"She left early. Wasnât her purpose in getting married just to escape the control of the two elders from the Carter Family? Her life in the countryside was practically like that of a prisoner doing hard labor, so she came up with the marriage plan. I heard from Oscar Wilson that her husband picked her up yesterday and brought her back to the Carter Family while she waits to be married."
Peter Gingery shrugged and continued peeling away at the story, "Oscar Wilson said he heard from his mom that Jillian Carterâs husband early on joined the guard team and was assigned to serve Old Sir Carter as a service soldier for a few years. Later, Old Sir Carter helped him transfer to the guardian teamâs high school, where he studied for several years. After graduation, he returned to the guard team again."
"This man is ambitious and skilled at networking. During those years at university, he deliberately associated with people who could be useful to him. After years of calculated networking, his starting position upon returning to the guard team was much higher than others. Also, one could say he was groomed by Old Sir Carter himself," Peter smacked his lips, "So, when it comes to the marriage between Jillian Carter and him, itâs far from simple."
"Yes, far from simple. Each party has their own agenda. In this world, there are few people who could truly be considered straightforward," Peter agreed with a nod. "For the Carter Family, having someone they painstakingly nurtured marry their daughter is ideal."
The Carter Family devoted so much energy into cultivating this man, though they wouldnât need to sell their daughterâs marriage to maintain the familyâs prosperity. So initially, no one in the Carter Family ever brought up this possibility.
But now, Jillian Carter herself has chosen to marry him, and naturally, no one in the Carter Family would oppose it. In fact, one could even say theyâre pleased to see it happen.
Peter Gingery and Oscar Wilson speculated about this together. For the Carter Family, the two strict elders agreeing so readily and letting Jillian Carter go must also be because she chose to marry a man whom Old Sir Carter secretly admired.
The people of the Carter Family are even willing for Jillian Carter and her husband to spend more time together to develop mutual affection.
At this point in the conversation, Peter Gingery couldnât help but shake his head. Hearing about this situation, he was unsure whether to label Jillian Carter as willful or her husband as calculating.
To Peter Gingery, a man with ambition isnât necessarily a bad thing, but the problem lies in the ruthless methods he might use to climb upward. The real issue is that he would exploit marriage and marry a woman without any emotional connection simply to make her his wife.
Because men like that often lack boundariesâtoday, he might marry Jillian Carter to secure his position, but tomorrow, he might marry someone elseâs daughter to climb higher to a position the Carter Family couldnât help him obtain. To someone like him, a wife isnât about emotional needs but about interestsâa wife is akin to a company position, someone who can be replaced at any time.
Peter Gingery didnât share this opinion with Jane Sampson. The two shifted the topic elsewhere as they chatted away, walking to the doorway. James Black stood firmly in the doorway, waiting for the two to descend the stairs from over 100 meters away at a slow pace. He waited until Jane Sampson noticed him, and she even winked at him, to which he responded with the barest hint of a smile before opening the door and stepping inside first.
When Peter Gingery reached the doorway, he didnât enter. Instead, he turned back and headed to his dormitory. Jane Sampson turned to bid him farewell, while James Black had already placed her slippers in front of her.
Jane Sampson turned her head and found James Black standing up. He glanced at her briefly before walking inside, asking, "Should we cook some noodles tonight? Or take you to the barracks canteen?"