CHAPTER 51: THE CANNON FODDER SISTER OF THE FEMALE LEAD (PART 3)

The current situation has far exceeded his expectations; he originally wanted to get rid of Jiang Lai quickly, but unexpectedly, she ended up taking one of his books.

That book was brought back by his grandfather when he studied overseas, and later he wrapped it in an ugly cover and tossed it into this unnoticed corner, where it has survived through storms. Indeed, no one has discovered it until now.

But now, this book is in Jiang Lai’s hands, and to avoid unnecessary entanglements, he can only endure temporarily.

"He, where’s your grandma? The new bride has come to visit the home, why hasn’t the old lady come out to greet her?"

"My grandma is sick in the house; you can go in and see her."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and led Jiang Lai and the matchmaker into that narrow and cramped little room, where only one window was left on the wall, making the room dim and oppressive. The old lady lying on the bed struggled to get up, and He Xing stepped forward to support her.

"Grandma, you don’t need to move; I’ll help you up."

Looking at the old lady on the bed, who obviously didn’t look well, the matchmaker’s expression changed immediately, pointing at He Xing and questioning incessantly.

"What’s wrong with your grandma? Didn’t you say she only had a minor illness?"

He Xing lowered his head in silence, this silence representing his guilty conscience, obviously admitting that his grandma was indeed critically ill.

"What on earth is going on?! The girl’s about to become a member of your family, you can’t cheat her."

"I have no intention of deceiving her, anyway the situation is as you see it. My grandma probably can only lie in bed in the future, I’m her only grandson, I definitely will need to take care of the elderly constantly, and in the future, my wife will also have to help me take care of grandma, and take care of that piece of land at home too, otherwise our whole family will starve."

The matchmaker’s tone rose upon hearing this.

"Then what about your seventy bucks a month in retiring fees? Even if you don’t farm, it’s enough to feed a family!"

"Retiring fees? A few of my comrades sacrificed themselves; all that money was given to their parents and children. I don’t need to rely on retirement fees to live, I’m young, I can work hard to support my family, just that the girl who marries me will have to endure more hardships."

"Endure hardships? Which good girl would come to suffer with you! Lai Lai, you’ve seen enough, let’s go... Lai Lai, what are you doing?"

While the two were chatting, they didn’t notice what Jiang Lai was doing.

Seeing Jiang Lai looking around just now, He Xing thought she was observing his room, with no burden or embarrassment in his heart, he just frankly displayed the most genuine side of himself.

He believed Jiang Lai would soon flee and never consider this marriage again; after all, which girl would willingly marry into such an impoverished family?

Of course, except for that silly girl.

The matchmaker’s shout made He Xing stunned, and he turned to see a scene that almost made him doubt his eyes.

Beside the sickbed, Jiang Lai was holding a bowl of water, gently feeding it to the elderly lady sitting by the bed, her actions patient and gentle, without a hint of disdain or impatience in her gaze.

The matchmaker hurriedly went up and pulled Jiang Lai away.

"What are you doing? The grandson is here; they don’t need you to give water!"

Jiang Lai seemed a bit at a loss, but she still helped the elderly lady drink the last sip and then quickly put down the bowl, clutching her clothes corner nervously as she glanced at He Xing.

"I just saw the elderly was thirsty and didn’t speak, so I... just brought a bowl of water, I didn’t mean anything else."

The matchmaker helplessly glared at Jiang Lai, then pulled Jiang Lai’s arm to go outside.

"Alright, alright, you’ve seen enough, we’ll leave now. He Xing, take good care of your grandma, we’re going back."

He Xing watched Jiang Lai, a trace of surprise hidden in his eyes.

How could he expect that not only did Jiang Lai not get scared by the poverty of his family, she even actively picked up a bowl of water to feed his grandma.

After they left, the elderly lady slowly stood up from the bed and sighed.

"Jiang Lai is a good girl, Ah Xing, why are you pushing such a good girl away?"

He Xing came to his senses, frowned deeply with confusion and perplexity, while the silence prompted his grandma to sigh.

"Eyes don’t lie, that child is simple-minded, just right for someone as deliberate as you."

"Grandma, I have my own plans."

"I understand your thoughts; grandma just hopes you can find a good girl who knows warmth and coldness, but you still have to make the decision yourself."

"I know."

——

On the road back, the matchmaker kept scolding Jiang Lai.

"Why did you meddle in that? Don’t you see how poor his family is? Even a mouse would have to escape if it entered, let alone a big girl like you. I’ve matched people for so many years, and I’ve never seen such a poor family! The old lady is just a cripple, cross-eyed and crooked nose, who knows how much longer she can live. If you marry over, it’s a pit of fire, suffering throughout your life!"

Jiang Lai walked forward with her head down, still holding a stalk of grass she pulled casually from the roadside, her fingers deftly turning the grass stem, and by the time the matchmaker finished her rant, the grass stem in her hand had already transformed into a delicate butterfly, raising it up and blowing, its wings flapping up and down.

The matchmaker frowned and sighed at the sight.

"Little Lai, you didn’t fall for that He Xing, did you?"

Jiang Lai neither nodded nor shook her head.

"He Xing is quite filial."

"Filial piety isn’t worth a damn, what’s the use if you’re starved? Didn’t you see even washing water is about to run out in his house?"

Jiang Lai said nothing, looked at the matchmaker quietly, then pointed at the ripening rice in the fields.

"I don’t want to get married now, nor do I want to farm in the future; I want to study and get into a good university!"

"It’s over... this child is a bit obsessed."

The matchmaker truthfully told Jiang Sheng about the situation in He Xing’s house, speaking and hitting her thigh, wishing she could pull all she saw out of her mind.

"Too poor, it’s really too poor! Not a grain of rice in the rice jar, no meat seen hung from the beams, three acres of land are wastelands, the only elderly is a cripple, slightly presentable retiring fees were all given away by that fool He Xing to support the comrades’ families, it’s unfit to get married, definitely unfit!"

If Jiang Lai married over, it’d completely ruin her reputation.

Jiang Sheng frowned, continuously puffing on his dry tobacco; Jiang Lai, beside him, hadn’t spoken from beginning to end until Jiang Sheng sighed.

"I thought He Xing was a practical kid, thought he was a promising one."

"So stupid! Giving money away! I guess he can’t take ten bucks out of his pocket! Captain, you must think it over well, you can’t push your daughter into the fire pit no matter what!"

At this moment, Jiang Lai, who had been silent, suddenly said.

"Dad, isn’t school starting now?"