Chapter 1109: A Good Man on Duty
The temperaments of all the Zhai family were alike. Upon hearing her daughter’s words, Miao Jing, who had been optimistic about the relations.h.i.+p, became hesitant. “It… it shouldn’t be. When Dongzi was a child, he was very obedient. I don’t think he will engage in such messy affairs, no?”
Miao Jing disliked Wei De. Of course, even if it was Tian Dong, she was not willing to let her daughter get married to a divorcée with children from the preceding marriage.
At this moment, Old Master Zhai, who had been sitting and resting, started to make his presence known. “No. I have done some checks. When Dongzi was in America, he had been busy with his studies. He graduated from a double Master’s degree. I heard that his school is very strict and the examinations are difficult. Not to mention a double degree, one won’t be able to graduate with one degree if they are not conscientious enough in their studies. Dongzi has not been married before. He doesn’t have any child either. As to how many girlfriends he has in America, it’s hard to say.”
Old Master Zhai had done some checks on Tian Dong. Tian Dong definitely did not do any absurd matters or have second or third marriages.
Nevertheless, foreigners were typically very liberal about such matters.
Tian Dong had been living in America for almost twenty years. No matter how good Old Master Zhai’s impression of Tian Dong was, he could not be Tian Dong’s guarantor regarding this aspect.
“What’s the hurry? If that is really the case, we can look for someone else. Her age is a little older but she is still a lady from our Zhai family. At most, she can get married after thirty years old.” Zhai Yaohui frowned. Obviously, he could not accept certain behavior.
To put it bluntly, no matter how mean Wei De was, Wei De and that foster ‘sister’ had formally gone through a wedding banquet in front of their friends and relatives in the hometown.
“That’s right. If this one won’t do, we can look for someone else.” Zhai Hua let out a sigh of relief. When she heard her mother’s tone earlier, it was as if they were going to fix her marriage date with Tian Dong during their next meeting with the Tian family.
What a joke! They were just childhood playmates.
Twenty years had pa.s.sed. She did not even know how Tian Dong looked like now. Was he short or fat? Or did he have any handicap now?
The most amusing thing was that, if no one were to provide her with an explanation when she met Tian Dong, she might not even recognize him.
Under such circ.u.mstances, could she marry Tian Dong?
“Mom, this matter cannot be rushed. The liberal thinking overseas may be beyond your imagination. Although Tian Dong has never been married, our Chinese laws state that a child conceived without marriage cannot be registered under the household register. However, such regulations are absent overseas. As such, even if Tian Dong has never been married, he himself may not even be certain if he has any child.”
In order to save herself from the ordeal, Zhai Hua had no reservation in badmouthing Tian Dong. “Mom, you don’t know. It’s so common to have one night stands overseas. People can sleep with each other for one night, say goodbye to each other the next morning, and then go their separate ways. They may not be able to recognize each other when they meet next time. The problem is that… you may not recognize the person but your womb may already have ‘something’.”
“Cough…” Zhai Yaohui gave a dry cough. He reminded Zhai Hua not to exaggerate.
“If that is really the case, this won’t do. Hua Hua really cannot be with Dongzi.” Miao Jing was the first to give up on Dongzi, this son-in-law. She knew that her family could not afford to have this kind of son-in-law.
Tian Dong did not have any child by his side now. After he married Hua Hua, what if someone were to suddenly bring a child of mixed ethnicity to the Tian family and said that the child was the result of Tian Dong’s doing outside? What would happen to Hua Hua and her future grandchild then?
That would not do. Tian Dong was not suitable.
Old Master Zhai tugged the corners of his lips. “Since that is the case, we still have to note down the gifts. When Dongzi is getting married, we have to return the gifts.”
“The Tian family sent some gifts over today?” There was a flash in Miao Jing’s eyes. “Why didn’t I know?”
“It was sent to me.” Old Master Zhai requested the auntie to bring the gifts over. “The Tian family did not come personally. Nevertheless, we did not send them an invitation either. When the Tian family sent someone over to pa.s.s the gifts, they chatted with me about Dongzi’s situation.”
Otherwise, Old Master Zhai would not have such thoughts. He had even put in some good words for Dongzi given the situation today.
If the Tian family did not have the intent, why would they send someone to specially mention to Old Master Zhai that Tian Dong had not been married all this while when he was overseas? He was still single.
Wasn’t the intent already obvious?
“The Tian family came and said that?” Miao Jing felt that this marriage seemed to be heading somewhere.
Zhai Sheng, who just walked out and heard this, looked indifferent. “There is no rush in this matter. Even if there is an affinity between Dongzi and Zhai Hua, they also need to interact with each other first. You can’t possibly let them be together for life just because of that little joke which happened in their childhood. Zhai Hua can have a better understanding of Dongzi’s life in America first. We are very traditional in our thinking. If there are huge conflicts and gaps between Zhai Hua’s and Dongzi’s values and thinking, there is no need to discuss further then.”
Although it was not during the period of the ‘special decade"[1], the central government had reservations in some areas.
The Tian family had lived in America for twenty years. No one could be certain of the Tian family’s beliefs and values now.
As part of the Zhai family, Zhai Sheng was more particular about this aspect than any typical person.
He needed a good man who would treat Zhai Hua well but he did not wish to lure bad guys into his house.
“That’s right.” Zhai Sheng’s words simultaneously received affirmation from both Old Master Zhai and Zhai Yaohui. “Twenty years in America. I hope that the thinking and values of the Tian family have not eroded and they have not forgotten their origins.”
“…” Zhai Hua rolled her eyes badly. Weren’t they discussing her marriage? Why was it that once Zhai Sheng appeared, this had been upgraded to a matter of conflict of interests between the spy and the country? This was too serious and exaggerating, no? “If the Tian family is so problematic and troublesome, what’s there to consider? Skip and change to another family then.”
Zhai Hua was more decisive than anyone else. As long as she was not a.s.sociated with Tian Dong, no matter how the Tian family had become, at the very least, they should not cause any harm to the Zhai family.
This was such a simple matter. What was there to feel troubled about? “Why did you come out? Do you wish to let Qiao Nan stay alone in the room? You are married today and you can openly do anything to Qiao Nan. Are you acting like a gentleman today?”
Zhai Hua felt that it was rare for Zhai Sheng to come out of his room at this time.
“The noodles are ready.” The auntie was holding a bowl of noodles. The reason for Zhai Sheng’s appearance was self-explanatory.
Marriage was a busy and tiring affair. As the bride, Qiao Nan did not take a proper meal at all. She was starving so much that her blood pressure was a little low.
Of course, Zhai Sheng did not want to come out. He wanted more to do something that he should ‘do’.
However, when he heard Qiao Nan’s tummy grumble, he locked the beast inside him in the cage again.
“Tsk, I have already said. So, it is because Qiao Nan is hungry.” Zhai Hua understood now. “Not bad. A good man.”
[1] Special decade is a period of about ten years whereby a country is expected to face certain difficulties as they grow to become one of the top and strongest countries in the world