Chapter 42: Scaring Him

Zhang Jianjun felt a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

“Are you really thinking this way?”

Jing Xi looked at Zhang Jianjun’s face. This guy actually had decent looks, but his mind was crooked, and he was unlucky to have such awful parents.

“Of course! After the New Year, I’ll be eighteen. I have to start thinking about my future. Ever since my cousin passed away, do you think I’ve had a good life? My land was taken, I don’t even have a decent homestead, and my mud-brick house won’t last a few more years. Your dad? He’s actually a pretty good choice.”

Zhang Jianjun’s face turned red with agitation. “I don’t agree!”

Jing Xi glanced at him and patted his shoulder comfortingly.

“Jianjun, don’t worry. I know you’re afraid I’ll treat you badly if I become your stepmother. But trust me, you have nothing to worry about! I, Jing Xi, will definitely be a qualified stepmother. You’ll never go hungry or lack clothes!”

“That’s not the issue! This isn’t about whether you’re qualified or not! You can’t be my stepmother! My parents would never get divorced, so give up on that idea!”

In this era, getting a divorce would make someone the laughingstock of the entire village.

Just like Wu Dazhuang’s parents—after all the gossip, they couldn’t stay in the village anymore. In the end, they abandoned Wu Dazhuang and moved away.

Zhang Jianjun never expected Jing Xi to take his father’s nonsense seriously, and after all this time too.

If his bastard of a father actually heard about this, he couldn’t guarantee that the man wouldn’t really divorce his mother!

Seeing how panicked Zhang Jianjun was, Jing Xi shrugged. “Forget it. There’s no point discussing this with a kid like you. After the New Year, I’ll talk to your dad directly. I bet he’d be eager to marry me right away!”

Zhang Jianjun panicked and grabbed Jing Xi’s sleeve. “Xiao Jing! Don’t tell me you want to be with my dad just so you can eat meat and live in a brick house!”

Jing Xi nodded. “What else?”

“Then why? Why does it have to be my dad? Don’t you think I’m good enough?”

Jing Xi shook her head. “Nope. You’re not old enough. You won’t die soon enough.”

Zhang Jianjun was completely speechless. Since when were old age and dying soon considered good qualities?

“Xiao Jing!”

Jing Xi sighed. “Jianjun, when I become your stepmother, the first thing I’ll do is find you a wife! Your mother is too picky—she looks down on this one and that one. But I’m not like that. I value character. I’ll definitely find you a good girl!”

“No, I don’t want that! I don’t want anyone else!”

Jing Xi gave him a stern look, as if she had really stepped into the role of an elder. “You don’t want anyone else? Then who do you want, huh?”

Zhang Jianjun’s lips moved as he desperately wanted to say, I want you!

But when he thought about what he had done with Wu Dazhuang before, he couldn’t bring himself to say it!

If he hadn’t listened to Wu Dazhuang’s instigations back then, he wouldn’t have dared to do such things.

He usually just liked to run his mouth, but when it came to actually forcing himself on Jing Xi, he wouldn’t have had the guts!

But it was too late now.

Jing Xi scoffed. “Alright, let go of me. A junior grabbing an elder’s sleeve—what kind of behavior is that?”

Then she flung Zhang Jianjun’s hand off and walked away.

The moment she turned around, a huge grin spread across her face.

Zhang Jianjun stood at the door, completely bewildered.

After thinking it over again and again, he knew he couldn’t let his parents get divorced—especially not let his bastard of a father have any connection with Jing Xi!

He spent the entire afternoon at home, replaying Jingxi’s words over and over in his mind.

A sudden realization hit him—Jingxi said she would become his stepmother because his father promised to buy her meat and rent her an apartment. So, if he bought Jingxi meat and rented her an apartment, wouldn’t that mean she wouldn’t want to be his stepmother anymore?

But…

Jingxi also said that his father was old, greasy, had sunken eye sockets, and bluish lips. What did that mean? It meant his father had cardiovascular problems and probably wouldn’t live for many more years. If she married him, it wouldn’t take long before she inherited his wealth.

Inheritance?

Zhang Jianjun suddenly understood—Jingxi wanted money.

He took out the money he had hidden under his bedding and counted it—only 250 yuan.

That was actually quite a bit, but it was clearly not enough to satisfy Jingxi’s appetite.

Gambling was definitely not an option. He recalled how Wu Dazhuang had invited him to “eat mutton” last time. Thankfully, he hadn’t gone; otherwise, the police would have come knocking on his door too.

Finding a job? But most jobs only paid thirty or forty yuan a month. Farming with his parents, his mother gave him a hundred yuan a month—so that wouldn’t work either. However, he could save money bit by bit.

But…

Another issue came to mind.

Even if he solved the money problem, how would he fix the conflict between him and Jingxi?

He had hit her, insulted her, and hurt her feelings. If he shamelessly clung to her now, wouldn’t she find him even more annoying?

Zhang Jianjun tossed and turned on the kang bed, unable to come up with a good solution.

Later, Wu Jun’s son came to ask him to set off firecrackers, and he finally put the matter aside for the time being and went out to have some fun.

---

The Second Day of the Lunar New Year.

After lunch, Jingxi went for a walk by the river with Liu Yan and Liu Chun. Since it was already late February and past the Rain Water solar term, the weather was getting warmer, so the three of them agreed to take a stroll.

The river had long since thawed, and they could faintly see small fish swimming beneath the surface.

As soon as they reached the riverbank, they saw a man riding an old “28-style” bicycle, selling popsicles and sugar-coated hawthorn skewers in the village. Jingxi took out some money and bought three skewers, and the three of them chatted while eating.

Liu Chun said, “Did you guys see? The village chief’s daughter came back today with her husband and kid. I heard her husband is in the military, and it’s really hard for him to get leave!”

Liu Yan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I have a classmate whose brother is in the army too. After enlisting, he was assigned to the south, and he’s been there for years. He only got to visit home once! Their family wanted to arrange a marriage for him, but it’s nearly impossible since he has no time.”

Liu Chun held her sugar-coated hawthorn skewer with sparkling eyes. “I wish I could find a soldier as a husband. When they wear those uniforms, they look so handsome and upright! Last time, when I was at the Grand World [a shopping and entertainment center], a bunch of armed police officers walked in, and you guys have no idea how safe I felt in that moment!”

Liu Yan rolled her eyes. “You lovestruck fool! Besides, soldiers and police officers aren’t the same. Police are police, and soldiers are soldiers!”

“I know that, sis! What I mean is the uniform! Don’t you get it? Whether they’re soldiers or police officers, when they wear their uniforms, hold their guns, and look all righteous, they’re perfect to have at home for protection!”

Jingxi couldn’t help but laugh at Liu Chun’s lovestruck expression. “Protection? Only you could come up with that!”

“Xiao Jing, don’t you agree? People look different in uniforms! Take the village chief’s son-in-law, for example. Even though he wasn’t wearing his military uniform, just the way he stood—so straight and proper—made him look way better than the young men in our village!”

Jingxi nodded. Liu Chun wasn’t wrong about that.

“And another thing—soldiers are disciplined and have strong moral standards. I read in some romance novels—”

“Stop!”

Liu Yan quickly cut her off. “You’re still reading romance novels? Do you even want to go to college?”

Liu Chun grinned sheepishly. “I only read them occasionally, just for fun!”

Jingxi watched the two sisters bicker while she went to sit on a large rock.

As soon as she sat down, she spotted Xie Aiguo on the other side of the river, playing by the water with a little boy, tossing stones into the river.

Standing beside them was a man—the very soldier Liu Chun had just been gushing about. He was holding a sugar-coated hawthorn skewer and an ice cream bar, clearly meant for the child.

Speak of the devil—he really did appear!