Chapter 55: An Unwanted Match

As Xu Hengzhou’s words left his lips, Wei Qiaowen’s face instantly changed. Her mouth parted slightly, and a blush crept steadily across her cheeks.

Moments before, she had addressed Xu Hengzhou as ‘Brother,’ yet he had turned around and called her ‘Second Sister Wei.’ The slight was undeniable, akin to a public slap to her face.

Her face still flushed, Wei Qiaowen cast a scathing glance at Xu Hengzhou. Then, she spun around, glaring fiercely at Xiang Chen before turning on her heel and fleeing.

“What happened?”

Song Wenbin and Wei Hongsheng, who had been deeply engrossed in their game of chess, turned their heads at the sound of Wei Qiaowen slamming the door.

Wei Hongsheng’s gaze immediately fell upon his son. “Wei Hang?! What trouble have you stirred up now?” he demanded.

Wei Hang was already feeling irritated. Seeing Xiang Chen hiding behind Xu Hengzhou, a clear look of annoyance in his eyes, Wei Hang felt a surge of both anger and sadness.

His father, however, chose to blindly blame him first, and the small flame of anger in Wei Hang’s heart erupted beyond control.

“He’s the one who angered Wei Qiaowen and made her run off! What does that have to do with me?” Wei Hang pointed at Xu Hengzhou as he retorted to his father.

“Nonsense! It must be your usual mischief again.”

Wei Hongsheng utterly disbelieved him. He held an extremely favorable impression of the two Song family children: Xu Hengzhou was sensible and capable, while Xiang Chen was obedient and endearing. They were infinitely better than his own troublemaking devil of a son.

Wei Hang was furious, on the verge of exploding. With reddened eyes, he glared at his father. “Fine, it was me, alright! You like him so much, why don’t you just make him your son?!”

Wei Hongsheng threw down his chess piece and stood up, ready to chastise him.

Song Wenbin quickly rose to intervene, simultaneously winking at Xu Hengzhou and Xiang Chen, urging them to help explain.

Though Xiang Chen did not particularly like Wei Hang, he had no desire to see him unfairly blamed. Therefore, he addressed Wei Hongsheng. “Uncle Wei, you’ve misunderstood Wei Hang. It has nothing to do with him.”

Upon hearing this, and seeing his younger son’s face etched with grievance, Wei Hongsheng felt a flicker of belief. Yet, his words remained harsh: “Don’t you dare try to excuse him. This boy is just asking for a beating.”

Xiang Chen’s heart seized with urgency, believing Wei Hongsheng was about to strike Wei Hang again. Wei Hongsheng’s beatings were no joke; Xiang Chen had witnessed it once, seeing Wei Hang brutally whipped with a belt by his father.

“It really wasn’t Wei Hang’s fault,” Xiang Chen explained anxiously to Wei Hongsheng. “Just now, my brother called Sister Wei ‘Second Sister Wei,’ and she got angry and ran off.”

Wei Hongsheng and Song Wenbin exchanged glances, both somewhat perplexed by Xiang Chen’s explanation. Why would a mere address cause such anger?

As the person directly involved, Xu Hengzhou found it inconvenient to speak at that moment. He also had no desire to explain Wei Qiaowen’s girlish sentiments to the two elders.

Xiang Chen glanced at his brother, and seeing no reaction, he honestly continued, “Sister Wei initially called my brother ‘Brother Xu’…”

Wei Hongsheng and Song Wenbin instantly understood the situation. Song Wenbin found it awkward to comment, but Wei Hongsheng cleared his throat, somewhat sheepishly admitting, “That child, my wife and I have spoiled her rotten.”

He then resettled in his chair and said to Song Wenbin, “Come, let’s continue.”

Song Wenbin turned to look at his two children, especially his eldest nephew. He, too, felt that his own children were outstanding, which made it no wonder that the Wei family’s daughter had taken a liking to him.

Suddenly recalling something, Wei Hongsheng turned and barked at Wei Hang, “Don’t you dare cause trouble! And don’t you bully your brother!”

“I know!” Wei Hang retorted impatiently. He had been quite upset about being wrongly accused, but now that Xiang Chen had spoken up for him, he felt a surge of happiness.

“Hey!” Wei Hang walked over to Xiang Chen, hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly said, “Just now… thank you.”

Xiang Chen merely glanced at him. “It’s nothing. It had nothing to do with you anyway; I was just telling the truth.”

Wei Hang picked at his fingers, then extended another invitation. “I have something really good. I can show it to you.”

“No, thank you,” Xiang Chen refused without hesitation. “I want to stay here for a bit.”

Wei Hang pouted. Seeing Xiang Chen clutching Xu Hengzhou’s sleeve, he felt a pang of discomfort and almost lashed out with a sarcastic remark. However, he bit back his words. He wasn’t truly foolish; he knew what would anger Xiang Chen.

After a moment of thought, he turned and ran back to his room.

****

The Wei family’s house was not small, boasting three bedrooms and a living room, but it was still cramped given the number of children. Before Wei Yu got married, he shared a room with Wei Hang. After his marriage, it was obviously impossible for him to live with his younger brother and sister-in-law, so the young couple and their baby occupied one room.

Wei Hang was unwilling to sleep with his parents, so the Wei couple gave the largest master bedroom to their two children. A single bed was placed on each side of the room, with a curtain drawn in the middle, meaning Wei Hang and Wei Qiaowen shared a room.

Wei Qiaowen had thrown a tantrum over this. Yet, she failed to consider that many of her classmates, teenage girls, still shared a room with several siblings, some even sleeping an entire family on one large bed.

But Wei Qiaowen didn’t see it that way; she simply felt her parents favored Wei Hang and couldn’t understand why he couldn’t sleep with them instead.

Wei Hang entered his room, the door opening on his side, with the curtain still drawn in the middle. He dragged a box from under his bed and opened it. Inside, various small items were scattered.

Among them was a small paper box. Wei Hang carefully took it out; it was an exquisitely crafted model airplane.

His uncle, who was still serving in the military, had given it to him. He had begged for a long time to get it, and it was his most treasured possession.

Wei Hang carefully removed the model and set it aside, then pushed the box back under his bed. Only then did he get up, cradling the model, and head towards the living room.

In the living room, Song Wenbin and Wei Hongsheng were still playing chess. Xiang Chen was saying something to Xu Hengzhou, his eyes curved in a joyful smile.

Wei Hang sat down diagonally opposite Xiang Chen and began to fiddle with the model. Periodically, he would lift it, making the plane ‘fly,’ all to capture Xiang Chen’s attention.

His goal was quickly achieved. Xiang Chen’s gaze uncontrollably shifted towards the model in Wei Hang’s hands.

Wei Hang observed Xiang Chen from the corner of his eye. Seeing him intently staring at his hands, he felt immensely pleased.

He deliberately played with it for a while longer before extending the model towards Xiang Chen. “Do you want to play? I can lend it to you for a bit.”

Xiang Chen hesitated, but ultimately could not suppress the longing in his heart. He reached out and took the model from Wei Hang’s hand.

He carefully cradled the small airplane, the joy in his eyes impossible to contain. Wei Hang felt even more delighted; seeing Xiang Chen so happy, he felt a corresponding happiness himself.

Xu Hengzhou sat nearby, watching Xiang Chen meticulously examine the small model. A thought sparked within him.

His friend, Wang Dong, had joined the military a few years ago. Wang Dong possessed excellent physical fitness, was hardworking, and resilient. In the years since, he had already become a squad leader. Their correspondence had never ceased. If Xiang Chen liked it so much, perhaps he could speak with Wang Dong and ask him to help make a small model for Xiang Chen.

Xiang Chen spent a good while looking at the model from every angle before reluctantly returning it to Wei Hang. Seeing how much he loved it, Wei Hang considered giving it to him, but then felt a pang of reluctance.

This was also one of his prized possessions. He had only recently acquired the model and barely even allowed himself to play with it. Giving it directly to Xiang Chen felt truly difficult.

After playing with Wei Hang’s model, Xiang Chen found it hard to give him the cold shoulder. He thought for a moment, then pulled a few White Rabbit candies from his pocket and offered them. “Have some candy. These are especially delicious.”

Wei Hang saw the candies nestled in Xiang Chen’s fair, tender palm and grumbled, “Only little girls like candy.” Yet, his hand reached out, taking the candies from Xiang Chen and unwrapping one to pop into his mouth.

Seeing him eat it, Xiang Chen broke into a happy smile. “It’s good, right? White Rabbit is the best.”

Holding the candy in his mouth, Wei Hang shifted it around, then mumbled, “It’s alright.”

Watching Wei Hang eat the candy made Xiang Chen crave some himself. However, he had only a few left, and he had given them all to Wei Hang, leaving him to merely watch.

Xu Hengzhou found this amusing. He reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a White Rabbit candy, unwrapped it, and placed it into Xiang Chen’s mouth.

Xiang Chen’s eyes curved into a happy smile as he looked at his brother. He was still losing his baby teeth, and his brother was exceptionally strict about his candy intake. Those few candies he had saved and hadn’t dared to eat—giving them to Wei Hang had actually caused him a slight heartache.

Wei Hang watched the two brothers being affectionate, feeling a touch of sourness. Even the candy in his mouth no longer tasted as sweet.

He secretly glared at Xu Hengzhou but dared not say anything unpleasant.

Others might not know, but when he had previously provoked Xiang Chen and gone too far, he had been harassed daily by several older students at school for a period. Once, they cornered him in an alley and beat him up. After they left, Wei Hang saw the so-called ‘nephew’ leisurely emerge from outside, smiling as he asked if Wei Hang needed help.

Wei Hang was no fool; seeing Xu Hengzhou, he understood everything. He was furious, shouting at Xu Hengzhou to wait, vowing to tell his father to deal with him. However, Xu Hengzhou showed no fear, even challenging him to try. Sure enough, when Wei Hang returned home and told his father that someone had beaten him, his father investigated. The students who had beaten him claimed that Wei Hang was too arrogant at school, and they simply disliked him and wanted to teach him a lesson.

His father returned and scolded him. From then on, Wei Hang understood that he couldn’t contend with someone like Xu Hengzhou and could only avoid him in the future.

****

The atmosphere among the children was relatively harmonious. In the corner, the two adults chatted while playing chess.

Recalling what he had just heard, Wei Hongsheng smiled at Song Wenbin. “How about we become in-laws? I’ve been waiting for you to marry and have children, planning to arrange a child betrothal. My family has both sons and daughters, so any match would work. But my third child was born, and your wife still hadn’t had any news. It’s fine now, though; my second daughter has taken a liking to your eldest nephew. How about we let them try?”

Song Wenbin’s hand, poised to place a chess piece, paused. Considering his eldest nephew’s temperament, he felt that he might not like the Wei family’s daughter, so he chuckled. “Let’s discuss it later. This is a matter for the young people. As elders, we shouldn’t interfere; let them decide for themselves.”

Wei Hongsheng pondered this, still quite fond of Xu Hengzhou and keen to have him as a son-in-law. However, hearing Song Wenbin’s words, he understood it as a polite refusal. As the girl’s father, he found it improper to be too direct, so he merely smiled and smoothly changed the subject.

Yet, Wei Hongsheng did not abandon the idea in his heart. He knew his daughter well; her personality was somewhat spoiled, but her nature was fundamentally good. As he only had one daughter, he naturally hoped she would live a good life.

Now that his daughter was of marriageable age, he and his wife were also discussing potential matches. He hadn’t thought of it before, but Old Song’s eldest was truly a suitable candidate. Although he was a little younger, a woman three years older than her husband brings good fortune. The Old Song family were all good people, and their families had a good relationship. If his Qiaowen married into their family, she wouldn’t fear being bullied.

Furthermore, Xu Hengzhou appeared to be a promising young man who would undoubtedly ensure his daughter never suffered. With his decades of friendship with Old Song, wouldn’t it be wonderful to become in-laws and strengthen their bond even further? As for Song Wenbin’s earlier refusal, he didn’t take it much to heart. They always said a man pursuing a woman was like climbing a mountain, but a woman pursuing a man was like lifting a veil. His Qiaowen was pretty and had a high school education. If not for the universities no longer recruiting that year, she might have even been accepted, becoming a university student. In what way was she not good enough for the Song family’s child?

Oh, he would just wait for Old Song to eat his words. When he came to propose marriage, Wei Hongsheng would definitely give him a hard time.

Wei Hongsheng’s thoughts were filled with pleasant anticipation, and a slight smile involuntarily appeared on his face. Song Wenbin found this odd. Had he been too harsh just now? Why did Old Wei look as if he had lost his mind?

****

At noon, Madame Wei prepared a lavish feast. Although resources were scarce at the time, no one would be stingy when hosting guests for the New Year.

At the dinner table, Wei Qiaowen sat beside her mother, her face drawn, clearly still upset. Wei Hongsheng, however, continuously urged Xu Hengzhou and Xiang Chen to eat, looking at Xu Hengzhou with an expression that was both satisfied and scrutinizing, as if he were already his future son-in-law.

Xu Hengzhou also sensed that something was amiss. He felt incredibly awkward, though his face remained impassive. He quietly pondered what could be happening. Of course, he couldn’t have possibly guessed that a seemingly rough man like Wei Hongsheng could be so prone to fanciful notions.

After a tasteless lunch, Wei Hongsheng initially wanted them to stay longer, but the three members of the Song family all wished to return home.

Song Wenbin wanted to forewarn Xu Hengzhou about Wei Hongsheng’s words, giving him a heads-up. Xu Hengzhou himself felt uncomfortable; everyone in that family seemed odd. Wei Hongsheng looked at him strangely, while Wei Qiaowen’s gaze was resentful, as if he had wronged her in some way.

Xiang Chen, on the other hand, was fine. He had a rare, peaceful morning with Wei Hang today. He simply wasn’t accustomed to staying at other people’s homes, so he was naturally happy to return home.

Unable to persuade them to stay, Wei Hongsheng reluctantly rose to see them off. Wei Yu’s wife quickly went to the room to retrieve Xiang Chen’s coat. Xiang Chen thanked her, put on his clothes, and then meticulously donned his scarf, hat, and gloves, layer by layer.

Wei Hongsheng saw them off downstairs. Public transportation was suspended for the New Year, so Xiang Chen and the others had arrived by bicycle.

Song Wenbin originally owned one bicycle, which he typically rode for work or errands. Later, Xu Hengzhou acquired a bicycle of his own, but unable to explain its origin, he simply told Song Wenbin that he had borrowed it. When needed, he would take it out and ride it; otherwise, he would put it back into his spatial dimension, pretending to have returned it. Given his extensive connections, Song Wenbin harbored no suspicions.

This time, when visiting the Wei family, Song Wenbin and Xu Hengzhou each rode a bicycle. Xiang Chen sat behind his brother, clinging to his waist to shelter from the wind.

The wind on the road was strong; opening their mouths meant a mouthful of wind. Song Wenbin and Xu Hengzhou kept their many words bottled up, only releasing them once they arrived home.

Song Wenbin spoke first, not beating around the bush. He directly repeated Wei Hongsheng’s words and asked Xu Hengzhou for his thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Xu Hengzhou instantly understood the reason for Wei Hongsheng’s peculiar gaze, feeling utterly helpless. He sighed and said to Song Wenbin, “Uncle, I’ll be honest with you. I have no interest in Wei Qiaowen whatsoever; in fact, she even annoys me a little. Please, for my sake, don’t let me be ‘sold off.’”

Song Wenbin waved his hand. “What are you saying? I also think you two aren’t a good match. I was just asking for your opinion. In the future, when you and Chenchen find wives, choose whoever you like. Just bring them back for me to meet. There are no other requirements, except that the girl must have a good heart.”

Xu Hengzhou and Xiang Chen exchanged a glance, both feeling a little guilty. They might not be able to bring any girls back for Song Wenbin to meet.

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