"No, not long after he returned to Qiaoxingtun after the New Year, his family got him a spot in the army. After passing the physical examination and being told he was qualified, he went to the southwest with the new recruits."
As Qin Yaqing described Zhou Shiyang's current situation, she paused and asked Song Lan, "Sister-in-law, what do you think of Zhou Shiyang?"
Upon hearing this, Song Lan was visibly taken aback for a moment, then smiled gently and said, "How can I put it? It's you and Zhou Zhiqing who are dating; my opinion is not important."
However... based on my impression of meeting Zhou Zhiqing once in Qiaoxingtun that day, at least Zhou Zhiqing was decent-looking and polite. As for other aspects, I, your sister-in-law, can't really say. After all, to me, Zhou Zhiqing was no different from a stranger.
In short, to judge someone, you must first understand them; otherwise, you have no right to speak.
Song Lan's meaning was clear: she had only met Zhou Shiyang once and could only give a superficial impression. As for whether Zhou Shiyang was truly kind or merely a facade, as an unrelated person, she could not make a judgment.
"..."
After a long silence, Qin Yaqing said, "I understand what you mean, sister-in-law. During the years I was a sent-down youth in Qiaoxingtun, I didn't actually have much interaction with Zhou, but I could tell... he was an upright person who didn't make enemies."
He didn't casually get close to any female educated youth or unmarried young women in the village. Aside from work, he basically stayed in his dormitory reading. This is what I overheard from his roommate, a male educated youth.
"It seems you really have a good impression of that educated youth Zhou."
Song Lan smiled and said, "As for who you befriend, even though I'm your sister-in-law, I won't interfere. I imagine your brother feels the same way. But remember to protect yourself, and remember to get to know the other person well. Don't make any decisions on a whim."
Hearing her say that, Qin Yaqing couldn't help but think of her past self... Just because of a few sweet words from Wen Qiming, she disregarded everything and resolutely signed up to go to the countryside behind her family's back, like a big fool being played by Wen Qiming.
If it weren't for her sister-in-law and second brother appearing in Qiaoxingtun at the right time, and if it weren't for the words her sister-in-law said to her face, which made her suddenly realize the truth, she might have really fallen for Wen Qiming and ruined her life.
Qin Yaqing thought to herself, unaware that her original fate was indeed as she had imagined—she died in Qiaoxingtun because of Wen Qiming, and it was a double tragedy!
"I will."
Nodding, Qin Yaqing said, "I won't make the same mistake again."
Song Lan's eyes showed relief: "That's good."
Qin Yaqing: "Sister-in-law, just as you said, I have a good impression of Zhou Zhiqing, and I also learned about his family's situation from the letters he wrote to me..."
Song Lan listened quietly. When Qin Yaqing stopped, she gave her a look to indicate "continue." Qin Yaqing continued, "Zhou Zhiqing's parents are both cadres. He has an older brother and an older sister. His brother is six years older than him and used to be a leader's secretary. Last year, he was transferred to a commune as the director."
His older sister was three years older than him and worked at the Beijing Municipal Cultural Center. Zhou Zhiqing was his parents' youngest child, and his parents and siblings treated him very well at home.
"The family relationships aren't too complicated."
Song Lan smiled and said something, but unexpectedly, a hint of hesitation appeared in Qin Yaqing's eyes. Seeing this, Song Lan raised an eyebrow: "Judging from your expression, could it be that there is some other bad situation in Zhou Zhiqing's family?"
"Sister-in-law..."
Calling out to Song Lan, Qin Yaqing frowned and said, "In his letter, Zhou Zhiqing mentioned his cousin Zhou Shiwei, and also mentioned that his aunt and uncle, that is, Zhou Shiwei's parents, worked at the machinery factory..."
"Zhou Shiwei?"
Song Lan frowned slightly. After a brief silence, she said, "I remember now. I did see Zhou Shiwei in Qiaoxingtun. She is the daughter of Comrade Zhou and Comrade Li, who live next door to us. I remember that day when my second brother and I went to the gate of your educated youth compound..."
I saw her standing with Zhou, the educated youth; it turns out they were cousins.
"Yes, Zhou Zhiqing and Zhou Shiwei are indeed cousins. In the educated youth compound, Zhou Shiwei often visited Zhou Zhiqing. Everyone knows about their relationship."
Qin Yaqing said, "I learned from my second brother before the Lunar New Year that our next-door neighbor is Zhou Shiwei's family. In the past six months, I have noticed that our family and Zhou Shiwei's family have a very ordinary relationship."
Without much thought, Song Lan knew what Qin Yaqing was worried about. She smiled and said, "If you get along well with Zhou Zhiqing and feel that you will be happy with him, you don't need to worry about the relationship between our family and the Zhou family next door."
Putting aside the fact that Zhou Zhiqing's father and Zhou Shiwei's father were just brothers, each with their own families, Zhou Zhiqing's uncle had no say or decision-making power in the affairs of Zhou Zhiqing's family.
Furthermore, our family and Zhou Shiwei's family have no deep-seated hatred. The reason our relationship is so-so stems from the incident when Zhou Shiwei went to the countryside. To be specific, it was because Zhou Shiwei developed feelings for your older brother that she spoke rudely to me.
Perhaps out of a desire to protect his daughter, Zhou Shiwei's father enrolled her in a rural assignment to prevent her from causing any further trouble.
"Protect?"
Qin Yaqing didn't quite understand, but at the same time, she was shocked by Zhou Shiwei.
Why would someone like a married woman? Are you sure you're not out of your mind?
“Before Zhou Shiwei was sent to the countryside, she got into a fight with me. Your older brother was there at the time. He told Zhou Shiwei’s father that he would not be polite if Zhou Shiwei ever bothered me again.”
Song Lan remained calm. After listening to her, Qin Yaqing suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. My older brother may not seem like a man of many words, but he is definitely not lacking in methods. Moreover, the fact that my older brother could say such things naturally shows that he has a lot of confidence."
Her elder brother's job was shrouded in mystery; in other words, his identity as the deputy director of the machinery factory was likely just a cover for his true identity.
"So, do you still have any concerns now?"
Song Lan asked.
"Um?"
Qin Yaqing looked completely bewildered.
"Should we continue our relationship with Zhou Zhiqing?"
Song Lan simply stated it outright.
Qin Yaqing blushed and said, "I only have a crush on him right now."
"Oh, I see."
Song Lan nodded with a smile.
"Sister-in-law..."
What did you learn?
Qin Yaqing felt her cheeks getting hotter and hotter. She said, "Whether or not I should date Zhou Shiyang depends on his performance. If he can satisfy me and I can see his sincerity, maybe...maybe I will give him a chance to pursue me."
"Yes, that's how it should be!"
Song Lan nodded in agreement. Her tone was light and cheerful as she said, "When dating, you can't lower yourself too much, and you can't let yourself suffer. If we get along, we'll date; if we find it's not right, we'll find someone else."
This is a new society. You can get divorced even after marriage. But if someone you're dating does something inappropriate and doesn't correct it after you point it out, or if their family is constantly finding fault, we can't tolerate that. Do you understand what I mean?
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