Before Wei De could settle Wei Wei’s matter, Zhai Sheng had already fetched Old Master Zhai home on the day before Wei De brought Wei Wei back. “Where’s the young lady?” He had thought that there was still a long time before he could have a granddaughter-in-law. Unexpectedly, Zhai Sheng really found one back when he was still alive. “Right, why didn’t I see Zhai

  Hua?”

  “She went back to the camp.”

  “Zhai Sheng is getting engaged. Why did she go back to the camp? Is she throwing tantrums at Zhai Sheng or you both?”

  Zhai Yaohui looked at Old Master Zhai. “You really understand this granddaughter of yours very well. She did not quarrel with us, but she had one with that boyfriend of hers. I think it’s quite good that she went back to the army camp at this time.” While saying this, Zhai Yaohui took a glance at Zhai Sheng. Zhai Sheng straightened his back and he wore a proud expression on his face.

  “.……” Miao Jing rolled her eyes as she had enough of this stupid father-son pair. “Most likely, she sorted out some of her thoughts after chatting with Nan Nan. So, she purposely went hiding in the army. She’s afraid that her heart will soften and she will be cajoled by someone again.”

  “You all have indulged Hua Hua too much such that she took a fancy to that kind of person.” Old Master Zhai was not pleased. In fact, he had long heard about Wei De’s matter. He was enduring the urge to return to give Zhai Hua a beating. He dared not believe that Zhai Hua, this foolish child, was brought up by him. “Forget it. Let’s not talk about

  Where’s that granddaughter-in-law of mine? This marriage can’t proceed if she doesn’t pass my judgment.”

  Old Master Zhai was aware that it was certainly because when Zhai Hua was a child, he had been raising her up like a grandson instead of a granddaughter. She even grew up among the opposite gender.

  This was the first time that a man treated, cajoled, and doted on her like a real woman. Despite his granddaughter being almost thirty years old, her experience in the romance area was as clean as a piece of white paper. It was no wonder that she would fall into other people’s trap.

  Old Master Zhai had even shouted for his ‘granddaughter-in-law’. Hence, his last sentence could threaten others but not anyone from the Zhai family.

  “We have invited them to our house tomorrow. The Qiao family doesn’t have many relatives. Nan Nan only has her father. Tomorrow, only the father-daughter pair will be here,” Miao Jing quickly said. She seemed to be protecting Qiao Nan and hoping that Elder Zhai would not make things difficult for others when the time arrived.

  \r \r \r

  Zhai Sheng had already briefed Old Master Zhai about the situation of the Qiao family long ago.

  Old Master Zhai was not someone who favored males over females. Otherwise, he would not have raised his granddaughter like a grandson. His initial thoughts were to find ways to nurture Zhai Hua to become successful. Old Master Zhai was the one who gave Zhai Hua her name.

  Unfortunately, before Zhai Sheng was born and aware of what was happening, Zhai Hua’s temperament was too lazy. Old Master Zhai thus dropped his plans.

  When Zhai Hua finally became diligent under the stimulation of Zhai Sheng, unfortunately, she could not win against Zhai Sheng.

  Hence, since he could accept Qiao Nan, whose family background was not that good, old Master Zhai would not object to Zhai Hua being together with Wei De too if the latter did not have any problem with his character.

  If Old Master Zhai was concerned about family status, would Miao Jing be able to marry into the Zhai family in the past?

  Hence, Old Master Zhai was willing to address Qiao Nan as ‘granddaughter-in-law’, but he was full of disappointment when he mentioned Zhai Hua. It was enough to tell that Old Master Zhai was very dissatisfied with Wei De.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve heard about the situation. I won’t judge that young lady based on her family background. I only look at the individual.” This was the promise that Old Master Zhai gave to Zhai Sheng and Zhai Hua.

  Wei De was frequently in contact with Zhai Hua’s childhood friends. Within a few days, Wei De heard the news that Old Master Zhai was back.

  At that juncture, Wei De quickly gave a call to Zhai Hua, who was in the army camp. “Hua Hua, the old master is back. Why didn’t you tell me so that I could fetch him?” The old master was from the older generation and he should prefer people from the countryside. Didn’t Madam Zhai marry into the family because of that?

  Other people in the Zhai family would look down on him but not Old Master Zhai.

  “Zhai Sheng will go and fetch the old master.”

  “.……” Wei De fell silent. Even if Regiment Commander Zhai was going to fetch him, if Zhai Hua had told him earlier, he could go and ‘snatch’ the person. “What should I bring along to see the old master?”

  “Are you sure that you want to meet the old master?” Zhai Hua questioned back.

  “Why?”

  “I have not mentioned much to you about the old master. Since the old master is back, I’ll tell you the situation. You have been feeling inferior about your status and worrying about this and that. Our family’s old master does not judge a person by their status. He pays more attention to the character.”

  “Do you mean that I have a poor character?” Wei De raised his voice. The secretary outside his office also had a shock.

  Zhai Hua sighed helplessly as she swapped the phone receiver to her other ear. Her ear had been agitated by Wei De’s voice earlier. “Old Master Zhai is someone who had been on the battlefields and fought against the Japanese. What he hates most was those who leave their comrades in the lurch on the battlefields. Think about what happened previously. You caused a platoon leader to lose one of his limbs because of your own risk-taking and self-heroic actions. With this matter alone, the old master already has a negative impression of you in his heart.”

  At this point in time, none of the four family members of hers had a good impression of Wei De.

  Was it because her family members were biased against Wei De or that Wei De really had too many shortcomings?

  In the past, Zhai Hua felt that it was the former. Zhai Sheng was allowed to find someone that he liked regardless of the other party’s status while she was not. Her family members insisted that she had to find someone with status. Who would know what they were thinking of? It could not be just for her own good, right?

  Now, Zhai Hua had to admit that the probability of the latter reasoning was higher.

  “He simply shot me to death because of this one matter? He’s not giving me any chance?” Wei De felt that this was unbelievable. The matter regarding the platoon leader…… That platoon leader was just an outsider. He was the one who was part of the Zhai family.

  Was it not enough that he was good to his own family members?

  “I have also paid a price for that matter, haven’t I? Didn’t they say that learning from one’s mistake and changing for the better is the most important? Why are your family members all like that? All of them deny me because of that matter. Will your family only accept me if I break a limb and repay it to that platoon leader?” Sick in the mind!

  “What can I say if you want to put it this way? I’m hanging up!” Zhai Hua was not pleased. Clearly, Wei De was the one in the wrong regarding this. Why was it that besides admitting to his mistake initially, each time she brought up this matter, Wei De behaved as though her Zhai family had been using this as a handle against him? It was as if Wei De felt that he was never in the wrong.

  Someone had broken a limb and was forced to leave the army. Would the matter be considered as resolved just because Wei De said ‘I’m in the wrong’?

  Why did Wei De keep thinking that he committed a mistake and left the army because Zhai Sheng did not help him? As such, he could not see eye to eye with Zhai Sheng

  When Zhai Hua calmed down, it was not difficult to discover the flaws in Wei De’s character.

  Once Zhai Hua was tough, Wei De would soften his attitude, but he was, in fact, not feeling fearful at heart.