The reason she agreed to get engaged to him was simply because her family was pressuring her to marry him and kept introducing her to potential partners. As a result, she went on no fewer than seven blind dates in more than a year, but she didn't find anyone she liked.
Until she met Zhao Jing on a blind date, she thought he was good-looking and clean, and they had been classmates in junior and senior high school. He was also interesting to talk to. So, with the intention of not disliking him and no longer being pressured by her family to get married, she nodded and agreed to the marriage between the two families.
In her view, marriage is simply about living together. Marrying a gay man she doesn't dislike and who is someone she knows is better than marrying a gay man she only met through a blind date and doesn't know much about.
"What do you mean by 'usually'? Does it mean that the Zhao family kid doesn't usually ask you out to play?"
"Mother Feng asked."
"No, it's just that I don't know what to say when I'm with him."
Feng Yuanyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Mom, I'm already engaged. You shouldn't worry about anything else!"
"I'm your mother, how can I not care about your affairs?"
Mother Feng took the freshly made scallion and egg pancakes out of the pan and placed them on the cutting board. She said with a displeased look, "If you and Zhao's son develop feelings for each other before marriage, your marriage will last. Otherwise, with your cold personality, I'm afraid that Zhao's son will start a divorce after only a few days of marriage."
"I'm not afraid."
Without hesitation, Feng Yuanyuan said, "This is a new society. I can still make a living even after a divorce. Besides, I have a job, so I definitely won't starve."
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Feng's mother glared at her daughter: "Is divorce something you can just do so casually? Although women hold up half the sky, having a man at home always brings more peace of mind. Besides, there have been divorces in our town before, and what was the result..."
"So what if people gossip and point fingers at you..."
Before Feng Yuanyuan could finish her sentence, her mother said, "You can say whatever you want unless it happens to you, but do you even know what the situation is like now that the eldest daughter of the Wang family on East Street is making a scene about divorcing her husband?"
Feng Yuanyuan: "I don't know."
"That's true. You work in the county and don't like listening to gossip, so it's not surprising that you don't know."
Mother Feng sighed and said, "That girl is the same age as your eldest sister. About two weeks ago, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things."
Perhaps he heard too much harsh gossip, or perhaps something else happened; in any case, he became mentally unstable after returning home. That night, while his family was asleep, he ran away from home, and the next day his body was found floating in the Baima River outside the town.
Feng Yuanyuan remained silent.
Feng's mother: "It is said that it was a double tragedy, with the baby in her belly almost four months old."
"...Her in-laws must be regretting it, right?"
Feng Yuanyuan asked.
"Regret? The man married a new wife the month after his divorce." Mother Feng sighed again: "In the end, it's only the unborn child who's pitiful."
Feng Yuanyuan: "Why are you getting a divorce?"
Mother Feng: "The eldest daughter of the Wang family dislikes her husband's family for being poor and dislikes the man in her family for being incompetent."
Feng Yuanyuan: "How long has the marriage lasted?"
Feng's mother: "They got married last winter, and less than a year later they were getting a divorce. She couldn't think straight, and the baby in her womb died along with her."
...
The mother and daughter chatted while making dinner. Mr. Feng and his younger brother returned home, and the four of them sat around the table to eat. Mr. Zhao walked into the Feng family's courtyard alone.
"Old Feng!"
Upon hearing Zhao's father's voice, Feng Xueyi, also known as Feng's father, quickly got up and walked out of the main room.
"It's Old Zhao! What brings you here at this hour? Come in and have a seat!"
Seeing that Zhao's father had set up the cart handle, Feng's father invited him into the main room and said, "Sit down and have something to eat with us. Yuanyuan, go to the kitchen and get a pair of chopsticks for your Uncle Zhao."
"No need, I've already eaten at home. I came to see you today because there's something I wanted to talk to you two about..."
Noticing that Zhao's father looked strange, Feng's father and mother exchanged glances. Then, Feng's mother told Feng Yuanyuan to clear the dishes from the table and took her two children to the kitchen.
"You two either go back to your rooms or stay in the kitchen. Mom will go to the main room to hear what your Uncle Zhao has to say."
After settling Feng Yuanyuan and her brother in, Feng's mother returned to the main room.
"If there were even the slightest possibility, I really wouldn't want to have come here!"
Zhao's father gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with self-reproach. He said, "Old Feng, his aunt, it's my fault for not raising my son well... He, he just didn't understand what was wrong with him..."
"Since yesterday, he's been making a scene about breaking off the engagement with your Yuanyuan, saying... saying he has a girl he likes. When his mother and I heard about this, we were absolutely furious..."
"Old Zhao, say it again. I didn't hear you clearly. What do you mean by 'your son has a girl he likes'?"
Mr. Feng's face immediately darkened.
Mother Feng's expression wasn't much better.
"You two, please don't be angry. It's my fault, Zhao Jing. He's a scoundrel, a real jerk. He was already engaged to your Yuanyuan, but then he suddenly told me and his mother that he had a girl he liked and wanted us to agree to break off the engagement. His mother and I have tried everything—scolding him, even hitting him—but that brat is determined to break off the engagement..."
Before Zhao's father could finish speaking, Feng's father interrupted him again: "Fine, annuling the engagement is no problem, but we can't accept the reason your family gave us."
With a cold tone, Mr. Feng said, "Your son Zhao Jing has a girl he likes. Why didn't he make it clear before the engagement? Are you trying to play us for fools?"
"No, absolutely not! Old Zhao, don't misunderstand. My wife and I only found out he had someone he liked when Zhao Jing and we were causing trouble. Right now, he's lying in the clinic. If you two don't believe me..."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
