At this moment, he seemed to recall something and turned to look at his stepdaughter, Fang Manping, who was standing nearby.

“Manping, didn’t you mention a while ago that your cultural troupe wanted to go to the Northwest Military District for a Spring Festival cultural performance?”

“Yes,” Fang Manping immediately perked up, her mind racing with speculation.

“Alright then, tomorrow I’ll approve it for your cultural troupe. When you go, try to bring Zexi back. Tell him I have some of his mother’s things to give him.”

Fang Wanrong’s heart skipped a beat. “Husband, what are you planning?”

Sheng Xinhao had no intention of hiding anything from his gentle and kind-hearted wife. “I’ve talked with Old Li. We’re planning to have Zexi meet Old Li’s youngest daughter during the New Year.”

If they directly told Sheng Zexi to come back for a meeting, he probably wouldn’t return.

So Sheng Xinhao had to resort to another method.

Fang Wanrong felt a pang of anxiety. The Old Li Sheng Xinhao mentioned—could it be Commander Li’s family? And the youngest daughter—was it Li Shuyao?

No, absolutely not. Sheng Zexi must not marry Li Shuyao.

Not to mention that Li Shuyao herself worked in the cultural troupe and was currently their star performer, with good looks and a pleasant personality. Just the fact that her father was Commander Li and her brother, Li Tingxuan, had become a regiment commander at a young age with a bright future ahead—it was unacceptable. Over the years, she had worked hard to isolate Sheng Zexi, leaving him almost completely alienated from everyone. How could she allow him to gain such powerful in-laws like Commander Li and a brother-in-law like Li Tingxuan?

Fang Wanrong couldn’t help but feel resentment toward Sheng Xinhao.

He always talked about how filial A-Yu was, but she had never seen him leave anything good for A-Yu. When she had suggested letting A-Yu join the military to benefit from his connections, he had refused.

He always called Sheng Zexi a scoundrel, cursing him for being unfilial.

Yet he was still considering him, finding him such a powerful family to marry into.

It was only because of her long-maintained facade of composure that Fang Wanrong didn’t break down and speak out.

Fang Manping hadn’t expected that her stepfather’s chosen daughter-in-law was Li Shuyao. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.

Li Shuyao had always liked Sheng Zexi and had often asked her to gather information about him. However, Fang Manping wasn’t particularly keen on doing such things. But who could blame her? She liked Li Tingxuan. That tall, majestic, and dazzling young man had long since taken up residence in her heart.

If she could help Li Shuyao and Sheng Zexi get together, maybe Li Shuyao would help her get closer to Li Tingxuan?

Fang Wanrong glanced at her daughter. She was aware of the dynamics between her daughter, Li Shuyao, and Li Tingxuan.

If her daughter could marry Li Tingxuan, she would be more than willing. But Li Shuyao marrying Sheng Zexi? She absolutely could not agree to that.

Yet, no matter how difficult it was, she couldn’t show her true feelings in front of her husband.

So she pretended not to know and gently said to Sheng Xinhao, “So you’ve taken a liking to Commander Li’s youngest daughter. Why did you ask me to look for someone else then?”

Sheng Xinhao, unaware of Fang Wanrong’s thoughts, replied, “That boy is stubborn. I’m afraid he might not appreciate or agree to it. If you find a few more options, he’ll have more to choose from.”

“Anyway, keep looking on your end.”

“Alright, I’ll keep an eye out.”

Previously, Fang Wanrong hadn’t put much effort into finding a match for Sheng Zexi. But now, she had no choice but to take it seriously.

She needed to carefully select someone—someone she had chosen herself—so that Sheng Zexi wouldn’t gain such a powerful ally as the Li family.

As for Fang Manping, after she entered her room, Fang Wanrong followed her in.

Once the door was closed, Fang Manping could no longer hold back.

“Mom, since Uncle has already set his sights on Li Shuyao for Sheng Zexi, why don’t we just let them be together?” Fang Manping tugged at Fang Wanrong’s hand, pleading.

“No!” Fang Wanrong slapped her daughter’s hand away and glared at her. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You just want to help Li Shuyao marry Sheng Zexi so that she can help you get together with Li Tingxuan, right?”

“Mom also hopes you can be with the eldest son of the Li family, but Li Shuyao absolutely cannot marry Sheng Zexi. You should know that if Sheng Zexi marries Li Shuyao and gains the support of the Li family, your uncle will only value him more. What will be left for your brother in this family then?”

Fang Manping fell silent, her eyes lowering as she realized the truth once again.

Her mother did love her, but compared to her brother, she was nothing.

“Pingping, if your brother does well, you’ll have someone to rely on in the future, and you’ll be better off. I hope you understand my good intentions.”

Fang Wanrong thought to herself, if only Sheng Zexi could never return, or die on the battlefield, how wonderful that would be.

Then everything in the Sheng family would belong to her son.

“Daughter, do you really like the eldest son of the Li family that much?”

“Yes, Mom, I like Li Tingxuan. I really want to marry him.”

Fang Manping was now 23 years old. She had entered the Sheng family with her mother when she was just 11. When she was 16, Li Tingxuan had saved her by chance.

From that moment on, Fang Manping had fallen for Li Tingxuan, deeply and irreversibly.

Her looks didn’t take after her mother but rather her biological father, making her, at best, a modest beauty.

But Fang Manping was drawn to Li Tingxuan’s handsome appearance and had never forgotten that moment of rescue.

Fang Wanrong sighed, opening her mouth to say something but ultimately remaining silent.

For Fang Manping, Fang Wanrong had always been affectionate. Though she couldn’t compare to her son, she still wanted to give her daughter the best if possible.

“Mom, Li Shuyao will also be going to the Northwest Military District this time.”

“I won’t do much. If they end up together this time, you mustn’t stop them. If they don’t, I won’t help Li Shuyao again.”

“Mom, please indulge me this once, okay? I’ll be filial to you too.”

Fang Manping nestled into Fang Wanrong’s arms, full of dependence.

In the end, Fang Wanrong’s heart softened, and she nodded in agreement.

Sheng Zexi had no idea that his father was already planning his marriage or that Li Shuyao, who had been longing for him, was about to head to the Northwest to find him.

He had already gone with the matchmaker to the Gu family to set the dates for the engagement and the wedding banquet.

The engagement and betrothal gifts would be presented in three days, and the wedding banquet would be held in 15 days, or half a month.

It was also agreed with the Gu family that his maternal grandparents would attend these important occasions.

On the Gu family’s side, upon learning that Sheng Zexi’s grandparents would be attending, Old Man Gu and Yao Chunhua were delighted, as it signified the importance the groom’s family placed on their family and Ningning.

Knowing that Sheng Zexi’s family consisted of a father and stepmother with whom he had a strained relationship, they didn’t insist that his immediate family must attend.

Sheng Zexi and the matchmaker came and went, and the villagers were curious. Yao Chunhua and the others didn’t hide the news.

Soon, the entire Huaihua Village knew that Gu Jianing was engaged to a military officer from the Northwest named Sheng Zexi and would be getting married.

When Wen Zhuqing, who had been beaten and was in pain all over, heard the news, he nearly spilled the fish soup he was holding.