Chapter 19
The Shen family's dinner was very lively; Shen Mingrong's voice alone could create a bustling atmosphere.
Shen Mingrong sat right next to his brother, and from the start of the meal, his mouth never stopped, asking all sorts of questions, as if there was nothing he wasn't curious about.
Listening to the chattering, Feng Min felt both annoyed and amused. She said, "Can't you just say less? The whole house is filled with your voice, like hundreds of little bees buzzing incessantly. I thought we were beekeepers."
"No way!" Shen Mingrong said matter-of-factly. "My brother rarely comes back, so I definitely have to ask him more questions. Otherwise, I won't know when he'll be back next time. This is a rare opportunity!" Then, thinking of something, she continued, "Besides, Mom, don't you always say that my older brother is a quiet person? If I became a quiet person too, would you be happy?"
Feng Min retorted irritably, "While I don't like quiet people, I don't like talkative people either!"
Old Shen is a very serious person and doesn't talk much. I'm a normal person too, so how did I end up with a chatterbox?
She not only found her eldest son too boring, but also her youngest son too talkative. If only they could be a better match.
"It's alright!" Shen Mingrong happily ate a piece of salted meat and kindly comforted her, "Although my older brother and I are a taciturn person and a chatterbox, with Sister Xi around, there are still normal people in our family!"
Gu Xi will marry into the Shen family in the future, and in the children's eyes, she is already a member of their family.
Gu Xi, whose name was called, looked up and saw that the Shen family members were all looking at her. She smiled at them.
However, he was somewhat reserved when he met Shen Mingzheng's gaze.
She pretended to eat seriously, thinking to herself that not many people could act naturally in front of Shen Mingzheng, unless they were sweet and naturally socially adept like Shen Mingrong.
Seeing this, Shen Chenshan and Feng Min exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat happy.
It seems we should start thinking about our two children's marriages.
After dinner, it was getting late, and Gu Xi prepared to go home.
Feng Min pulled her along, playfully scolding, "Why go back? Just stay here tonight!"
Since the eldest son is finally back, we can't just let him leave like this. It would be best to take advantage of both children and quickly discuss the marriage.
Gu Xi smiled at her and said, "Aunt Feng, I'll come again tomorrow."
Feng Min looked at her, her heart softening at her smile. She patted her hair and sighed, "Alright, let Mingzheng take you home."
As she spoke, she turned to call her eldest son and asked him to take Gu Xi to the car.
Shen Mingzheng had changed out of his military uniform and was now wearing a casual white shirt and black trousers. He looked less imposing than when he was in uniform, but his aura was still very strong. It was the kind of righteous and awe-inspiring aura that made people dare not act recklessly or children dare not cry, giving people a great sense of security.
Shen Mingzheng walked over, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and said to Gu Xi, "Let's go."
"Wait a minute." Aunt Wang brought over a straw hat. "Xixi, you forgot your hat."
Shen Mingzheng turned around, took the hat, nodded slightly to Aunt Wang, walked over to Gu Xi, put the hat on her head, and went out with her.
Feng Min and Aunt Wang stood at the door, watching the two leave hand in hand, and smiles appeared on their faces.
"Xiao Wang, look at those two, they're such a perfect match!" Feng Min said cheerfully. "Mingzheng is tall and handsome, and Xixi is beautiful and considerate. One is a quiet type, and the other is thoughtful. Their personalities are just compatible!"
Otherwise, spending a lifetime with a quiet, taciturn person, if they aren't considerate and gentle, life really wouldn't be bearable.
Aunt Wang smiled and agreed, "That's right. Someone like Mingzheng needs a gentle and considerate girl to match him, so that the two of them won't quarrel."
In her eyes, the well-behaved and sensible Gu Xi was the most gentle and considerate child.
“He doesn’t know how to argue.” Feng Min knows her son well. “He doesn’t know how to argue with people. He only tries to persuade people with reason until they are convinced. But his reasoning is really… who can stand it? I guess no one likes having to face their boss at home.”
She complained, "Marriage isn't a job. Nobody likes having to face their boss every day! Besides, don't I know him? He's probably a quiet type and doesn't like talkative people. Didn't you see that whenever Mingrong goes too far with her chatter, Mingzheng just grabs her face and doesn't let her say a word?"
Aunt Wang couldn't help but burst out laughing when she thought about it.
That's true.
Ever since Shen Mingrong learned to speak, his little mouth has never stopped. He is also a bold and lively person. Everyone else is afraid of Shen Mingzheng, but he is not afraid at all. Every time he sees his older brother, he kisses him like crazy and tries his best to get close to him, chattering incessantly. Every time Shen Mingzheng gets impatient, he reaches out and grabs most of his face to shut him up.
**
Summer days are long, and even after dinner, the sky is still bright, with only a thin veil of twilight drifting in from the horizon hinting at the approaching night.
The two walked out one after the other.
It was the time when people went out for a walk after dinner. Along the way, he encountered many people, and when they recognized Shen Mingzheng, they greeted him with surprise and delight.
"Mingzheng, when did you get back? Where have you been? Hey, isn't this Gu Xi?"
An older woman chuckled, glancing between the two of them, a knowing smile on her face.
The young people in the compound were not familiar with Gu Xi, but the older people all knew her.
In recent years, whenever Feng Min had free time, she would take Gu Xi to visit the neighbors so that she could show her face to the elders and let them know that she was her daughter-in-law.
Because of Feng Min's fondness and favoritism towards Gu Xi, everyone will give her face.
Although Gu Xi is a bit quiet, it's okay for a young woman to be shy and reserved in front of her elders. Besides, she's pretty and well-behaved, which is the type many older people like, and they all have a very good impression of her.
Shen Mingzheng called her "Auntie" and said, "I'll take her to the bus stop when she comes back today."
Gu Xi greeted her politely, "Aunt Liu."
Aunt Liu said a few words to them and then left them alone.
There were just too many people in the compound who knew Shen Mingzheng, and since he rarely came back, many people greeted him and talked to him along the way, and he had to stop and respond to them each time.
As they finally emerged from the compound, dusk was beginning to fall.
Shen Mingzheng took the person to the nearby bus stop, and when the bus arrived, he boarded it and bought two tickets.
Gu Xi looked at him, puzzled. He said, "I'll take you back."
We were delayed earlier, and it's getting late. I'm worried about letting her go home alone.
Gu Xi didn't say anything more after hearing this.
She didn't think much of his actions, knowing that with his sense of responsibility, it was normal for him to personally take her home, and it had nothing to do with romantic love.
There were still some late-returning passengers on the bus, and even if Gu Xi had something to say to Shen Mingzheng, it wasn't appropriate to do so at this time.
After the bus arrived at the station, the two got off one after the other and headed towards the nearby family compound.
Gu Xi originally thought he would go back after dropping her off at the entrance of the family compound, but after registering, he followed her inside, seemingly intending to personally escort her home.
Could it be that he still wants to visit the Gu family?
Gu Xi couldn't help but look up at him, and he keenly looked down at her.
"What?" he asked.
This was the first time Gu Xi had spent so much time with him.
On the two previous meetings, he came and went in a hurry, without lingering in Beijing, and he was always accompanied by others.
This was the first time the two of them were alone together.
This isn't the place to talk, Gu Xi thought with regret, deciding to find time to talk to him alone tomorrow.
Standing at the entrance of the family compound, Gu Xi said tactfully, "Brother, this is enough."
Thinking about what happened today, the Gu family must be very angry. They might even be waiting for her to come back so they can have a public interrogation. She didn't want him to get involved, otherwise it wouldn't be good for him to see her fighting in front of him.
I bet he's never seen a woman and a man fight before. Maybe we shouldn't let him see it. What if he thinks I'm a woman who likes to fight? If we break off the engagement later, will he object to Uncle Shen and Aunt Feng adopting me?
Shen Mingzheng said, "I'm not in a hurry."
This means we must insist on taking her home.
Gu Xi had already experienced firsthand how decisive this man was; once he made up his mind, nothing could change it. So she had no choice but to give up, thinking that she would make him go back when they arrived at the Gu family's gate.
However, plans obviously can't keep up with changes.
As they entered the family compound, they encountered some enthusiastic older women who, upon seeing her, exclaimed, "Xixi, your dad's had an accident! He's bleeding a lot and has been taken to the hospital!"
Gu Xi was completely bewildered; this was not something she had expected.
She thought the Gu family would be very angry and would be waiting for her to come back in a rage. In their anger, they might break the Gu family's principle of not hitting children and directly attack her. She was prepared to fight them.
Anyway, fighting is just a warm-up, it's nothing serious.
But she really hadn't thought about Gu Maowen bleeding and going to the hospital. Could it be that he was so angry that he vomited blood?
How can a grown man have such a bad temper?
Gu Xi hurriedly asked, "Auntie, what happened to my dad?"
Shen Mingzheng also looked at the group of elderly women who were talking, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"I don't know. We saw him just now and he was perfectly fine. But then, in the time it takes to eat a meal, we heard screams coming from your house. Then we saw Yuanzheng carrying your dad out and asking someone to call a car to take him to the hospital. Your dad was covered in blood, which had stained Yuanzheng's clothes red. It looked horrible..."
"It looks like he has a hole in his head. I don't know if he was hit or if he bumped into it by accident."
"I think it was hit by a car. We're at home, who could hit us?"
"That's right, Old Gu was really careless, how did he get hurt like that..."
Gu Xi finally understood that she hadn't vomited blood from anger, but rather had hit her head.
She hurriedly asked, "Which hospital is my dad in? I want to go see him."
"I heard it was sent to the People's Hospital."
Gu Xi didn't plan to go home at the moment and decided to go to the hospital to visit the injured Gu Maowen first.
Just as she was about to leave, a group of elderly women called her back.
"Hey, Xixi, who is this comrade...?"
A group of middle-aged women looked curiously at Shen Mingzheng standing to the side. Although he was not wearing a military uniform, his aura made him seem like an ordinary person. Moreover, his towering height and excessively handsome face were incredibly attractive, making it hard to ignore his presence.
Before Gu Xi could introduce him, Shen Mingzheng said, "I am Shen Mingzheng, and I am Gu Xi's fiancé!"
Eh? Gu Xi's fiancé?
Isn't that the Shen family over there in the military compound... Gu Xi's fiancé who's serving in the army?
No wonder he exudes such a powerful aura; he must have been on the battlefield and seen blood. I heard he's an officer in the military. But he's so young!
"Ah, so you're Xixi's fiancé!"
The women immediately became incredibly enthusiastic, their eyes scanning him like scanners.
Although they all knew that Gu Xi was engaged to the eldest son of the Shen family in the military compound, this was the first time that the people in the family compound had seen him in person. They did not expect Gu Xi's fiancé to look like this. Just by looking at his appearance, he was an outstanding man, not to mention a young military officer.
Shen Mingzheng remained calm and did not back down in the face of a group of enthusiastic women. He nodded slightly to them and then left the family compound with Gu Xi, heading towards the nearby People's Hospital.
After the two left, the women immediately started discussing it enthusiastically.
"I never expected Gu Xi's fiancé to look like this. He's really... imposing and handsome."
To be honest, I thought his imposing presence was quite intimidating, but considering he came from a military background, I could understand. He does give people a sense of security.
"She is not only good-looking, but also very capable. The Gu family is really lucky to have such a relative."
"I heard that Gu Xi doesn't plan to continue her university studies. Is she planning to get married? She's already twenty years old. If she doesn't get married, she'll become an old maid."
“I think she’s getting married. Look, her fiancé has already come to visit.”
"Marriage is a good idea. I heard that the Shen family likes her very much. They've been waiting for her to graduate from high school so they can let her marry into their family."
"That's good. Gu Xi won't have to suffer in the Gu family. Presumably, her in-laws like her so much that they won't make her do everything and treat her like a maid serving the whole family."
The older women who understood Gu Xi's situation in the Gu family were happy for her, but some did not quite agree.
"What are you saying? Isn't this how all women have to go through life? How can you expect to marry into your husband's family and not have to do anything? Actually, I think it's good for Gu Xi to do more at her parents' home. It proves that she's hardworking, and if she continues to be hardworking at her husband's family, they'll have a better life in the future."
These days, the main requirement for women is diligence. They need to be diligent not only at their parents' home but also at their husband's home so that their husband's family will like them.
A good woman is one who is diligent and hardworking.
This is also a common misconception.
In the five years since Gu Xi returned to the Gu family, she has done all the housework, including laundry and cooking, serving the entire family. Many people think she is a hardworking and good woman. However, things need to be compared. Gu Xi is not the Gu family's maid, but their daughter. With so many people in the Gu family, it's strange that she is made to do all the work.
If all the housework is done by family members in turns, then it's fine.
They didn't think that Gu Xi should do nothing after getting married; that wouldn't do.
"I heard that there aren't many people in the Shen family, and Gu Xi will be going to live with the military after she gets married, so why would she need to do all the housework? Besides, the Shen family has relatives at home helping out, so why would they need a daughter-in-law to do housework? Don't the Zhang and Li families in our compound have relatives helping out?"
In this kind of situation, everyone tacitly agrees and refers to the live-in nanny as a relative who has come to help at home.
"From this perspective, if Gu Xi marries into that family, wouldn't she be living a life of luxury?"
"The Shen family shouldn't be as biased as Old Gu and his wife, right?"
"Gu Xi will be the eldest son's wife when she marries into the family, so the Shen family will definitely not be biased. After Gu Xi joins the army, the young couple can live their own lives, which can be considered a happy ending after hardship."
As the group was chatting animatedly, someone suddenly asked, "Hey, Gu Xi's fiancé is coming over today. Is he planning to pay a visit? But Gu Xi's dad has injured his head and is in the hospital. What are we going to do?"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately felt that the timing was truly inconvenient.
Gu Xi said those things in public today, which clearly shows that she was wronged at home. It would be good if she could marry into the Shen family sooner. I just hope that Gu Xi's fiancé's visit will go smoothly.
**
It was already dark when the two arrived at the hospital.
Upon arriving at the hospital, intending to inquire about Gu Maowen's condition, they happened to run into Gu Yuanzheng and Gu Yuanxiang, who were paying their bills.
When they saw Gu Xi appear, their expressions turned sour, and they glared at her angrily.
Ignoring their anger, Gu Xi asked directly, "What's wrong with Dad?"
"How dare you ask Dad?" Gu Yuanzheng suppressed his temper and said sternly, "If it weren't for you, would Dad have gotten into this mess?"
Gu Yuanxiang also had a somber face, no longer the warm smile she used to give Gu Xi when she saw her, calling her "Xi Xi" affectionately. Thinking of Gu Maowen in the ward, she felt extremely sad.
Regardless of the circumstances, as their father, Gu Maowen should not have been angered to such an extent by his children.
Gu Xi tilted her head. "What does this have to do with me?"
She was genuinely puzzled. She wasn't home, so how could Gu Maowen's accidental head injury be linked to her? Did she still seem like someone easy to bully?
However, Gu Yuanzheng and the other man found her reaction increasingly unbearable.
It's that indifference again!
It's always the same; she acts like nothing concerns her, yet she does things that are infuriating!
Gu Yuanzheng admitted that his parents and others did indeed favor Gu Yuanxiang and had treated her badly over the years, failing to genuinely accept her as a member of the family and ignoring her contributions. But they hadn't hit her, scolded her, or abused her. Did she really hate them that much?
So much hatred that even when her own father was injured and hospitalized, she still acted completely indifferent?
Gu Yuanzheng rarely lost control, and said through gritted teeth, "If you hadn't said those things outside, making Mom and Dad the laughingstock, would Dad have lost control and tripped and fallen?"
"Huh? He got so angry he threw it?" Gu Xi was genuinely surprised. "Isn't Dad's temper a bit too much?"
Sure enough, people who care a lot about their image can't stand being ridiculed, but I never expected him to get so angry that he fell down at home and even hit his head. It's really...
Gu Yuanzheng's eyes turned red with anger, and upon hearing her innocent tone, he suddenly reached out and swung his hand at her.
The next moment, a hand, like an iron clamp, firmly gripped his outstretched hand, and a cold voice rang out: "What are you doing?"
Gu Yuanzheng snapped out of his daze and finally noticed the man who had come with Gu Xi.
When I met those deep, cold eyes, my heart tightened, and I suppressed some of my anger, asking warily, "Comrade, who are you?"
Gu Yuanxiang looked at him with surprise and unease, feeling that the man was quite frightening.
Shen Mingzheng released his hand, subtly protecting Gu Xi, and said, "Shen Mingzheng."
Gu Xi turned to look at him, her expression somewhat dazed.
She quickly looked away. Since the engagement was going to be dissolved anyway, it wouldn't hurt for him to know some things. Let him know what kind of person he is, and when the engagement is dissolved, he probably won't feel too guilty.
Both Gu Yuanzheng and the other person were stunned.
Shen Mingzheng? Isn't that Gu Xi's fiancé?
What is he doing here?
Shen Mingzheng asked, "What's wrong with Uncle Gu?"
Facing Shen Mingzheng, no one would dare to act recklessly in front of him. Gu Yuanzheng took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said, "When my dad fell, he hit the frame, cracked his head, and also had a problem with his back, so he can't get up..."
Actually, a broken head is the least serious injury; it just looks bad because of the bleeding. I had stitches and it will heal after some rest. My back injury is more serious. I strained my back last time and then had a full day of meetings, which left some problems, and now it's even worse.
When I fell earlier, I twisted my waist again, and this time it was even more serious, and I couldn't get up.
Shen Mingzheng then asked, "How is it now?"
"The wound on his forehead has been stitched up, but he needs to rest well for his back injury. They said he'll have to stay in the hospital for a few days to get it checked out."
Shen Mingzheng nodded slightly. "Let's go see him."
After finding out the room number, he looked at Gu Xi and gestured for her to come over, clearly intending to keep her by his side and protect her, not allowing anyone to touch her.
Gu Xi silently followed him to the ward to visit him.
Gu Yuanzheng and his companion walked behind, their expressions complex as they saw the two walking hand in hand.
When his anger subsided and he came to his senses, he realized that this incident was not Gu Xi's fault. It was entirely Gu Maowen's fault for going crazy at home and accidentally falling down.
This made him feel guilty. He had already reflected on his past attitude towards Gu Xi, but when people are angry, they will still instinctively do some hurtful things.
An indescribable sense of frustration welled up inside me.
Gu Yuanxiang stared at the two people in front of her, recalling Shen Mingzheng's intentional or unintentional protection of Gu Xi earlier, and felt a little uncomfortable.
This was the first time she had met Shen Mingzheng.
After Gu Xi and Shen Mingzheng got engaged, Shen Mingzheng stayed in the army and returned in a hurry, so the Gu family had no chance to see him.
I never expected Shen Mingzheng to look like this. As a man, he has a tall and slender physique, a handsome face, and is a young officer in the army... He's practically perfect.
Compared to that, Chen Ruian is nothing.
However, she still prefers men like Chen Ruian who are handsome and gentle...
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