Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “…”

  “How’s it going between you and Miao Miao? Miao Miao’s a few years younger than you and you should dote on her and take care of her. Even though she’s younger than you, women’s time is precious. When will you give me a definite answer?”

  Zhai Yaohui wanted to ask what his father meant.

  It was true that Miao Jing had been with their family for a year, but the number of times he had spoken to Miao Jing could be counted with both hands. Could he possibly have any feelings for a young lady like that?

  “Do you mean that you have no feelings for Miao Miao?”

  After giving it some thought, Zhai Yaohui nodded hesitatingly, ignoring Miao Jing’s black and dark eyes that had appeared subconsciously in his mind.

  “Alright.” The way Old Zhai didn’t force his son but answered immediately scared Zhai Yaohui.

  Zhai Yaohui looked at Old Zhai cautiously. “Dad, are you trying to dig a hole for me?”

  Old Zhai laughed. He was his father.

  If he were to dig a hole for his son, would his son be able to avoid it even if he knew about it?

  And he even wanted to be a chief like him. How naive!

  “Digging a hole for you? Listen to what I have to say and then tell me if it’s a big hole.”

  “Alright. I’ll listen.”

  “After the new year, you’ll be twenty-six, right?”

  \r \r \r

  “Yes.”

  “Miao Miao’s twenty.”

  Zhai Yaohui was stunned. “Do you mean Miao Miao was only nineteen when she came?”

  “Otherwise? Don’t tell me that you can’t even count now because you’ve been in the military for a year. You’re my son and I treat Miao Miao like my own daughter. You can make your own decision and I won’t interfere. Now, I can only try to help Miao Miao. Although she’ll only be twenty after the new year, it’s about time for her to get married. The most important thing in a woman’s life is to find a good partner who’ll treat her well for the rest of her life. I should be worried now that I’m trying to marry my daughter off. I wonder if you have anyone good to recommend to me. I should have a few people to choose my son-in-law from.”

  ‘You don’t want to marry her, right?’

  ‘You’d better not regret it when someone wise enough marries her!’

  Zhai Yaohui frowned. “Dad, stop fooling around. Miao Miao’s… She isn’t that old. She’s still young. There’s no need to hurry. Marriage is for a lifetime. If you really… If you really want to choose a partner for Miao Miao, you can take a look around, but you can’t hurry or rush through it. If you have someone in mind, you have to let Miao Miao interact with that person. Besides, you guys can let me know too. I’m a soldier and I’m quite good at reading people. If he’s really good, he’ll be able to become the son-in-law of the Zhai family. Otherwise, we might harm Miao Miao and throw her into a fire.”

  “Is that so?” Old Zhai replied. “You’re right. If I really find someone suitable, I’ll let you know and you can help evaluate him.”

  “Okay.” Zhai Yaohui realized that he had started to panic when he gave his reply.

  Zhai Yaohui was confused. Was it because he was upset that he had left the military that his emotions were acting up?

  “Oh right, I saw tension between Mom and Miao Miao. What happened?”

  Old Zhai deliberately said, “What else could it be? You know how good-tempered your mom is. Your mom treated that bad girl, Qi Minlan, like a treasure. It must have been Miao Miao’s fault that there was a conflict between the two of them. She must have angered your mom.”

  “That’s impossible. Miao Miao isn’t such an insensible person.”

  “Then, are you saying that your mom deliberately provoked Miao Miao?”

  He was such a fool. He trusted Miao Miao so much, and yet, he still insisted that he had no feelings for her and only treated her as a younger sister.

  Which man would trust his younger sister more than his mother?

  Zhai Yaohui sighed. “Dad, are you doing this on purpose? You know that’s not what I meant. My mom’s so kind. She’ll never make trouble for others. Miao Miao’s quite like Mom in that sense. What I mean is that there could be a misunderstanding between the two of them.”

  “No, there was no misunderstanding. It was really your mom’s fault that she provoked Miao Miao.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Old Zhai told Zhai Yaohui all about how Qi Minlan had cornered Miao Jing. “Your mom used to dote on Qi Minlan like her own daughter. She always thought that Qi Minlan was just like her. That was why she didn’t believe what Miao Miao said. But Miao Miao’s headstrong and naturally felt uneasy that your mom didn’t believe her. Miao Miao’s already starting to look for a job. I guess that Miao Miao will probably move out of our house once she finds a job to support herself.”

  “…”

  Zhai Yaohui had never thought that the conflict between his mom and Miao Jing would be a result of Qi Minlan. “Doesn’t Miao Miao like to study? Why won’t she continue for another few years?”

  “Miao Miao said that she doesn’t intend on studying for such a long time. She simply wanted to be better equipped to find a job and survive.”

  That was true. If Miao Miao intended to continue her studies, she would never think of moving out of the Zhai family’s house.

  Zhai Yaohui asked, “Dad, why don’t you try to persuade Miao Miao?”

  His mom was kind and thought the best of everyone, especially young people.

  Based on that alone, Miao Miao’s mindset was probably closer to his father’s than his mother’s.

  Besides, Miao Miao had been living in such dilapidated conditions in the past. It was his father who had saved Miao Miao from that.

  Based on that alone, he felt that his father would definitely have a different place in Miao Miao’s heart.

  Old Zhai refused. “What should I try to persuade her? She’s almost twenty years old. She’s not an ignorant two-year-old child. This is her life and I’ll respect her decision. It’s just like how your mom and I won’t make decisions about your marriage for you. I won’t stand in your way and I won’t interfere in Miao Miao’s life either. I’m treating both of you fairly. Do you understand?”

  Understand?

  Nonsense!

  Zhai Yaohui’s head hurt. It didn’t seem like his dad was trying to dig a hole for him by trying to matchmake him with Miao Jing.

  His dad had already said that it didn’t matter if he wasn’t interested in Miao Jing. His dad would simply introduce other men to Miao Jing, and he was even asking him for some recommendations.

  But it didn’t seem right to say that his father wasn’t trying to dig a hole for him either. His father was complicating things!

  Zhai Yaohui regretted returning from the military. If he had known that there would be so many things for him to worry about after coming home, he would have stayed in the military to analyze more military strategies and topographic maps.

  Fighting wars was much easier than handling these matters at home.

  “Are you tired? If you’re tired, you’d better get some rest…… There’s no need to waste time with me here in the study.”.