C7 It's Unfair to You

Sitting in the car, Qian Duojing felt a mix of embarrassment and helplessness. The man who was, in name, her husband, sat beside her, occasionally glancing her way. As someone who had attended university in the 21st century, Qian Duojing couldn't come to terms with the idea of arranged marriages.

Xue Zhengqing, though a product of the 70s, was educated and had even studied abroad. He didn't seem like the type to be unreasonable, and Qian Duojing wondered if she could have a rational conversation with him.

They reached Qian Duojing's home in silence.

After getting out of the car, Xue Zhengqing followed her, carrying a basket of eggs, and they entered her house one after the other. Shang Wu, knowing better, did not follow them inside.

Once they were alone in the room, the awkwardness intensified. Qian Duojing gathered her courage and broke the silence. "Why have you come all of a sudden?"

Setting down the basket, Xue Zhengqing took a seat on a long bench and replied, "I wasn't thoughtful enough on our wedding day; I should have taken you with me. The call came in so urgently, and with my father's health failing, I didn't anticipate that the wedding preparations in the village would take over a week. When I heard my father's condition was critical, I rushed off without you."

Xue Zhengqing observed Qian Duojing's silence and continued, "Now that my father's health has stabilized, I've come to take you back with me."

Still bewildered, Qian Duojing asked, "Ah? Back where?"

Seeing her confused yet endearing expression, Xue Zhengqing explained softly, "To live with me in our home in Jinzhou, where you'll also meet my parents."

Qian Duojing hesitated before speaking up, "Don't you think it's unfair to marry someone you've never met? If you're looking to repay a life-saving debt, there must be other ways than offering your son in exchange."

Xue Zhengqing couldn't help but chuckle at her words. He had already been informed by those present at the time that Qian Duojing was overjoyed when they went to register their marriage. She had wanted him to bring friends and family to celebrate their union in the village, to maintain her dignity among the villagers—a request she had made quite insistently.

On her wedding night, she ran off and caused quite a stir. Now she's questioning the fairness of marrying a woman she's never even met.

"Qian Duojing, when you agreed to the marriage and let me throw a big wedding banquet, you weren't concerned about fairness to me."

Qian Duojing was taken aback by his words. Indeed, the original person in her position had made those requests, but Xue Zhengqing's response gave her a glimmer of hope, so she pressed on.

"I didn't think it through before, but I have now. Your leaving on our wedding day made me reflect a lot. Since nothing has happened between us, why don't we just get a divorce?"

Xue Zhengqing fell silent for a long while before responding, "Qian Duojing, I know you're upset because I left you on our wedding day. I'll give you two more days to think it over."

With that, Xue Zhengqing turned and walked away. Shang Wu, waiting outside, was surprised to see him emerge alone. "Qing, why are you out so soon? Did you have a disagreement with your sister-in-law?"

Xue Zhengqing got into the passenger seat of the car and said, "Let's stay at a guesthouse in the village for a couple of days. She might still be upset after seeing me today, so we'll wait a couple of days before we approach her again."

As they drove, Shang Wu couldn't resist commenting, "I thought the country wife arranged for you wouldn't be much to look at, but she turned out to be such a lovely and spirited young woman. She's beautiful and demure, hardly speaking a word, so introverted. From what the guys who came back with you after the wedding preparations said, I expected your sister-in-law to be a brash and clueless type, but she's actually quite gentle and attractive."

Xue Zhengqing remembered how Qian Duojing had sat next to him throughout the journey, her posture erect and graceful. Her black hair was plaited into a braid that cascaded over her shoulder and down her waist, and her fair, lovely profile was a pleasant surprise. The marriage his father had arranged for him wasn't so bad after all.