Chapter 1981: Watch Where You’re Going
Once Jiajia returned home after being discharged from the hospital, everyone who was on good terms with the Zhai family had found out that the Zhai family were about to hold a wedding. Zhai Sheng, who had been divorced for quite a few years, was finally willing to end his bachelor life and get married. However, no one seemed to have found out whom Zhai Sheng was about to marry. It seemed as though the lady he was going to marry was not from within their circle.
But no one cared whether that bride was a real-life Cinderella and only thought that this woman must be rather capable to make Zhai Sheng agree to marry her. It was no wonder that the Zhai family did not care about that woman’s background. Nothing could be worse than Zhai Sheng remaining single, after all.
It was also the Qiu family’s fault for having raised such a daughter. Many people could not understand how Qiu Chenxi could have turned out in this manner. However, when Qiu Qin’s deeds were exposed, everyone finally came to an understanding. As compared to her biological father, Qiu Qin, Qiu Chenxi was simply throwing a small tantrum. It was no big deal at all.
“What are you looking at, uncle?” w.a.n.g Yang saw Zhu Chengqi holding something in his hands as he came down. w.a.n.g Yang thought that it was strange. Ever since his uncle started recuperating from his illness, he stopped reading the newspaper. At the very most, he would watch the news on television from time to time. So, what was it that was written in such a small font that his uncle was willing to squint to read?
Zhu Chengqi placed the invitation on the table. “It’s the Zhai family’s invitation. Zhai Sheng’s getting married.” What shocked Zhu Chengqi was the bride’s name.
w.a.n.g Yang raised his eyebrow, hoping to watch a good show. “Is that so? Where did this amazing and capable woman come from?” It was not just in his youth. Even now, Zhai Sheng was still someone he looked up to but could never catch up with. The only thing that w.a.n.g Yang could feel proud of was that Zhai Sheng was still unmarried and childless at his age.
In both aspects, he had won against Zhai Sheng. “Uncle, can I take a look?” Though this was so, w.a.n.g Yang felt a little embarra.s.sed. The Zhai family had already produced three chiefs, and what was most frustrating was that China was a democratic country. As such, the three generations of chiefs in the Zhai family had not inherited their positions from their fathers. They had relied on their own capabilities and military achievements and had earned those positions.
Because of that, even though Zhai Sheng was getting remarried at the age of forty-five, there would still be countless people who would be willing to attend his wedding, not to mention how these people would all be powerful people in high positions acknowledged and recognized by the Zhai family. In short, everyone who was invited had a certain social standing.
Within their circle of acquaintances in Ping Cheng, everyone knew that it was w.a.n.g Yang who was taking care of his uncle, Zhu Chengqi, who was childless. Zhu Chengqi had received an invitation but w.a.n.g Yang had not. This could only mean that the Zhai family was inviting only Zhu Chengqi and not the w.a.n.g family or w.a.n.g Yang.
This meant that w.a.n.g Yang was not in the Zhai family’s circle and that the Zhai family had not accepted w.a.n.g Yang yet.
“Go ahead.” Zhu Chengqi did not stop him. If he did not let w.a.n.g Yang look at it now, w.a.n.g Yang would eventually find a way to take a closer look at the invitation anyway. Besides, there was still a month to the wedding. He was definitely not the only one who had received an invitation. If w.a.n.g Yang did not get a satisfactory answer here, he would try his best to get wind of the situation elsewhere.
Instead of letting w.a.n.g Yang waste his effort to find out about it, Zhu Chengqi preferred letting w.a.n.g Yang take a look at it in case w.a.n.g Yang had any suspicions of his own.
“Qiao Nan?!” At the sight of those two words, w.a.n.g Yang’s expression changed. It was not just w.a.n.g Yang. Even w.a.n.g Yang’s wife, who was drinking some congee, choked.
w.a.n.g Yang took a deep breath and his expression eased slightly. “Uncle, do you mean that the woman Zhai Sheng’s marrying is called Qiao Nan as well?” This Qiao Nan was not that Qiao Nan, right? If that was the case…
w.a.n.g Yang suddenly thought of something. After Zhu Baoguo pa.s.sed on, Zhu Chengqi had mentioned in pa.s.sing that it would be good to have a son like Zhai Sheng and a daughter like Qiao Nan. Even if he had a son, that would be all right as well, as long as his son married a lady like Qiao Nan.
Had this invitation not satisfied exactly what Zhu Chengqi had said at that time?
The two young people whom Zhu Chengqi had named and praised were now together. w.a.n.g Yang’s heart pounded furiously and uneasily. “Uncle, you haven’t entirely recovered. Are you still going to attend this wedding in a month’s time?” If he was indeed going, was he planning on going alone, or was he going to bring him along?
w.a.n.g Yang still wanted very much to enter the Zhai family’s circle, but thinking about how he would see the two people whom he hated the most together, w.a.n.g Yang did not really want to get involved.
“There are so many people who share the same surnames in China. How would I know whether the Qiao Nan that Zhai Sheng’s marrying is the same Qiao Nan that I know? Anyway, there’s still a month to the wedding. If my health gets better by then, I might decide to go. After all, our family shares a long history with the Zhai family. Since I’m not in the best of health, I’m not going to risk my own health just to attend a junior’s wedding.”
Compared to w.a.n.g Yang’s wife, who dared not eat too much because she was afraid of gaining weight, Zhu Chengqi could not each too much because of his poor health. “I’ve finished eating. You two can go on.”
After Zhu Chengqi left to return to his study, w.a.n.g Yang was no longer in the mood to continue eating. He slammed his chopsticks down on the table in frustration. Anyway, Zhu Chengqi was already old and his hearing was not as good as before. As such, w.a.n.g Yang had no qualms about being heard by Zhu Chengqi. “That old foggy…” If he wanted to die, he should do it as soon as possible!
Once Zhu Chengqi was really dead, he would be in luck! But now, no matter how bad Zhu Chengqi’s health was, he was still pressing on day after day. As long as Zhu Chengqi was still alive, w.a.n.g Yang had to watch his every step and keep up his facade as an obedient nephew in front of Zhu Chengqi.
Otherwise, w.a.n.g Yang’s years of effort might very well go down the drain if Zhu Chengqi were to change his mind or his will.
w.a.n.g Yang could never wrap his head around it. The rest of the Zhu family was already dead and he could be considered to be part of the Zhu family too. Was it not logical for Zhu Chengqi to leave the Zhu family’s a.s.sets to him? Why did he have to put in so much effort to get something that he deserved? He could even forget about that, but Zhu Chengqi’s tantrums from time to time meant that w.a.n.g Yang could never live peacefully.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” w.a.n.g Yang had always reminded her that they were in Zhu Chengqi’s territory. Even though the caretaker took instructions from the couple, this was the Zhu family’s house, not the w.a.n.g family’s.