Chapter 44 : Heart to Heart

Ma Xiuzhi was momentarily speechless, unable to counter her daughter’s words.

As the two continued walking, the evening light had not yet faded, and a soft warm yellow hue hung in the distance.

“Comrade Fan must have a bright future for surviving such a calamity, and it’s all thanks to you for saving him…” Ma Xiuzhi pressed her lips together and tentatively asked, “Qingqing, was your method really effective in saving him? But your elder brother, with his extensive knowledge from so many books, said he didn’t know about it when I asked him.”

At first, Ma Xiuzhi had doubted the story, but after hearing confirmation from Liang Xueyong, she was even more puzzled. Qingqing had always been smart and wouldn’t do something without benefit to herself.

Yet, the events had unfolded as they did!

Qingqing’s words themselves were revealing.

For a young woman, reputation is crucial, Qingqing must be aware of this even without her saying so.

“Of course it was effective. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have gone to kiss Comrade Fan in such a situation,” Liang Qingqing sighed helplessly. If this were in the future, even public displays of affection between men and women on the street wouldn’t draw much attention, unlike now, where saving someone seems like committing a major transgression.

But she also understood that medical knowledge was not widely spread in this era, and many people didn’t know what artificial respiration and CPR were. Seeing her press her lips to Fan Yanxing’s would certainly cause surprise and shock.

It was expected that rumors would spread, but at that time, she had no other choice. If she hadn’t helped, Fan Yanxing might have died, and her bright and prosperous future would have been ruined. So, even if she had to explain repeatedly and endure gossip, she did not regret it.

“My elder brother doesn’t know because he doesn’t read medical books. I only learned about it when I happened to see a doctor performing rescue at the river in the county,” Liang Qingqing provided the premeditated explanation, maintaining a calm demeanor.

Ma Xiuzhi trusted her daughter, and any previous doubts were cast aside. She smiled again, but then, as if remembering something, her expression turned stern, “You did it deliberately to marry Comrade Fan!”

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing felt a twinge of guilt. Although she hadn’t had that intention when she was saving him, the underlying reason did relate to that goal.

“My daughter is kind and sensible, and she saved a life!” Ma Xiuzhi’s face showed evident pride as she praised Liang Qingqing. Finally, she added, “I know you did it to save him. You had to make that decision under the urgent circumstances.”

“But isn’t that a bit too impulsive? Are you willing to sacrifice your reputation?”

Liang Qingqing knew that Ma Xiuzhi was merely trying to teach her a lesson and wasn’t genuinely upset, so she hugged Ma Xiuzhi tighter and smiled, “Mom, I understand all these things. Next time I’ll definitely…”

“There’s no next time!”

“Okay, okay, Mom is always right.”

The mood lightened with Liang Qingqing’s soft, playful tone. As they continued chatting, they soon arrived at the supply store. After buying some salt from the clerk, they headed back home.

Taking this opportunity, Ma Xiuzhi started discussing serious matters with Liang Qingqing: “You’re of the age to get married. Although I haven’t mentioned it, I’ve been keeping an eye out for you.”

“There were a few families with decent conditions who were interested in you, but after this incident, there’s been no news from them…”

Ma Xiuzhi sighed deeply as she spoke, clearly expressing her regret.

Liang Qingqing widened her eyes in surprise. Her mother had been looking for potential suitors for her? When did this happen? She hadn’t noticed at all.

Thinking about Fan Yanxing, who was still at home helping Liang Junqiang with fetching water, Liang Qingqing suddenly felt a shiver down her spine.

“Mom, why didn’t you tell me?” She stretched her tone, clearly unwilling.

Ma Xiuzhi gave her a playful glare, “I was afraid you’d be too shy, and before, you were…”

Ma Xiuzhi suddenly stopped speaking, not finishing her thought. It was mainly because the original owner of this body had been infatuated with Su Jinchuan, determined to marry him. After that situation…

Moreover, nowadays, finding a match and getting married are subject to parental arrangement and matchmaker’s advice. Typically, parents and matchmakers would discuss potential matches and, after settling on a suitable one, would inform the young people and arrange a subtle meeting at home. If both parties liked each other, they would proceed to the next step; if not, they would move on to another candidate.

“Anyway, mother is helping you keep an eye out. I will definitely find you a good family and won’t let you suffer any loss.” Ma Xiuzhi said this with mixed emotions in her eyes. It’s not that easy to marry a daughter. If you choose the wrong person, it will just ruin your daughter’s life! So you have to be careful, and be careful again.

Liang Qingqing rubbed her forehead, negotiating with a hint of helplessness, “Mom, I have my own plans. Can you please stop looking for suitors for me? I can’t bear to leave you and Dad so soon, and I’m not ready to get married just yet…”

“Do you think I want to?” Ma Xiuzhi’s voice trembled, “But if I don’t find you a match soon, you’ll become an old maid. It’ll be even harder to find someone later. Your father and I can’t stay with you forever. Even though your two brothers are good to you, it’s not the same. What will you do then?”

“Mom, I know you’re doing this for my own good, and I understand. But how could I possibly not get married? Thanks to you and Dad, I’m so pretty, not getting married would be a loss for someone else, not me.” Seeing Ma Xiuzhi’s distress, Liang Qingqing quickly smiled, holding her face playfully, and joked with a light-hearted laugh.

“Besides, who says you have to get married? Everyone has their own choices. I think it’s possible to live a good life without marriage.”

At the first part of the statement, Ma Xiuzhi smiled with narrowed eyes. But upon hearing the latter part, she gasped in shock, “How can you say such things? Qingqing, you mustn’t think like that.”

“Oh, I’m just saying,” Liang Qingqing didn’t want to argue about this topic with Ma Xiuzhi, so she continued, “Anyway, let’s put off finding a match for now. We’ll talk about it once the rumors settle down.”

Ma Xiuzhi agreed with this approach. With the rumors being so rampant right now, it was likely that anyone they considered would be deterred by the gossip. It would be better to wait for a while.

As they continued walking, Liang Qingqing suddenly thought of something and said, “Mom, why don’t you consider Comrade Fan?”

In a situation like this, wouldn’t it make sense to push her towards Fan Yanxing? It would calm the rumors and also create a happy story. Even Fan Yanxing’s first reaction upon hearing the news at the hospital was to take responsibility, though she had refused him…

Moreover, based on what she saw, her family seemed to hold Fan Yanxing in high regard. It didn’t make sense that he wasn’t even mentioned.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ma Xiuzhi looked at her with a complex expression, and then hesitated, struggling to find words.

At that moment, Liang Qingqing felt a string snap in her mind. Wait, the family actually thought she wasn’t worthy of Fan Yanxing!

So it wasn’t that they hadn’t brought it up, but rather that they didn’t dare to mention it, fearing rejection from Fan Yanxing and the subsequent embarrassment, which could damage their friendly relationship.

Liang Qingqing was almost amused to the point of frustration, but couldn’t find a reason to refute this at the moment.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, the facts were clear. She was currently in a position where, frankly, she wasn’t even worthy of being in Fan Yanxing’s presence.

Thinking of this, Liang Qingqing felt both relieved and frustrated. On one hand, she was glad someone like him was interested in her and could help her achieve a life without financial worries. On the other hand, she felt aggrieved, she had always been the exemplary child in her famil, and she had never before been in a situation where she felt so outmatched.

After a long while, Liang Qingqing gritted her teeth and made a concession to herself: “I was thinking wrong. Comrade Fan is someone who wants to establish his career before settling down. He wouldn’t be thinking about these things right now.”

“Comrade Fan is four years older than you. Even after being in the village for so long, he hasn’t shown any intention of getting married and having children. I think he’s waiting for an opportunity to return to the city. Not just him, but I believe all the educated youth have this mindset. If they get a chance to return to the city, they’ll definitely seize it.”

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Ma Xiuzhi to think so far ahead and be so accurate. In the future, many educated youth would abandon their wives and children to return to the city, leaving only the rural people who married them to suffer.

“Mom sees that Comrade Fan is an ambitious young man and would be a good match, but the world is unpredictable. I just want you to live a safe and happy life. So it’s better to find a reliable and capable young man who is close by. Your father, your brothers, and your sisters-in-law can also support you.”

“If you’re wronged, your brother’s slap will be on his face in the next second. Isn’t that better than anything else?”

Ma Xiuzhi looked straight ahead, not noticing Liang Qingqing’s complex expression.

Liang Qingqing hadn’t anticipated that Ma Xiuzhi thought this way, and she knew she would end up disappointing her.

*

The mother-daughter conversation ended just before they walked through the door. As soon as they entered, they saw Songzi sitting in the corridor with paper and a pen, eagerly running up to Liang Qingqing and hugging her leg.

“This child,” Ma Xiuzhi said with a smile, shaking her head. She then carried the salt jar into the kitchen and said, “You take him to draw.”

“Alright, let’s go, Songzi.” Liang Qingqing, adhering to their agreement, took Songzi to the main room. She glanced around the courtyard, not seeing any familiar figures, and casually asked, “Where are your father and second uncle?”

“Dad and Mom went to check on the vegetable garden. Second Uncle and Uncle Yanxing are chopping firewood in the back yard, and Second Aunt is helping. Grandpa is still at Grandpa Chen’s house and hasn’t come back yet.”

Liang Qingqing glanced at the back yard and then turned her attention back to teaching Songzi to draw. After some time, Songzi was already able to draw common flowers and plants quite decently.

They only put away the paper and pen when it was completely dark, fearing for Songzi’s eyes.

At this time, Liang Junqiang and his wife, along with Fan Yanxing, came into the main room from the back yard. Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing made eye contact successfully among the crowd. He subtly winked at her, a small gesture that seemed particularly intimate in the dim light.