Chapter 262: Chapter 267: Unlucky Fate
Second Aunt Qin and Widow Zhang stood at the village crossroads, eyes red with envy as they watched everyone rush to Sheng Laosan’s house.
“Can you believe how lucky that brat Sheng Ning is?” Widow Zhang, thinking of Xu Qigang’s physique, felt a heat surge through her body.
She had numerous men, from village lads to city workers, all falling at her feet. But none could compare to the Captain.
Just the thought of his body made hers go weak.
Second Aunt Qin snorted disdainfully, “She’s nothing but a lowlife girl.”
“Lowlife? I think not! She’s quite the catch, particularly with her appeal to men.” Widow Zhang secretly envied anyone in the village who was prettier and younger than her.
“Humph! What would an outsider like you know!” Second Aunt Qin felt a smug sense of superiority, for she alone knew just how unlucky that wretched girl Sheng Ning was.
Abandoned by her own mother at birth, then her father died, and no one liked her. She was doomed to be a calamity star, the bane of her parents; she might even curse her husband. Whoever married her would be unlucky.
Shen Luhua unceremoniously chased away the nosy neighbors. While Sheng Laosan was in the restroom, she took the opportunity to ask Xu Qigang how things were going.
“Done!” Xu Qigang nodded, “Here’s the IOU,” and handed it over. Shen Luhua glanced at it, confirmed it was Sheng Ning’s handwriting, but didn’t take it.
“This is your debt; you should keep the IOU.”
Seeing her resolute attitude, Xu Qigang said nothing more and pocketed the IOU before saying, “I need to return to the War Wolf Rescue Team today. Is there anything you want me to bring to Xiao Ning?”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Sheng An had gone to sell bean sprouts, and before leaving that morning, he’d prepared a large pack of food for Xu Qigang to take.
“I’ll go get it for you!”
Sheng Laosan came back from the restroom and heard Xu Qigang was about to leave, which he couldn’t bear. “Why are you leaving so soon after coming back?”
“The War Wolf Rescue Team can’t be left unattended.”
“That’s true, you’re the highest leader of the team; you’re indispensable.” Sheng Laosan expressed his understanding and, seizing the moment, declared, “We’ve settled your marriage with Sheng Ning along with your father. When you come back with Ningning for New Year’s, we’ll invite relatives from both families for a meal to formally mark the occasion. I’ve written a letter for you to take to Ningning, she’ll understand everything once she reads it.”
Originally, the Sheng family was waiting for a letter back from Sheng Ning, but ever since Xu Qigang personally visited, Sheng Laosan had been utterly won over.
Such a fine son-in-law was hard to come by, even with a lantern in hand!
Leaving the Sheng family with a big bag of goods, Xu Qigang finally said his goodbyes.
Xu Xianxiong and Zhao Lanzi accompanied him all the way to the train station; as he was about to board the train, a hint of guilt crossed Qigang’s handsome face.
“Mom, do you really want to give one thousand yuan as a bridal gift?” Xu Qigang wanted the dowry to be as generous as possible, but he was unable to contribute any more money himself. It pained him that his parents had to bear the entire cost.
This time, the five thousand yuan had exhausted Xu Qigang’s savings of ten years.
He was a combat hero, fighting valiantly at the Southern Border Rescue Field. The state’s reward was much more than five thousand yuan.
And a Captain’s salary wasn’t meager either. But he had significant expenses, and most of his income went to the families of his comrades who had died at the Southern Border.
“Of course, that much is necessary. This girl meets my expectations; of course, we should marry her in grand style.” Not to mention Shixi Town, there was no one in the entire county who could offer a thousand yuan as a bridal gift.
His daughter-in-law was so beautiful; she shouldn’t be shortchanged.