Chapter 30 Jealousy
Not long after Meng Wanqiu left, Pei Xingzhi started chatting with Xiao Wu. He didn't have many friends, and although there were some misunderstandings at the beginning, after chatting, he found that Officer Xiao Wu was a pretty good person.
Officer Wu's name is Wu Di. Although he looks small, he is already 24 years old, older than Pei Xingzhi. His personality is just like his face, both are childish.
However, because the other party helped him, Pei Xingzhi planned to make friends with Wu Di. As soon as he expressed this intention, Wu Di immediately started chattering, and his talkative nature was obvious.
Pei Xingzhi felt a moment of regret. In that moment, he even knew how many people were in Wu Di's family and whether he had a dog. He placed his hand between his eyebrows, rubbing it from time to time. Whether he should reply or not, Pei Xingzhi's actions did not affect Wu Di's enthusiasm at all.
This doesn't look like a policeman at all, Pei Xingzhi thought.
At this moment, two people suddenly came in from outside. Pei Xingzhi looked over and found that it was Jiang Xiuxiu. She was wearing a silk scarf, covering the lower half of her face. There was also a strange man in well-dressed clothes beside her, whose eyebrows looked somewhat similar to Jiang Xiuxiu.
When Jiang Xiuxiu came in, she saw Pei Xingzhi sitting there. She was surprised for a moment that they didn't go back.
Now that someone came, Wu Di finally calmed down. He acted like a police officer, asked the two to sit down, and poured them some water.
Jiang Xiuxiu didn't say anything, but the man next to her thanked her politely.
"Xiu Xiu, who is this?"
Noticing Jiang Xiuxiu's gaze, the man looked at Pei Xingzhi, who was about twenty years old and dressed simply, but his every move had an outstanding temperament. He did not look like an ordinary person, and the man wanted to make friends with him.
Jiang Xiuxiu didn't want to deal with Pei Xingzhi, but her cousin Jiang Bo asked, so she had to introduce him: "Cousin, this is Pei Xingzhi. It was his wife who saved me."
"Pei Xingzhi, this is my cousin, the child of my uncle."
Jiang Xiuxiu's uncle, Jiang He's eldest brother, had long ago competed with Meng Aiguo for the handover of Meng's mother, Li Lanxiang. After Jiang Hai's failure, he married his current wife and had their only son, Jiang Bo. Jiang Hai's father-in-law, a leader of the commune at the time, also arranged for Jiang Hai to join the commune.
Now, more than 20 years have passed. Jiang Hai's father-in-law has been promoted to the county, and Jiang Hai has also become a commune cadre from a small clerk.
As Jiang Hai's only child, Jiang Bo has lived with his grandfather since he was a child. After he grew up, he joined the county government and was trained by his grandfather as his successor.
After listening to Jiang Xiuxiu's introduction, Jiang Bo's eyes flashed. He was Pei Xingzhi. Thinking of the information his father had learned before, this man's family situation was not simple. No wonder he could develop such an extraordinary temperament.
However, Jiang Bo's desire to make friends faded. He was in a critical period and it was not convenient for him to get close to such people. He smiled politely and said, "Thank you for helping my sister. If you have any requests, please let us know and we will do our best to meet them."
Looking at the hand in front of him, Pei Xingzhi's expression was indifferent. He had no intention of shaking it. He opened his thin lips slightly and said, "No, we don't need anything."
Jiang Bo was not angry at being treated coldly. He calmly withdrew his hand and continued to smile, "Don't rush to refuse. Your wife hasn't come yet. Why not wait until she comes?"
Although Jiang Bo hadn't returned to Qinghe Village, he knew that Pei Xingzhi had married the daughter of the village Party Secretary. She was just an ordinary rural woman, so naturally she couldn't be as aloof as Pei Xingzhi.
Therefore, Jiang Bo was very confident that Pei Xingzhi and the others would definitely not reject him in the end.
Jiang Xiuxiu was stunned. Jiang Bo hadn't told her to thank the person who saved her before coming here. Why did he suddenly change his mind after seeing Pei Xingzhi?
Jiang Xiuxiu could naturally hear the contempt in Jiang Bo's words, and her heart tightened. After all, Pei Xingzhi was no ordinary person; he would one day become the richest man in the country. Worried that Jiang Bo would be remembered by the other party, Jiang Xiuxiu smiled and pulled him aside.
Jiang Bo didn't know why he suddenly said such words. It might be because of the attraction between the same sex. In the whole ancient city, he was the best among his peers, and there were few young people who could match him.
Until he saw Pei Xingzhi, the other party's appearance and temperament were not inferior to his. Jiang Bo's family background was not as good as Pei Xingzhi's, but in today's world, Pei Xingzhi's original family would only be a burden to him, while Jiang Bo had a good family background.
However, what Jiang Bo couldn't understand was why Pei Xingzhi wanted to marry a rural woman.
In his opinion, Pei Xingzhi was a favored child of heaven and should have been proud of himself. Marrying a rural woman was simply self-degradation.
But, even in this situation, why could he still remain calm, as if none of this had any effect on him? Jiang Bo put himself in Pei Xingzhi's shoes and thought: if he were Pei Xingzhi, he would definitely not be able to do this.
Thinking of this, Jiang Bo began to reject Pei Xingzhi.
The air became quiet, the people on both sides were clearly separated, and the atmosphere was faintly solemn.
It was not until Meng Wanqiu's arrival that this strange atmosphere was broken.
Everyone's eyes turned to her. When they saw who it was, Pei Xingzhi immediately stood up and walked over to Meng Wanqiu. He first put his arm around Meng Wanqiu's shoulders and examined her whole body before his expression softened.
"How is it, is everything okay?"
Meng Wanqiu shook her head and took Pei Xingzhi's hand, "It's okay, let's go home early."
After being away for so long, she missed home.
At this time, Wu Di came over and teased Pei Xingzhi: "You are finally back. He is almost like a wife-waiting stone."
Meng Wanqiu raised her eyes to look at Pei Xingzhi and said meaningfully, "Really?"
Pei Xingzhi glanced at Wu Di calmly and said, "You're talking too much."
"Ah, you've turned your back on me. Who taught you to coax your wife yesterday..."
The atmosphere was good as they were joking and teasing each other. He just glanced at the two people next to him.
Jiang Bo stared at Meng Wanqiu without blinking. Ever since Meng Wanqiu appeared, there was no room for anyone else in his eyes except that bright and charming figure.
The pink and white floral shirt, the simple pants, the unmade-up face, and even the pigtail hanging on her chest, all caught Jiang Bo's attention.
Her eyes were big and round, with clear black and white, her skin was a healthy pink and white, and her dimples were faintly visible when she spoke, which was so sweet that it touched Jiang Bo's heart. The whole world seemed to have turned pink, his heart was pounding, and she was in his eyes and heart.
Jiang Bo fell in love with Meng Wanqiu at first sight.
At this moment, Jiang Bo completely forgot how he had previously looked down on Pei Xingzhi and the rural wife he married.
Jiang Xiuxiu looked at Jiang Bo with a blushing face in disbelief. No way, no way, it wasn't what she thought.
"Brother Jiang Bo, come back to your senses!"
Jiang Xiuxiu tugged at Jiang Bo's sleeve and shouted in frustration.
Jiang Bo ignored Jiang Xiuxiu and only noticed that Meng Wanqiu was holding Pei Xingzhi's hand. His face suddenly darkened. Thinking about why he came to the police station and why Pei Xingzhi walked forward, he had a bad feeling in his heart.
It wasn't until Officer Wu said that that Jiang Bo's heart sank to the bottom of the lake. The other person turned out to be Pei Xingzhi's wife.
Jiang Bo clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot, and watched the two of them being intimate in a self-deprecating manner.
Jiang Bo is now 27 years old. If it were anyone else, he would have been married and started a family long ago, but Jiang Bo is still not married. His grandfather wants to introduce him to a girl with an excellent family background, but Jiang Bo does not want to rely on women.
He didn't want to become his father Jiang Hai. Although Jiang Hai was doing well outside, he was always worried when facing Jiang Bo's grandfather at home. Jiang Bo felt that was very humiliating.
He just wanted to find someone he liked, to be his wife, to have two children, and to run their little home.
After finally meeting the woman he loved, she turned out to be Pei Xingzhi's wife. Jiang Bo gritted his teeth, unable to believe that things were so dramatic.
Jiang Xiuxiu looked at Jiang Bo's slightly out-of-control look and couldn't help wailing in her heart. It's over. As expected, Jiang Bo had fallen for Meng Wanqiu.
Turning to look at Meng Wanqiu who was doted on by Pei Xingzhi, Jiang Xiuxiu couldn't help feeling sour. She really couldn't understand what was so good about Meng Wanqiu that so many people liked her.
Jiang Xiuxiu lowered her eyelids to hide the jealousy surging in her eyes, and thought viciously in her heart, if Meng Wanqiu died, would everything return to normal.
"Xiu Xiu, was she the one who saved you? Was she the daughter of Secretary Meng?"
Jiang Bo suddenly turned to look at Jiang Xiuxiu. Jiang Xiuxiu raised her head and quickly suppressed her emotions. "Yes, it's her. Her name is Meng Wanqiu."
"Meng Wanqiu, Wanqiu, what a beautiful name." Jiang Bo opened his mouth and murmured softly.
Jiang Xiuxiu couldn't help but face darkening. Coming back from the afterlife, she naturally knew that there was a word to describe Jiang Bo's current state, and that was - pervert.
Jiang Xiuxiu just hopes that Jiang Bo won't do anything stupid, such as stealing someone else's wife, which is something irrational.
Jiang Bo did have this thought in his mind, but he suppressed it. He was not strong enough. If he did this, no matter whether it would succeed or not, it would most likely only bring him trouble, or even make him lose everything he had.
But it doesn’t matter. Jiang Bo looked at Meng Wanqiu with gentle eyes. He would wait for her, and as long as there was a chance, he would definitely marry her home.
Jiang Bo regained his confidence, gathered himself together, and walked towards Meng Wanqiu. Seeing Meng Wanqiu looking at him, he subconsciously smiled gently, "Hello, I'm Jiang Xiuxiu's cousin. My name is Jiang Bo. You are Uncle Meng's daughter, right?"
Meng Wanqiu looked at the strange man. She didn't know him, but she didn't sense any ill will from him. However, he was from the Jiang family, and she didn't want to deal with him.
"Yes, I'm Meng Wanqiu."
Pei Xingzhi didn't understand why Jiang Bo suddenly came over. He was very distant just now, but why did he become so enthusiastic as soon as Meng Wanqiu came out?
However, Jiang Bo's next words made Pei Xingzhi's face completely gloomy.
"That's great. Since you're the sister of the Meng family and you saved Xiuxiu, you'll be my Jiang Bo's sister from now on. If you have any problems in the future, just come to your brother Jiang Bo and I will definitely help you."
Meng Wanqiu felt uncomfortable with Jiang Bo's enthusiasm and was about to refuse when Pei Xingzhi suddenly put his arm around her shoulders.
Pei Xingzhi didn't understand at first, but when he heard Jiang Bo talk about brother and sister, his eyes turned cold and he instantly understood the other party's abnormality.
They are all men, and after Pei Xingzhi noticed the affection in Jiang Bo's eyes, he could no longer hide it, so Pei Xingzhi immediately hugged Meng Wanqiu and declared his sovereignty.
"Thank you very much, but we have everything we need, so there's no need for you to worry." Pei Xingzhi emphasized the word "husband and wife" to remind Jiang Bo to be careful, as Meng Wanqiu is his wife.
Jiang Bo looked at Pei Xingzhi. Their eyes met, sparks flew in the air, and there was a faint smell of gunpowder. They both understood what the other meant, but neither of them was willing to give in.
Wu Di looked at this and that, and suddenly he realized something and looked at Pei Xingzhi with sympathy.
Jiang Xiuxiu's face was stiff, the scarf on her face slipped down, and she was silently pulled up. She looked extremely invisible.
Meng Wanqiu didn't understand why Pei Xingzhi was like this, but it didn't stop her from feeling that Pei Xingzhi hated this man named Jiang Bo.
Pei Xingzhi is her man, so of course she stands on his side.
"Yes, we have everything we need as a couple. Please move aside. We want to go home."
Jiang Bo felt as if he were being pricked by needles, and he looked at Meng Wanqiu uncomfortably. He didn't care about Pei Xingzhi's words, but when Meng Wanqiu said the words "we are husband and wife", Jiang Bo was instantly thrown off guard.
Pei Xingzhi was in a completely different mood from Jiang Bo. He raised the corners of his mouth and looked at Meng Wanqiu lovingly. The uneasiness, irritability and other uncomfortable emotions in his heart were instantly soothed by Meng Wanqiu's words.
However, Pei Xingzhi didn't gloat over Jiang Bo's misfortune. Instead, he became even angrier, feeling the displeasure of having his possessions coveted. Meng Wanqiu was his wife. What relationship did she have with Jiang Bo? What right did he have to be upset here?
Pei Xingzhi held Meng Wanqiu's hand tightly and said to Wu Di, "See you next time."
Wu Di waved his hand: "Goodbye, come and play with me often."
Pei Xingzhi nodded and left with Meng Wanqiu.
Jiang Bo looked at the two people leaving, his eyes darkening.
Pei Xingzhi and Meng Wanqiu first went back to the guesthouse to pick up their belongings, then took the county bus and headed towards the bus station.
There were many bus trips between the county town and Hongshan Commune, and the two of them bought tickets easily. After getting on the bus, Pei Xingzhi let go of Meng Wanqiu's hand and slowly exhaled.
Meng Wanqiu couldn't help laughing. Many people looked at them along the way. Whenever someone dared to point fingers, Pei Xingzhi would look at them coldly, scaring the other person so much that they dared not say anything.
Because they were about to leave, the people at the station were from all over the place and no one knew each other, so Pei Xingzhi was not afraid of being reported.
After spending last night together, their relationship reached an unprecedented depth. Pei Xingzhi felt that Meng Wanqiu was becoming more and more important to him, and Meng Wanqiu felt that Pei Xingzhi was becoming more and more competent as a husband.
It is said that 'teach your son in public and teach your wife behind others'. Meng Wanqiu was very satisfied that Pei Xingzhi realized his mistake yesterday and did not give her a cold look in public.
Although she later realized her negligence, she also has a temper. People like to hear good words, and Meng Wanqiu is no exception.
Meng Wanqiu is quite satisfied with their current relationship. She hopes that after they have children, the family will live in peace and happiness, just like their father and mother Meng.
The daily necessities of life, and the companionship of grandchildren in old age, make this life worthwhile.
In fact, Meng Wanqiu did not understand the passionate love between men and women. For example, in the killer organization she was in in her previous life, the imperial prince who avenged for love massacred the entire organization for the female killer in the organization.
In addition to those who actually did evil things, there were also many ordinary people who had not done anything bad. They were illiterate, had been poisoned and made mute, and were also killed by the prince's men with a single knife.
It’s okay for Meng Wanqiu herself. Although she didn’t actively harm anyone, her hands were stained with blood. In the end, she didn’t die in pain, so she didn’t feel resentful.
Of course, she wasn't speaking up for the mute slaves; she had no right to do so. She just couldn't understand why the prince of the imperial court loved the assassin so much, loving him so much that he could kill anyone without hesitation, even if the assassin didn't even know them.
Meng Wanqiu didn't understand the passionate love between the prince and the female killer, but she knew that this was not what she wanted, and she felt a subtle resistance to such love in her heart.
In her opinion, having children, supporting parents, and the simple daily life of family life are her understanding of love and the life she wants.
Later, Pei Xingzhi will teach Meng Wanqiu how to understand his love, how to learn to love him, and how to brew the wine of their love into a mellow and attractive one.
Of course, this is a later story, so let’s not talk about it for now.
The bus was shaking. It was noon and everyone on the bus was drowsy. Meng Wanqiu leaned in Pei Xingzhi's arms. This time no one came to disturb them.
When they arrived at Hongshan Commune, they got off the bus carrying their things and bought some food at the station entrance to fill their stomachs. They had no plans to stay any longer. They hadn't been home for a day and their nerves were a little tense. They just wanted to go back early and have a good rest.
Pei Xingzhi brought Meng Wanqiu to his and Sun Ge's secret base, which was in the small warehouse behind the commune office.
However, when passing by the commune gate, the two met an unexpected person.
"father!"
Meng Wanqiu shouted in surprise to Meng Aiguo who had just come out of the commune.
After hearing this, Meng Aiguo walked towards the two of them happily.
"Dad, why are you in the county?" Pei Xingzhi was also a little surprised. He didn't expect to meet Meng Aiguo here.
Meng Aiguo walked over and took the things from Meng Wanqiu's hands. "The commune called a meeting, so I came. But you didn't go home last night. Did something happen?"
After meeting Meng Aiguo, the two of them no longer had to borrow bicycles, because every time Meng Aiguo came to the commune, he would ride the village's ox cart.
When she arrived in front of the ox cart, Meng Wanqiu touched the old buffalo's back, grabbed a handful of grass from the roadside to feed it, then put the things on the back board and jumped up and sat on it.
Pei Xingzhi and Meng Aiguo smiled at each other. Meng Aiguo was driving the ox cart, and Pei Xingzhi sat beside him. He briefly recounted what had happened yesterday, omitting the detail that Meng Wanqiu went alone to arrest people, making Meng Aiguo mistakenly believe that the two of them helped the police solve the case.
This was what the two of them had discussed last night. Meng Wanqiu didn't want to worry her family. Pei Xingzhi felt that since Meng Wanqiu had already realized her mistake and promised not to make a similar mistake again, he was willing to help her hide it from her family.
At this time, Meng Wanqiu suddenly remembered the industrial coupons that Director Zhang gave her.
"Dad, Director Zhang gave me an industrial voucher."
Meng Wanqiu took out the industrial voucher from her pocket and wanted to show it to Meng Aiguo.
Unexpectedly, Meng Aiguo's face darkened when he heard this, "Meng Wanqiu, you are taking other people's things without permission."
Pei Xingzhi's eyes widened. Meng Aiguo actually called Meng Wanqiu by her name. You know, Meng Aiguo doted on Meng Wanqiu the most, calling her "Nannan," "Xiaowan," or "Daughter" every day, being incredibly affectionate.
Meng Wanqiu felt a chill down her spine and immediately sat up, explaining the whole story. Director Zhang had given her a bonus, but she refused and chose to donate it. Then Director Zhang stuffed this industrial voucher in her pocket, and she had no choice but to accept it.
Finally, Meng Wanqiu also expressed her gratitude by planning to send Director Zhang some mountain products, smoked pheasants, etc. from her home.
Meng Wanqiu knew her father's temperament. Although he usually doted on his children, he would beat his own children even if it came to a matter of principle.
This is the lesson Meng Wanqiu learned from her second brother Meng Mingxia. In his early years, before Meng Mingxia joined the army, he was also an outstanding young man who often helped others.
Once, Meng Mingxia was on his way home from school in the county town when he came across a military pickup truck stuck in the mud with its wheels slipping and unable to get out.
Without a word, he rolled up his sleeves and went to help, moving stones and pushing the cart. His clean clothes were covered in yellow mud, and finally the pickup truck successfully drove out of the mire. To thank Meng Mingxia, the people in the car took off their watches and gave them to Meng Mingxia.
Of course Meng Mingxia refused to take it, but the other party didn't give him time to react. He threw it directly through the car window onto the grass outside and drove away.
Meng Mingxia had no choice but to take it back, but was discovered by Meng Aiguo, who punished him with a family punishment. As a former soldier, Meng Aiguo always followed the principle of not taking anything from the people.
Meng Aiguo was even stricter with Meng Mingxia, who was determined to join the army. After that incident, Meng Aiguo gave Meng Wanqiu and her siblings a good lesson: they were not allowed to accept valuables from others. Anyone who dared to violate the rules would be punished according to the family rules.
That's why Meng Wanqiu hurried to explain, fearing that Meng Aiguo might misunderstand her. Sure enough, Meng Aiguo's expression softened afterward.
Seeing that the crisis was over, Meng Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief, and her heart finally settled down.
Pei Xingzhi looked back at her, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Meng Wanqiu questioningly.
Meng Wanqiu glared at him, pointed at Meng Aiguo's back, and gestured to him to help change the subject.
Pei Xingzhi rubbed his nose, understanding what was going on, and naturally started talking to Meng Aiguo, "Dad, is there something the commune wants you to come to the meeting about?"
Meng Aiguo, driving his ox cart, replied without turning his head, "Oh, there will be new educated youth arriving soon. This batch of kids are unlucky, as they just happened to arrive during the autumn harvest. It looks like they're going to have to endure a lot of hardships."
"Educated Youth!"
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