Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Right, Brother Zhai, I want to tell you something. Qiao Zijin is back.” Brother Zhai told her before that it was impossible that Qiao Zijin and her mother would return to Ping Cheng before Qiao Zijin sat for her college entrance examination. Why did Qiao Zijin come back without an apparent reason?
“I’m aware.”
“You’re aware… Was that why Qiao Zijin left in a hurry yesterday?” Qiao Zijin had clearly wanted to stay for a few days but she actually left this morning at around half-past seven. At the thought of this, Qiao Nan then had this realization.
If Qiao Zijin had wanted to leave, how could she have left at around half-past seven or six o’clock? That was too early. The heat from the sun at that time was unbearable.
Hence, Qiao Zijin must have suddenly changed her mind and left.
“Yes,” Zhai Sheng replied and indirectly admitted that he was, in fact, the one who arranged Qiao Zijin’s sudden departure. He did not expect Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi to be so recalcitrant. It had only been six months and they had to create trouble again by returning to Ping Cheng to provoke Qiao Nan.
Zhai Sheng had been away to carry out a mission. Thus, he did not have the time to understand the situation.
When Zhai Sheng returned to the army and knew about this, it was already about seven o’clock in the morning today.
That one phone call of Zhai Sheng made Qiao Zijin leave Ping Cheng abidingly.
This time, regardless of why Qiao Zijin came back, Zhai Sheng did not bother to find out. He only needed to ensure that Qiao Nan had peace. “She didn’t provoke you, did she?”
“Provoked me? This time, she has ‘sorted out’ her thoughts. She knew that she was wrong in the past. Therefore, she wished to bring out her best to get my forgiveness.” Qiao Nan switched off the television, in case she could not hear Zhai Sheng’s voice clearly.
“Do you believe her?”
“Believe her? Unless I’m stupid. Once bitten, twice shy. Would I not be afraid?” Qiao Nan laughed at herself. Qiao Zijin had said it herself that one should never intend to harm others, but should always guard against the harm others might do to them.
She did not care if Qiao Zijin would change for the better, and neither did she want to know. Nevertheless, she would never believe it!
“Did my mom send you back yesterday? Or did Elder Lin send you back?” It was good that Qiao Nan did not believe her.
“Master sent me back. Auntie Miao had wanted me to take your family car. I didn’t agree. Brother Zhai, you won’t be angry, right?”
“Not angry. What you did is right.” Before he and Nan Nan announced their relationship publicly, it was best for Nan Nan to minimize her contact with the Zhai family to avoid the gossip of others.
Given the status and power of the Zhai family, of course, the Zhai family would not be the target of gossip. As such, the one who would suffer was Qiao Nan, this young lady who came from an ordinary family.
“Brother Zhai, did you find someone to keep a watch on my mom and Qiao Zijin?”
“Not considered keeping a watch.” At the very most, it was just keeping vigilant.
“Do you know who she had been in contact with recently? This time, after Qiao Zijin came back, she showed great improvements. She boiled water for me to bathe and even cooked for me. She used many self-torture ruses to try to win my trust. My dad was nearly taken in. She was completely the opposite of the aggressive and overbearing one in the past. She was as sorry and pitiful as the little white cabbage planted next door. Qiao Zijin also knew how to pretend to be sensible last time, but that could not be compared to her acts this time. It was as though a wise man had given her pointers. I don’t feel at ease.”
Fortunately, her father had changed for the better. If her father was still like before, it would not take long for him to be completely coaxed by Qiao Zijin on the very first day.
Qiao Zijin had called him father for twenty years. She had not even once helped him wash the dishes, let alone accommodating him or preparing a meal for him.
This time, Qiao Zijin helped her boil water for bathing. Her father must have received the same treatment too.
Qiao Zijin, who never did household chores, was adopting the strategy of enduring hardships without complaining. The impact of this tactic could not be underestimated.
“Okay, I’ll pay more attention to it,” Zhai Sheng replied. “Study well at home. Fight for the opportunity to shorten the period of studies in high school, just like Shi Qing, and enroll into college earlier.”
Qiao Nan gritted her teeth. “Even if I have the ability to skip a grade, can my age shoot up? Or does my respected Regiment Commander Zhai wish to falsify my age so that we can get married earlier?”
Was Brother Zhai the reincarnation of a marriage maniac? Why couldn’t he leave this topic alone?
Although he felt Qiao Nan’s disdain, Zhai Sheng was not angry. On the contrary, he said sincerely, “Nan Nan, I’m not young anymore. I’m twenty-three years old this year. When you take your college entrance examination, I’ll be twenty-five years old, not young anymore. My family’s old master is looking forward to having four generations under one roof. We have to work hard to fulfill this wish of his.”
In other words, when Qiao Nan reached the legal age for marriage, Zhai Sheng was already a twenty-seven-year-old ‘old’ man.
“Is it enough to have four generations under one roof? Should we have a gathering of five generations?”
“If we can, that’ll be good. If we have a son, I’ll ask him to complete this mission the organization gave him.”
“Does it have to be a son? Can’t it be a daughter?” Qiao Nan was a little angry. Don’t tell her that Brother Zhai favored male over female too?
“Of course, it’s good to have a daughter. I’ll take in a son-in-law for her. If the child we give birth to is a girl, we most likely can’t bear to let her marry too early. Hence, we can forget about the gathering of five generations.” A son was different from a daughter. It was better if the son got married earlier. If he had a daughter, he would like to let her stay home for a longer period of time. If any young lad wished to kidnap his daughter, he would break his leg!
“Not chatting with you anymore. You’re derailing from the topic.” Qiao Nan smiled at last. She had suffered due to the favoritism of the male over the female. Of course, she did not wish for her future daughter to suffer the same mishap.
However, just with Zhai Sheng’s words alone, Qiao Nan did not know that in the Zhai family, the phenomenon of favoring the male over the female might not appear. However, there would certainly be a phenomenon of favoring the female over the male.
“Brother Zhai, someone is knocking on my door. I’ll go and see who came. We’ll talk again. You have just returned to the camp. Remember to rest well. Don’t tire yourself out and let your health suffer.”
“Okay, bye.” After Zhai Sheng hung up the phone, he rubbed his forehead listlessly.
In fact, the instant he arrived at the army, Zhai Sheng was so exhausted that he could not wait to lie down on the bed to rest. He did not know why, but he had to make this call. It was as if unless he made the call and heard Qiao Nan’s voice, he would feel something was amiss.
Nevertheless, with this, Zhai Sheng felt thoroughly at ease now. He could finally sleep.
“Regiment commander, can I come in?” The voice of a young lady could be heard from outside the door.
“Come in.” Zhai Sheng’s face turned stiff. He looked very serious.
“Regiment Commander Zhai, Doctor Wang said that you refused to visit the clinic, so she asked me to bring the medicine and bandage here. Can I help you manage your wound?” Seeing that the clothing on Zhai Sheng’s arms was all drenched and red, there were flashes of heartache and admiration in the eyes of the young nurse.
He had suffered such a serious injury and bled so much. Yet, Regiment Commander Zhai did not mutter a sound of pain. She heard that he had injured himself while saving other comrades. Regiment Commander Zhai was so capable!
“Sure.” Zhai Sheng lifted his arms. “But I hope you can be quicker. I’m exhausted and want to rest.”
“Regiment Commander Zhai, why don’t you lie on the bed first?”