Chapter 12 I Will Marry You

Rao Zhengsheng put Xue Horan on the wooden bench next to him, and reached out to grab Xue Horan's feet.

Xue Horan said, "Zhen ge, we are going to eat, your hands will be dirty."

Rao Zhengsheng said, "I can wash my hands."

Xue Horan said, "You can take a look after eating."

Rao Zhengsheng, ""Oh, I forgot to introduce her to you." He turned to Yuan Xiurong. "Xiurong, this is my shidi, Xue Horan."

Yuan Xiurong smiled and said, "Xue gongzi, it's nice to meet you."

Rao Zhengsheng said, "Horan, this is Yuan Xiurong, Yuan Zixin's daughter."

Xue Horan said, "The person that help you and shijie…"

Rao Zhengsheng, "Yes…"

Xue Horan asked, "Where is Dong shijie?"

Rao Zhengsheng, "She will be here later tonight."

Xue Horan, "Oh…"

Yongzheng brought some dishes and put them on the table. Rao Zhengsheng picked up so meat and put it in Yuan Xiurong's bowl.

Yuan Xiurong smiled at Rao Zhengsheng, "Thank you, Rao gege."

After eating, Rao Zhengsheng grabbed a wooden basin full of water and walked to where Xue Horan was sitting. He began to take off Xue Horan's shoes and socks. Rao Zhengsheng checked Xue Horan's left ankle, and the swelling had subsided a bit.

Rao Zhengsheng began to wash Xue Horan's feet. He asked, "Horan, why are you here. You should be on Butterfly Island." Just when Xue Horan was about to answer him. He raised his head and saw Xue Horan's sad face. "What happened?"

Xue Horan looked at Rao Zhengsheng and said, "Zhen ge, you have changed."

Rao Zhengsheng, "I changed? How did I change?"

Xue Horan said, "Before, the first piece of food you picked up was for me."

Rao Zhengsheng chuckled lightly, "I didn't expect that the innocent Horan can also get jealous."

Xue Huoran stared at Rao Zhengsheng. No one knows Rao Zhengsheng better than Xue Huoran. At first glance, he knew that Rao Zhengsheng had a good opinion of Yuan Xiurong, otherwise he would never let her call him Rao gege.

Xue Horan then asked, "Do you like her?"

Rao Zhengsheng stopped washing Xue Horan's feet and looked up at him. He stood up and stood in front of Xue Horan. He asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Xue Horan, "Zhen ge, when it comes to you, I know you better than you know yourself."

Rao Zhengsheng, "Like? It depends on what type of like you are referring to?"

Xue Horan, "That kind of like."

Rao Zhengsheng grabbed Xue Horan by the back of his head and pulled him close to his waist. Xue Horan's arms tightly wrapped around Rao Zhengsheng's waist.

Xue Horan said, "Zhen ge, if you change to like another person, can you tell me directly."

Rao Zhengsheng smiled, "Dummy, there is no second person in this world who I will like more than you." He patted Xue Horan on the back of his head. "Do you remember the promise we made?"

Xue Horan, "I will never forget."

Rao Zhengsheng said, "No matter what happens to us in the future, I will marry you." He hugged Xue Horan tightly. "I will keep my promise."

When Rao Zhengsheng was nine years old, he was sent to Northern Island to study literature with Teacher Sun. After school, if he have nothing to do. He will go fishing in the back mountain with his classmates. Northern Island is the biggest island out of the seven Islands. There are many martial artists lived in Northern Island. Rao Zhengsheng knows that his shifu is the most powerful martial artist, but his shifu is not the kind of person who likes to show off his martial arts skills, so not many people know him.

Rao Zhengsheng likes to watch the ferry arrive at Northern Island. He likes to see his classmates running into the arms of their parents, crying and saying how much they miss each other. Since studying here, Xue Longwei has only visited him once, which was four months ago. Rao Zhengsheng watched the last person get off the ferryboat with her child.

Rao Zhengsheng sighed and got up to leave the dock, but was stopped by a small voice.

Xue Horan shouted excitedly in his tiny high pitch voice, "Zhen ge!"

As soon as Rao Zhengsheng turned around, he saw the little four years old waving at him. He rushed to Xue Horan's side and hugged him. He asked, "Where is shifu or shimu?"

Xue Horan said, "They are not coming."

Rao Zhengsheng said, "You came alone."

Xue Horan, "Yes. I paid the boatman and I came to see you. I miss you. Ah Nui is not good to me." He began to cry.

Rao Zhengsheng said, "Don't cry. Let's go see teacher Sun."

Xue Horan smiled and said, "Okay."

Rao Zhengsheng took Xue Horan's hand and went to find Teacher Sun. Teacher Sun told them that Xue Heran must leave the next day. It rained non-stop the next day, and it continues to rain for the next two days. Teacher Sun was not a heartless man and he agree for Xue Horan to stay until the next ferryboat leave Northern Island.

On the third day of class, Rao Zhengsheng took Xue Horan and a few classmates to go fishing in the back mountain.

Boy one, "Zhengsheng, what are you doing with a girl?"

Boy two, "This is only for boys."

Xue Horan stood behind Rao Zhengsheng.

Rao Zhengsheng said, "He is not a girl. He is a boy. He is my shidi."

The eldest of the four boys said, "Are you sure? He looks like a girl. Look at his long eyelashes and fair skin. Only girls have this skin. If you tell me she is a boy, I don't believe it." The big boy pushed Rao Zhengsheng away and grabbed Xue Horan's hand. "You take off your clothes and see if you are a real boy." The big boy reached for Xue Horan's robe.

Rao Zhengsheng sprinted forward and hit the back of the big boy's head, knocking the big boy to the ground. Rao Zhengsheng stood in front of Xue Horan, looking at the other three boys madly.

Rao Zhengsheng said madly, "No one can undress him except me."

Boy one said, "His skin is too smooth and soft like a girl. No one will marry him when he grows up."

Boy three, "Yes, he looks as fragile as a little girl."

The second boy mocked, "I have never seen a boy look so much like a girl."

Xue Horan hugged Rao Zhengsheng's robe tightly before he started crying.

Rao Zhengsheng shouted at the three boys, "I want to marry him." He turned around and wiped the tears from Xue Horan's eyes. "Don't be afraid, I am here. I will marry you when we grow up."

Xue Horan, "Really?"

Rao Zhengsheng, "Really, because I like you very much." He squatted down. "Horan, climb on my back."

Xue Horan climbed onto Rao Zhengsheng's back and began to walk away from the four boys. Xue Horan said, "Zhen ge, are you not catching fish with your friends anymore?"

Rao Zhengsheng said, "Horan, I hate such people. I never want to be friends with them. I just need Horan to be my only friend."

Xue Horan smiled and wrapped his arms around Rao Zhengsheng's neck, "Zhen ge, I will marry you when I am older."

Rao Zhengsheng, "Well, that means you can only love me."

Xue Horan smiled and said, "Okay."

Rao Zhengsheng pulled Xue Horan away, "Horan, there may be many people who have come into my life. People I know, those people are very important to me, but I want you to know that you are my most important person." Rao Zhengsheng wiped Xue Horan's feet, raised Xue Horan's left foot, and lowered his head to kiss Xue Horan's left foot. "A kiss, to help it heal faster." He raised his head and smiled at Xue Horan.

Xue Horan said, "Zhen ge, I am not a kid anymore."

Rao Zhengsheng smiled and said, "It has always work."

Standing at the front door, Yuan Xiurong watched Rao Zhengsheng take special care of Xue Horan. She never knew that there would be someone so special to Rao Zhengsheng. They have known each other for many years. Rao Zhengsheng has never spoken to her like he did to Xue Horan today. She watched Rao Zhengsheng pick up Xue Horan and walked towards her. She sighed deeply and smiled at Rao Zhengsheng and Xue Horan.

Rao Zhengsheng walked into the fabric mill. He asked, "Where did you sleep?"

Xue Horan, "Up there?"

Rao Zhengsheng, "That loft is too high for you. Is there a bed down here?"

Yongzheng walked out from the other side of the building, "There is a bed here, I have already made it."

That night, Yuan Xiurong couldn't sleep, she went outside and sat at the kitchen table.

Rao Zhengsheng sat beside Yuan Xiurong and asked, "What's the matter?"

Yuan Xiurong, "Rao gege, I really envy your shidi."

Rao Zhengsheng, "Why?"

Yuan Xiurong, "As soon as he appears, you concentrate on him. You smile freely. You are yourself. He must be a very special person to you, for you to act freely in front of him." She turned to Rao Zhengsheng. "Rao gege, if you have been close to me for so many years just to get my father to help you get revenge, then you don't have to pretend. You just have to tell me the truth."

Rao Zhengsheng pulled Yuan Xiurong into his arms, "Xiurong, my feelings for you is not a lie, I really like you."

Yuan Xiurong, "But, you like him too. I know he came first, but..."

Rao Zhengsheng, "Xiurong, even if I marry him in the future, you will also be the real daughter-in-law of the Rao family, because you have the responsibility of being my children's mother." He kissed Yuan Xiurong's forehead. "Go to sleep, it's cold out here."

Xue Horan looked at Rao Zhengsheng and Yuan Xiurong from the window. He slowly limped back to the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed and began to cry. When Xue Horan heard Rao Zhengsheng and Yuan Xiurong walked in, he quickly wiped away his tears, and pretended to be asleep.

Rao Zhengsheng walked to the bed and pulled the quilt over Xue Horan. He lowered his head, leaned to Xue Horan's left ear, and whispered softly, "May your dream be filled with happiness." He kissed Xue Horan's left temple.

Yuan Xiurong asked, "How is he?"

Rao Zhengsheng said, "He has fallen asleep."

Immediately afterwards, the door of the fabric mill was forced open and Dong Lanying fell to the ground, vomiting blood.

Cao Yanmei stood at the front door with the five-colored mice. Cao Yanmei sneered, "You bitch, how dare you try to sneak inside one of our sector branch." She looked at Rao Zhengsheng. "Kill them."