Volume One, Chapter Six: We Are Courting, and Our Engagement Will Soon Be Announced
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Upon hearing this, Ye Qiaoqiao was furious. She stopped in her tracks and turned to approach the group of women who had been speaking.
“Aunt Wu, do you think I’m too arrogant to accept Zhou Congcai's proposal?” Ye Qiaoqiao said angrily. “I know all this gossip was spread by Xu Zhengqing and his group. They probably said I’m proud, restless at home, and greedy, right?”
Aunt Wu gave an embarrassed smile but no one responded. Judging by their gossiping, contemptuous looks, they clearly believed it.
Ye Qiaoqiao had long expected Xu Zhengqing and the others to be shameless.
She sneered coldly, “Did you know Zhou Congcai was secretly involved with my family maid’s daughter, Jiang Yao? Such an unfaithful man—is that the kind of man you all prefer? Then by all means, marry well.”
Wu and the others suddenly looked suspicious.
Just as they were about to pry further, Xu Zhengqing and his companions appeared from behind the supply and marketing cooperative.
Xu Zhengqing squinted with a calculating look. “Ye Qiaoqiao, I think you’re just unhappy that Brother Zhou’s bride price was too low, so you made up a reason to refuse the marriage.”
“If that’s not the case, why did you pick a low-ranking soldier on the spot and say you wanted to marry him?” he accused boldly, blaming everything on Ye Qiaoqiao and deliberately twisting the facts to confuse everyone. “Don’t you dare say you never said you wanted to marry Fu Juechuan?”
Ye Qiaoqiao, burning with anger, retorted, “You really know how to turn black into white.”
“Isn’t it true that Zhou Congcai betrayed me for two years?” Ye Qiaoqiao knew what Zhou Congcai did was disgusting, but only she, as the involved party, truly felt the revulsion.
Arguing with Xu Zhengqing, she knew she wouldn’t gain the upper hand in public opinion.
Sure enough.
Xu Zhengqing spoke solemnly, “I already said it was a misunderstanding. Brother Zhou thought that was you, so he exchanged letters with Jiang Yao. Our Brother Zhou was deceived too.”
“Fine, then those two years before were a deception. But just now, he was hugging and holding Jiang Yao in my house—was that a misunderstanding too?” Ye Qiaoqiao sneered sarcastically. “If your father hugged and held other ladies like that, would you also say it’s a misunderstanding? Then I’ll accept your explanation.”
Xu Zhengqing’s face darkened instantly.
Seeing Aunt Wu and the others pointing fingers, Zhou Congcai’s reputation was in ruins.
Xu Zhengqing immediately changed the subject.
“Hmph, you keep talking about Brother Zhou. What about you kissing that low-ranking soldier Fu Juechuan in public? What kind of good girl are you?” Xu Zhengqing maliciously attacked her reputation.
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Ye Qiaoqiao was momentarily embarrassed—not because she thought her kiss was wrong, but because she felt it might drag Fu Juechuan into this mess. She was single and unmarried; did she have to uphold some outdated virtue?
“First of all, I rejected Zhou Congcai before being with Brother Fu. We were together under my father’s witness. We are engaged to be married—what’s it to you?” Ye Qiaoqiao sneered. “I think you’re just spreading gossip out of shame because I didn’t choose Zhou Congcai.”
Xu Zhengqing hadn’t expected her to be so sharp-tongued and clear-headed. Cornered, he instinctively looked for a flaw in her words.
Suddenly, he spotted something, his eyes gleaming with calculation. He raised his voice deliberately, “Ye Qiaoqiao, let me tell you, Fu Juechuan only agreed to date you because your father is powerful and forced him. If you have the guts, have him say in public that he agreed voluntarily!”
He didn’t believe Fu Juechuan would dare say that!
Commander Ye surely looked down on a poor soldier like Fu Juechuan.
He must have hinted to Fu Juechuan to help out for appearances’ sake since Fu was the only suitable age in the hall.
If Fu Juechuan really dared to agree openly, Commander Ye would be furious. Would he risk offending Commander Ye for his own future?
Xu Zhengqing bet Fu Juechuan wouldn’t dare do that.
Soon, he would dodge with his eyes and find excuses, giving Xu Zhengqing the chance to spread rumors that even a low-ranking soldier rejected Ye Qiaoqiao, relieving his own anger.
“Fu Juechuan, what do you say?” Xu Zhengqing called out deliberately to Fu Juechuan, who had just appeared behind Ye Qiaoqiao.
Ye Qiaoqiao turned, surprised to see Fu Juechuan had returned. She instinctively signaled him with her eyes to leave, not wanting to involve him.
Although Fu Juechuan said the engagement promise was no joke, she didn’t know why he agreed and naturally lacked confidence.
Yet Fu Juechuan met her gaze calmly, stepped forward, and stopped beside her.
“Qiaoqiao, they’re bullying you,” Fu Juechuan said with certainty.
Ye Qiaoqiao felt the care beneath his cold exterior, her nose tingling with emotion. Against the malice of Xu Zhengqing and others, Fu Juechuan’s sincerity was all the more precious.
“Comrade Xu, I heard what you just said. I can now confirm that Qiaoqiao and I are courting and will be engaged soon. There is no third party, no coercion from elders, only our determination to spend our lives together.”
“Do you have any more doubts? Ask me all at once. Bullying a woman is truly unmanly.” Fu Juechuan met Xu Zhengqing’s gaze steadily.
Xu Zhengqing’s cheeks flushed red with anger. “You actually dare admit it?”
No, perhaps Fu Juechuan was just trying to latch onto a powerful family!
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Xu Zhengqing’s mind was made up. This poor man who wanted to live off others could be nothing good. Ye Qiaoqiao’s judgement was no better.
“Fine then, if you’ve decided to get engaged, I really must congratulate you.” Xu Zhengqing mocked Ye Qiaoqiao like watching a show. “I say, Ye Qiaoqiao, you’re marrying a poor soldier and treating him like a treasure. I hope you never have to cry poor later.”
Ye Qiaoqiao was exasperated. Xu Zhengqing was determined to find reasons to mock and ridicule her.
No matter what she did, he would swarm like a fly.
Xu Zhengqing could mock her, but he had no right to mock Fu Juechuan.
“Xu Zhengqing, listen carefully. Even if Brother Fu has nothing, he’s better than you, better than Zhou Congcai, better than all of you!”
“Hmph, I want to see how well you do marrying a poor man!” Xu Zhengqing sneered and flicked his sleeve, preparing to leave.
Ye Qiaoqiao sneered back, “You call Brother Fu a low-ranking soldier, but you’re a second-generation heir. How come you didn’t become an officer on your own merits?”
“Is it that you didn’t want to?”
Xu Zhengqing was furious and stamping his feet. The other second-generation heirs with him felt insulted and approached Ye Qiaoqiao, ready to strike.
Fu Juechuan frowned and stepped forward, coldly shouting, “Want to fight?”
Seeing Fu Juechuan’s sharp, resolute eyes and powerful muscles beneath his clothes, they instinctively took two steps back, embarrassed but throwing out harsh words.
“We’re not going to stoop to a low-ranking soldier’s level!”
“Ye Qiaoqiao, we’ll see about this. When you’re eating scraps, that’ll be your time to cry.”
“Then you’d better watch us live well right before your eyes.”
“You deserved it!”
“No need to wait until later. What bride price can Fu Juechuan offer? How could he compare to my Brother Zhou?” Xu Zhengqing sneered. “Ye Qiaoqiao, don’t pretend to have a bride price with your own money. When you get engaged, there’ll be a show to see.”