Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Of course, that naturally included Qi Minlan, who nearly became his partner.
Grandma Zhai sighed. “It doesn’t matter whether I like her. Do you like her? You’re the one marrying her and will be the one living with her. Only your opinion matters. It doesn’t matter whether your dad or I like her. Do you understand? Both you and that young lady from the Shi family aren’t young anymore. If you really have feelings for her, hurry and settle the matter and marry her. Don’t play hard to get and delay the matter. That isn’t too good.”
In the past, the Shi family’s attitude had been rather vague. In fact, they would always make excuses whenever the children were mentioned, saying that there was no hurry.
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But now, the Shi family was in more of a hurry than anyone else and was rushing everyone, including Grandma Zhai.
“Mom, Qi Minlan has quite a few boys around her. You don’t have to worry about her.” Zhai Yaohui was annoyed at the mention of Qi Minlan.
Zhai Yaohui and Qi Minlan were childhood sweethearts who had grown up together.
In the early days of the founding of the country, before the war, they had lived together as neighbors and got along pretty well.
Grandma Zhai had always had a regret of only being able to give Old Zhai a son because of her poor health. Besides, Grandma Zhai herself desired a daughter to be by her side.
Because they were neighbors, and Qi Minlan was adorable and sweet as a child, Grandma Zhai took a liking to Qi Minlan. She always told the young Zhai Yaohui that Qi Minlan was his younger sister and he had to protect her well.
Grandma Zhai was the one who had raised Zhai Yaohui, so it was only natural for him to listen to her.
Seeing how the two children played well together, Old Master Shi had joked that they could become in-laws in the future.
Grandma Zhai didn’t object, but Old Zhai replied, “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already found Zhai Yaohui his future wife.”
Old Master Shi was in disbelief. “Old Zhai, we’re living in a new era. We can’t arrange marriages like we did in the past. Didn’t you choose your own wife too? How could you be so biased as a father? Why can’t he do what you did?”
Old Zhai simply told everyone that he had already found Zhai Yaohui’s future wife. Apart from that, he said nothing else.
Based on Old Zhai’s attitude, no one truly believed that Zhai Yaohui had already matchmaked his son away.
A family like theirs wouldn’t make decisions on their children’s marriage so flippantly.
Besides, they had never seen anyone who fitted the bill amongst those who interacted with the Zhai family.
As such, Old Master Shi concluded that this was simply Old Zhai’s way of trying to refuse his offer.
They were all in the same circle and had hidden motives of their own.
Old Zhai refused to let the Shi family’s daughter become his daughter-in-law because he didn’t like the Shi family.
Although Old Master Shi was angry, he couldn’t deny the fact that his family background was not as stellar as the Zhai family’s.
He knew that he would do the same if he were in Old Zhai’s place, so Old Zhai’s actions were completely understandable.
Nonetheless, Old Master Shi instructed his daughter to spend more time with Zhai Yaohui because he didn’t believe in the existence of that girl.
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If Zhai Yaohui fell for his daughter and insisted on marrying her, there was no way Old Zhai would refuse and insist on Zhai Yaohui marrying the girl of his choice.
Qi Minlan already understood all of this at the young age of around ten.
As such, she listened to her dad and very cleverly spent all her time with Zhai Yaohui, relying on him in everything, and even addressing him affectionately as ‘Brother Zhai’.
Before long, everyone thought of the two children as a couple even though they were still young.
Everyone thought that the relationship between Qi Minlan and Zhai Yaohui would progress smoothly until they grew up and got married. Who would have known that everything would have changed over the span of ten years?
Qi Minlan no longer clung to Zhai Yaohui, and there were many males who started appearing by Qi Minlan’s side.
All these boys were Little Red Soldiers who had ‘actively participated’ in all sorts of activities in the past ten years. They were the top of the proletariat class.
Qi Minlan mixed well with these boys and had them wrapped around her finger.
She told these boys that she had a sibling relationship with Zhai Yaohui. It was because Zhai Yaohui was an only child and Grandma Zhai liked little girls that she had gotten close to the Zhai family.
If not for the fact that Grandma Zhai liked girls and she pitied Grandma Zhai, she would never have had much interaction with the Zhai family.
Chairman Mao had already said that women could hold up half the sky.
There were many who prioritized boys over girls, but the mindset they should have was one like Grandma Zhai’s.
She was only willing to visit Grandma Zhai because she felt that Grandma Zhai had a good mindset.
To be clear, she visited the Zhai family not for Zhai Yaohui but for Zhai Yaohui’s mother.
Qi Minlan had always been a sweet talker and had been able to coax Grandma Zhai since she was a child. It was a given that she was able to win over a few inexperienced boys a few years down the road.
Apart from Qi Minlan, there had never been a second girl by Zhai Yaohui’s side.
Compared to Zhai Yaohui’s simple life, Qi Minlan’s life seemed much more interesting and colorful.
Zhai Yaohui was aware of this situation.
Qi Minlan had already made her attitude clear, and Zhai Yaohui wasn’t going to be a fool. As such, he refused without any hesitation when Grandma Zhai brought up the matter of marriage to Qi Minlan. “Mom, I treat her as a younger sister.”
Grandma Zhai sighed. She had heard about Qi Minlan’s behavior as well.
Grandma Zhai was traditional and respected her son’s wishes. Otherwise, there was no way Grandma Zhai would have even taken a fancy to a girl like Qi Minlan. “I’m bringing this up because of your dad. You know where your dad went, right? What will you do if your dad really brings a girl back from the Miao family? I know your dad’s temper, and I’m sure you do too. I’m afraid that you won’t even be able to do anything then.”
Grandma Zhai was worried sick about the father and son.
She didn’t want Old Zhai to get angry, and neither did she want Zhai Yaohui to marry a girl whom he didn’t even like for the sake of his father.
That wouldn’t be good for her son or the girl. Neither of them would live blissfully in the future.
Then, that wouldn’t be repaying kindness but taking revenge. “Since you saved me twice, I’ll let my son ruin your daughter!” That was repaying kindness with ingratitude!
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