After sending away the self-righteous Qiao Hui, Qiao Shu summarized some useful information from the words she had pried from this person who had undergone rebirth.
First, Feng Xiao was probably often away from home, and he would sacrifice himself for the country during one of his missions.
Second, Feng Xiao’s two adopted son and daughter would not be easy to raise, and their status as martyrs’ orphans would make it even harder to be a stepmother.
Third, life after marrying into the Feng Family would not be happy.
Of course, Qiao Shu felt that the third point was just Qiao Hui’s subjective opinion and had no reference value.
The truly useful information was the first two points: Feng Xiao would die young, and the adopted son and daughter with the status of martyrs’ orphans would be hard to raise.
However, neither of these useful pieces of information mattered to Qiao Shu.
She had decided to marry Feng Xiao in the first place for the Feng Family’s strong background and the status of a military family member.
This would ensure her future safety and a comfortable life with ample supplies.
As for a husband and children?
Those were dispensable existences.
If they were good people, she would fulfill her obligations.
If they did not get along, they could just treat each other as air.
Besides, if she really could not stand it, there was always divorce as an option.
Qiao Shu thought optimistically.
She was not scared by the information leaked from Qiao Hui.
On the contrary, knowing that Feng Xiao was very busy, might not come home often, and even had the possibility of dying young made Qiao Shu accept the marriage even better.
She even felt that this marriage was tailor-made for her.
Oh, except that after marrying over, she would have to suddenly become a stepmom.
But where in the world was there such a thing as perfection?
So, ever since Qiao Shu learned that her constitution from her previous life had come with her, the anxiety that had plagued her all day completely vanished.
Qiao Shu lowered her head and lifted her sleeve to look at her skin, which was already faintly reddened. She sighed helplessly.
During this time, aside from her three meals a day, she always stayed in her room and did not go out. On one hand, it was to avoid the reborn Qiao Hui and prevent her from noticing that she was not the original owner.
On the other hand, it was because the influence of her previous life’s constitution on her current body was growing stronger. Her skin was as fair and lustrous as the finest sheep fat jade, but it was also becoming increasingly delicate.
Now, her body could barely tolerate clothes made of coarse hemp fabric, so she tried to minimize going out to avoid friction.
Thinking of this, Qiao Shu let out a barely audible sigh, feeling a bit depressed inside.
Actually, the Spirit Spring Space that had come with her to this world contained many items from her previous life that would make her life much more comfortable.
For example, various comfortable fabrics suitable for her to wear, some food, and so on.
Anyway, all the items she had stored in her space were for improving her quality of life.
After all, with such a delicate constitution, when conditions allowed, she definitely wanted to live comfortably.
Unfortunately, her identity was what it was—just a rural girl. How could she bring out those ‘good things’ to use?
So, even though she had comfortable fabrics that would prevent her skin from suffering, she did not dare to take them out.
However, once she left Qiao Village and married Feng Xiao, it would be different. She would have much more room to maneuver with the items in her space.
Thinking this way, Qiao Shu felt that marrying over one day earlier meant enjoying a good life one day sooner.
She quietly took out a juicy water honey peach grown in the Spirit Spring Space from her space, ate it, and then lay on the bed with a satisfied expression.
If she had to say what she was least used to after transmigrating to this backward 1980s era, it was the lack of phones, computers, the internet, and… having to eat big pot rice every day that had little oil and was throat-scraping.
Fortunately, her Spirit Spring Space had come with her, giving her, who could not get used to the Qiao Family’s food, the chance to cook her own little stove.
“I still need to marry Feng Xiao sooner…”
That way, she could take out some of the delicious and nutritious fruits from her space to give to her family…
She wondered when the Feng Family would send someone to pick her up to marry Feng Xiao…
——Capital Feng Family——
“Mom! What’s going on here? How did I hear from Brother Zheng that A Xiao submitted a marriage report to the troops and is preparing to get married?!”
Seeing her daughter come in with furrowed brows and an anxious expression, He Hong knew that her girl had rushed home right after work upon hearing the news.
“Yingzi, your brother is indeed getting married.”
Although He Yingzi knew that since her husband said her brother had submitted a marriage report to the troops, it was probably nine times out of ten true.
But when she heard this confirmed from her mother’s mouth, her mind still reeled, and her brows furrowed even tighter.
Because she knew that the woman marrying her brother was most likely—
“The absurd childhood betrothal that Grandpa set up back then?”
He Hong nodded. “Yes… Your brother is marrying Grandpa Qiao’s granddaughter.”
Hearing this affirmative answer again, He Yingzi felt like she was about to explode with anger.
“Mom! What era is this? Who still does childhood betrothals! Arranged marriages by elders are wrong! They’re feudal behavior! I don’t agree with my brother’s marriage! Even if Grandpa wants to repay Grandpa Qiao’s kindness, this isn’t the way! We can arrange jobs for the Qiao Family, give them money—there are so many ways to repay them! Why sacrifice A Xiao’s marriage for it!”
He Yingzi had known since childhood that her grandfather had verbally agreed to a childhood betrothal with one of his comrades.
That comrade had once saved her grandfather’s life on a perilous battlefield, but in doing so, he lost a leg to an explosion. He could no longer stay in the troops and was forced to retire to the countryside after recovery.
Precisely because of this, her grandfather had always felt deep guilt.
So, he proposed the idea of the two families joining through marriage. Unfortunately, both had only sons back then, so the betrothal fell through.
But who would have thought that when her grandfather learned the Qiao Family had a granddaughter, he brought up the idea of continuing the childhood betrothal with the third generation.
Fortunately, her parents did not agree to this marriage. Over the years, although her grandfather occasionally mentioned the childhood betrothal, her parents had blocked it every time.
But now…
“Mom! What’s really going on? Did you and Dad agree to this childhood betrothal too?!”
Facing her eldest daughter’s incredulous expression, He Hong sighed helplessly.
“Yingzi, you know Grandpa’s current physical condition, and this betrothal with the Qiao Family has always been a knot in his heart. Grandpa Qiao already saved your grandpa’s life, and your grandpa always wanted to repay it. He even proposed the marriage alliance himself— if your grandpa goes back on his word now, he probably won’t rest in peace even underground…”
Listening to her mother’s words, He Yingzi pursed her lips slightly. As a doctor, she understood her grandfather’s condition better than anyone.
Her grandfather had fought desperately on the battlefield in his youth, leaving his body riddled with old wounds. Even after conditions improved and he started nurturing his health,
those old ailments from his youth could not be fully cured. Now, though he appeared fine, his body was weaker than that of peers his age and needed careful maintenance. One mishap, and he might not hold up…
Thinking of this, He Yingzi felt some reluctance.
“But we can’t sacrifice A Xiao’s happiness for that…”
“Yingzi, we’ve talked to your brother, and he agreed.”
He Hong understood her eldest daughter’s thoughts, as they matched her own.
She also hoped to see her son have a happy marriage, with a wife who shared his aspirations, someone he truly loved.
But…
“Sigh, your brother’s eyes only have the country and the troops. He’s thirty years old now—let alone marriage, he doesn’t even have a female friend. Aside from the girls in our Military District Compound who grew up with him, after graduating from military academy, he hasn’t even befriended another woman. He even adopted two children before marriage…”
At this point, He Hong felt a headache coming on.
This was part of the reason why, after resisting for so many years, she had relented and agreed to the childhood betrothal.
On one hand, it was to put the old man’s mind at ease and fulfill his wish.
On the other, it was also for her thirty-year-old unmarried son.
Over the years, she had realized that her son had no interest in marriage or having children.
Without this betrothal, he definitely would not marry.
So, He Hong simply agreed to it.
At least it would give her son a wife and a normal family in the future.
He Yingzi immediately understood her mother’s thinking, but the brows she had just relaxed furrowed again.
“Mom, this isn’t fair! Don’t you think it’s unfair to that Qiao Family girl? A Xiao doesn’t love her at all—he’s marrying her out of duty. That’s too unfair to her!”
Thinking of her brother, who was often away on missions and rarely home, her brows knitted tightly.
Whether for her brother or that Qiao Family girl, she felt this childhood betrothal was too unfair.
Two people who had never met, forced to marry because of their elders’ word…
It was terrifying just to think about.
“Yingzi, don’t worry. When Grandpa Qiao’s granddaughter marries into our family, we’ll all take good care of her and not let her suffer the slightest grievance. I heard she’s not very old—if she wants to study, we’ll let her go to school; if she wants to work, we’ll arrange a job. If she doesn’t want to do anything, she can stay home, and we’ll support her well…”
…
At this moment, Qiao Shu, who was waiting for the Feng Family to come pick her up, had no idea that in the near future, she would welcome the world’s best mother-in-law and the best elder sister-in-law~!