Chapter 113 This kid has a deep mind.
The lights in the main room were off.
Upon hearing the familiar shouts, Chen Shenghua pulled the power cord, went to the door, and opened it by pushing open the latch.
Xiao Songhua, who was outside the door, immediately stepped across the threshold.
"Uncle Chen, I'm sorry to disturb your rest so late."
Xiao Songhua was dressed neatly, wearing a light green military uniform with his top button fastened tightly.
The light bulb in the main room of the Chen family illuminated his robust aura, but his brows and eyes were tinged with a deep sorrow.
"Uncle Chen, when I was handling things for Zhongming and the others today, Zhongming told me about the Xie and Jiang families. Uncle Chen, are you available now? I have something very important to discuss with you."
Chen Shenghua nodded, "It's convenient. Please sit down first, and I'll pour you some water."
"Uncle Chen, let's skip the water and get straight to business."
The light bulb in the main room hung in the center of the roof beam, its light dim and weak, barely illuminating the space where no one was.
Honeycomb briquettes were piled up against the wall, and a bicycle stood in the corner, casting heavy shadows on the ground, as suffocating as the atmosphere inside the room.
Equally heavy was the sorrow emanating from Xiao Songhua's strong features. His back, which was usually taut and straight, now seemed to be weighed down by an unremovable stone, and was slightly stiff.
Xiao Songhua's brows furrowed into a deep frown. Seeing that Chen Shenghua still insisted on taking the enamel cup, he went to make him a cup of Sanhua tea. He wanted to state his purpose directly, but he was afraid of disturbing Aunt Wang and Chen Jiahui who were sleeping.
Chen Shenghua returned with tea and noticed the deep sorrow hidden in the wrinkles between Xiao Huahua's brows. Her hands, accustomed to holding steel guns, were now clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and her fingertips trembled slightly.
The tungsten filament of the light bulb hummed softly, the light flickering on and off, reflecting on Xiao Songhua's angular face. His usually strong features were now shrouded in worry.
"Songhua, have some tea."
"Uncle Chen..."
"Songhua, haven't I taught you that no matter what happens, you should remain calm and composed even if Mount Tai collapses before you? What's wrong? Why are you so worried?"
How could Xiao Songhua not be worried?
The Xie and Jiang families suddenly faced suspicion of being enemies. Xie's eldest uncle had been handcuffed and taken away by the police, and they also found his correspondence with foreign countries. Regardless of whether it was a frame-up or not, being labeled as such would bring disaster to the entire family.
His beloved lesbian, Chen Jiahui, was also going to suffer.
"Uncle Chen, I can't help but be anxious about this." Xiao Song took the enamel cup.
He was clearly thirsty, but he didn't drink a drop of water from his cup. "Uncle Chen, Zhongming told me everything. I have a way to keep Jia Hui out of trouble, but I need Uncle Chen's approval."
"What method?" Chen Shenghua sat down on the long bench. "Sit down and let's talk."
Xiao Songhua did not sit down, but remained standing. There was a hint of hesitation in his eyes. After thinking for a moment with a frown, he resolutely spoke up, "Uncle Chen!"
A surge of adrenaline rushed to my head.
Xiao Songhua took a big step forward, holding the tea that Chen Shenghua had brewed for him, but his body stood straight.
His voice was deep and resonant, like that of tempered iron, carrying an undeniable firmness.
"Let Jia Hui and I get our marriage certificate. I've already prepared the marriage application report."
Xiao Songhua placed the enamel mug on the square table, took out a neatly folded marriage certificate from his shirt pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Chen Shenghua with a straight posture.
“As long as Comrade Jia Hui and I get our marriage certificate, she won’t have to suffer in the countryside.”
These words were like a pebble thrown into still water, causing Chen Shenghua's newly lit cigarette butt to fall onto his trouser leg.
He hurriedly stood up, brushed away the sparks, and looked at the young man in front of him in disbelief. "Songhua, do you know what you're saying?"
"I know." Xiao Songhua's strong voice carried an unusual firmness.
His chest heaved violently, fearing that Uncle Chen would misunderstand, so he hurriedly took half a step forward and spoke as fast as a burst of gunfire, "Uncle Chen, I don't have any improper thoughts about Comrade Jia Hui! I just want to help her. As long as we get the marriage certificate, she will be a member of my Xiao family and won't have to be implicated."
His voice was urgent, and the veins on his forehead were bulging.
Every word was sincere!
"Comrade Jia Hui grew up with Uncle Chen and Aunt Wang and never suffered in the countryside."
“If she were suddenly taken to the countryside, she might not even be able to get a decent meal. I’m afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
Xiao Songhua didn't know where he got the courage, but he said a lot in one breath.
He spoke with great enthusiasm.
“Uncle Chen, if Comrade Jia Hui is willing to live with me, I will definitely treat her well in the future, listen to her in everything, and take good care of her! I can do everything, such as laundry, cooking, and cleaning. I will hand over all my monthly salary to her. We can also visit you two in the countryside often.”
"What if she doesn't want to..."
At this point, Xiao Songhua's voice deepened.
He paused, looking at Chen Shenghua's tense face, and added, "If Comrade Jia Hui is unwilling, and she wants a divorce after this storm has passed, I will definitely cooperate without hesitation. Let's just consider it a... fake marriage, and I will help her get through this crisis."
After he finished speaking, the main room of the Chen family was so quiet that you could hear the hum of the light bulbs and gas.
Xiao Songhua stood under the lamp, his back straight, the sorrow in his eyes replaced by a resolute tenacity.
He knew how absurd it was that he was saying this, and he knew how risky this move was, but he also knew that he couldn't bear to see the kind girl who had lived in his heart all his youth go to the countryside to suffer.
The air in the room seemed to have frozen.
Chen Shenghua stomped out the cigarette butt on the ground, raised his eyes, and his weathered yet vigorous gaze fell on Xiao Songhua, with a hint of doubt.
This kid, he probably's always had a crush on Jia Hui, he's kept it a secret for a long time.
“Songhua, let me ask you something. Five years ago, Zhongming suddenly filed for marriage and married Xingyue, who was still chubby at the time. My Jia Hui applied for a transfer to the Kuncheng Military Region, and you were transferred there shortly after. Did you apply for the transfer for my Jia Hui’s sake?”
Xiao Songhua was afraid that her secret would be discovered.
But he was frank and open, with nothing to hide. His heart was pounding, but he still stood tall and answered firmly, "Yes. I'm worried that Jia Hui will be alone in an unfamiliar place without anyone to look after her."
In truth, Chen Shenghua was grateful to Xiao Songhua.
At that time, Chen Shenghua thought that Xiao Songhua wanted to be transferred to Kuncheng, but he did not expect that it was for his family Jia Hui.
When Jia Hui arrived in Kunming, she first suffered from acclimatization problems, then fell seriously ill several times. At the time, he was unable to leave the army, and Shu Fen, who had not yet retired, was also unable to leave. It was Xiao Songhua who took care of her. At the time, Chen Shenghua didn't think much of it, assuming that Xiao Songhua and Jia Hui had grown up together and were like siblings.
Little did anyone know, this guy had long harbored a secret crush on his Jia Hui.
When Jia Hui missed out on a good man like Zhong Ming, Chen Shenghua comforted her, saying that the time hadn't come yet, and when the time came, she would naturally meet a good match.
Unexpectedly, this perfect match was right before my eyes.
Chen Shenghua smiled brightly. Xiao Songhua's suggestion today had swept away the gloom in Chen Shenghua's heart.
Chen Shenghua suddenly grabbed Xiao Songhua's hand, "You rascal, why didn't you tell Uncle Chen about your thoughts sooner?"
"Uncle Chen, do you mean you agree to my proposal and are willing to marry Jia Hui to me?"
"Good lad!"
Chen Shenghua patted Xiao Songhua on the shoulder with great satisfaction.
The palm of his hand held strength, satisfaction, and praise for Xiao Songhua.
“Of course I’m willing, Uncle Chen is very grateful. But I still need to persuade Jia Hui about this. That girl Jia Hui, even though she usually listens to me and your Aunt Wang, she has her own opinions.”
At this moment, Wang Shufen finished dressing and came out from the inner room.
Wang Shufen had overheard what her husband, Lao Chen, and Xiao Songhua were saying, and she couldn't stop laughing.
If it's true that Old Chen wanted to marry Jia Hui off to the son of another comrade-in-arms, and Jia Hui had never met the man and didn't want to marry him, then Xiao Songhua, whom she knew well, was a responsible and dependable man, and had actually been interested in her Jia Hui for a long time, shouldn't Jia Hui be less resistant?
Jia Hui was Wang Shufen's darling. While other families had several children, she only had one daughter. How could she bear to let her go to the countryside to suffer?
"Songhua, why didn't you tell Aunt Wang what you were thinking sooner?"
Songhua has always been a loyal and affectionate child.
Wang Shufen was very satisfied.
"If I had known you had such thoughts, Aunt Wang would have tried to match you two up long ago. It's such a waste of several years of your time."
Wang Shufen's tone carried a hint of reproach, but more so of heartache and relief.
She held Xiao Songhua's hand, her eyes welling with hot tears. "Songhua, I'm so grateful that you're asking to marry Jia Hui at this time..."
Xiao Songhua's cheeks flushed from Wang Shufen's words, his taut back stiffened, and his Adam's apple bobbed rapidly, but he didn't know how to respond.
Two years ago, he knew that Jia Hui only had Xie Zhongming in her heart. He knew he had no hope, so he silently protected her.
He never revealed his feelings for Jia Hui.
Even when Bei Yang, Bei Song, and Zhong Ming advised him that if he wanted to find a wife, he should take the initiative with women, he still didn't acknowledge his feelings.
Now that he had spoken openly in front of Chen Shenghua and Wang Shufen, the resolute determination he had shown earlier in explaining his purpose in one breath had completely turned into the shyness of a young man, and his fingers, which were gripping the seam of his trousers, unconsciously curled up.
But he was a soldier after all, and his inherent composure remained.
She quickly forced herself to look up, pursed her lips, and forced a calm smile onto her face. "Aunt Wang, I... I knew all along that Comrade Jia Hui liked Zhong Ming, but I didn't dare to say anything. Zhong Ming is excellent in every way, and I was afraid that I was not good enough for Jia Hui."
He was afraid that he was not good enough for Comrade Jia Hui.
Before Xie Zhongming's wife, Qiao Xingyue, arrived, Comrade Jia Hui was the most beautiful woman in the Jincheng Military Region, the most beautiful woman in the entire compound.
Although Comrade Qiao Xingyue later arrived, and everyone said that Qiao Xingyue had become the most beautiful woman in the compound, Xiao Songhua still felt that Chen Jiahui was the most beautiful woman in the world, not only beautiful in appearance but also in heart.
Besides fearing he wasn't good enough for Jia Hui, he was also afraid that Uncle Chen and Aunt Wang wouldn't approve of him, since his conditions weren't as good as Bei Yang, Bei Song, and the Xie brothers. He was even more afraid that if he told Jia Hui, he and Jia Hui wouldn't even be able to remain friends.
Seeing his expression, Wang Shufen couldn't help but laugh, and gently patted the back of his hand, "Silly boy, it would have been better if you had said so earlier..."
At that moment, Chen Jiahui was hiding behind the door of the house, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside the main room.
Actually, she didn't need to strain her ears to hear it clearly, but Xiao Songhua's sudden mention of wanting to marry her startled her. How did things get so close to her marriage?
Behind the door, Chen Jiahui's hand, which was gripping the hem of her clothes, tightened suddenly.
He froze completely.
Comrade Xiao Songhua's resolute proposal, her father's response, and her mother's nagging exploded in her ears like a string of firecrackers without beginning or end.
Her mind was a jumbled mess, and she couldn't help but recall the days when Xie Zhongming married Pang Ya, and she wanted to forget Xie Zhongming, so she voluntarily transferred to the Kuncheng Military Region. Xiao Songhua also followed her there.
She remembered that two years ago, when she went to the countryside on a mission, she was delirious with fever due to pneumonia. It was Xiao Songhua who carried her for ten miles to the clinic. In the dead of winter, his clothes were soaked with sweat, but he kept comforting her along the way, saying, "Don't be afraid, we'll be there soon."
Several times when she was hospitalized in the military hospital, Comrade Xiao Songhua would always bring her food and drinks, peel fruit for her, and carefully inquire about and record things for the nurses and doctors. She would decline, saying that it wasn't necessary for him to go to so much trouble to take care of her, but he would always say, "We grew up in the same compound, I've always considered you my own sister, don't be so formal..."
So that's when... that's when he had feelings for me.
This realization, like a small pebble, rippled through Chen Jiahui's heart.
A subtle feeling of emotion slowly crept up her chest. She remembered Xiao Songhua's broad shoulders, his strong voice, and the meticulous care he always gave her. Her nose inexplicably felt a little sore.
But this feeling of being moved was quickly suppressed by another kind of panic.
She only had brotherly respect for Comrade Xiao Songhua, and never any romantic feelings for him. How could she accept such a sudden marriage, which felt like a hasty transaction?
More importantly, her parents were about to be sent to the countryside for reform through labor. Her father had back and leg problems, and a gunshot wound in his leg that caused him excruciating pain in wind and rain. Her mother was also in poor health, having developed many health issues after giving birth to her. She hadn't had a second child because of her physical limitations, not because she didn't want to. Under these circumstances, how could she possibly marry Xiao Songhua and stay in the city just to avoid being sent down to the countryside?
She is her parents' only child, and it is her duty to take care of them. How could she abandon them?
The conversation outside the curtain continued, and Xiao Songhua's steady and resolute voice could be faintly heard. But Chen Jiahui's heart was pounding like a rabbit's, filled with a mix of emotions: gratitude, panic, confusion, guilt... and her eyes slowly reddened.
Outside the door, Xiao Songhua's gaze swept towards Chen Jiahui's room, as if he could see through the fabric and into the person inside.
He spoke again, "Uncle Chen, Aunt Wang, if you agree, please tell Comrade Jia Hui. As long as she nods, I'll go to the Political Department first thing tomorrow morning to submit the marriage application. I'll urge them to approve it quickly; it should be done in three days at most. This matter should not be delayed."
His voice carried a unique sincerity, along with a hint of barely perceptible unease.
Upon hearing this, Chen Shenghua and Wang Shufen exchanged a glance, both seeing emotion in each other's eyes.
Seeing that they didn't speak, Xiao Songhua became even more anxious, fearing they would misunderstand that she was rushing to force them into marriage. She hurriedly added, "I know this is too hasty, and I'm sorry to trouble Comrade Jia Hui. But given the current situation, the sooner we get our marriage certificate, the sooner we can have peace of mind, so as not to..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chen Jiahui's door was suddenly opened.
With a "whoosh," Chen Jia Hui lifted the pink beaded curtain on the door and walked out towards the three people in the main room...
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