Damn Zhang Xiaocui! She didn't even introduce me to a friend who came to visit. Doesn't she understand how embarrassing this makes me? If it weren't for her good looks and well-off family, I wouldn't have come all this way here! Chen Yong muttered to himself, his heart filled with dissatisfaction and annoyance.
Once we get inside, I'll teach her a lesson! Xiao Cui swore to herself, but she unconsciously followed Xu Qinghe lightly towards her familiar yet slightly crowded adobe house.
Inside the house, under the dim light, Zhang Xiaocui seemed to have found a haven to confide in, and she revealed all the complicated and tangled entanglements in her family. During the conversation, her eyes showed both understanding of her father's helplessness and criticism of her mother's stubbornness.
Xu Qinghe listened, a thoughtful expression gathered between her brows. After a moment, her gentle voice fell like a spring rain. "Don't worry, Xiao Cui. Life is like a chess game. As long as the marriage is not settled, we can always find a way to make it happen. Well, if he really traveled all the way here, day and night, he shouldn't be in such good spirits. And look at him, he's dressed so neatly, without a trace of fatigue or dust from a long journey."
Zhang Xiaocui nodded slightly when she heard this, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: "He said to travel overnight, but I'm not sure about the actual situation."
Her fingers unconsciously twisted around the ends of her braid, and she seemed a little at a loss.
Xu Qinghe's eyebrows furrowed slightly, a knowing glint in her eyes. "That's certainly counterintuitive. One would certainly be a bit tired after traveling so long, but his clothes were so clean, there wasn't even a trace of travel. When I passed him this morning, I even seemed to smell the faint scent of soap, like the freshness after a morning bath."
Zhang Xiaocui was awakened by these words. She was stunned for a moment, and then she seemed to wake up from a dream: "Yes, I was surprised at that time. He had a faint scent of soap on him, as if he had just washed."
"Then he must have entered the city a day in advance and found a place to stay for the night."
Xu Qinghe's speculation was straightforward, but Zhang Xiaocui's brows furrowed even further. "But he never mentioned staying at a hotel, and when he came, he had almost no luggage except a small cloth bag. He spent the entire morning helping with things at my house. I really don't understand what he's up to."
Under the influence of Xu Qinghe, Zhang Xiaocui gradually learned to think about problems from multiple perspectives. Although it is not clear what Chen Yong's real intention is, the vague uneasiness tells her that such a person is not suitable for entrusting her life to.
Just as she was thinking about how to confess her true thoughts to her mother, her mother's hurried and reproachful voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"What are you doing hiding in the house, you little girl? Come and chat with Xiao Chen. Leaving him out here all alone is so disrespectful! What did I teach you?"
Xiao Cui's mother's slightly angry voice came closer and closer along with the sound of footsteps. She shouted loudly while dragging Chen Yong towards the inner room. Facing this ignorant daughter, her helplessness was beyond words.
At this moment, Xu Qinghe stepped out of Xiao Cui's room at the right time, with his signature sweet smile on his face, and smiled at Xiao Cui's mother: "Hehe, Auntie, it's my fault. I came to discuss a small matter with Xiao Cui."
Xu Qinghe was quite popular in the village, and the Zhang family had an even more special bond with hers. When Xiao Cui's mother saw Xu Qinghe, the anger on her face was instantly replaced by a kind smile, and her eyes narrowed into slits: "Oh, it's okay, it's okay, Xiao Cui was just being lazy! Now that you're here, don't leave. Have lunch at my house, and I'll cook for you myself!"
Normally Xu Qinghe might have politely declined, but in Chen Yong's presence, she smiled sheepishly and accepted the invitation.
Xiao Cui's mother was overjoyed. She proudly introduced Xu Qinghe to Chen Yong, "Qinghe is the most capable girl in our village. The small workshops in the village are only able to prosper thanks to Qinghe's intelligence and talent! My daughter Xiao Cui has been as close to Qinghe as a sister since she was a child!"
While praising Xu Qinghe, Xiao Cui's mother also did not forget to give her daughter credit. Isn't it a reflection of her daughter's excellence that she is associated with such an outstanding girl?
A strange light flashed in Chen Yong's eyes, and he couldn't help but look at Xu Qinghe again.
She is good-looking and capable. Isn't she better than Zhang Xiaocui?
However, under the watchful eyes of the two elders of the Zhang family, he did not dare to stare at Xu Qinghe too blatantly. He could only smile politely, and as everyone took their seats, he picked up the teacup and took a sip.
In the kitchen, Xiao Cui's mother was busy shuttling around. Zhang Xiao Cui wanted to go over and lend a hand, but her mother stopped her firmly: "Just stay and chat with Qing He and the others. Your father and I are here in the kitchen!"
After settling Zhang Xiaocui, Xiaocui's mother quietly pulled Xu Qinghe over, whispered in her ear, and asked her to help observe Chen Yong to confirm whether he was sincere to Xiaocui. Then she turned around and went back to the kitchen with satisfaction and continued to work.
There were only three young figures left in the main room. Occasionally, the sounds of children playing outside the yard could be heard, but it was not enough to interrupt the delicate atmosphere of conversation between them.
Chen Yong noticed the unique charm of Xu Qinghe, which was different from Zhang Xiaocui's. To break the subtle silence, he took the initiative to speak: "It's really unexpected that you have achieved so much at such a young age. You are truly a role model for me!"
Xu Qinghe smiled modestly and responded insincerely: "Oh, no, no, it's just the folks who are praising me."
Changing the subject, Xu Qinghe asked casually, "I heard you're from a neighboring county. You'll have to take a bus to get there and back, right? That's a pretty big expense."
Without thinking, Chen Yong answered casually, "It didn't cost much. I walked all night along the mountain road to get here."
After saying that, he smiled naively, which made people think that he was an extremely frugal person.
"Oh, it's not safe to walk on mountain roads at night. You've had a hard time! But I can also see that you take this meeting with Xiao Cui very seriously. It's really commendable that you can still stay so neat and tidy after hiking on the mountain road."
Xu Qinghe's praise is like a spring breeze, warming people's hearts.
Zhang Xiaocui, who was standing by, was completely confused. She kept making faces at Xu Qinghe and anxiously cried out in her heart, "Sister, which side are you on?!"
Seeing Xu Qinghe showing such favor, Chen Yong felt extremely proud.
In comparison, he felt even worse about Zhang Xiaocui's neglect in the morning.
At this moment, his mind was filled with the thought of showing off in front of Xu Qinghe, and he completely threw aside his guarded mind, so his words naturally lacked the vigilance and caution.
Zhang Xiaocui was standing by, keenly capturing every detail, and doubts and dissatisfaction began to grow quietly in her heart.
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