Chapter 55

55.

March 20th.

There are only twenty days left until the engagement day. The wedding will be held a month after the engagement. It seems like there is still a lot of time, but in reality, it is very rushed.

They had a lot to prepare. Guan Yue needed to purchase all kinds of supplies for the engagement and wedding, contact the master of ceremonies and musicians, and even renovate her house. Normally, families would start preparing half a year in advance. It was only because Guan Yue was in a hurry that things seemed rushed.

Fortunately, the experienced village chief helped with the arrangements, which saved a lot of trouble.

Even so, Guan Yue was spinning around like a top. She had never felt that there were so many things to do, nor had she ever felt that there was so little time. Moreover, she was not the kind of person who would just get by, so she would inevitably nitpick over some details, which would take up some time. In addition, she also had her own vegetable garden and chicken coop to take care of, so she felt that there was not enough time.

Even so, Guan Yue didn't say anything about changing the date. Neither did Cheng Lingjun.

He knew she was anxious, but she didn't want to show it. In front of him, she still seemed very composed and always smiled as she discussed the engagement with him. But as soon as she turned away, he could see her disheveled and embarrassed state, and he knew that she didn't want to burden him with troubles, even if he didn't think these things were troubles.

He is usually very clingy, like another Li Guang, but at times like this, he is as mature as a real adult. Could it be true that the village chief said that getting married makes people grow up?

Cheng Lingjun noticed that Guan Yue had been very busy lately and told her that she didn't need to come to him all the time or do everything for him. But when he said that, Guan Yue looked hurt, so Cheng Lingjun had no choice but to go along with her and didn't dare to stop her from doing things.

Cheng Lingjun wasn't busy. Although he was about to get married, he did what he was supposed to do as usual, except for one more thing: making his own new clothes.

Cutting and sewing the bright red wedding dress was not difficult, especially since he had done it once before.

Picking up the wedding dress again, a flood of emotions welled up inside him, a mix of feelings. If he hadn't spent all his time making this dress, he probably wouldn't have felt it so acutely: Oh, he's getting married again.

When I left the Li family and Guping Town, I never imagined that this day would come, let alone so soon.

Before the wedding, the groom should not go out too often. He should stay at home, sew his wedding clothes, listen to the teachings of his father and elders, learn the various rules and regulations in his future husband's family, learn how to get along with his future wife, and learn how to manage household chores and take care of both the home and the family.

Cheng Lingjun naturally didn't need to learn it again. Besides, his parents weren't around, and no one was restraining him. He could go out whenever he wanted, and his fiancée could come and go as she pleased. It was as if nothing had changed. Only when he saw the unfinished red dress did it feel real.

Guan Yue was so busy that her fiancé seemed to be bored out of his mind. So when Guan Yue suggested going to see the Cheng family, Cheng Lingjun suggested going to Guping Town to pick up the goods Guan Yue had ordered.

"Oh, you don't need to go. Just go home. I'll go get those things," Guan Yue said.

Cheng Lingjun: "I've already gone, so it would be a waste of your time to go. This job isn't that complicated. Or do you not even trust me with something as small as this?"

"That's nonsense!" Guan Yue immediately retorted. Knowing she couldn't argue with Cheng Lingjun, she could only say, "Those goods are quite heavy. Remember to hire a car when you come back. Take this money; you can buy anything you want."

Cheng Lingjun glanced at her and said, "I have money."

Guan Yue stuffed the money pouch into his arms, saying, "I don't need yours. It would sound bad if word got out. I need you to pay for the things I buy."

"What's so bad about it? He just won't say it, won't he?" Cheng Lingjun thought to himself. But he knew that Guan Yue always felt indebted to him, and that she probably wouldn't be able to leave this room without taking her money, so he took the money, and Guan Yue indeed relaxed.

Is it only at times like this that a woman's true strength shines through? Guan Yue chuckled.

Cheng Lingjun was unaware that Guan Yue was still dreaming of a matriarchal society. He instructed Li Guang to take good care of the house before boarding an oxcart to Guping Town and leaving.

The villagers on the bus were surprised to see him and asked him why he had gone out.

Cheng Lingjun laughed and said that she was bored at home and wanted to go out for a walk to clear her head.

Everyone smiled knowingly and congratulated him, asking why Guan Yue wasn't with him.

Logically speaking, if the groom-to-be goes out alone at this time, and not even to relax in the village, there must be something wrong.

Cheng Lingjun naturally wouldn't give them a chance to hear gossip, so she casually made up an excuse, saying that Guan Yue had just sprained her ankle and couldn't go out.

"Oh, oh, oh," the villagers said, feigning realization, and then asked him what he was going to Guping Town for.

Cheng Lingjun is from Guping Town, which is no secret in Dahuai Village. His trip to town at this time must be related to his husband's family, and it is highly likely that he is going back to his home.

Cheng Lingjun still suggested going for a walk to clear her head.

Seeing that he didn't want to say more, the others didn't dare to ask any more questions. This young master Cheng looked gentle, but he wasn't so easy to control. It was a pity. If they wanted to hear any gossip from him, they might as well go to Guan Yue or the village chief.

The oxcart arrived at Guping Town smoothly. Once there, Cheng Lingjun told the driver not to wait for him on his way back, and then left.

He still went to the roadside vendors first to buy some snacks and fruits. He didn't know when it started, but he always bought something to take home. His father had told him a few times that he didn't need to buy anything, but he felt that it wouldn't look good to go back empty-handed. His mother always saw him with a stern face. If he didn't bring anything, his face would probably be stretched all the way to the outside of Guazi Street.

Of course, these were all his own thoughts. His mother probably didn't even care about the things he brought. He was just doing it for his own face.

His mother had rarely smiled at him for a long time. It might have been after he gave birth to Li Guang, or it might have been because he had complained about his ex-wife, or something else...

His mother was a very strict person, which he knew from a young age. He also knew that as long as he obeyed his mother in everything, she would be satisfied. Therefore, he, his older sister, and his father all listened to their mother. The happiest time for his mother was when she learned that the young master of Yongfu Grain Store was going to marry him. At that time, their relationship was the most harmonious, and the smile on his mother's face never left when she saw him.

Yes, as long as you listen to your mother and do as she says, that's fine.

However, in the end, he became a disobedient and unfilial son, just like his second sister.

He had never told anyone this, and he rarely thought it in his heart, but he had indeed had this feeling—he actually envied his second sister.

He no longer had to obey his mother in everything, nor did he have to live in the envious gaze of others. After leaving home, he felt an unprecedented sense of freedom, free from the constraints he used to feel. However, he also felt uneasy and guilty, and even had a sense of betrayal.

He should have been relaxed, but he wasn't at all. He didn't dare go back to Guping Town, and he didn't dare see his parents' faces, because he felt that what he had done was wrong.

Even though he could no longer stay in the Li family, the voices he had heard since childhood told him that he could not leave there according to his own wishes. He had to ask his wife and his mother. But did he ask them?

He asked, and the result was predictable.

They all disagreed.

Then he couldn't leave, Cheng Lingjun thought at that moment, but when he saw Li Guang, his already shaky heart collapsed instantly, and he had no choice but to leave.

There is no one he can rely on, but someone else has to rely on him.

By the time he realized this, he had already done the boldest thing: he drank the medicine, forced the Li family to give him a divorce agreement, and left the Li family with Li Guang.

When he first arrived in Dahuai Village, he often suffered from insomnia, as if he had split into two people. One told him: "You were too impulsive. Go back and make up. How long can you stay out here alone with the child? Are you going to live in this strange village forever? Never go back?" The other told him: "You can't go back, and you can't go back. Li Guifang has betrayed you, and the Li family looks down on you and Li Guang. If he goes back, he'll never be able to hold his head up high again. If he goes back, he can only go back to the Cheng family, but what about his mother…?"

A jumble of thoughts nearly overwhelmed him. Although he appeared calm and collected in front of Li Guang, he knew that this was just a facade, a facade he was putting on. He was in great pain, and he couldn't confide in anyone about it; he could only suffer in silence.

Just when he thought he would either waste his time in Dahuai Village or somewhere else raising Liguang, or eventually bow his head and return to Guping Town, he did the second boldest thing in his life: he was about to marry a "rogue".

Looking back, Cheng Lingjun felt both disbelief and a sense of impossibility. He had long since betrayed his mother's expectations and drifted further and further away. Now, it seemed normal for him to do whatever he wanted. For example, standing at the Cheng family's gate, he no longer felt the fear and helplessness he had felt before. Did he no longer have any expectations for his family? Or had he gained new confidence?

Cheng Lingjun didn't think much of it and simply knocked on the door.

The eldest sister opened the door. She looked at him with surprise, "Ling Jun? Why are you back?"

When Cheng Lingjun came in, the courtyard was very quiet. His eldest sister closed the door and asked him a few questions. Cheng Lingjun only said that he wanted to see his parents and two older sisters. His eldest sister checked the time and knew that his mother should be back soon, so she told him to sit at home first and wait for the meal to be ready. His mother and Ya Jun would be back soon.

Brother-in-law Luo Yun was still at home taking care of the two children, and father was cooking. Cheng Lingjun greeted them and said a few words. Brother-in-law Luo Yun looked fine, but father Luo Yun seemed a little worried.

Cheng Lingjun knew what his father was worried about. The last time they came to Dahuai Village to pick him up, it caused a scene. They couldn't bring him home last time, but this time he came home on his own. This was not a happy thing for the family. His father wanted to speak several times, but then he kept quiet. His eyes were complicated. In the end, he only asked, "Lingjun, how have you been lately?"

Cheng Lingjun nodded, "I'm doing well. Actually, I came back to tell you something: I'm getting engaged."