Shameless Moral Coercion

On this day, Qiao An was gathering medicinal herbs when Xie Cunhua suddenly came to her. She blushed and expressed her gratitude to Qiao An. “Qiao An, my brother has recovered. My brother said that he’s very grateful for your suggestion of using traditional Chinese medicine to reduce his fever. You’re a blessing to my brother, and even to all patients. My brother asked me to thank you personally.”

Qiao An stood up and Xie Cunhua saw that Qiao An’s face was covered in mud, but Qiao An had collected a lot of herbs. Xie Cunhua secretly deliberated. Although Qiao An was from a big city, she was actually not pretentious at all. Xing Xiaoya’s hostility towards her was completely a prejudice.

Qiao An grinned. “That’s great. Xie Cunhua, since Chinese medicine is so useful, let’s collect more.”

Xie Cunhua nodded. “Yes.”

Xie Cunhua squatted down beside her and chatted with her.

“Miss Qiao An, they all say that you’re the daughter of a rich family. Why did you come to such a remote place to volunteer? This is very hard work.”

Qiao An was silent for a moment. “There are thousands of pains in this world. There’s physical pain, the pain of separation, the pain of life and death… I’ve endured all those hardships. To me, coming here to gather herbs and do farm work isn’t bitter at all. Instead, I feel very happy.”

As Qiao An glanced at Xing Chen not far away, there was a peaceful smile in her eyes.

In order not to agitate Xing Xiaoya and let Xing Chen and Xing Xiaoya peacefully resolve their messy relationship, Qiao An and Xing Chen decided to retreat for the time being and not show off their love in front of outsiders to avoid agitating Xing Xiaoya.

But how could the two of them hide their feelings?

Xing Chen looked up and saw Qiao An watching him. As their eyes met, they were filled with love.

Xie Cunhua looked at Qiao An, then at Xing Chen in a daze. She teased Qiao An, “Qiao An, it’s because you’re in love that you don’t think these days are boring, right?”

Qiao An admitted openly, “Yes, I love Xing Chen.”

The girls in the mountains were simple. It was very embarrassing for them to interfere in other people’s relationships.

Xie Cunhua reminded Qiao An very tactfully, “Can you not like Xingchen? As everyone knows, Xingchen belongs to Xing Xiaoya.”

Qiao An looked at her in confusion. “Why do you have such a strange understanding?”

Xie Chunhua said, “Father Xing saved Xing Chen. When he was seriously ill for a few years, he said that he saved Xing Chen to be Xiaoya’s son-in-law.”

Qiao An said angrily, “This is moral kidnapping. Do you know that?”

“Father Xing has no right to decide Xing Chen’s life. He only saved him. He didn’t buy him.”

Xie Chunhua said, “Father Xing spent a lot of money to save Xingchen. I heard that he even went bankrupt.”

Qiao An’s eyes widened. “There’s a limit to how much it costs. Xing Chen only needs to pay him back double this money to repay him for saving his life.”

Xie Cunhua said angrily, “Qiao An, you’re too cold and heartless.”

She left angrily with the wicker basket.

Qiao An suddenly grabbed her hand. She knew that the people in the village were simple-minded. They believed that Xiaoran owed the Xing family and should rightfully be their son-in-law.

Qiao An decided to liberate Xie Cunhua.

“Xie Cunhua, in your opinion, does Xing Chen have to marry Xing Xiaoya in this life? Even if he clearly doesn’t love Xing Xiaoya?”

Xie Chunhua thought that Qiao An was worth teaching. She stayed for a moment longer and tried to guide Qiao An.

“Xing Chen’s life was saved by the Xing family, so it’s only right for him to repay the Xing family. And the best way to repay him is to marry Xiao Ya. He has to guarantee that she won’t have to worry about food and clothing in her next life.”

Qiao An smiled. “Then have you thought about it? Xing Chen still has to take care of his parents who gave birth to him and raised him. Have you thought about how his mother might have risked her life when she gave birth to him and how she might have put in all her effort to raise him? He hasn’t returned the favor to his parents, and you want him to abandon his parents to repay Father Xing for saving his life? Xie Chunhua, please think from another perspective. If it’s a son you raised, you must want him to be happy. You’re definitely not going to want him to repay a family that’s not related to him by blood, right?”

Xie Cunhua was stunned.

After a long time, she squeezed out, “Xing Chen doesn’t have parents.”

Qiao An said, “Was he conceived from a rock? Have you thought about it? Youre keeping him by appealing to his morals and ethics. His closest relatives, including his parents, even his wife and children, are waiting bitterly for him to return. Aren’t they too pitiful living in torment every day?”

Xie Cunhua was tongue-tied.

Qiao An said, “Xie Cunhua, you have a good relationship with Xing Xiaoya. If you speak up for her, this friendship should be touching. However, this friendship stopped Xing Chen from returning to his native family and might have hurt Xing Chen’s native family. Then do you still think this friendship is worth protecting like this?”

Xie Cunhua was tongue-tied again.

Finally, she said angrily, “Qiao An, this has nothing to do with you liking Xing Chen, right?”

Qiao An looked at Xie Cunhua and said after a long time, “Aren’t you curious why I clung to him the moment I saw him? You all said that we hit it off at first sight. Why didn’t you ever think that we have known each other for a long time?”

Xie Cunhua was dumbfounded. “You knew each other before?”

Qiao An said, “More than that. No one in the world knows him better than me.”

Xie Cunhua’s mouth widened in shock.

“Why should I believe you?”

Qiao An said, “Xing Chen fell into the sea and disappeared to protect thousands of families while fighting the bandits. His injuries are his medals. He’s a hero and shouldn’t be kept here by you ignorant people. So after the plague here is over, I have to take Xing Chen away no matter what. If you want to see him in the future, watch him on television.”

Xie Cunhua swallowed.

“Xing Chen is a hero?”

Qiao An sneered. “His identity is extraordinary, to begin with. I really don’t know if you’re all blind or chose to be so. Even though he has amnesia, he still knows medicine and martial arts. This is because he’s a top talent in both industries. Such a person has to be nurtured by some family. If you use your brains a little, you should be able to guess. What makes you think your stupid thoughts can change me or him?”

“Xie Chunhua, stop doing useless things. You don’t have to persuade me in the future.”

With that, Qiao An carried the full wicker basket to Xing Chen.

“Xing Chen, mine is full.”

Seeing that she was struggling to carry it, Xing Chen moved all his herbs into Qiao An’s basket. Then he handed her the empty basket.

“Let’s go home,” Xing Chen said.