CHAPTER 317: CHAPTER 318: REFUSAL

Brother Jiaxing glanced at Xia Xiao and smiled slightly before replying, "I’m accompanying your sister-in-law back to her parents’ home."

Gao Guihua then turned to Xia Xiao, her gaze filled with astonishment and envy, "Brother Jiaxing is actually married? I didn’t even hear about it. His wife is from the city, right? She’s really beautiful."

Xia Xiao smiled faintly, "I am an educated youth from the production team, have been here for almost ten years. I’ve heard about you, but you rarely go out, so we are not acquainted."

"Oh, an educated youth from the production team, then you must know my sister-in-law?" When Gao Guihua heard that Xia Xiao was an educated youth, she immediately lost interest. Xia Xiao nodded and replied indifferently, "I know her, but I haven’t really interacted with your sister-in-law."

"It seems you and my sister-in-law aren’t on good terms either," Gao Guihua remarked.

Xia Xiao didn’t respond but said, "You guys continue chatting. We have some business to attend to, so we’re leaving now."

"Which city is your sister-in-law from?" Gao Guihua asked again.

"City S," Xia Xiao replied.

"City S, huh? That’s pretty good. Can your sister-in-law help me buy..."

Before Gao Guihua could finish speaking, Brother Jiaxing interrupted, "No, your elder sister-in-law is also a city dweller. Wait for her to visit her parents’ home, then you can ask her to buy something. We’re in a hurry and can’t talk more."

Brother Jiaxing said to Xia Xiao, "Let’s go, otherwise we might miss our ride."

Xia Xiao nodded and left with Brother Jiaxing, paying no more attention to Gao Guihua and Wang Yuncai.

It was their first meeting, and she asked her to buy something. They weren’t close, and the relationship between the two households wasn’t good either—how could Xia Xiao possibly help Gao Guihua with her request?

Moreover, as soon as she saw Gao Guihua and Wang Yuncai together, chatting a bit, Xia Xiao felt it was unreliable.

As soon as Brother Jiaxing and Xia Xiao left, Wang Yuncai stared blankly at Brother Jiaxing’s departing figure, and Gao Guihua said, "Yuncai, what are you looking at them for?"

"Why didn’t you ever say Brother Jiaxing was your cousin?" Wang Yuncai asked, somewhat angrily.

"He’s my cousin from my father’s side, we moved out and seldom went back," Gao Guihua explained.

Wang Yuncai looked at Gao Guihua, "Your family doesn’t get along with Brother Jiaxing’s family? I feel he was quite cold towards you."

"It’s not that we don’t get along, it’s just that my grandma doesn’t like my aunt, so we don’t visit often. Besides, Brother Jiaxing has always been like this, hard to get along with," Gao Guihua explained.

Wang Yuncai was really angry; she had known Gao Guihua for years, and Gao Guihua had always tried to please her, but Wang Yuncai didn’t really care about Gao Guihua.

Now, she had approached Gao Guihua after suddenly seeing Liu Haihua leave his brother’s room, which had shocked Wang Yuncai—she hadn’t expected Liu Haihua to be involved with her brother.

And for a while, the people at the old residence were very cautious, even Old Lady Gao behaved very modestly, so Gao Guihua’s marriage was temporarily postponed.

Thus, Gao Guihua was very eager to please Wang Yuncai and even had an interest in Wang Xueyong. When Wang Yuncai invited her over, Gao Guihua was thrilled.

But she hadn’t expected to run into Brother Jiaxing and Xia Xiao, and now Wang Yuncai’s face didn’t look happy. Being born in the old residence with such a formidable grandmother as Old Lady Gao and a mother who was quite scheming, Gao Guihua wasn’t naive either.

She glanced at Wang Yuncai and said, "You like my Brother Jiaxing, don’t you?"

"He’s already married," Wang Yuncai said while glaring at Gao Guihua, "It’s your fault. If you had told me earlier that Brother Jiaxing was your cousin, he wouldn’t have gotten married so soon."

Gao Guihua apologized, "How was I to know you knew my cousin? Didn’t I tell you that the captain of the Guangming Production Team, Gao Guoqiang, is my third uncle, and Gao Yongfang is my cousin? You met her once; she’s Brother Jiaxing’s third sister."

"Gao Yongfang is Brother Jiaxing’s third sister?" Wang Yuncai widened her eyes, she knew about Gao Yongfang for a long time, and it also turned out that Mrs. Wang and Gao Yongfang’s mother-in-law knew each other—they almost arranged for Feng Zhiguang and Wang Yuncai to get engaged.

But at that time, Wang Yuncai was still young and very resistant to the idea, so she was very repulsive towards the Feng family. That day, seeing Gao Yongfang and Gao Guihua, she didn’t think much about Gao Guihua’s introduction.

Now she was furious; apparently, she had plenty of opportunities to get close to Brother Jiaxing, but she had missed them all.

As Brother Jiaxing and Xia Xiao left, Xia Xiao remarked, "I hadn’t expected Gao Guihua to know Wang Yuncai."

"Don’t worry about them; don’t let them affect your mood," Brother Jiaxing said.

Xia Xiao nodded, surprised that the people from the old residence had ties with the Wangs, and it seemed that Wang Yuncai and Gao Guihua were quite close.

Xia Xiao suddenly asked, "Brother Gao, wasn’t Gao Guihua betrothed? Is she married now?"

Brother Jiaxing frowned, "Not that I’ve heard, I haven’t heard about her getting married."

Xia Xiao also found it strange; logically, since Gao Guihua had been betrothed for a few years, she should be married by now.

"Did our family mention our marriage to the people at the old residence?" Xia Xiao asked.

"Yes, my father had my elder brother notify them, but they were too busy to come," Brother Jiaxing replied.

Xia Xiao thought to herself, it wasn’t that they were busy, they simply didn’t want to come.

Perhaps Gao Guihua was married, but the people at the old residence hadn’t mentioned it; Xia Xiao didn’t dwell on it anymore. She and Brother Jiaxing then caught a ride to the county town to catch a train.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuncai brought Gao Guihua back to her home, but didn’t encounter Wang Xueyong. Upon inquiry, she learned Wang Xueyong had gone to the Red Star Production Team, which upset Wang Yuncai even more.

"Mom, you’re not really considering that Liu Haihua, are you?" Wang Yuncai said.

Mrs. Wang glanced at Gao Guihua and said to Wang Yuncai, "That Liu Haihua has wide hips, good for bearing children. If your brother is to marry, let him marry someone like that."

Mrs. Wang’s words were meant for her daughter but also for Gao Guihua to hear. Mrs. Wang didn’t think highly of Gao Guihua—a person seemingly incapable of heavy lifting, with a frail appearance, she didn’t look capable of bearing a brood of grandchildren for her.

Wang Yuncai said, "Mom, do you know what kind of person that Liu Haihua is? She’s already been married and even has a son, I don’t know where she’s hiding now. Such a woman shouldn’t marry my brother, she’s not worthy at all, Mom, please don’t be foolish."

Mrs. Wang was shocked, "What are you saying? Liu Haihua has been married and even has a son, why didn’t you tell me earlier?"