135. In-laws: The Union of the Ji Family

Everyone else was busy with their own assigned tasks, so naturally, the responsibility of inviting guests fell to the elders of the two families. That man, Gao Yaohua, was someone Zhang Liangping had no desire to deal with. Moreover, Zhang Liangping wasn’t particularly close to Gao Shen either. If he were to intervene, Zhang Liangping feared he might mess things up.

Therefore, it was only when Zhang Liangping took charge that things could be trusted to proceed smoothly.

That morning, everyone went about their duties in an orderly fashion. After lunch, Gao Shen and Zhang Liangping headed to Gao Shen’s parents’ home, located in the Second Production Team area. Gao Shen carried a backpack filled with clothes and some snacks and candies for the family—gifts carefully prepared by Qingxin.

The wedding banquet was to be held the day after tomorrow. Since Gao Shen’s parents were present, it was inconceivable to skip informing one’s own elders on such an occasion. There was no custom or tradition that allowed such a thing, and society would never tolerate it nowadays.

No matter how estranged or tense the relationship might be, this visit was necessary—at the very least, to notify them. Whether they would attend the wedding banquet or not was beyond Gao Shen’s control.

As Gao Shen and Zhang Liangping arrived at the Gao family courtyard gate, they happened to meet a group from the Gao family hastily preparing to leave. Neither side expected the other’s presence at that moment, yet they were in perfect tacit agreement, both wanting to find the other.

However, before the Gao family patriarch had stepped out of the courtyard, Gao Shen had already arrived at their doorstep.

“Hmph! So you still remember the Gao name! You actually dare to come back?” Gao Yaohua said with a sarcastic tone, holding himself high and mighty.

“After all these years, Gao Yaohua, you haven’t changed your temper one bit!” Zhang Liangping stepped forward from behind Gao Shen, revealing himself to the Gao family with a slight scoff.

Seeing his old acquaintance, Gao Yaohua exclaimed, “Zhang Liangping, what are you doing here?”

“Why shouldn’t I be here, father-in-law?” Zhang Liangping replied mockingly.

“This is my home; you’re not welcome here! What? Father-in-law?” Gao Yaohua’s irritation turned to slow realization, and the words only fueled his anger.

“That’s right, haha! Didn’t expect that, huh? You once stopped Xiaoshen from becoming my sworn son, but now your son has to call me father!” Zhang Liangping said smugly, deliberately provoking him.

“No way! I don’t agree! You’re infertile, when did you even have a daughter?” Gao Yaohua retorted angrily. They had just been about to leave to find Gao Shen.

Rumors had been circulating since the night before that Gao Shen was going to marry a wealthy city girl. Relatives had already come to visit, bringing many dowries and such.

At first, Gao Yaohua didn’t care much. He never had deep affection for his youngest son, who had defied him—almost as if he didn’t regard him as a father at all.

But his wife wore a joyous expression. At noon, she told him she was going to help their son. After careful questioning, he learned that his youngest son had once again defied his wishes by choosing to marry a woman of unknown background. How could he possibly accept that?

He had long arranged a match for him. Before his reassignment, the two families had agreed on the marriage. They were old acquaintances, and only a girl of certain standing could marry into the Gao family. Not just any woman could enter their home.

“I, Zhang Liangping, am fortunate. Why shouldn’t I have a daughter? My daughter Qingxin and Xiaoshen are a perfect match,” Zhang Liangping said angrily.

“I’ve already arranged a match with Gao Shen. We’re only waiting for the Ji family’s reply to finalize it! Your daughter should look elsewhere!” Gao Yaohua scoffed.

“Hmph, waiting for a reply? It’s because they look down on your Gao family and reject you, isn’t that obvious? Don’t play dumb!” Zhang Liangping bluntly exposed Gao Yaohua’s true thoughts.

“You!” Gao Yaohua was so furious he could only point at Zhang Liangping, speechless. Indeed, as Zhang Liangping said, Gao Yaohua thought the same. A couple of years ago, he had written to the Ji family to discuss the marriage, but the Ji family wasn’t in a hurry. They wanted Gao Shen to strive for a few more years, as their daughter was still young, so they postponed it.

Later, Gao Shen was injured, and Gao Yaohua once again expressed the need for someone to care for him. He deliberately concealed the severity of Gao Shen’s disability, only saying he was slightly hurt. Unexpectedly, the Ji family made it clear they already knew the truth about Gao Shen’s injury.

The Ji family had been a medical family for generations. Even during turmoil, families with medical skills valuable to society and the nation were favored and spared from unrest.

Gao Yaohua had always hoped to return to the Gao ancestral home and restore the family’s scholarly prestige. The only hope he had was the Ji family, hoping that the bond of intermarriage would prompt their assistance. The years of turmoil had even prevented letters from being sent, but things had stabilized somewhat in recent years.

Gao Yaohua was unwilling to give up this resource, but since the Ji family knew the truth about Gao Shen’s condition, he had no choice but to painfully let go. However, not long ago, when he heard that his youngest son’s leg had healed, his long-dormant hopes immediately reignited.

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