Chapter 3: The Runaway Bride

  Actually, in Qiao's compound, at this moment, it is not only Wei Wuxian who is restless.

  Carved beams and painted pillars, walls filled with calligraphy and paintings.

  The four pillars of the carved flower bed are coiled with golden dragons, and the dragon's eyes are inlaid with precious stones, vivid and lifelike. The lintels, cornices, and door panels are all carved with flowers, magnificent and majestic.

  Tonight, the son is not calm, and the father is no exception. Lying on a large carved red sandalwood bed, San Ye's face sank.

  Ever since marrying his wife, the couple has been loving and affectionate. He makes all major decisions himself, and his wife never goes against him. Daily household chores are completely entrusted to her, and he is also very at ease with it. As for things outside of business, he rarely worries about them.

  Three children, all with good innate abilities, two sons are strong and tall, daughter is considerate and amiable.

  From Xiao Chenjiaji to Luning, when mentioning Qiao's family, almost no one doesn't know.

  The people of Lunan are talented and resourceful, with rich products. Wheat, corn, cotton, peanuts, and various fruits are all available. Of course, the most famous one is Hongshan Hawthorn.

  The biggest business of mountain hawthorn is probably run by the Qiao family.

  This marriage between the He and Yan families is a happy union for the young couple.

  It's actually carrying Mr. Qiao's latest dream inside.

  Ten thousand hectares of good fields, every harvest season, advancing by ten thousand dou, logically speaking, Qiao Dafu should be satisfied.

  It's actually not like that.

  Under the lead of Yanzheng, all the villagers nearby started planting hawthorn trees. Many people got rich and made a fortune from selling hawthorns, which didn't displease Old Master Qiao at all. After all, the more shops there are, the more prosperous the market will be. Chenjia Village's hawthorns have become a well-known brand not only in Shandong Province but also throughout the country.

  He thought more than others that planting hawthorn is not easy, and the price can be sold at a good price. However, after visiting several processing plants, the original few dollars per kilogram of hawthorn, after their processing, the price immediately doubled or even tripled.

  The space inside is too big.

  He secretly discussed with Yan Zhuangui, combining their strengths to start a business venture. The specific plan was for the two to join forces and establish a food company specializing in hawthorn products, covering everything from cultivation, production, processing to sales, forming a complete industrial chain.

  Qiao Lao Ye has plenty of hawthorn, raw materials are just enough, Yan Zhang Gui's strength is strong, and he invests in adding equipment.

  Once established, it can be considered the largest enterprise in Lunan, whether in terms of scale, output value, or simply planting.

  This was also the time when Western winds were prevailing, and the development of modern industrial economy gave Old Master Qiao a great stimulus. As a landlord, Old Master Qiao finally felt the changes in the outside world through various channels, and he wanted to change his identity and no longer be just a local-born local tyrant.

  Why did I work so hard to plant it, but you guys got all the oil and water, he thought to himself from time to time.

  The marriage between Second Brother and Miss Yan is now an urgent matter of utmost importance.

  The engagement is off, how can the two families cooperate, and how can the company operate?

  "His mother, why does he always make people so anxious?"

  "Big wealth, it seems that this child won't agree tomorrow either!" For so many years, the lady's address to San Ye had never changed, as if this was also a kind of tacit understanding between them.

  "You say, students should study hard, look at him, not focusing on studying, some time ago he went to participate in a parade and gave speeches. If it wasn't for Old Chen's help last time, the school would have expelled him already." The Third Master was referring to that parade incident earlier. After the event, the school had planned to take action against a group of progressive students who participated in the anti-Japanese demonstration. When their families found out, they sent gifts to the school leaders through connections and barely managed to calm things down.

  "I heard that the youngest son of the Shang family, who runs a business in our village, has run away to Shanxi to join the Eighth Route Army. The local government is now keeping an eye on the Shang family." Madam turned her body and gently massaged San Ye's back.

  "President Chiang, if he really resisted the Japanese, how could the three northeastern provinces be so easily occupied by those little Japanese devils? The government isn't even in a hurry, what's there to rush about? Old Yan said that Jiahua had fought against the Japanese devils in his unit and couldn't compete with them. Those little devils may look small, but they use airplanes and cannons, and their bullets come down like rain. Their equipment is far better than ours." Jiahua was the third son of the Yan family from the east end of the village. His family was poor, and Third Master often helped them out a bit. After he joined the army and wrote letters home, his father would usually chat with Third Master about it.

  "Yes, you say that eating from the national treasury and taking military pay, can't even beat those little devils, are the Eighth Route Army people alright?" The lady was after all a woman.

  "Fighting is the army's business, how to fight is the government's business. What are these kids messing around for, going on the streets and shouting slogans? Isn't this just causing trouble?"

  "Da Fu, you said this Japanese devil has arrived, will our family's land, property and shops be taken away by the devils?"

  She is a woman and considers more practical things.

  San Ye sighed, after Ri himself occupied the three eastern provinces and Beiping, he had heard of the evil deeds of burning, killing, looting, and plundering more than once.

  This worry is inevitable, but some worries can be shared with women, while others will only make them more worried if expressed.

  After beating around the bush, Third Master still managed to steer the conversation back to his own family's affairs.

  "Last time I heard from Brother Wu, he said that his wife is about to give birth soon. He asked if we should bring her back home and have her stay with us for a while?" The eldest son got married last year, and his wife was a university classmate of theirs, a free love relationship. The bride's family conditions were not bad, and according to what Mr. and Mrs. Qiao said in private, it could be considered a good match.

  The eldest was doing business in the city, and they all hoped that after the second child finished his studies, he would return to Chenjia Village, take over the family business, and use what he had learned to make Qiao's business even bigger.

  The Yan family is also a prominent figure in the county town, and the Yan's Silver Bank is well-known in southern Lu. They have one son and one daughter. Their young daughter, Yan Qingqing, is attending high school.

  It's beneficial for both parties to become in-laws through business partners, and besides, Miss Yan looks elegant and beautiful, good at poetry and painting, and the third master and his wife took a liking to her at first sight.

  Unexpectedly, he was rejected by the second child with a single word.

  "No, it's not feasible. Although the intention is good, you've also been to the provincial city, where the hospital conditions are better. Even if Chenjiacun has good doctors, they can't compare to the hospitals in the provincial city in terms of giving people peace of mind." San Ye was still San Ye, a man who had seen the world and knew how things worked. Although he was a big shot in Chenjiacun, or even Lunan for that matter, with all sorts of perks and privileges, when it came to comparing conditions between rural areas, counties, and provincial cities, he had a clear understanding of what was what.

  "What should we do then? Let's go visit the boss after a while and see what he needs." After all, she was a woman, meticulous.

  "Alright, you handle this matter, I'm only thinking about the marriage between Wen and his daughter now." San Ye changed the subject back to the old topic.

  After all, the most important thing for the Qiao family right now is how to bring their daughter-in-law back home with dignity. With the Yan family's power, Miss Yan's beauty and talent, and Xiang Wen's true gentlemanly qualities, they are indeed a perfect match of talented youth and beautiful maiden.

  "It stands to reason that the Yan family's daughter is knowledgeable and reasonable, and should be a good match for Xiang Wen. As for Old Man Yan's attitude towards our family, you also know that he takes care of those who can be taken care of, and those who can't be taken care of are treated the same way. What's the point of all this? Isn't it just because we're relatives by marriage?" Third Master is the head of the household, so his consideration is naturally thorough.

  "Da Fu, you said you didn't even look at Wen's letter and immediately rejected it. Is there another girl in your heart?"

  After all, as a mother, she thought more, and after being silent for a while, she suddenly stopped her fist from patting his shoulder and said to San Ye.

  "Can't be? Although he's been studying in the provincial city and has been influenced by some new ideas, it can't have gone that far, can it? Even if it has, he'll have to call it off." Third Master spoke slowly.

  A moment of silence.

  Suddenly, Mrs. Qiao sat up straight, her face leaning towards San Ye with a tone of negotiation, but her mind was already made up.

  "Great wealth, I'll go and have a chat with Xiang Wen, listen to what he has to say. This way of doing things is just a waste of time!"

  Third Master looked at his wife and then out of the window, "The method is indeed a method, but as a son, he should be more intimate with his mother."

  Having obtained San Ye's consent, the lady quickly got out of bed and walked towards the door. Suddenly remembering something, she turned back a few steps, dimmed the oil lamp, "Dafu, you go to sleep early, I'm going."

  Tread lightly, walked towards the backyard to Wen's room, first saw the light on, knew not yet asleep, so directly went forward and knocked on the door. Just knocked once, then found that the door was ajar.

  "This child, how could he forget to close the door at night?", the lady muttered to herself as she walked inside.

  Take a closer look, where is the son in the room?

  "Xiang Wen, Xiang Wen..." The voice was getting a bit anxious.

  Hurriedly walking into the courtyard, when calling out her son's name, her voice grew even louder "Xiang Wen..."

  Third Master vaguely heard his wife's voice, somewhat urgent, hastily got out of bed and put on his clothes, and hurried over.

  "What's going on?"

  "Wenwen is gone!"

  "What? No way?"

  Upon hearing the sound, several long workers and maidservants came into the courtyard, whispering and inquiring.

  The couple rushed to Xiangwen's room without taking care of anything else.

  There is nothing missing in the cupboard and everything on the bed is tidy.

  "Look, Dad!"

  "What?"

  Third Master hastily walked over to the table, stretched out his hand and took the paper from Madame's hand.

  It turned out to be a letter written by Wen to his parents.

  Dear Honorable Father and Mother:

  I'm unfilial, leaving without bidding farewell, grateful for the kindness of raising me by both elders. The proposed marriage makes me very embarrassed, thinking it over and over again, it's really hard to obey. With national crisis at hand, I'm going to serve the country with loyalty, repaying the great kindness of our nation above and my parents' deep kindness below. When there is a chance, I will report back in detail. Your unfilial son Wen pays his respects.

  Only a few words, but each one struck him like thunder, Third Master read it over and over again, feeling both angry and anxious, his vision blurring before his eyes.

  Suddenly felt someone shaking beside him, looked carefully, it was his wife who couldn't stand still.

  At this moment, no one thought that this farewell would be for many years.

  From the eight-year anti-Japanese war to the end of the civil war, the whole country was liberated. So many years, fathers and sons, mothers and sons, were separated by vast distances.

  One decision changed the trajectory of a person's life.

  Once out, let Qiao family came out a unfilial son, let Qiao old master reputation ruined.

  For a long time, Old Master Qiao shut his doors and refused to see outsiders. Mrs. Qiao repeatedly went to the Yan family's gate to apologize and make amends.

  The expected talented youth and beautiful maiden turned into a quarrelsome couple, each blaming the other.

  No one would have thought that the two main characters of this runaway marriage would meet again one day, and they staged an unexpected and heart-wrenching drama.

  Qiao Xiangwen went where, facing the war-torn chaotic world, his passionate blood took a different and unusual path? What about Yan Qingqing who was "abandoned" and how did she face the sudden change?

  "Northbound and Southbound" serialized original published on (Starting Point Website) Search for "Northbound and Southbound" to share, if you have any better suggestions, please let me know in time, I'm grateful; if you think it's worth sharing, don't forget to cast your precious vote, because your support and encouragement are my greatest motivation for future creations. QQ group: 394915357, 171584042 More Jingcai stories invite you to share the joy, because of you, my friend.