The few little monkeys at home could speak up whenever they had issues. Boys didn't obsess over details the way girls did. Even though An JingZhi looked quiet on the surface, she was actually quite hard to get close to.
This left An JingZhi at a loss for words.
It wasn't that An JingZhi didn't have any requests. Long before she returned home, she had already made requests.
It was them who had agreed but failed to follow through, delaying again and again instead.
Perhaps they still didn't understand clearly that affection could never be compensated by money.
From the moment they chose Gao Meiyun over and over, An JingZhi and them were destined to grow apart.
Looking at the 500 yuan in hand, a nice thick stack, it was still quite impressive.
An JingZhi put the money together with what grandpa gave her, and only then was she able to regain her composure.
An JingZhi's parents were in no hurry to leave. Although time was tight, they still had to be prudent about etiquette.
The Pei family had invited a matchmaker, while the An family had brought over Liu Ling's father. Pei Lao told others that Pei Jing was eager to return to his troop, so the simple wedding was rushed.
Pei Jing had been home for over a month, and was marrying a girl a generation younger. Those present were old foxes who understood something else must be going on.
But those invited were all close relations, so no one would pry.
An JingZhi stayed in her room the whole time. Though they were discussing her marriage, propriety dictated that an unmarried girl remain modest and not show her face.
She had cooked the dishes herself. Luckily Mrs. Zhou had washed and chopped all the ingredients beforehand, so An JingZhi only needed to cook them.
Such were the rules - the groom's side had made overtures, so the bride's side had to display her cooking skills.
After slaving away the whole day, those who should leave had left. Granny told An JingZhi to hurry back and rest, leaving the cleanup to Mrs. Zhou and Zhou Nan.
Zhou Nan felt Granny spoiled An JingZhi too much, but held his tongue.
Once back in her room, Granny told An JingZhi, "Your parents don't know about your pregnancy. Watch what you say so it doesn't slip out."
After careful thought, Granny decided it best not to tell Zhou Nan's side, to avoid complications.
When the child was born, even if it was a little early, no one would dare say anything.
An JingZhi naturally agreed.
Meanwhile, she still didn't know what was happening with Gao Meiyun. And there was her job, which she was supposed to start yesterday but hadn't shown up for at all.
An JingZhi felt she still needed to go out for a bit - first, there was her restaurant job. Even if she didn't plan to continue, she could at least sell the job she had traded for ginseng and make some money.
Although she had many things in her space, in reality other than the new dowry from her elders, she really had no money.
There was also Liu Jun's side - she wanted to find out about the Lin Family and Gao Meiyun's aftermath.
She never dared underestimate Gao Meiyun. In her past life, relying solely on herself, Gao Meiyun had brought the An family to ruin. Other than them being unguarded against her, one couldn't deny her means and schemes.
Speaking of which, this made her think of Liang Zhiwei. He was a ruthless man, and was likely behind Gao Meiyun as her backup.
After finally getting granny's permission, An JingZhi went out.
An JingZhi felt she should still be able to ride a bike right now, but granny had never seen her do so. Worried about her pregnancy, she absolutely refused to let An JingZhi ride alone, insisting Mrs. Zhou take her wherever she needed to go.
How could An JingZhi let them know she was going to do bad things? She hastily declined and slipped away.
Once outside, she heaved a long sigh, looking sadly at her legs. She could only resign herself to walking forward.
What a coincidence - in the open space up ahead, Liu Jun happened to be holding a big meeting with a group of people.
An JingZhi blended into the crowd and watched for a while. She noticed two familiar faces that seemed to be Lin Zheng's disciples from the restaurant.
This made An JingZhi shudder, and be glad she hadn't started work yet.
She had been extremely careful in this matter, but there were still some unavoidable associated branches.
It was Liu Jun who clung stubbornly and wouldn't let go. Since the Lin family members were arrested, plus there was Huang Cui's involvement leading to a long chain of events, these small fries didn't have access to all that.
Eager to build his credentials, and having actually unearthed many secrets while searching Huang Cui's home, Liu Jun had been praised these past two days. Without access to the key figures, he could only assert his presence among these unimportant underlings - holding meetings, educating people, whether reasonable or not, no one was managing him now.
After watching a while, An JingZhi couldn't bear to keep looking. She suddenly understood why Fourth Bro said to minimize contact with Liu Jun. She simply waited off to the side for them to finish.
She wondered if someone like Liu Jun, already so vicious now, would become domestically abusive when he found a partner in future?
An JingZhi didn't plan on meddling. Perhaps some here were innocent, but there were too many innocent people in this world for her to help them all, let alone people close to the Lin Family.
When the An family fell in her previous life, that too entailed bringing down associated parties. Many innocent people suffered the crackdown then as well.
Compared to these unrelated people, she felt even more heartache for those close to her.
After Liu Jun finished, he was about to leave with his men, when An JingZhi called out to him, "Brother Liu, are you done with your things?"
"Yo, if it isn't little sister An JingZhi! Come, come, brother was just saying he wants to properly thank you." Liu Jun had just been handed a bottle of Beibingyang soda by his buddies when An JingZhi called him. He hadn't even opened it yet when he handed it to An JingZhi and said, "Here, drink this and quench your thirst."
The things Liu Jun unearthed from Huang Cui's home were no small matter. His superiors had already sent word that after this incident passed, he would no longer be a mere small boss, but would gain an official position.
And all this was thanks to An JingZhi, so Liu Jun was naturally grateful to her.
An JingZhi didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the soda. She quickly spoke softly, "Brother Liu, you should speak softer. I was drunk that day and don't remember what I said. Anyway this has nothing to do with me. I'm timid and afraid of getting involved. Don't pin this on me. Your achievements are due to your own capabilities, and have nothing to do with me."
Seeing An JingZhi did seem cowardly, Liu Jun laughed and lowered his voice. "Alright, I won't give you up. But brother owes you a favor for this. If you ever need anything in future, just come find brother. From now on I, Liu Jun, am your real brother. Don't say anything else - if anyone in this area dares bully you, just say my name Liu Jun. I'll break their legs."
There's a saying, don't provoke the local snake. Liu Jun was the biggest snake in this area.
"I do have something I'd like to ask brother Liu about." An JingZhi had been waiting for this chance. She quickly spoke, "I'm just a girl and don't understand other matters, so I won't ask more. I just want to know, what happened to Gao Meiyun and the Lin Family? Brother Liu knows about my family circumstances so I won't hide it from you. Ever since I returned, Gao Meiyun has been against me. My parents also favor her. If not for Fourth Bro protecting me, I don't know how much grievance I'd have suffered. Now Fourth Bro isn't home either, and I'm afraid if she comes back I won't have a place in that home."
