The Decision to Break the Engagement

Gu Qingcheng knew that when he smiled, he gave off the impression of being a rogue. Therefore, he forced a serious expression and lowered his voice to a whisper, saying to Jiang Rang, "I came to Guhe County for some business; I'm just helping out because it's on the way. What day are you leaving? May I drive you back to Luocheng?"

Jiang Rang shook her head. "Thank you, but you should focus on your own business. I don't have a fixed time yet." She couldn't risk the bus having another accident when she returned. Currently, she was still technically the daughter-in-law of the Cheng family, and in Guhe County, there were acquaintances everywhere. She did not want to be too closely associated with an unmarried young man.

The two said their goodbyes at the entrance of the county hospital. Gu Qingcheng hurried off to buy the replacement parts for Uncle Zhao. Jiang Rang went straight to the inpatient ward to see Father Jiang.

Father Jiang had fallen while climbing a ladder and had been hospitalized for over a month. His younger daughter had just visited him last week, so why was she here again today? Furthermore, as soon as she entered the ward, she stepped forward to hug his waist—which no longer had any sensation—and leaned her head against his chest, acting spoiled just like she did when she was a child.

Father Jiang was a very perceptive man and immediately knew that his daughter had been mistreated by the Cheng family. He asked her, "Xiao Rang, hasn't Cheng Wennian returned yet?"

Jiang Rang hadn't seen her father in twenty years. She hugged him for a long while, and when she finally looked up, her eyes were completely red. "Father, I don't want to register my marriage with Cheng Wennian."

Mother Jiang immediately became anxious. "You've been with the Cheng family for three years, and the wedding banquet has already been held. How can you not register the marriage?"

Father Jiang braced his hands on the bed, and Jiang Rang and Mother Jiang worked together to help him sit up against the headboard. Mother Jiang was a quiet wife, but she immediately began chatting about household chores with the other people in the ward. She wanted to draw everyone outside to talk so that the father and daughter could have some privacy.

There were three beds in this ward. Aside from Father Jiang, who couldn't move, the other two patients were nearly ready for discharge. Having shared the room for several days, they were familiar with each other, so everyone agreed to head out together. Before long, only Jiang Rang and her father were left in the room.