Chapter 22: The Failed Struggle

  Parents would do anything for their children, Luo Ling discovered that Yu Xin's emotions were not right, so she started thinking of ways to find out what was on her mind. Otherwise, this stalemate wouldn't work. Luo Ling mentioned several times that Zheng Yu Xin should go to Liu Hong's house to play, but Zheng Yu Xin refused, citing the reason that it was too early and didn't want to talk about friends. Luo Ling's suspicions grew heavier, she knew her daughter too well, and there were only two reasons for this situation: either her daughter had high standards and looked down on Liu Hong, but Liu Hong was already excellent, or her daughter had someone in mind. In today's world, anything could happen, and it wasn't unusual for a daughter to have such thoughts after a year of university.

  Lu Ling knew that her daughter's best friend was Tan Lingli. Tan Lingli's parents were both from Xilin City and were workers, with average family conditions. Lu Ling originally didn't think much of Tan Lingli, who had an ordinary appearance and came from a mediocre background. It was hard to understand how she became her daughter's closest confidante. Making friends also depended on social status. Now, in order to grasp her daughter's secrets, Lu Ling must find Tan Lingli, who definitely knew everything.

  Tan Lingli stood in front of Luo Ling, and she was a little afraid of Luo Ling. Luo Ling's haughty and noble attitude, her confident and elegant demeanor, made Tan Lingli feel somewhat inferior. Tan Lingli had been to Zheng Yuxin's house several times before, but later didn't like going there anymore. The main reason was Luo Ling's attitude, which made Tan Lingli uncomfortable in Zheng Yuxin's home. However, Tan Lingli wouldn't dare offend Luo Ling. Coming from an ordinary family and experiencing life's hardships had taught her a lot. She genuinely wanted to be friends with Zheng Yuxin, while also considering the future, specifically the job assignment after graduation. As the deputy director of the municipal finance bureau, Zheng Qingshan would definitely be able to help in the future. Tan Lingli knew that relying on her family's abilities, she shouldn't expect a good unit, and it was uncertain whether she could stay in Xilin City. A girl's thoughts were originally more meticulous than a boy's.

  "Tan Lingli, I know you're Yu Xin's best friend. Auntie is looking for you today to ask about Yu Xin's situation at school. You must tell the truth."

  In front of Tan Lingli, Luo Ling did not beat around the bush and directly asked the question.

  "Lao Aiyi, Yu Xin did very well, this year's final exam, her score is among the top 10 in the department."

  "I know about these things, I was just wondering if Yuxin has any other good friends, especially male classmates, besides you."

  Tan Lingli's face showed a hint of panic, and Luo Ling noticed it.

  "Aunt Luo, there's no such thing."

  "Lingli, you're a university student studying journalism, so you should speak honestly. Auntie is concerned about Yuxin, that's why she specifically came to ask you about the situation. If there's anything going on, you must tell Auntie. Auntie doesn't want to see you lying. Besides, you're one of Yuxin's closest friends, and normally you should be helping and caring for each other. Isn't that right?"

  Tan Lingli lowered her head and didn't speak, seeing this situation, Luo Ling spoke again.

  "Lingli, you and Yuxin are the best of friends. Auntie and Uncle both really like you. From now on, I hope you two can work together and be good friends for life. If you lie to Auntie, her heart will feel terrible."

  These words carry some weight, and Tan Lingli understands the meaning behind them. Although Luo Ling feels a bit guilty for using such tactics on a girl who is about the same age as her daughter, she can't afford to be so particular when it comes to getting information about her own daughter.

  Tan Lingli thought for two minutes before finally lifting her head and starting to mention Xu Shaojie's name. She detailed the relationship between Xu Shaojie and Zheng Yuxin, including Xu Shaojie's family situation. Tan Lingli felt a twinge of guilt but quickly comforted herself that Luo Ling, as Zheng Yuxin's mother, had the right to know the situation, and telling her wasn't wrong. She could explain things to Zheng Yuxin later.

  Tan Lingli was also wondering why Luo Ling suddenly wanted to ask about this aspect of things. Had she already known something? Tan Lingli didn't notice that during her explanation, Luo Ling's expression changed dramatically, eventually becoming a face full of anger.

  "Tan Lingli, you are Yu Xin's best friend. Something like this happened and you didn't advise Yu Xin? Even if it's hard to say to Yu Xin, you should have told Auntie."

  Luo Ling's voice was a bit loud, Tan Lingli felt wronged and didn't speak. Soon, Luo Ling realized she had lost her composure and shouldn't have yelled at Tan Lingli.

  "Lingli, don't worry about it. Auntie was just a bit emotional earlier and lost control of her emotions. Thank you for telling me about the situation. Next time we have time, come over to our place more often. Yuxin is usually alone at home and rarely goes out."

  Luo Ling quickly thought of a way to verify Tan Lingli's words. She spent two days running around, investigating Xu Shaojie's basic situation, and got Zheng Qingshan's face, so others wouldn't be difficult. Luo Ling was so anxious because she instinctively felt that Liu Hong's humility and maturity had already been etched in her heart, and she thought Liu Hong was her own son-in-law. When Xu Shaojie appeared, Luo Ling naturally wanted to compare the two men's situations. On the other hand, Luo Ling was a bit angry, thinking that her daughter was so big and didn't say anything about such an important matter. If it weren't for her own questioning of Tan Lingli, she would still be in the dark. Her daughter had grown up, and there were things to hide from the family. Luo Ling wasn't an impulsive person, but when she heard that Xu Shaojie joined the party organization in his freshman year, she felt surprised and thought this boy was not simple. However, Xu Shaojie's family situation made Luo Ling feel cold, especially his brother Xu Yijie, who was a labor reform prisoner and had just been released from prison. People of Luo Ling's generation attached great importance to family background. If Xu Shaojie himself was excellent and had a good family situation, Luo Ling wouldn't have jumped to conclusions so easily. But Xu Shaojie's family was in a small county town, which Luo Ling hadn't even heard of before. She understood officialdom well and knew that with Xu Shaojie's background, no matter how hard he tried, his future prospects would be limited, and he could only struggle to become a county-level cadre at best. In contrast, Liu Hong was different, with superior conditions, and after graduation, he might even enter the municipal party committee or government directly, with bright prospects ahead. There was no comparison between Xu Shaojie and Liu Hong. So Luo Ling inwardly rejected Xu Shaojie and wanted to strangle this relationship, not letting Yuxin go astray.

  "Old Zheng, look at this, such a big thing happened and we didn't even know. What's so good about this Xu Shaojie? He can't compare to Liu Hong at all. I don't know what Xu Shaojie is thinking. A toad wants to eat swan meat, I absolutely won't allow something like this to happen. Yu Xin is really clueless, doesn't understand the difficulties of life. Hmph, must be that Xu Shaojie used some trick to bewitch Yu Xin. Look at him joining the party in his first year, definitely has ulterior motives. Must be thinking of using our family's connections, huh? Sigh, these university students nowadays."

  "Lao Luo, what nonsense are you talking about? Do you think everyone is like what you said, thinking only of some despicable things? I really don't know what's wrong with you, after all these years, your views still haven't changed."

  Luo Ling looked at Zheng Qing Shan and suddenly thought that she shouldn't have said those words. Zheng Qing Shan was also from a peasant family, had worked hard all his life, and was somewhat dissatisfied with his work abilities. Luo Ling's family background was slightly better, so usually at home, Zheng Qing Shan would give in to Luo Ling. Today, Luo Ling saying such words was not a small stimulus for Zheng Qing Shan.

  "Alright, Old Zheng, I'm talking about Xu Shaojie. Even if Xu Shaojie is a good person, what about his family situation? His older brother just got out of prison, with a family like that, how will Yunxin's future be if she marries into it?"

  Here is the translation:

  At this point, Luo Ling's voice choked with emotion. Xu Yijie's situation was a thorn in her heart. Zheng Qingshan also remained silent, having listened carefully to the story of Xu Shaojie. Based on his intuition, he felt that Xu Shaojie would not be an ordinary person in the future. As class leader and party member, this child was much stronger than himself when he was young. However, the matter of Xu Yijie made it impossible for Zheng Qingshan to speak up. Yes, with a family having undergone labor reform, could Yu Xin have a good life after marrying into such a family? Emotions and love were not something that could be eaten as food. Zheng Qingshan let out a long sigh, no longer speaking, which was equivalent to acknowledging Luo Ling's words. What Zheng Qingshan did not expect was that he would carry this regret with him until the day he left this world, unable to swallow it. The world had no medicine for regret.

  "Yu Xin, your dad and I know about what's going on with you. You're grown up now and have your own feelings, we're not blaming you. But you need to face reality. Xu Shaojie's situation is... his brother just got out of prison and his father passed away. His family is in a small county town, it's not a life you can handle. Your dad and I are only thinking about what's best for you, so don't be stubborn. End things with Xu Shaojie, it's good that you two have just started, you're just having feelings for each other, it's not even an official relationship yet."

  Every time Luo Ling and Zheng Yuxin talked, Zheng Yuxin was silent, not speaking, not refuting, but just disagreeing to go to Liu Hong's home to play. Luo Ling saw that this wasn't working, after all, she was her own daughter, couldn't be too harsh, children were their parents' hearts' flesh and blood. So, Luo Ling started crying while talking to Zheng Yuxin, Zheng Yuxin had never experienced such a scene before, quickly became flustered.

  It was Zheng Qingyang's conversation that played a decisive role.

  "Yuxin, we are going to respect your choice, you're all grown up and should have your own choices. However, on personal matters, I have to say a few more things for you to consider. Your dad comes from a peasant family and has suffered a lot since childhood, some of which you can't even imagine. That's why I don't want you to suffer again. The reason I work so hard is to give you a good life, your mom thinks the same way too. You haven't entered society yet, so you don't know what it's like out there. Xu Shaojie is not a bad guy, I can tell that my daughter has chosen an excellent partner. But Xu Shaojie's family has some issues... if you were to be with him, you wouldn't know what kind of life you'd have. Yuxin, do you know? Your social status and his are different now. The environment you grew up in is very different from Xu Shaojie's, so when you live together in the future, there will be many aspects that won't fit, and life may not be happy. Dad is telling the truth, think about it carefully. First loves are beautiful and sweet, but most of them aren't realistic. Liu Hong has been with you since childhood, you two know each other well and understand each other. You should trust your dad and mom, we will definitely consider everything for you when it comes to personal matters."

  Zheng Yuxin was already in tears, she couldn't forget Xu Shaojie, and the bits and pieces of time spent with Xu Shaojie, which now seemed so clear.

  "Yu Xin, I know it's hard for you to accept right now, but it will be okay after a while. Take some time to go out and walk around, clear your mind. You still have some vacation time left, why not take a trip? Your two brothers are in Huaiyang City and Deyang City, go visit them and take a look around."

  Zheng Yuxin followed her father Zheng Qingshan's arrangement and went out to clear her mind. Accompanying her was Tan Lingli. Zheng Yuxin originally had some opinions about Tan Lingli, knowing that it was Tan Lingli who told her about Xu Shaojie's matter. However, she later let go of it, thinking that even if Tan Lingli didn't say anything, she would have found out eventually. Moreover, such a big thing couldn't be hidden from her parents, and what she did wasn't right either.

  Tan Lingli already knew the whole process, during which Luo Ling found her and completely changed her attitude, even bringing gifts and chatting for a long time. Luo Ling asked Tan Lingli to persuade Zheng Yuxin more, so that Zheng Yuxin could change her mind as soon as possible. Such things, the conversation between close friends, have a great effect. Tan Lingli accompanied Zheng Yuxin out to clear her mind, which was also arranged by Luo Ling. However, Luo Ling was still worried and called both Zheng Wenyu and Zheng Wenbin, telling them the arrival time of the train and asking them to go to the station to wait. When a girl goes out, parents are always worried.

  It wasn't long before they went out to clear their minds, but Tan Lingli fully demonstrated her own insight and carefully did Zheng Yuxin's work. Between girls, they understood each other's nature, and after Tan Lingli's not-so-persuasive words, Zheng Yuxin's mood improved a lot. Although Zheng Yuxin was very painful, she also thought that if her parents didn't accept Xu Shaojie, it would be difficult for them to have a result. Zheng Yuxin also thought of Liu Hong, and the things they did together when they were young slowly came back to mind.

  The girl's determination, once a crack appeared, the time of wavering had arrived. Zheng Yuxin thought that most of her interactions with Xu Shaojie were initiated by herself, and Xu Shaojie was always somewhat passive. Now, she still didn't know what Xu Shaojie was thinking. Zheng Yuxin also discovered that Xu Shaojie's thoughts were very profound, and she couldn't see through them, including his social relationships, which she wasn't very clear about either. Xu Shaojie never mentioned it either.

  When school was about to start, Zheng Qing Shan and Luo Ling brought Zheng Yu Xin to Liu Zhi Wen's home as guests. Cai Juan Hua was overjoyed and insisted on keeping the Zheng family at her home for a whole day. Liu Hong was even more delighted, knowing that he had won. Although Zheng Yu Xin seemed somewhat unhappy, the feelings between Zheng Yu Xin and Xu Shao Jie had already dissipated, and his own opportunity had arrived. All that was left was for him to rub salt in Xu Shao Jie's wounds, trying to crush Xu Shao Jie this time, and see how Xu Shao Jie would react with a defeated look on his face.