Chapter 31

In the family compound, there was a sandy area where several children squatted playing with dirt and sand. Their joyful laughter could be heard from afar.

Jiang Suihan approached. “Little Jiang Leyun, time to go home for dinner.”

Jiang Leyun looked up suddenly, seeing his sister standing in front, smiling brightly at him.

His face lit up with joy. “Sister, you’re back!”

He then turned to his little friends and couldn’t help but brag a bit. “My sister came to find me. I’m going home for dinner now.”

The little friends scattered immediately.

Jiang Suihan saw that Jiang Leyun’s face was dirty, his hands were dirty, and his clothes were covered in dust, but he was beaming with happiness.

He had found some like-minded friends.

She wanted to pinch the little guy’s cheek, but with her hands full, she found it inconvenient. “You’re so happy, you’ve turned into a little mud monkey.”

Jiang Leyun looked up at Jiang Suihan, nodding vigorously. “I’m so happy! Brother Dajun climbed the tree so well, and he went up in a flash. Xiaojun also knows how to play, taking me to catch cicadas and dig ant nests.”

Zhao Dajun and Zhao Xiaojun were Wu Guihua’s two sons. There was also a little daughter named Xixi. It was said that Wu Guihua had wanted watermelon so badly on the day Xixi was born that she ended up not eating it, as the baby arrived first.

The Zhao children were well-behaved and took Jiang Leyun around the family compound to play. Zhao Dajun, already twelve years old, preferred to play with kids his own age and didn’t usually play with his younger siblings. However, due to his mother’s threat and the milk biscuits Jiang Leyun shared, he spent a whole morning with the younger kids.

Jiang Leyun thought the Zhao’s two brothers were great. They didn’t mind him and were willing to play with him. Here, no one knew him, and he wasn’t bullied, avoiding the malicious looks he faced before.

He even learned to climb trees from Brother Dajun. Although he hadn’t mastered it yet, he was confident he would eventually get the hang of it with more practice.

The little guy happily said, “I like it here. Once I learn to climb trees, I’ll pick fruits for you.”

Jiang Suihan’s expression suddenly changed, and she frowned. “You secretly climbed trees! Do you know it’s dangerous? The trees are so high, and you’re so small. What if you fall and get hurt? You’ve become so bold, doing things like this while I’m not at home. Am I missing out on some fruit?”

This child has only been out of sight for half a day and has already become bold enough to learn tree climbing from others. If she hadn’t accidentally mentioned it, she wouldn’t have known. Once a child starts doing something, they’ll keep doing it, and if it happens once, it could easily happen again. She can’t be lenient. She has to make sure he remembers his lesson.

Children are naturally curious and find everything new and interesting, wanting to try it all. She fears that if she doesn’t keep a close watch, something could happen to her younger brother without her knowing.

Oh no, I spoke out of turn!

Jiang Leyun covered her mouth, looking downcast, like a little dog caught by its tail, and weakly explained, “It’s not very high, just a very short tree. I didn’t even climb up it.”

Jiang Suihan responded sarcastically, “Oh, it seems it’s not that you didn’t want to climb but that you haven’t learned how to. If you do learn, you might just be climbing to the sky.”

Her sister was angry!

Jiang Leyun made a sad face and admitted weakly, “Sister, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Jiang Suihan retorted, “Really? You won’t do it again?”

Jiang Leyun nodded earnestly, “I really know my mistake. I won’t climb trees anymore.”

Having been caught, he wouldn’t dare secretly learn tree climbing anymore. He didn’t want to upset his sister more than he wanted to climb trees. As long as his sister was happy, he would avoid climbing trees.

Though he told himself this to feel better, he still felt a bit unwilling. All the other kids could climb trees, and he was the only one who couldn’t. He didn’t want to be laughed at by those kids.

Sigh, it’s not his sister’s fault. Girls are generally more cautious. Her concern about him getting hurt from climbing trees was just her way of caring.

Jiang Suihan fixed her gaze on him and said, “Okay, a man should keep his word. I believe you.”

Jiang Leyun straightened his chest instinctively, “Of course, I always keep my word.”

He was a man, and he wouldn’t break his promises.

With the issue settled, the siblings became affectionate again and happily held hands as they walked home together.

Feeling like someone was watching them, Jiang Suihan looked to the right and saw a woman in her thirties, holding vegetables and staring at her.

Jiang Suihan quickly searched her memory but didn’t recognize the woman. She must be from the family compound. Following the principle of harmonious living, she smiled slightly at the woman as a greeting.

Chen Xiaohong had just come back from the fields with vegetables. As she was walking, she saw a young girl with a child and wondered who she was. After a few steps, she suddenly remembered that Xu Zhao had gotten married and brought his family back yesterday.

Given her age, appearance, and the little boy, it was likely Xu Zhao’s new wife.

Jiang Suihan wore a large-brimmed straw hat that covered half of her face. Chen Xiaohong couldn’t see her features clearly, but she could tell from the little boy that the girl looked quite good. The part of her face visible under the hat was clean and fair, with a sharp chin and delicate, small mouth.

In the family compound, the buildings were all constructed in the same batch. The older ones lacked independent kitchens and bathrooms, so washing vegetables had to be done downstairs, where there was a row of water sinks with running water.

It was mealtime, and diligent women were squatting by the faucets, washing vegetables.

Chen Xiaohong quickly found an empty spot and squeezed in, claiming a faucet position. The person who had lost the spot glared at her but didn’t bother to argue, moving to another place.

Chen Xiaohong leaned towards Wang Liying, who was also washing vegetables, with a gossiping look: “Guess who I just saw on the street?”

Everyone in the family compound knew that Chen Xiaohong couldn’t keep a secret and was always eager to gossip.

Wang Liying glanced at her and asked, “Who?”

Chen Xiaohong’s tone was oddly excited: “The new wife who just arrived at the family compound.”

Yesterday, people had mentioned Xu Zhao’s family coming along with him. The family compound residents were curious and had discussed it all day. They said Xu Zhao had taken them to the cafeteria for lunch. By the time Chen Xiaohong got there, they had already left, and she hadn’t met them.

Someone who had seen Jiang Suihan at the cafeteria said she was very pretty, looking fair and gentle, though a bit thin, making her appear quite delicate beside Xu Zhao.

Wang Liying was momentarily confused: “What?”

Chen Xiaohong quickly added, “Ah, it’s Captain Xu’s new wife. I met her on the street. She was with a little boy, who should be her brother. She was wearing a big straw hat and a white shirt. She really is beautiful, with fair skin and lovely features. Though she’s not very tall, she’s not short either. She even smiled at me, quite polite. But she is a bit thin, and her build looks somewhat weak.”

“That brother of hers is about the same age as my youngest. What does Captain Xu think, marrying a wife and bringing along a younger brother? This younger brother is so young—if he stays at Xu’s house, Captain Xu will have to support him for years. It’s a real loss for Captain Xu, getting a wife and a bonus brother-in-law. He’ll have to support both, and if they have children in the future, they’ll have to support the children and the brother-in-law too. I wonder if Captain Xu’s salary is enough to support all these people.”

In her hometown, if a man had to support his wife’s younger brother, it would be a significant issue, not just for the husband’s family but also for the wife’s family, who would lose face in the village. Only those who were shameless and incapable would dare to make their son-in-law support their younger brother.

Xu Zhao seemed smart and not like someone without a brain. It was hard to understand why he was willing to be the one to bear the expense of supporting someone else’s child.

Chen Xiaohong thought to herself, it’s not so easy to marry a beautiful girl.

Wang Liying’s brows furrowed as she pouted, “Who knows what Xu Zhao was thinking? We’re not the ones involved. Maybe he just liked the girl’s looks. The Xu family is wealthy, adding another child isn’t a big deal. You can’t force a cow to drink water if it doesn’t want to, and we outsiders can’t be too upset for him. He might even be quite happy, dreaming sweet dreams every night with a beautiful wife beside him.”

She felt troubled as she recalled the letter from last month saying that her younger sister was almost twenty and they couldn’t find a suitable match for her. They wanted her to look for a potential husband among the soldiers, preferably one who could be stationed with the army, so the couple wouldn’t be separated, which could harm their relationship.

In the army, single men are abundant, and the first person Wang Liying thought of was Xu Zhao. His family is from the capital, his parents have official jobs, and his father is a high-ranking official in the capital’s military. His grandfather is even more impressive, knowing prominent figures in the country. Xu Zhao has a great family background, good capabilities, and looks handsome. If her sister could marry Xu Zhao, it would be hitting the jackpot. In the future, the Xu family might also help her maternal and paternal families.

Who would have thought that Xu Zhao, who had only been away on leave, would return with explosive news—he was married. That’s it, it’s all over now.

The opportunity that was almost within reach has slipped away. Wang Liying’s frustration is indescribable.

Since learning about Xu Zhao’s marriage yesterday, she has been restless, unable to sleep, tossing and turning at night. In her letter, she had lavishly praised Xu Zhao’s character and family background, believing her sister would take it seriously, and she eagerly anticipated meeting Xu Zhao in the army soon.

She wished she could turn back time and give her past self a big slap for being so hasty. Now, it seems her sister might suffer because of it.

Writing a letter to inform her family about the change in her sister’s marriage prospects might be too late. A telegram would be faster, but she found out that there were no cars going to the county tomorrow, and she couldn’t hitch a ride.

Wang Liying couldn’t help but feel angry. Couldn’t Xu Zhao have waited for a while before getting marry, at least until he met her sister. And that girl with the surname Jiang—why did she have to marry Xu Zhao, snatching her sister’s chance?