I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

The compound where Liu Songming lives is the same compound where Qiaoqiao used to live.

Zhou Wenhui and Qiaoqiao escorted Fang Guiying back, and then returned to the compound, where they were filled with emotion.

"Wow, what a nice house! Such a big yard! We can grow vegetables here. Songming's dad, turn over the soil tomorrow, I want to grow vegetables."

Fang Guiying felt the same way as Qiaoqiao when she first saw the courtyard: such a large open space, it would be a shame not to grow vegetables.

"If I had known it was all abandoned, I should have moved to the city sooner. Men can't live without women. Look at this nice house, it's like a barren mountain."

Qiaoqiao smiled and said, "Aunt Fang, if we plant cucumbers, green beans, and cabbages, we won't need to buy vegetables all year round."

"Yes, yes, we have to plant them all. Plant pumpkins in the corners around the walls, and we'll have more than we can eat."

"Let's plant some winter melons; winter melon soup is delicious."

"Plant them all."

Fang Guiying was full of confidence; she was determined to carve out her own niche here.

Upon entering the house, in this large house, Liu Songming only slept in one bedroom. There were two sets of military bedding on the bed, which was not made and was in a mess.

The rest of the rooms were empty, perfectly suited for a bachelor's life.

"Dad, look, the lunchbox hasn't even been washed. Has the house never been cooked? My poor son, what kind of life is he living?" Fang Guiying sighed again.

Wenhui and Qiaoqiao went into the study, the place where their conflicts and love began.

The desk is still there, the bed is still there, but the books are gone.

"You just love sleeping in such a small house," Qiaoqiao teased.

"The house is small, but it makes me feel safe. Losing my legs has also made me lose the meaning of life. I'm like a snail, hiding in my thick shell, afraid to come out," Zhou Wenhui said sadly.

"Wenhui, why did you become a completely different person after that fall?"

Qiaoqiao still doesn't understand why, after she threw Zhou Wenhui, she felt wronged, sad, and inferior. After Zhou Wenhui scolded her, he refused to sleep in the study anymore.

"I thought I was a walking corpse, but then I suddenly realized that I can feel pain, I can have emotions, and I am still a human being. Qiaoqiao, thank you for falling down and waking me up."

Zhou Wenhui looked at Qiaoqiao with tender eyes; she was the light that saved him.

Qiaoqiao smiled gently: "Do you want to know how it feels for me to marry you?"

"Yes, tell me."

"A girl who has never traveled far from home, burdened by the fate of her family, marries a complete stranger. She is insecure and lonely. I thought I wouldn't care about your humiliation, but actually, I care a lot."

That day, sitting in the kitchen, looking outside, even though it was broad daylight, I felt as if I had fallen into an abyss of darkness. I was afraid of you, afraid of your cold gaze, afraid of your barbed words.

Qiaoqiao felt a mix of emotions. The city was much richer than the countryside, but she was not happy at all.

"I'm just like you. I'm afraid too. I'm afraid you'll pity me, afraid you'll look at my legs with curiosity. In my eyes, you're so lucky. You can walk on your own two legs, never stopping. Qiaoqiao, before you came, I was in an abyss, thinking I would never get out of it in this lifetime."

Zhou Wenhui looked at the tree outside the window and was moved to speak.

"So, you're in pain too? It's true that people can't truly empathize with each other. I thought to myself, so what if you don't have legs? You still have parents who love you to the bone, and a comfortable life. What can't you overcome? I was in Dashui Village, starving, working in the fields every day, and being laughed at. You eat braised pork every day and still act so dramatic."

"I thought to myself, what's the point of crying over a few insults? You have legs, you can dig to vent your emotions, while I can only watch you dig and can't do anything about it."

Zhou Wenhui felt somewhat sad; those days of being confined were incredibly difficult.

"So how did you change later?"

"When you pushed me to the grocery store, I thought people would look at me strangely. Actually, I was overthinking it. Everyone is rushing around trying to live. Who has time to look at my legs? Who cares that I don't have legs?"

Later, when I started writing books, I thought of my brothers. What reason did I have to be depressed? Qiaoqiao, being blinded by a leaf is exactly what I was like. You helped me pull that leaf away and gave me a completely new perspective. You're right, it's just a pair of legs. As long as I'm alive, there are many things I can do.

My poor parents, how much they must have suffered during that time.

"When my parents-in-law came to pick me up, they said all sorts of hurtful things. They were a respected senior officer and a head of surgery, but they kept smiling and brought me to the city. Zhou Wenhui, the first people I fell in love with were my parents-in-law, not you. They are the greatest parents I have ever met."

"Looking back on those days, I really want to slap myself."

"There's no need to be upset. You've made it through, and all your parents' sacrifices have been worthwhile. Now we're parents ourselves, and what parent would blame their child? Besides, you lost your legs for the country and for the greater good."

Zhou Wenhui emotionally embraced Qiaoqiao's waist and sincerely said, "Thank you, Mom and Dad, for bringing you into my life. Thank you for encouraging me through my difficulties with your simple actions. You are both my angels."

Qiaoqiao looked up at Zhou Wenhui: "You are also my angel. My family is in Dashui Village, where we are ridiculed and trampled on. They criticize us whenever they want. When they learned that I was going to marry you, those gossipy women in the village thought you were very despicable, otherwise why would you marry the granddaughter of a rich farmer?"

Actually, my parents, my brother, and I all thought the same thing. My brother didn't agree to my marriage, but I insisted on marrying him because if I did, he could get a job at the factory. Only my grandfather said that Commander Zhou was a generous and kind person, and that his son couldn't be bad. After the marriage was arranged, my mother cried every day…”

As she spoke, Qiaoqiao wiped away the tears that were about to fall and grinned, "Who knew I'd found such a treasure."

"Am I good enough in your eyes?"

"Not just good, but the very best. You are knowledgeable, insightful, and adept at navigating social situations. I've learned more from you than I did in university. I'm so glad Dad had good judgment and chose me; if he had chosen someone else, I would have no way to speak out against this injustice for the rest of my life."

Qiaoqiao nestled in Wenhui's arms, laughing carefree. How lucky she was!

"Thank you for your affirmation. Actually, I've also found a treasure, Qiaoqiao. You may not know, but your resilience, kindness, and innocence are very precious qualities. Every time I see you smile, I feel that life is worth living."

"Really? Then are we in cahoots? No, no, we are..."

"A marriage of mutual respect and affection, what a fool."

"Hahaha, a whole bunch of fools are fools, you're a fool too. I'm just a country girl, and you're still so good to me."

"You are the wife I raised, so I have to hold on tight, lest you grow up and run away."

"Wenhui, you're the only one in my heart, and I'll never let you go. Of course, you can't go either. If you do, I won't let my brother have your prosthetic leg when it breaks."

"Okay, I won't run away. You hold the kite string."