Chapter 106: Taking Her Mind Off Things
He was happy because that rascal Xie Huaizheng had finally come to his senses and was willing to date a girl.
But he was also worried. The boy had kept it a complete secret from his family.
And how long had they even been dating? To just get married like that... it was a bit too rash!
No matter what, he should have brought the girl to meet them so they could have a look and size her up. Young people should get to know each other for a while before even talking about marriage.
Marriage is a serious affair. How could they get married after knowing each other for just over half a month?
It was like they were just playing around.
However, just as he was about to call Xie Huaizheng and give him a lecture, Li Jian Country calmed him down. He told him to wait until after he’d met Su Zhaozhao to have that conversation.
He urged him to stay calm and not get too worked up.
So, despite his anxiety, Xie Guanghua did his best to suppress his sense of urgency.
"Don’t worry, Guanghua. Don’t you trust my judgment? That girl is a good kid, and Huai Zheng seems to really like her. Honestly, I’ve known Huai Zheng for so long, and I’ve never seen him be so gentle with anyone. I just wanted to ask about her family situation and whether her parents knew about all this. And you know what the funny thing is? She said her parents don’t know."
Considering Xie Huaizheng’s parents didn’t know either... what could you say about this young couple?
In a way, they were a perfect match.
Xie Guanghua froze. ’This girl... she did the exact same thing as my rascal of a son?’
’Not telling her parents either?’
’They can’t possibly have the same personality, can they?’
"Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ve already checked her out for you. As for why she didn’t tell her parents, I’m guessing it’s because they don’t treat her well. I heard her mother passed away a long time ago, and her father remarried a stepmother and had a son with her. This poor girl probably had a hard time at home, which is why she decided to come find Huai Zheng."
After all, even though they hadn’t met much, he was still her fiancé.
Plus, Xie Huaizheng is a soldier.
The girl probably felt a man like him could protect her, right?
Xie Guanghua sighed. "Alright, I’ve really troubled you. As for this matter, don’t rush to approve it for him just yet. I still need to talk to Old Sir Xie and discuss it with the family."
"It’s no problem at all. Just give me a call once you’ve all talked it over. I’ll need to do a thorough background check on the girl’s identity on my end, too."
There were still procedures to follow.
After hanging up, Xie Guanghua immediately went to find Old Sir Xie and Huang Jiqin to tell them what had happened.
This was a huge deal!
Su Zhaozhao knew nothing of this.
After clearing the air with Xie Huaizheng tonight, the knot in her heart had finally loosened.
The pressure she’d been feeling had eased.
But tomorrow, she had to go say her farewells to Wang Dahua.
She couldn’t help but shake her head at the thought.
’A woman, no matter the era, needs to be able to stand on her own two feet.’
’Even after marriage.’
’Without your own thoughts, your own career, you become dependent on others. It’s too easy to live in misery and then, in a moment of despair, do something foolish.’
The next day, Su Zhaozhao went to find Zhou Xiaoyun at nine o’clock, and together they went to the funeral parlor.
A large group of army wives had gathered there, all having come of their own accord to see Wang Dahua off one last time.
The family members were a weeping mess, especially the two elderly people.
Su Zhaozhao looked over and knew at once they were Wang Dahua’s parents.
Two small children were also there, crying their hearts out and calling for their mother.
A man with a grief-stricken expression stood beside them, looking utterly heartbroken.
He was, in all likelihood, Wang Dahua’s husband.
’It was hard to believe that this man had nothing to do with Wang Dahua’s death.’
’After all, they all lived in the same house. When Li Xiuhong did all those awful things, there’s no way he didn’t know.’
’He knew, but he didn’t stop it. He allowed his mother to do those things.’
’In truth, he was a murderer too.’
’It was just a pity for the two children. A man like that would probably find a new wife soon enough.’
’When that happened, those two children would be in a truly pitiful situation.’
She was reminded of the original owner of her body—her situation had been much the same.
Zhou Xiaoyun was huddled with a few army wives Su Zhaozhao didn’t recognize, whispering amongst themselves.
"Sentencing is harsh these days. That Li Xiuhong probably won’t be getting out for a few years."
"Good. At least she won’t be getting out and causing trouble everywhere. So hateful."
"It’s just a shame for those two kids, losing their mom so young."
They were all mothers themselves, so they knew just how pitiful a motherless child’s life could be.
"I can’t imagine how much pain she must have been in to be able to bring herself to abandon her two children and leave."
A woman may be soft, but a mother is strong.
No mother would ever be willing to abandon her children, unless she had truly reached the depths of despair.
Su Zhaozhao said nothing, listening in silence.
When it was finally over, Su Zhaozhao stepped out of the funeral parlor. She looked up at the bright sky, but her heart felt exceptionally heavy.
She looked up and saw Xie Huaizheng standing under a large tree not far away, leaning against it lazily as he smoked a cigarette.
The ember glowed between his fingers.
The moment she saw Xie Huaizheng, the gloom weighing on her heart was instantly swept away.
She hurried over to him. "What are you doing here?"
She also noticed that he wasn’t in his usual military uniform or training fatigues.
Instead, he was wearing a white button-down shirt.
It was the very shirt she had given him the other day!
He was dressed so formally.
And she had to admit, he looked incredibly handsome in it.
Broad shoulders, a trim waist, a ramrod-straight back, and a pair of long legs to top it all off.
He looked even more the part than one of those domineering CEOs from an idol drama.
Xie Huaizheng stubbed out his cigarette. "I’m on leave today," he said. "How about I take you into the city to walk around?"
"Huh?" Su Zhaozhao was completely caught off guard. She never expected Xie Huaizheng to be on leave.
’Is he worried that I’m in a bad mood today?’
"Are you trying to cheer me up?" Su Zhaozhao asked.
Xie Huaizheng didn’t deny it, simply humming in agreement.
"Let’s go. Come to think of it, we’ve never gone out together properly. Let’s take this opportunity to do that today."
Su Zhaozhao didn’t refuse. She smiled. "Okay."
Xie Huaizheng hadn’t driven, so the two of them headed out directly on the bus.
But this time, Su Zhaozhao didn’t feel bored at all.
’Probably because Xie Huaizheng was by her side.’
The bus swayed along its route. Su Zhaozhao watched the barren, desolate scenery outside the window for a moment before her gaze fell upon the face of the man beside her.
’Compared to the view outside, his handsome face is much more worthy of my appreciation.’
She realized his eyes were quite beautiful—long, narrow, and dark as lacquer, their gaze cool and clear.
It was just that most of the time, they were so cold that people didn’t dare to meet his gaze.
Xie Huaizheng turned to look at Su Zhaozhao.
She said to him, "I heard the others say Li Xiuhong will be sentenced to several years?"
Xie Huaizheng hummed in confirmation. "About five years."
The laws were stricter now, but Su Zhaozhao was curious. "Her son didn’t try to stop it?"
"Of course he did. He wanted to plead for leniency, but no one on our side would listen to him. In fact, his own career is over now, too."