Chapter 116

Xiaoyu sobbed and smiled bitterly: "Is this what they call a deep love but a shallow fate?"

Xu Wen was silent for a moment, and after considering his words, he spoke to comfort her: "Since you're already married, it doesn't mean you're not in love, but it can be considered a match made in heaven after many hardships, right?!"

"Thank you! You are so nice." Xiaoyu turned her head and looked at Xu Wen with her red and swollen eyes.

Xu Wen didn't say anything else. Xiaoyu was a bit strange.

She was very clear-headed and clearly trapped in her relationship with Zhang Qinglong.

Xu Wen sighed softly. Sometimes being sober is more painful! It's better to be happy with a girl who would lie to you.

Xiaoyu sensed the sadness in Xu Wen's eyes and comforted her, "Sister-in-law, thank you! I'm fine. I don't regret marrying him. Where were we talking about just now? Oh! It's the second time we met."

Xiaoyu was still a college student at that time. She went to college in Haicheng. She was shopping in a department store with her classmates and her wallet was stolen.

Then it was a bloody story: Zhang Qinglong saved her and she invited Zhang Qinglong to dinner.

Zhang Qinglong had just completed two years as a recruit at that time, and he was out with a few of his comrades to celebrate the restoration of his long-lost semi-freedom, so he rejected her.

Xiaoyu didn't bother to argue. She just asked his name and unit and left.

Later, Xiaoyu made some desserts herself and sent them to the security guard at his unit.

The gate guards of the compound are different from those of other units. The gate guards of other units are just gate guards, but the gate guards of the compound are sentries. They cannot collect things randomly. A phone call was made back to the company to let Zhang Qinglong come and pick it up himself.

Xiaoyu wanted to give some snacks and leave, she didn't want to see him.

It was a pleasant surprise.

Zhang Qinglong chatted with her for a while across the iron fence and made an appointment to have dinner together next time.

Zhang Qinglong is easy to be liked by girls, and Xiaoyu is also a very special girl.

We really came together after coming and going.

Zhang Qinglong's deputy captain is already married, so there is nothing to be afraid of for the two of them to be together.

Xiaoyu thought that the next step would be a natural marriage between a man and a woman.

Zhang Qinglong did not have any home leave during his time as a recruit, which means he has not been home for two years.

Xiaoyu and he had just been together for a short time and it was finally his turn to take a vacation.

The two held hands and got on the train heading north.

They agreed to hold the wedding in Zhang Qinglong's hometown this time and bring along all the marriage registration materials. They would submit the marriage report when his vacation was over.

However, the sweetness of love only lasted to Zhang Qinglong's home.

Zhang Qinglong took Xiaoyu home. When his mother heard about Xiaoyu's condition, she wanted to commit suicide on the spot.

She said that the son she had raised with great difficulty had not shown her filial respect for a single day and had been bewitched by the vixen in the city.

She threatened that if Xiaoyu was there, she would not be there, and if she was there, Xiaoyu would not be there.

Xiaoyu was dumbfounded. Even Zhang Qinglong didn't expect his mother to do such a thing.

He thought that his whole family would celebrate happily when he brought home such a good daughter-in-law.

Their production team is extremely poor, and it is difficult to find a wife there.

Unable to deal with his mother's annoyance, Zhang Qinglong had no choice but to send Xiaoyu to a guesthouse in the county town to settle her down first.

Xiaoyu was a delicate girl, and he was afraid that she would not be able to get used to the small and shabby guesthouse in the commune.

After settling Xiaoyu down, Zhang Qinglong went home and tried to convince his mother.

In the end, his mother was not convinced and he was locked up at home by her.

Zhang Qinglong tried to talk to his mother calmly, but his mother just kept crying and cursing and refused to talk to him properly. Zhang Qinglong was so angry that he slammed the door and went back to the inner room.

His mother became even angrier and scolded him for being a mountain spirit who had forgotten his mother after getting married.

Later, Zhang Qinglong's youngest sister sneaked into the room to bring him food, and he found out why.

Zhang Qinglong's mother had already arranged a marriage for him. She particularly liked the girl and had shown her a photo of Zhang Qinglong. The girl was also very satisfied with Zhang Qinglong.

The boy is tall and energetic, and he is a soldier, how great is that?!

Both families agreed to get married when Zhang Qinglong came back, but when Zhang Qinglong came back he brought a girl with him. How could his mother not be angry?

"We've even given out the betrothal money! That's a year's harvest!" Zhang's younger sister sighed, "No matter what your sister-in-law in this city says, she will never let you marry her."

If Zhang Qinglong regrets first, the other party does not have to return the betrothal money.

Then you don't want to kill the Zhang family? !

If his family had not been so poor, Zhang Qinglong would not have been sent to such a far place to serve as a soldier.

"So..." Zhang Qinglong laughed angrily, "Did my mother sell me out?"

"How can it be sold?" The younger sister shook her head. "If they sold you, it should be someone else who gave us the money, but this time we are the one who gave them the money!"

Zhang Qinglong: “…”

Sounds like it might as well be sold.

As my younger sister said, his mother would never agree to Zhang Qinglong breaking off the engagement and marrying another woman. If Zhang Qinglong didn't compromise, she would make a scene at home every day and hang herself.

While Zhang Qinglong was fighting with his mother at home, Xiaoyu was also having a very hard time in the guesthouse.

Xiaoyu didn't think much about it, thinking it was due to the unfamiliar climate. She vomited as soon as she ate, and felt hungry when she didn't eat.

I wanted to wait for Zhang Qinglong to come and have him accompany me to the hospital.

But no matter how long we waited, Zhang Qinglong never came.

It’s not that she didn’t think about looking for Zhang Qinglong, but she didn’t know the way.

The local accent in Zhang Qinglong's hometown is very strong. She can hardly understand what others say, and can't understand when asking for directions.

Zhang Qinglong came to see her in the middle of the night on the fifth day. He looked very haggard and apologized to her as soon as he saw her.

Xiaoyu's heart skipped a beat. Feeling sorry at this time usually meant that they were finished.

Zhang Qinglong told her the whole story and begged for forgiveness.

Xiaoyu couldn't stand such a blow, and regardless of her self-esteem, she begged him: "Can I go with the betrothal money? I'll give this money to your mother and let her agree that we can be together, okay?"

When Xu Wen heard this, he knew in his heart that this girl was hopeless.

To be so humble in love, alas!

Isn't it said that in the world of love, whoever loves more loses? !

However, even though Xiaoyu was so humble, Zhang Qinglong still did not agree to her. He told her that it was not just because of the money, but also because his mother did not want a daughter-in-law from the city, but wanted a local daughter-in-law who could serve her.

Zhang Qinglong's father is in poor health and his mother has difficulty walking. He has an older sister who is already married and a younger sister who is only seven years old.

Now people get food based on their work, and with his family's current conditions, it's hard to even provide enough food for the whole family.

What his mother meant was that local girls can endure hardships, earn more work points, and can also take care of their families.

Marrying Xiaoyu, a city girl, would not earn any work points at home, nor could she take care of his parents.

So his mother refused to agree no matter what, and finally knelt down to Zhang Qinglong. What else could he say?

Zhang Qinglong, a grown man, cried bitterly to Xiaoyu, "I'm sorry for you! I'm sorry for my parents! I'm a sinner!"

Xu asked, interrupting Xiaoyu, "Don't they all have subsidies?"

Xiaoyu smiled bitterly: "New soldiers don't get allowances, only a portion of living expenses, and the amount is very small. Some soldiers who spend more money have to ask their families for money in the first two years of service."

Xu asked: "..."

She didn't know it was going to be like this, and it was really difficult.

"But, when you went back to his house, didn't he already have the allowance?" Xu asked.

"The allowance also increases with the age of the soldier. When he became a volunteer soldier, his allowance was also very low. Apart from daily expenses, he could not support the family. That's why he felt guilty towards his parents. He couldn't just say that he would give the betrothal money to the girl, nor could he promise to make money to support the family. At that time, he really couldn't do it. He was a grown man and couldn't ask me for money to give to another girl. What would that mean?"

"So he sacrificed you?"

"No. I couldn't bear to see him suffer so much, so I took the initiative to break up."

Xu asked: "..."

"We both wanted to get married and go home, but in the end, I had to take a train for five days and four nights to get back to Haicheng. I didn't eat anything during those days, and I fainted when I got home. My mother took me to the hospital. I was found to be pregnant!"

Xu Wen took a breath of cool air.

"My parents were very angry at the time! But no matter how they pressed me, I refused to tell them who the father was. Of course, I couldn't keep the child, so my parents forced me to have surgery to remove the child. I don't know if it was because of the poor medical standards. I bled heavily during the surgery! Afterwards, I was not feeling well. Maybe this fetal demise had some reason!"

"Does Zhang Qinglong know that you are pregnant with your first child?"

Xiaoyu nodded and shook her head, "I know now, but I didn't know then. Since we broke up, there was no need to add to his pain. I could bear it alone, so I didn't tell him. He's not an irresponsible man! We thought too simply at the time, thinking his family would be satisfied with my conditions. We wanted to hold the wedding while he was on vacation, and we didn't consider his family's objections at all, so... Anyway, if he knew I was pregnant, he would definitely marry me."

She still has confidence in Zhang Qinglong on this point.

Xu Wen sighed, not knowing how to comment.

I can only say that Xiaoyu is too stupid.

"So how come you're getting married now?"

"So it's fate!" Xiaoyu smiled bitterly, "We really broke up at that time, and we had no contact for half a year. But Haicheng is so small, we bumped into each other again by chance."

Xiaoyu didn't know how to describe that feeling.

On the busy street, she and Zhang Qinglong made eye contact.

At that moment she felt that time had stopped.

Zhang Qinglong walked up to her and asked her, "Are you okay?"

Xiaoyu nodded and asked him, "What about you?"

"I'm not doing well." Zhang Qinglong looked at her affectionately.

The reasons why this is bad are obvious.

Xiaoyu immediately fell into it again.

Especially after Zhang Qinglong said that he had saved money to give the betrothal money to his family, I was completely moved.

Perhaps because he was a bystander, Xu Wen could not be as moved as Xiaoyu, and could not ask her rationally: "Why didn't he look for you earlier?"

"He can't find me."

Xu asked: “……?”

The two of them have been in love for so long, and Haicheng is not a big city, so why can't Zhang Qinglong find her?

Xiaoyu was a little embarrassed. "I never told him where my home was. I was afraid that he would feel pressured."

"You two have been together for so long, but he never sent you home?"

"I have sent him there before. I always let him send me to the crossroads, and then I would go back after he left!"

This operation is totally incomprehensible to Xu Wen.

Listening to their love story, Xiaoyu can be said to have deep feelings for Zhang Qinglong.

You are so affectionate but you don’t even tell each other where your home is?

Are we still talking about marriage even though this is the case?

If Xu Wen had not gotten to know Xiaoyu fairly well through their recent interactions, she would probably have thought that Xiaoyu was making up stories.

No, the story doesn’t even dare to be written like that.

Xu Wen was no longer able to complain about how their relationship was full of bugs and illogical. He could only be moved by their love for each other.

Of course, maybe it was just because Xu Wen didn’t understand the ins and outs of their relationship, but he didn’t want to ask anymore. It was tiring to listen.

Xiaoyu was eager to confide in Xu Wen, and took the initiative to tell him the reason: "My father... is the most senior official in their compound. So I dare not let him know where I live. In fact, we don't live in a compound. My mother is a native of Haicheng, and the people living in our community are either rich or noble. I'm afraid he will feel pressured if he knows."

Xu asked: "..."

Take a breath.

After a while, Xu Wen shook his head and asked with a sigh, "It's a miracle that you two can get married!"

This is probably the legendary touching and passionate love!

At this time, Zhang Qinglong ran back, holding the set of daily necessities distributed by the hospital.

"Sister-in-law, can you help me get it?"

Xu Wen nodded and took the hot pot, washbasin, towel and other miscellaneous items from his hands.

Zhang Qinglong bent down and picked up Xiaoyu, with sweat still on his forehead, and said softly: "Xiaoyu, don't be afraid!"

Xiaoyu leaned in his arms and nodded.

Xu asked: "..."

It was already midnight when we were done with this ordeal.

Xu Wen asked Zhang Qinglong to rest for a while while he would help to keep watch all night as they had to return to the island tomorrow.

Zhang Qinglong said Xiaoyu had worked hard all day, so he asked her to rest on the empty bed next door for a while while he stayed with Xiaoyu.

Before the two men could convince each other, an uninvited guest came to the ward.

It didn't seem like an uninvited guest, after all, the other party was Xiaoyu's mother.

Xiaoyu's mother is a middle-aged woman with a particularly good temperament. She came to the hospital to see her daughter in the middle of the night. She was still radiant, wearing a gorgeous cheongsam, with delicate makeup on her face, and even her hair was neatly tied up.

Xu Wen was a little confused. Was she still awake in the middle of the night? Or did she get up and put on makeup before coming over after hearing the news that her daughter was sick and hospitalized?

As soon as he entered the room, he looked at Zhang Qinglong sternly, "Qinglong, what's going on?"

Without waiting for Zhang Qinglong to speak, Xiaoyu said, "Mom, it has nothing to do with him. The embryo stopped developing, and the child... doesn't want us anymore."

I couldn't help choking up at the end.

Xiaoyu's mother frowned, "You guys..." Her eyes passed by Xu Wen, and she paused, her tone softened, and she changed her words, "You guys should go to bed early. I came a little late because I asked someone to ask the doctor in the provincial capital to set aside some time to perform surgery on you. I'll take you to the provincial capital for surgery at daybreak."

Xu Wen felt a little embarrassed. It was probably because of his preconceived notions. When Xiaoyu said that her family background was not good, he thought her mother had to put on makeup before coming to the hospital. He didn't expect that she had to meet someone first. It was quite fast when he calculated it this way!

"Who is this comrade?" Xiaoyu's mother gestured to Xu Wen's location with her eyes.

"This is our battalion commander's wife, her name is Xu Wen." Zhang Qinglong spoke, his tone respectful but not rejecting.

As the younger generation, Xu Wen took the initiative to greet her: "Hello, Auntie!"

"Hello!" Xiaoyu's mother smiled amiably. Although it was obvious that she was trying very hard to be approachable, there was still a hint of distance that she could not conceal.

Zhang Qinglong hung his head and stood beside the bed like a prisoner.

Xiaoyu's mother didn't even look at him or Xiaoyu again. She just said to Xu Wen, "Comrade Xu Wen, thank you for helping to send Xiaoyu back."

"You are so kind!"

The atmosphere in the room fell eerily silent.

Xiaoyu's mother sat beside the bed without saying a word.

Zhang Qinglong already lowered his head.

Xiaoyu lay on the bed with her eyes closed. It was obvious that she was not asleep, but she didn't say anything either.

Only Xu Wen, the outsider, felt like an outsider at this moment, yet he could do nothing and could not escape.

The hospital was also very quiet in the early morning.

Time passed in agony, until finally the sky began to turn pale.

Xiaoyu's mother declined Xu Wen's request to accompany her.

As for Zhang Qinglong, he did not have the authority to leave for the provincial capital without permission, so he must return to Rainbow Island before his leave expired.

Seeing Xu Wen's worry, Xiaoyu comforted Xu Wen with a pale face: "Sister-in-law, it's okay! I will be back fine. I can take care of myself by myself!"

Xu Wen was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked at Xiaoyu's mother.

There was a flash of loneliness in her mother's eyes, and then she returned to her distant and reserved look.

As an outsider, Xu Wen didn't know what to say. After all, Xiaoyu's mother was there, and she couldn't force her to follow them. After sending Xiaoyu and her daughter to the car that picked them up, she and Zhang Qinglong returned to the island.

The two of them didn't talk much along the way.

When the two were sitting on the boat, Xu Wen inadvertently turned his head and happened to see a drop of tear falling on the floor.

Zhang Qinglong sat there, his hands clasped together, his elbows resting on his knees, his head lowered, and his shoulders shaking slightly.