Xu Yaoyang's guess was correct; the first wife was indeed tolerant of him and the children.
Although the two elders of the second wife were punished in the brigade, the brigade did not actually report it. If it had been reported, it would have become a political issue, which would have meant that Xu Yaoyang's job would be out of the question, and the two children would have no chance to join the army when they grew up.
The Xu family only has two branches, and Old Master Xu still can't bring himself to harden his heart. Severing ties between the two families was the biggest decision he ever made.
Xu Yaoyang actually went to the gate of the main house during dinner. He wanted to apologize to his parents, but more importantly, he wanted to see how the main house treated him.
When he reached the gate of the courtyard, his feet felt as heavy as lead, making it impossible for him to step through.
He stood at the door for a long time, listening to the laughter and chatter inside, and he had indescribable feelings in his heart.
How did their two families end up like this?
Perhaps it was already destined when his parents decided to steal Xu Mingyang away?
When Mu Jingheng returned from the county, he rode a bicycle, which made everyone in the brigade extremely envious. He rode all the way back to Old Xu's old house, followed by a long line of onlookers.
"Mu Zhiqing, did you buy this bicycle?" a commune member asked loudly.
Mu Jingheng smiled and nodded.
This wasn't Mu Jingheng's first bicycle; he already had one at his home in Kyoto. Nevertheless, buying a new one still excited him, as men have always been passionate about cars, regardless of the era.
"Just who is this Mu Zhiqing? He bought a bicycle on a whim."
"Bicycles must be expensive, right?"
"Of course, it costs over a hundred yuan, plus a bicycle ticket. These tickets are hard to get; I heard they cost the same on the black market as bicycles."
"The ticket costs over a hundred! Oh my god, that's outrageous!"
"That Mu Zhiqing is a person of status. I heard that his Ada was Yaozu's former superior. Yaozu used to be a regimental commander. How high-ranking is a regimental commander?"
Is this true?
"There's no mistake. Everyone heard the brigade leader talking to Mu Zhiqing on the day they arrived."
"Wow, this is incredible! Do you think the brigade leader's family is letting Mu Zhiqing stay at their house because they want to find a son-in-law?"
"Hehehe, maybe the brigade leader's daughter Ningning is of marriageable age too."
"The two of them look quite good together. I've never seen anyone better looking than them."
In no time, the villagers started by talking about the bicycle Mu Jingheng bought, and then their conversation drifted to Mu Jingheng's marriage. They even started talking about Mu Jingheng's children. The power of gossip is always the strongest.
Xu Daya and Lu Chunping stood not far away watching Mu Jingheng ride his bicycle into the Xu family's courtyard. They felt a mix of emotions. Xu Daya thought to herself, if she had succeeded last night, perhaps she would be the one sitting on the back of his bicycle today.
She only learned Mu Jingheng's true identity last night; she never imagined he was born into such a prominent family.
Xu Yaoqiang told Xu Daya that no matter how many tricks she used, she would never be able to marry into the Mu family. She didn't believe him, but her courage wouldn't allow it.
Lu Chunping nudged Xu Daya with her elbow and suggested, "Ai Ning, how about we go for a bike ride with Mu Zhiqing?"
Xu Daya: "This is his newly bought car, so he's definitely reluctant to part with it."
Lu Chunping: "Mu Zhiqing isn't such a petty person. Besides, he lives in the Xu family's house, so he should give you face."
Xu Daya was a little tempted. She wanted to know Mu Jingheng's opinion of her, and even more so, whether she still had a chance.
Xu Daya: "Can you ride?"
Lu Chunping: "I can, but I'm not very good at riding."
After Lu Chunping finished speaking, she pulled Xu Daya and walked into the Xu family's courtyard.
Grandma Xu was drying vegetables in the yard when she saw Xu Daya enter. Her face darkened immediately. She hadn't expected that Xu Daya was still upset about what had happened last night. Her tone was not good: "Daya, why aren't you at work? What are you doing wandering around outside?"
Xu Daya had never seen Old Madam Xu so serious with her before. Every time she came over, Old Madam Xu would rummage through her belongings to find food for her. She would find all the good food she had on hand and give it to her to eat, as if she was always afraid that Niu Zhaodi would mistreat her.
But today, Grandma Xu seems to have become a completely different person.
Xu Daya's eyes suddenly reddened. Was she really that hateful? What was wrong with her fighting for her own happiness?
Lu Chunping hadn't expected Old Mrs. Xu to have such an attitude. She had always thought that the old lady was easy to get along with, always smiling and speaking softly whenever she saw her. Had Xu Daya done something wrong?
Lu Chunping looked at Xu Daya strangely.
Just then, Mu Jingheng brought out all the blankets and quilts from his room.
After seeing this, Grandma Xu asked, "Are you going to wash it all?"
Mu Jingheng hummed in agreement.
When Grandma Xu saw that he had taken out the quilt without even taking it off, she quickly stopped him, saying, "Oh dear! Xiao Heng, you can't wash the cotton quilt inside. You have to take off the quilt cover first before you wash it."
Mu Jingheng: "Grandma, I know. I was thinking that the cotton quilt should also be sunned."
Grandma Xu: "You silly child, you should have said so earlier, otherwise I would have taken your milk out to dry in the sun long ago."
Mu Jingheng chuckled foolishly: "Grandma, the sun is shining brightly right now."
Children without mothers learn to be independent early, and Mu Jingheng was no stranger to these tasks.
Xu Daya felt as if she were nailed to the spot, as if she had been greatly insulted.
Is she really that dirty?
It was just lying down for a bit, wasn't it?
Why make it sound like you're trying to lower the temperature?
Sensing someone watching him, Mu Jingheng looked up and his eyes suddenly sharpened when he saw Xu Daya not far away.
Lu Chunping was startled by that look, but suddenly, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, she seemed to have discovered some secret.
She looked at Xu Daya with a probing gaze, never expecting that this country bumpkin would have such thoughts.
A toad trying to eat swan meat—what an arrogant fool!
Lu Chunping turned and walked out of the Xu family's courtyard. She needed to think about whether or not she should continue to get along with Xu Daya.
Lu Chunping suddenly realized that she had been deceived by Xu Daya. She thought that Xu Daya was the niece of the captain and the police chief, and that she could get preferential treatment by getting on her good side. But reality proved that she had made a mistake.
In truth, Lu Chunping knew that it was better to get along with Xu Xinning than with Xu Daya, but Xu Xinning was just too difficult to approach.
Seeing that Xu Daya was still standing there, Grandma Xu said again, "Go back to work quickly. Be a decent person and don't always think about things that don't matter. You'll regret it when you suffer later."
Xu Daya's tears finally fell. Could she tell her that her mother had gone to her maternal grandmother's house that morning to discuss her marriage?
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