Widow Remarries in Sixties

Jiang Mingchuan was slightly stunned, subconsciously turning his head to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

Jin Xiuzhu lowered her head, not meeting his gaze. The long eyelashes cast a shadow over her eyes, hiding her emotions. Her voice was calm as she said, “Did you just think I was going to come up with some bad idea again, so you deliberately interrupted and said you’d go visit those kids’ homes on Sunday?”

Jiang Mingchuan’s hand paused.

“Actually, what I wanted to say was to let Xiaoyan talk to the teacher about it tomorrow. If that doesn’t work, I’ll take him to those kids’ parents after school tomorrow. You may have misunderstood me. I’m not as bad as you think.”

“I didn’t mean…”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled lightly, whispering, “Although you didn’t say anything, I can sense that you seem to have some inexplicable hostility and prejudice against me. Of course, it’s not your fault. I used shady methods to stick to you at the beginning. You’re a very good person. Not only did you endure it, but you also took us away from our hometown and even agreed to marry me to give us a home.”

“Different from your honesty and kindness, many of my ideas may have been a bit unconventional. After all, if I hadn’t been that way, I wouldn’t have grown up like this. No matter how I treat others, I am sincerely committed to you and the children.”

“Although I was once Fu Jianguo’s wife, in all the years I was married to him, I didn’t actually see him much. Every time he came back, we barely exchanged a few words. He spent most of his time with his mother and sister. I’m much more unfamiliar with him than you are.”

Jiang Mingchuan couldn’t find the words to respond. He wanted to explain that he didn’t actually miss her as much as she might think, but upon introspection, he suddenly felt uncertain.

Jin Xiuzhu continued, “Marrying you is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me. You cook, wash dishes, sweep the floor, fetch water in the morning, and even do the laundry and take care of the children. You’ve shown me what a real husband is like. I thought as long as we lived happily together, things would only get better. But I also understand that deep-seated resentments don’t disappear overnight.”

After finishing, she turned her head toward him with a smile. “I’m not blaming you or complaining. I just want to tell you that you’re a very good and outstanding person. You don’t need to sacrifice yourself to take care of me and the children’s emotions. If there’s anything you don’t like or are unhappy about, you can speak up, and we can solve it together. You’re not only the backbone of this family but also our closest person.”

Hearing this, Jiang Mingchuan felt like his heart was suddenly being squeezed.

He had always been alone, and it was only last year when he brought He Yan here that he started to feel like a father. But he didn’t know how to be a father. He thought just providing food and drink was enough. Now that they were living together as a family, he tried his best to be good to them, and he enjoyed the warmth that this family brought.

Sometimes, however, he would feel a bit lost.

Jin Xiuzhu’s words exposed all the thoughts he had hidden in his heart. It turned out that he had not fully accepted them yet, and he even harbored a subtle bias against Jin Xiuzhu that he hadn’t even noticed.

Because Jin Xiuzhu’s personality was significantly different from what he had been taught since childhood. People around him always told him that his parents were great heroes, possessing the best qualities. His foster parents were also exceptionally good people. So, he had always looked up to them. But Jin Xiuzhu was different. She was selfish, cunning, observant, and manipulative.

On one hand, he couldn’t help but be attracted to her, but on the other hand, he warned himself about her flaws.

Jiang Mingchuan’s silence made Jin Xiuzhu smile. She gently coaxed him with a soft voice, saying, “I hope you won’t be so hard on yourself. I know I have many flaws, but if you don’t say anything, I won’t be able to change. The gap between us will only grow. I hope you can tell me your thoughts, just like I’m telling you now. I don’t like it when you keep everything to yourself, and I don’t like it when you dismiss the children’s issues as trivial. If we don’t ask carefully tonight, will Xiaoyan suffer even more?”

She reached out to tug at his clothes. “You must have been very unhappy when you were young, probably suffered even more than Xiaoyan.”

Jiang Mingchuan’s throat tightened. After a moment of silence, he gently patted Jin Xiuzhu’s hand and then said in a hoarse voice, “I’ll wash the dishes first.”

Jin Xiuzhu just made a sound of agreement, leaving him alone to think things through.

As she walked out of the kitchen, she immediately caught the curious eyes of her two children. The kitchen and the living room were separated by only one wall, so they could hear everything said inside clearly.

Jin Xiuzhu playfully winked at her two children.

The two children immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

What surprised Fu Yanyan the most was that she had never realized how much her dad had hidden inside. She had always thought that his difficult relationship with “Jin Xiuzhu” was due to their incompatible personalities.

At night, Jiang Mingchuan and Jin Xiuzhu lay in bed and talked a lot. At first, Jiang Mingchuan was reluctant to speak, so Jin Xiuzhu asked him what the happiest moment of his childhood was. She said hers was during the Chinese New Year when she could eat a piece of meat.

Jiang Mingchuan smiled and, after thinking for a moment, said it was every May 4th when many of his parents’ friends would come over, often talking about his parents. It was only later that he found out that it was the anniversary of his mother’s sacrifice.

Then Jiang Mingchuan began to talk to Jin Xiuzhu about other things. He mentioned that his foster parents had a son who was two years younger than him.

When he was young, the son often complained about their parents favoring Jiang Mingchuan. In truth, he could feel that he was an outsider…

Words that he would never usually say, tonight, for some reason, he suddenly began to share them with Jin Xiuzhu.

Jin Xiuzhu held him in her arms, gently patting his back.

Eventually, he fell asleep unknowingly.

The next day, when Jiang Mingchuan woke up, the person next to him was already gone. Looking at the empty bed, he felt a momentary sense of loss.

He remembered Jin Xiuzhu’s whisper last night, saying he was the best husband in the world and that she would love him forever.

His face couldn’t help but flush, wondering how she could say such cheesy words.

He didn’t know what love was, but he knew that he had never regretted marrying Jin Xiuzhu.

In the morning, when Fu Yanyan saw Jiang Mingchuan’s sweet expression, she twitched her mouth. Last night, she overheard the conversation between the two in the kitchen. She thought they were going to argue, but unexpectedly, they fell silent. She thought they were giving each other the silent treatment, preparing herself mentally for the possibility that they wouldn’t speak for days.

Meeting Jiang Mingchuan’s gentle eyes, Fu Yanyan awkwardly lowered her head. She felt that this kind of “Dad” was a bit strange.

He Yan didn’t know how to hide his emotions and foolishly asked, “Dad, didn’t you two quarrel?”

Jiang Mingchuan’s smile froze on his face. “What do you mean?”

“Sister said you had a quarrel and told me to behave in the morning, but now you seem to be in a good mood, not like you’re angry. Mom must have comforted you.”

He Yan looked expectantly for praise.

Jiang Mingchuan’s smile faded. He looked at his daughter. “We didn’t quarrel. Your mom and I have always been good.”

“Oh.” He Yan nodded obediently.

Feeling betrayed, Fu Yanyan sneaked a glance at the side where He Yan was sitting, then pretended to pick up the little tiger plush toy. Unexpectedly, when she turned her head, she met Jiang Mingchuan’s scrutinizing gaze, which startled her. Subconsciously, she stuck out her tongue at him.

After doing so, she froze for a moment, surprised that she had acted so childishly.

Jiang Mingchuan couldn’t help but find it amusing. She really was still a child at heart.

In the morning, after Jin Xiuzhu finished her work, she took the children home. On the way, Fu Yanyan couldn’t resist asking about last night.

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t try to deceive her like a child. She explained everything straightforwardly. She even taught her, “There’s an art to arguing. Yelling and fighting are the least effective methods. They only result in hurting yourself and losing face. And saying hurtful things in the heat of the moment that lead to a prolonged silence between two people is a waste of time and emotions.”

“You need to understand that every action has consequences. When we want a good outcome, we have to steer the situation in that direction. Your father is the kind of gentle and kind-hearted person who would rather suffer himself than take advantage of others. He also likes to keep things to himself, even when he’s hurt. When you argue with someone like him, you have to first point out his flaws and then use emotions to bind him.”

As she said this, Jin Xiuzhu’s face showed no emotion. She spoke in a calm, almost indifferent tone, “You’ll encounter many, many people in the future—some you care about, some you dislike. But remember, don’t be soft-hearted. Being soft-hearted is often like stabbing yourself with a knife.”

“You may not understand now, but just remember it. You’ll understand in the future.”

Fu Yanyan squeezed Jin Xiuzhu’s hand tightly. She somewhat understood why Jiang Dad was worried that Jin Xiuzhu might lead her astray, because Jin Xiuzhu’s mindset was different from the prevailing environment. She could see the weaknesses in human nature and would exploit them without hesitation.

But she didn’t understand. Unable to help herself, she looked up and asked, “Does Mom really have no feelings for Dad at all?”

Then she couldn’t help but add, “Dad looked very happy this morning.”

Jin Xiuzhu was stunned for a moment and didn’t say anything more.

***

On Sunday, Jiang Mingchuan took He Yan out early in the morning and didn’t return until noon.

When he returned, He Yan had a relaxed smile on his face. When he reached the entrance of the courtyard, he cheerfully shouted, “Little sister, I’m back!”

Fu Yanyan, expressionless, came out of the kitchen, glanced at him lightly, then called out, “Dad,” to Jiang Mingchuan behind him.

Jiang Mingchuan patted her head and went straight to the kitchen.

He Yan didn’t mind being ignored. He even planned to follow Dad and pat his sister’s head. But as soon as he raised his hand, Fu Yanyan loudly exclaimed towards the kitchen, “Dad, big brother hit me!”

He Yan: “…”

Immediately, Jiang Mingchuan’s voice came from the kitchen, “Don’t hit your sister.”

Then Jin Xiuzhu’s voice followed, “You can play, but you can’t bully your sister.”

He Yan looked aggrieved and turned to look at her. Fu Yanyan shrugged and went straight to the kitchen.

But as soon as he entered the kitchen, he saw Dad leaning affectionately on Jin Xiuzhu’s shoulder, saying something that made her smile happily.

As if sensing something, Dad quickly stood up straight, earnestly wiped the stove with a rag, and cleared his throat to change the subject, “These days, the army has divided up some land for personal use. Each family can receive a plot. Do you want to go take a look?”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded in agreement, pretending to be interested, “We’ll see when the time comes.”

Fu Yanyan quickly turned around and went back to the living room, but He Yan suddenly made a gesture to speak quietly, but his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, “I saw it; they just kissed.”

In the kitchen, the two who were talking suddenly fell silent, sinking into silence.

Yanyan: “…”

This idiot is beyond help.

Author’s Note:

Jin Xiuzhu: I love you so much… just kidding.

Jiang Mingchuan: My wife loves me so much.

He Yan: Mom and Dad are actually kissing… Do I really want to have younger siblings?

Yan Yan: I’ll just quietly watch your performance.