Chapter 20: Hard to Explain

Through Qu Xiurong’s narration, Wei An finally learned that her marriage to Kuang Yunxiao had actually been arranged more than ten years ago.

A very clichéd story.

Su Jinhe and Kuang Yunxiao’s father were comrades in arms, and before heading to the battlefield, they often joked about becoming in-laws.

None of the adults truly took these words seriously, but young Kuang Yunxiao was unwilling to accept it. He declared that he didn’t like the girls from the Su family.

At that time, Su Baoning and Su Yuping, the two sisters, were indeed tomboyish—always mischievous and unruly in a way that defied description.

Later, when the heads of both families went off to war, Kuang Yunxiao’s father saved Su Jinhe’s life in a critical moment. Before dying, he entrusted his minor children and wife to Su Jinhe’s care.

Afterwards, Su Jinhe and Qu Xiurong took care of Kuang Yunxiao’s mother and children until Wei An was born.

As a child, Wei An was small and slender but extremely well-behaved, with doll-like features. Everyone who met her, regardless of age or gender, couldn’t help but adore her.

Kuang Yunxiao, who was seven years older, was the rare type who ran to the Su household right after school every day just to see his sweet and obedient little sister.

Kuang Yunxiao’s mother, Chen Suhua, asked him if he wanted Wei An to be his little wife. To everyone’s surprise, the usually mischievous Kuang Yunxiao nodded on the spot.

Thus, the two families jokingly arranged a marriage between the children.

“When the marriage was arranged back then, it was a joke, but both our families never treated it as a joke,” Qu Xiurong said, stroking Wei An’s silky hair.

“That’s why Yunxiao came back to get engaged last year.”

Arranging the engagement early was partly to provide Wei An with an additional safeguard against forced rural relocation, and partly because the two children were of compatible ages.

“But Wei An, if you truly don’t want to marry Yunxiao, it’s no problem for us to cancel the arrangement.”

Nearly ten months had passed since Kuang Yunxiao’s return for the engagement, and the two children had barely been in contact—just once. This was well known to the three adults.

The children were unaware that the adults had discussed the possibility that if they were not destined for each other, they wouldn’t force it.

Previously, Wei An’s wish to break off the engagement was opposed by Qu Xiurong and Su Jinhe only because she was acting irrationally at the time.

Wei An was surprised.

She actually felt somewhat moved, but after thinking it over, she shook her head.

“Second sister is right. Kuang Yunxiao is a good match for marriage.”

She had no memory at all of the childhood anecdotes Qu Xiurong told about her and Kuang Yunxiao.

But she knew that sooner or later she would marry, and marrying a man with good personal and family standing, who she didn’t have to see often, was undoubtedly the best choice.

Su Yuping scoffed.

“Mom, please don’t bring up breaking off the engagement again. Wei An finally came around.”

In Su Yuping’s eyes, the match between Wei An and Kuang Yunxiao seemed perfectly suitable.

Qu Xiurong ignored her and focused her gaze on Wei An, clearly waiting for her decision.

“I’ll get to know him first.”

Though she had made up her mind, she didn’t say it definitively. After all, she still didn’t know what Kuang Yunxiao truly thought. What if, as she had suspected before, he wasn’t satisfied with her?

…

Recently, Wei An’s workload had become even busier.

Li Kunshan was indeed training her, as could be seen from the tasks he assigned her and the guidance from Deputy Director Jin.

She wanted to refuse.

But Li Kunshan wouldn’t allow it, and Wei An had no intention of truly refusing either.

Having a mentor to teach her personally was a rare opportunity that many envied. Didn’t Xiao Li and the others look at her with envy and jealousy?

“Progress. Keep it up.”

One day, after spending half a day finishing another writing assignment from Li Kunshan, Deputy Director Jin surprisingly praised her.

Li Kunshan frowned and said, “You only graduated high school? You need to read more books and newspapers.”

So, she ended up with another pile of newspapers and magazines.

Wei An was speechless and a little heartbroken.

Who understood? She had studied for seventeen years in her past life, no, counting kindergarten, it was twenty years.

Now that she had already graduated and was working, she had to seriously study again. Who had she offended?

She had wanted to slack off.

Really…

It was hard to put into words.

Yet, somehow, every time she received even a little approval from Li Kunshan, she felt an immense sense of accomplishment.

Like now—Li Kunshan complained verbally but his expression showed satisfaction. Wei An knew he wanted her to never give up on learning and improving.

Fine, since there was nothing else to do in the office besides reading newspapers and books, she might as well study diligently.

Time passed quickly when she buried herself in learning; in the blink of an eye, a week had gone by.

“How did you talk to Hai Jun? He actually went to take the accounting exam at the textile factory?”

One evening after work, Su Yuping asked Wei An.

“What about his job at the procurement station?”

Before Wei An could answer, Qu Xiuying was already curious.

“He transferred it to an old friend.”

Su Yuping kept staring at Wei An.

Wei An blinked innocently.

“I don’t know! I just told him the textile factory was hiring an accountant.”

Su Yuping sneered.

“Fine, keep it to yourself. Anyway, my father-in-law and mother-in-law are very satisfied with what he’s done this time.”

Then she explained how Du Hai Jun had passed the accounting exam but handed the position to the son of the deputy factory director at the textile factory.

“Qingyan took over the job at the printing factory, a permanent position.”

Su Yuping was really curious.

From Liang Meizhen’s words, she gathered that the printing factory job had originally been temporary.

But somehow, when Du Qingyan took over, the temporary job became permanent.

“That’s good. What about Hai Jun himself?”

To take the accounting exam at the textile factory, Du Hai Jun had to transfer his original job at the procurement station.

To secure Du Qingyan’s job, he also had to hand over the accounting position to the deputy director’s son.

So, in the end, Du Hai Jun was left without a job.

Wei An looked at Su Yuping, who had brought this news, with concern.

“I don’t know. My mother-in-law hasn’t said.”

Wei An lowered her eyes.

She was not surprised by Du Hai Jun’s decision to take the accounting exam and hand the job to the deputy director’s son.

It was actually her idea for Du Hai Jun to do so.

Now she was somewhat worried that Du Hai Jun might be reluctant to let Xie Shiran endure hardship by going to the countryside.

“Mom, Dad, Haibo is back. He’ll pick me up later.”

Su Yuping’s casual remark made Wei An sit up straight instantly.