Zhao Xin said, "Fortunately, Sister-in-law’s village has Secretary Yao and a man named Yao Cong who are quite nice to her. Yao Cong protected her yesterday too. Those lazybones were even taken away by Yao Cong. I think he will stand up for Sister-in-law."
When Meng Xinian heard Zhao Xin say this, he also felt relieved that there was someone in Siyang Village who could help Chiang Xiao. However, having just seen Chiang Xiao with Yao Cong and watched her accept his money, along with his reflection on the life of a mountain village girl after getting married, Meng Xinian felt rather uncomfortable.
Chiang Xiao seemed precocious.
She didn’t exhibit the youthful confusion and innocence typical of her age; she was mature and sensible, which often made him forget her actual age and treat her as a peer.
But now, thinking about it, she was, after all, just thirteen! What if her maturity also meant that her emotional awareness had developed early?
What if, at such a young age, she got sweet-talked by a young man from the village and ended up married within three or four years? Wouldn’t that mean she was heading down the very life path he had just envisioned?
The image of Chiang Xiao with a child on her back, one muddy, snot-nosed child in each hand, following behind Yao Cong in the village suddenly flashed in Meng Xinian’s mind.
He shuddered, and his expression grew even stonier.
"Yong Cong Brother is one of our village militia and also Secretary Yao’s nephew," Chiang Xiao said, unaware that his gaze had abruptly darkened. She sounded somewhat helpless.
Tyrant Meng, although we’ve cooperated twice before, we aren’t actually that close, are we? Why do you care so much about me?
The secretary’s nephew?
Is that considered a good match?
With a grimace, Meng Xinian couldn’t help but retort, "I’ll take care of your school fees from now until you go to university. I’ve got it covered. You just focus on studying hard and strive to get into a university later; either in the Provincial City or Capital City, choose one. But, getting into G University in our province isn’t easy either, so you absolutely must concentrate all your attention on studying."
Chiang Songhai and the others all turned their gazes towards him simultaneously.
He would pay Chiang Xiao’s school fees?
From now until she went to university?
Their jaws dropped, and with mouths agape, they mechanically turned their gazes back to Chiang Xiao.
Chiang Xiao was also stunned.
She instinctively refused, "No need, I can earn the school fees myself. Brother Xinian, save your money for when you get married and buy a house. I can’t take your money."
"I’m not getting married, okay?" Meng Xinian spoke with a deep voice.
"Why wouldn’t you get married?" Chiang Xiao was baffled and then shook her head. That’s wrong. Whether he gets married or not is his business. But that’s not what she meant!
No matter whether he gets married or not, she couldn’t accept his money!
"Men who are led by the nose by women are foolish and contemptible!" Meng Xinian thought of someone from the Meng Family and his expression darkened even more.
Women, especially those whom the people deemed his social equals, were all troublemakers, some putting on airs with their vanity and hypocrisy, as scheming as sieves, just like the woman in his own family. He was thoroughly fed up with them.
Therefore, he had no desire to marry.
If he had to marry, he would just pick an ignorant country girl.
After all, he would dedicate most of his life to the alliance!
As for Chiang Xiao, he really didn’t want to see such a girl with spiritual energy be utterly wasted.
In the past, he mostly lent his money to battle buddies who were facing financial difficulties, or occasionally treated them to a good meal. In the future, he would just have to be a little more frugal and figure out ways to earn more money.
He refused to believe that he couldn’t afford to take care of this little kitten.