Chapter 18: Threaten her, has she agreed to date you?

"The teacher might be explaining things to the students, so he'll be slow." Jiang Moli said, "Wait..."

"Do I have to come to pick her up before I can come here?" Sheng Jiahao said.

These days, Jiang Moli's figure has become clearer in Sheng Jiahao's mind, and Sheng Jiahao can't ignore Jiang Moli's existence. Sheng Jiahao didn't think he had to forget Jiang Moli, nor did he think that Jiang Moli had to chase him. If a grown man likes a woman, he has to say it himself.

"Yes, of course." Jiang Moli nodded.

"Are you free?" Sheng Jiahao asked.

"Ah?" Jiang Moli tilted her head, deeply confused.

"Are you dating?" Sheng Jiahao asked. He'd heard from Teacher Lu that Jiang Moli didn't have a partner. But Teacher Lu was still a teacher, so what if the student didn't want to tell her? Sheng Jiahao still had to ask Jiang Moli, personally.

"No." Jiang Moli shook her head.

"Can I?" Sheng Jiahao said, "I am like this."

"You?" Jiang Moli didn't expect Sheng Jiahao to say such a thing.

"Yes." Sheng Jiahao said, "I..."

"Wait." Jiang Moli stopped Sheng Jiahao from continuing. "There are a lot of classmates here that I know. Do you...does Teacher Lu know?"

Jiang Moli's school wasn't particularly far from her home, making it very convenient to take the bus. If Jiang Moli went home late at night, her father would come to pick her up. Jiang Moli usually took the last bus home instead of staying at school.

"Free love." Sheng Jiahao said, "But I told her, she knows I'm attracted to you."

"I don't plan to get married and have children early. The most important thing right now is my career." Jiang Moli said truthfully. Many men who have a partner want to get married and have children early, but Jiang Moli can't do that.

Sheng Jiahao's family background was relatively good, and he was Teacher Lu's biological son. Jiang Moli thought Sheng Jiahao was very good, but that didn't mean he was useful to her. She wasn't someone who would give up her career for love.

"You can date first, and then get married when you want to, and have children when you want to." Sheng Jiahao said, "I have brothers, and they have children. There's no rush for when I'll get married or have children. When I told my mom, she also said that you'll most likely focus on your career first."

Teacher Lu knew Jiang Moli quite well, and she didn't want such a talented person to be unable to pursue further careers just because she got married and had children. After all, their industry is youth-centric. It's not that they can't perform opera when they get older; they can still do so. It's just that with age, opportunities must be ceded to younger people, and older people must gradually step back. Someone who originally played a major role might end up playing a minor role.

There's a huge difference between having children and not having them. Some people lose their figure after having children, unable to maintain their shape. Others lose their energy and vitality after having children, and can never return to their former self.

"What do you think?" Sheng Jiahao asked.

"I need to think about it." Jiang Moli said, "The bus is coming soon, I have to go back."

"Let me take you home." Sheng Jiahao said.

"No, no thanks." Jiang Moli waved her hand. "This bus stops near my house. It's very fast."

The people in the compound were particularly gossipy. If they saw Jiang Moli going back with another young man, they would definitely say that she was in love and would even exaggerate other things. Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao were not together yet, so it was always right to pay more attention.

Jiang Moli didn't want to be surrounded by rumors before the two of them were together. She didn't want to deal with those rumors, which could be solved by taking the bus. Jiang Moli was a very rational person. She got on the bus and looked at Sheng Jiahao who was standing outside the bus.

Sheng Jiahao waved to Jiang Moli, he did not feel very disappointed. Sheng Jiahao had a little understanding of Jiang Moli, Jiang Moli was responsible for the relationship, that's why she didn't let him send her back. Jiang Moli treated him like this, she must be more distant with other men, not very close.

When Jiang Moli returned home, her mother had already prepared the meal.

"Stir-fried pork." Jiang Moli's mouth was watering when she saw the stir-fried pork with chili peppers. She reached out to take a small piece of meat, but her mother patted her hand gently.

"Go wash your hands. After washing your hands, you can eat." Jiang's mother took the bowl and chopsticks and went to serve the rice first.

"Mom, can we still eat meat tomorrow?" Jiang Moli came back after washing her hands.

"Don't you want to eat meat every day?" Jiang's mother asked.

"If the child wants to eat, just let her eat." Jiang's father said. He only has this one daughter now. If he doesn't let her eat, who else can he let? "You clean up Yuqin... you clean up that empty room and change the lock. Isn't Guodong coming back? You said you would let him stay at home for a while."

Zhao Guodong is Jiang Moli's biological brother after all, and Jiang's father hopes that Zhao Guodong can help Jiang Moli more in the future. However, Zhao Guodong can only live in the Jiang family for a while and not permanently.

Jiang Yuqin got some money from Uncle Jin Er and bought a piece of meat. She had wanted to take the Jiang family's pork knuckle yesterday so Ding Chao could have a bite of meat. Ding Chao worked so hard and had lost weight. Jiang Yuqin wanted to give Ding Chao some nourishment, so she didn't eat first, waiting for him to come back and eat together.

"Has the relationship been terminated?" Ding Chao asked as he sat down to eat.

"It's lifted." Jiang Yuqin said, "It has to be lifted."

Jiang Yuqin felt that her biological mother was abnormal. She actually gave the money so quickly. It was too abnormal. Even if her biological father was Uncle Jin, her mother and her people could have been more shameless and refused to give it.

Something must be going on with her mother. Those people were afraid that the Jiang family would cause a commotion, not just because of Second Aunt Jin, but there must be something else going on. Jiang Yuqin was thinking, and suddenly she thought of the marriage of her sister, her mother's daughter. That sister seemed to be looking for a marriage recently, so those people must have found a good match for her sister.

"Those Jiang family members are so cold-hearted. I've lived there for so many years, and I'm already this old, but they still insist on asking me to go to the police station and sever ties with them." Jiang Yuqin said, "It's not me who has done anything wrong to them. It's my mother... I'm innocent."

"..." When Ding Chao heard this, he really couldn't say that Jiang Yuqin was innocent. Jiang Yuqin had taken advantage of the Jiang family for a lot, but now she was claiming innocence, how could it be useful?

If the Jiang family treated Jiang Yuqin badly and Jiang's father also ignored her, then Jiang Yuqin's words would make some sense. The key point is that Jiang Yuqin had caused a lot of trouble in the Jiang family. When something like this happened, others would only say that the Jiang family treated Jiang Yuqin too well.

As a man, if Ding Chao encountered such a situation, he would definitely hate his ex-wife very much and would not like his ex-wife's child. It would be fine if his ex-wife gave birth to his own child, but it was not.

Ding Chao had originally thought that Jiang Yuqin would be competitive and aggressive, and he did think that Jiang Yuqin could snatch something from the Jiang family. However, Jiang Yuqin had no way of snatching anything from the Jiang family. The Jin family was not easy to deal with, and they only wanted to gain benefits from others.

"I'm going to be laughed at by people outside," Jiang Yuqin said. "Today, my mom and my grandma both told me not to go to my second aunt's house and to go there less often. Do they think I want to go? I had no idea things would turn out like this. If I could choose my own dad, I would definitely not choose him."

"Let's eat." Ding Chao didn't want to talk about Jiang Yuqin's life experience. Everything was fine before, but suddenly it became like this.

"Will you...will you dislike me?" Jiang Yuqin looked at Ding Chao cautiously, fearing that Ding Chao would dislike her.

"It doesn't matter what kind of background you have. We can earn money to support our family, so there will be no problem." Ding Chao could only say this. He still had to let Jiang Yuqin take care of the children, so how could he possibly say anything wrong about Jiang Yuqin?

In less than a day, all the neighbors knew that Jiang Yuqin was not Jiang's father's child.

At night, Jiang Moli lay on the bed, the figure of Sheng Jiahao appeared in her mind, and she thought of what Sheng Jiahao said.

Whether you are in love or not is secondary.

Jiang Moli didn't want to delay her career for love, but if Sheng Jiahao could accept those requirements, then it wouldn't be impossible. Jiang Moli covered her head with the quilt and decided not to think about it.

Maybe it's because a lot of things have happened recently, or maybe it's because there are too few entertainment facilities in this world, so Jiang Moli wants to fall in love.

Many people confessed their love to Jiang Moli. Some people in school liked Jiang Moli, but Jiang Moli did not agree.

Many men hope that women will take care of the family after marriage, and the most important thing for women is to get pregnant and have children, and women should not stay on the stage all the time. Jiang Moli said her own requirements, and some people said that Jiang Moli was overthinking, saying that women can't do anything special in their careers, and that women should be the good wives behind men and let men do the work.

When Jiang Moli heard those words, she said: Are you afraid that you can't compete with me, so you want me to be a housewife?

When those men heard what Jiang Moli said, they continued to argue. They felt that they were just temporarily inferior to Jiang Moli, and they would be better than Jiang Moli in the future.

Jiang Moli was too lazy to talk nonsense to those people. It was useless to say anything. Some people only believed what they thought.

"Don't think too much." Jiang Moli muttered softly, "Don't offend anyone."

Jiang Moli turned on the light, went to the bathroom, and then lay down again, hoping to fall asleep early this time.

Early in the morning, Aunt Zhao saw Jiang's mother and asked, "Is your stepdaughter... Jiang Yuqin really not your husband's biological child?"

"No, his ex-wife had the baby with someone else without his knowledge," Jiang's mother said. "We only found out about it recently."

"I told you before, your stepdaughter doesn't look like your husband," Aunt Zhao said. "She doesn't look like your biological daughter."

"Alas, rumors are just rumors. As a stepmother, I can't spread them," Jiang's mother said. "If I say a few more words, others will think I'm too harsh on my stepdaughter. I can only give in to her a little more. In the past, when I bought Jasmine a new dress, I also bought hers. But she insisted that Jasmine's dress was better and would say that Jasmine was wearing hers. I had no choice but to let Jasmine give in."

"I'm not saying you're not good enough to your own daughter as a mother. How can you expect your own daughter to give in to her?" Aunt Zhao said, "You're all regretting it now, right?"

"That was the only thing we could do under the circumstances." Jiang's mother sighed. "The child's father ordered some milk for Jasmine to drink."

Aunt Zhao lived in this compound and knew about the quarrel between Jiang Moli and Jiang Yuqin over milk. Jiang Yuqin was particularly good at snatching milk, so the people from the Jin family always let Jiang Yuqin do it, so Jiang Moli inevitably suffered some losses.

"Your husband...he used to worry you weren't treating his eldest daughter well. Now, only your daughter, Jasmine, is his biological child," Aunt Zhao said. "Your daughter has really suffered for nothing over the years. And your son, if it weren't for Jiang Yuqin, he wouldn't have had to go to the countryside. That money is enough to buy him a job."

Some people in the compound had originally thought that Jiang's mother was two-faced, and that she hadn't been kind enough to Jiang Yuqin. But now, they no longer felt that way. They all felt that Jiang's mother hadn't been cruel enough, and that Jiang's father was foolish. He couldn't even tell if it was his own child, having raised someone else's child for so many years in vain. Even if they could get some money back, the damage couldn't be made up for with money. That little money was simply not enough.

"Things have already come to this. There's nothing we can do about it." Jiang's mother said, "It's better for men to go to the countryside than women."

"You're just too soft-hearted," Aunt Zhao said. "You're so good to Jiang Yuqin, but she doesn't thank you. Look at what other families do. They're all stepmothers, but some give everything to their own children."

Jiang's mother smiled and said that it also requires the cooperation of the other half. Jiang's father was not like other men who would side with their new wife after marrying a new woman. Jiang's father was always on guard against Jiang's mother. This was also why Jiang's mother had to treat Jiang Yuqin better in front of Jiang's father. If Jiang's mother was not good enough to Jiang Yuqin, Jiang's father would be dissatisfied.

"Um..." Aunt Zhao looked around, nudged Jiang's mother lightly with her elbow, and asked quietly, "Who is Jiang Yuqin's biological father?"

"This... I'm not quite sure." Jiang's mother said.

"How could it be unclear?" Aunt Zhao asked, "If you don't have evidence, will the Jin family admit it?"

"It's really hard to say," Jiang's mother said. "If it were easy to explain, we would have said it, but the key is that it's really hard to explain. They know this clearly. Even if they don't admit it, it won't change the facts."

"It definitely isn't Jin Manzhi's current husband's child!" Aunt Zhao said with certainty, "If it were her current husband's child, they would have taken the child away long ago. I remember that her current husband didn't seem to be in Nancheng at that time."

"I don't really know," Jiang's mother said. "Who the child's biological father is has nothing to do with our family. Even if we knew who the father was, it would be useless. We can't go to them and ask them to pay us compensation. The amount they can pay now is enough. They won't give more than that."

Mrs. Jiang was indeed capable. She knew the tolerance of Jin Manzhi and her people. They would not disrupt their original plans for such a small sum of money. Mrs. Jiang wished that Mr. Jiang's brain was as good as Mrs. Jiang's. If Mr. Jiang had discovered earlier that Jiang Yuqin was not his biological daughter, everyone would not have to suffer so much.

Jiang Yuqin went to work with a dazed look on her face. Wang Chunfen looked at Jiang Yuqin like that and was afraid that she would get hurt in the workshop, so she quickly pulled Jiang Yuqin aside.

"It's working time now, what are you doing?" The workshop director came over. "Are you slacking off?"

"I have something to worry about. Can't I take a break for a while?" Wang Chunfen asked. "Director, if we get hurt, won't you be responsible?"

"It's just a small matter, and you need to take a break." The workshop director said, "The factory's performance is poor because of people like you."

"Chunfen..."

"We can ask for leave. Isn't it okay for us to ask for leave?" Wang Chunfen said.

"I thought you were going to say you were quitting," said the workshop director.

Even if the workshop director disliked Wang Chunfen and Jiang Yuqin, he didn't have the power to fire them. In a state-owned factory, firing someone required legitimate reasons, and the process had to be approved at every level. Without special circumstances, the factory wouldn't have fired these people.

"We work when we want to, and don't work when we don't want to," Wang Chunfen said. "Director, you should be more considerate of your employees instead of accusing them of not working properly when you see them stop."

"Don't you want to ask for leave?" asked the workshop director.

"Yes, we will ask for leave." said Wang Chunfen.

Jiang Yuqin stood behind Wang Chunfen. She was reluctant to leave because her salary would be deducted if she took leave.

"In your current mental state, you should go back first." Wang Chunfen turned around and looked at Jiang Yuqin.

"Oh." Jiang Yuqin sighed.

Wang Chunfen first sent Jiang Yuqin home. She said she couldn't be distracted while working, as she could get hurt if she wasn't careful. Their unit was relatively good, but in other units, people could get their fingers cut off by machines if they weren't careful.

When they arrived at Jiang Yuqin's residence, Wang Chunfen closed the door.

"You...you and your father...you are not your father's biological daughter, is this true?" Wang Chunfen had already heard that someone in the factory was saying it.

Those people didn't say anything in front of Jiang Yuqin, and Wang Chunfen even told them not to talk nonsense. They said it had already spread outside, saying it was true. If it weren't true, it wouldn't have spread so widely. It was just a rumor at first, but now that Jiang Yuqin and her friends had gone to the police station to dissolve their relationship, it must be true.

"Well, I'm not his biological daughter. My mother had him with someone else. I just found out not long ago." Jiang Yuqin's eyes were red. "Why is God so cruel to me? Jiang Moli has had so many things since she was a child, and I gave her all my father's things. Now she has directly snatched my father away. My father has become her father alone."

"Uh..." Wang Chunfen thought to herself, Jiang Yuqin is not Jiang's father's biological daughter, so it's hard to say that Jiang Moli stole Jiang Yuqin's father. It seems more like Jiang Yuqin stole Jiang Moli's father. But since Wang Chunfen and Jiang Yuqin are friends, Wang Chunfen naturally stands on Jiang Yuqin's side. "God is really unfair. You have been in the Jiang family for so many years, how can you say that you are not a biological daughter?"

"That's what I think," Jiang Yuqin said. "But... my mother admitted it and even paid compensation. You know my mother, if it wasn't her fault, she wouldn't have done that. Her daughter is getting married, and she's afraid the Jiang family will come over and make a scene, so she's paying the compensation. If she were right, she would have just let the Jiang family make a scene."

"Then you can't ask the Jiang family to prepare a dowry for you, right?" Wang Chunfen had heard Jiang Yuqin say before that she wanted the Jiang family to pay a little more money as her dowry. Wang Chunfen naturally supported Jiang Yuqin very much, but now that things had turned out this way, Jiang Yuqin had no reason to ask the Jiang family for a dowry.

"I can't ask them to give me a dowry. I can only ask my mother and others to prepare some for me." Jiang Yuqin said, "How can my mother be so shameless? She was already married, but she was still with another man and gave birth to me. If she had given birth to me with her current husband, it would be fine, but she is... she is..."

Jiang Yuqin couldn't bear to say it out loud. The child's eyes were red and he was extremely sad and upset.

"What happened to her?" Wang Chunfen asked, "What exactly happened? What do you know? Even if you don't tell me, it will spread outside."

"Don't tell anyone." Jiang Yuqin said.

"I won't tell you, I won't tell you." Wang Chunfen stared at Jiang Yuqin.

"I was born to my mother and my second uncle." Jiang Yuqin said.

Wang Chunfen looked at Jiang Yuqin in disbelief. How could this be possible?

"When I first learned about this, I didn't believe it either," Jiang Yuqin said. "I thought they must be lying to me, but... I can tell from their actions that it's their problem, absolutely their problem."

Jiang Yuqin reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. She had already been criticized for her mother eloping with someone, and now her life experience had become like this.

"If people outside knew about my situation, what would they say? They would say something very unpleasant." Jiang Yuqin tightly grasped Wang Chunfen's hand, "Chunfen, you must not tell anyone."

"No, no." Wang Chunfen was very surprised.

Jin Manzhi's second daughter was older than Jiang Moli. In order to settle the matter as soon as possible, Jin Manzhi asked her second daughter to get the marriage certificate with the man. With the legal documents, the son-in-law could not say no.

The man's betrothal gift was substantial, exceeding several thousand yuan, and he also had to pay for some other things. Jin Manzhi and his wife kept most of the gift money; they had previously compensated the Jiang family, and their funds were running low, so this was just the right amount to fill the gap. The man also kept the bicycle he had bought her. When he bought her gold jewelry, Jin Manzhi also asked her son-in-law to buy her a gold bracelet. Since he had the money, he bought it.

After settling the matter for her second daughter, Jin Manzhi breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid her second son-in-law might change his mind. As long as they weren't married, they could break up at any time. After getting a marriage certificate, they would have more issues to consider and it would be impossible to divorce casually.

"This matter has finally been settled." Jin Manzhi sat on the sofa at home, "I'm just waiting to hold their wedding banquet."

This wedding banquet had to be a grand affair. They had already discussed it with the man's family; it had to be held in a fine hotel, not a hasty affair. Jin Manzhi needed to let everyone know that her daughter was marrying the son of a wealthy family, and that her family was now much more powerful, so that her other children would be able to seek marriage later.

"There won't be any big problem." Che Dongshu said.

Just as Jin Manzhi was about to say something else to Che Dongshu, someone knocked on the door. When Jin Manzhi opened the door, she saw Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin came to ask for a dowry. They were born of the same mother. Her sister could marry into such a good family, but what about herself?

Although Ding Chao was the man Jiang Yuqin loved and the one she wanted to marry, she still blamed her mother and the Jin family. Jiang's father was not Jiang Yuqin's biological father, so it was useless for Jiang Yuqin to blame him anymore. She could only find someone else to blame.

"Before my second sister gets married, you have to prepare the dowry for me," Jiang Yuqin said.

"Aren't you married already?" Jin Manyi asked.

"Didn't grandma tell you?" Jiang Yuqin said.

"I've been busy these days and don't have time to visit your grandma," said Jin Manyi.

"I want as much dowry as your second daughter has." Jiang Yuqin gritted her teeth, "Otherwise, I will go to my second brother-in-law's house and tell them who my biological father is."

"Are you crazy?" Jin Manyi was stunned.

At noon, Jiang Moli came out of the teaching building and saw Sheng Jiahao standing not far away. Sheng Jiahao could only come to Jiang Moli on his own; he didn't dare expect Jiang Moli to come to him. When a man and a woman are in a relationship, the girl has to be more reserved, and the man has to take the initiative.

Sheng Jiahao brought two cakes for Jiang Moli. This was a school, and Jiang Moli didn't live there, so it wasn't easy for her to leave her things in the dormitory, nor was it easy for her to carry them all the time. Sheng Jiahao didn't buy too much, so they were just enough for dessert after dinner.

"There's a restaurant nearby that eats pretty good. I've eaten there before. I wonder if you've been there. Shall we go together?" Sheng Jiahao said.

"Go, she'll go with you." Zhou Yiran poked Jiang Moli's arm.

Jiang Moli turned around and looked at Zhou Yiran, "Didn't you say you would come down later?"

"It's okay now. I came down again. If I hadn't come down, how could I have seen this scene?" Zhou Yiran said, "You guys go eat. Don't pay attention to me. I'll find something to eat myself."

Zhou Yiran looked at the two female classmates next to her and said, "Wait for me, I'll go with you during the New Year."

Zhou Yiran walked over quickly and walked with the two female classmates. Zhou Yiran lived very close to Sheng Jiahao's parents and they had seen each other quite often when they were young. She had seen Sheng Jiahao being beaten by his father with a bamboo stick and running around the yard. Zhou Yiran had seen it all. Zhou Yiran was younger than Sheng Jiahao and was a little afraid of him.

Before, Zhou Yiran didn’t know that Sheng Jiahao had a crush on Jiang Moli. Now that she knew, she was thinking that since she and Jiang Moli were friends, when Sheng Jiahao saw her in the future, could his expression be a little gentler, not so serious, and not so cold.

"Are you going?" Sheng Jiahao asked Jiang Moli.

"I don't have any money." Jiang Moli joked.

"It's my treat." Sheng Jiahao said.

"If we weren't together, would you ask me to pay you back?" Jiang Moli asked.

"Why do you say that?" Sheng Jiahao was puzzled. "Someone asked you for money?"

"No, it's someone else." Jiang Moli said.

Some men break up with their girlfriends and calculate many things very clearly. Even though their girlfriends have obviously paid more, they still don’t count their girlfriends’ contributions and only count what they have paid. They want their girlfriends to pay them back.

"You can't have someone like that," Sheng Jiahao said. "It's impossible to date someone without spending a penny. If you don't want to spend money, then don't date someone else. Many women are very sensible and won't spend money recklessly. That's not the reason why men are stingy."

Sheng Jiahao had never been in a relationship, but some things didn't require experience to understand. To put it bluntly, dating was sometimes like investing; even investments could fail, not to mention dating.

Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao went to a restaurant to eat together. Someone saw them together. With so many people, there must be some people who knew Sheng Jiahao. Teacher Lu had been at Nancheng Art College for many years. Sheng Jiahao had been there many times before. Teacher Lu had even brought the young Sheng Jiahao to work. Some teachers at the school knew Sheng Jiahao. Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao went to lunch together, and Teacher Lu found out about it in the afternoon.

Another teacher told Teacher Lu about this and asked, "I just saw your son Jiahao with a pretty young girl. Are they dating?"

"You are chasing someone." Teacher Lu said with a smile.

"Haven't you caught up yet?" the teacher asked. "But I think you're almost there, very soon."

"I hope so." Teacher Lu said.

"That pretty girl seems to be your student," the teacher said, "but I can't see clearly."

"She's my student." Teacher Lu nodded. "Before, when she was performing, I took Jiahao to see her. I guess Jiahao fell in love with her."

"You know your own students pretty well," the teacher said. "It's safe to ask around and find out more."

When He Jingxian learned that Sheng Jiahao had gone after Jiang Moli, her face turned ugly. He Jingxian pursued Sheng Jiahao, but Sheng Jiahao ignored her. As for Jiang Moli, she didn't even need to bother with Sheng Jiahao, as he would go find her on his own.

He Jingxian thought again about Teacher Lu's attitude towards her. Was it because Jiang Moli had a Nancheng hukou that these people treated her so badly? He Jingxian's eyes darkened. Once she joined Jiang Moli's unit, it was still uncertain who would play the main role. He Jingxian had only been with her boyfriend for a few days, and she wanted him to find a solution quickly. They had to get the transfer order in place before she graduated. As long as the transfer order was issued, everything would be easy.

The orders from above will definitely be followed.

At that point, if He Jingxian went to the local unit and said a few words of hypocrisy, they would let her go. As for the penalty for breach of contract, those people knew she had someone behind her, so they probably wouldn't ask for it.

During the last class in the afternoon, He Jingxian walked up to Teacher Lu and asked, "Teacher, do you really want Jiang Moli to be your daughter-in-law?"

"It depends on my son's wishes," Teacher Lu said. "Whoever he likes and admires, he will pursue them. Once he catches up with them, they can be together."

Teacher Lu believed that these matters still depended on the young people's opinions, not hers. Teacher Lu had long known that He Jingxian had gone to find Sheng Jiahao in order to stay in South City, and Sheng Jiahao had told Teacher Lu and his wife about it. Teacher Lu's gaze on He Jingxian was no longer as kind as before. She used to admire He Jingxian, but now she was more disappointed. He Jingxian had gone to find another man to stay in South City.

Such a He Jingxian would only give in step by step in the future. A family like the Qi family would never let He Jingxian focus on developing her career. Those people would definitely let He Jingxian have children first. No, even without the Qi family telling her, He Jingxian would think about having children first.

Teacher Lu glanced at He Jingxian. Fortunately, his son did not like He Jingxian. Even if his son really liked He Jingxian, he would not help her. If he did not help, He Jingxian would definitely make a fuss. Fortunately, fortunately, his son was not blind.

"Teacher, do you like Jiang Moli so much?" He Jingxian asked, "How am I inferior to her? If I had her good family background, I could also learn opera early on, and I could also..."

"Not only are your professional abilities inferior to hers, your character is also inferior to hers," Teacher Lu said. "Jasmine didn't say anything bad about you in front of me, but what about you?"

"I'm not saying anything bad about her. I'm saying that if I were at the same starting line as her, I might not be worse than her," said He Jingxian.

"You look down on her in your heart." Teacher Lu could tell it as soon as he heard it.

"Teacher?" He Jingxian didn't expect Teacher Lu to say such a thing directly.

"It's time to end the get out of class." Teacher Lu said.

Jiang Moli and He Jingxian didn't attend every class together; they had different courses. Jiang Moli didn't know about the conversation between He Jingxian and Teacher Lu, but other students heard it. However, Jiang Moli was about to go home after school, so the other students didn't find Jiang Moli immediately and didn't tell her about it right away.

In the evening, Sheng Jiahao came to the school and drove Jiang Moli back. When the two of them were having lunch at noon, Sheng Jiahao asked Jiang Moli what she meant. Jiang Moli said to wait a minute, because it was easy to feel drowsy and hot-headed when eating, so she needed to wake up.

So, Sheng Jiahao waited until the evening to come to school. He asked about Jiang Moli's schedule. With his mother around, it was easy for Sheng Jiahao to know Jiang Moli's schedule.

This time, Jiang Moli did not refuse.

Jiang Moli thought that since Sheng Jiahao agreed to her requests, she could try to get along with him. If it didn't work out, they could just break up. Jiang Moli would soon graduate from school, so she didn't have to worry about her relationship with Sheng Jiahao being bad and Teacher Lu making things difficult for her. In fact, if Teacher Lu really wanted to make things difficult for Jiang Moli later, she could still do so. Teacher Lu had been in this industry for many years.

Sheng Jiahao drove to the gate of the compound. Jiang Moli was holding some things in her hands. These things were bought by Sheng Jiahao. Jiang Moli waved goodbye to Sheng Jiahao.

"I'll come to see you at school tomorrow." Sheng Jiahao did not force Jiang Moli to agree to anything.

"No." Jiang Moli immediately realized that there was something wrong with her words. "I have to go to work tomorrow to rehearse with the Nancheng Yue Opera Troupe. I'm not at school."

When Sheng Jiahao heard Jiang Moli say no, his heart tightened. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he heard what Jiang Moli said next.

"Okay, I'll go over there tomorrow." Sheng Jiahao said, "Let's have lunch together at noon."

"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded. "Go back quickly. Maybe the teacher is waiting for you to eat."

Sheng Jiahao said goodbye to Jiang Moli and got into the car, then drove away.

When Jiang Moli turned her head, she saw Miao Guifeng. Miao Guifeng's eyes widened, which scared Jiang Moli.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Moli asked.

Miao Guifeng had just finished her postpartum confinement. She held her child tightly as she walked to the doorway and stood there for a moment. She was checking to see if her husband had returned. Yang Bingliang was getting married, and the Yang family had renovated their bridal chamber and installed new wardrobes. When Miao Guifeng married Yang Bingrong, her room lacked custom cabinets and wasn't particularly spacious. Yang Bingliang's room was larger, so Yang's mother and father gave up their large room for Yang Bingliang and his wife, while they themselves moved into Yang Bingliang's room.

This matter was just like what happened in her previous life. Miao Guifeng felt depressed when she thought about it. She had given so much to the Yang family, but they had never treated her as a family member. They looked down on her, treated her badly, and bullied her.

"Aren't you going back?" Jiang Moli asked.

"I'm waiting for my man," Miao Guifeng said. She figured she couldn't just stay home doing chores. She had to find something else to do, even if it meant selling roasted sweet potatoes. As long as she could earn some money, she'd have more money and wouldn't have to constantly ask her husband for money. That way, she could give her children a better life.

"Why don't you stand a little to the side? You're standing in the middle... Forget it. If you stand in the middle, others will see you." Jiang Moli said, "But you have to be careful. Some people rush in excitedly without looking where they are going and can easily bump into you."

Jiang Moli saw the haggard look on Miao Guifeng's face. Miao Guifeng had just been reborn, and her heart was tense. Jiang Moli and the others lived in the same compound as Miao Guifeng, so they had to say what they had to say. If they bumped into someone, it would be difficult to deal with. Others would also ask why Miao Guifeng had to stand in the middle of the road holding the child. Couldn't she stand a little further to the side?

"Thank you." Miao Guifeng said.

"..." When Jiang Moli heard Miao Guifeng say thank you, she looked at Miao Guifeng twice more. You know, Miao Guifeng rarely said thank you before.

Miao Guifeng used to think city dwellers were poor and fussy, always saying thank you and sorry. But many people don't have a high level of education, so being fussy won't make them superior to others.

After her rebirth, Miao Guifeng no longer felt that way. After all, she had lived many more years in her previous life than in this one, and she knew that people should be polite. A little courtesy is always better. Even if one is not well-educated, if they are polite and know etiquette, others will look up to them.

"Do you want to move a chair and sit down?" Jiang Moli asked.

"No need, I'll be back soon." Miao Guifeng said, "The child needs to be fed."

Miao Guifeng had already prepared the food. She brought the food into the room and locked the door, not letting anyone else in the Yang family in, fearing that they would eat the food. When Miao Guifeng was in confinement after giving birth, she killed a chicken and cooked eggs for herself. She was no longer as frugal as she was in her previous life. Yang Bingrong could borrow money for his brother, so he should borrow money for his wife and children. Miao Guifeng did not want to let herself down. She had to eat well so that her health would not be too bad. In her previous life, when she gave birth to her first child, her mother-in-law said that the child died. She cried all the time during the confinement period, which was why she was in poor health.

"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded and went back home.

Jiang's mother brought the dishes to the table. She just saw Jiang Moli talking to Miao Guifeng, but did not see Sheng Jiahao bringing Jiang Moli back.

"What did you say to her?" asked Jiang's mother.

"I said, if she's standing in the middle, people who aren't looking at where they're going might bump into her," Jiang Moli said. "There are several families living in this large compound. Not to mention the kids, even people my age sometimes come home skipping and hopping without looking where they're going. It happens all the time. I always feel like I can find my way home with my eyes closed."

Jiang Moli was telling the truth. After walking back and forth for so long, they naturally felt they knew the way and didn't need to worry about it anymore. They just had to follow the path they knew in their hearts, and they would get home. People of Jiang Moli's age all had this idea, not to mention the children, some of whom even liked to walk backwards.

Miao Guifeng was standing there holding her one-month-old baby. If she got bumped, what if the baby fell? Whether it was Miao Guifeng's child who fell or someone else's child, there was something to say.

"You, you're just nosy." Jiang's mother said, "Aren't you afraid that she'll say you're meddling in other people's business?"

Everyone in the compound knew Miao Guifeng's personality. She always liked to say that they looked down on her, and she never thought about what she was doing. She would pick the garlic, onions, and ginger that others had planted in pots and cook them without asking. Others only planted a little bit, not a lot. Miao Guifeng would take what she wanted without asking, and she said that country people didn't have to be so particular.

Is this a question of whether it is polite or not?

Miao Guifeng did not think about adapting to local customs, but expected others to be like her and follow her. How could this be possible?

A country girl from outside is already looked down upon by others, and if she always thinks about her own things, it will be even less likely for others to be nice to her.

There are not many people in the compound who can get along with Miao Guifeng, but there are some who have a good relationship with her.

"With your temper, you'd better keep quiet." Jiang's mother said, "Don't meddle in things that shouldn't be your business."

"No, I just wanted to say a few words." Jiang Moli said, "I saw it all, so I just said something."

"By the way, why are you back so early today?" Jiang's mother looked at the clock. "Did you get out of school early today?"

"No, it was Teacher Lu's son who sent me back." Jiang Moli said frankly. She had no intention of hiding it from her mother. "He said he liked me and wanted to pursue me."

"Teacher Lu's son... That's not right. Isn't her son already married?" Jiang's mother said.

"The eldest son is married, but the younger son is not." Jiang Moli said.

"Is that the youngest son who passed the college entrance exam?" Jiang's mother had heard Jiang Moli say that Teacher Lu had a son who was in college, and she had taken note of it. It wasn't that Jiang's mother looked down on her daughter, but she felt that her daughter was just an opera singer. In ancient times, actors were looked down upon. Even if Teacher Lu was an opera singer himself, would the Lu couple be willing to let their college-educated son marry an opera singer?

"Yes, it's him." Jiang Moli said.

"Him? He's a college student, how could he be interested in you?" Jiang's mother was unconvinced. "Is he interested in your beauty?"

"Mom, your daughter is just beautiful? Isn't she talented too?" Jiang Moli held her cheeks with both hands and winked at her mother. Then, she sang, "Mom, listen to me..."

"Goodbye, don't listen to you anymore. Just talk and sing." Jiang's mother said, "Your father will be back soon and we can eat right away."

"Wait a minute, you treat me like my sister... like Jiang Yuqin." Jiang Moli said, "If she were at home, she would eat on her own."

Jiang Yuqin was really like that, not Jiang Moli exaggerating. This was why Jiang's mother would put the food in the kitchen after cooking it, and not bring it to the table. If Jiang Yuqin came home early, she would start eating immediately, no matter how much food there was. She would eat the food with big mouthfuls, and could finish an entire plate of meat, leaving no meat for others.

Jiang Moli had many complaints about Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin always said that she was also Jiang's father's child, and that Jiang's mother secretly made delicious food for Jiang Moli. What was wrong with her eating an extra bite of meat? Didn't she, Jiang Yuqin, deserve to eat meat?

When Jiang Yuqin talked too much, she would raise her voice. She wanted all the neighbors to hear her and make others think that it was all Jiang's mother's fault. Jiang's mother was petty and refused to let Jiang Yuqin eat.

"Don't talk too much about her in front of your father," Jiang's mother said. "If you talk too much, your father will be sad."

Jiang's father had raised Jiang Yuqin for so many years, and he had always thought that Jiang Yuqin was his biological daughter. It was impossible for Jiang's father to be happy with the situation. There was a thorn in Jiang's father's heart, a thorn that was so deep that it could not be pulled out, and it hurt at the slightest touch.

At the Sheng family, Sheng Jiahao had just returned home, and his parents were having dinner. After Sheng Jiahao moved out, he sometimes ate out instead of at home, so Teacher Lu and the others would eat first.

"I'll go make you some noodles." Teacher Lu stood up. "Did you come to our school today? What did Jasmine say? Did she agree to date you?"