Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Going to Beijing to attend a matchmaking exchange meeting...
Xie Shuju originally wanted to leave quietly in the morning and pretend that what happened yesterday had never happened.
After a chat, she found out that Jiang Xiaoci was going to Beijing to attend a matchmaking exchange meeting. She couldn't hide it anymore. Fortunately, she didn't want to hide it. If one more person knew about it, the Ji family would not be able to make excuses in the future.
Xie Shuju said bitterly, "We all checked in yesterday, and before getting on the train, Ji Qinglan suddenly fainted. If it was something else, I could ignore it, but she fainted and her face was pale. I couldn't just leave it alone, so I asked Yanshu to call Duan Linyan and we had to change to this morning's train."
He Suwen asked hurriedly: "Why did you faint?"
Xie Shuju said with disdain: "She's pregnant."
He Suwen was shocked. She was still arguing with Xie Shuju yesterday and didn't want to cancel the engagement, but she turned out to be pregnant.
She couldn't believe it: "Whose child is it? How many months old is it?"
Xie Shuju accompanied me to the hospital yesterday and knew everything: "It's only been two months, and she won't say whose it is."
He Suwen calculated that she was pregnant before coming to Yuncheng: "When she was pregnant before the summer vacation, your family had not returned to Beijing yet."
Xie Shuju was thankful: "Luckily, I got pregnant before we returned to Beijing, otherwise I would have been worried about being blackmailed. It was such a sin. Duan Linyan begged me to keep it a secret, but I dared not to. I have already notified her biological parents and adoptive parents."
How could such a thing be concealed? He Suwen said, "You finally did something decisive. The pregnancy and the child should be decided by her parents and family."
Jiang Xiaoci was also surprised when she heard this. She suddenly remembered something and asked, "Ji Qinglan didn't know she was pregnant before, but if she could get pregnant, she must have slept with someone. Why did she let Grandma Duan help her not to break off the engagement?"
Neither grandmother could answer. Jiang Xiaoci said to herself, "Maybe she decided to find someone else because she was sure the baby's father would not come back."
…
This time, Xie Shuju bought a new ticket and took Jiang Xiaoci with her. Gu Wenying felt relieved. However, it was the grandparents, Jiang Weihai and Jiang Yunzhong who were worried about Jiang Xiaoci going alone.
Gu Wenying consoled him: "Xiaoci is better at going out than I am. Don't restrict her freedom. Don't hold her back in whatever she wants to do. Let her do it."
Jiang Xiaoci was happy: "Mom, you know me best, thank you."
Gu Wenying's heart softened: "You know mom best. By the way, your eldest brother called and said he can't come back in the evening and won't have time to send you off."
My grandparents, parents and I will all be there to see me off tomorrow. There will be a lot of people there. Jiang Xiaoci said, "Mom, tell Brother Han later to stop worrying. My going to Beijing is fate's plan. If I'm chosen for training, I won't be back until three months later. With so much time, I can figure everything out. It's all planned. Just let it go."
Although he didn't understand what she was saying, Gu Wenying did as she was told: "Okay, I'll pass it on word for word."
Jiang Weihai muttered: "Why don't I understand?"
Gu Wenying didn't care: "I'm not telling you this, why do you need to understand? It's enough if Han Jingyuan can understand it."
Jiang Weihai was worried: "Then can I ask Han Jingyuan something?"
Gu Wenying warned him: "Our Xiaoci is a well-informed child. There is no need to pry into her little secrets. Han Jingyuan is not our child after all. It is inappropriate to ask about the privacy of other children. Don't ask."
Jiang Weihai was worried: "We have a daughter, how can you be so relieved?"
Gu Wenying laughed at him: "I know what you are worried about, but Xiaoci is in charge of matchmaking. If you are worried about this, then there is no need to worry."
Jiang Weihai thought about it and felt that this seemed to be the case, so he stopped thinking about it.
…
The next morning, surrounded by her family, Jiang Xiaoci finally checked her ticket and entered the station, boarding the train to Beijing. She, Grandma Xie, and Brother Cheng were on the earliest train in the morning and would arrive at the station at around nine o'clock in the evening.
Jiang Xiaoci and Grandma Xie were in the same sleeper car, and Brother Cheng was in the next sleeper car.
The luggage had not been completely settled yet, and before the doors closed and the train was about to depart, Ji Qinglan rushed to board the train, found the sleeper car next door to check the ticket, and saw Jiang Xiaoci laughing and talking happily in the sleeper corridor, but said nothing.
Jiang Xiaoci and Xie Shuju's carriage was in the middle, while Ji Qinglan and Cheng Yanshu's carriages were on the left and right, just separated.
Xie Shuju originally thought that Ji Qinglan would leave later, but she didn't expect that he would take this train. The coincidence of yesterday and today, they couldn't avoid taking the same train. She was disgusted and couldn't help but cursed, "What a bad fate."
Jiang Xiaoci felt that if everyone was in a hurry to go to Beijing, it was not too coincidental that they all chose this morning's bus.
She was just curious, who was the father of the baby in Ji Qinglan's belly? Since they are pregnant, there should be a red line, which can be seen by looking, but Jiang Xiaoci did not abuse it.
She has always believed that she has a great responsibility to watch the red lines, and will not look at them recklessly, get involved in cause and effect, or cause trouble unless it is necessary.
But now that I know, I might as well take a look at it. Maybe it will be able to help Grandma Xie and Brother Cheng in the future.
She used the ability of the little flower demon to take a look and found that there was indeed a red line on Ji Qinglan's body, and the other end of the red line was in the hard seat compartment in front.
Oh my God, this must be a coincidence. But no, it could be that the baby’s father came here to chase Ji Qinglan, so he is on this train.
Jiang Xiaoci subconsciously stood up and wanted to go to the hard seat car to take a look, but was stopped by Grandma Xie.
Xie Shuju was carrying a heavy burden, but she didn't dare to let Jiang Xiaoci out of her sight alone, so she asked hurriedly: "Xiaoci, where are you going? Let your elder brother Cheng accompany you."
Jiang Xiaoci suddenly came to her senses. It was not easy to run when she just got on the bus. She should wait until noon. She could go to the dining car to buy food and then go to see it.
She covered it up quickly: "Grandma, I'm just standing in the aisle looking at the scenery along the way."
Xie Shuju was relieved: "Your elder brother Cheng brought the book, go to him and ask for a book to read, there is no need to worry."
Brother Cheng brought all economics books, not story books, so she couldn't concentrate on reading. Fortunately, she chatted with Grandma Xie about some anecdotes, and time passed quickly, and it was noon in a flash.
Brother Cheng had already come over from the sleeper compartment next door and said he was going to the dining car to get some hot food: "Grandma, you can't eat cold food. I'll go to the dining car to get some hot food."
Jiang Xiaoci also wants to go. On the way, she sees the man at the other end of the red line. He should be the baby’s father. What kind of person is he?
"Brother Cheng, grandma is worried about you going alone. She's afraid you might run into someone again. I'll go with you."
Xie Shuju had the same idea in mind, and she warned her grandson: "When you go out, you must take good care of your sister. Don't let anyone deceive you. If you lose your sister, you won't have to come back."
Jiang Xiaoci smiled: "Thank you, Grandma. This is a moving train. I can't lose it. Don't worry. I promise I won't leave Brother Cheng for a moment."
This way she could keep an eye on her grandchildren, so Xie Shuju felt relieved and asked them to go and come back quickly.
…
The two passed by Ji Qinglan's sleeper car. She was still in a daze, with her hands subconsciously covering her stomach.
Jiang Xiaoci couldn't help but look at Brother Cheng again. He walked straight over without slowing down his pace, and Ji Qinglan didn't look up either. Jiang Xiaoci was busy observing and had fallen behind, so he quickened his pace to catch up.
Passing by the hard seat carriage, Jiang Xiaoci finally saw the man at the end of the red line. He was in his thirties, wearing a Zhongshan suit, handsome, and with a light temperament. He just stood up and politely stepped aside to let others pass first.
Jiang Xiaoci passed him by and couldn't help but look back. She subconsciously wanted to follow him to see if he was looking for Ji Qinglan.
Cheng Yanshu grabbed her and asked in a low voice: "Why, do you know that person?"
Jiang Xiaoci shook her head, not daring to tell him about the red thread, and said, "I don't know her, but she's pretty, so I'll take a closer look."
Cheng Yanshu laughed and said, "That person should be around 30 years old. No matter how good-looking he is, don't look at him."
"Yeah, I know."
Having already seen what he looked like, Jiang Xiaoci didn't care anymore as long as he continued to look for Ji Qinglan and there would be a chance to meet him in the future.
…
On the other side, this handsome middle-aged man, when passing by the sleeper car, saw Ji Qinglan sitting alone in a daze with her head down, so he threw the note in his hand at her.
Ji Qinglan was startled by the small paper ball hitting her. She turned around and saw that the person who threw the note to her had already walked away.
She hurried to the door and saw a somewhat familiar figure. She couldn't remember where she had seen him before, but since he had left her a note, he at least knew her.
She turned around to block her view outside the sleeper compartment, tore open the note, and read the words on it several times, shaking uncontrollably.
The note said that the child wanted to see the father, so she should not get off the bus at her stop, but sit one stop ahead and then get off to talk.
Whose prank is this? Jiang Xiaoci or Cheng Yanshu, they should not do such a thing. Could it be that the man has come and is still on this train?
Ji Qinglan couldn't sit still anymore, so she went from hard seats to soft sleepers and looked for them several times. Xie Shuju got annoyed when she saw her, thinking that she was trying to attract the attention of her grandson. After a few sarcastic remarks, Ji Qinglan stopped looking for her.
She opened the note again, confirmed the time and place on it, and went to the next stop? How is she going to explain to her family members who come to pick her up at the station? She tore the note into pieces, opened the car window and threw it out.
…
Jiang Xiaoci and Brother Cheng were waiting in line at the dining car when they suddenly thought, "Brother Cheng, do you want to buy a box lunch for Sister Qinglan?"
Cheng Yanshu shook his head: "No, if her family doesn't prepare food for her and doesn't give her money, then it's not our fault if she goes hungry. She's just having wild thoughts. Even if you send it to her, she'll think I asked you to do it."
Jiang Xiaoci was relieved: "I was just testing you to avoid making Grandma Xie anxious."
Cheng Yanshu's heart was as calm as water: "I allow myself to get drunk once, but I will never get drunk a second time, you don't have to worry."
At dinner time, Jiang Xiaoci and Brother Cheng went to the dining car to buy food again. She noticed that Ji Qinglan hadn't eaten anything yet, and asked worriedly, "Grandma Xie, she hasn't eaten for two meals. Will the baby in her belly be okay?"
Xie Shuju rubbed Jiang Xiaoci's head and said, "She doesn't care, so there's no need for us to worry about it. Just let her be."
Jiang Xiaoci nodded. She had originally wanted to wait and see if the man in the hard seat car would come to find Ji Qinglan, but when she was about to get off the train, the man didn't come.
After arriving at the station, Jiang Xiaoci also had two large bags of luggage, and everyone was in a hurry. When they passed Ji Qinglan's carriage, they saw that she was still standing there, not moving, and didn't know what she was thinking about. The aisle was crowded, and she had to take care of her luggage, so they ignored her.
At the exit, Jiang Xiaoci saw Ji Hongyun's biological parents. They looked like kind people, but how could they be so confused? They didn't want their own daughter, but instead cared about the one who was taken away by mistake.
They asked Grandma Xie why they didn't see Ji Qinglan come out. Grandma Xie said indifferently: "She is very careful. There is a man outside and she is pregnant. She can still continue to look for my grandson. How can I know why she didn't leave the station?"
Ji's parents were filled with shame and didn't dare to ask any more questions.
…
It was already past nine o'clock when they arrived at the station. Jiang Xiaoci was afraid that she would not be able to get on the bus, but a car came to pick her up. The driver addressed Grandma Xie respectfully. There were guards standing guard at the door of the residential complex where Grandma Xie lived, and she lived in a two-story building.
Jiang Xiaoci was quite surprised. She seemed to understand why Grandma Duan was reluctant to cancel the engagement.
Grandma Xie was reported by her own son, so only Aunt Cheng was at home.
Aunt Cheng was waiting at the door, and then she looked at Jiang Xiaoci carefully in the light of the porch. What a pretty girl. I heard that she has a talent for matchmaking, but her emotional intelligence is low. Yanshu is so outstanding, and the girl has no other thoughts except friendship with her brother.
So she felt closer to him, took Jiang Xiaoci's hand and went into the house, took another good look at her under the light, and said with a smile, "Mom, Grandma He is willing to let you bring Xiaoci here."
Grandma Xie scolded, "It's all because of you. As soon as I heard about the matchmaking exchange meeting, I knew it was you who called the person in charge in Yuncheng and specifically asked Xiaoci to come. It was also fate that Yanshu and I were delayed by something and changed the train schedule so that we could come together."
"This is fate." Aunt Cheng invited everyone to the restaurant for supper: "Xiaoci, come and eat something. Aunt will take you to your room. You will stay at our house during your stay in Beijing."
Jiang Xiaoci said quickly: "Aunt Cheng, I will stay here for one night. Tomorrow my aunt and uncle will take me to their house."
When Aunt Cheng heard this, she became more certain that Jiang Xiaoci had no other emotions towards her outstanding nephew, but instead felt a little disappointed.
Grandma Xie was reluctant to let her go and said, "Xiaoci, don't be in a hurry to move. Stay at grandma's house for a few days. When you are sure that you will be selected for the training, then we can talk about moving."
If you are not selected, the exchange meeting will end in two or three days and you can leave at any time.
Jiang Xiaoci thought about it and agreed.
…
Grandma Xie has an older sister, who is Aunt Cheng’s stepdaughter. Her name is Shi Lerong. She is 25 years old and doesn’t believe that Jiang Xiaoci can be a matchmaker, so she keeps talking to her.
Aunt Cheng and Grandma Xie were sent to different provinces. She met her current husband and married him in the cowshed. They were a couple who went through thick and thin together. Currently, Uncle Cheng is out on research, so her stepdaughter lives with Aunt Cheng at Grandma Xie's house.
"My stepmother keeps praising you. Can you really introduce someone to someone? How about you introduce someone to me? I want to see if the rumors of a match made in heaven are true or not?"
Jiang Xiaoci didn’t know how long she could stay here, and she didn’t have any members in Beijing City, unless this big sister had a red line.
Jiang Xiaoci was about to look, but Grandma Xie stopped her and said, "Xiaoci has been on the bus for more than ten hours and is tired. Let her rest first."
Grandma Xie has a telephone at home, and Jiang Xiaoci wanted to call the police station to report that she was safe.
Xie Shuju said, "Sure, it's so late now, is your brother still at work?"
Jiang Xiaoci said, "Call all the people on duty at the dispatch station. I'll call them and see."
The call was connected. It was my eldest brother who answered the phone. He was waiting for her call.
"I'm glad you arrived safely. By the way, I have something to tell you. The Ji family called here and asked Grandma Duan why she didn't pick up Ji Qinglan at the station. They also said they saw you leaving the station, but they deliberately didn't tell me. Grandma Duan begged me to ask you about it."
Jiang Xiaoci immediately thought that it might be related to the man with the red line in the car. She couldn't explain it directly, so she said, "Then you ask them to think about it carefully. If she doesn't leave the station, is she hiding to meet the father of her child?"
Jiang Yunzhong thought about it and it made sense. Otherwise, how could one explain why the train arrived at the station but didn't leave?
He said, "Okay, I'll go tell him later."
Jiang Xiaoci told her brother not to hang up the phone: "Is Brother Han here?"
"Yes, you want to see him?"
Jiang Xiaoci said: "Yes, let's talk for a while so that we can sleep well."
Soon, Han Jingyuan's voice came from the other end of the line, and Jiang Xiaoci asked, "Brother Han, did my mother tell you what I said?"
"I brought it. I understand."
Jiang Xiaoci knew that talking to Brother Han was easy.
She said: "If I don't win the competition, I will go back in five or six days. If I win the competition, I will go back after the Chinese New Year. If there is any emergency at my home or at yours, you can call Grandma Xie's house and they will notify me. That's it. I'm going to sleep now."
…
In the evening, Aunt Cheng had a private conversation with her biological mother and asked tentatively, "Mom, if possible, I would like Xiaoci to help Lerong find a good relative. This is not her biological child, so we have to be very careful when getting along with each other. If she gets married, we can live separately."
Xie Shuju had the overall situation in mind: "Your Aunt He is Xiaoci's darling. She helped us a lot during the years she was sent down. You can ask her for help if you need anything, but you must not use her secretly. If you have this idea, just be open and aboveboard. After Xiaoci finishes the exchange meeting, she will find a matchmaking agency to learn. If your stepdaughter is willing, ask her to register with Xiaoci. There will be a chance."
Aunt Cheng was delighted: "Mom, are you sure Xiaoci can be selected? You just got your job back, I'm afraid people will say you got in through the backdoor."
Xie Shuju felt sorry for her daughter because she had been too cautious during the years she was sent down to the countryside. How could she use a backdoor for such a small matter?
She said, "If she can't eat this bowl of rice, it's useless for me to put it in front of her mouth. Xiaoci is really capable, but no matter how capable she is, I'm afraid your stepdaughter won't believe her."
Aunt Cheng said, "It's fine as long as she gets married. As for who will be the matchmaker, it would be better if Xiaoci introduces her. If she doesn't like Xiaoci's introduction, there's nothing we can do about it."
…
In Yuncheng, Jiang Yunzhong went to Zheng's house to report the incident, but he didn't expect Duan Linyan to say, "Qinglan called to report that she was safe and said that she accidentally missed her stop and her adoptive parents took her away."
Jiang Yunzhong: ...How is it possible to miss your stop? Maybe something happened at the next stop?
It would be too troublesome to get involved with a family like this. He was glad that his good brother came this time and completely cut off ties with the Ji and Zheng families.
…
Ji Qinglan sat for another hour and got off at the next stop. She waited for more than half an hour at the agreed location at the exit, feeling extremely angry and thinking she was being tricked. Then, a man spoke behind her.
"Ji Qinglan, long time no see." His voice was steady, with an imperceptible chuckle, as if she was a caged beast being teased.
Ji Qinglan turned around slowly and saw an unfamiliar face. He was about thirty years old, handsome and tall, and he looked very familiar.
"Who are you and how do you know about me?" Ji Qinglan wanted to find out immediately.
He Zongxu chuckled and said, "Why, don't you recognize me? I just changed my appearance a little bit, and you don't even recognize the person I slept with?"
Ji Qinglan widened her eyes. How could this be possible? The man she was living with spoke with fluent Hong Kong Cantonese, returned to Beijing to look for his relatives, lived in a newly purchased courtyard house, frequented high-end restaurants, and the money he spent on her and the gifts he gave her could not be fake.
"It's you, it's actually you!"
She suddenly pulled open He Zongxu's collar and saw a long and narrow wound, her eyes full of hatred.
Ji Qinglan had actually figured out a lot of things. The prince charming she thought he was was not someone she met by chance, but someone who approached her actively. But for some reason, he suddenly disappeared after she handed herself over.
"I guessed it all. You approached me on purpose, right? The wealthy businessman that Ping mentioned, you were the one, right? You were also one of the triplets from Yuncheng, right? After that night, you disappeared. It turned out that you went to Yuncheng. How much did you plan behind the scenes?"
He Zongxu explained to her: "Actually, I was planning to let Ping go, but I didn't expect that she would chase me to Yuncheng to die."
Ji Qinglan asked tremblingly: "Does Ping look like your first love?"
He Zongxu shook his head: "For someone like me, there is no such thing as a first love. On the contrary, you are somewhat similar to the first love of a very important person. I have answered all the questions you asked, and I am leaving. I will come back when you give birth to a child."
Ji Qinglan told him to stop dreaming: "You don't even dare to show your true face to others, why should I give birth to your child?"
He Zongxu approached and warned with a sneer: "If I didn't have this child, I wouldn't look for you. If this child is gone, there is no need for you to exist. Also, remember this face of mine. I'm going abroad and I'll come back with this face later."
Ji Qinglan felt cold all over. She believed that he could do it. He would definitely change his face completely to what it is now.
She suddenly asked a question: "According to mainland laws, your two brothers must have been sentenced to death. Jiang Xiaoci also found the bodies. Will you take revenge on her?"
He Zongxu laughed and said, "I am a businessman. I just failed in business before. Why would I kill someone?"
"I'll tell you again, Ping was killed by the other two. It was an accident. Ping asked for it. From the beginning to the end, I was the think tank, playing the role of planning and commanding. I never did anything dirty. Do you understand? Also, don't think about betraying me. I can even abandon my own brother, let alone you?"
Ji Qinglan made a mistake. She shouldn't have trusted this lying man.
She complained unwillingly: "You only love yourself. You don't love your brother, me, or Ah Ping."
He Zongxu did not deny it: "I love myself the most, is there anything wrong with that? You don't love yourself, why didn't you change back after you knew you made a mistake last year? Speaking of selfishness, you are selfish too, don't deceive yourself, give birth to the baby well, and when you have the baby, I will give you a big gift."
"What do you want to give me?" Ji Qinglan asked.
He Zongxu smiled and said, "Wealth and honor, didn't I just say that you are very much like someone's first love, except that person is a little older, but has enough money."
…
The next morning, Grandma Xie accompanied Jiang Xiaoci to the exchange meeting.
Jiang Xiaoci then discovered that Grandma Xie knew a lot of people, and everyone was very respectful to her.
Grandma Xie greeted everyone with ease and introduced Jiang Xiaoci to everyone. Soon, the person in charge of the event came over to Jiang Xiaoci and the others.
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