Han Zhong blushed a little, but still mustered up his courage.
"Although I'm only a deputy general now, I'm still young. When I turn eighteen, I'll definitely be promoted to general. Then... then..."
Xiao Li raised an eyebrow, "Then what?"
Han Zhong made up his mind and decided to go all out.
"I wish to propose marriage to you, Princess. I wonder if you would grant my request?"
Xiao Li pondered, "Then it depends on whether you can become a general."
Han Zhong's eyes lit up; he could do it!
Xiao Li smiled, and the two talked for a while longer before Han Zhong reluctantly left.
Huai Shu Village remains peaceful; since Long Yifei took office, the number of robbers has decreased significantly.
The people lived in peace and contentment. As long as they had food to eat, no one wanted to live a life of danger and peril.
Song Xiaoxiao looked at the village entrance, desperately hoping that Brother Stone would return and rescue her from her misery like a hero.
She rubbed her eyes. Why did that person look so familiar?
"Stone, you're back? You've gotten so strong! You're really sturdy."
"It's me, Uncle Niu, I'm back."
...
Song Xiaoxiao could hardly believe her eyes; Brother Stone was really back!
"Brother Stone!"
She rushed over, overjoyed.
Han Zhong sized her up several times, "Song Xiaoxiao...?"
Song Xiaoxiao nodded; she knew that Brother Stone still cared about her.
"It's me, Brother Stone, you're finally back."
In recent years, she has gotten older, and matchmakers have been knocking on her door, but she has turned them all down, just to wait for Brother Stone to come back. Now, thankfully, he has finally returned.
"Hehe, you're all grown up now? Well, I'll head home now."
Han Zhong felt a little uneasy; her gaze was strange, making him uneasy.
Han Changhe had heard the commotion and came out of the house.
"It's good that you're back!"
Seeing his son safe and healthy, he felt at ease.
The two chatted casually, recounting their experiences over the years.
"What? Song Xiaoxiao really said that?"
Han Changhe nodded. He was also helpless. The other person hadn't said it explicitly, but that was the gist of it. He couldn't very well go to their house and say it.
"Song Xiaoxiao, stop waiting. My son doesn't want to marry you!"
How could he say such a thing? How can we be neighbors after this?
Han Zhong was furious.
"How could she ruin my reputation like this? How am I ever going to get married in the future?"
Han Changhe felt bad seeing his son get angry.
"Why don't you marry Xiaoxiao? I watched that child grow up. She's filial, hardworking, and good-looking."
Han Changhe felt that the Seventh Princess was too far away, and he felt that his son had no chance at all, so he might as well focus on the person in front of him.
Besides, if things don't go well with the princess, this is still a backup plan.
Han Zhong stood up angrily, "Father, are you confused? How can a person be so fickle? Do you think I, Han Zhong, am the kind of person who would sit on two boats?"
He vowed, "My heart for the princess is as clear as the sun and moon, and I will never go back on my word. What is Song Xiaoxiao? Even if she were the most beautiful woman in the world, she wouldn't be able to compare to even a single finger of the princess!"
Song Xiaoxiao was happily carrying a basket of fresh vegetables to find Han Zhong when she suddenly heard these words, and she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
The vegetable basket fell to the ground with a clatter. Forget about the vegetables, she ran into the house, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Brother Stone, I've waited for you for three years, and this is how you treat my feelings?"
Tears streamed down her face, and she felt a terrible panic. Stone Brother was supposed to marry her, so why was he treating her like this?
“Brother Stone, do you know that for the past three years, I have been longing for your return every day? When matchmakers came to my house, I chased them away with a broom.”
I waited for you, and now everyone knows we're a couple. How am I supposed to face people now?
Song Xiaoxiao started to cry, feeling that she was really unlucky.
Han Zhong frowned and snorted coldly.
"Song Xiaoxiao, I have never made any promises to you, I have never said I would marry you, why are you ruining my reputation?"
He thought for a moment, then said, "You brought this situation upon yourself. I will not marry you. You had better clarify things and clear my name."
Seeing that Song Xiaoxiao was still unconvinced, he took out his waist token.
"Do you know what this is? This is an official token issued by the government. I am now a deputy general. Defaming an official is punishable by arrest and torture. You'd better think it over."
Song Xiaoxiao's face turned red; she was both angry and unwilling to accept it.
"Why? Why can Long Xiaoxiao do it, but I can't? What is it about me that I lack compared to her?"
She had had enough. Over the years, the Seventh Princess's reputation had spread far and wide, far surpassing her own. She only hoped to turn her life around by relying on Han Zhong.
Now that her hopes have been dashed, she is at a loss.
"I'm not reconciled. That was my happiness. Why should she take it away just like that? I've already returned her identity to her. Why should she still take my happiness?"
Song Xiaoxiao acted as if she were crazy, and her words were incoherent. Han Zhong thought she had gone mad.
He called Aunt Li over and asked her to take his daughter back.
“Aunt Li, I have never had any relationship with your younger sister. I hope you will not let her ruin my reputation.”
His eyes were cold and stern, and his words were even colder and more ruthless.
“Our two families have been friends for many years. I don’t want to hear her talking nonsense again and affecting my marriage. I won’t be polite.”
Li was already in tears. She used to indulge her daughter because she thought Han Zhong had a promising future. Who knew that this child had no feelings for Xiao Xiao at all?
"Yes, yes, yes... I will keep her in check, don't worry."
She dragged her daughter home, but after all these years, she couldn't find any of her relatives, so it was probably a bad omen.
They had only been able to gain a foothold over the years thanks to Han Changhe's help. Now that Han Zhong had become an official, they couldn't afford to offend him.
After much deliberation, Madam Li decided that marrying her daughter off was the only safe course of action.
Soon, she took the initiative to find a matchmaker and arranged a marriage for Song Xiaoxiao.
Ten days later, she was put on the bridal sedan chair. Song Xiaoxiao was in a daze during the wedding. Because of her resistance, Li had to drug her.
"My daughter, I'm doing this all for your own good. Don't be so stubborn. Han Zhong may be a good man, but he's not someone we can afford to mess with."
Song Xiaoxiao's resentment had reached its peak; she was blinded by greed and went completely mad.
The family that Mrs. Li chose for her daughter was the Qian family, who ran a small business in the town.
The young master of the Qian family met Song Xiaoxiao by chance and fell in love with her at first sight.
He had even asked someone to propose marriage to him, but unfortunately, Song Xiaoxiao rejected him.
This time, since the Li family took the initiative to find a son-in-law, he quickly went to find a matchmaker, and the marriage was quickly arranged.
He happily married her, only to find that she had gone mad.
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