Today’s second update is here.
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Better to offend a gentleman than a villain, that’s the truth, but it makes Luo Xiaoqiong very upset. Why should we be more lenient towards villains? If that’s the case, who would still want to be a gentleman?
She sat with a gloomy face, not saying a word for a while.
Chuxia glanced at her a few tis, and poked her with amusent: "Why are you so upset? Are you punishing yourself for soone else’s mistake? Don’t you think you’re being foolish?"
"I just feel unhappy. Why do bad people always get the upper hand? Uncle Baohe is so honest and always gets bullied, while Aunt Zhong loves taking advantage and badmouthing others, yet no one wants to confront her.
If it weren’t for your luck in marrying Commander Zhou, helping Uncle Baohe and Aunt Yulan get ahead and find family, wouldn’t they be bullied forever in the village?"
"Why are you dragging my parents into this?" Chuxia looked at her with amusent, "Your mood is off today. Usually, you’d say my parents are kind and honest and eventually got their due, while Aunt Zhong loved taking advantage and badmouthing others and ended up ruining her daughter’s life. Am I right?"
"Ah!" Luo Xiaoqiong let out a long sigh, annoyed, and waved her hand. "Forget it, I’m not going to think about it anymore. I don’t know what’s wrong with today, but I just keep thinking negatively and get upset when I see bad people getting their way."
"Zhang Dongzi isn’t really a bad person, he’s only eighteen..." Chuxia patted her, "Think from his standpoint, and you won’t be so angry. He used to stand out among the three of them, but suddenly got overshadowed by Dajiang, so he feels uncomfortable and it’s normal for him to do so inappropriate things.
Of course, this doesn’t an his actions are right, it’s just that he’s lacking in character. If we completely condemn him now, we might ruin a person.
He’s been friends with Dajiang since they were little, if he really strays, Dajiang would feel bad too. For Dajiang’s sake, let it go this ti. Dajiang isn’t a fool, he won’t disappoint us."
"Alright, since you put it that way, I won’t dwell on it..."
Looking at the dense crowd, it wasn’t as crowded as it seed when we got close. While talking, the group already heard the drums of the Yangko dance.
Back ho during the New Year, there was also Yangko in the village on the first and second day, but they’d only stay for about ten minutes. In this era of scarce entertainnt, the annual Yangko dance was sothing everyone eagerly anticipated.
The previously gloomy Luo Xiaoqiong burst into laughter, leaning forward and backward, when they squeezed to the front of the stage and saw the Yangko team’s flamboyant costus and exaggerated performances.
Chuxia and Zhao Qiliang exchanged a helpless smile.
After watching the Yangko, the group bought a bunch of candied hawthorn, fried New Year cakes, and roasted chestnuts, and then headed back, still longing for more.
Although in later years, entertainnt was abundant and snacks were everywhere, this felt like a gift in a drought. Chuxia felt this was probably the liveliest New Year she had ever had.
Luo Xiaoqiong had long forgotten her earlier displeasure, happily eating a candied hawthorn.
Then, suddenly, her happiness froze.
Following Luo Xiaoqiong’s stiff gaze, Chuxia frowned slightly. A young woman was sitting in the front passenger seat, chatting animatedly with Zhou Mikang. After a few glances, Chuxia was sure she didn’t know the woman.
As she sensed Luo Xiaoqiong’s quickening pace, Chuxia held her back: "I’ll handle this myself."
"Okay." Luo Xiaoqiong responded, squeezing her hand reassuringly, "Don’t be nervous, we’re here with you."
Chuxia was speechless. Was she even nervous? Before they reached the car, the door opened and Zhou Mikang got out first. The woman followed and looked at her with a smile.
"This is Yang Minhua, just call her Sister Yang." Zhou Mikang introduced.
The woman waved her hand repeatedly: "Brother Zhou, I’m not worthy of that. Sister-in-law, just call Little Yang."
"Happy New Year, Sister Yang." Chuxia obligingly called her as Zhou Mikang had requested, giving him face.
"Sister-in-law, I’m younger than Brother Zhou, you really don’t have to call that." Yang Minhua’s delicate face turned bright red, unsure if it was from embarrassnt or anxiety.
"Chuxia is much younger than you, it’s only right for her to call you Sister Yang." Zhou Mikang sighed, "Minhua is Xiaorao’s closest friend, she used to visit our house often. I didn’t expect to run into her here."
"Oh, oh." Chuxia responded twice, not knowing what else to say.
"Third Brother Zhou, I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll visit Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt in a few days. I’ve been thinking of finding ti to visit the elders after returning, but I unexpectedly t Third Brother Zhou here, what a coincidence."
Zhou Mikang nodded, "Alright, I’ll go back and let them know. Knowing that you’re coming, they’ll definitely be very happy."
"I’m not sure if Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle and Aunt will still recognize when they see again..." Yang Minhua sighed, waved to everyone, "Third Brother Zhou, Sister-in-law, goodbye, everyone, goodbye."
"Goodbye." Chuxia politely waved back, her smile just right, giving people a feeling of being bathed in the spring breeze. Yang Minhua couldn’t help but smile at Zhou Mikang, "Third Brother, congratulations, I didn’t expect to et you today, I didn’t bring any gifts, but I’ll definitely bring wedding gifts for you and Sister-in-law next ti."
Zhou Mikang cheerfully agreed, "Alright, just don’t spend too much."
Zhang Dongzi was huddled at the back on his own; seeing everyone co up, he noticeably let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, it was quite hard for him to bear sitting up there, wanted to get down but didn’t dare, stayed up there and feared hearing things he shouldn’t, it was tornting him.
He was quite grateful to Luan Dajiang now. Whether today’s performance would make the Commander rember him or not, either way, Dajiang had already created the opportunity for him, and that was enough.
He planned to write a letter to his parents to tell them that Dajiang had t a benefactor and helped him too. If possible, it would be great to marry his sister to Dajiang.
He could also tell that the Commander seed to like those who, like Dajiang, spoke little but were competent and perceptive, so in the future, Dajiang would definitely have a bright future. Having such a brother-in-law, his own future should also be promising, right?
Unlike the cheerfulness on the way here, Zhou Mikang naturally understood the reason. With his personality, he would not explain to anyone, but he needed to consider his wife’s feelings.
After a mont of hesitation, he broke the silence, "Chuxia, did you notice Xiaorao’s leg wasn’t well?"
"Did she?" Chuxia was stunned for a mont, then after thinking carefully, shook her head, "I honestly didn’t notice."
"When Xiaorao was kidnapped, Yang Minhua was with her. To catch up with the vehicle, her leg was shot by the opponent."
Upon hearing this explanation, Chuxia understood why Zhou Mikang’s attitude toward Yang Minhua was different.
Initially, she didn’t bring it up because she thought it was the lunar new year and didn’t want Zhou Mikang to recall sad things, but since he brought it up himself, she had nothing to hide: "From what she said, it seed like she wasn’t here all this ti, did she move sowhere else?"
"She and Xiaorao had a very good relationship. After knowing Xiaorao was gone, she couldn’t lift her spirits at all. At that ti, her father was assigned to work at the Yugoslavian embassy, so he took her with him. She never returned afterward, and everyone lost contact. Just now, I saw her and took the initiative to greet her.
Fortunately, she t soone she liked in Yugoslavia, and now has a three-and-a-half-year-old son. This ti, she plans to settle down in China with her husband and won’t be going abroad again."
Chuxia sighed, "She’s also a child with deep feelings."
Zhou Mikang: "..." She’s older than Chuxia, even counting Chuxia’s actual age, Yang Minhua is still older, yet she referred to her as a child...
Realizing her mistake in addressing, Chuxia awkwardly laughed, "You ntioned earlier that she has a three-and-a-half-year-old son, which made think of her age, my mind got a bit mixed up, and I used the wrong words."
Everyone: "..."
"No..." The expressions of everyone turned speechless, forcing Chuxia to further explain, "What I ant was, my mind is still recalling past events... Alright, I was wrong, could you all stop looking at like that?"
The truth was, her mind was contemplating the matter of Zhou Xiaorao, who was still a little girl when she passed away, so she inadvertently called her a child. However, she couldn’t explain it directly, otherwise, Zhou Mikang would be sad again.
Zhou Mikang roughly guessed the reason, but since she was trying so hard to hide it, he chose not to expose her, changing the subject instead: "Having bought so many tasty things, can you all still eat dinner tonight?"
"We can!" Luo Xiaoqiong finished off a candied hawthorn and sucked in from the sourness, "I’m already hungry now. Commander, you said you’d take us to eat sothing nice, so why are we going ho instead?"
"When did I say we’re going ho?"
"You asked if we could still eat dinner tonight, didn’t that an we’re going ho now?"
Zhou Mikang glanced at her indifferently, too lazy to respond.
The car drove straight to an unassuming small shop. After getting off and following Zhou Mikang inside, everyone realized this place was a hidden gem, with a variety of snacks and delicacies, very sumptuous.
"This is the only place still open during the Lunar New Year, pick whatever you like to eat." Zhou Mikang said this much and then sat down on a chair like a big boss and didn’t move.
This feeling really was like a parent taking a group of children out for a feast. Although her parents spoiled her, her family didn’t have the ans for these kinds of outings. Now this felt especially like when her mom and dad, and her grandparents took her out for treats when she was little.
Over there, they should also be celebrating the New Year, right? Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma should all be with Chuxia now, right? What are they doing? Are they happy?
Inexplicably, Chuxia started to feel her eyes tearing up, and to hide her emotions, she lowered her head pretending to choose so snacks...(to be continued. If you like this work, welco to Qidian (qidian) to cast recomndation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.)
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