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Xie Jingzi, initially unfamiliar and restrained, gradually got accustomed to the warm and joyful atmosphere of the Zhou family. In her heart, she had thought that the families of the upper class were all condescending.
Er, Xie Jingzi didn’t harbor any resentment towards the rich. However, she was no naïve girl and certainly hadn’t spent her whole life in the countryside. She needed to attend school; starting from junior high, she began to meet all sorts of classmates whose family upbringing would often manifest in their behavior and reveal their true nature.
To tell the truth, the classmates from better-off backgrounds would really have all sorts of mockery for those who came from the countryside like her.
It was just that since she was always seen as a good student in the eyes of her teachers, and added to that having a capable brother like Third Brother, the Xie and Zhou families of Qingfeng Village had always appeared as a united family to outsiders.
If anyone dared to openly bully Xie Jingzi outside, the Qingfeng Village classmates from the same school would never allow it!
The majority of the villagers naturally looked up to Xie Laoer and Xie Jingchen who had served in the military, and their adolescent idolization made it absolutely unacceptable for Brother Chen’s sister to be bullied outside.
Hot-blooded as young adolescents often are.
Xie Jingzi was rather well-protected, but the problem was she had female classmates, too. Many of them would suffer grievances outside then vent in the dormitory. How could she not know about this?
School was, in fact, a microcosm of society, where all sorts of things happen, including bullying and oppression as common occurrences.
It all depends on whether you have what it takes and how strong your fists are.
The older Xie Jingzi grew, the clearer she understood that society was pragmatic, and so were human interactions. Only back at home could Xie Jingzi reveal her genuine smile.
Family was her one and only sanctuary.
The New Year at the Zhou family’s was bustling with activity. Compared to the uncle’s welcoming, the distant relatives treated Xie Jingzi with superficial compliments, but behind her back, quite a few were actually waiting to laugh at her misfortune.
On the second day of the New Year, finding the atmosphere too uncomfortable, she chose to walk in the garden outside with her uncle, as the winter snowscape was quite appealing for a girl from the south.
Little did she know that she would overhear a group of Zhou distant relatives sitting in the hexagon pavilion, laughing lightly as they discussed her. Xie Jingzi couldn’t express how awkward she felt.
At that moment, Xie Jingzi really wanted to shake off the man’s arm and flee—so embarrassing.
But the moment she moved, she felt the large hand on her shoulder tighten. She looked up at Zhou Zhenghui’s clenched jaw. Perceiving Xie Jingzi’s gaze, the man naturally rested his chin on her forehead. Hidden behind the thick tree trunk and remaining silent, he simply held her tightly and continued to listen to the few young wastrels among the relatives discussing fervently.
Xie Jingzi’s emotions calmed down suddenly. Listening carefully, they were just going on about how she was a girl from a countryside village and at most criticized that her maternal family had no influence to help her uncle. Nothing too offensive was said, so gradually, her mind settled down.
In contrast to Xie Jingzi’s calm, Zhou Zhenghui was raging inside.
His own woman, whom he himself could hardly bear to criticize or push even slightly, how dare these ’nephews’ from the outside gossip about her!
The protective actions of Zhou Zhenghui following the incident indeed softened her heart. Originally intending to leave on the third day of the New Year, she was moved by her uncle’s determined protection and, in a daze, agreed to his marriage proposal.
Zhou Zhenghui also admitted to her that he brought her back this time not only to meet the Chang Family but also to get engaged in Beijing first.
In Mrs. Zhou’s eyes, Xie Jingzi is a good match, and so she must cooperate with her son’s actions to bring the daughter-in-law home. This way, her grandson will have a future.
Another point is in families like theirs, getting engaged is almost no different from getting married. Once engaged, they can address each other as family, and the wedding is just an occasion to prepare for a grand ceremony.
Xie Jingzi can no longer object. Zhou Zhenghui, still in excitement, realizes that he hasn’t shared the good news with his future in-laws yet!
Dizzy and clueless, Xie Jingzi finds herself back in Zhou Zhenghui’s room, her whole being void of any sense of reality.
As soon as she enters the room, she’s enveloped in the man’s sturdy and warm chest, and he whispers gleefully next to her delicate ear—
"Little Zi’er, you’re finally mine. I’m so happy." The cold of the harsh winter cannot quell the heat in his heart.
"You, you bad uncle, you did it on purpose!" Only when Xie Jingzi is fully embraced by the man’s chest does she realize that what just happened can’t get any more real!!
Ah, she really got proposed to?
The uncle proposed to her!
While Xie Jingzi is excited inside, her face shows dissatisfaction, her fair little face turning downcast.
It’s so frustrating to be proposed to by the man she loves. After the initial excitement, as reason slowly sets in, she realizes she’s been completely led by the nose by him.
Damn it, this bad man has even started plotting against her. Xie Jingzi won’t stand for it!—
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