Chapter 26: Silencing You Forever!

Qu Xiurong saw that Weian had finished speaking, held her breath, and smiled as she handed her handkerchief to Weian, deliberately raising her voice:

"Wipe yourself off, too. Look at all that sweat on your face."

Weian smelled a pungent scent of peppermint and immediately realized that Qu Xiurong had come prepared. She blinked, pressed the handkerchief to her nose, and took a deep breath.

"Mom, tell me quickly, why wasn't it my eldest or second sister?"

"Why else would it be? It was Yunxiao’s own choice, and you nodded your head too."

At the mention of this, Qu Xiurong could not stop smiling. Weian was stunned and pointed at herself.

"I nodded? How come I don't know about that?"

Qu Xiurong nodded, her eyes sweeping over the passengers standing in front of them, and lowered her voice until it was just audible to Weian:

"You were only about three years old then. Your Aunt Liang asked you if you wanted to be her daughter-in-law, and you nodded. Then she asked you to pick a brother you liked, and you pointed at Yunxiao."

Back then, the Su and Kuang families were very close, and the children played together every day. Weian was the youngest of both families, a girl who was exceptionally well-behaved, tiny, tidy, and soft-spoken. Not only did her own siblings dote on her, but the three Kuang boys always saved their best treats and toys for her.

Kuang Yunxiao was a precocious child, always talking about his "little sister." He would even sneak the powdered milk and malted milk that Liang Suhua bought for his third brother and bring it to their house, claiming he was buying it for his little sister. When Liang Suhua saw how he loved playing with Weian, she asked if he wanted her to be his little bride. He didn't even hesitate before nodding vigorously, stubbornly insisting on taking Weian home to sleep with him.

"As for you, you were the type to follow anyone who bribed you with sweets. Your Aunt Liang grabbed a handful of milk candies and told you to pick your favorite brother, so you pointed at Yunxiao."

Weian was too young to understand what it meant, and Kuang Yunxiao, a boy of ten or so, only half-understood it himself, but he was so thrilled he jumped three feet in the air, shouting that he had a bride.

Weian covered her face. She only just learned that this was the reason behind the engagement between her and Kuang Yunxiao.

"Now that you are all grown up, you have your own ideals and pursuits. Weian, your father and I, and even your Aunt Liang, would never force the two of you to be together."

They certainly wanted the two children to marry and start a family, but as parents, how could they not know that the children were somewhat resistant to this arrangement?

"However, we still hope you can spend more time together. If nothing else, Yunxiao is a very good man, our families know each other inside and out, and your Aunt Liang is a rare and wonderful mother-in-law."

"Of course, if you still don't want to in the end, then so be it. Don't worry, even if the marriage doesn't work out, it won't affect the relationship between our family and Aunt Liang."

Weian nodded, looking at the desolate landscape receding outside the window, and fell into silence as she thought about Kuang Yunxiao’s fate in the original story.

After Xie Hongfei joined the army, he repeatedly performed meritorious service. He was adept at climbing the social ladder and had the help of the female protagonist, who was aided by various parties. He soon caught the eyes of his superiors and became a key candidate for promotion. Before Kuang Yunxiao sacrificed himself, he was studying at the military academy; technically, it should not have been his turn to go on that mission. But due to the power struggles between the male supporting characters around the heroine and Xie Hongfei, Kuang Yunxiao was eventually given the assignment.

It was a pity. If things hadn't gone wrong, he would have become the youngest field-grade officer in the Northern Military Region.

...

"Old Qu!"

As soon as Weian helped Qu Xiurong off the bus, a loud, clear woman's voice reached her ears. She looked up and saw Liang Suhua dressed in a crisp, nearly new Lenin suit. Liang Suhua's eyes were full of joy; her gaze lingered on Qu Xiurong before landing on Weian beside her.

"Weian, wonderful, wonderful! Come home with Aunt Liang. Your sister-in-law knew you were coming and started preparing lunch early. It’s all your favorite food."

Weian never expected Liang Suhua to come to the station to pick them up in person. She felt a little nervous and stammered, "Aunt Liang, we could have found our way." Her mother had visited the eldest Kuang daughter-in-law in Fucheng two years ago after she had given birth, so she certainly knew the way to the Kuang home.

"It doesn't matter. I had some free time, and I couldn't wait to see our Weian. Old Qu, we haven't seen each other in half a year—doesn't Weian look even better?"

Liang Suhua took Weian’s hand, looked her up and down, and answered herself with satisfaction: "Not only is she prettier, she’s put on a little weight, and she looks much healthier than the last time I saw her."

Qu Xiurong "humphed" at her. "What’s this? We haven't even reached your house yet, and you're already worrying that I didn't raise her well? Don't forget, she's my own daughter!"

Liang Suhua immediately tapped her own mouth. "That's for speaking without thinking!" She laughed and used her free hand to link arms with Qu Xiurong, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially: "She's yours for now, but in a little while, she'll be my daughter."

After saying that, she smiled triumphantly. In the midst of this, she didn't forget to greet Du Haibo, who was following behind Weian and her mother, and asked about Su Yuping’s due date. "I was just about to call you to see if Yuping was about to give birth. I’m afraid I won't have time to go to the provincial capital to see her, so you’ve come at the perfect time. Take the gifts I prepared for Yuping back with you."

Liang Suhua must be a very easy person to get along with. Weian decided this at a glance. Her tone was neutral, and every word was as crisp and decisive as a soldier's. Her walk was also brisk and confident, making Weian, who had been slouching slightly, instinctively straighten her posture.

"Weian, is work hard? Are you adjusting well? I told your mother earlier that if you couldn't find work in the provincial capital, I would find a way here in Fucheng."

"It's a pity your mother wouldn't agree to anything." Liang Suhua gave Qu Xiurong a regretful glare. "Look at this—you're satisfied, but I'm full of regrets." If she had known, she would have insisted on finding Weian a job in Fucheng.

Qu Xiurong "humphed" at her again. "If Weian came to Fucheng, it would just be Old Su and me left at home." In truth, it was because she didn't approve of Weian working in Fucheng. The two children weren't even engaged at that time; in what capacity would Weian be working in Fucheng? No, even if they were engaged or married, she didn't want her daughters moving too far away from her.

"Don't use the 'only Old Su and I are left' excuse. If you can't bear to part with your daughter, just say so."

The two old friends had always been blunt with each other, and Liang Suhua did harbor some resentment. "I know you were just worried that Weian wouldn't have a good life in Fucheng." If it were her, she wouldn't want her daughter to marry into a family too far from home either.