Chapter 141 Xie Jianshe, I was forced to marry you.

Zhou Ye and Xie Jianshe walked together on the petal path, giving one the feeling of admiring a scenic view.

The educated youth settlement was not far from the village head Xie Youfu's house. From a distance, Xie Youfu and Wang Guihua could be seen eagerly watching from the doorway.

Hei Zi and his group were honored to serve as Xie Jianshe's best men!

Each person held a bag of candy, their smiles so wide they couldn't stop.

"Time to hand out candy!"

"Fruit candies are here!"

"Wishing the bride and groom all the best!"

What followed was a series of congratulatory messages!

"Congratulations on the construction! You're so lucky!"

"Jianshe has married a beautiful new bride! What a joyous occasion! Congratulations!"

"Congratulations..."

Zhou Ye looked around the crowd...

An elderly figure watched her silently from behind the crowd.

The two men locked eyes, and the old man smiled...

Grandpa, can you rest assured now?

Your granddaughter got married!

She looked away, but she didn't see that Xie Jianshe's eyes had been following her the whole time. He could see his grandfather's figure clearly!

For a fleeting moment, a hint of melancholy crossed his gaze as he looked away.

But more than anything, it was determination!

At the village chief's gate, a large open space had been cleared and filled with tables, chairs, and benches borrowed from the villagers.

There are ten tables outside the courtyard and five tables inside.

On one side of the courtyard were several makeshift stoves.

Some were stir-frying vegetables, others were making soup...

It's very lively!

"The bride is here!"

Someone shouted, and everyone rushed forward.

"The bride is here! Step on the fire basin!"

"The bride is here! Time to hand out candy!"

"Children, hurry up and come forward..."

The female educated youths around Zhou Ye protected him as he walked inside, while also showering him with sweets!

Children in those days had a hard life; they rarely ate candy. Only when someone else got married could they snatch one or two candies to sweeten their mouths.

But today is different!

They scattered handful after handful, as if they could never finish.

The children were scrambling for it, and the yard smelled wonderful.

The wedding was actually very simple, just a few simple bows, and Zhou was welcomed into the house, while Xie Jianshe was outside toasting!

Everyone else went to the banquet, and Zhou Ye sat alone in the room, waiting quietly.

"sister in law?"

"beauty?"

Zhou Ye looked over and saw Xie Meili come in carrying a small basket!

How did you get in?

Xie Meili chuckled: "I was just worried you'd be hungry, so I told Mom, and she brought me a roast chicken!"

Look!

Opening the basket, there was a whole roasted chicken, oily and fragrant.

Zhou wasn't particularly hungry, but Xie Meili's mouth was practically watering!

"Hmm, it looks delicious! Shall we eat together?"

Zhou also extended an invitation.

"real?"

Xie Meili exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course, it's kind of you to remember that I was hungry, sister. I have to thank you. How could I eat all by myself?"

Zhou also said in a very serious tone.

"Hehe... Sister-in-law is so nice!"

Xie Meili took out the roast chicken, tore off a chicken leg and handed it to Zhou Ye, saying, "Sister-in-law, you look so beautiful today!"

"That dress is so pretty!"

"Hehe... I bought it in the provincial capital too."

"Yes, I was quite worried before. Everyone said your wedding dress was ruined, and I was even thinking about whether I should go to the county town to buy a new one first."

When you said you still had some, I thought you were just trying to comfort everyone.

I didn't expect it to actually exist!

"Of course, why would I wrong myself?"

Xie Meili thought about it and realized that her sister-in-law was no pushover; her mother had even told her not to mess with her.

The two of them chatted and ate the roast chicken at the same time! During this time, Xie Meili also went out and brought out two bowls of sweet potato soup.

"Hehe... My brother asked me to bring this in! Isn't that thoughtful?"

Two bowls of hot soup, after drinking them, I was truly full and satisfied!

With Xie Meili chatting with her, she didn't feel bored at all!

By around 2 PM, the wedding was finally over! Relatives and friends gradually left to go home!

Xie Jianshe was able to escape and when he came in, Zhou had already washed his face and changed into a comfortable set of clothes.

The red polka-dot dress looked just as good as her previous wedding gown; even without makeup, she was stunningly beautiful.

"Xiao Ye, are you hungry?"

"I'm not hungry. Meili came in and brought me some food. I'm already full!"

"Okay, that's good!"

At this moment, Wang Guihua came in, smiling at Zhou Ye: "Xiao Ye, come here, Mom has something to tell you!"

"Okay, please go ahead!"

Wang Guihua took out a wad of cash.

"This is……"

Zhou was also somewhat puzzled.

Wang Guihua said with a smile, "These are all gifts from Jianshe's friends and comrades-in-arms. I was thinking that since Jianshe had given these away before, they should be given to you."

Please check this list; it's the gift list!

Zhou was also somewhat at a loss!

"This...you can keep it, why are you giving it to me?"

"What are you saying? Now that Jianshe is married, you'll be in charge of his affairs! Although there's no such thing as dividing the family property, all the money Jianshe earns will be yours!"

No need to give it to your family!

Upon hearing this, Xie Jianshe said, "Mom is right, it's all yours from now on! Take it! You can buy some nice clothes and shoes!"

Wang Guihua silently rolled her eyes at Xie Jianshe, thinking to herself: Sigh... They say once you have a wife, you forget your mother!

There was a time when Jianshe said that all the money he earned when he grew up would be for me to spend!

Well... I'm already incredibly lucky to have a wife!

A pang of sadness welled up inside me.

Zhou also smiled, thinking that he wasn't being sincere, so why would he need the money?

He smiled as he took the money and stuffed it back into Wang Guihua's arms: "Mom, even though Jianshe is married, he's still your son."

You can keep the money; why be so particular about dividing it?

Wang Guihua felt a warmth in her heart. See, see, it has to be a daughter.

I wish this child were my own!

"What a good child!" Wang Guihua exclaimed.

In the end, Wang Guihua still stuffed the money into Zhou Ye's hand, refusing to take it back no matter what.

Xie Jianshe went out to tidy up the yard, while Zhou Ye said that he was going to see his grandfather.

The Xie family knew that it was not convenient for Old Man Lai to show up, so they didn't ask any further questions.

Grandpa seemed to have been waiting for Zhou Ye.

"Grandpa...can you tell me now?"

After a long pause, Zhou Weiren sighed and said, "Xiao Ye, do you really not like Xie Jianshe at all?"

Zhou Ye gave a wry smile: "Grandpa, I don't know why you've become like this. I don't understand, but I respect you."

I have said many times that I am more grateful and thankful than anything else to Xie Jianshe!

I wouldn't have agreed if it weren't for your coercion and threats!

Zhou Weiren shook his head: "Grandpa doesn't know if what he did was right or wrong, but Grandpa really did it all for your own good!"

Go back now!

"Grandpa, didn't you say you'd tell me as long as I agreed to marry you?"

Zhou asked anxiously.

Zhou Weiren sighed, his voice growing increasingly low: "Yes, I promised! Go back now, I'll tell you first thing tomorrow morning!"

Why can't it be now?

Zhou Weiren said, "There are some documents I haven't finished organizing yet! I'll give them to you all together tomorrow morning!"

Zhou Ye looked at Zhou Weiren with a puzzled expression.

"You suspect I'm lying to you?"

"Hehe... Don't worry, my little girl has grown up! But Grandpa wouldn't lie to you, really!"

"Just trust Grandpa this once, okay?"

Zhou pursed his lips: "Okay, Grandpa, I'll trust you one last time! I hope I'll get a satisfactory answer tomorrow."

Zhou Weiren seemed very tired, and after he finished speaking, he lay down to rest!

He completely ignored Zhou Ye.

Zhou turned and left, but she didn't see the tear that her grandfather shed!

When Zhou returned home, Xie Jianshe looked at her with concern: "Are you alright?"

"It's alright!"

Zhou forced a smile.

That evening, Xie Jianshe was about to rest when Wang Guihua stopped him and pulled him back to her room.

What are you planning to do?

Xie Jianshe replied, bewildered, "Go to sleep!"

Wang Guihua's teeth were almost bitten off!

She slapped Xie Jianshe hard: "You brat, although I'm anxious for you to get married, but... but you're still too young."

Look how thin the child is!

"He's still just a child! Don't do anything reckless!"

Xie Jianshe looked at Wang Guihua speechlessly: "Mom, do I really look that unreliable?"

"Tch, how many of you men are reliable?"

Wang Guihua cursed.

Then she said, "Let me tell you, Xiao is still young and doesn't understand anything, so please be more tolerant of her!"

I'll keep him at home for the next few years.

Mom isn't in a rush to have a grandson! Let's focus on getting Xiao Ye's health back on track first.

"Once you turn eighteen, you can do whatever you want, understand?"

Xie Jianshe blushed to his ears and whispered, "I understand! Don't worry, Mom!"

Wang Guihua then said, "Remember what Mom told you? Try to buy some malted milk powder tomorrow, or milk powder if you can."

I've heard that baby formula is good for your health!

"Okay, I'll remember that!"

Xie Jianshe joked, "If you didn't know better, you'd think I was a son-in-law!"

"Tch, what's there to worry about with a son!"

Wang Guihua was relieved once her son understood.

Xie Jianshe returned to the room, where Zhou was combing her hair.

"I'm too tired today, I should get some rest!"

After saying that, he lay down on the bed and fell asleep first.

Perhaps to avoid embarrassing Zhou Ye, she went to sleep early. How could Zhou Ye not know this?

She smiled slightly, finished tidying up, and then fell asleep.

Little did she know that the person beside her woke up after she fell asleep!

The next morning, Zhou woke up early and went straight to his grandfather's house without having breakfast.

But what greeted her was a large padlock.

Zhou Ye's eyes were slightly red, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. A very bad premonition welled up in his heart.

"Clap clap clap..."

There was no response from inside the house.

Where is Grandpa?

Zhou didn't care about anything else, he looked at the top of the wall and prepared to climb over!

Suddenly, someone grabbed him around the waist and hugged him.

When I turned around, it was Xie Jianshe.

"You... how did you get here?"

Xie Jianshe looked at her worriedly: "Xiao Ye, what are you going to do?"

"I need to find Grandpa! I need to find him!" At this moment, Zhou Ye's mind was no longer capable of thinking!

It was all an unconscious outburst.

Xie Jianshe reassured her, "Okay, don't panic, I'll unlock it, it'll be quick!"

"Hmm...okay..."

Zhou replied, her voice choked with emotion.

Xie Jianshe pulled out a wire from somewhere and started fiddling with the lock.

A moment later, the door opened!

Zhou Ye immediately went inside, but the main house was empty, the living room was empty, and the bedroom was empty...

There's no one in the basement!

No one's in the kitchen...

The restroom is empty...

There's nobody around!

Zhou Ye couldn't breathe, squatted on the ground, and cried helplessly!

"Grandpa...he's lying to me!"

He lied to me!

Xie Jianshe hugged Zhou Ye: "Don't be afraid, I'm here! No matter what happens, I'll be with you, okay?"

I'm always with you.

Don't be afraid!

"What good are you? What is it about you that caught his eye, that he insists I marry you! Xie Jianshe, what kind of bewitching potion did you give my grandfather? Huh?"

Zhou roared without regard for anything else.

Xie Jianshe was stunned: "What...did you say?"

"What did I say? I said I was forced to marry you, understand?"

Zhou shouted.

Xie Jianshe simply stared at her without reacting.

Zhou also murmured, "He found out about my parents and said he would tell me if I married you!"

I got married!

But……

He's gone! Why didn't he tell me? Why did he lie to me?

Xie Jianshe felt a pang of pain in his heart. He might have guessed that Zhou Ye's marriage to him was out of necessity, but he never expected it to be like this.

But... how could he bear to see Zhou Ye so sad?

"Xiaoye..."

"Don't call me! Xie Jianshe, I've told you! I was lying to you, understand? You should hate me, you should despise me."

Xie Jianshe remained silent.

After a while...

Xie Jianshe said, "He lied to you, you can go find him!"

"What?"

"You can go find him! I'll go with you, I'll go with you to find him!"

Zhou Ye looked at Xie Jianshe, his emotions breaking down uncontrollably: "Why? I lied to you, shouldn't you hate me?"

I'm a bad person!

I……"

"Xiaoye!"

Xie Jianshe shouted loudly, as if trying to call back Zhou Ye's lost soul.

He gripped Zhou Ye's arm tightly and said, word by word, "Zhou Ye, remember this, no matter what the reason or excuse."

We're married!

Marriage means that we, husband and wife, are one, understand?

My business is my business.

I had no right to help you or protect you before! But now I can! This position allows me to!

Do you get me? "

Zhou looked at him... seemingly unable to understand why he did this.

Xie Jianshe continued, "Zhou Ye, it's not that I'm without conditions. I like you and want you to be my wife."

It's that simple!

I can walk this path with you! But I hope you'll like me!

If we've come this far and you still can't like me, I can let you go!

I've gained something too! After all, my wish to be with you has been fulfilled!

"You don't need to feel indebted. Who doesn't put in some effort when pursuing a wife? Isn't that right?"

Zhou leaned against Xie Jianshe's chest and cried for a long time!

"sorry!"

The first thing to do after calming down is to apologize!

"Okay, I accept your apology! Now, let's go find Grandpa! He just left; there's no way he wouldn't have left without a trace!"

Don't worry, we will definitely find it!

After returning home, Wang Guihua looked at Zhou Ye's red and swollen eyes and felt anxious.

"Oh dear, what's wrong? Xiao Ye, who bullied you? Is it Jianshe? Don't worry, if it's Jianshe, Mom will beat him up!"

Okay?

Look at those big, swollen eyes! Mom's heart aches for them!

Zhou Ye smiled faintly and said, "It's nothing! It wasn't her, it was... my grandfather who passed away!"

"Huh? Old Lai? He's gone."

"Yeah, there was no one there when I went early this morning! I don't know where they went! They didn't leave anything behind!"

Xie Jianshe helped explain.

Wang Guihua frowned and said, "What a mess! Why didn't you tell the child before you left!"

Look how much the child is crying!

Xie Youfu came out of the kitchen: "What's wrong? Xiao Ye went out early this morning and hasn't eaten yet. Let's eat!"

As he spoke, he brought out a bowl of steamed egg custard!

It was drizzled with sesame oil and sprinkled with chopped green onions.

"Thank you, Dad!"

"What are you thanking me for? Your older sister made it!"

Xie Yanli was the last to come out of the kitchen. She looked at Zhou Ye with some timidity in her eyes and was extremely anxious.

Could it be that Xiao is throwing a tantrum at Jianshe because she lives at her parents' house? But then again, who would want their sister-in-law to live at their parents' house for an extended period of time?

That's what they said before, maybe it was just politeness!

"Thank you, big sister!"

Zhou thanked him, took a bite, and found it tasted quite good.

After finishing his meal, Xie Jianshe told Hei Zi to go to the county town and inquire about the whereabouts of Old Lai.

Should we take the train or the bus...?

There has to be some trace left, right? If there isn't, and it's all thanks to my two legs, then it must be somewhere not far from here.

That will make it even easier to find out!

After arranging everything first, Xie Jianshe said to Zhou Ye, "Xiao Ye, you stay at home for now. Mom's head injury means she can't do heavy work yet. You two take care of each other at home."

My older sister and I are going to the county town.

Zhou knew what he was going to do and nodded, "Okay, be careful!"

Zhou Tao never expected Xie Yanli to tell her family about her work. Xie Yanli wasn't very capable, had a weak personality, but was also very competitive and concerned about her image.

Haven't we gotten through all these years?

At first, he didn't dare to do it; he had to test it out step by step.

"Survey, where should we go first?"

Xie Jianshe's face darkened: "Go to the textile factory first!"

"Huh? What are you going to the textile factory for? Everyone's working right now!" Xie Yanli was confused.

Xie Jianshe stopped and looked at Xie Yanli: "Big sister, since you can't keep this job, then forget about it."

I bought it with my own money, and now I'm selling it. You should be willing to accept that, right?

Xie Yanli's mouth dropped open: "But...but...my sister-in-law Zhou Hong is still working..."

Isn't this... a slap in the face?

"Ha... Eldest sister, do you still care about the Zhou family's reputation? Do they even have a reputation? Why haven't they cared about it all these years?"

Or is it that what you said about wanting a divorce was a lie?

Xie Yanli immediately shook her head: "No, Jianshe, I want a divorce! I didn't want a divorce, but he dared to lay a hand on me. If it weren't for Mom stopping me, my head would have been smashed open!"

I've given so much, and he still dared to lay a hand on me. He'll definitely do it again in the future!

I've figured it out! Continuing this marriage will only drag you both down!

"It's good that you understand!"

Xie Jianshe spoke up.

Upon arriving at the textile factory, Xie Jianshe found his familiar comrade-in-arms, who was now working as a security guard at the factory.

"Brother Jianshe, what brings you here?"

Xie Jianshe explained his purpose, and his comrades took them directly to the deputy factory director!

"Hello, hello...you must be Comrade Xie Jianshe?"

"Hello, sir! I am Xie Jianshe!"

"Oh, no, no! Hero, I've heard so much about you! But I wonder what brings Comrade Xie here?"

Xie Jianshe briefly explained the matter of encroaching on his job: "Boss, family matters are hard to explain clearly."

We won't make things difficult for you to seek justice for my older sister!

"So, I want to sell my job!"

The deputy factory director was stunned. You see, jobs were in short supply these days, and this was a sinecure in the office.

A fortune like this is hard to come by!

My niece lives in the provincial capital, but because she's unemployed, she's being sent to the countryside! And the place she's going to is in the Northwest region!

My family has cried and searched everywhere, but there's nothing we can do!

This... isn't this a solution?

"Comrade Xie, are you really going to sell your job?"

"yes!"

Xie Yanli immediately nodded: "Yes, boss, my brother has the final say on this job! After all, it was my brother who helped me with it in the first place!"

The deputy factory director thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, I personally want to buy this job! I wonder how much Comrade Xie wants?"

Xie Jianshe smiled and said, "You're too kind, boss! I only spent a thousand yuan to buy this job!"

You can just pay the original price!

The deputy factory director laughed heartily: "How could you say that! Comrade Xie, this job is in high demand these days."

You can't get it out of the house for a thousand dollars!

Here's the deal: I'll give you 1,500 yuan for this job, plus 100 jin of grain coupons and 10 jin of sugar coupons!

There's one industrial ticket left. How about it?

Xie Yanli felt like she had hit the jackpot!

"Construction..."

Xie Jianshe glared at her: "The leader is truly magnanimous! Then thank you very much, leader! But... as you know, this job is being held by my eldest sister's younger sister! There might be some trouble in the future."

"That's not a problem! I'm not the factory manager for nothing!"

Having received clear confirmation, Xie Jianshe felt relieved. He watched as Xie Yanli completed the transfer procedures, took the money and receipts, bid farewell to his superiors, and left the office.

But by sheer coincidence, she ran into Xie Yanli's sister-in-law, Zhou Hong, in the textile factory yard!

"sister in law!"

Xie Yanli felt a little guilty for some reason!

"Honghong!"

"What are you doing here? Trying to take my job again? Sister-in-law, how can you be like this! All the jobs are mine now!"

I never asked you for your salary from all those years you worked!

How dare you even show your face here?

Sister-in-law, have you been having too much fun at my house? Are you getting bored?

Xie Yanli was almost in tears, extremely angry: "Zhou Hong, this is my job, what gives you the right to say that?"

"cut!"

Zhou Hong glanced at Xie Yanli with disdain. But when she caught sight of Xie Jianshe behind her, her eyes lit up for a moment, then darkened again.

To be honest, she used to admire Xie Jianshe.

But she was even more attracted to his future prospects and money. It wasn't until Xie Jianshe was injured and discharged from the army that she gave up on those feelings!

Who would want to marry a useless person!

So he said coldly, "What are you doing here at our textile factory? Is this a place for you?"

Or do you want your jobs back?

I'm telling you, it's impossible!

This is mine!

People passing by were whispering among themselves!

Xie Jianshe: "You know we're here to get our jobs back? Since the jobs are yours, why are you so nervous?"

We'll only handle our own affairs, don't worry!

As for my eldest sister Xie Yanli's job, I've already sold it!

Zhou Hong's expression changed drastically!

Pointing at Xie Yanli, he stammered, "What...what...sold it? What right do you have?"

How dare you?