Chapter 1426
Homecoming
Chapter 1426 Homecoming
"Xuemei, after all these years, I've finally found you!" Qin Qiufeng said, holding back tears as he looked at his daughter.
Although Qin Xuemei was very excited to see her father, the thorn in her heart ultimately prevented her from overcoming that hurdle.
Jin Peiyun stood to the side, wanting to say something, but upon seeing Qin Xuemei, she felt somewhat awkward and didn't know what to say.
Qin Qiufeng wiped away his tears before continuing:
“I heard from Xiao Jin that you came to see me before and that you had some misunderstanding with her. Today, let’s put everything out in the open and not fight like family!”
Upon hearing this, Qin Xuemei seemed to sense that there was more to the story, so she quietly continued to listen to her father's explanation.
Memories lingered in Qin Qiufeng's mind. After a brief recollection of the past, he said with some emotion:
"Back then, because the situation wasn't right, your mother and I agreed that I would come and take you out of the city early the next morning!"
"But because of a traitor's betrayal, the enemy launched a city-wide manhunt that night. I didn't have time to inform you before I retreated to the mountains with the organization!"
"We lost contact after that. Even after liberation, with the help of the local government, we found your mother's gravestone, but we still couldn't find you!"
"Xuemei, I have never given up looking for you. The last time you came to our house, Jin Peiyun told me that you might have misunderstood something she said!"
"At the time, she said, 'You've been by my side for twenty years, don't you understand what I mean?'" Qin Qiufeng said, looking at Qin Xuemei.
"So you think I betrayed your mother, and even abandoned you and your mother, right?"
Qin Xuemei wiped away her tears, tacitly acknowledging that it was because of those words. At this moment, Qin Qiufeng continued:
“She’s right. We’ve been partners for decades, but we were lesbians before, there was no romantic relationship between us!”
"Let's talk about your Aunt Jin!" At this point, Qin Qiufeng looked at Jin Peiyun and said:
"She joined the revolution at a young age and grew up in the army. We were partners for decades, and she had a very good relationship with your mother!"
"After it was confirmed that your mother had passed away, many of your comrades brought us together, and we got married!"
"When we got married, she told me that she would definitely come with me to find you, and she really did!"
After listening to her father's story, Qin Xuemei burst into tears, unable to stop missing her father!
"Dad!" Qin Xuemei suddenly threw herself into Qin Qiufeng's arms and cried out loudly.
Finally, the family had a meal together, and Qin Xuemei also chatted with her father about the various things she had experienced in Bashang over the years.
Of course, she also told her father and Jin Peiyun about her upcoming marriage to her boyfriend, Lin Hao.
Out of concern, Jin Peiyun wanted to investigate Lin Hao's background, but Qin Qiufeng stopped her.
After all, the fact that a comrade was willing to spend five years in Bashang, wholeheartedly cultivating saplings and trying to restore the ecology of Bashang, and who did not care about being selected as a model worker, already speaks volumes about his character.
What Qin Qiufeng didn't know was that Qin Xuemei hadn't revealed Lin Hao's shady dealings, otherwise the old father would have been furious.
A meeting resolved the misunderstanding between the father, daughter, and stepmother, allowing Qin Xuemei to let go of her burdens and happily begin her national lecture tour.
When Qin Xuemei returned to Bashang, it was already August. The nursery expansion was completed, the summer afforestation was over, and the autumn afforestation would begin in early October.
It's currently August, a month with abundant rainfall, so even watering and maintenance don't need to be as frequent, making it a relatively easy month.
After more than three months of recuperation, Zhao Tianshan has fully recovered and officially become a couple with Zhang Manling, preparing to get married at the end of the year.
After dating Sun Huifen for several months, Feng Cheng was also moved by her innocence and planned to get married after the autumn afforestation was completed, which was in November.
As for Lin Hao, after Qin Xuemei returned, he naturally prepared to get married.
Qin Xuemei stated that she had already discussed the marriage with her father and knew that his name was Lin Hao.
Therefore, she wanted Lin Hao to register their marriage under his real name so that she could have an explanation to her father.
Originally, Lin Hao planned to use aliases to marry all the women in order to be fair, but it would be bad to neglect one or the other, so he tried his best to take everyone's feelings into account.
However, Qin Xuemei's suggestion that he use his real name was a bit of a dilemma. It wasn't that Lin Hao was in a difficult position, but he was mainly worried that the other four women would feel uncomfortable, as harmony in the harem was still very important.
Lin Hao originally planned to marry Meng Yue first, and then marry Qin Xuemei last. After all, he had come to the multiverse, so what was the point if he didn't get the female lead? The most important person would definitely appear last.
Qin Xuemei wanted Lin Hao to marry her using his real name, and her reason was one that Lin Hao couldn't find fault with.
But this also means that Qin Xuemei has effectively become Lin Hao's official wife, which is somewhat detrimental to unity.
To be honest, in this drama, Lin Hao has a slight preference for Meng Yue. If Lin Hao were an ordinary person, she would definitely be the first one he pursues.
When asked why he liked her more, or what he liked about her, Lin Hao couldn't really explain it; it was just a feeling.
Lin Hao was actually indifferent to Qin Xuemei's request, but he planned to make it up to Mengyue in the future.
Lin Hao then took Qin Xuemei to find Yu Zheng to get a certificate.
Since Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei are both formal cadres, the necessary documentation would need to be issued by someone of Yu Zheng's rank.
Yu Zheng looked at Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei, as if he had just expected it, and laughed heartily:
"I knew it! Expert Lin and Comrade Xuemei are a perfect match!"
"But you guys are really good at keeping this a secret. You only contacted me when you were almost getting married. If it weren't for needing a marriage certificate, how long were you planning to keep it a secret?"
Qin Xuemei blushed deeply after Yu Zheng's words, but Lin Hao remained unconcerned and said:
"Director Yu, you've misunderstood me. I've never hidden my relationship with Xuemei from anyone!"
"We don't plan on having a big celebration, but we will be hosting a banquet tonight, and you'll have to come!"
Yu Zhenglai laughed and said, "Alright, alright, then you two hurry up and register. I'll definitely come over tonight to drink a glass of wedding wine with you!"
Afterwards, Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei went to Deputy Factory Director Li Zhong and Qu He's place respectively to invite them to the wedding banquet that evening!
The two of them naturally did not refuse. Lin Hao's invitation to his wedding was an intention to get closer to them. Although Lin Hao's invitation was only a courtesy, it did not shatter their illusions.
Afterwards, Lin Hao took Qin Xuemei to Weichang County. Following the same procedure as before, Lin Hao skillfully completed the marriage registration with Qin Xuemei.
Afterwards, the two of them, carrying wedding candies and supplies for the evening banquet, went to the Agricultural Bureau to distribute the candies.
Then I went up to the dam to deliver wedding candy to my colleagues at the forest farm. After tidying up a bit, I took the meat and headed straight to the canteen.
Old Wei was already busy preparing the food, with steam rising from the stove and the long-lost aroma of meat wafting out.
As dusk fell in the afternoon, everyone finished their work and gradually gathered together.
Yu Zheng was the first to arrive, and as soon as he entered, he said with a smile, "Oh, where are our bride and groom?"
Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei, their faces flushed, immediately came out to greet him: "Director Yu, please have a seat!"
Yu Zhenglai laughed heartily and sat down, followed by Li Zhong and Qu He.
This time, Lin Hao only invited three leaders and a few close colleagues, including Zhao Tianshan, Feng Cheng, Na Da Kui, Sui Zhichao, and Lao Wei, who were old friends of the advance team.
Then, six tables were pushed together in the cafeteria, and more than a dozen people squeezed in.
The dishes were served, the wine was poured, Yu Zhenglai stood up with his bowl, cleared his throat, and the room quieted down.
"Today is a good day!" Yu Zhenglai said with deep emotion as he looked at Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei.
"Our forestry section chief and our key technical colleague, Comrade Xuemei, have happily married. As their leader, I am overjoyed!"
He looked at Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei, his eyes filled with satisfaction: "Section Chief Lin has been working in Bashang for five years and single-handedly changed the problem of not being able to plant trees in Bashang!"
"Comrade Xuemei was equally impressive, and she also put forward many improvement measures, especially in seedling cultivation and mechanized afforestation, and made great contributions!"
"You two are both excellent. One of you led everyone to successfully plant the trees, and the other put a lot of effort into seedling cultivation."
"And everyone here is also doing a great job. You have all contributed a lot to making Saihanba what it is today."
"From now on, let's help each other at work and take care of each other in life. Let's plant the trees well and live a good life..."
At the end, Yu Zhenglai raised his bowl and sincerely blessed the newlyweds, saying, "Come, I toast you both, wishing you a long and happy life together and many children!"
"Good!" Da Kui led the applause, and everyone raised their bowls.
Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei picked up their bowls together, clinked them with Yu Zheng's, and each took a sip.
Yu Zheng sat down, and Li Zhong stood up again, holding his bowl. He didn't say much, but he was sincere.
"I won't say anything unnecessary, lest the wedding banquet turn into a meeting!"
"Hahaha~!" Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
After everyone quieted down, Li Zhong continued:
"Section Chief Lin, Comrade Xuemei, I, Lao Li, am not good at sweet talk, so I'll just say this: I wish you a long and happy life together, walking side by side on the path of afforestation, and weathering the storms of life hand in hand."
He tilted his head back and drank it all, and Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei followed suit.
Qu and the third person stood up, a rare smile appearing on their faces, and said:
"Expert Lin, Comrade Xuemei, you are both good comrades. Xuemei is down-to-earth and hardworking, and Expert Lin is capable. Your marriage is a happy event for our forest farm. I respect you both!"
Lin Hao clinked bowls with him: "Thank you, Section Chief Qu."
After the three leaders finished their toasts, the atmosphere became lively. Zhao Tianshan walked over with his bowl and patted Lin Hao on the shoulder:
"Lin Hao, you're something else! You've married the prettiest girl in our forest farm. Come on, let's have a drink!"
Lin Hao smiled and clinked bowls with him: "Captain Zhao, thank you for your care."
Feng Cheng also came over, holding a bowl. His expression was somewhat complicated, but he still spoke sincerely:
"Lin Hao, Xue Mei, congratulations! Xue Mei is a wonderful girl. May you grow old together in love and be forever united!"
"Go for it!" Lin Hao nodded. "Don't worry, everyone, I'll definitely take good care of Xue Mei!"
Da Kui also joined in, and the group surrounded Lin Hao, offering him bowls of wine one after another. Lin Hao accepted all the drinks, his face turning slightly red.
Qin Xuemei, watching from the side, tugged at his sleeve with concern: "Drink less!"
"It's nothing!" Lin Hao said with a smile, patting her hand. "I'm happy today!"
Ji Xiurong sat opposite, watching this scene, feeling a pang of sadness. She picked up her bowl and took a sip, but her eyes kept glancing towards Lin Hao.
"Xiurong, stop drinking and eat some food!" Shen Mengyin whispered from the side.
Ji Xiurong hummed in response, picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, but couldn't taste anything.
Meng Yue sat quietly in the corner, a smile on her face, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
As she watched Qin Xuemei link arms with Lin Hao, receiving everyone's blessings, she felt a lump in her throat.
It wasn't that they envied Qin Xuemei for marrying Lin Hao, but rather that Lin Hao used his real name to marry Qin Xuemei. Although they all agreed, they still felt a little uncomfortable.
Tang Qi remained calm, slowly drinking from her bowl, occasionally glancing at Lin Hao and then at Qin Xuemei, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Anyway, she was the first one to marry Lin Hao, so her name and such don't matter.
This is where Lin Hao's cunning lies. Although Lin Hao married Qin Xuemei using his real name, they did not consider themselves concubines, since they had also registered their marriage with Lin Hao.
Although they weren't named Lin Hao, they were still legally married. Even though the names were different, as long as it was Lin Hao, he was no less than Qin Xuemei, so no trouble was caused.
Sui Zhichao, his face flushed from drinking, suddenly stood up and started clapping his bamboo clappers:
"The bamboo clappers clanged, their sound echoing to the heavens."
Today's events must be fully sung!
Expert Lin is very capable.
Marry Xuemei!
Comrade Xuemei has good taste.
I finally found the one after looking around!
How will we live from now on?
—Planting trees and having children at the same time!
Everyone burst into laughter. Qin Xuemei's face turned bright red, and she buried her head in Lin Hao's shoulder. Lin Hao smiled and waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, stop joking around."
It was almost time, and the excitement gradually subsided. Yu Zheng and Qu and the other leaders had already left, giving a few more instructions before they departed.
Zhao Tianshan and Feng Cheng also left, and Sui Zhichao and Na Da Kui helped Lao Wei clean up the dishes.
Ji Xiurong stood up, supporting herself on the table, and helped Shen Mengyin, whose legs were a little weak. Tang Qi also quickly helped her up, and then they left together.
Meng Yue packed her things, walked up to Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei, and said softly:
"Brother Lin, Sister Xuemei, congratulations!"
Lin Hao looked at her, his eyes conveying a message, but Meng Yue shook her head, preventing him from saying it, and turned to leave.
Tang Qi was waiting for her at the door. When she saw her come out, she took her arm and said, "Let's go back together!"
Meng Yue nodded, and the two figures disappeared into the night.
Afterwards, Lin Hao and Qin Xuemei returned to their dormitory and finally quieted down. Qin Xuemei leaned on Lin Hao's shoulder and whispered:
"I'm so happy to marry you today. I feel like I have the whole world!"
Lin Hao put his arm around her and said, "Me too!"
"Brother Lin!" Qin Xuemei looked up at Lin Hao and said seriously, "They seem a little unhappy today."
Lin Hao nodded, and Qin Xuemei remained silent for a while before finally saying softly:
"I know they're upset. Xiu Rong drank so much, Meng Yin kept her head down, and Meng Yue barely looked at me!"
She paused, then buried her face in Lin Hao's chest: "I feel a little sorry for them!"
Qin Xuemei raised her head and looked into his eyes: "Brother Lin, will you always be good to me?"
Lin Hao gently patted her back and then said, "Of course, I treat all of you the same."