Chapter 43
Ever since He Shuying came home that day and said He He had returned to the provincial capital, He Zhongguo had been waiting for He He to come home. He never expected that He He would get into university without even saying goodbye.
If He Shuying hadn't stumbled upon it, he, as a father, would never have known when his daughter had returned. He Zhongguo was furious; his daughter preferred to go back to her maternal grandparents' house rather than her own. He had thought that He He had forgiven him, her father, during the years she spent in the countryside.
Unexpectedly, she still harbored resentment. Over the years, he had given He He whatever she wanted, and he had never failed to keep his word. He treated her better than He Shuying.
He Zhongguo knew he had raised this daughter in vain, but she was still his daughter after all. It was really unreasonable that she didn't even tell him, her father, after she got into university and returned to the city.
If his old comrade hadn't told him that the Cheng family was holding a celebration for his daughter's college admission, he would have known nothing. He Zhongguo still remembers the look in his old comrade's eyes; he felt so ashamed. A father who didn't even know his daughter was having a college admission celebration—it was truly shameful.
He He didn't inform him beforehand, but as her father, he still had to go. He originally only planned to bring his wife, but his eldest daughter wanted to come along, so he brought her too.
After three years apart, the second daughter had grown even more beautiful, looking exactly like her deceased mother. He Zhongguo was somewhat dazed when he saw He He.
He Zhongguo handed the gift he brought to He He, saying, "Xiao Hua, why didn't you tell your dad you got into university?"
He He's attitude was indifferent. "I forgot. I was planning to go home another day. Dad, why did you suddenly come? Come in and sit down."
She didn't correct He Zhongguo's way of addressing her. Although He He didn't like him calling her that, she didn't want to argue with He Zhongguo on this joyous day over such a small thing as how he addressed her.
Stepmother Wang Fangrong stood beside He Zhongguo, with He Shuying beside her.
Wang Fangrong seemed oblivious to He He's dislike of her. "Xiao He is doing quite well in the countryside. Look how pretty she is, with such fair and radiant skin. I've told you before that life in the countryside isn't as hard as you think. I grew up in the countryside myself, and I know what life is like there! It's very leisurely during the off-season."
He He's gaze turned cold as she looked at Wang Fangrong. "Auntie, what kind of mother are you to me? Didn't I tell you not to pretend to be my mother? I only have one mother, so stop trying to put yourself on top of her."
Chen Jingbai, standing to the side, fixed his gaze on Wang Fangrong. His voice was soft, as if he were speaking casually, but his words carried an undeniable weight. “Auntie, life in the countryside isn’t as leisurely as you think. During the busy farming season, you have to get up before dawn and come back after dark. There’s no rest all day long. There’s no such thing as a slack season in the countryside. After planting rice, you have to fertilize and weed. In addition to rice, the brigade also has to plant other crops in different seasons. You spend a lot of time in the fields all year round. Xiao He is so good-looking because he’s naturally beautiful.”
Cheng Surin and Chen Jingyi also chimed in.
"Have you ever lived in the countryside? The countryside is nothing like what you describe. You come from the countryside and you don't do farm work at home, do you? If you don't know anything, don't speak. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
"Yes, Auntie, the countryside isn't as good as you think, otherwise so many educated youth wouldn't be rushing to return to the city."
Seeing that He He was unhappy, and that the others were all talking at once and criticizing Wang Fangrong, He Zhongguo quickly tried to ease the atmosphere: "Xiao Hua, your Aunt Wang is not this one."
He took out another red envelope from his pocket and stuffed it into He He's hand. "This is for you. Take it quickly. If you want to go home, then go home. If you don't want to come back, then stay with your grandparents and take care of your parents for me. But your father still hopes that you will come home to live."
He He's uncles were watching this side intently, and if things didn't look right, they looked like they would abandon the guests and come this way.
And He He's cousins and nephews are not to be trifled with either.
He was also making a presumptuous visit today. He hadn't been to the Cheng family for several years, and the Cheng family was not happy about his visit, so he didn't want to make a fool of himself.
He Zhongguo didn't plan to stay for dinner. "Xiaohua, I'll just say goodbye to your grandparents and then leave. There's no such thing as holding a grudge overnight in a family. Shuying was wrong before, so don't blame her. Everyone makes mistakes. Just like you used to be naughty, but you've changed for the better now. Everyone's happy."
He Shuying called out reproachfully, "Father!"
In front of so many people, her father insisted on bringing this up. Back then, when eligible young people in the city were to go to the countryside, she deliberately sabotaged things and made He He go to the countryside in her place. That's true, but what's wrong with her making plans for herself?
There was a policy that only one person from each family could stay when sent to the countryside. Since her younger brother was only in elementary school, they couldn't reach him. So, the only people who could be sent to the countryside were to be chosen from her and He He.
It was either He He or her. He Shuying didn't want to be the one sent to the countryside, so the only option was to push He He out.
He He has so many people who love her, and she won't suffer much hardship in the countryside. But she's different. She has no parents and was adopted by the He family. So what if Wang Fangrong treats her better than He He? She's still an outsider, and no one will genuinely care about her.
Although she was adopted by He He's biological mother and father, she spent her childhood in the rural home of He He's grandparents. After He He's mother died and Wang Fangrong was married, she was brought to the city.
A biological daughter and an adopted daughter are always different, but He Shuying is fortunate that He Zhongguo and Wang Fangrong are on her side now.
He He knew that He Zhongguo favored He Shuying, but she never expected that he would take the initiative to come to celebrate her admission to university, and now he was implying that she was being immature.
"Anyway, I just hate her. Whether I forgive her or not is my business. Even if you are my dad, you can't forgive her for me."
Fearing an argument, He Zhongguo softened his tone: "That's not what Father meant."
He He's uncle came over, pointed at He Zhongguo's nose and scolded, "He Zhongguo, what are you doing here? Our Cheng family didn't invite you here. Take your family and get out of the Cheng family. What nonsense are you spouting in my house? I don't have the same good temper as others."
After saying that, he was about to roll up his sleeves.
When the other guests saw the argument, they all looked over. He Zhongguo, knowing he was losing face, didn't greet them and quickly left with Wang Fangrong and He Shuying.
Once outside the door, Wang Fangrong dared to sow discord. She sighed and said, "I don't know if He He has been led astray by some people in the countryside these past few years. She's become more and more impolite. She doesn't even give you, her father, any face. How can she know how to respect you? I think she was corrupted by those people who were talking next to her just now."
He Zhongguo was at his wit's end. He rubbed his tired temples and said, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about Xiaohua anymore. She's been spoiled by her grandparents. Let's go back first."
Wang Fangrong then pretended to say, "Sigh, I wonder if this child will ever come home."
He Shuying said pitifully, "Second sister, you're not still blaming me, are you? If only I had been the one sent to the countryside back then, it would have been so much better. It's all my fault, otherwise you wouldn't have turned out like this and would still be angry with Father."
She knew that what He Zhongguo wanted most was for his family to live in harmony. She said these words to let He Zhongguo know that she had been regretting the mistakes she had made in the past, and that she also felt sorry for He He.
Both are his children, and He Shuying suffered for several years when she was raised by his parents. He Zhongguo comforted He Shuying, saying, "It's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore."
Seeing that her words had worked, He Shuying lowered her head and smiled secretly.
Unfortunately, Minglang has been undergoing intensive training in the military for the past few months and won't be back until the start of the school term. Otherwise, she would have whispered in Minglang's ear to let him know that He He, whom he once liked, has become such a disrespectful person.
With the start of the school year approaching, He He finally agreed to return to the He family home. Her only purpose was to ask for her monthly living expenses and to get another sum of money from He Zhongguo.
Although she disliked the He family, she still had to ask for the money she was owed, especially since He Zhongguo was willing to give it to her. Why shouldn't she accept it? It was all rightfully hers.
He He went on a Sunday, which was also a cloudy day. She had finally managed to pick a cloudy day so she wouldn't get roasted by the sun on her way there.
Sunday is a day off, so He Zhongguo would definitely be at home. He He wouldn't make a wasted trip if she came without prior notice.
The He family lived in a government compound. The house was allocated by the government when her mother and He Zhongguo both worked there.
These are all tenement buildings, which used to be a beautiful sight in Rongcheng. Now that there are more and more high-rise buildings, the tenement buildings in the government compound look dilapidated.
The house allocated to the He family was considered large, not only because Cheng Fenghua and He Zhongguo both worked for government agencies back then, but also because of the Cheng family's connections.
The room was only forty square meters, and the house was very small, even smaller than Chen Jingbai's house.
He He's previous room was the largest besides the master bedroom. The other guest room was given to He Shuying after she came to the He family. Later, Wang Fangrong's son grew up and split He Shuying's room in two, with He Shuying and He Xiaodi each taking half of the room.
They didn't dare to give He He a room before because of the Cheng family's influence. Now that she hasn't returned to the He family for three years, it's unknown whether she still has a room.
As soon as He He stepped into the government compound, some nosy aunties surrounded her.
"Young lady, who are you looking for? You look unfamiliar. Are you related to someone?"
The first to speak was Sun Hongying, the women's director. With people coming and going in the government compound, her biggest worry was that someone with ill intentions would come in.
These days, child abductions are rampant, and there are many children in the compound. If a strange young woman suddenly appears, as the women's director, she should be questioned thoroughly.
He He looked closely at Sun Hongying and it took her a while to recognize that she was the women's director and also the mother of Zhang Qiang, her high school classmate. She used to love comparing her son with her, saying that her grades were bad while her son's grades were good.
He He gave a forced smile, her lips curving into a wide grin. "It's me, He He. Director Sun, don't you remember me? I went to the countryside as an educated youth a few years ago. This year, I casually registered for the college entrance exam and unexpectedly passed. So I came back!"
"It really is you, Xiao He! I didn't even recognize you! Girls change so much as they grow up!" Sun Hongying's eyes widened in disbelief. The fair-skinned woman in front of her was He He, but upon closer inspection, she still looked the same.
Everyone says life in the countryside is tough, with people working in the fields under the scorching sun all day long! How come He He is still so fair-skinned? She looks even more striking than before she went to the countryside.
And she even got into university? He He's grades used to be even worse than her son's. Zhang Qiang quit his temporary job to take the college entrance exam last year, and after two years he still couldn't get into a junior college.
What He He said makes it sound like you can get into university so easily?
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Author's Note: This chapter has been incredibly difficult. I posted it precisely at 11:00 AM, but first there was a network problem, then it said I was posting too frequently and couldn't post. I switched from the app to the assistant, then to the website, and even contacted customer service. [Facepalm with laughter and tears][Facepalm with laughter and tears][Burning with tears]
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