A charming widow in her 70s married a factory manager and raised his children.

Chapter 175 I Know Your Parents

Zhuang Qingxiang nodded slightly, her smile becoming even more genuine: "I've heard. Congratulations, Master Jiang."

Jiang Weihai nodded haphazardly.

He wanted to say that he hadn't gotten a marriage certificate yet, and if she was willing, he could back out and marry her.

He also wanted to say that his parents had taken a liking to that woman and thought she would be a good wife, but he didn't like her, so he was just helpless.

"Haruka..."

"Master Jiang, I wish you a long and happy life together, a lasting union, and many children," Zhuang Qingxiang said first. "You will be happy in the future, congratulations!"

Unable to utter another word, Jiang Weihai forced a smile: "Thank you, then I'll head back now. The wedding on Sunday... will you come?"

Zhuang Qingxiang thought for a moment and said, "I'll try my best. You know it's really inconvenient to go out with several children."

"Okay..." Jiang Weihai nodded and turned to leave.

After watching Jiang Weihai leave, Zhuang Qingxiang went home. As soon as she entered the door, she saw Sun Yongxian staring at her with bright eyes.

Zhuang Qingxiang: "What?"

"Sister Zhuang, what's going on? He apologized to you? Why did he apologize?" Sun Yongxian had only heard half of what was said and was almost dying of curiosity.

"It's nothing," Zhuang Qingxiang smiled. "Both children are asleep. You should go out and get some fresh air, or you'll get bored."

Sun Yongxian knew that she couldn't get anything out of her if she didn't want to talk about it, so she went out for a walk.

Taking care of two babies is more tiring than looking after ten children in a classroom.

When Lu Congyue returned that day, he brought back a bag of cotton and some fabric. Zhuang Qingxiang became even busier. In addition to embroidery, she also had to make cotton clothes for the children. At this time of year, it was already cold enough to wear a thin jacket.

Before I knew it, Sunday had arrived.

Lu Congyue is off today and can stay home to take care of the children. Zhuang Qingxiang couldn't wait to say that she wanted to go out by herself.

"Does it really have to be today?" Lu Congyue's expression darkened. "You're so busy right now, what important matter requires you to leave today?"

"I'm just... feeling bored, and I want to go to the county town for a stroll," Zhuang Qingxiang mumbled.

She couldn't tell anyone that she wanted to find a house in the county town.

Lu Congyue scoffed, "Really going to the county town? Then I'll drive you and the kids there!"

Zhuang Qingxiang reacted quickly, saying, "No need!"

Seeing that Lu Congyue looked unwell, she explained, "It's getting cold. What if the child gets sick from running around everywhere? I'm going to clear my head. I'll be back this afternoon."

Lu Congyue clenched his fist: "You're not coming back until the afternoon?"

Zhuang Qingxiang nodded.

Finding a house requires time and luck, and she hopes to have both today, so she definitely can't come back early.

Lu Congyue's lips moved, his eyes seeming to spit fire.

Zhuang Qingxiang didn't know what was wrong with him again, so she took a step back and said cautiously, "If you... you can just say so if you don't have time. I'll stay home with the kids and not go out."

Lu Congyue pursed his lips tightly, and after a long while said, "Okay, go ahead, I'll wait for you at home."

Seeing that he agreed, Zhuang Qingxiang breathed a sigh of relief: "Then I'll be going. If you can't take care of them, ask Yongxian and her husband to come and help. When I come back... I'll bring them some good food."

As she left, Lu Congyue followed behind, seeing her all the way to the front gate, and even asked her, "Are you really going?"

Zhuang Qingxiang felt a little uneasy, sensing that his words had a hidden meaning. Could he know something?

But Sun Yongxian promised not to tell him that she was going to the county town to find a house.

"Is there... anything else?" she asked tentatively.

Lu Congyue suddenly snapped, saying irritably, "It's fine, do whatever you want!"

Zhuang Qingxiang looked completely bewildered, nodded, and quickly left.

We're in a hurry; the earlier we get to the county town, the more time we'll have to find a place to live.

Without much thought, Zhuang Qingxiang headed straight to the county town and began wandering through the streets and alleys, looking for a house that might be available for rent.

She had only been turning around for a short while when she suddenly turned back.

On the street behind me, men and women dressed in gray or dark blue clothes were walking or riding bicycles. There weren't many people, and they all seemed normal.

But Zhuang Qingxiang knew that something was definitely wrong; she could feel a scrutinizing gaze fixed on her.

This gaze didn't come after she entered the city; it appeared as she wandered through the alley.

Zhuang Qingxiang was unsure of the man's intentions, but a glimmer of hope lingered in her heart: perhaps someone had heard she was looking for a house and wanted to speak with her...

Thinking this, she slowed her pace further and headed towards a secluded spot.

Just as she expected, at a certain corner, when no one was around, the man suddenly appeared. He was an ordinary-looking man, so ordinary that he would not be noticed in a crowd. His temples were gray, and it was impossible to tell his age; perhaps he was in his fifties, perhaps in his sixties...

"Your surname is Zhuang, and you are Zhuang Qingmiao's daughter."

Zhuang Qingxiang's expectations shattered at that moment, and her heart sank heavily.

Since she and her mother settled in Dongya Village, she had never left the village again. Her mother had gone out a few times before, but one time she ran into someone and never left Dongya Village again. It was around that time that she heard the Zhuang family had all gone overseas.

Now that this person can recognize her and say her mother's name, could it be the same person who recognized her mother back then?

"Who are you? Do you know my mother?" Zhuang Qingxiang steadied herself and asked warily.

The man looked her over and nodded: "You look a lot like your mother."

"My mother never told me that she knew anyone outside the family," Zhuang Qingxiang said directly.

"It's okay if I didn't say it before, it's enough that we know each other now," the man said nonchalantly. "I've been following you around twice now, are you looking for a place to live, thinking of moving to the county town?"

Zhuang Qingxiang vehemently denied it: "No, I'm here to inquire for someone else."

The man looked at her knowingly, with a half-smile, as if to say, "I know what you're thinking."

Zhuang Qingxiang was so nervous that her legs went weak, and she wanted to escape as soon as possible.

She had a feeling that if she stayed any longer, something bad would definitely happen.

Zhuang Qingxiang was about to leave, but the man blocked her way: "Your name is Zhuang Qingxiang, and you're currently working as a nanny at Lu Congyue's house, right?"

Zhuang Qingxiang swallowed.

"Do me a favor, and I can give you a house in the county town," the man said in a low voice, trying to entice you. "I know you. You don't have a place to stay in Dongya Village right now, but with a house in the county town, you'll have your own home."

Zhuang Qingxiang took a step back: "I... I'm just a rural woman. There's nothing I can do to help you. Let me go."

"I was looking for you, but you haven't come out of the military factory and I haven't been able to see you. Since we've run into each other today, don't be in a hurry to leave. Your father and mother are old acquaintances."

The man squinted and smiled, a smile that sent chills down Zhuang Qingxiang's spine.

"Your father...you should still remember him, right? You weren't young when you left the family. Do you know where he is now?"

Zhuang Qingxiang swallowed again, wanting to retreat further, but there was a wall behind her, leaving her nowhere to go.