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Upon receiving the notification from the elderly lady, Wang Zhenhai and the others arrived to meet Wang Mei’s prospective husband. Wang Juan nearly lost her eyes after taking a look through the glass window. Could it be that Wang Mei was introducing this older man? He seemed older than Wang Zhenhe. Could there be a mistake?
Han Cui, who was busy in the kitchen together with her, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Sister-in-law, am I seeing things? What kind of drama is Wang Mei playing today?”
Not only Han Cui, but even the elderly lady and Wang Deshan sitting in the room were a bit bewildered. The last time the eldest daughter had mentioned introducing a leader, but they hadn’t heard anything about the person being so much older. Could the man Wang Mei brought back be this person?
Zhu Qiyu felt somewhat stifled. Seeing Huang Youcai and his wife bring the man into the house, she didn’t know what to say. She could only reluctantly get up to greet the guests. However, Wang Deshan’s gaze at the couple was not friendly.
Zhu Qiyu felt a sense of relief when she got a clear look at the man’s appearance. He was quite dignified in appearance, albeit slightly older and shorter in stature. Apart from that, he seemed fine.
Wang Zhenhai made small talk with the man and learned that his name was Li Changhai, 36 years old, divorced with two children under his ex-wife’s care. After hearing this, Wang Zhenhai didn’t say much more. It was left to Wang Zhenjiang to chat with the man.
Wang Mei came to the kitchen to show off to Wang Juan and Han Cui, “Sister-in-law, second sister, how do you like the person I introduced this time? He’s a high-ranking official, and even though he’s a bit older, his conditions are quite good. His age shows that he’s considerate.”
At this point, Wang Juan put down the kitchen knife, took off her apron, and handed it to Wang Mei. “Sister, you make dinner today. I’m not sure of the guest’s taste, and I have to go home to feed the pigs. I’m counting on selling a few more pigs at the end of the year, so it’s all set here with your brother around.”
After leaving the old Wang house, Wang Juan went directly to Wang Zhenhe’s house instead of returning home. As soon as she entered, she began to lament, “Sister, today I’ve truly experienced what it feels like when siblings harm each other.”
She proceeded to recount the scene she had witnessed at the Wang family home to everyone present. “Even as an outsider, I felt it was inappropriate. Wang Mei, as a daughter of the Wang family and Wang Zhi’s elder sister, how could she do such a thing? Honestly, it left me feeling upset. We won’t be able to associate with such family members in the future. Who knows, they might even turn against us. Is this how people should behave?”
Wang Juan’s sigh deeply affected Wang Zhenhe. Regardless of whether Wang Zhi was good or bad, they were siblings by blood. This incident had surpassed his imagination, and he didn’t know what the elderly lady would do next.
Zhang Lan was utterly astonished. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock at the news.
“Sister-in-law, are you sure you didn’t misunderstand? If that man looks so good, why did he get divorced? Something doesn’t feel right here. That man isn’t the type to have trouble finding a partner. With good conditions and a government position, it’s unlikely he’d seek out a girl from the countryside,” Wang Juan questioned.
Wang Juan sat on the kang, wearing a wry smile. “How can we possibly manage all this? Their own parents are still around. I came out because I felt uncomfortable after just a glance. People really are self-centered. You can’t even trust someone close to you, even if you’ve been breastfed by the same person.”
Wang Juan had been thoroughly shaken by today’s events. While she might have been unwilling to dwell on past matters, today she truly witnessed the scheming between sisters, leaving her feeling deeply affected. Although the third family wasn’t favored by them, Wang Zhi and Wang Mei had always been close sisters. Now, she felt hesitant to trust anyone.
“Sister-in-law, have lunch here today. It’s better than going back home to cook. I’ll have Qianqian and the others bring your three children over for a meal later,” Wang Juan suggested.
When Wang Qian and the others returned from school and heard about the situation, they found it amusing. “Aunt, Grandma won’t easily agree to this. You just wait and see. There’s more to this matter.”
Everyone agreed. The elderly lady of the Wang family wasn’t someone without cunning. This matter concerned her daughter’s future, and she wouldn’t make a decision so easily.
In the evening, Wang Zhenhai brought the latest news. The elderly lady hadn’t given a definitive answer, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, saying she needed more time to consider.
“You don’t know, brother. I felt uncomfortable just looking into that man’s eyes. They were shifty. Despite his good looks, his eyes didn’t seem trustworthy. Anyway, I don’t approve of this marriage. The second sister is still trying to persuade our mother. They are the kind of people who will do anything for their own gain,” Wang Zhenhai explained.
After Wang Zhi’s marriage proposal, Wang Qian hadn’t heard any further developments. Before they knew it, the autumn harvest had arrived. This year, due to the weather, the harvest wasn’t as good as the previous year, but they managed to secure enough food for everyone.
It was the midst of winter in the north, and Wang Zhenhe had never imagined that the three brothers would come over just before the New Year.
When a man in military attire led the three brothers into the courtyard, Hao Lianchun was ecstatic.
“Hehe, how did you come here? You should have let us know earlier so we could have welcomed you properly,” she exclaimed.
The elderly lady was so delighted that she hadn’t noticed the person who had escorted them. Wang Zhenhe and Old Master Zuo quickly invited their guests inside. It turned out that the military man was from a unit in Zuo Xiangcheng. He was home on leave and lived in the same commune. Unable to bring their children back themselves, the couple had asked him to bring the children with him when he came back for the holidays.
“I’ve brought the kids for you. I have a ten-day leave for the New Year. I’ll come to take them back on the fifth. Don’t forget,” the man said.
Despite Wang Zhenhe’s repeated invitations for him to stay for a meal, the man politely declined. He had finally taken a break and wanted to return home early.
“Mingcheng, congratulations on getting into high school. Hehe, my two younger brothers and I have also skipped a grade this year,” said the noticeably taller Zuo Hao, who was almost a young man. Both Zuo He and Zuo Yu had also grown taller. When Wang Qian saw the three brothers, it felt like a dream to her.
“Zuo He, you didn’t mention coming over in your letters. If you had, we would have gone to the city to pick you up in advance. How’s life up north?” she inquired.
At twelve years old, Zuo He had become a handsome young lad. Not only had he grown taller, but his once fair complexion had also become somewhat tanned and rough, though his eyes seemed brighter than before.
“Wang Qian, we didn’t plan to come at first. This year, our parents weren’t going to visit, but Uncle Lin’s leave was approved unexpectedly. It was a last-minute decision to come with him. Oh, and I’ve brought you some things,” Zuo He explained, recalling the items they had brought.
He and Zuo Hao quickly lifted a large travel bag onto the kang. Watching their actions, Wang Qian guessed it was quite heavy.
The bag contained various local delicacies, most of which were quite irresistible. “Sister, try this. It’s a malt and pine nut candy made by a grandpa from last year. I made a special trip to ask for it,” Zuo He said, placing a piece of candy into her mouth.
Mingcheng and the others gathered around, bombarding Zuo He with questions about their life up north.
Zuo He invited Wang Qian and the others to sit on the kang, and slowly began sharing their experiences up north, while the elderly lady sat quietly beside them, listening to their stories.
Surprisingly, the living conditions where Zuo He and his brothers resided were not as convenient as those back at their own home. However, when they shared stories about getting into fights with the children from the military compound, everyone couldn’t help but chuckle. Zuo He had been influenced by Zuo Yu and Zuo Hao, transforming from a quiet kid into a mischievous one.
“That’s more like it. They’re truly our Zuo family’s children,” Zuo Zhanshan said with a smile upon hearing about the scuffles involving his three grandsons.
Hao Lianchun gave him a playful glance, “You’re something else. How can you encourage that?”
Old Master Wu chimed in, “Comrade Lianchun, you know, boys will be boys. It’s good to see them fighting together. At least they won, right, Zuo He? Well done. I haven’t taught you in vain. When you go back, you must keep practicing as I have said. Join the daily exercises. It’s good for boys to be active.”
The two old men bantered back and forth, while Zhang Lan and the others tried to stifle their laughter. Suddenly, Zuo Hao remembered something important. “Grandpa, my dad asked me to give this letter to you. He was very insistent that I shouldn’t lose it. It seems to be quite confidential.”
Zuo Hao then retrieved the letter from an inside pocket.
Zuo Zhanshan eagerly opened the envelope and, upon reading its contents, his eyes became moist. “Old Wu, we see hope in this.”
Wu Changyong snatched the letter and read it carefully. At that moment, Zuo Zhanshan let out a deep sigh. “Old Wu, let’s have a good drink tonight.”
Upon finishing the letter, Wu Changyong seemed even more excited than Zuo Zhanshan, a level of exhilaration Wang Qian had never seen before. However, she felt a bit worried. Some things take time, and it wasn’t the right time yet. Nevertheless, she decided to let them enjoy this moment. They might understand in the future.
“Auntie, do we have any seafood at home? I’m craving it,” Zuo Yu, the little food enthusiast, chimed in, amusing Zhang Lan.
“Of course, we have. How could we not? I even planned to send some to you. This time, when you return, I’ll bring some fresh ones for you. It’s winter, and they won’t spoil,” Zhang Lan replied.