Reborn in the 70s: Pampered by Regiment Commander
Chapter 302 - 213: Intentional

Chapter 302: Chapter 213: Intentional

"No bet is a real bet without stakes, the loser must promise their age-appropriate child to the winner, be it a boy or a girl, unconditionally."

Chuxia couldn’t help but chuckle at Wang Meifeng, this was probably the most "shameless" thing she had heard since arriving in this era.

Luan Xiaoxiang blinked perplexedly and spoke up, "Sister Meifeng, what do you mean by that? I don’t quite understand."

Luo Xiaoqiong scoffed, "What she means is, if the loser has a son who’s the same age as the winner’s daughter, they have to give him up to be an ’incomer’ son-in-law, and if they have a daughter the same age as the winner’s son, she has to marry into the winner’s family and become a daughter-in-law."

"Oh..." Luan Xiaoxiang nodded, still looking puzzled, "What if both sides have only sons or only daughters, or if there’s no child of matching age, what then?"

"They would give their child as a godson or goddaughter; they must treat their godparents with the same respect and filial piety as their own parents," Luo Xiaoqiong explained then looked toward Wang Meifeng, "Is my interpretation consistent with what you were thinking?"

"Yes," Wang Meifeng nodded, "that’s exactly what I meant."

"Then..." Struggling with the concept, Luan Xiaoxiang scratched her head, her face twisted in confusion, "then whether Chuxia loses or wins, wouldn’t she be at a disadvantage either way?"

"Hehe..." Luo Xiaoqiong smiled enigmatically but said nothing.

"Chuxia’s husband’s family is better off than yours, so whether she wins or loses, you’d be benefitting from her either way—it’s not fair." Luan Xiaoxiang honestly shared her thoughts with Wang Meifeng regarding the matter.

"What’s unfair about it? Who can say for certain that her family’s circumstances will continue to be better than mine twenty years from now?

If she wins, she gets to marry my daughter or son without spending a penny, and if she loses, she can marry her son or daughter into my family without spending a penny as well—either way, she’s the one making a profit."

Luan Xiaoxiang wasn’t led astray, she questioned further, "But if you win, you too can marry off a son or daughter without spending a penny, and if you lose, the same applies—you can marry them into her family at no cost, so how can you say Chuxia is the one profiting?"

"That’s why I say it’s very fair," Wang Meifeng spread out her hands, looking at Chuxia, "In the future, you won’t have to worry about your children’s matrimonial issues, neither will I, and we could even strengthen family ties. Actually, when you think about it, this bet is a win-win situation, right?"

Chuxia smirked, "It seems that in your eyes, I truly am a fool."

Wang Meifeng also smirked, "No, I believe this bet is very fair. There’s no distinction between the rich and the poor among the working people; you can’t look down on the Qiang Family just because the Zhou family is well-off. Like I said, twenty years from now, it’s uncertain whose family will be better off. Who knows, by then you may be taking advantage of a great opportunity."

Beset with this kind of ideological browbeating, Chuxia wasn’t skilled nor was she inclined to argue, so she simply shook her head in refusal, "I don’t agree to these stakes."

"Are you afraid to bet with me?"

Chuxia laughed lightly, "Provocation won’t work. I accept the bet, but your roundabout way of trying to take advantage seems unnecessary."

"A bet has to have stakes. Since you don’t accept my proposal, suggest one yourself. But..." Wang Meifeng looked at Chuxia earnestly, "I want to reiterate that I’m betting on who will have a happier marriage in ten years, not whose husband holds a higher office."

Chuxia curled her lips, "I think you should also define what constitutes happiness, to prevent any cheating later on."

"Happiness is measured by whether one’s husband respects his wife more, loves her more, and is more willing to listen and adhere to her decisions; whoever has that wins."

"How will this be determined? What if your husband clearly doesn’t respect, love, or listen to you, yet you twist the facts?"

"Oh, neither you nor I decide that—it’s up to Luo Xiaoqiong and Luan Xiaoxiang to decide. They’re your friends, and having them judge should make it fair, right?"

Chuxia scrutinized Wang Meifeng; it was time to redefine her cousin.

Going through such a convoluted ploy seemed like a daydream to take advantage of her, but in reality, what she had chosen was a circuitous path to salvation.

Hearing clearly that she wouldn’t facilitate her transfer to A city, remaining in the Red Flag Commune and marrying into the Qiang Family appeared to be her best choice.

However, she was not willing to become estranged from Chuxia over this event and forever lose any connection to the Zhou family’s influence. Thus, she hatched this gambling plan.

No matter how their relationship evolved, as long as Chuxia agreed to this ten-year term, there would be a connection to Wang Meifeng. Besides, she saw the closeness between herself, Luo Xiaoqiong, and Luan Xiaoxiang, and decided to drag them into this wager as well.

That way, even without direct contact with her cousin, she could legitimately keep in touch with Luo Xiaoqiong and Luan Xiaoxiang. To put it bluntly, this meant she had at least ten years to mend their relationship through various channels.

As long as her relationship with Chuxia didn’t deteriorate completely, the Qiang Family would regard Wang Meifeng with higher esteem, and her marriage into the Qiang Family wouldn’t be considered marrying up.

And another benefit, as long as she maintained a good relationship with Chuxia, even if she couldn’t benefit from her radiance, wouldn’t her children be able to?

Figuring out these things so thoroughly in such a short time and making a bet with her using this method, this cousin, is really not as simple as she appears on the surface.

The sorrow and desperation she showed earlier... was probably all an act, right?

If it weren’t for her acting that way, when she wanted to make a bet with her, she might not have taken her up on it.

If only she weren’t so consumed by jealousy and so obsessed with status, if she just focused on working hard, her future would definitely not be bad.

"I admit now, I really was a fool," Chuxia said earnestly as she stared at Wang Meifeng, "But since I’ve already agreed to your terms, I won’t go back on my word. However, I must declare that the premise of this bet is that you cannot do anything to betray me or Zhao’s house."

Wang Meifeng nodded, "Alright, but you haven’t mentioned the wager."

"If I lose, one of your children can pick a job and I will help arrange it for them. If you lose, you must sincerely apologize to my aunt and, moreover, treat her with the filial piety she deserves."

Wang Meifeng’s expression stalled; she had never expected Chuxia to propose such a wager—one that meant Chuxia would gain no tangible benefit whether she won or lost, and she—Wang Meifeng—would lose nothing, win or lose.

Apologizing to her own mother was something she was supposed to do anyway; her personality might be domineering, but she wasn’t so deluded as to think that shouting at her mother was the right thing to do.

"I want to ask you something and I hope you can answer me truthfully," she said.

Chuxia nodded, signaling for her to go on.

"Back then, if my mother had asked you to help me, would you really have helped me?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"My aunt has been kind to my mother and me. It’s normal to repay a debt of gratitude as much as a debt of vengeance."

"Actually, you knew my mother would never ask you to help me, didn’t you? You can’t say you didn’t see that coming, can you?"

"I won’t deny that, knowing my aunt’s personality, I was ninety percent sure she wouldn’t put me in a difficult position, but there was still a ten percent chance."

"It seems I’ve been underestimating you all along," Wang Meifeng said, looking at Chuxia intently, "Who do you take after with your character? You’re so different from before... You..." She frowned as she gazed at Chuxia, "Compared to before, you seem like a completely different person. If it weren’t for the fact that your appearance hasn’t changed, I would almost think someone had switched you out."

Chuxia felt a jolt inwardly, but her expression remained unchanged, "Thank you for the compliment."

After watching Chuxia for a while, Wang Meifeng got up from her bed and bowed to Chuxia, "I sincerely apologize to you. I shouldn’t have taken it upon myself to find your brother-in-law. I knew that what I was doing might cause the Zhou family to look down on you, yet I still went ahead. I’m sorry!"

Chuxia couldn’t help sighing, "If you applied your mind in the right direction, your future wouldn’t be lacking."

"If I didn’t try, I’d regret it for the rest of my life," Wang Meifeng smiled, "Now, I can accept the outcome without regrets, and I have decided that this year, I’ll study hard and, if I have a chance next year, I will also apply for college.

Chuxia, I won’t fall behind you. The embarrassment you’ve caused me today, might very well be returned in full one day. I can tell you in advance, the taste is not pleasant, so you better prepare yourself."

Luo Xiaoqiong pursed her lips, speaking for Chuxia, "I guess you won’t have that opportunity."

"Sister, I leave you with this thought: you reap what you sow," Chuxia said, standing up and pulling Luan Xiaoxiang, who sat there, a look of confusion on her face. "Let’s go out. Let her tidy up on her own."

"Chuxia, are you saying that what she did before was all on purpose?" Outside the door, Luo Xiaoqiong looked at Chuxia incredulously and asked.

"Making a fool of herself was certainly not on purpose, but trying every possible way to stay was. She is harsh not only to others but also to herself. She clearly didn’t want to give herself the chance to regret."

"I don’t quite understand," Luan Xiaoxiang looked bewildered, "I’ve been listening to you for a long time, and the more I listen, the more confused I get. What do you mean exactly?"

"Xiaoxiang, you just need to understand one thing. If she contacts you in the future, it’s definitely for a reason. Don’t naïvely trust her and end up getting sold out by her and then counting the money for her," Chuxia replied.

"Am I really that foolish?" Luan Xiaoxiang pouted discontentedly, "I’m older than you by two months, yet you don’t call me ’sister,’ and still you look down on me."

"Chuxia is looking out for you," Luo Xiaoqiong said, hugging Luan Xiaoxiang’s shoulders, chuckling, "I always thought I was too blunt and lacked cunning, but compared to you, I suddenly feel quite scheming!"

"You’re still saying I’m silly," Luan Xiaoxiang’s face fell. "I know you all look down on me for being a bumpkin, but what can I do? I’m not qualified to be a soldier, and even less to go to college. What else can I do but be a bumpkin?"

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)