Ye Peng shook his head; this was not what he wanted to hear.

He came here thinking that Ye Jin'er would rush into his arms immediately and then they would discuss how to get married.

He's capable of anything if he can achieve his goal.

He was ready to elope or do whatever he wanted.

To my surprise, she said she didn't like him?

Ye Peng shook his head vigorously: "That's not true, you're lying. You do like me! It's all because your aunt forced you, can you swear to God?"

Ye Jin'er said, "I, Ye Jin'er, swear to heaven that this was my own intention! No one forced me. If it is false, may I be struck by lightning."

Ye Peng was stunned. She actually swore an oath?

How dare she?

He still shook his head: "I don't believe it."

Ye Jin'er was a little angry at his stubborn appearance:

"To be honest with you, I did think you were closer to my older cousins ​​than my second older cousin. But that's all! Besides, we're all getting on in years now, so why haven't you grown up yet? You're still acting like an immature child."

Ye Peng was dumbfounded: "What do you mean by that? I've grown up too! Are you saying that I'm not making progress? That you think I can't be like my second brother and pass the imperial examination? But you clearly said before that you didn't mind."

Ye Jin'er was a little speechless: "We can't have a conversation anymore."

"Why can't we connect? I think it's great. Besides, putting aside whether we like each other or not, we can still get married even if we don't!"

As he spoke, he looked at her with anticipation.

Ye Jin'er felt that it was a bit of a nonsensical argument: "What kind of marriage? Putting everything else aside, just look at my second aunt. With a mother-in-law like that, there's no way I could marry you."

“My mother… she’s just a little stingy. Why can’t she get married? She’s your aunt, she’ll definitely treat you well.”

Ye Jin'er shook her head: "I don't think so."

"How can you think like that? She's your aunt! Don't worry, as long as you're willing to marry her, I will definitely, absolutely, positively treat you well, and so will my mother. We will never let you suffer any injustice. Jin'er..."

As he spoke, he looked at her with deep affection.

Ye Jin'er covered her eyes, refusing to look at him.

I always feel like they're not getting to the point. If she says something, he says something else, as if he can't understand human language.

Or, it could mean pretending not to understand.

How can he guarantee that he won't let her suffer any injustice?

She was saying that her second aunt was stingy and didn't want a mother-in-law like that, but he couldn't think of any other solutions and kept dodging the issue, making useless promises.

Ye Jin'er's last bit of goodwill towards him vanished completely.

Ye Jin'er didn't care whether he genuinely didn't understand or was pretending; her expression was somewhat cold.

"Anyway, it's impossible for us. I... I might have had some feelings for you before, but not anymore."

"Why, why? Just because of my mother? My mother hasn't done anything wrong!" Ye Peng couldn't accept this fact. "She's just a little stingy and a bit of a nag."

Ye Jin'er didn't want to talk to him anymore, and her little face hardened:

"I'm saying this for the last time, it's impossible for us. There are three reasons: First, I don't like you. Second, I don't want my second aunt to be my mother-in-law. Third, cousins ​​marrying will result in children with intellectual disabilities."

After saying that, Ye Jin'er turned and left.

Ye Caiping and Huan'er, who were in the distance, breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Ye Peng had at least not done anything rash.

When Ye Jin'er came over, Ye Caiping patted her hand lightly: "This matter is over. Don't think about it anymore."

"Um."

After Ye Jin'er left, Ye Peng stood there dumbfounded.

He didn't understand why cousins ​​marrying would result in a child being mentally challenged, but he understood the first two points.

She doesn't like him!

I don't want his mother to be my mother-in-law!

What cousins ​​could have a child with intellectual disabilities...? That's just an excuse.

But her attitude was clear... she didn't like him!

He could tell too; she had changed!

Ye Peng walked home with unsteady steps.

Mrs. Wei had been looking out the door, and when she saw him return, she rushed over.

This morning, when she saw Ye Peng change into new clothes and go out excitedly, she knew he must have made an appointment with Jin'er.

Mrs. Wei was overjoyed and stood at the door, waiting and hoping.

She had already made up her mind. She would pretend to give up on the matter and secretly let Ye Peng sleep with Jin'er. Once she got pregnant, there would be nothing she couldn't accomplish.

At most, she'll lower her stance a bit then.

Ideally, the first child would be a girl, so that Jin'er would be ashamed and her sister-in-law would not dare to cause trouble again.

Ms. Wei was filled with excitement when she finally saw Ye Peng return.

He excitedly ran over: "Peng'er, you..."

She paused, then noticed Ye Peng's distraught expression and her heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong? What did Jin'er say?"

Ye Peng walked silently through the gate.

"Hey!" Madam Wei grabbed his arm. "I'm asking you, what happened? Haven't you seen Jin'er?"

"No...I saw it..."

Mrs. Wei was delighted: "Then..."

"She said she didn't like me. She also said that cousins ​​marrying would result in having a mentally challenged child..."

After saying that, he rushed into the house.

Mrs. Wei was stunned, and finally her face was so angry that it almost twisted.

Jin'er doesn't like Peng'er? Then they can't be together?

It won't work!

How could you do that!

She had already decided on this daughter-in-law!

Ever since her sister-in-law was divorced and sent back to her parents' home, she felt that Ye Jin'er would be her daughter-in-law!

At the time, I thought that if I married Ye Jin'er, I wouldn't need to pay any dowry, and she would be marrying into my own family. My parents would definitely agree.

Later, as her sister-in-law became wealthier, she became even more satisfied with her daughter-in-law.

If you marry her and then marry Huan'er off, everything the sister-in-law owns will belong to her Peng'er.

Furthermore, the furniture workshop gets so much money, but the owner doesn't get any shares at all.

It's one thing if the workshop belongs to her sister-in-law, since she had long accepted the fact that her sister-in-law was richer than her.

But the eldest brother and sister-in-law's family...

They used to be no match for hers, but now they've suddenly surpassed hers.

It looks like her monthly income will be three or four times that of her family.

Ye Xuan even passed the imperial examination and became a scholar...

Everything about hers is better!

This made Ms. Wei feel bitter inside.

No, no, absolutely not...

Wei gritted her teeth, determined to give it one more try!

If Jin'er were willing, they could force the issue, but the other party is unwilling now...

If she used some kind of trick...

I'm afraid that even if Jin'er really marries into the family, her husband will divorce her.

Then all her efforts would have been in vain.

Having no other choice, Mrs. Wei thought for a moment, then took a basket of eggs back to her parents' home to ask for their advice.

Inside the Wei family's mud-brick house—

Old Lady Wei looked at the eggs she had brought back and her face darkened: "Is this all you brought back?"

Mrs. Wei said, "A whole basket of eggs, more than twenty of them, is that not enough?"

"Everyone knows you earn over ninety taels a month, yet you don't even bring back half a tael more." Old Madam Wei gave her a disapproving look.