Chapter 21: Fiancé

Su Qingyue looked at Pei Huaiye's probing and self-deprecating gaze, and her heart felt a bit flustered.

Before she could speak, Shen Xunbao hurried over, "Qingyue, are you okay?"

Shen Xunbao's tone was concerned, and as he spoke, he draped his coat over Su Qingyue's shoulders.

Pei Huaiye was silent, turned around, and left. His lonely figure was swallowed by the crowd.

There were too many people around, and her older brother and sister-in-law had already sensed something was wrong from Pei Huaiye's questioning just now. For the sake of her reputation, she didn't dare to rashly explain things to Pei Huaiye in public.

Su Qingyue had originally wanted to wait until she broke off the engagement with Shen Xunbao before properly explaining this matter to Pei Huaiye. She hadn't expected all these messy things to happen.

Thinking of this, Su Qingyue's mood was also very low.

She took the coat off her shoulders and returned it to Shen Xunbao, "I won't wear it, thank you."

Shen Xunbao was rejected in public, and his face was a bit awkward, "Then I'll take you back."

Su Qingyue happened to have some things she wanted to tell him alone, "Okay, Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you go back first. I'll be home later."

Su Qingwu stared at Shen Xunbao, "No, after you get home, you two can talk in front of the door. We'll go back together now."

Li Zilan also advised the same, so Su Qingyue had no choice but to walk with her sister-in-law.

The people of Shuangshui Village surrounded the Su family, pricking up their ears to listen to gossip, but since the family wouldn't say anything, they felt it was boring and dispersed.

Back home, Li Zilan instructed at the door, "Come back early."

Su Qingyue nodded. She looked at Shen Xunbao and said, "Have you considered it? I want to write a letter to break off the engagement."

"I don't agree!"

"You don't even like me, why do you want to marry me?"

"But we have a marriage arrangement. Qingyue, I'm not used to rural life since coming to the countryside, and I've been negligent lately and didn't care about your feelings. I will definitely treat you well in the future, can we not break off the engagement?"

As Shen Xunbao spoke, he reached out to grab Su Qingyue's hand. She was a woman after all, and the disparity in strength was too great; she couldn't pull her hand away immediately.

From the moment Pei Huaiye learned that Su Qingyue had a fiancé, his heart felt like it had been fiercely twisted. He walked numbly to the Su family's door, wanting to ask Su Qingyue what he had been to her all these days.

Just as he reached the corner, he saw Shen Xunbao holding Su Qingyue's hand.

Those fair and soft little hands had once touched him randomly because of the drug, had been held in his hands to have medicine applied because of an injury, and had been clenched into pink fists to pound on him because of a misunderstanding.

Now, these slender white fingers were being held by another man—her fiancé, no less.

He wanted to step forward and beat that man fiercely, but he had no standing.

Pei Huaiye pulled a self-deprecating smile at the corner of his mouth and turned to leave.

Su Qingyue struggled to free her hands while whispering angrily, "Shen Xunbao, let go! I know you don't like women at all!"

*Boom! *

Shen Xunbao let go of her hand, his face turning pale.

Because he was too shocked that Su Qingyue knew the truth, he didn't refute her for a while.

Su Qingyue continued, "I promise not to tell anyone, but you cannot sacrifice me to marry you for your own sake. This is unfair to me."

Shen Xunbao's lips moved for a long time before he asked, "Do your parents know?"

Su Qingyue swore to heaven, "I haven't told anyone! Besides, if they knew, they certainly wouldn't agree to this marriage."

Shen Xunbao's eyes narrowed behind his glasses, "Breaking off the engagement rashly, neither Commander Shen nor your parents in the Capital will agree."

Su Qingyue turned her head away, "As long as you agree, I will tell them I have someone I like and that we are not suitable."

"You just say you don't like me."

"Two people who don't like each other getting married is not something they would want to see either."

Shen Xunbao's mind was dazed, "Give me some time, let me consider it."

"Then reply to me as soon as possible."

Su Qingyue returned to the Su family. Su Mingqiang, Su Qingwu, and Li Zilan were all waiting for her in the main room. Su Qingxi and Su Zhuangzhuang peeked their two little heads out from the side room.

Su Qingyue took a sip of water and cleared her throat, "The marriage arrangement with Educated Youth Shen was made by my foster parents, but we don't like each other, and we have already discussed breaking off the engagement."

Li Zilan exchanged glances with Su Qingwu, and they both looked at Su Mingqiang.

Su Mingqiang set down his enamel mug, "Yue, Dad is old and doesn't have much ability. We saw that Educated Youth Shen is handsome and has a good family background."

"But since you don't like him, then break off the engagement."

"Since you returned to the village, many people have come to propose, but you've turned them all away."

"You'll be eighteen next month, it's time to consider the major events of your life."

"If you have someone you like, Dad won't stop you, but there's only one condition: their character must be up to par!"

Li Zilan said, "Dad, Qingyue is still young, no need to rush. We have to slowly pick someone good."

"The most urgent matter right now is Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang; those two are not good people."

Su Qingwu's expression was murderous, "Su Qianqian went too far!"

"If she really broke the law, the police should handle it however they see fit! People must pay the price for their actions! Let's not interfere."

After Su Mingqiang finished speaking, his eyes were a bit moist. No matter what, Su Qianqian was a foster daughter their family had raised for seventeen years; the affection was definitely there.

It was just that ever since she learned she was a city person, she had completely changed.

Now, because of jealousy, she had colluded with outsiders to deliberately harm their own daughter. Reasonably and emotionally, Su Mingqiang couldn't accept it.

Li Zilan said with lingering fear, "If Pei Huaiye hadn't arrived just in time, I wouldn't dare to imagine Qingyue's fate..."

"Alright, Qingyue, go rest. From now on, take the bus back to the village after work, and I'll go to the village entrance to pick you up."

After Su Qingwu finished speaking, Li Zilan also smiled with relief, and they both urged Su Qingyue to return to her room to sleep.

Su Qingyue closed her eyes, and her dreams were filled with Pei Huaiye's look of disbelief and disappointment.

Too many things had happened today, and Shen Xunbao couldn't sleep at all.

He got up quietly and left the Educated Youth Courtyard, only to see a man wearing a hat climbing over the wall.

Qiao Wang had originally been extremely nervous and didn't dare to move, but upon seeing it was Shen Xunbao, he jumped down immediately.

Shen Xunbao broke out in a cold sweat, "Are you sick, climbing over the wall!"

Qiao Wang pulled him into the fields and suppressed his anger, "Do you think it's easy for me!? My introduction letter was lost, and I was almost caught."

"You haven't been to the county town, so I had no choice but to come to the village to find you."

Shen Xunbao said, "The Brigade Captain requires earning 100 work points before one can apply to build a house to live in."

"I want to move out of the boys' dormitory early, so I've been busy earning work points every day. Where would I have time to run around?"

"Where are you staying and what are you doing now?"

"I sent a telegram to Dad, the introduction letter has been replaced, and I rented a room to write articles for the newspaper to earn money."

After Qiao Wang finished speaking, he stuffed a note with the address into Shen Xunbao's shirt pocket, "Tell me, how have things been lately?"

Shen Xunbao briefly explained how Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang had framed Su Qingyue, and added that Su Qingyue had already realized he didn't like women and wanted to break off the engagement.

Qiao Wang narrowed his eyes, "Breaking it off is fine. She isn't Commander Su's biological daughter after all; you can't rely on her in the future."

Shen Xunbao rubbed his temples, "Su Qianqian is interested in me, but now that she's in trouble, I'm afraid..."

Qiao Wang smiled unfathomably, the black mole on his right ear very obvious in the moonlight, "Then don't let her get into trouble."

"You have a way?"

Qiao Wang reached out for money, "I'll handle Su Qianqian's matter, don't you worry about it. Get ready, I'll come to replace you in two days."

Shen Xunbao handed over more than a dozen large bills and 200 jin of grain coupons. Qiao Wang curled his lips in silent mockery; as expected of Young Master Shen, his treatment was worlds apart from his own.

Qiao Wang climbed over the wall and left. He returned to his room and immediately drafted the content of the telegram.

Before dawn, he squatted at the entrance of the post and telecommunications office. As soon as the door opened, he immediately filled out the telegram form.

The postal clerk quoted the price, "Seven cents per character, 120 characters in total. Comrade, you need to pay eight yuan and forty cents."

Qiao Wang handed over the money, "Hello, how long will it take to reach the Capital?"

"About four hours. Keep the voucher safe, it has the postal order number on it."

Qiao Wang held the voucher and prayed silently that the telegram would reach the Capital Su family as soon as possible. ===== CHAPTER 22 =====