CHAPTER 314: CHAPTER 315: STAYING OUT ALL NIGHT

Haihua, having been intimate with Xueyong the previous night, was somewhat accustomed to it by now. However, Xueyong’s rough manners, utterly devoid of compassion, still pained Haihua’s heart, but faced with Xueyong’s anger, Haihua was willing to endure.

Before dawn, Haihua quietly left the Wangs’ house, with the cold wind whistling.

Xueyong had just agreed to help her settle the matter with the Red Star Production Team, so how could Haihua not be excited?

Little did she know that Xueyong’s reason for letting her go, coupled with the fact that he found being with Haihua quite pleasant, was why he kept her around. Otherwise, Haihua wouldn’t even know how she might have died.

When Haihua returned to the production team, dawn was breaking. She had not come home all night, yet hardly anyone knew, except Hong Xing.

The reason Hong Xing knew Haihua was absent was because of Ge Liang. Since Haiguo’s house was preoccupied and couldn’t take care of Ge Liang, Ge Liang had taken the initiative to stay overnight at Hong Xing’s.

Hong Xing had looked for Haihua several times and found the doors locked every time. Now, as he escorted Ge Liang to Haiguo’s house, he saw Haihua returning.

Narrowing his eyes, Hong Xing wondered where Haihua might have been entirely.

Could it be she had gone to find Xueyong? Yet from what Hong Xing had observed on several occasions, Xueyong didn’t seem to care for Haihua at all. So, why hadn’t Haihua come home?

"What are you doing at my doorstep?" Haihua’s mood soured upon seeing Hong Xing and Ge Liang, and her tone wasn’t pleasant.

"Where were you?" Hong Xing asked.

Smiling at Hong Xing, Haihua teased, "Oh, Hong Xing, don’t tell me you’re interested in me. What does it matter to you where I go? If I say I went to pee, do I have to report that to you too?"

Hong Xing felt like spitting at Haihua but restrained himself. He then asked Haihua, "Can you get Ge Liang’s clothes?"

"What clothes?" After glancing at Ge Liang, Haihua responded, "What clothes could he have? He’s lucky to have anything to wear at all."

Without entering the house, Haihua headed towards her parents’ home. Hong Xing, feeling frustrated watching the mother of his houseguest, had no choice but to bring Ge Liang towards the Lius’.

Mrs. Liu had woken up early and, upon seeing Hong Xing, Ge Liang, and Haihua approaching like a family, her eyes lit up, and she warmly invited Hong Xing inside.

Not staying long, Hong Xing left after dropping off Ge Liang. Once Hong Xing was gone, Mrs. Liu served Ge Liang the porridge she had made early in the morning and then suggested to Haihua, "Hong Xing is a good kid, and he really takes care of Liang. You could consider him."

"I certainly wouldn’t settle for him," Haihua retorted disdainfully.

"Stop thinking about Xueyong," Mrs. Liu said. "He’s already made it clear his family wouldn’t agree. You should consider someone from the production team."

Haihua didn’t respond to Mrs. Liu. Aside from Xueyong, no one else caught her eye, not to mention she and Xueyong had already been intimate; Haihua hoped their relationship would last a long time.

By now, Haiguo and Feng Ying had also woken up. Haiguo asked Haihua, "Didn’t you go to find Xueyong yesterday? How did it go?"

"Need I say more? He said he would come and settle it today," Haihua boasted.

A smile appeared on Haiguo’s face. As long as he could keep his position as head of the production team, he wouldn’t mind groveling to those families who had lost their sons.

At the Guangming Production Team, Jiaxing and Xia Xiao couldn’t wait for Chunfang and Lifang’s families to arrive, so they set off.

Unexpectedly, they ran into Xuegang and Dong Meihua on the way; this was the second time Xuegang had seen Xia Xiao. He remembered Xia Xiao as being dark and thin, but he hadn’t expected that after a few years, Xia Xiao would look so drastically different.

"Where are Xia Xiao and Gao Jiaxing heading?" Dong Meihua wondered aloud.

He Xuexiang was surprised, "Is that Xia Xiao?"

"Yes, it is," Dong Meihua replied.

"She seems like a completely different person; I remember her looking different before," He Xuexiang remarked, taken aback.

Dong Meihua said dismissively, "Girls change so much when they grow up; who knows how she changed? She used to be so dark and skinny, and also quite short, now she looks like a completely different person."

Speaking in a tone that was half-mocking, Dong Meihua added, "She is considered the number one beauty of our Guangming Production Team now."

"No wonder Bingzi can’t let go of her," He Xuexiang said.

Dong Meihua felt a pang of jealousy and said sourly, "Had you met her back then, maybe you wouldn’t have fallen for me."

"What nonsense are you thinking about? I fell for you at first sight," He Xuexiang declared.

Dong Meihua then let it go and when she saw Gao Jiaxing and Xia Xiao approaching, she greeted them, "Xia Xiao, where are you two headed?"

"Going back to my parents’ house today," Xia Xiao replied with a slight smile. Although she and Dong Meihua had fallen out and no longer associated with each other, Xia Xiao still responded politely when Dong Meihua spoke up.

Gao Jiaxing greeted He Xuexiang, "We’re visiting my in-laws, where are you guys headed?"

"Just taking a stroll around," He Xuexiang smiled.

"All right then, we won’t keep you. We need to catch our ride," Gao Jiaxing said, and then walked away with Xia Xiao.

Dong Meihua was now feeling unhappy and complained to He Xuexiang, "You never took the initiative to take me back to my mother’s place."

Having been married to He Xuexiang for several years, Dong Meihua had often thought about returning to her maternal home. But since He Xuexiang was always busy, and Dong Meihua felt awkward going alone, she hadn’t. Now, watching Xia Xiao and Gao Jiaxing heading back to the city, and knowing that Xia Xiao returned almost every year, Dong Meihua felt a pang of jealousy.

"Shall we go back now?" He Xuexiang suggested.

Dong Meihua paused and then nodded, "All right, but you’re the one who suggested it."

Immediately, He Xuexiang and Dong Meihua headed back to the He Family home. Li Shengmei, knowing that He Xuexiang was planning to accompany Dong Meihua to her maternal home, wasn’t pleased, mainly because she had just gotten some herbal medicine from Mrs. Liu to give to Dong Meihua.

Now that Dong Meihua was planning on visiting her mother, and knowing she would be gone a few days, when her son was also set to return to the army, she said, "Can’t she go back next year?"

Dong Meihua was upset, "Gao Jiaxing is accompanying Xia Xiao to see her parents." Furthermore, Xia Xiao returned nearly every year while it had been several years since she last visited, and now Li Shengmei was suggesting next year, which made Dong Meihua feel even more uncomfortable.

"What, Gao Jiaxing is taking Xia Xiao back to her parents?" Li Shengmei said sardonically, "They just got married and they didn’t even wait for the elder aunt to return before visiting her family?"

He Xuebing said, "When can’t the elder aunt be seen?"

He Xuexiang glanced at He Xuebing and said, "Bingzi, you should stop thinking about Xia Xiao; she’s married to Gao Jiaxing now, and there’s no chance for you. In my opinion, apart from her pretty face, Xia Xiao can’t compare to Yu Zhen at all. Yu Zhen’s status alone puts her beyond Xia Xiao’s reach."