Chapter 454: Just Following the Heart

Chapter 454: Chapter 454: Just Following the Heart

Xu Yingying looked embarrassed. She really had been captivated by Wen Tao’s looks back then.

’I almost died. That was terrifying.’

’I’m not getting married ever again. I have a child now, so I don’t need all this trouble.’

"Mom, I know I was wrong. If I don’t get married from now on, I won’t have to worry about this kind of thing," Xu Yingying said with a smile, not wanting her parents to worry.

Old Madam Xu was not convinced. "That won’t do. You’re only forty. You’re still young. If you meet someone suitable, you should still consider it. Look at me and your dad. We’ve stuck together through thick and thin, and now we have each other for company in our old age."

Xu Yingying didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was lectured for getting married, and now she was being lectured for not getting married. It was so difficult.

Sensing Xu Yingying’s helplessness, Han Xiaorui smiled and said, "Grandma, let my aunt handle her own affairs. As for remarrying, if it’s meant to be, don’t miss it. If it’s not, don’t force it."

"In a blended family, if there are no children together, there’s nothing to act as a bond. If both sides have their own children, they’ll only think about their own kids. How much sincerity can be left in the marriage then?"

"My aunt had her child at an advanced age, and it was very hard on her. Could her body take it a second time? Grandma, things are different now. Don’t think that my aunt will have no one to care for her in her old age. Don’t you still have me, and Ye Feng?"

"Besides, there’s Little Treasure now, and my aunt has her career. Going to work every day, enjoying life... that’s actually a pretty good life. There’s absolutely no need to use getting married as the standard for happiness."

Xu Yingying had been feeling a bit down, but her eyes grew brighter and brighter as she listened to Han Xiaorui.

Old Madam Xu was taken aback. Thinking it over, she realized Han Xiaorui was right and patted her own head. "Look at me. What era is this? I’m still looking at the world with such old-fashioned ideas."

"Xiao Rui, with you and Ye Feng around, your grandpa and I can rest easy about your aunt. Oh, right, and your uncle. When he’s all alone in the future, you two should look after him too. Don’t let him grow old and die alone."

Han Xiaorui shook her head and chuckled. "Alright, I promise. Anyway, the Xu family has a lot of property in Shencheng, so we can all look out for each other. When my uncle retires in the future, he can come back to relax or go sea fishing. Our family has the means."

Xu Yingying smiled. "Mom, Jizu and I can keep each other company in the future. You and Dad can rest completely assured. We’ll live well in our old age."

Old Madam Xu was finally at ease, and her demeanor became more relaxed and benevolent.

Han Xiaorui returned to Jinshan Bay.

Just as she got the children settled, Secretary Song came to her house.

Han Xiaorui was surprised. "Secretary Song, what brings you here?"

Secretary Song smiled. "I’m sure your family has heard about what happened in the village. Your neighbors, the Zhao family—four of them are dead. And the two children are nine and eight years old."

"The Zhao family doesn’t have any close relatives in the village, and they’ve lost touch with most of the family from their hometown. Their biological mother is gone, and their biological father is now a murderer. The two kids are orphans now."

"But the kids are older. They’ve heard orphanages aren’t good places and don’t want to go. They begged me to let them stay in the village. Wenchang said he could take care of his younger brother. I’m not sure what to do, so I wanted to ask your opinion."

Han Xiaorui actually felt a pang of guilt. Zhao Fenfen had a child with another man and lied to Wen Tao, leading to a nasty conflict between two terrible people.

If Han Xiaorui hadn’t deliberately provoked Wen Tao that day to distract him, perhaps he wouldn’t have thought of escaping to get revenge.

"Secretary Song, since the children don’t want to go to an orphanage, let’s not make them. The Zhao family’s house is nice, and at nine and eight, they’re old enough to be somewhat independent."

"Life will certainly be difficult, but they should be able to do things like laundry and cooking. Their household registration is in our village, so when the investment dividends are paid out, they’ll get a share. If the village provides them with some living expenses, they should be able to get by."

Secretary Song nodded with a smile. "That’s true. We have Grandma Li Er in our village; she’s one of the village’s dependents. I was thinking of trying to arrange for Grandma Li Er to look after the kids, and when Wenchang and Wencheng grow up, they can look after her in return. Would that work?"

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment and then said, "The kids are older, so they might not grow attached to her that way, and it could be a psychological burden. How about this: the village can hire Grandma Li Er to help Wenchang and Wencheng with cooking, laundry, cleaning, and other chores."

"This way of interacting might be better. No one owes anyone anything. In the process, if they can learn to care for and rely on each other, they’ll be able to treat each other well in the future. As for the money to hire Grandma Li Er, it can come from the village committee’s funds and be deducted from their dividends later. We just need to keep a clear record of the accounts."

Secretary Song’s eyes lit up when he heard this. "Yes, yes, that’s a great idea. We won’t force it, just let it happen naturally. They’re both boys. If they’re guided properly, they’ll grow up to be fine young men. If they’re not, they might end up like their biological father—a murderer."

Han Xiaorui completely agreed with Secretary Song. "Yes, exactly. The village should check in on them often. Since we’re agreeing to let them stay, we must educate them properly."

Secretary Song nodded. "I understand. I’ll go back and discuss it with the village committee."

After Secretary Song left, Han Xiaorui breathed a sigh of relief, her guilt lessening slightly.

However, Han Xiaorui’s house was quite far from her neighbors’.

Furthermore, since Wen Tao was Xu Yingying’s ex-husband, Han Xiaorui was even more reluctant to have any dealings with the Zhao family.

Thus, the two families were not familiar with each other.

Agreeing to the village’s preferential treatment for Wenchang and Wencheng was the most she could do. She wasn’t willing to help personally, nor did she have the time.

But Secretary Song and the other members of the village committee were indeed very responsible.

They quickly made arrangements for Grandma Li Er to take care of the two brothers, Wenchang and Wencheng.

The two brothers ate their meals at Grandma Li Er’s house and returned to their own home to sleep at night.

And so, Wenchang and Wencheng settled down in Jinshan Bay, going to school and living their lives according to a routine.

Members of the village committee would drop by every few days to talk with them and bring them snacks and treats.

Jinshan Bay returned to its usual tranquility.

The neighboring White Crane Village provided land in exchange for a fifteen percent share of future profits. They would also receive hiring priority for the Jinshan Bay Water Park and Jinshan Bay Aquarium that were being established.

With the technical difficulty lowered, the Municipal Planning Bureau, the Municipal Design Institute, and Fudan University’s design institute all actively participated, striving to build a world-class water park and aquarium.

It was still in the design phase. Construction probably wouldn’t start until next year.

「Soon, it was the end of the year.」

Yao Ziqian finally returned from the Maoshan Sect, his whole demeanor changed.

Today, Aunt Wu was hosting a party at her house to celebrate Yao Ziqian’s return.

Before, not only Wu Lingling but many others had been worried that Yao Ziqian would go off to become a Daoist and never come back.

Han Xiaorui brought Pingping and An’an over as guests. Wu Lingling grabbed a handful of candy for Pingping and An’an.

Wu Lingling whispered, "Ziqian’s back, so I can finally relax. I was so worried he was going to become a Daoist priest."

Hearing this, Wu Cuicui blurted out, "You can’t hold on to him, but kids can. Give him five or six children, and let’s see if he still dares to join the priesthood."