Chapter 2: Falling in Love

“Are you telling the truth or are you just being angry?” Ye Yongjin checked her forehead, making sure she wasn’t feverish, before grabbing her arm with a look of surprise. He wanted to believe his daughter, but he was afraid he was dreaming. After all, his daughter had been in love with Lu Yunchuan for a long time. It was common knowledge in the entire family compound, a running joke. Lu Yunchuan had no interest in his daughter, and he even went out of his way to humiliate her, disregarding her dignity. But the silly girl was stubborn and had been set on him since she was little, refusing anyone else. She was 20 years old and had never been on a date or had a boyfriend. Other girls her age already had children, but she was just a stubborn, clueless girl.

He had just been to Lu Yunchuan’s house and had been ridiculed by the couple. Lu Chunmin pointed his finger at his nose and cursed, while Liu Cuixia spat in his face. But as long as his daughter was alive, what did it matter if he, as a father, suffered a little? Even if he had to kneel down and beg them, he wouldn’t have any complaints. Now that his daughter had suddenly changed her mind, Ye Yongjin felt like he was dreaming. He had heard it clearly, but he couldn’t believe it. “Dad, I’ve figured it out. What’s Lu Yunchuan? My life is more important.”

“Good, good, good, good. You’re a good daughter!” Ye Yongjin, an old man, was so excited he was at a loss for words. He paced back and forth in the room, crying and laughing at the same time, unable to control his emotions. Because his daughter had woken up and suddenly changed her mind, the couple was overjoyed. Even though they were heavily in debt because of her illness, Zhu Guihua still spent a long time preparing several good dishes.

 The pot was still simmering with steaming white rice and lean meat porridge. His daughter had lost her energy this time, so she needed to be well-nourished. Ye Yongjin couldn’t hold his liquor, and he would get drunk after just a little. The usually serious man started to cry as he drank. “Guihua, am I dreaming? How could Qingtao suddenly change her mind?” His daughter’s feelings for Lu Yunchuan had been hopeless. In the past, she had even risked her life to force him to agree. She had jumped from such a high building, and it was only by luck that she survived. Could it be that jumping had made her head clear? “The child said she doesn’t like him anymore. She figured it out herself.

Why do you keep bringing him up?” Zhu Guihua pushed Ye Yongjin away and started to giggle, covering her mouth. She was naturally happy that her daughter had figured it out and jumped out of the quagmire that was Lu Yunchuan. The lean meat porridge was ready, and Zhu Guihua quickly ladled some out and brought it to Ye Qingtao’s room. “Good daughter, you must be hungry after sleeping for so long. Mom made you some porridge. Get up and have some.” Ye Qingtao looked at their white hair and knew that the original owner had caused them a lot of worry. She sat up and drank the porridge, then snuggled up to Zhu Guihua like a spoiled child, making her cry tears of joy. Because her injuries hadn’t healed completely, Ye Qingtao stayed home for a while and didn’t go out. When her wounds were healed, she applied her special scar removal medicine.

 Ye Qingtao sat by the bed, holding a small mirror and carefully applying the medicine to her forehead. The girl in the mirror had skin like jade, delicate features, and a clear complexion. She gently pursed her lips and smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth. Such a beautiful and lovely girl, how could she have been so obsessed with a man? If she had been this beautiful before, she would have been so obsessed with her own beauty that she wouldn’t have dared to scratch her skin, let alone risk her life. Her father had gone to work at the factory, and her mother was knitting in the yard. Zhang Shenshen, who was in charge of guarding the public telephone booth, suddenly came to the door and called out. “Zhu Guihua, Zhu Guihua, someone is looking for you!”

 “Okay, I’m coming!” Zhu Guihua put the half-finished sweater in the basket and hurried out. A while later, she came back sweating, but with a bright smile on her face. Seeing Ye Qingtao sitting on a chair in the hall, she quickly said with a chuckle, “Your distant cousin’s son is getting married. The wedding is being held at a big hotel in the provincial capital, and they’ve invited us to the wedding banquet.” “Oh.” Ye Qingtao replied indifferently. She was not very interested. “You’re going with me tomorrow.” Zhu Guihua took her hand and gently patted the back of her hand. Ye Qingtao quickly pulled her hand back and flatly refused. “I don’t want to go.

You know I don’t like those kinds of occasions.” Ye Qingtao was originally a “homebody who was obsessed with research. She didn’t want to go out at all. She was even too lazy to dress herself up, let alone waste time on irrelevant people. “You have to go, you have to go. I asked around, and you need to go to more weddings and see the world to truly move on.” “But Mom, haven’t I already moved on?” “Look at you, you’re so listless. You haven’t really moved on!” Zhu Guihua went on and on, and Ye Qingtao was annoyed by her nagging. Finally, she agreed. “Fine, I’ll go.” Ye Qingtao replied lazily, but Zhu Guihua insisted on taking her shopping in the afternoon. “Girls need to dress up, otherwise no man will like you.” Ye Qingtao was speechless.

She was already an older single woman and had never thought about getting married. Because it was winter, Zhu Guihua chose a black cotton jacket and black cotton pants for Ye Qingtao. Ye Qingtao stood in front of the mirror, looking at her old and bulky reflection, and was speechless.

Zhu Guihua looked at her daughter, who was bundled up in layers, and finally stopped seeing her as thin and frail. She nodded with satisfaction, “This looks good.” “Mom, with your taste in clothes, I guess you’ve never planned on me getting married!” Zhu Guihua twitched her lips. Ye Qingtao changed out of the heavy cotton jacket and chose a cheap white woolen coat for herself, making her look much more refreshed. “This is it.” Ye Qingtao knew their family’s financial situation and chose something inexpensive.

Even so, Zhu Guihua’s hands trembled as she paid, but she didn’t hesitate for a second. When it came to buying clothes for herself, she always felt this was too expensive or that they already had something similar at home, and ended up buying nothing, returning empty-handed.

 Ye Qingtao couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. She secretly made up her mind that once her pharmaceutical company was up and running, she would make a lot of money and buy a big house for her parents, give them lots and lots of money, so they would never have to worry about making ends meet! The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Ye Qingtao was pulled out of bed by Zhu Guihua. “Get up, get up, we have to leave for the provincial capital.” Ye Qingtao was dragged along to get ready, then they boarded the bus to the provincial capital.

She was still dozing on the bus, not even knowing where they were going. She got off the bus in a daze and wandered around the unfamiliar provincial capital with her mother, also in a daze. Ye Qingtao only had one thought in her mind: she hadn’t woken up yet, she was so sleepy! Her mother pulled her to a breakfast stall and bought her some buns and tofu brain.  Ye Qingtao was just about to take them when a man sitting near her suddenly fell onto her. Ye Qingtao was jolted awake, half out of her sleep. She looked closely and saw that the man was quite handsome.