Every time Wang Jiao thought about her father, she was filled with frustration.
No matter how close a niece is, she couldn’t be closer than a biological daughter, right?
Nevertheless, her father adamantly refused to break off the engagement between Feng Qingxue and Lu Jiang to allow her to marry Lu Jiang. He kept emphasizing the importance of keeping promises; that the two had already been engaged. Didn’t he know that only marriage counts? As long as they hadn’t married, the engagement could still be called off. Such things had happened in their village before. When they broke off the engagement back then, did they care about integrity? Not at all.
With anger burning in her heart, Wang Jiao’s face turned slightly unpleasant. To Lu’s father and Lu Tianjun, she seemed like a troublemaker. Lu Tianzhi, who was timid, immediately hid behind his elder brother.
Lu’s father wrinkled his brows slightly but quickly relaxed. He said lightly, "Oh, it’s Wang Jiao from Secretary Wang’s family. What can I do for you?"
In front of others, Lu’s Father never called Wang Zhengguo by his name.
"Uncle Lu!" Facing the cold outside and the warmth inside, Wang Jiao’s cheeks flushed in excitement. Shyness was mixed with pleasure in the corners of her eyes. "It’s snowing and cold outside. I brought you some charcoal for heating your room."
In fact, Wang Jiao knew that the three-year famine hadn’t ended yet. She wanted to bring some grain, but all the grain at home was locked up by her mother.
Her family measured each meal carefully. Her parents certainly wouldn’t allow her to give their grain away.
Lu’s father glanced at the charcoal spilling out of the small basket. How could he not recognize it was the same they had sent out? Looking up at Wang Jiao, he was taken aback for a moment, then graciously replied, "I appreciate your thought, but we can’t accept it. We didn’t earn it with our own labor and using it would make us feel guilty. The weather is cold now; you should take it back and use it to keep your parents warm."
What surprised him about Wang Jiao was how much she had changed, almost like a different person.
The Wang Jiao of the past was admittedly spoilt, but as the secretary’s daughter, she never had to worry about food or clothing. And her actions and words were no different than those of any ordinary village girl.
But the Wang Jiao now was dressed much more delicately. Her every move exuded a sense of superiority.
It was a sensation akin to a poor man suddenly becoming rich, evolving over a few years into an air of haughtiness.
Still, no matter how Wang Jiao had altered, it had nothing to do with his family, as long as she didn’t interfere with his son’s engagement to his future daughter-in-law.
With these thoughts in mind, Lu’s father lowered his gaze.
Yet Wang Jiao misunderstood Lu’s father’s words. She just wanted to win over Lu’s father, to capture Lu Jiang’s heart. She insisted, "Uncle Lu, I truly want to help your family. I know you’re good people who shouldn’t be treated this way. But in this aspect, I’m powerless. The only thing I can do is help you in daily life. Besides, if I don’t tell anyone and you don’t, how would others find out?"
"Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know." Lu’s father’s voice was very light, but he was also growing slightly impatient.
Both were bringing gifts, but Feng Qingxue and Wang Jiao were two different matters.
Feng Qingxue was Lu Jiang’s betrothed and a member of the Lu family. She took good care of her father-in-law and nephew without seeking anything in return. That was her being filial and kind. It was like delivering coal in a snowstorm.
Wang Jiao was an outsider and, moreover, her actions had a very obvious motive, which made people uncomfortable.
Most importantly, Wang Jiao’s moral character was questionable. Even knowing that Lu Jiang was engaged to Feng Qingxue, she still inserted herself into the situation. Even if Feng Qingxue was less than perfect, Lu’s father wouldn’t even consider marrying his son to Wang Jiao.