Soon, Grandfather contacted Father Jiang, asking him to make the trip to the hospital to discuss the marriage.
On that day, Zhan Bei Jue once again witnessed the ugliness of human nature.
After many years, Zhan Bei Jue had changed drastically, yet Father Jiang still greeted him with warmth.
It was as if they were neighbors who had never lost contact.
He recounted the story of saving Zhan Bei Jue and the Old Master time and again, as if afraid everyone would forget his great kindness.
The Old Master smiled and nodded along to everything he said.
Finally, the conversation turned to the wedding.
Before the Old Master could even mention his plans for their wedding, Father Jiang preemptively voiced his opinion.
"Nan Fang, that girl, not only her looks but also her temper have grown. To be honest, marrying into your family is already a great honor for her."
"If there are any shortcomings in the future, please bear with us. You can also tell me. Rest assured, I always help those who are in the right, not just my own kin."
"If she dares to be unreasonable with you, I will discipline her."
"Heh heh. Regarding the wedding, her mother and I have discussed it at home."
"Uncle, you are not in good health, and the company is busy. Plus, our factory has been facing many problems recently, so perhaps we should postpone it."
"Nan Fang is still a student, so it's fine if we don't have a wedding. It's just a pity for Ah Jue. But these are all temporary."
"When the situation improves, and Nan Fang gives your family a son or daughter, we can have a makeup ceremony. Wouldn't double happiness be even better?"
To be honest, Zhan Bei Jue was not in the mood for a wedding at that time.
Firstly, with his grandfather falling ill, he had just taken over the group's operations. He was not proficient in many areas, and he had to learn while managing everything, keeping him extremely busy.
Secondly, his grandfather was suffering from illness in the hospital every day, yet he was expected to put on a show of affection and joy in front of everyone. He couldn't fake it.
Therefore, after Father Jiang finished speaking, Zhan Bei Jue readily agreed on behalf of his grandfather: "Alright. I'll listen to Uncle Jiang."
Father Jiang was initially taken aback when Zhan Bei Jue agreed so readily, then he shook his head.
"Ah Jue is handsome, academically excellent, and respects his elders. Nan Fang is truly blessed to have met you."
"Alas, we are all human. If only my son could be like you."
He had another son later?
Zhan Bei Jue instantly recalled Jiang Nan Fang's attire every time he saw her at school.
No wonder she always wore men's clothing. Could it be that she wore her younger brother's hand-me-downs?
"Nan Fang has a younger brother?" Zhan Bei Jue asked proactively.
Father Jiang nodded. "Yes, I forgot to tell you. Not long after we were saved, Nan Fang's mother fell seriously ill."
"To treat her, I not only spent all our family's savings but also incurred a mountain of debt."
"Alas, don't mention it. Those years were incredibly miserable, but in the end, we couldn't keep her."
"Later, I met another woman. Not only did she not mind my poverty, but she also doted on Nan Fang. We got together."
"I feel I owe her so much. She has been with me for so many years, raising my daughter and giving me a son, yet I haven't given her a single good day. At my age, the external debt keeps growing..."
His version of the "family history" was vastly different from what Zhan Bei Jue had heard at school.
If the woman he married later was as good as he claimed, they should have been a poor but happy family.
Then why did Jiang Nan Fang end up looking like a half-disfigured tomboy?
The Old Master, being a shrewd man, could discern the intention of seeking money by portraying hardship from his words.
So, he gave him a straightforward answer on the spot, "It must have been hard raising Nan Fang all these years."
"Although we are not holding a wedding, the Zhan family will still provide the due respect for our granddaughter-in-law."
"I will offer a betrothal gift of five million. Have Nan Fang come to our house tomorrow. What do you think, Little Jiang?"
Father Jiang happily agreed. Thus, the house began preparations for the new residence that day, and Jiang Nan Fang entered the Zhan family's doors the next day.
Unfortunately, Zhan Bei Jue did not see her on their wedding day.
The Old Master's condition worsened due to a stroke in the middle of the night, causing him to lose movement on one side of his body. Zhan Bei Jue stayed by his side in the hospital for three days before returning home.
He returned home in the morning. The weather was fine, and the sun was bright.
However, the festive new house felt devoid of life.
Apart from the housekeeper and maids, Jiang Nan Fang was nowhere to be found.
Zhan Bei Jue had no intention of eating breakfast, but to inquire about his wife's situation, he sat down at the dining table as if nothing was amiss.
"Is Madam not home today?"
The housekeeper replied, "Madam has gone to school. She said there are exams soon and she needs to get to the library early to reserve a study spot. She might be back late tonight."
She was only a freshman, Zhan Bei Jue had experienced this before and understood.
"Did she change into the new clothes I had someone buy for her?"
"No. Madam is too thin, and the clothes are a bit ill-fitting, so she didn't wear them. But I've already asked Xiao Zhang to take them back for an exchange."
Zhan Bei Jue had asked for the smallest size based on his memory from years ago. How could they still not fit?
"This brand doesn't have an extra small size, so there's no need to exchange them. Bring them back."
The housekeeper: "...Then..."
"Tell the kitchen to make her more delicious food to help her gain weight. Once she's plump, they'll fit, won't they?"
"..."
The housekeeper's eyes flickered. After a few seconds of hesitation, she truthfully told Zhan Bei Jue.
"But Young Master, Madam is basically not here for the entire day, except for sleeping at night."
"She doesn't eat the supper we prepare for her when she comes back at night either."
Oh? She's that busy?
Zhan Bei Jue waved his hand, "Then we'll talk about it during the holidays."
After saying that, he went upstairs to wash up and sleep.
Having stayed up for two consecutive nights, he was extremely tired and slept for an entire day.
In the evening, he was finally woken by the urge to urinate. He shuffled in his slippers towards the bathroom, but after taking just two steps, he almost thought he was seeing a ghost.
To the left of the bathroom, on the bay window cushion, a huge green object was slowly wriggling in the faint light from outside.
If Zhan Bei Jue hadn't smelled food, he would have kicked it away.
"Slap!"
He turned on the ceiling light and finally saw the true form of the object.
It turned out to be Jiang Nan Fang, wearing a cartoon costume, eating instant noodles under the light!
"..."
The newlywed couple, meeting for the first time in such a scene, felt a bit awkward as their eyes met.
After a few seconds, Zhan Bei Jue looked at Jiang Nan Fang, whose hair was messily stuck to her face, her face dirty, and her mouth greasy, and spoke.
"Why are you here?"
His original intention was, why are you sitting here eating instant noodles?
However, Jiang Nan Fang misunderstood. The flesh of her cheeks visibly reddened as she awkwardly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"My dad said we're married."
"...It's so late, why are you dressed like this?"
Her face turned even redder. "This... I'm sorry, I won't bring it in again."
Zhan Bei Jue had no intention of criticizing her for bringing things in. Why was she so sensitive when he was about to apologize?
"Haven't you had dinner yet? Did school let out so late?"
"I've eaten!" Jiang Nan Fang turned to cover the instant noodle box. "I just suddenly felt like a snack."