Buling didn't go straight back to the courtyard house. She went to the tailor shop first, picked up the clothes she had made half a month ago, and then returned to the courtyard house.

Her mood was inevitably affected. When she returned to the courtyard house, she no longer had a smile on her face. After greeting the elderly folks, she took out her newly made clothes, washed them, hung them up to dry, and then went back inside.

Too lazy to cook dinner, I just ate two steamed buns to tide me over, then lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Tan Xiao's actions would be met with gossip and criticism even in modern times, let alone in this era. It's hard to know what the final outcome will be.

She rolled over in frustration; this kind of thing really ruined her mood.

The next morning, Buling, sporting huge dark circles under her eyes, came out of the house, expressionlessly collected the clothes she had washed the night before, and went back inside.

Aunt Tian and Aunt Wu, who were washing clothes in the yard, exchanged a glance, wondering what was wrong with this girl, who had such a sullen face so early in the morning.

Bling put on her newly made black and white striped short-sleeved shirt, slung her green bag over her shoulder, and pushed her bicycle out the door.

As expected, neither Grandpa Tan nor Tan Xiao came to work that day. When Manager Zhu made the announcement, Bu Ling kept secretly watching Han Yu. There was a momentary unease on his face, but it was fleeting and Bu Ling still noticed it.

The temporary head chef for Grandpa Tan is said to be the head chef of the coal yard canteen. I don't know how good his cooking is, but he's dark-skinned, fat, and looks fierce.

I didn't sleep well last night, so the smiling service at Buling was very perfunctory today.

When Sangshen came for lunch, he saw the little black girl giving him a forced smile.

Mulberry: ? ? ?

Ingratitude?

He also had a stern face.

"Braised pork ribs, peach blossom noodles," he said expressionlessly.

Bu Ling said weakly, "Braised pork ribs cost 1.5 yuan plus half a jin of meat coupons, and peach blossom noodles cost 8 mao plus two liang of grain coupons."

"Here you go!" Sangshen handed over the money almost as soon as Buling finished quoting the price.

Bling took the money and smiled when she looked up. Her smile broadened when she saw that it was the handsome young man she hadn't seen in a long time.

What can relieve my worries? Only a handsome brother!

Sang Shen looked at the familiar big white teeth and finally found a seat, satisfied. This time, he didn't turn his back to the little black girl.

So, Buling openly began to admire male beauty, and the more she looked, the more she felt that this was her ideal type—dignified yet handsome. His handsomeness also possessed a touch of youthful vigor; he was simply too perfect, as if he had been placed right in her heart.

Sangshen subtly curled the corners of her lips, and only when she felt the increasingly intense gaze upon him did she sigh inwardly, "Unfortunately, he doesn't like black."

After admiring the male beauty for a while, Bling's mood improved and he started to feel better.

Mr. Tan and his daughter did not come to work all day. It wasn't until late in the evening, just before they were about to leave work, that Mr. Tan brought Tan Xiao, who looked pale, to the state-run restaurant.

At this moment, Grandpa Tan's smile vanished, and Tan Xiao's eyes were red and swollen.

Looking at the two of them, Bu Ling's heart sank again. It seemed that her guess yesterday had come true. Tan Xiao was indeed pregnant.

Ignoring his colleagues' stares, Grandpa Tan dragged Tan Xiao into the kitchen and said to Han Yu, who was busy at work, "Little Han, come to my house for dinner tonight. I'll teach you how to make braised pork ribs." Braised pork ribs were Grandpa Tan's specialty.

Han Yu's heart sank as he heard Grandpa Tan's words. Seeing Tan Xiao's red eyes and the hidden disgust in his master's eyes, he knew it was over. His affair with Tan Xiao had been discovered.

His face was pale, and he wanted to explain.

Grandpa Tan didn't give him a chance to explain. "It's settled then!" he said, pulling Tan Xiao, who was silently shedding tears, out of the room. When they passed Bu Ling, he even smiled at her, but the smile was uglier than a cry.

In the evening, at Grandpa Tan's house

Mr. Tan, his wife, their son, and their daughter-in-law were all sitting in the living room, their expressions very solemn.

After a long pause, Brother Tan finally spoke up and asked, "Father, what should we do?"

Grandpa Tan sighed, his body hunched over, looking as if he had aged ten years: "Your sister said she'd rather die than not marry Han Yu, so let's grant her wish!"

"Father!!" Brother Tan and Sister-in-law Tan

"Old man!" Aunt Tan exclaimed.

Grandpa Tan waved his hand and said to Tan Xiao, whose eyes were filled with joy, "Since you were little, I have doted on you the most because you are a girl. Your two older brothers also indulged you. Going to the countryside was hard work, so I sent your second brother. I went to great lengths to find you a job so that you could stay with us. All these years of pampering have resulted in you being willing to die for a man, speaking ill of your parents, brothers and sisters-in-law for a man, and threatening your parents for a man."

He was at a loss for what to do with his daughter. He couldn't just watch her die, so he decided to grant her wish.

Aunt Tan burst into tears: "Xiaoxiao, you're so foolish! What man who truly cares for you would let you get pregnant before marriage? If he really loved you, wouldn't he consider your feelings?"

Tan Xiao said with her neck stiff, "Mom and Dad, don't worry, Brother Han will definitely treat me well. He said that I will be in charge of the money from now on."

Brother Tan and Sister-in-law Tan exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. Even if they had a thousand ways to suppress this matter, Tan Xiao was unwilling, so they would grant her wish. They hoped that her Brother Han would really be as she said.

Bu Ling didn't know exactly what Grandpa Tan said to Han Yu, only that the two of them handed out wedding candies together at the state-run restaurant the next day when they went to work.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!