Chen Weiping was somewhat afraid of his grandfather, let alone the fact that the old man was currently wearing a stern expression: "Alright."
Yan Qingshuang didn't know what her father-in-law was about to say to his son, and she felt a bit nervous as well.
After all, she had been making a scene for so long, yet her father-in-law hadn't yielded an inch; she couldn't guess what the old man was thinking.
If he were to forcefully demand that his youngest son fulfill the marriage engagement, Weiping would likely have no choice but to agree, but that wasn't what she wanted to see. For a moment, she felt quite irritable.
Thinking of something, she walked a few steps to her eldest daughter-in-law's side and whispered, "Xiao He, hurry to the supply and marketing cooperative and ask your father to come back for a moment."
Miao Xiaohe didn't know what her mother-in-law was up to, but she didn't dare to argue. Ever since the difficult labor that resulted in her twin daughters—and the realization that her body was damaged and she could not have more children—she had lived in this house with extreme caution, fearing she might upset anyone. "Okay, I'll go right now."
She glanced at her two daughters playing happily by the doorway: "Mom, please keep an eye on Yi Shan and Yi Hu for me."
With that, she jogged out of the courtyard.
Chen Weiping changed his clothes, hurriedly washed his face, and rushed to the main hall: "Grandfather."
Old Man Chen pointed to the sofa opposite him: "Sit."
At that moment, Yan Qingshuang brought in a pot of tea. After pouring a cup for her father-in-law, she quickly poured one for her youngest son as well, then sat down beside them, wanting to hear what her father-in-law had to say.
Old Man Chen looked up at his grandson: "Weiping, regarding your marriage to Chuxue, have you thought it through?"
Although Chen Weidong feared his grandfather, he thought of Xiaoru and the child in her womb: "Grandfather, I don't like Liu Chuxue. Even if we are forced together, we won't be happy."
He thought to himself: *How could that country girl compare to the gentle and lovely Xiaoru?*
"Then why didn't you say anything before? We are already at the stage of discussing marriage, and now you say you don't like the girl? With such a lack of responsibility, what great things can you achieve in the future?"
Chen Weiping knew that now was not the best time to reveal his relationship with Xiaoru, but Xiaoru's pregnancy couldn't wait. He figured that since he had already displeased his grandfather, he might as well just come clean with everything.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard his father's voice: "We're in the middle of an inventory. Why was I summoned back for something so urgent?"
Old Man Chen glanced at his submissive eldest daughter-in-law, and there was nothing left to wonder about: "Something happened to the Liu family. Do you know?"
Chen Jiefang froze for a moment: "What happened?"
Yan Qingshuang looked up: "I went to visit my sister today and happened to hear her neighbor talking about what happened at the reservoir. I only just learned that Liu Shanliang had bad luck and was injured by falling debris while working at the construction site."
"When did it happen? Is it serious?"
"It happened a few days ago. I heard it's quite serious."
"Then, out of decency, we should go and visit him."
The old man glanced at his disappointing grandson: "When the marriage between Weiping and Shanliang's second daughter was arranged back then, you all agreed to it. Now, you want to break the engagement regardless of the consequences. Since you are all in agreement, I won't be the villain. Since that's the case, you should think about how to compensate the girl. Don't think about just brushing it off, and don't think she's easy to bully just because she's a country girl. Don't forget that if Liu Shanliang hadn't risked his life to save me back then, Weiping wouldn't have fared well either. A person must have a conscience."
Chen Jiefang felt a wave of guilt at his father's words, but since his wife and son were unwilling, even if he forced his youngest son to marry the girl, they would likely become bitter enemies: "Dad, this matter... our family has wronged the girl. We will certainly compensate her twofold. The supply and marketing cooperative is doing an inventory these next few days, so I really can't get away. How about—"
Before he could finish, the old man interrupted: "You are already a grandfather yourself; don't always think of running away when trouble arises. Since you are the ones who broke your word first, then don't be afraid of losing face."
As he spoke, he shot a glance at his eldest daughter-in-law, full of warning: "Don't think about trying to fool people."
Thinking of the Liu family's current situation, he added: "Go find out which hospital Shanliang is in within the city, and come with me to visit him. We will discuss the broken engagement after he is discharged. Until then, don't cause any more trouble for me."
As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Weiping didn't dare mention his relationship with Hu Liru again.
(End of Chapter)