The news of Huo Chenyang and Jiang Xiaxia’s engagement quickly spread in the Village, causing a lot of discussion and envy, especially towards Jiang Xiaxia.
In fact, outsiders were not aware of Huo Chenyang and He Nian’s engagement.
Even when Huo Chenyang went to the countryside, both the Jiang family and the Huo family kept their relationship hidden to avoid any negative speculation.
But now it seemed that it had saved them a lot of trouble.
When Grandma Jiang went out to the field to deliver food, she happened to run into Aunt Jiang, who was also delivering food to the neighbors.
When Aunt Jiang saw her, she walked over with a basket in her hand and a smiling face.
“Sister-in-law, I heard that your Xiaxia is engaged to the Huo family’s youngest son?”
Grandma Jiang glanced at her and nodded with a smile.
“Yes.”
“Oh, it’s true! Your Xiaxia is really lucky. If she marries into the city, she’ll have a good life.”
Aunt Jiang affectionately took her hand. “Huo’s youngest son has already started working in the workshop, right? He’s really capable. Didn’t his younger brother become the top scholar in the province a while ago? I heard that many leaders came, and they even gave out a lot of money. It was all in the news!”
“Sister-in-law, Xiaxia has really hit the jackpot this time!”
Aunt Jiang always spoke her mind like this. Sometimes the words came out differently and sounded awkward.
But Grandma Jiang understood this and didn’t mind. She just smiled and said, “It’s all fate for the children. I don’t care about anything else. The main thing is that Chenyang is a good child, honest and sincere. He treats our Xiaxia well, so I feel relieved to marry her off to him.”
“Yes, yes, Chenyang is a good child. Now in the village, everyone praises your Xiaxia for being fortunate. People are really different from each other. Look at He Nian, she’s always playing with Xiaxia, and they are as close as one person.”
Aunt Jiang approached her and lowered her voice. “I heard something, sister-in-law, let me tell you, don’t get angry. It seems that Huo’s grandfather was interested in He Nian at first, but you see, Chenyang didn’t like her and instead chose Xiaxia.”
“What does that mean? It means that some people are just unlucky. But your Xiaxia, as soon as she was born, I looked at her nose and eyes and knew she would have a bright future!”
…
Grandma Jiang’s smile faded a bit. “Nian Nian is also a good child, maybe it’s just not the right timing.”
Aunt Jiang quickly slapped herself.
“Yes, it’s not the right timing. Sister-in-law, look at me, I don’t know how to speak. I just said it like that, please don’t take it to heart.”
“It’s okay, I didn’t know that about you, my sister-in-law. By the way, the wedding banquet is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Xiaxia is marrying far away, so I hired Liu San’s cart to take everyone to the city to bring her good luck. Don’t forget to come and have a drink.”
Aunt Jiang was taken aback. “Day after tomorrow? Why so rushed?”
“It’s because Huo’s second son is going to college.”
Grandma Jiang smiled. “The two brothers get along well and they wanted to have the wedding before Xingchao leaves. Xingchao was originally supposed to leave today, but they postponed it for his brother’s wedding.”
“Oh, I see. It’s good that they get along well. Both sons of the Huo family have a bright future and they are united. When Xiaxia marries into their family, she just needs to sit back and enjoy her good fortune…”
…
That’s right.
The reason why Huo Xingchao delayed his trip to the capital for a few days was just an excuse.
The reason why this marriage was rushed was known to both the Jiang family and the Huo family.
—Because Jiang Xiaxia was already two months pregnant.
If they didn’t have the wedding banquet soon, everyone would figure out why they were getting married.
It was probably because the two young people got carried away and accidentally made Jiang Xiaxia pregnant.
Huo Chenyang was a boy, so it was relatively easier to handle, but Jiang Xiaxia, as a young girl, couldn’t afford to lose face.
That’s why they hurriedly prepared for the wedding, carefully choosing the nearest auspicious date.
Mother Huo felt guilty towards He Nian.
But on one hand, she couldn’t bear to see her eldest son’s earnest plea, and on the other hand, she couldn’t let go of the grandchild in Jiang Xiaxia’s womb. She had no choice but to go through with the lavish wedding.
He Nian also came that day. She brought wedding gifts and gave many blessings with a smiling face.
Outsiders saw the teary-eyed bride and thought she was moved, so they praised the good relationship between the two girls.
But Jiang Xiaxia knew.
The more calm and indifferent He Nian acted, without blaming, questioning, or reproaching her, the more it showed that she hadn’t forgiven her.
She knew she had done wrong. He Nian and her eldest brother had been engaged since childhood, and she shouldn’t have developed feelings for her eldest brother.
But at the same time, she also felt wronged.
He Nian had told her before that she didn’t like her eldest brother. She had even said that if she could, she would rather not have this engagement.
…
Moreover, it was just an engagement. They weren’t really in love. Why did Huo’s younger brother call her a homewrecker?
She pinched the bright red corner of her clothes and bit her lip, holding back the tears of grievance.
Forget it, one day, when Nian Nian grows up and finds someone she likes, she will understand.
…
What Jiang Xiaxia didn’t know was that if she had told He Nian about her relationship with Huo Chenyang when they were in love and wanted to make it official, He Nian would have helped her without hesitation, breaking the engagement with the Huo family and sincerely wishing her best friend happiness.
But she chose to keep it a secret, to secretly date, until she couldn’t hide her pregnancy anymore, and then she thought of asking Huo’s grandfather for help.
This kind of behavior, not only in Huo Xingchao’s eyes but also in He Nian’s eyes, which had been influenced by Huo Xingchao for years, was considered the act of a homewrecker.
He Nian’s feelings for Jiang Xiaxia were complex.
On the one hand, they grew up together. Jiang Xiaxia was lively, cheerful, and helpful to her, and her kindness and assistance were genuine.
But on the other hand, the things she did that He Nian couldn’t accept were also true.
So, she quietly and sincerely broke off the engagement with Huo Chenyang, and at the wedding banquet, she blessed Jiang Xiaxia for a happy life.
—That was He Nian’s final warmth towards her best friend.
…
To the villagers who didn’t know the truth, the wedding banquet was lively, and the Huo family was indeed wealthy.
Looking at the dishes served, ordinary families wouldn’t bear to eat them.
However, at the moment when the guests were happily drinking in the courtyard, the groom made up his mind and went to the room to confide in Huo’s grandfather about his well-thought-out plan.
He truly loved Xiaxia, but at the same time, he didn’t want to disappoint his grandfather, who had loved and cared for him all these years.
Huo Chenyang thought for a long time and finally, last night, a bright idea flashed through his mind, and he came up with a proper solution.
“Grandfather, I already have Xiaxia, there’s no way I can marry Huo Nian. It’s something I have to do, but…but there’s also Xingchao.”
Huo Chenyang grabbed Grandfather Huo’s hand, with a sincere expression on his face.
“When Grandfather Huo made the agreement with you back then, he only said that if there happened to be one boy and one girl, they would become in-laws. But our Huo family has two grandsons. If Xingchao marries Huo Nian, our families will also become in-laws, right?”
“Grandfather, Xingchao and Huo Nian have a good relationship. Let them get married, it’s a win-win situation.”
…
Grandfather Huo remained silent for a long time.
Leaning on his cane, he looked at his once most beloved grandson with a faint gaze, his tone heavy.
“So, you’re pushing something you don’t want onto your younger brother?”
His hair had turned much whiter these past two days, and his expression carried obvious disappointment and dissatisfaction as he looked at Huo Chenyang.
“Chenyang, when did you become like this?”
…
Huo Chenyang had drunk quite a bit today; it was only after gaining some courage that he dared to come and speak these words to his grandfather.
But the expected comfort and agreement did not appear. Even in his grandfather’s gaze, there was an uncontrollable sorrow and anger.
Huo Chenyang was instantly dumbfounded.
Grandfather Huo stared at him, tapping his cane on the ground with a stern tone.
“You don’t strive for progress, you’re not filial to your elders, and you’re not friendly to your brother. Chenyang, you’ve truly disappointed me!”
“Grandfather!”
Huo Chenyang couldn’t help but shout.
He stood up, his emotions agitated due to the alcohol. Even his eye sockets had turned red.
“Now you’re taking his side too! What do you mean by saying that?”
“What do you mean by saying that?”
“Grandfather, you’re forcing me to marry Huo Nian, and if I don’t, I’m considered unfilial. I suggest Xingchao marries her, and suddenly I’m accused of being unfriendly to my brother. But have you ever considered if this is fair to me?”
“Why does it always fall on me, a child of the Huo family? And Xingchao, can he do whatever he wants?”
Huo Chenyang’s heart was burdened with years of grievances and frustrations, and now, under the influence of alcohol, it all poured out.
“Since I was young, Dad always favored him. He’s good-looking and smart, didn’t have to put in any effort, and easily got into Peking University. As for me, even if I studied late into the night, I still failed. Do you know why I didn’t want to take the college entrance exam? It’s not because I’m afraid of not getting in, but because even if I did, people would still think I’m not as good as him!”
“When I was a child, our family was poor, often not having enough to eat, and I didn’t have any new clothes for years. But as soon as he was born, our family started living a good life, with enough food and warm clothes. He never had to suffer a day. Tell me, why is that?”
“When I was working in the fields during the Great Leap Forward, he was studying in the city, not having to do any hard work. In the Huo family, one child was holding a hoe while the other was born with a silver spoon. Have you ever thought about whether that’s fair to me?”
…
Grandfather Huo looked at him in astonishment.
He never knew that Huo Chenyang harbored so much resentment in his heart. He also never imagined that his eldest grandson, who was usually honest, loyal, and cared for his brother, had so much dissatisfaction inside.
“You…”
He moved his lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
After a long silence, he waved his hand with a heavy tone, carrying the weariness of old age.
“Bring Xingchao in. I want to talk to him.”
…
Huo Chenyang had vented his frustrations and was already sobering up when he realized what he had just said.
His face instantly turned pale.
But when he saw his grandfather’s wrinkled face and the sudden exhaustion in his body, he still lowered his head, dragged his feet, and walked out of the room to call Huo Xingchao downstairs.
…He didn’t understand why he had said those things today.
Perhaps deep down, he was truly unwilling.
…
The two children of the Huo family.
When Huo Chenyang was born, Father Huo was just an ordinary worker, and Mother Huo stayed at home taking care of her husband and son, not working outside, so the family income wasn’t high.
Indeed, his childhood was not as good as Huo Xingchao’s.
But after Huo Xingchao was born, Father Huo started climbing the ranks, and Mother Huo also got a job at the textile factory, and their conditions improved over time.
However, at the same time, Father Huo and Mother Huo became busier. When Huo Xingchao was young, he was left to his own devices most of the time.
Mother Huo didn’t take care of him as carefully as she did with her eldest son.
There is still a shallow scar on the right side of Huo Xingchao’s forehead. It was because when he was playing at the factory entrance as a child, Mother Huo was busy with work, and he was small and unsteady on his feet, so he accidentally fell and hit the steps.
Not only this scar, but he also had many small injuries when he was a child, all because the adults at home were busy and couldn’t take care of him.
It was only because he had been in such a neglected state for a long time that he gradually went astray and ended up becoming a gangster.
But due to the influence of the planet Mars, Huo Xingchao’s fate took a different path.
Seeing his younger brother doing better and better while he was stuck in the mud, Huo Chenyang’s heart gradually lost its balance.
Every incident, every matter, he saw it as the injustice from his parents and the world.
…
When Huo Chenyang talked about unfairness, in fact, Father Huo and Mother Huo had invested much more energy in him than in Huo Xingchao.
If there was one thing that could barely make him feel wronged, it might be that they gave their younger son slightly better genes.
But could they control that?
Whether it was going to the countryside or the change in the family’s conditions, were those things under their control?
As for Huo Nian.
Why did Grandfather Huo want Huo Chenyang to marry Huo Nian? It was because he favored his eldest grandson more.
He had already made up his mind.
If Huo Chenyang married Huo Nian, he would hand over everything he had and his connections to Huo Chenyang, and then it would be passed on to their children.
In this way, he would repay the debt from his old comrade-in-arms who sacrificed his life to save him.
But over the years, he had given a lot, arranged the connections, and now, at the end, Huo Chenyang suddenly wanted to pursue free love and brought back Jiang Xiaxia, who was already pregnant.
Could Grandfather Huo not be angry?
If you had expressed your unwillingness earlier, he wouldn’t have forced you.
Now that he had almost given everything he could, you suddenly changed your mind, and you’re complaining about unfairness.
Grandfather Huo couldn’t truly understand.
Was this grandson genuinely honest and loyal, or was he hiding something?
…
As soon as Huo Xingchao entered the room, he saw his grandfather leaning on his cane, gazing at the sky.
He looked like he was sorrowfully looking at something at a 45-degree angle.
Raising an eyebrow, he cautiously tested the waters.
“Grandfather, are you okay?”
Grandfather Huo snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh, I’m fine.”
He pointed to the chair across from him with his cane.
“Have a seat.”
Because Huo Xingchao used to be mischievous and caused trouble when he was young, whenever Grandfather Huo saw him, he would want to scold him. This habit had been there for many years.
Today, his tone was unusually gentle, and Huo Xingchao couldn’t help but look at his grandfather with surprise before wearing a serious expression.
“I’ll stand.”
Grandfather Huo didn’t insist and just sighed heavily, as if he was about to explain something significant.
“…Xingchao, Grandfather wants to ask you…”
His gaze became serious, and he listened attentively.
“Do you want to marry Nian Nian?”
…”
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