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Back to the 80s: A Marriage of Convenience
With the affirmative responses from Grandma Qi and Zhou Ju, Zhao Jin let out a long sigh of relief.
Although she had anticipated this outcome, until she received a definite answer, Zhao Jin was still worried that her good intentions might backfire and upset the Qijia Family.
However, now Zhao Jin no longer needed to worry. Regardless of what outsiders thought, at least the Qijia Family was aligned with her expectations; they did not harbor any resentment due to Sun Qiuer's unfortunate circumstances.
Sometimes, life is like that. No one knows what opportunities will arise in the next moment.
Take Sun Qiuer, for example. She would never have imagined that the man she was engaged to would turn out to be such a scoundrel. Nor could she have predicted that after the incident with the scoundrel, her life would not plummet into despair but instead provide her with the chance to meet Qi Ze.
Thanks to the Qijia Family's attitude, Zhao Jin quickly gave Sun Chun'er a definite response. Sun Chun'er then swiftly returned to her maternal family to clarify the situation.
The news that Sun Chun'er brought back shocked the entire Sun Family.
Is it true? The marriage proposal from the Qi Family? The Qi Family is now completely different; it is no longer the same Qi Family from a year ago.
If it had been a year ago when the Qi Family came to propose and Sun Qiuer had faced a broken engagement, perhaps the Sun Family would have readily agreed.
But now, facing the current Qi Family, the elders of the Sun Family exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond.
To refuse would be unfair to their daughter. After all, Qi Ze is indeed a good match; no one can guarantee that if they miss this opportunity, Sun Qiuer will find someone better in the future. It’s also possible that there won’t be another good match available thereafter.
Yet agreeing... it feels like reaching too high. The Sun Family also worries that if Sun Qiuer marries into the Qi Family, she might face hardships or be looked down upon by her in-laws. "Uncle and Aunt, you don’t need to worry about this. The Qi Family is not like that. Moreover, this marriage was arranged with my family's help. With my brother Jin around, Qiu'er will not be mistreated in the Qi Family," Sun Chun'er reassured them. Now with Sun Qiuer becoming Zhao Jin's sister-in-law, Sun Chun'er felt confident that neither Sun Qiuer would be wronged nor Zhao Jin's future would be anything less than comfortable.
Other girls, Sun Chun'er cannot guarantee. But if it is Sun Qiuer who marries Qi Ze, Sun Chun'er can guarantee that Zhao Jin's status in the Qi Family will only rise.
She fears that the next time she sees her maternal family, she will have to complain about how even the newly married siblings are treated like her in-law family, not allowing her to do anything.
Thinking this way, Sun Chun'er felt increasingly enthusiastic about facilitating this marriage and reassured many elders of the Sun Family.
Since it is Sun Qiuer getting married, this time, the elders of the Sun Family did not take it upon themselves to decide for Sun Qiuer but instead gave her the right to choose. Whether to meet Qi Ze was up to Sun Qiuer herself.
Without the elders of the Sun Family meddling, Sun Chun'er found herself more at ease. Without further ado, she pulled Sun Qiuer into the house. The two sisters were alone in a room, sitting down to slowly share their thoughts.
"Qiu'er, what do you really think? Are you willing? Just say it; give me an attitude." Earlier outside, considering the presence of the elders, Sun Chun'er had not asked about Sun Qiuer's personal thoughts. Now that it was just the two of them, everything became easier to discuss.
"Sister, does Qi Ze know about my broken engagement?" Qi Ze did not know Sun Qiuer, but Sun Qiuer was aware of Qi Ze.
Or perhaps it cannot be called knowing; she could only say she was aware of him. Sun Qiuer had a good impression of Qi Ze.
Hearing that she was going to meet Qi Ze for a blind date suddenly made Sun Qiuer a bit anxious and uncertain. "Of course he knows. How could I possibly hide this from Qi Ze? That would only harm you! If I were to hide it and you really ended up with Qi Ze later on, various troubles would definitely arise." There are many things that can be concealed, but such a significant matter cannot be hidden from him.
Sun Chun'er nodded and immediately replied.
"Then why does he still want to meet me? Doesn't he mind that I..." Sun Qiuer lowered her head, feeling quite complicated inside.
In Sun Qiuer's view, she and Qi Ze were extremely mismatched. It wasn't that Qi Ze was unworthy of her; rather, she felt unworthy of him.
The Qi Family has changed significantly now; with her having been rejected once, Sun Qiuer did not believe that Qi Ze would accept her. "What’s there to mind? If he truly minded, I wouldn't have high hopes for this brother-in-law." Knowing that Sun Qiuer had an unresolved knot in her heart, Sun Chun'er held her hand as a gesture of comfort and shared her genuine feelings. "So what if you've been rejected? What’s so great about it? The ones who made mistakes aren’t us; why should we feel ashamed? Those outside gossiping are just people with nothing better to do; what does it have to do with you?"
"Big sister, I..." Despite Sun Chun'er’s encouragement, Sun Qiuer still found it hard to move her feet. "I'm a bit scared."
"Don't be afraid. This is something I'm helping you with. The person taking over from the Qi Family is my in-law's cousin. We're all on the same side, so there's no need to feel distant or burdened. Even if this doesn't work out, you shouldn't hold back when it does. We should go meet Qi Ze with our heads held high; there's no need to feel inferior in front of him." Of course, Sun Chun'er knew that her words were easier said than done and couldn't truly alleviate Sun Qiuer's anxiety. So she lowered her voice and added, "And besides, whether this works out or not is still uncertain! It's not just him who gets to choose us. Who knows, you might not even like Qi Ze, and it could end up being nothing anyway? Let's just keep a calm mindset and treat it like meeting an ordinary friend. If it works out, great; if not, then so be it!"
Sun Chun'er said all this, but Sun Qiuer could only purse her lips and say nothing.
How could she possibly look down on Qi Ze? He was excellent in every way. Even before the Qi Family's fortunes improved, she thought Qi Ze was quite good.
Now that the Qi Family was starting to prosper again, news had spread to several nearby villages. Sun Qiuer couldn't think of any reason why she would look down on Qi Ze.
On the contrary, it was likely that Qi Ze could find many faults and shortcomings in her...
Regardless, under Sun Chun'er’s comforting words, Sun Qiuer ultimately expressed nothing more. Deep down, she was actually quite looking forward to this! That was why she wanted to see him, to... meet Qi Ze.
After leaving the Sun Family, Sun Chun'er felt very satisfied. With a bright smile, she went straight to find Zhao Jin.
This time, Sun Chun'er did not avoid the Qi Family but instead informed Sun Qiuer about the agreed meeting right in front of Qi Ze.
"That's wonderful!" Zhao Jin clapped his hands and laughed without hiding his joy.
The other members of the Qi Family showed no signs of dissatisfaction either. When facing Sun Chun'er, they expressed nothing but gratitude and thanks.
Sun Chun'er couldn't help but blush a little. Faced with the warm reception from the Qi Family, she thought for a moment and pulled Zhao Jin aside outside the door for a quiet chat. "So, Qiu'er is still a bit reluctant, right?" Zhao Jin sighed lightly, not blaming Sun Qiuer for being ungrateful but genuinely feeling a bit sorry for her. "It's tough for her to deal with this situation while also facing gossip; I fear Qiu'er is the one who feels the worst about it."
Zhao Jin had no doubt that if it were her in Sun Qiuer's current position, she would also be worried about being set up with someone like Qi Ze.
After all, on the surface, Qi Ze's various qualities were indeed much better than Sun Qiuer's. "Isn't that right? My uncle and aunt used to be so proud. They always thought their daughter was the best. Now that they hear the person I'm introducing is Qi Ze, they keep waving their hands, saying that the Qi Family's conditions are too good, and Qiu'er probably can't match up." Sun Chun'er sighed lightly and honestly conveyed the attitude of the Sun Family. "To be honest, I don't mean to belittle Qi Ze, nor do I think he isn't good enough. I just feel that with Qiu'er's looks and temperament, she is certainly worthy of Qi Ze. At most, it's just that she has encountered the wrong people before; fate has been unfair."
At this point, Zhao Jin felt helpless. After all, what had happened had already occurred, and even if she wanted to help, there was no way to change the established facts. However, she felt increasingly sorry for Sun Qiuer: "Anyway, let's just let them meet! Good or bad, they'll know after meeting. I can guarantee that if Qi Ze refuses this marriage proposal, it absolutely won't be because Qiu'er was previously rejected. Please make sure to tell Sister-in-law this; we can't hurt Qiu'er's self-esteem again."
"I know this." With that said, Sun Chun'er had nothing more to add. She confirmed the meeting time and place with Zhao Jin once again before leaving.
Watching Sun Chun'er walk away, Zhao Jin was about to turn back to the courtyard. Unexpectedly, as she turned her head, she came face to face with a very serious-looking Qi Ze.
"What’s wrong?" Thinking that Qi Ze might have something to discuss privately with her, Zhao Jin stopped and asked proactively.
"Sister-in-law, the meeting time remains unchanged, but let's change the location!" Qi Ze's words came without warning but were firm and decisive.
Originally, according to the intentions of Zhao Jin and Sun Chun'er, the meeting place for Qi Ze and Sun Qiuer was set at Zhao Guoqiang's house. This arrangement would be more comfortable and secure for both Qi Ze and Sun Qiuer.
After all, both sides were relatives; visiting Zhao Guoqiang's house would not seem strange if they happened to run into each other. If things didn't work out, it wouldn't lead to more gossip.
However, at this moment, Qi Ze insisted on changing the meeting place? And it was directly from Zhao Guoqiang's house to Sun Qiuer's home.
"Are you sure?" Zhao Jin blinked and looked very seriously at Qi Ze. "You must understand that going to meet at Sun Qiuer's house is equivalent to a different kind of visit. Regardless of whether it works out or not, it won't escape the ears of other villagers."
"It's not something shameful; why do we have to hide it from everyone? Let them know; it won't cause any trouble." Qi Ze shrugged nonchalantly, his tone quite relaxed.
It is clear that Qi Ze is serious about making this decision. Zhao Jin paused for a moment and asked uncertainly, "Are you deliberately trying to vindicate Qiu'er?"
Given Qi Ze's current status as a highly sought-after individual in everyone's eyes, if people were to find out that Qi Ze took the initiative to visit the Sun Family to get to know Sun Qiuer, it would undoubtedly create a huge sensation and become a hot topic, even if the marriage ultimately did not materialize.
At that time, it is likely that when more people mention Sun Qiuer, they would first think of Qi Ze actually going to the Sun Family to propose, rather than the fact that Sun Qiuer had previously been rejected in her engagement.
As a result, Sun Qiuer's life in the village would undoubtedly improve significantly. The gossip would surely shift direction, bringing her more benefits than harm.
However, once this matter comes to light, Qi Ze might also be bound to Sun Qiuer.
It would be best if this marriage were to succeed, bringing joy to both families. But if the marriage does not happen, Qi Ze may have to bear even more idle chatter...
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