New Target
In the staff family quarters, the He family owned a large three-bedroom apartment and a small two-bedroom apartment. They also had an old rural house in their hometown, which had been requisitioned by the government and was now being rented out as staff dormitories. They received some rental income every month, making them a relatively well-off family at this time.
Zhan Aiping stood at the bottom of the building, and many people recognized her. They knew she was the son of the He family’s prospective daughter-in-law, and they had heard about their quarrel. She hadn’t visited for quite some time now.
During the initial argument, it had taken place right in this courtyard. He Mingzhang’s mother, Zhou Jiacui, had been deeply embarrassed by her, and she was still unable to let go of it. She was waiting for Zhan Aiping to come and apologize.
Was she here to apologize now?
They hadn’t even gotten married yet, and the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had already become like this. Who knew how they would manage after getting married? But most families went through this, with the daughter-in-law enduring for years until she became the mother-in-law. It was a common experience.
The people around were enjoying the spectacle.
An elderly woman wearing a woollen hat was holding her grandson and soaking up the winter sun. The winter sun was rare and precious, and her grandson was babbling in her arms. She repeated, “Oh, my little grandson, oh, oh, good boy, look at grandma.”
Her heart and eyes were full of her own grandson. When she raised her head and saw Zhan Aiping, her aged eyes immediately revealed a look of amusement. This woman was something else—fiery and impulsive. “Teacher He’s prospective daughter-in-law, are you here? Is everything okay now? What’s there to quarrel about?”
“Women always go through this. It’s already good that Teacher He is on your side. You should go and make amends with that Mrs. Zhou. In a couple of days, we’ll all eat the wedding candies at your place in peace and harmony.”
“Then you two can have a chubby little boy. Look, just like the one in my arms… My youngest son passed away early, but luckily, he left me a grandson.”
“This is a gift from heaven, isn’t it, little heaven’s gift?”
There was no heavenly gift. This child was the result of a secret relationship between He Mingzhang and the widow. He was conceived in secrecy and was considered the illicit love child of her man. The old lady was completely deceived, and later, she would be driven to an early grave by this knowledge.
The beloved grandson she doted on was not the biological son of her son but the product of her daughter-in-law’s affair with someone else. She had been deceived!
“Old lady, if you look closely at this child, he looks quite a lot like He Mingzhang when he was a child. I’ve seen pictures of He Mingzhang when he was a child in the He family before.”
The child did indeed resemble He Mingzhang.
The old lady’s smile froze for a moment. “Is that so?”
She felt a bit uncomfortable. She had heard some gossip before, whisperings about how her grandson looked a bit like Teacher He. “Your daughter-in-law gets along well with He Mingzhang, right? I saw them chatting and laughing together last time. This child resembles He Mingzhang, and even the name, isn’t it given by him? Tianci, right? Tianci…” Zhan Aiping couldn’t help but sneer, this person had no shame at all.
Although Zhan Aiping didn’t explicitly say anything, the old lady noticed the smile on her face, and her inner unease burst forth like a floodgate being opened. All her past worries and suspicions came rushing out.
“Old lady, you should thoroughly inspect every nook and cranny of your house inside and out. Some people who are guilty of something often leave behind evidence.” Zhan Aiping didn’t directly reveal the truth to her. Usually, when you directly tell someone the truth, they might not believe it. They would argue vehemently, even develop hatred towards you, blaming you for spreading rumors about their family scandal.
However, when a seed of doubt is planted in their hearts, they would investigate the matter themselves, following every clue, and when they eventually discover the truth, they would firmly believe it. At that point, they would be angry at the person who committed the betrayal—the adulterer.
The old lady was growing even more suspicious. “You, Teacher Zhan, what are you here for today?”
“Oh, I’ve come to clarify things with the He family. I won’t marry such a despicable man, so I want to make it clear that they shouldn’t tarnish my reputation by associating me with him.”
She continued with a slight smile, “I have a new prospective husband now. If you’d like to come for a drink, please feel free to join us in celebrating.”
“W-what? A new prospective husband? So soon?”
Zhan Aiping continued, “Yes, it’s my mom’s old comrade’s younger son, named Gu Sheng. We grew up together from a young age, and our families have a deep connection. He has always been deeply devoted to me. When he heard about the unpleasant situation on my side, and that I was about to call off the wedding, he immediately proposed to me. He’s a good man, and I’ve agreed to marry him.”
As they conversed, other neighbors started gathering around, eager to eavesdrop on the gossip.
In times like these, there weren’t many entertainment options, so neighbourhood gossip and casual conversations provided the most enjoyable pastime and topic of discussion.
The marriage between that young man from the He family and this girl from the Zhan family was the hottest topic of conversation in their courtyard recently, and everyone was following it closely.
This Miss Zhan was quite an impressive figure. She was a college graduate, a medical student, and currently a teacher at a university. She used to be a female military officer, and her family background was also noteworthy. Both her parents were officials, and her mother was even a martyr…
“What? You’re not marrying that guy from the He family?”
“Miss Zhan, you have a new suitor!”
“You’re getting married to someone else? So soon?!”
…
The people in the courtyard were all taken aback. They had been eagerly anticipating Zhan Aiping’s marriage into the He family, looking forward to witnessing the drama between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. But now, Zhan Aiping had come and declared that she wasn’t marrying into the He family anymore, and she already had a new suitor!
The neighbors couldn’t believe their ears. The son of the former high-ranking official’s family, deeply devoted to Zhan Aiping, had proposed to her immediately after hearing about the unpleasant situation with the He family. And not only did she agree, but she also had a better suitor now!
Some of them couldn’t hide their schadenfreude. “Oh my, the He family must be really embarrassed now. Their new bride is backing out, and have you heard? She has an even better suitor now.”
“This Miss Zhan is well-born, beautiful, and successful in her career. She made the He family lose out!”
“Not only is she not marrying into the He family, she also found someone better!”
“How do you know he’s better?”
“Well, haven’t you heard? He’s the son of an old high-ranking official’s family. They have good family conditions. I heard he has connections on the other side. Ask the Zhou family to check.”
The Zhou family was their local information network, with various channels to gather news. People in the courtyard asked them to inquire, and the Zhou family found a phone number, which turned out to be an old neighbor from the Zhan family. Mrs. Zhou inquired, “Do you know a person named Gu Sheng? He grew up together with Zhan Aiping. Some time ago, she was in a relationship with our neighbor, Mr. He…”
“Gu Sheng? I know him. He’s my old high-ranking official’s family’s grandson.”
“Gu’s family? Wait, which Gu family? The one with Mr. Gu?!”
“Zhan Aiping is breaking up with Mr. He from our courtyard and says she’s going to marry Gu Sheng.”
The person on the other end of the phone almost dropped their jaw. Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping?! That couldn’t be true! It was like the sun rising from the west.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Not joking at all, didn’t you know? Today, that girl from the Zhan family said that this Gu Sheng, he’s a good guy, he’s liked her since they were kids, deeply in love with her. He won’t marry anyone else but her. When he heard her marriage was off, he immediately proposed, and Zhan Aiping agreed.”
The person on the other end of the phone was as if they were hearing something unbelievable. “No, no, no, how is that possible?”
“Oh, she said it herself. Why would she lie? She even invited us to the wedding when they have time.”
“They’ve known each other since childhood?”
The person on the other end of the phone was getting nervous. “Yes, they’ve known each other since childhood, but they used to fight a lot.”
The woman from the Zhou family laughed, “I see, I see. Boys and girls fight when they’re young, but deep down, they’re in love. We all understand that.”
The woman from the Zhou family spoke as if she were a wise elder, thinking that the feelings of young men and women were something everyone could relate to, having been through that age themselves.
The person on the other end of the phone almost choked on their saliva, “Cough, cough, cough…”
Understood? Understood my foot!!!!
The eldest daughter of the Zhan family and the boy from the Gu family are arch-enemies, they’re mortal enemies from a past life, and these two can’t stay under the same roof.
The elders in both the Zhan and Gu families had seen everything that had happened between Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng in the past. There were countless incidents, too many to count on ten fingers alone. How could it be simply chalked up to childhood teasing and bickering between a boy and a girl?
“So, they were childhood sweethearts who grew up together. Gu Sheng, that boy from the Gu family, must have waited for the right moment and seized the opportunity. The Gu family is really lucky; this girl is such a sought-after catch. If you don’t want her, someone else will.” “Thanks for letting us know.” The Zhou family member hung up the phone and told the others outside, “It’s true, it’s really true. They were childhood sweethearts, and that Gu Sheng grew up with Zhan Aiping. He took the chance and grabbed it… he’s quite an affectionate little rascal.”
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