Chapter 9: Marriage Will Doom Her Husband

Even with her preparations, Wang Mingxia was so infuriated by Mother Jiang’s words that her teeth were chattering. Had she not seen Song Wanlin give birth to Xu Qinghuan with her own eyes, she would have doubted whether Qinghuan was truly Song Wanlin’s biological daughter.

If she didn't harbor a grudge against her daughter, why would she find such a family for her to marry into? The relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was of paramount importance! With a mother-in-law like that, could Qinghuan ever have a moment of peace after marrying into that household? Fortunately, Qinghuan was not her own flesh and blood, and her goal was to annul this engagement.

"Sister Shao, you have misunderstood. Although Qinghuan has no objections to the marriage, she has no plans to wed for the time being. With the current push to liberate our thinking, there is something I haven't dared to mention: her second uncle once had a fortune teller cast her horoscope, and he said she cannot marry before the age of twenty-four, or else she will bring misfortune to her husband."

Upon hearing this, Mother Jiang nearly jumped in shock, snapping, "There’s such a thing? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Many things are believed only if one chooses to believe them. Even with the liberation of thought, Buddhist and Taoist traditions have been passed down for one or two thousand years; they are beliefs etched into the marrow of the people. The more intangible and mysterious something is, the more people dare not ignore it.

Waiting until she was twenty-four meant they would have to wait another six or seven years—how could that be possible! If they married earlier, it might not affect Qinghuan, but to bring misfortune to her husband? She only had one son; could she let him be cursed to death? No, this marriage must be called off at any cost.

Wang Mingxia felt a surge of secret delight, but she put on a look of deep embarrassment. "Sister Shao, this is our fault. We didn't dare speak of such matters lightly. If you hadn't brought up the wedding today, I wouldn't have dared to say it."

Mother Jiang’s chest heaved with rage. "Waiting six or seven years is absolutely impossible! As for this engagement, let's see what you have to say about it!"

"I have raised her for fourteen years; it would be reasonable for her to call me mother. She has also said that she wants her second uncle and me to decide on her marriage. If you truly have any dissatisfaction, we can understand that. However, our side has the daughter; we won't take the blame for this. After all, it wasn't us who were desperate to push for this union." Although Wang Mingxia wanted her own daughter to marry Jiang Chengxu, she preferred for the Jiang family to be the ones to suggest calling it off. Firstly, it would absolve her of responsibility so her sister-in-law couldn't criticize her; secondly, she might be able to extract some benefits.

Mother Jiang was incensed again, having never encountered someone so shameless. She sneered, "Are you implying that we were the ones desperate to force this union?"

Wang Mingxia countered quickly, "In that case, it’s perfect—since neither party is willing, a forced melon is never sweet. You have a son, we have a daughter; since you aren't willing, we are even less so. Let’s just call off the marriage!"

Mother Jiang was also eager to do so, but this wasn't a decision she could make on her own. She had to swallow her pride and say, "I will have to discuss this with his father."

Xu Qinghuan had arranged to meet Lin Xialan at the hospital in the morning. Arriving a bit early, she checked on the new mother, whose wound was healing well and whose recovery was progressing steadily.

"Thank you so much!" The mother was genuinely grateful. "My mother wanted to thank you, but you refused so adamantly. Our whole family is very grateful to you."

"There is really no need; it was just a small effort, don't take it to heart. If you think about it, we helped each other. You had a need, and I happened to have the ability. I am happy to have been able to help," Qinghuan replied with a smile.

"Oh, right, my name is Tian Xia. I work at the Yongan Department Store. If you want to buy anything, look for me. I’m on maternity leave now, but you can look for Wang Juan at the counter. She’s coming to see me today, and I’ll tell her to look after you when you go shopping."

Qinghuan said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony. I was planning to go shopping in the next few days, so I’ll look for Sister Wang." Tian Xia was overjoyed to be able to help Qinghuan.

Qinghuan checked on the baby again. "The baby is doing well, just a bit of jaundice. Let the baby get some sun in the morning or evening when it’s not too harsh; it will fade in a few days. Everything else is fine." Tian Xia felt relieved hearing this and watched Qinghuan leave.

Lin Xialan had already arrived with her sister-in-law. Qinghuan led them to the head of the personnel department. "Section Chief Liu, regarding the position that was previously held by Xu Qinghuan, could it be transferred to my sister-in-law?"

Although private trading of positions was not officially permitted, there was always a market where there was a need. The personnel chief had seen it many times, usually under the guise of "family relatives." Since Qinghuan was someone highly regarded by Dean Wu, he naturally had no objections and even helped handle the transfer paperwork with great enthusiasm.

"This position was originally an internship post, paying eighteen yuan and fifty cents a month. Once she becomes a full-time employee, it will be twenty-eight yuan a month," Section Chief Liu said, calling over a clerk. "Take this comrade to handle the onboarding. If there is time, the training can start today."

"There is time, there is time!" Lin Xialan's sister-in-law had already sent her child to nursery school, prepared to start work on the very first day.

Nursing was essentially a technical job, and there was so much to learn. Lin Xialan’s sister-in-law was quite nervous but maintained a very proactive attitude. Section Chief Liu was also satisfied.

After thanking him, Qinghuan left the hospital with Lin Xialan. "Huanhuan, thank you so much for this. Here is the money, and some ration coupons—please, take them."

Lin Xialan shoved a substantial cloth bag into Qinghuan’s hands. When Qinghuan opened it, she saw ten bundles of "Big Unity" banknotes and quite a few coupons. It was one thousand yuan.

"Why so much? This is way too much; six hundred yuan at most would have been enough." Qinghuan knew a little about the market price for these positions, which was generally equal to two years of salary for a permanent employee. Six or seven hundred yuan should have been sufficient.

When Qinghuan tried to return the excess, Lin Xialan refused firmly, her eyes reddening. "If you don't take it, we won't be friends anymore!"

Qinghuan was taken aback by the severity of her tone. "Lanan, I feel terrible taking so much of your family's money!"

Lin Xialan shook her head. "You don't understand, this isn't about the money."

Since Qinghuan was not an outsider and time had passed, Lin Xialan did not hide the truth. "You don't know, but our whole family was so worried about my sister-in-law. My mother once felt that my sister-in-law wanted to hold my nephew and die with him. She was terrified at the time. My sister-in-law graduated from high school but could never find work, so she couldn't get a permanent urban grain ration card. Although we never said anything, we could see the immense pressure she was under. The more careful we were, the more uncomfortable she felt. As time went on, we were truly terrified."

Lin Xialan felt a sense of relief, covering her face to weep for a moment before opening her arms to hug Qinghuan. "Huanhuan, please take this money. We are friends, and we help each other; there is no need to count every cent. Really, I was the one who specifically told my mother to give you more money and coupons. It’s my token of gratitude—are you going to refuse me?"