Chapter 5: Universal Celebration

“Qinghe!”

Zhou Zhenghua chased after her, truly panicked.

Because the look in Gao Qinghe’s eyes when she left just now was so indifferent that it chilled him to the bone.

Qinghe was a person with intense jealousy and a strong competitive streak; how could she have said something like “I wish you both happiness”?

Something must have happened while he was away studying in the county seat.

Otherwise, Qinghe could never have looked at him with such cold eyes.

At first, he just didn’t want to make his relationship with Qinghe public, fearing that Ouyang Yan would go back and gossip.

But he had never intended to break things off with her.

And he hadn’t expected Qinghe to care so much about this matter.

If he had known it would turn out like this, he definitely would have formally introduced their relationship.

Zhou Zhenghua was so flustered he forgot Ouyang Yan was even beside him, chasing after them regardless.

“Brother Li, let’s go, quickly.”

Gao Qinghe urged, terrified of being tainted by something unpleasant.

Li Jianshe looked at the chasing Zhou Zhenghua, then back at Gao Qinghe.

He hesitated, “Are we really leaving?”

Was he sure this wasn’t just some game the young couple was playing?

Gao Qinghe: “Go!”

Li Jianshe looked on with curiosity: “Did you really break up?”

Gao Chongyi saw that his daughter was unhappy and snapped, “Stop dawdling! If she tells you to go, then go!”

Since he was his uncle, Li Jianshe didn’t dare say another word. He immediately started the vehicle, leaving Zhou Zhenghua in a cloud of exhaust with a “vroom.”

Zhou Zhenghua didn’t care about the dust; he hurriedly chased after them for a few more steps.

Watching the tricycle buzz away faster than an airplane, he finally stopped, panting.

His eyes were filled with frustration.

He was angry at himself for upsetting the woman who was best to him and whom he loved the most, all because of a classmate he’d studied with at the cadre school.

Although Gao Qinghe had a bad temper and was spoiled, she was wholeheartedly good to him.

She was willing to lower her head before him and was occasionally gentle and sweet.

Not to mention anything else, just having her delicate, pretty face standing by his side brought him countless looks of envy and jealousy.

To put it bluntly, having such a woman by his side was what gave him face.

It greatly satisfied his sense of inferiority—which had turned into arrogance—stemming from his rural background and poor family.

Only a woman like Gao Qinghe was worthy of standing beside him.

And Ouyang Yan, who was now chasing after him with concern, sourly questioning, “Isn’t she just a little neighbor sister? Why are you so nervous about her?”—she was just a shallow woman attracted to the righteous, upright image he had deliberately projected.

But Gao Qinghe had seen him at his most destitute and had accompanied him through those embarrassing, awkward years.

“Brother Zhou, are you alright?”

Ouyang Yan asked in a low voice, looking worriedly at his dark, gloomy expression.

Zhou Zhenghua turned back and gave her a cold, harsh look.

It was all this woman’s fault. If she hadn’t insisted on coming along, he never would have made Qinghe angry.

Although the coldness in Zhou Zhenghua’s eyes was quickly suppressed, Ouyang Yan still felt a moment of shock.

She suddenly felt that the person in front of her was a bit terrifying; she couldn’t see through what he was thinking at all.

Zhou Zhenghua said politely, “Teacher Ouyang, I have something to take care of at home. I can’t go to the library with you today. You go ahead by yourself.”

After saying this, without waiting for Ouyang Yan to speak, he turned and hurried toward the county bus station.

It was already very late.

There were only two buses a day from the Shanghe Village Second Detachment to the county seat.

One left the village for the county at six in the morning, and one returned from the county to the village at three-thirty in the afternoon.

Zhou Zhenghua, single-mindedly wanting to go back and explain things to Gao Qinghe, completely ignored Ouyang Yan standing by the roadside, her eyes red with grievance.

In 1989, the road from Qing County to Shanghe Village had not yet been paved; it was all dirt roads.

The ride was bumpy, but Gao Qinghe, wrapped in a thin quilt brought by her parents, didn’t feel cold.

She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, dozing all the way to her doorstep.

In the past two days, such bizarre things as rebirth had happened, and she had to use her wits against the system; her mind had been in a state of high tension.

Now that she had cleared things up with Zhou Zhenghua, a beautiful life lay ahead. She could finally set her mind at ease and rest.

The system was sensible enough not to pop out and disturb her.

But her family was bursting with curiosity.

Huang Ying and Gao Chongyi exchanged glances, wanting to speak but holding back, then wanting to speak again.

Gao Qingmiao and Gao Qingya were also staring at each other, both wanting to ask but not daring to.

Finally, Gao Qingya couldn’t hold it in anymore. Before entering the house, she boldly asked the question on her mind.

“Sister, are you not seeing Zhou Zhenghua anymore?”

Four pairs of eyes turned to look at Gao Qinghe.

Gao Qinghe corrected her little sister: “Remember this: I have never been in a relationship with him. Our relationship was pure and innocent; we didn’t even hold hands. He was just our neighbor.”

Gao Qingya and Gao Qingmiao’s jaws dropped.

Gao Chongyi and Huang Ying, however, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

Huang Ying gave her youngest daughter a warning glare: “That’s how it’s always been! Ya’er, don’t talk nonsense and ruin your sister’s reputation!”

Gao Qingya nodded timidly: “I know.”

Although they were shocked by Gao Qinghe’s decisiveness this time, the whole family soon became happy.

Breaking up was a good thing!

Although Zhou Zhenghua seemed decent enough, his widowed mother was no pushover.

Since she was a child, Gao Qinghe would move anything good to eat or drink to the house next door.

When her own family couldn’t even get enough to eat, she fed Zhou Zhenghua until he was as plump and fair as the lucky dolls in paintings.

As they grew up, Zhou Zhenghua did well in his studies and became more and more promising.

He was admitted to a university in the capital, becoming the first college student to come out of the Second Detachment.

The family was secretly happy and accepted Zhou Zhenghua as their future son-in-law by default.

Even the widowed mother next door said that Gao Qinghe was blessed and would bring prosperity to her husband.

Her words implied that she had already accepted Gao Qinghe as her future daughter-in-law.

The two families had a tacit understanding and were already interacting like in-laws.

But after Zhou Zhenghua graduated and started working, the situation changed.

First, there was Zhou Zhenghua himself. In the half-year since he returned to the village, he hadn’t once taken the initiative to mention their marriage, nor did he ever tell anyone that he was seeing Gao Qinghe.

Then there was the widowed mother.

In the past, whenever she saw Gao Qinghe, she would call her “my treasure” or “good girl,” and from time to time, she would send eggs to their house for her to nourish herself.

After Gao Qinghe graduated from high school and couldn’t find a job, she even advised her to stay home for a couple more years, saying there was no rush and to just wait at home for her Zhenghua to graduate and get married.

But ever since Zhou Zhenghua graduated and was assigned to be a village official, Mother Zhou never stepped foot in the Gao house again.

Forget about eggs; whenever she saw Gao Qinghe out, she would ask if she had found a job yet and say that idling around like that wouldn’t do.

She also started criticizing Gao Qinghe’s attire.

Red was too flashy, dresses were too revealing, and even when she wore sandals, she told Gao Qinghe to go home and put on socks.

She had to learn housework; how could a woman not know how to cook?

Would she let her husband and children starve after they got married?

In every word, she implied that Gao Qinghe had no job, couldn’t do housework, and dressed too gaudily—she was not a virtuous wife and mother at all.

She was no longer worthy of her college-educated village official son.

Gao Chongyi and his wife saw that their daughter was oblivious and worried that if she insisted on marrying Zhou Zhenghua, she would suffer.

Well, now that Zhou Zhenghua had pulled this stunt today, the two had broken up.

It was a cause for celebration!

They would light three sticks of high incense for their ancestors tonight.

Gao Chongyi couldn’t wait to thank the ancestors for protecting their treasure and giving her a new lease on life.

Huang Ying pushed open the courtyard gate with a smile.

Gao Chongyi: “Mom! We’re back!”

Gao Qingmiao and Gao Qinghe: “Grandma, we’ve brought big sister home!”

Under the careful, almost exaggerated care of her parents and siblings, Gao Qinghe walked into her home, full of anticipation.

(End of chapter)