Chapter 56 Guan Lixin and He Li discuss their marriage scam...

Guan Lixin and He Li's discussions about getting married went very smoothly.

He Li went on this blind date with marriage in mind, and she liked Guan Lixin, thinking he was a good person she could entrust her life to. Guan Lixin hadn't mentioned marriage before, but now that he brought it up, she agreed.

He Li has passed this test, but He's parents are still waiting for Guan Lixin.

Guan Lixin then turned to Mingxi for help, asking Mingxi to propose marriage on his behalf.

Fearing that Mingxi would refuse, he resorted to the red envelope tactic: "Mingxi, as long as you help me propose marriage, I guarantee I'll give you a big red envelope when He Li and I get married!"

Mingxi rolled her eyes: "Come on, when you asked me to introduce you to someone last time, didn't you say the same thing? You promised me a big red envelope if I mentioned you and He Licheng. Where's the red envelope? I haven't seen a single one!"

"Oops!" Guan Lixin slapped his forehead: "I forgot!"

He quickly pulled a red envelope from his pocket and stuffed it into Mingxi's hand: "Here, a red envelope! I prepared it a long time ago, but I forgot to give it to you. Here you go, to thank you for connecting me and He Li."

Mingxi didn't stand on ceremony with him and tore it open right in front of him. Seeing the large ten-yuan note inside, Mingxi raised her eyebrows and said, "Not bad."

Guan Lixin tossed his hair, raising an eyebrow smugly: "Of course! I wouldn't mistreat anyone, not you. Now you should agree to be with me, right? Let me tell you, when I marry He Li, I'll definitely give you, the matchmaker, an even bigger red envelope at the wedding!"

Mingxi: "Okay, then I'll go with you."

The next morning, Mingxi, Guan's father, Guan's mother, and Guan Lixin took their things and boarded He Li's bus.

To show their sincerity, Guan Lixin made thorough preparations this time. In addition to the usual cigarettes, alcohol, tea and snacks for a marriage proposal, they also prepared a separate gift for each member of the He family.

What was given to He's mother was a gift box of donkey-hide gelatin and red dates. When Guan Lixin went to Guangzhou to purchase goods, he heard that women there eat donkey-hide gelatin to replenish their qi and blood. So this time when he came to propose marriage, he specially asked Hou Wu's brother to bring him a box from Guangzhou.

The gift given to He's father was a set of tiger-skin knee pads. He Li said that her father had injured his knees in his early years, and his knees would hurt whenever it was cloudy or rainy. He specially asked someone to go to Northeast China to get these tiger-skin knee pads.

What he gave to He Li's older brother was a set of books on mechanical principles. He had asked He Li about it, and she said that her brother was interested in mechanical repair and had even helped the production team repair tractors before. It was a pity that he hadn't studied it systematically, so he specifically asked someone knowledgeable about it and bought a suitable set of books.

He Li's second brother, Guan Lixin, is planning to give her baby formula. He Li's second brother's family recently had a baby, so giving them baby supplies is sure to be a good idea.

He Li's third brother's family had a matching set of couple outfits. He Li's third brother and sister-in-law had been married for less than a year, and their relationship was very close. This gift would definitely touch their hearts.

Finally, there's He Li's younger brother. He just graduated from junior high school. Boys at this age are always looking for new things, so Guan Lixin prepared a digital watch for him, one of the watches he bought in Guangzhou last time.

After all, it was a marriage proposal, and no matter how well-prepared the gifts were, Guan's mother was still uneasy.

Sitting on the bus, Guan's mother leaned over and asked, "Xiaoming, you've been to He Li's house and met her parents. Tell me, what kind of people are He Li's parents? Are they easy to get along with?"

Upon hearing this, Mingxi knew what Guan's mother was worried about, and she reassured her, "Auntie, don't be nervous. He Li's parents are honest and reasonable people, and they are not difficult to get along with."

"Think about it, if they were unreasonable people, could they have raised such a good comrade as He Li?"

Mrs. Guan nodded: "That's true."

Guan's mother had met He Li before and had a good impression of her. He Li was cultured, had a good temperament, was well-mannered, spoke frankly and generously, and did not engage in petty or scheming behavior.

If you ask Guan's mother, Guan Lixin must have been incredibly lucky to be dating such a wonderful girl as He Li.

Thinking about He Li's personality, Guan's mother felt much relieved.

Given that He Li has raised such a daughter, her family shouldn't be too difficult to get along with, right?

As they were talking, the bus was almost at its destination. Mingxi looked out the window and said, "We're almost there."

After the car came to a complete stop, the Guan family of three got out of the car with their belongings.

Guan Lixin had told He Li in advance that he would be coming to propose marriage today, so the He family waited at the village entrance early. As soon as the bus stopped, a boy of sixteen or seventeen years old came up to greet them.

He ran up to Guan Lixin, grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and said warmly, "Brother Guan, you've arrived."

Guan Lixin raised his hand and ruffled the boy's hair: "Xiao Shun, where are your sister and your parents?"

The boy named Xiao Shun, who was He Li's younger brother, pointed behind him and said, "He's in the back!"

Mingxi looked in the direction he was pointing and saw He Li, her parents, walking towards them.

Xiao Shun craned his neck, curiously looking at what Guan Lixin was holding: "Brother Guan, what good stuff did you bring this time?"

Guan Lixin laughed: "There are good things, but I can't show them to you right now."

"Brother Guan, why are you keeping me in suspense?" Xiao Shun complained softly, then leaned close to Guan Lixin's ear and pleaded, "Brother, can you give me a sneak peek at what's in here?"

As they were talking, He Li and her parents came closer. He's mother frowned and said, "Xiao Shun, come here!"

Xiao Shun immediately wilted and obediently returned to He's mother's side. He's mother pinched the boy's ear and said, "Do you have any manners? What did I tell you before? When you see someone, greet them first. Did you greet them? You came up here and immediately asked what Xiao Guan brought. Let me ask you, what he brings is none of your business. Is it a gift for you?"

Mother He suppressed her temper and scolded him in a low voice.

Xiao Shun winced in pain, his face contorted in agony. His mother covered his mouth to stop him from making a sound.

Today is the day her future in-laws are coming to propose marriage, and she absolutely will not allow Xiao Shun to make a fool of himself in front of them.

After scolding Xiao Shun, He's mother let go of his hand, as if nothing had happened, and with a smile, she warmly stepped forward to shake Guan's mother's hand.

"Lixin's father and mother, welcome, welcome! You must have had a long and arduous journey."

Guan's mother smiled and said, "It's alright, it's not very far. It didn't take long by bus, we arrived right there."

Mother He: "You must be tired from your journey. Come on, let's go home quickly. We've prepared some watermelon at home. Come and have some watermelon to quench your thirst."

Mother He warmly invited the Guan family.

There are no secrets in the production team. As soon as the Guan family got off the bus, the villagers heard the news, and some villagers with good news came to watch.

Seeing Guan Lixin and his family carrying so many things in small packages, one could roughly guess that they had come to propose marriage today.

Someone, still unwilling to give up, asked Mr. He, "Old He, what kind of relative is this? I've never seen him before. What brings him here today?"

Mr. He didn't mince words and said directly, "This is He Li's fiancé. His family came to propose marriage today."

After saying this, He's father led the Guan family into the courtyard, and the closed gate blocked the villagers' inquisitive gazes.

Everyone started discussing it amongst themselves.

"Is the person who came today the one we talked about last time, He Licheng's boyfriend?"

"That's right! I really didn't expect it. Everyone said that He Li wasted her high school education and would still go back to our rural area after graduation. I didn't expect that she would be so capable. She found a boyfriend from the city, got married in the city, and became a city person."

"So, you still have to study. Of all the girls in our village, how many have married into the city? Only He Li. Why is that? Because she's the only one who graduated from high school!"

“City people value education and academic qualifications much more than we do. I’ve heard that even when taking over a business in the city, factories require a certain level of education. If you don’t have a junior high school diploma, even if your father is a factory worker, you can’t take over the business.”

"Does the city value education that much? I was thinking of letting my son stop studying after he finishes third grade this year, but it seems that won't work now, he still has to continue his studies."

These days, many people in rural areas still think education is useless. Do they think they don't know their own children's abilities? Forget about university, they might not even get into high school. Instead of wasting time and money sending their children to school, they'd rather let them go to the fields early and learn how to cultivate the crops.

However, with He Li's example right in front of everyone, people finally realized that in the city, you have to look at your education level when looking for a partner or a job!

We still need to let the children study!

Among the crowd, several villagers who favored sons over daughters and never considered sending their daughters to school couldn't help but think, "Why don't we send all our children to school?"

What if some damn girl gets lucky and, like He Li, catches the eye of a city person?

Even if no city dwellers are interested, her high level of education means she can ask for a higher dowry when she gets married!

Hearing this, a woman with a mean face in the crowd couldn't help but jump out: "Tch, what's the use of studying? I don't believe that studying will allow you to marry into the city. If you ask me, that guy is blind to have fallen for He Li, and his family is also blind to have agreed to let their son marry such a wretched girl as He Li."

Everyone laughed at her when they heard this: "Old Yang, are you just being a sour grapes? Just because you went to the He family to propose marriage and they didn't agree, you're spreading rumors about them everywhere?"

"That's right. Last time He Li's boyfriend came, Old Yang said that he was just playing around with He Li and might dump her at any time. But now look at him, he's serious about He Li and has even come to propose. They'll be getting married soon, and she's saying he's blind. But I think she's the blind one!"

"Anyone with eyes can see that her son is not good enough for He Li. He Li graduated from high school and is a substitute teacher at our elementary school. She has a government job. Her son, on the other hand, has never been to school, can't read many characters, and can't do farm work well. Yet, she still treats her son like a treasure, saying that he is going to do great things in the future. If you ask me, he's going to do nothing great."

The woman who had initially mocked He Li was furious: "You're talking nonsense! My son is perfectly fine! What's so great about He Li? She's just a high school graduate. How can she compare to my son!"

"Then tell me, what advantages does your son have that He Li can't match?"

“My son is honest, hardworking, and obedient. He… he’s much better than He Li!”

The woman stammered, unable to articulate any real merits her son possessed.

The crowd around burst into laughter.

"Hardworking? You don't mean working in the fields every day is hardworking, do you?"

"Being obedient? Humph, is being obedient a virtue for a grown man in his twenties? My three-year-old grandson is more obedient than him!"

"You're honest, that's true, but what makes you think you can compare to He Li?"

The group's retorts left the middle-aged woman speechless. Gasping for breath, she only managed to say, "You just wait and see," before slinking home in disgrace.

The middle-aged woman who fled home was named Tian Zhaodi. Her home was next to the He family's. She fled home, closed the gate, and was about to go inside when she heard laughter coming from the He family's courtyard, which was just a wall away.

Tian Zhaodi stared fiercely at the wall between her house and the He family's house, her eyes filled with jealousy and hatred.

She resented He Li for disrespecting her son by refusing his marriage proposal; she was also jealous of He Li's good fortune in dating a city person.

Just then, Tian Zhaodi's son, Yang Shulin, returned from outside. He called out "Mom," then pursed his lips and hesitated before asking, "I heard from people outside that He Licheng's boyfriend came to propose marriage today?"

Tian Zhaodi turned her head, afraid that her son might do something rash because of this: "Yes, that's true. If you ask me, that kid is blind. He doesn't like any of the many girls in the city, but he has to fall for a damn girl like He Li. What's so good about He Li?"

She cursed a couple of times, then her eyes suddenly lit up and she said, "Son, do you think there's something wrong with He Li's boyfriend?"

Yang Shulin: "Huh? Mom, you can't just say things like that."

Tian Zhaodi: "How can you call this nonsense? It's true! He's a city guy, and judging from all the things he brought today, his family is probably well-off. So why would he suddenly take a liking to He Li? Maybe he's not up to the task!"

Yang Shulin licked his upper lip, a hint of agreement flashing in his eyes as he listened to Tian Zhaodi's words. He certainly thought his mother was right; if Guan Lixin wasn't sick, why would he have gone to the countryside to find a wife? But on the surface, he put on an honest and simple-minded expression.

"It's not good to talk about these things carelessly. Mom, you shouldn't say anything either. If the He family hears this, they'll start fighting with you again."

Tian Zhaodi pouted: "Fine, I won't say, I won't say."

However, she then had another idea. She moved closer to Yang Shulin and said, "Son, you said that if He Li can find a city man to date, I think you can too."

Tian Zhaodi: "I just asked, and that girl who came with He Li's boyfriend today is the matchmaker who introduced He Li to her. I'll go find her when she comes out in a bit and introduce you to someone. He Li doesn't like you, does she? Fine, we'll find a city girl who's a hundred times better than her. Then she'll be envious!"

Yang Shulin frowned: "Will this work?"

Tian Zhaodi: "I guarantee it will work! You can rest assured about this."

Mingxi was unaware that someone next door was plotting to ambush her, and was happily listening to He's mother and Guan's mother praising each other.

Mr. and Mrs. Guan came to propose marriage with utmost sincerity. Mr. and Mrs. He were also very satisfied with Guan Lixin. Seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Guan did not look down on their family because they were from the countryside, but instead showed great sincerity, they were also willing.

And so, the marriage arrangements between the two sides were quickly finalized.

Mother Guan: "As for the wedding date, it mainly depends on what you in-laws think. Anyway, Lao Guan and I definitely want it to be as soon as possible. He Li is such a beautiful and capable girl, we can't wait for Li Xin to marry her into the family as soon as possible."

Mother He smiled broadly: "I'm embarrassed by what you're saying. Our He Li seems quite capable, but sometimes she's not good at social interactions. She's a bit naive and speaks bluntly, which can easily offend people. Sister, if He Li says anything unpleasant or does anything she doesn't do well after marrying Lixin, I'll need your understanding."

"If she makes you angry, don't hold back. Just send her back and I'll teach her a lesson."

Mother He's words were both a humble statement and an expression of her attitude.

She can teach her own daughter.

Guan's mother naturally understood the meaning behind He's mother's words. She smiled and patted He's mother's hand: "My dear in-law, you're overthinking it. You've raised He Li very well. I like her very much. It's Lixin's good fortune to be able to marry her."

Mother He smiled and said, "Lixin is a good boy too..."

Both sets of parents showered the wedding with compliments, and ultimately both sides decided to set the wedding date for the end of September.

The busy farming season was almost over then, which was a good time to hold a wedding.

The betrothal gifts and dowry have also been finalized.

Neither Mr. nor Mrs. He intended to make a fortune from the bride price. They stated directly that no matter how much the Guan family offered as bride price, they would add another thirty yuan as part of He Li's dowry.

With the He family's sincerity evident, the Guan family naturally couldn't lose out. Guan's father immediately decided on a dowry of 101, symbolizing one in a hundred.

With the two most important matters settled, it was almost lunchtime. To welcome their future in-laws, the He family prepared an extremely lavish lunch.

The pork was bought from the commune early in the morning, and before lunch, Sister-in-law He slaughtered a young rooster. Brother He caught fish in the river last night. The table was laden with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and all sorts of vegetables.

Sensing the He family's high regard, the Guan family became even more enthusiastic, and the meal ended with everyone enjoying themselves.

After finishing their meal, it was time to say goodbye. Guan Lixin looked at He Li with reluctance. If he could, he really wanted his parents and Mingxi to go back, and he would stay behind alone.

But that's obviously impossible.

Guan Lixin held He Li's hand, his eyes pleading, "Then I'm leaving, I really have to go."

He winked, hoping He Li would ask him to stay.

He Li found it amusing. She helplessly pulled Guan Lixin's hand away and said, "Sweetie, I'll come to the city to see you after I've had a few days off."

Guan Lixin instantly perked up, his eyes sparkling like a puppy's: "Really? It's a deal then, I'll be waiting for you."

He Li smiled and nodded.

"Let's go, or we'll miss the bus back to the city."

Guan Lixin took a deep breath, reluctant to hug He Li, his breath hitting He Li's neck.

He Li only felt hot and itchy.

Guan Lixin gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "I really wish we could get married today."

After saying that, he released He Li, waved, and left.

Mingxi, watching the two say goodbye, felt a pang of sympathy.

She left the He family home with Guan's parents and Guan Lixin, heading towards the village entrance. Halfway there, a middle-aged woman suddenly darted out from the roadside, startling Mingxi. The woman, Tian Zhaodi, unaware of anything amiss, rushed up to Mingxi, grinning and saying...

"Young comrade, don't be afraid. I'm from this village. My name is Tian Zhaodi, and I live next door to the He family. My husband's surname is Yang. Everyone in the village calls me Yang's wife. You can call me Aunt Yang or Aunt Tian, ​​whatever you like."

Mingxi swallowed hard. "Um, Aunt Tian, ​​what can I do for you?"

Tian Zhaodi's smile grew even brighter: "I heard you're the matchmaker who introduced He Li to potential partners, right? My son is also single and doesn't have a girlfriend yet, so could you help him find one too?"

Before Mingxi could agree, she began to speak at length: "My son's requirements are not high. He just requires the woman to be from the city, have a job after graduating from high school, and preferably be an only child. However, this is not a mandatory requirement. If she brings a large dowry, the conditions can be relaxed a bit. Having a brother is also acceptable."

"However, after we get married, she has to promise to bring me and my husband to the city as well. As a daughter-in-law, I don't expect her to pay her respects morning and evening, but she can't be completely unruly. She has to serve me and my husband well three times a day."

"And also, she has to give birth to a few more babies for my family's forest..."

She stood with her hands on her hips, head held high, her sharp, triangular eyes gleaming as if she had a long speech to deliver.

Mingxi couldn't hold back any longer and interrupted, "Aunt Tian, ​​wait a minute!"

"You've made so many demands, shouldn't you also tell me about your son's requirements?"

"Oh, my son?" Tian Zhaodi's triangular eyes swept over Mingxi from head to toe, as if she was considering whether Mingxi was worthy of listening to her son's conditions.

Mingxi: "Aunt Tian, ​​if you want me to introduce you to someone, you have to tell me the truth about your conditions. If you don't want to, then forget it, I have to catch my train."

"I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Tian Zhaodi quickly pulled Mingxi aside: "My son's name is Yang Shulin. He is twenty-five years old this year. He is the only male heir in three generations of our Yang family."

Mingxi frowned: "And then?"

Without mentioning education, job, or family background, the first thing he says is that he is the only male heir in three generations.

What's so special about this?

Tian Zhaodi: "In our Yang family, starting from Grandpa Shulin's father's generation, he was the only boy. Later on..."

Mingxi's lips twitched. She began to wonder if Tian Zhaodi in front of her was deliberately teasing her.

She began, "Aunt Tian, ​​I know what 'three generations of only sons' means, you don't need to explain that to me. What I want to ask is, does Yang Shulin have any other information to share? What is his education level? What job does he do now? How many people are in his family?"

Tian Zhaodi looked somewhat displeased: "Our Shulin never went to school, but he's smart. He's been different from other children since he was born."

She pulled Mingxi along and said proudly, "You have no idea how smart my Shulin is. He recognized people as soon as he was born. Other babies just cry when they are born, but my Shulin is different. He smiles when he sees me, but he doesn't smile when he sees other people. He only smiles when he sees me. He knows I am his mother. Isn't that smart!"

Mingxi was truly speechless.

The example that proves a man in his twenties is smart is that he smiled when he saw his mother when he was a newborn.

What kind of intelligence is that?

Seeing that Mingxi didn't agree with her, Tian Zhaodi cursed inwardly for not knowing her place, and continued, "Our Shulin is currently unemployed. But don't think it's because he can't find a job; he just doesn't want to work. If he wanted to, countless factories in the city would be vying to hire him. Our Shulin is destined for great things; working in a factory would be too much of a waste of his time."

Mingxi: "So what is the big thing he's going to do?"

Tian Zhaodi was speechless for a moment, not expecting Mingxi to ask such a question.

"We haven't decided on the forest yet, but he's still young, so he can take his time to think about it."

Mingxi: "? Young? He's already twenty-five, isn't he?"

Tian Zhaodi frowned. From Mingxi's tone, she could tell that Mingxi didn't seem to think much of her son.

Her face was gloomy, making her already sharp and mean expression even more unapproachable: "So what if he's twenty-five? A man is in his prime at thirty, he's still young!"

Mingxi couldn't reason with Tian Zhaodi.

With Yang Shulin's qualifications, he wouldn't be considered good enough to find a partner in the city, or even in the countryside. Most picky women wouldn't even consider him.

However, she felt that Tian Zhaodi did not have this awareness.

Mingxi was too lazy to waste words with Tian Zhaodi. She waved her hand and said, "Aunt Tian, ​​your requirements are too high. Given your son's conditions, I don't think I have any suitable girls to introduce to him. You should look for someone else."

After saying that, she shook off Tian Zhaodi's arm. Tian Zhaodi didn't react in time and tried to pull Mingxi back but missed, almost falling to the ground and getting a face full of dust.

By the time she realized what was happening, Mingxi had already reached the bus station. Just then, the bus arrived, and Mingxi lightly jumped on and left.

All that was left for Tian Zhaodi was the exhaust fumes from the bus.

Tian Zhaodi was furious. In her impotent rage, she grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and threw it at the departing bus.

Don't think she can't see that Mingxi doesn't like her son.

She's just a little girl, and she doesn't even like her son anymore.

Do you know who her son is? He's the only male heir in three generations of the Yang family! He's blessed by more than a dozen ancestors from three generations of the Yang family!

Tian Zhaodi was furious.

Mingxi's attitude further solidified her resolve to find a city wife for her son.

They all look down on her son, so let's wait until he gets married and get a good slap in the face!

Tian Zhaodi was already envisioning a grand drama of revenge and slapping Mingxi in her face, unaware that Mingxi didn't care about her at all.

At most, Mingxi would complain to Zhao Sulan when she got home, but by the next day, she would have completely forgotten about Tian Zhaodi.

A new week begins, and I've been busy since Monday morning.

Early in the morning, the Women's Federation was visited by two families fighting. As soon as Mingxi arrived at the office, Yu Xiaomin called her to break up the fight.

The two families were arguing so fiercely that they almost knocked the ceiling off the office. Yu Xiaomin tried to reason with them for a long time, but it was no use at all.

Mingxi didn't have the same good temper as Yu Xiaomin. She shouted, "Shut up, all of you!"

Mingxi had been working with Director Shen for some time and had learned about 80% of his imposing presence. Now, with a stern face and an imposing aura, she was quite intimidating, and the two families, who had been arguing incessantly, quieted down.

Yu Xiaomin secretly gave Mingxi a thumbs up from behind.

Once things quieted down, Mingxi quietly asked Yu Xiaomin what had happened.

If it were just a simple fight, it would at most escalate to the police station, not to the Women's Federation. Since these two families came to the Women's Federation saying they want them to resolve the issue, does that mean it involves women?

Yu Xiaomin leaned close to Mingxi's ear and whispered, "These two families who came today are a couple who just got married yesterday. The one standing to your left is the groom's family."

She pointed to a tall, thin man to Mingxi's left and said, "That's the groom from yesterday's wedding."

Mingxi nodded, pointed to her right and said, "And over here is the woman's family?"

Yu Xiaomin nodded: "Yes, the woman standing in the middle covering her face and crying is the bride who got married yesterday."

Mingxi: "So what was the reason for the fight between the two sides?"

Yu Xiaomin: "Because the man committed marriage fraud."

Mingxi scratched his head: "Huh?"

After Yu Xiaomin continued to explain, Mingxi finally understood what was going on.

It turns out that the couple who fought today met through a blind date. During the blind date, the man told the woman that he was a full-time worker at a steel factory. Because the matchmaker guaranteed him, the woman didn't think much of it and believed him.

It wasn't until yesterday, after the couple had their wedding and entered their bridal chamber, that the groom admitted to the bride that he wasn't a permanent worker at the steel factory at all; he wasn't even a temporary worker. He was just filling in for someone else.

The man's relative was injured and hospitalized and unable to work, so he asked the man to cover for him for three months.

The matchmaker who introduced them was either irresponsible, failing to investigate the situation herself, or bribed by the man, and told the woman that the man had a job.

Now that the two are married, the woman discovered that the man is unemployed and unable to support the family. Devastated, she went home and told her family. When the woman's parents found out, they were naturally furious and brought relatives to confront her.

Because this matter involved marriage fraud, the two sides eventually ended up having to go to the Women's Federation.

After Mingxi understood the whole story, she looked at the woman's family members, whose faces were flushed and whose anger had not subsided, and asked, "I understand what happened. I'd like to ask, what are your plans?"

She said, "The fact that the other party forged a job constitutes fraud. You can sue them, and if you win the case, the marriage certificate between this woman and the other party can be revoked, that is, it will be listed as an invalid marriage. If she remarries, it will still be considered her first marriage."

Upon hearing this, the woman who had been crying in the crowd paused, looked up, and her eyes lit up.

Her father, however, looked hesitant.

After thinking it over, he said, "But my daughter has already slept with him. Even if the marriage certificate can be revoked, it won't change anything."

As he spoke, the woman's face darkened, and she cried out unwillingly, "Dad!"

“Nizi, I know you’re unwilling and resentful, but if we make a big fuss about this, everyone will know you’ve been cheated. Wouldn’t you be even more ashamed to face people then? Even if you still want to get married, you won’t be able to marry a good man. How about we just let this go?”

The woman's father spoke up to persuade her.

Hearing his words, Mingxi's groom quickly spoke up: "Xiaoying, your father is right. Let's just let this matter go. I know I'm sorry, but it's because I love you so much. I was afraid you'd look down on me if you knew I didn't have a job, so I said that. Now that we're married, I also need to shoulder the responsibility of supporting the family. Don't worry, I'll look for a job tomorrow. I might as well do manual labor, but I won't let you go hungry. Trust me, I'll try my best to treat you well, I will..."

Mingxi interrupted, "Comrade—"

She looked at the woman whose eyes were red-rimmed and said, "Comrade, calm down. Don't listen to what others say; look at what you yourself think. Do you really want to ruin your life because of a lie? Do you want to spend your life with a man whose relationship with you was built on lies from the very beginning?"

The groom across from her was displeased upon hearing this, and he pointed at Mingxi's nose: "Hey, what are you saying!"

Mingxi ignored him completely; based on what he had just said, Mingxi looked down on him.

They're all ancient foxes, what's the point of playing these ghost stories with her? He spoke innocently and pitifully, like a pure-hearted warrior, but who couldn't tell that he was just making excuses for himself?

She said that she lied about having a job because she liked the other person so much.

Don't forget, these two met through a blind date. Before they even met, the matchmaker told the woman that the man had a job. He was lying from the very beginning; how could he possibly like her?

As for finding a job?

Ha, then it's even less credible.

If jobs were so easy to find, he would have found one long ago; why would he need to lie?

He just wanted to get something for nothing, thinking that even if the affair came to light, the woman would just keep quiet for fear of making a scene and losing face.

Mingxi wouldn't tolerate him.

Mingxi stared intently at the woman, wanting to know what she was thinking.

The woman being stared at pondered for a long time before looking up and asking, "What should I do if I want to sue him?"

"Xiao Ying!"

"Nizi!"

"Daughter!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of those present varied, with the most agitated being the lesbian's parents and the groom who had been deceived into marriage.

Mingxi pretended not to hear their shouts and explained seriously: "If you want to sue him, first you need to find someone to write the complaint. You can go to the court and find someone to help you write it. The court has specialists who will tell you how to write it. After the complaint is written, you can go to the court to file the case. The court will notify you of the subsequent procedures."

The woman nodded and said, "Thank you, you..."

Mingxi took the initiative to introduce herself: "My name is Mingxi."

She nodded earnestly: "My name is Li Ying, thank you, Comrade Ming."

Seeing that Li Ying was serious, her father became anxious: "Yingzi, what are you doing? Are you really going to sue Chen Lei? Don't you want to live a life of your own? Do you know what people will say if you really do this?"

Li Ying's mother also chimed in, "Daughter, it's easy for outsiders to talk when they're not in our shoes. We have to live our own lives. If you really get divorced, what will you do in the future? Can you handle coming back to the village with us? You might as well continue to live a good life with Chen Lei."

Despite the veiled criticism from Li Ying's mother, Mingxi wasn't angry; instead, she went along with what the other woman was saying.

“Comrade Li Ying, your mother is right. You still have to live your own life. You need to think carefully about whether you want to spend your life with someone who is a liar, a good-for-nothing, unemployed, and probably can’t even support himself.”

Upon hearing Mingxi's words, Li Ying's parents both paused.

Li Ying's mother's lips twitched twice, and finally she sighed and said, "Forget it, I won't say anything more. Yingzi, if you want to sue Chen Lei, then go ahead and sue him. Mom will go to court with you."

Li Ying is, after all, her own daughter. Even when she advised Li Ying before, it was because she didn't want Li Ying to be pointed at and gossiped about in the future. Living in the village, she knew best how terrible such rumors could be.

But then I thought, if Li Ying really had to live a life of hardship with Chen Lei, where they didn't know where their next meal would come from, it would be better to be criticized by others.

Li Ying's father saw that even his wife had switched sides, so he had nothing to say.

And so, the Li family fell silent.

The groom, Chen Lei, across from them, became extremely anxious: "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, you...you can't do this!"

Li's parents remained silent. Chen Lei then looked at Li Ying and said, "Xiao Ying, Xiao Ying, you must be joking with me, right? You don't really want to sue me, do you?"

"I know it's my fault. It's wrong of me to lie. I'm not human. You're angry with me. You can scold me or hit me however you want. Yes, hit me. Hit me a couple of times to calm down, okay?"

Seeing that Li Ying didn't move, Chen Lei stepped forward, grabbed Li Ying's hand, and slapped it against his own face.

"How are you? Xiaoying, are you calmed down yet?" Chen Lei, with the slap mark on his face, looked at Li Ying with a fawning expression.

Li Ying coldly withdrew her hand: "Your efforts are useless. I'm going to sue you."

After saying that, she turned and left. Chen Lei watched her departing figure and roared angrily, "Fine, you've got guts, huh? Then go ahead and sue me! Let everyone know that you slept with me, had a wedding night with me, and are a used slut who's been played with. Let's see what you do then, see if you'll ever have another man... Ouch!"

Chen Lei had just finished uttering his harsh words when he was suddenly doused with water. The chill seeped into his lungs, and he shouted, "Who did this to me?!"

He turned around angrily and saw a middle-aged woman in her fifties carrying a watering can, looking apologetic: "Young man, I'm sorry, I was assigned by my supervisor to water the ground to cool it down. I'm old and my eyesight isn't good, so I went the wrong way. I meant to water the ground, but I ended up spraying you all over."

Chen Lei was furious, but since the other party apologized so sincerely, he couldn't say anything more.

He could only wipe his face in frustration, turn around, and leave with his family.

After the Chen family left, Mingxi and Yu Xiaomin both gave Aunt Gong a thumbs up.

Aunt Gong waved her hand and spat fiercely at the departing backs of the Chen family.

"You shameless bastard, you deserve to be splashed!"

She was starting to regret it; why hadn't she filled her watering can with boiling water?

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Author's Note: Aunt Gong: [Sunglasses][Sunglasses][Sunglasses]