Chapter 184: Just Don't Want Chapter Name 1
Xu Xiuxiu felt that her current state was very passive. Normally, the New Year should be a joyous occasion, but she had to hide in her room for her post-partum confinement. Outside, heavy snowflakes swirled, and the festive atmosphere lost much of its warmth due to the cold weather.
Si Ya, Xu Jingjing, was in an extremely unstable emotional state, undecided about whether to keep the baby in her womb or not. She was caught in agony, unable to extricate herself. This left Xu Xiuxiu, who couldn't even leave her room now, frantically passive, feeling as if her brain might explode, yet she still couldn't come up with a solution to Xu Jingjing's problem.
Clearly, the words she spoke to Xu Jingjing were mixed with personal emotions. Her initial intention was for Xu Jingjing's well-being, but her approach failed to gain the young girl's approval.
Xu Xiuxiu's thoughts were significantly influenced by future generations. She didn't believe that getting pregnant and having a child meant she couldn't start a new life. However, for women of her era, their thoughts were ultimately too conservative. Thus, even after being bullied, they customarily swallowed their anger and chose to maintain peace, for once their reputation and innocence were gone, they would never be able to raise their heads again. Just like Xu Jingjing—she hated, resented, was annoyed, and in pain. She wished she could kill that scoundrel, but after much thought, she still decided to marry him, for her own sake and for the child in her womb.
Xu Xiuxiu had to admit that this approach was incredibly foolish. Reputation and innocence—are the opinions of others something you can eat? No, but one must acknowledge that this is the tragedy of women from that era.
Pacing restlessly in her bedroom, Xu Xiuxiu felt agitated like a trapped sheep. Having just given birth, it was clear that her intelligence and rationality were offline. There's a saying that pregnancy dulls the mind for three years, and Xu Xiuxiu was starting to believe the true meaning of it.
When Song Yuanhuan, after washing up, entered the room, what he saw was Xu Xiuxiu clutching her hair, expressing her frustration under the dim light.
"What's wrong?" Song Yuanhuan glanced at the peacefully sleeping boy and girl twins on the bed as he stepped closer to Xu Xiuxiu, asking while his slender arm gently encircled her drastically slimmed waist, "Why aren't you asleep yet? If you don't sleep now, you won't be able to once people in the village start setting off firecrackers for New Year's Eve." Xu Xiuxiu loved to sleep in, but was also a light sleeper. Slightly noises could wake her up. These past few days, she had to take care of the twins several times at night. The chin that he had managed to plump up before childbirth had sharpened again in just two days, evidence of how exhausting it was to take care of children. He had expected that when he entered the room, she would be asleep like usual.
"I'm too upset to sleep," Xu Xiuxiu bitterly replied to Song Yuanhuan.
The issue with Xu Jingjing kept spinning in her head, and she didn't know how to handle it. If she could persuade Xu Jingjing, or if that girl could come to terms with it on her own, perhaps she wouldn't need to be so distressed. But Xu Jingjing clearly hadn't listened to her, and her threats at noon had no effect.
"You've been in this room all day, how can you still have so many troubles to think about? Can't you just peacefully enjoy the New Year and take care of yourself?" Song Yuanhuan looked at Xu Xiuxiu somewhat helplessly, bending down to pick her up horizontally and place her on the wooden bed, "It's cold, and you never take your health seriously. Don't the elders always say you shouldn't get sick during post-partum care?" He then tugged over the quilt and covered Xu Xiuxiu tightly.
"Oh!" Xu Xiuxiu obediently responded, leaving just her little face exposed outside the quilt.
"Can't sleep because you're upset? Shall I tell you a story?" Song Yuanhuan had been telling her stories since she was pregnant, so he didn't feel awkward making this suggestion.
Xu Xiuxiu shook her head, "Song Yuanhuan, do you know everyone in Song Family Village?" Xu Xiuxiu curled up in the covers and asked Song Yuanhuan softly.
"Most of them, almost everyone living in Song Family Village belongs to the Song Family, and several generations up, they're all relatives. When I was a child, whenever it was festival time, the village was very lively, especially during the Goddess Festival when all the adults and children in the village would gather at the temple at the end of the village to burn incense, raise flags, or carry the Goddess's palanquin. But then I joined the army, though aside from some teenagers, I still know most of the people pretty well." Song Yuanhuan answered, lifting his brows at Xu Xiuxiu as his deep eyes carried a questioning look of confusion.
"Then do you know my elder brother-in-law's cousin? His name is Song Wenshu!" Song Wenshu is the name of that scumbag, a clean and decent-looking guy, with a rather good-meaning name. Sadly, no matter how good the name is, he's still a scumbag.
"I do," Song Yuanhuan nodded.
Song Yuanhuan had always been more imposing than the other children in the village, with his dark and healthy skin, he was a leading figure in the village agriculture. As a teenager, he was already earning work points in the team. Back then, Song Family Village was still a production brigade, everyone in the village, old or young, worked together for work points, which were exchanged for food at the end of the year. Song Wenshu held a grudge over this issue since the two of them were about the same age but earned varying amounts of work points. Song Wenshu wasn't satisfied and couldn't speak directly in front of the brigade leader, so he often played dirty tricks behind the scenes.
Knowing this! Xu Xiuxiu's eyes instantly sparkled a lot more when she heard Song Yuanhuan's reply.
"So…"
"What are you asking about him for?" Xu Xiuxiu was just about to ask when Song Yuanhuan, with his intelligent eyes, locked onto her, easily took control of the situation with just a remark, and his jealousy-laden expression also made Xu Xiuxiu unable to suppress her laughter.
Xu Xiuxiu thought about it and hesitated, but decided not to hide it from Song Yuanhuan, though she also didn't plan to lay out everything, "He is Si Ya's intended marriage partner."
"You mean Song Wenshu?" Song Yuanhuan was stunned for a moment before frowning clearly showing his disdain, but what Song Yuanhuan disapproved of was the man's age, "He's as old as me."
Despite him being quite a bit older than Xu Xiuxiu himself, who was only a couple of years older than Xu Jingjing, the moment he heard that Xu Jingjing's intended was Song Wenshu, Song Yuanhuan instantly felt like he swallowed a fly, imagining a scenario with an old bull and fresh grass.
"He is old and looks older, not suitable!" Song Yuanhuan didn't wait for Xu Xiuxiu to reply but expressed his own thoughts, "Did your parents agree?" Si Ya is the late child of the elders, would they really let their little daughter settle for an old man who is no good at anything but is proficient in eating, drinking, and gambling?
Is this really about age? The problem is that the man is too crappy!
"Talking about marriage and all, what do you think, did my parents agree or not!" Xu Xiuxiu rolled her eyes indecently.