, he had grown up trailing behind them and had received his fair share of beatings.

Now, he was completely clueless.

“Chengye, what happened?”

“Don’t ask anything. Just let me beat you first.”

Cha Chengye’s anger couldn’t be vented on the women involved, but he had no problem taking it out on Jiang Jianhua.

No matter how today’s mess was ultimately resolved, as a man who couldn’t even manage his own wife and daughter, Jiang Jianhua had to bear the blame for this disaster.

By the time Cha Chengye dragged a dejected Jiang Jianhua over, Cha Jizu and Jiang Gannian had already reached an agreement.

The engagement would remain, but the bride would now be Jiang Tiantian instead.

With the problem resolved, both sides breathed a sigh of relief.

They were now sitting together, happily chatting over breakfast.

Cha Jiuzhang, Jiang Tiantian, and Tea’s mother sat quietly at the lower end of the table, eating in silence.

Cha Chengye and Jiang Jianhua, on the other hand, were completely lost.

“Dad.”

“Dad.”

Cha Jizu smiled and beckoned Jiang Tiantian over, then said to his son:

“Chengye, you and Jianhua are still in-laws. From now on, Tiantian is your daughter-in-law.”

“She’s still young, and suddenly moving far from home might be difficult for her. You’ll need to take special care of her.”

Cha Chengye nodded repeatedly. What else could he say?

His son had already slept with the girl—of course, he had to take responsibility.

But inwardly, he felt relieved. He had worried that the Jiang family would cause trouble, but everything had been settled so quickly.

This was actually a joyous occasion.

Happily, he clapped Jiang Jianhua on the shoulder.

“Jianhua, don’t worry. Once Tiantian marries into our family, I’ll treat her like my own daughter. I won’t let her suffer even a little.”

Jiang Jianhua winced, rubbing his shoulder—he was still sore from the earlier beating. Now he had to endure another hit.

Looking at his younger daughter standing to the side, he still hadn’t fully processed how his elder daughter’s wedding had suddenly become his younger daughter’s.

He was completely innocent in all this, yet he had taken a beating for nothing.

And his head was still throbbing.

Cha Jizu handed him a bowl of tea.

“Jianhua, this is a sobering tea—it’ll help with your hangover headache. Drink it.”

“The liquor we make here is strong. Drinking a little every day is good for circulation, but you all had too much last night, so you must be feeling it now.”

“Thank you, Uncle Cha.”

Jiang Jianhua took the bowl and downed it in one gulp.

After finishing, he sighed, “I haven’t had your brewed tea in years.”

“Hahaha, I’ll pack some for you to take home.”

“If you ever want more, just let me know, and I’ll send it over.”

Jiang Gannian shot his youngest son a disapproving look—Useless brat.

“Go bring your wife and eldest daughter inside.”

The dowry needed to be arranged quickly.

Jiang Hongmei, clinging to Du Yulan’s arm, cautiously followed her father inside.

“Jiang Hongmei, kneel!”