A charming widow in her 70s married a factory manager and raised his children.

"Uncle Shang, this kid is sturdy and heavy, please take it easy." Lu Congyue quickly offered his support.

Shang Jianjun's face darkened: "What? You think I'm too old to even carry a child anymore?"

"No, no, how could I dare?" Lu Congyue quickly explained, "I'm just worried that the boy might be too heavy for you."

"Dad, you really need to take it easy, don't scare the child." Shang Hua said with a smile, then went to tease Xiao Chenglin and asked him if he missed her.

Xiao Chenglin was also very accommodating, showing no fear of strangers and even smiling at Shang Jianjun.

Shang Jianjun was particularly pleased: "This kid is really good, just like you, not afraid of people!"

"How about that? I told you so, didn't I? Our Chenglin is the best behaved." Shanghua said with a smile from the side.

As the two men chatted and played with the child, Lu Congyue gradually sensed something was amiss and couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Shang, did you come to Beijing for work this time?"

"No! I just took two days off to come see you. Otherwise, by the time you came to see me, I'd probably be dead!" Shang Jianjun said irritably.

"Pah, pah, pah, Dad, don't talk nonsense," Shang Hua quickly said, then explained to Lu Congyue, "After I got home, I told Dad about the situation, and he was really worried, so he insisted on coming to check on us. I couldn't stop him, so I had to come with him. Before he came, I specifically called to ask, and only after I knew you hadn't left did I let him come."

Shang Jianjun said sternly, "The child was lost in your care, how can I feel at ease if I don't make a trip?"

He then said to Lu Congyue, "I've already scolded Shang Hua. She's so careless. She's been careless since she was little. I don't even know how many times I've scolded her, but she's never learned her lesson! Look, this time she almost caused a disaster, didn't she?"

"Congyue, I know you're upset. You can hit her or yell at her, she'll definitely accept it, just don't let your heart drift away."

Shang Jianjun spoke earnestly, and Lu Congyue quickly said that he had never blamed Shang Hua, and that the whole thing was Guan Jing's fault.

Shang Jianjun was very pleased to hear this and asked Lu Congyue if he had eaten breakfast.

Knowing that the father and son hadn't eaten yet, they asked Shanghua to go to the state-run restaurant to buy breakfast. Since he hadn't eaten either, they decided to have breakfast together.

Shang Hua responded and left.

After the door closed, Lu Congyue said, "Uncle Shang, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Smart!" Shang Jianjun laughed, holding Xiao Chenglin in his arms. "Your sister Shang told me she really likes this rascal of yours, and when I came over and saw him, I liked him too."

As he spoke, he stared intently at Lu Congyue and said in a deep voice, "I wish we could become family!"

Lu Congyue was stunned.

Shang Jianjun laughed twice: "Cong Yue, you know my temper. I don't like pretense, and I can't stand beating around the bush, so I'll just say it directly: Shang Hua wants to form a revolutionary family with you and will treat Cheng Lin like her own child. I think her idea is great, and I support you!"

Lu Congyue jumped to his feet: "What? Uncle Shang, are you kidding me? Sister Shang and I... how could that be? I treat her like a sister, a real sister! We don't have that kind of relationship. Besides, I'm already married, have you forgotten?"

"Your wife... I heard from Shanghua that besides being good-looking, she has no other redeeming qualities. She has a bad background, no job, and she has a child from her ex-husband's previous marriage..."

Shang Jianjun shook his head, his eyes full of disdain. "That's one thing, but her personality is terrible too. She can't handle anything! After the child went missing, has she been crying and wailing at home all day? A woman like that doesn't deserve you!"

"No... Uncle Shang, Sister Shang has misunderstood Qingxiang. She's actually a very good person..."

Before Lu Congyue could finish speaking, Shang Jianjun raised his hand to interrupt him: "I know you're going to say she's a very good woman again, but besides being good-looking, she really doesn't have anything else to offer! Shang Hua is different. She's been beautiful since she was little, and she has a cheerful and generous personality. You're familiar with her family background, and although she's older than you, isn't there a saying that a woman three years older brings good fortune? Your marriage will definitely benefit your career!"

Lu Congyue felt a chill run down his spine when he heard Shang Jianjun's words.

"Uncle Shang, do you know what Sister Shang is saying? If she knew, she definitely wouldn't agree."

"Didn't I say she brought this up first? When you first came to our house, didn't you always like to hang out with her?"

Lu Congyue was both amused and exasperated: "Uncle Shang, just like you said, Sister Shang is cheerful and generous. She takes me around all the time. I am very grateful to you and her. When I felt that my future was bleak, you were the ones who helped me out. But that's not love. I really only see her as an older sister."

Shang Jianjun frowned: "You mean you don't like her?"

"I like her, but only as a sister. I've never had any other feelings for her," Lu Congyue said sincerely.

Shang Jianjun thought for a moment and said, "It's okay, just get married first, and then cultivate your relationship. When I got married, we only met two or three times before we decided to get married. There wasn't much of a relationship between us, but we still had a great life together. You and Shang Hua have known each other for over ten years, which is much better than what we had back then. After you get married, feelings will naturally develop. I have confidence in you two!"

Lu Congyue was speechless.

He's been talking for so long, why is Uncle Shang still talking to himself?

"Uncle Shang, I have a wife, I love her very much, and I plan to grow old with her!" Lu Congyue said firmly. "I will pretend I didn't hear what you just said. Please don't mention it again in the future, especially not in front of Sister Shang, so as not to make it awkward for everyone to meet."

"You're confused!" Shang Jianjun's brows furrowed, and he said with great distress, "Cong Yue, how did you become like this? Bewitched by beauty, without considering the other person's status, you shamelessly proclaim your love? Don't you know that falling in love with a class enemy is a crime!"

"Uncle Shang! She's not a class enemy! Her identity is also legitimate!" Lu Congyue emphasized, clearing Zhuang Qingxiang's name. "Her identity is officially recognized by the organization and she has received awards!"

"Naive!" Shang Jianjun scoffed. "Times have changed. You've seen how brutal the political climate has been these past few years. Today she's being commended, but who knows if she'll be purged tomorrow? Haven't these kinds of things happened a lot? Who will be implicated the most then? Won't it be you?"

Lu Congyue gritted his teeth and said firmly, "Then I'll accept it! At most, our family will go back to the countryside to farm. Anyway, I came from a peasant background, I'm not afraid!"

He spoke with a resolute expression, as if he were making a vow.

Shang Jianjun realized that this man was completely finished, utterly subdued by a woman.

He shook his head. This time, even if Lu Congyue nodded, he would not agree to marry his eldest daughter to him.

A man who has been tamed by a woman will inevitably cause trouble sooner or later.

"I understand what you mean," Shang Jianjun said in a deep voice. "It seems you and Shang Hua are destined to be apart. Let's pretend I never mentioned this!"

"Thank you, Uncle Shang," Lu Congyue said quickly.

Shang Jianjun waved his hand: "I'll explain this to Shang Hua, so you don't need to bring it up again."

Lu Congyue nodded: "Okay."

At this moment, Shang Hua was still happily buying breakfast, unaware that the situation she thought she had won was already beyond her control.