The prospective son-in-law visits (Part 2)
To be honest, Qingcheng is not a virtuous and gentle woman in the traditional sense. Not only is she unable to be content with her lot, but she may even cause trouble for her future partner. Mrs. Fang pointed out her daughter's fatal flaws with a clear mind.
Gao Junxiao felt a little ashamed at the warning from the other party's wife. It was hard to say whether Qingcheng would cause him trouble in the future. On the contrary, his bandit suppression had already caused Qingcheng a lot of trouble, even death threats, but she did not complain that it was dangerous for her to follow him.
Given her chivalrous nature, she would always be at the forefront in any situation, which would make her very vulnerable to injury. Gao Junxiao had envisioned being ready to catch her from behind at any time, so that she could see him whenever she turned around.
In reality, if it weren't for his insistence, Qingcheng wouldn't even ask him to accompany her to the doctor. She used her understanding to put others at ease, which made Gao Junxiao feel even more sorry for her.
"I'd rather she wasn't so polite to me, and give me more opportunities to show her vulnerable side, so I can clean up her messes. I'll definitely help her clean them up properly," Gao Junxiao said sincerely.
“Junxiao, it’s fine if you think that way, but even the most loving couples have disagreements. If she’s so stubborn and you keep giving in, you’ll get annoyed and can’t take it anymore. We don’t want you to suffer like this either. You can give up sooner rather than later and find a more suitable girl for marriage. As for Chengcheng, she can live a good life even if she doesn’t get married.” Mr. Fang laid out the unpleasant truth upfront.
These words echoed what the teacher and his wife had said before. On the surface, it seemed like they were sympathizing with her, but in reality, they were subtly expressing their unwillingness for Qingcheng to suffer injustice.
But Gao Junxiao felt that he had finally found that person, and he would not give up easily: "First of all, I will not compromise on matters of principle. Please understand, Uncle and Aunt. In addition, what is the hardest thing to do in this world? Find someone, find the right person, find someone with similar values. In this way, we will be less likely to have conflicts of principle. Moreover, tolerance is mutual, and I will also have times when I am not considerate."
“Alright, let’s discuss some practical issues. You know the nature of your job; military orders are absolute, and you can be transferred at any time. Qingcheng, on the other hand, most likely won’t become a military dependent’s spouse, nor will she resign to become a full-time housewife. If you’re going to live apart after marriage, you should be mentally prepared.” Mrs. Fang raised a practical issue.
“Junxiao, in the end, most people are just ordinary people who want a wife, children, and a warm bed. We can understand that. What you need to overcome is your instinctive need for comfort, which is not easy,” Mr. Fang added from the side.
"I have something to say about this teacher's wife. When your wife isn't around, there are many temptations around you: warlords who want to befriend you, certain close subordinates, and spies with ill intentions. They will ensure that you are never short of women. Your teacher was so annoyed by them that he insisted on applying to be transferred back to his wife's side, and only then did those people quiet down," Mrs. Tan chimed in.
The barrage of questions from the elders left Gao Junxiao unsure who to answer first.
There's really no way to solve the problem of living apart from your family. No one dislikes a peaceful life, but since ancient times, there have been people who have to guard the frontier and protect the country. All generals are like that, and he is no exception. After all, there is no home without a country.
As for what his teacher's wife said about those people not being after him, but rather the power he holds, as long as he still has power, they will swarm around him like flies all the time. This has little to do with whether Gao Junxiao has a wife or not.
Moreover, since the teacher ultimately relinquished his power in exchange for family reunion, he became worthless to the flies. In truth, power was nothing but a pile of dung in Gao Junxiao's eyes; who wouldn't want to live a life of quiet seclusion, clean-handed and detached from worldly affairs, and why dirty their own hands?
However, besides personal preferences, there is also the responsibility and commitment to protect one's country. Even if he finds that thing disgusting and attracts flies, it is really useful, and some people like the smell.
"Romance isn't about being together every day. What I consider romance is working together with my loved one to revitalize China, even when I'm not by their side." Suddenly, Qingcheng appeared behind everyone with a tea tray, breaking the awkward silence and serving them hot tea.
These words resonated deeply. Who among us wasn't once a passionate young man, driven by a desire to save the nation and its people, and who overthrew the feudal dynasty? But reality slapped each of us hard across the face. Dr. Sun Yat-sen resigned, Yuan Shikai declared himself emperor, and Zhang Xun attempted to restore the monarchy. They witnessed several historical events, and the more they saw, the colder their hearts grew, yet they never witnessed the rejuvenation of China.
“You’re still young, you’ll encounter many problems later on.” Mrs. Fang rubbed her temples wearily.
“In the long and mundane days, problems will arise, and solutions will be found. There is no such thing as an ‘absolutely’ ideal love or marriage. When we discover our partner’s shortcomings, we respect each other and cooperate.” Gao Junxiao no longer concealed anything, took Qingcheng’s hand and intertwined their fingers, making his attitude clear.
Good heavens, there are so many people here! No matter how hard Qingcheng tried to shake them off, he couldn't. Even warnings with his eyes were ineffective. He could only laugh awkwardly and explain to everyone, "He's drunk."
"Yes, I'm infatuated. I'm infatuated with a girl, but she's obsessed with saving the country and its people. Even though I'm annoyed that she ignores me, I can't find a reason to give her up. I'm just happy if she glances at me a few times when she passes by." Gao Junxiao held Qingcheng's hand tightly and boldly confessed his love in front of everyone.
Instantly, ten eyes were fixed on Qingcheng. Even though Qingcheng was usually outgoing, she was too embarrassed to lift her head. She used a tea tray to cover her already flushed cheeks, and mouthed to Gao Junxiao to let go of her hand. Gao Junxiao mouthed back, "Never."
After whispering to his wife, Mr. Fang said that there were no problems between them and welcomed Gao Junxiao to come often in the future, thus announcing the end of today's joint trial by the three judicial authorities.
"Then we'll wait for your wedding candy." Mrs. Tan smiled knowingly at the two of them.
"Don't rush things for young people," Mr. Tan said, pouring his wife a cup of tea.
Qingcheng was still a little confused. How did they get to talking about marriage? She hadn't made any plans yet. Why was everyone interrogating Gao Junxiao, but she was the one sentenced to life imprisonment? This wasn't fair!
Seeing Gao Junxiao nod happily, Qingcheng felt a bit itchy and, taking advantage of the fact that the people around her weren't paying attention, pinched Gao Junxiao hard to vent her anger. It was all his fault for coming over.
"Let's chat a little longer. This is top-quality pre-Qingming Longjing tea, please enjoy it slowly. I need to talk to him about something." Without saying another word, Qingcheng dragged Gao Junxiao upstairs.
Only after locking the door did Gao Junxiao cautiously ask Qingcheng why she was angry, wondering if it was because he hadn't behaved well.
"You did a great job." Qingcheng glared at Gao Junxiao. "Did you start plotting against me before you even came to my door, trying to get my family on your side so you could force me into marriage?"
"I didn't force you to marry me, nor did I scheme against you." Gao Junxiao looked completely innocent. "I just wanted your family elders to accept me and feel at ease entrusting you to my care."
“That’s not the same thing. Don’t play word games with me, this is what I do.” Qingcheng said, propping her arm up. “I think you need a cooling-off period. During this time, carefully consider my strengths and weaknesses, and then answer me in three months whether you want to marry me.”
"I've thought very carefully about this important matter of life and death. Although you like to talk to yourself, are easily impulsive, gossip without thinking, and have a somewhat unpredictable temper, you can be very cute when you're cute, and you can be so hateful that you'll want to grind your teeth." Gao Junxiao calmly put his arm around Qingcheng.
Unexpectedly, Gao Junxiao actually dared to speak his mind. Qingcheng replied sarcastically, "Then you must have had a hard time. With so many flaws in me, you still want to marry me. Could it be that you have ulterior motives?"
A slight tremor ran down Wan'er's shoulder. Gao Junxiao laughed and replied, "Haha, I'm not a monk who's completely detached from worldly desires. If my motives were pure, why would I look for you instead of my brothers?"
Although Qingcheng didn't mean it that way, Gao Junxiao shamelessly admitted that he was lusting after her body. Who knows if he and his brother are innocent? Qingcheng pinched Gao Junxiao's face and asked, "Did you accidentally blurt out what you really meant?"
“If you say what’s on your mind, is it still what’s on your mind? It’s called being honest,” Gao Junxiao said matter-of-factly.
With skin thicker than a city wall, Qingcheng let go of the man and glanced at him: "To be honest, I didn't hear anything, I only heard someone making sophistry."
“Face your desires squarely, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. This afternoon, I asked you to choose between love and bread, and you couldn’t choose because you wanted both. So I went along with your wishes and chose to have both.” Gao Junxiao gazed at Qingcheng with deep affection, as if he could melt her heart.
After a moment of surprise, Kiyosumi asked probingly, "Don't you think I'm being greedy?"
“I think the greedy Miss He is more charming! Because if you want something, you will keep pushing yourself to create greater value for society. Don’t forget that your pen, Jin Xiaoyin, is worth more than my three thousand Mauser rifles.” Gao Junxiao smiled slightly at her, “I really need to calculate how much dowry I need to give to marry you.”
"You think I'm afraid of you? Bringing the betrothal gifts won't help." Kiyosumi pushed the man away.
"How could you be afraid? You dare to rush into the principal's office, you dare to break into the Education Bureau's meeting, and you can even watch others fight happily while gunfire is raging. Is there anything you're afraid of?" Gao Junxiao affectionately pinched her little nose.
Qingcheng wasn't afraid for Gao Junxiao to know these things. Since he now believed that she was an impulsive and ambitious woman, she might as well take the opportunity to deepen that impression. With a plan in mind, Qingcheng asked Gao Junxiao to sit down, took out a stack of manuscripts from the bedside drawer, and asked him for his guidance.
Gao Junxiao took the manuscript with suspicion and carefully flipped through it, but the more he read, the more nervous he became. Finally, on the last page, he asked uncertainly, "Is this the ending?"
He was holding the Lantern Festival riddles he had written earlier. Good heavens, when did he stick them on? Qingcheng awkwardly took back the paper that read "a subject under a skirt," telling him not to worry about such details.
With Gao Junxiao's meaningful smile, Qingcheng introduced, "This is a script outline. Shanghai's film industry focuses more on stories of talented scholars and beautiful women, and martial arts and supernatural tales, lacking realistic and critical works. I want to fill this gap and then take over this market share."
"Very ambitious! You want to be the first to try something new, but if I may be frank, even if this film is made, it won't pass censorship." Gao Junxiao slammed the manuscript on the table expressionlessly.
Kiyosumi said helplessly, "I was conducting a survey on labor disputes at the time, and I may have been a little emotional when I wrote it. I know that some social conflicts are too sharp, so I would like to ask you to correct me and help me lean a little more towards the middle. You are a neutral party and should know how to hide your inclinations."
The veins on Gao Junxiao's forehead twitched visibly a few times, and he suddenly sneered: "So you want to join the Left-Wing Writers' Alliance? Is this your pledge of allegiance?"
"Of course not." Qingcheng immediately changed the subject after denying it. "I previously collaborated with Xu Xi on a satirical comedy called 'The Best of the Best,' which sold very well. He urged me to write a new work that could win him the Best Actor award. It needs to be profound and also a good work that would allow him to break free from his image as a rich young master on screen."
"You want to drag Xu Xi down with you? Don't you have any other topics to write about? Can't you write the historical topics we planned before? You don't know how to use the past to satirize the present, do you?" Gao Junxiao said with dissatisfaction.
“I know that movies use the past to satirize the present, but those from the same era are more relatable. I think movies should not be a sweet treat to numb the public, but rather a tool to awaken ordinary people and get them involved in the national salvation movement by using the pen and the screen as weapons,” Qingcheng continued. “Xu Xi has found a Chinese cinematographer who can shoot sound movies, so the threshold for watching movies will be lower in the future.”
Kiyosumi could already foresee the changes brought about by sound films several years from now, with the mainstream audience including previously illiterate housewives and children, which would be an extremely large increase.
“If you want to achieve success in your career, I don’t object, but you need to know the consequences of veering to the left.” Gao Junxiao pursed his lips, unbuttoned his cuffs, revealing scabbed wounds. “This is just an appetizer. They have many more tortures waiting for you. I don’t want to see similar injuries on you. I have many more. Do you want to see them?”
"No, you're too precious. You're asking me for money again after reading it." Qingcheng joked, but her eyes were clouded with gloom. "I understand that you don't want to get involved with me. There's no need for this. I only showed you the script because I trust you. I didn't mean anything by it."
"I'm sorry." These three simple words left Qingcheng stunned. She looked at Gao Junxiao in confusion, wondering why he was apologizing for no reason. If he wasn't going to participate, he wasn't going to participate.
Gao Junxiao sighed: "Sometimes I wonder if you don't like me enough, or if you're afraid someone will control you and make you feel restricted. Today I realized that you've always been the same person. It was I who was afraid, it was I who lacked security. I should have made you feel secure from me... So I'm sorry."
Gao Junxiao's dejected words were like a cold, venomous snake burrowing into Qingcheng's heart, relentlessly tearing at her most vulnerable spot, yet her tongue went numb and she couldn't utter a single word.
Finally, Qingcheng found her voice and cupped his face, saying, "Ah Xiao, you're great. Don't doubt yourself. I just want to find a place for myself to realize my ambitions outside of love."
“But this position is too dangerous, like dancing on a tightrope. You could fall off at any moment and be smashed to pieces, and I could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.” Gao Junxiao held Qingcheng tightly in his arms and whispered, “You can’t be so cruel to me. I’ve made up my mind about you. As long as you’re okay, I can wait for you forever.”
The air seemed to freeze. She was the one who should apologize. She was already standing on the tightrope. She was fortunate to be born into a wealthy family and to have been well-read since childhood. But the more she read, the more she realized that our motherland was devastated and on the verge of death. Her family wanted to save her, to clean her moldy clothes and burn the blood-sucking fleas on her body.
But individual strength is too insignificant...
Kiyosumi shrank her neck and smiled reassuringly: "It's not that scary. I'll put it in the guise of a comedy, and then we'll have our acquaintances burn some incense money at the Municipal Council and the Management Bureau before the film's release to smooth things over. Getting the film's license shouldn't be a big problem."
“I don’t really understand the rules of your entertainment industry, but I can understand the political climate. Anything that advocates class struggle or the antagonism between the rich and the poor will be considered by the authorities to have a red tendency. If they don’t deal with it now, they will deal with it sooner or later.” Gao Junxiao’s face was slightly bitter.
That bitter taste pierced Qingcheng's heart like a sharp silver needle, and she retorted, "No matter how ruthless they are, can they break everyone's pens? They can't, can they?"
“I don’t care about anyone else, I’m only responsible for you.” Gao Junxiao pondered for a moment and took Qingcheng’s hand. “Since you’ve made up your mind, I can only support you. But do you want to consider getting engaged to me first and becoming my family member? That way, I can rightfully rescue you.”
"Tch, men's words are deceitful. He just said he wouldn't force me into marriage," Qingcheng said coldly, looking at the man in front of her. "Don't take advantage of me. I think you want to control me under the guise of something."
"Oh dear, this is a huge misunderstanding. Don't think that you can stop improving yourself after marriage and just be a comfortable Mrs. Gao. Go to any person at headquarters and ask me about my troop-leading style. In my hands, as long as you're not killed, you'll be trained to the point of death." Gao Junxiao's lips curled up slightly, his smile full of confidence.
"Heh, I'm not your soldier," Kiyosumi retorted provocatively.
“I have even higher expectations for my own people. Follow me, and I’ll turn your three thousand Mauser rifles into three thousand mortars,” Gao Junxiao tempted, picking up the manuscript on the table.
"Oh, so you're willing to help me change things just because we're family." Qingcheng's tone was tinged with helplessness as she continued, "But I'm not exactly one of your so-called family now. Are you going to accept me as an apprentice on the spot? Should I give you a formal letter of apprenticeship first?"
“Nonsense, how come you’re not one of my own anymore? You don’t need the apprenticeship certificate. I’ll go back and revise it carefully for you, but don’t blame me if the story is torn apart.” Gao Junxiao continued, “Of course, if, and I mean if, you want to get my professional advice every day, you can send me a marriage certificate. Remember to write your birth date and time first.”
"Ah Xiao, I never noticed before, you're quite the schemer." Qingcheng gritted her teeth and tapped the man's forehead.
"Anyone can do arithmetic, especially a responsible man. He has a clear sense of what he can and cannot afford, what he should give and what he can let go of. Only then can he talk about the future with the person he loves," Gao Junxiao said earnestly.
"When you find that your efforts are not rewarded equally, you will be disappointed and then angry," Kiyosumi said.
"It's still the same problem: you don't give me enough security. Don't think that only women need security; men need it too. The security I need is respect and special treatment." Gao Junxiao's shameless remarks left everyone speechless.
Why does it sound so affected coming from a man? Qingcheng tapped his chest and questioned, "When have I ever not given you face, not flattered you, and not coaxed you when we go out? Don't you have any conscience? Besides, we Chinese value subtlety and prefer to keep things to ourselves. Do you think it's fake to say 'I love you' to everyone like Westerners do?"
"This is the dregs of feudalism. A wife represents law and reason, the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, and the social rules that a man must abide by. No matter how much you like her, you can't be too intimate with her. Zhang Chang's painting of eyebrows was heresy among heresies. The function of a concubine is more to bear children. Brothels have always been places outside the rules. That's where men can find all the erotic fantasies they want." Gao Junxiao slowly explained a fact.
"Don't make excuses for your girlfriend's infidelity. I won't pursue the matter if my girlfriend did it before." Just thinking about this Qingcheng makes her furious. This man still dares to challenge her bottom line.
"You call yourself a progressive woman, but how can your attitude towards relationships be so outdated and conservative? Why pretend to be magnanimous? You're clearly unhappy, so why don't you say so?" Gao Junxiao pressed on relentlessly.
"You'd be happy if you just said it and then we argued! Are you sick in the head?" Qingcheng frowned and pushed Gao Junxiao away. She felt like the air was getting thicker.
"Miss He, do you think being jealous is beneath you? Or do you think I'm not good enough for you?" Gao Junxiao was determined to fight her to the bitter end.
"I just felt it wasn't necessary." Kiyosumi turned her head away, not wanting to look at the man.
“Do you know how hurtful it is to say ‘it’s unnecessary’ when it comes from the person most important to you?” Gao Junxiao placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. “We should humbly learn from the good things about foreigners. Why do you think jealousy is something difficult to talk about, or even shameful? Jealousy and liking are emotions that coexist; they can never exist alone.”
The cool evening breeze outside the window made her eyes sting. Qingcheng didn't want this either; she couldn't do it! In China, women have always been praised for their forbearance and understanding of the bigger picture, and for their self-sacrifice. Jealousy has always been the most vicious term used to insult women.
Growing up under traditional Confucian values, her mother never taught her how to be jealous or how to express it. Instead, her mother taught her that it was normal for men to flirt, and that she should be magnanimous and patient. She then accepted that jealousy was bad, and that arguing and whining were signs of immaturity; a proper young lady from a respectable family shouldn't exhibit such emotions.
Suddenly someone told her that she should be jealous, and even greedy. She thought Gao Junxiao was just being unreasonable, but she didn't realize he was serious. He Qingcheng couldn't help but reflect. It seemed she hadn't noticed that some of her thoughts had been emasculated, something only Gao Junxiao had keenly observed.
“You can’t just think about your obligations without exercising your rights. Jealousy is your right as a girlfriend. You also have the right to neglect me, humiliate me, and hurt me. No one else has this right, only you do, and I will gladly offer it to you.” Gao Junxiao stared at her and said.
In the end, she softened and stammered, "I'm not as bad as you think!"
“Darling, you’re the best person in the world, so one is enough for me. Any more and my body can’t handle it.” Gao Junxiao suddenly became frivolous again. “Especially as you get older, all your functions will decline. Don’t be fooled by those men who seem carefree with three wives and four concubines. Let me tell you, except for a few exceptionally gifted ones, they’re all kept going by pills, like…”
Before Gao Junxiao could finish speaking, Qingcheng tightly covered his mouth. Some secrets are better left unsaid. She didn't want to know about the little pills, and she especially didn't want to know who was using them. Otherwise, she would be the first to die. She wanted to see the sun rise tomorrow.
"Heh, don't talk behind people's backs, or the walls will hear you," Kiyosumi said kindly, her face taut.
“Although I don’t need it, the pills aren’t a secret. There are plenty of secret formulas in the military…” Gao Junxiao was interrupted by Qingcheng before he could finish speaking.
"Stop—" Kiyosumi felt like her head was about to explode. "Fine, I'm scared of you. So what do you think I should do to show respect and favoritism?"
"You make the request, and I'll fulfill it. Don't make it too simple; simple things don't give you a sense of accomplishment." Gao Junxiao's damned pride had forced Qingcheng to surrender.
“Alright, alright. Most women only ask for respect and tenderness from their lovers. I’ll add something else: I want you to respect all women, but only be tender to me.” Qingcheng slowly stated her requirements. The former was about character, and the latter was about awareness.
"Okay." Gao Junxiao kissed Qingcheng's hand, but a hint of excitement at his successful scheme flashed in his eyes.
The two brothers in the next room were excitedly pressed against the wall to eavesdrop. Hehehe, their sister Cheng's curse wasn't in vain.
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