/
The Lucky Star Control Corporation in the 70s (28)
But when Chu Xiang captured his expression, she smiled naturally, “I said that I am a lucky star, because the broom star has never been me. Look at the Chu family’s misfortune. If your family treats me well, you’ll definitely get better and better.”
At this point, Yin Xu only thought that she had the playful appearance of an 18-year-old girl, so he shook his head and smiled along with her.
The wedding banquet lasted until the evening, and Yang Yuelan always kept a smile on her face. Even if she knew the wedding was fake, she couldn’t help but celebrate. This was the first time she had a daughter-in-law. She was very excited and felt that her family was complete. A lot of the women cunningly used words to test her, trying to gauge her thoughts about the Chu family, but she didn’t mince her answers at all. She bluntly and firmly stated that she did not recognize her in-laws and would never get in contact with them, so everyone knew her attitude.
So it was particularly embarrassing that when Yin Xu married Chu Xiang, almost all the villagers came to enjoy the wedding feast, and only the Chu family stayed at home coldly, lest they go out and hear some gossip. This day was another day for the Chu family to stifle their grievances, feeling doubly humiliated. Another person who was suffering was Song Yang.
He and Chu Xiang were clearly interested in each other. It had never occurred to him that Chu Xiang would marry Yin Xu so soon after returning from the hospital. He hadn’t done a good job in psychological construction, or even dared to meet her, yet in the blink of an eye, she got married just like that. The hardest part was that he was in no position to take a stand, because they never confirmed their relationship.
Chu Lan thought that Song Yang would be heartbroken, so she secretly ran to find him while no one was outside. Song Yang had been avoiding her these days because everyone accused him of having a relationship with her. Hence, she just took this opportunity to comfort Song Yang, took advantage of his solitude and established contact with him once more.
Song Yang was feeling dejected, and she was the only person he could express his feelings to, so they talked in the woods until it was dark, breaking down their estrangement.
In the dead of the night, everyone went home to rest. Yang Yuelan and Yin Qiuwen cleaned up the yard, and they also went back to bed.
Both mother and daughter were a little embarrassed to see Chu Xiang, not knowing what to call her. Yang Yuelan struggled for a long time before she called out, “Chu-Chu Xiang, um…”
Chu Xiang took Yang Yuelan’s arm and smiled, “Mom, you can call me ‘Xiangxiang’. I envy Xiao Wen for having such a good mother as you. Please treat me as a daughter in the future, and we’ll all get along just fine.”
Yang Yuelan didn’t know why she closed her eyes, but she breathed a sigh of relief the moment she finished speaking. She smiled in response. “Okay, then I have another caring daughter. Xiangxiang, you and Xiao Wen stay in this room. If there’s anything you’re not used to, just speak of it. Our family is easy to talk to. You are still not well, right? Pay more attention to rest and get well.”
“Mom, I’m all right. You, on the other hand, must be exhausted these days. Go and have a rest. Yin Xu has helped me a lot, and I’m not here to take advantage of you. In the future, leave the family affairs to me and Xiao Wen. Don’t let us worry.”
Chu Xiang’s words were sweet, making Yang Yuelan feel really warm deep inside upon hearing them. She smiled and replied, “Okay, you are all good children. Let’s all rest. Everything’s fine tomorrow, so no one needs to get up early. Just lie in bed.”
They all went back to their rooms to sleep. The main room had a relatively large bed. When Chu Xiang and Yin Qiuwen slept side by side, two more people could lie down in the middle. The empty space was quite wide.
Yin Qiuwen couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t help turning over to face Chu Xiang, and whispered, “Sister-in-law, can I call you that?”
Chu Xiang said with a smile, “Of course. Don’t memorize this, and just treat me as your sister-in-law.”
“Sister-in-law, how did my brother persuade you? I can’t believe you agreed to this kind of arrangement. I can’t even tell that he has this sort of character, because he usually held his wickedness in check.”
After listening to her series of complaints, Chu Xiang smiled gently and said, “This is not your brother’s idea. I persuaded him.”
“Huh??” Yin Qiuwen’s eyes widened, and all signs of sleep disappeared. Thinking of the words she had just spat, her face flushed with shame. “Oh, sister-in-law, I didn’t mean that. I just, just…”
“It’s a bit absurd, isn’t it? It’s not as serious as you think. We just came up with the most suitable and easiest way to solve the problem we’re facing without affecting others or ourselves. We just have to live a harmonious life together as many families. The world outside is big, and this is but a trivial, insignificant matter, so just live comfortably.” Chu Xiang laughed after she finished speaking. Why did it feel like she was a brainwashing expert? Wasn’t it inappropriate to say these things to girls of this age?
Yin Qiuwen was really confused, because her words were a subversive deviation from her cognition. But everything has already reached this point, so she no longer dug deeper into it. She asked a question that had been puzzling her for a long time, “Sister-in-law, do you really want to go to college? Did you fail the exam last time because of a fever? Then with such a long delay, do you still have the confidence?”
Chu Xiang replied easily, “Yes, I’ll take you through the test with me. Starting tomorrow, let’s have a review for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon, and you can ask me anything you don’t understand. Go to bed early and recharge.””
“Alright. Sister-in-law, go to sleep as well.” Yin Qiuwen obediently closed her eyes, but her mind kept thinking, Is Sister-in-law’s grades that good? Can I consult her for homework advice?
Yang Yuelan and Yin Qiuwen both had some doubts of their own, but Chu Xiang’s first day of marriage was completely different from what they had imagined. There was no awkwardness, no discomfort, no alienation; she treated them intimately as if they were originally a family.
This feeling was so comfortable that they unknowingly already looked forward to their future lives.