Three Women in the Cage

Chapter 5: The first encounter

Suddenly one day, Yang's father said to his daughter Yang Yu, "Yu'er, I have arranged a marriage for you. He is the second son of Uncle Zhang. He is a retired soldier and a very honest young man. When do you think we can meet?"

Hearing this, Yang Yu's face showed a hint of displeasure, and he couldn't help but said in a cold voice, "Dad, how could you arrange a marriage for me without asking me if I was willing? Now it's all about free love, why do you still want to arrange a marriage for me? I haven't even seen his son, not to mention that my younger brothers and sisters are still young, so I'm not in a hurry to get married."

Father Yang rubbed his nose knowing he was in the wrong and said helplessly, "It's all my fault for being so stinky. You know you agreed to everything after drinking. Your uncle Zhang tricked me into a marriage the other day and even signed a marriage certificate. Now I regret it. I really can't lose face. I think the young man is okay. How about you take a look at him first? If he's not okay, I'll give up my face and return it to you, okay?"

"Dad, Yumei is capable and excellent, and she will have no trouble finding a husband. How can you agree to someone else's marriage proposal so easily? If you weren't helping the family, why would you delay Yumei's best age for marriage? The family already owes her enough, why can't you let her choose the person she likes?" The eldest brother, who has always been taciturn, couldn't help but get angry.

Yang's father, always stubborn and overly concerned about his reputation, couldn't bring himself to do it, so he turned to Yang Yu for help. Yang Yu was silent for a moment before saying, "Then let's meet first. If I don't like it, Dad, I'll have to put aside my pride and tell Uncle Zhang." Seeing his daughter back down, Yang's father finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Okay, if you're not satisfied, I'll give up my reputation and withdraw from this marriage."

A few days later, the agreed meeting time arrived. Early in the morning, Yang Yu's parents urged her to dress up, as it was their first meeting and she needed to make a good impression. However, Yang Yu didn't take it seriously at all, thinking she would just get by, so she put on some makeup and left.

In the kitchen, various ingredients were being prepared. It seemed that her parents were taking this meeting very seriously. Yang's mother had made an exception and was busy in the kitchen today. Seeing Yang Yu come in, she said cheerfully, "Yu'er, today you'll be responsible for taking good care of your Uncle Zhang and the others. I'll take care of the kitchen. Even though you're old, I still hope you can find a good family. Their family may be a little poor, but I've seen that young man. He knows how to get by and he's a good-looking guy." Seeing Yang's mother's expectant eyes, Yang Yu could only bow her head and agree.

Soon, Yang Su's voice could be heard from outside, "Dad, Mom, Eldest Sister, Uncle Zhang is here." Yang Yu followed the voice into the courtyard, where she saw a middle-aged couple walking in front, carrying gifts and beaming. Behind them followed a tall young man in a green military uniform. His features were sharp yet gentle, his brows sharp. When he looked at Yang Yu, the corners of his mouth curled slightly, a hint of shyness, and he seemed reserved.

But just one glance, and Yang Yu's heart wavered. Perhaps this was what they call love at first sight! Yang Yu was captivated by the young man's appearance. It wasn't until the young man and the middle-aged couple walked to the dining table and Yang's parents warmly invited them to sit down that Yang Yu came to her senses. When she looked at the young man again, she was shy, no longer the carefree person she usually was at home.

Yang's parents also noticed their daughter's satisfaction and were even more happy to make arrangements. Yang's mother urged the stunned Yang Yu, "Come here, Yu'er, this is your Uncle Zhang, whom I met last time. This is Zhang's mother, go get them." "Uncle Zhang, hello, Auntie," Yang Yu greeted shyly. Then, Yang's mother took Yang Yu's hand and walked over to the young man and said, "This is your Uncle Zhang's second son, Zhang Erfa. He just got back from the army this year. He's a very honest man. You two can get to know him first."

Zhang Erfa was a bit nervous and took the initiative to extend his hand and said, "Hello, I'm Zhang Erfa. Then, in the future... let's get in touch more often?" He also seemed a bit unsure of how to speak. "Hello, Yang Yu," said Yang Yu, who was also a bit stuck and didn't know what to say. Zhang's father and mother saw that they were a bit unfamiliar with each other and quickly said, "Don't worry, don't worry, let's eat first, and then we can get in touch later, right? Come on, come on, Yu'er, come and sit down to eat. Erfa, tell your uncle and aunt Yang to sit down and eat, and chat while eating."

Just like that, everyone sat around and had dinner together. Yang Yu sat opposite Zhang Erfa and kept her head down while eating. However, the corners of her mouth could not be lowered, and it was obvious that she was shy and satisfied.

Zhang Erfa remained silent the entire time, his hands trembling slightly, perhaps from nervousness. Finally, he mustered the courage to toast Yang's father, stammering a promise, "Uncle Yang, don't worry. I will definitely treat Yang Yu well and will never let her down." He truly didn't know what to say. Yang's father watched him stutter and replied with a slightly awkward "Okay." He thought to himself, "What a waste of good looks! He looks honest and decent, and should be someone I can rely on for life." Meanwhile, Yang Yu, already enamored with the young man after falling in love at first sight, was already biased. She couldn't believe how satisfied she was with him.

After dinner, after seeing off Zhang's father and his family, Yang's father called Yang Yu over and specifically asked her what she thought. Yang Yu expressed satisfaction, and Yang's father stopped worrying about it. Even if the marriage was officially decided, they would just wait for the next auspicious date to set the wedding.

The eldest brother, Yang Yi, was somewhat disdainful of the young man and asked Yang Yu's opinion again, urging her to reconsider the matter. However, Yang Yu was already attracted to the young man and expressed her satisfaction. The eldest brother, Yang Yi, shook his head and reluctantly let her go.

Yang Yu was so engrossed in the youth's beautiful impression that she didn't delve into whether he lived up to his appearance. But she had to admit, she had chosen someone she loved, and whether he loved her was unclear. Perhaps, like the youth, he simply wanted to find a wife, not love. From a certain moment, a person's life is destined to be a bumpy and long journey. Those who are unloved are destined to a marriage filled with grievances and despair, because even your passion can't warm a heart that doesn't know what love is. It was only years later that she finally understood these truths.

But Yang Yu couldn't understand why she would settle for a man she didn't love, and why, even after settling for him, she didn't take responsibility. She didn't like him, but she provoked him, and then hurt him. They met as strangers, formed a family, and became close friends, but in the end, they hated each other, fell apart, and became strangers, familiar people, yet deep down, they held a mutual resentment, hurting themselves and others. Ridiculous, inexplicable, people!

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