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“Su Ying.”
Su Jianshe was startled and quickly reached out to steady her.
Su Ying looked up at him briefly and said softly,
“Let’s… talk outside.”
Maybe it was the pain easing, or maybe the cool outdoor breeze helped, but Su Ying felt a little better.
They stood beneath a large tree. Su Ying leaned against the trunk and looked at Su Jianshe calmly.
“Whatever you want to say, just say it.”
Looking at his biological daughter—her face somewhat similar to his—Su Jianshe actually felt a tinge of fatherly affection and spoke more sincerely than usual.
“Su Ying, you can’t go on like this. You had another headache just now, didn’t you? Trying to hide it from your mom?”
Su Ying remained silent. She didn’t need any of this so-called concern from him. She just wanted to know—was he here to arrange another marriage for her?
He’d brought it up yesterday at the hospital, and clearly, he couldn’t wait to push her into it.
Under Su Ying’s calm yet piercing gaze, Su Jianshe felt oddly guilty. He coughed lightly.
“You don’t have a city hukou. You can’t stay in Jiangcheng long term. Your illness is serious—you need a way to get a city registration. That would help with your treatment too.”
Su Ying almost laughed in anger. Of course. What was she expecting—fatherly love?
She leaned back against the tree, tilting her head at him.
“Don’t you have a city hukou? Can’t Mom and I just be registered under your household? We’re your legal wife and daughter. That should be allowed.”
Su Jianshe was stumped, struggling for a response.
“Well, I… That’s not possible. You’ll have to find another way.”
“Why not? Because someone else is already on your household record?”
Su Ying stared at him coldly. Her icy gaze made him shiver involuntarily, and he stepped back slightly before sighing.
“Your mother and I had an arranged marriage. There were no real feelings between us. Of course, we’re going to get divorced.”
Su Ying scoffed and slowly stood straight, taking a step forward.
“If you’re getting divorced, why are you meddling in my marriage? Do you even have a say?”
Su Jianshe looked at her in disbelief. He’d never imagined his daughter could be this aggressive, as if determined to drag all his dirty secrets out into the open.
By contrast, Xiaohan was much more obedient and well-behaved. She would never challenge him like Su Ying just had.
“Su Ying, I’m doing this for your own good. Without a city hukou, you can’t stay in Jiangcheng. And your treatment will cost a lot. If I weren’t your father, I wouldn’t bother. But because you’re my daughter, I can’t bear to see you suffer.”
Su Ying looked at that thick-skinned face and thought: He’s supposed to be an educated man? His skin’s thicker than the city walls. Doing it for her? More like doing it for himself.
“If that’s the case, tell me—how can I stay in the city? How can I get the money for treatment?”
Even though Su Ying’s stare made him uncomfortable, Su Jianshe still answered:
“Obviously, by getting married. I have a great match for you—he’s got a city hukou, he’s a soldier, and his conditions are excellent.”
Su Ying narrowed her eyes. Someone that perfect and he’s offering him to me?
“You better be upfront. If I find out something on my own, I’ll make a scene.”
Su Jianshe was genuinely a little scared of her now. On the first day she arrived, she’d shouted at him in front of the textile factory, calling him a heartless father. If she stirred up trouble again, the factory’s reputation would be affected.
“Well… there is a small issue. His health isn’t great. Mainly his back—he needs to stay in bed for long periods.”
He tried to be vague, but as a doctor, Su Ying instantly understood.
“Needs to stay in bed for long periods”? That’s paralysis, isn’t it?
Unbelievable. He actually wanted to marry her off to a paralyzed man. And this was her father?
After speaking, Su Jianshe felt a heavy pit settle in his stomach. He knew Zhao Yumei would scold him later for being honest. Now that Su Ying knew the truth, the marriage would never happen. What woman would agree to marry a disabled man, no matter how good the conditions were?
Just as he was wondering how to persuade her again, Su Ying suddenly smiled.
Then she stood up straight and said calmly:
“Alright, I agree.”
Su Jianshe was stunned. He thought he’d misheard her. He stammered, disbelief written all over his face.
“Y-You… You agree?”
“Yes, I agree.”
Her gaze grew colder and colder—eventually turning completely indifferent.
“But—my bride price is 1,000 yuan. I want the full ‘three rounds and one sound’ [trendy gifts: bicycle, wristwatch, sewing machine, and radio], plus three new sets of clothes. My mom also needs two new outfits. I want 20 meters each of corduroy, Dacron, and floral cotton fabric. I want a gold ring. And you’ll also need to solve our housing issue—and our household registration, too. And finally…”
“Finally, I haven’t thought of it yet. I’ll let you know when I do.”
Su Jianshe was dumbfounded. After a long pause, he exploded in anger.
“Who do you think you are? Some rich official’s daughter? Even a county party secretary wouldn’t dare make such demands!”
Su Ying didn’t bother arguing. She waved him off and turned back toward the guesthouse.
“He’s paralyzed, right? Would your secretary marry his daughter off to a paralyzed man?”
Su Jianshe suddenly felt like that line was directed squarely at him. He really was doing exactly that—trying to marry his daughter off to a cripple. Furious and flustered, he thought Su Ying was insane. Asking for gold rings and fancy goods? Did she think a country girl like her was worth that much?
But Su Ying was just trying to shut him up. Otherwise, he’d keep pestering her. She had enough to worry about—she didn’t have the energy to deal with him.
Back at the guesthouse, Chen Shuyun looked at her anxiously.
“You didn’t argue with your dad, did you? Yingying, he’s still your father. Don’t always clash with him.”
Su Ying looked at her with a complicated expression. Eventually, she couldn’t help but ask:
“Mom, if… if he wanted to divorce you, would you… be willing to leave him?”
Chen Shuyun’s lips trembled slightly, and she stayed silent for a long time.
“Yingying, don’t worry about us adults. No matter where we go, I’ll always stay by your side. You just need to follow the doctor’s advice and focus on getting better. That’s all I care about now.”
Su Ying gently hugged her.
“Okay. We’ll both be fine.”
When Su Jianshe got back, he told Zhao Yumei about Su Ying’s demands. Both of them were furious. They thought Su Ying was just being deliberately difficult. Who ever heard of such a ridiculous bride price? Even if they wanted to agree, they couldn’t afford it! Just the materials alone would cost four or five thousand yuan. At that time, even in a city like Jiangcheng, only a handful of families had ten thousand yuan in savings. Marrying a wife at that cost would wipe out their entire fortune.
After some discussion, the couple decided they’d still need to report this to the groom’s side. If it came down to it, they could get the military unit to pressure her. Whether she liked it or not, Su Ying would marry.
When Ye Weijun (the groom’s contact) heard her demands, he was furious—nearly slammed his hand on the table.
Fortunately, another officer nearby calmed him down.
“Don’t be so angry. Let’s just wait and see.”