She kept her mouth shut, but the boy next to her was getting anxious.

"How can we not be anxious? Families with connections in our class have already arranged jobs for their children. Otherwise, how can we possibly think about these things after graduation? Could it be that your aunt and uncle want to leave the family's money to your brother and are unwilling to get you a job?"

How could Zhao Man allow others to talk about her parents, even if the boy was someone she liked? The girl's face turned ugly as she said, "Don't talk nonsense. My parents are very good to me. You are not allowed to talk about them like that."

Although her attitude was bad, the boy next to her didn't seem angry at all. He even had a doting smile on his face. "I misspoke just now. I was just scared. My family isn't well-off, and they can't arrange a job for me. But I'm a boy, so it's okay if I have to work hard in the countryside. But you're a girl, how can you go to the countryside to do those hard and tiring jobs?"

These words perfectly portray the image of a considerate boyfriend, but upon closer listening, one can discern the underlying meaning.

As expected, Zhao Man immediately became anxious when she heard that her boyfriend was going to the countryside, "What will we do if you go to the countryside?"

She truly loved Fang Wei. Unlike the straight men in the army, he always appeared when she needed comfort the most, giving her a completely different experience.

She originally planned to bring him home to meet her parents after graduation, and marriage wouldn't be out of the question if the time was right. However, if he went to the countryside, her family would definitely not agree.

"I know I'm sorry, Xiaoman, wait for me. Going to the countryside is only temporary. I will definitely do my best and try to come back to see you as soon as possible."

Fang Wei looked at Zhao Man with deep affection, making Zhao Man blush. "Isn't there any other way?"

Things are different now than before. With more and more people going to the countryside, everyone knows that once you go to the countryside, it's not easy to come back.

Fang Wei sighed, "You know my family's situation. My dad is just a worker, and he has younger siblings to support. Where would we get the money to help me find a job? I've resigned myself to it. If I have to go to the countryside, I have to go. I can't just fight with my parents over a job, can I?"

“I’m not afraid of hardship in the countryside, I just can’t bear to leave you. If I could have a job and stay in the city, I would work hard and save money to marry you.”

"What nonsense are you talking about? Who wants to marry you?"

That's what they say, but judging from Zhao Man's blushing face, the young girl might already be dreaming about her wonderful married life.

"Honestly, I really envy you," Fang Wei persisted, gently guiding him.

"What do you envy about me?" Zhao Man asked, puzzled.

"I envy you for being born into a good family. Unlike me, I have suffered countless hardships since I was a child. After graduating from elementary school, my family didn't want me to continue my studies and wanted me to do odd jobs to support my younger siblings. If I hadn't begged so much, I wouldn't even have had the chance to meet you."

"You have loving parents and a good family background. I feel that with your aunt and uncle's abilities, you could easily afford two jobs, let alone one. With such a big difference between our two families, how could I possibly go to your door to ask for your hand in marriage?"

Fang Wei forced a smile. "Without a job, even if I could stay in the city, your parents wouldn't agree to our relationship. Sigh, in the end, it's still because I'm useless."

Zhao Man had never seen Fang Wei like this before, and she immediately became anxious. "How can you say that about yourself? Even though you have to go home to help after school, your grades are still above average in the class. If you had more time to study, you could definitely be at the top of your class. How can you say you're useless? In my opinion..."

Zhao Man was a little shy.

Fang Wei pressed further, "What do you think?"

"In my opinion, you are the best. If it weren't for your encouragement, I wouldn't have been able to work hard and get into high school. Don't underestimate yourself, okay?"

Fang Wei was deeply moved. "I'm really happy that you see me this way, but it's true that I'm unemployed. I want to marry you, but I can't let you suffer with me, you know?"

Blinded by love, Zhao Man didn't see anything wrong with what he said, but the shrewd Gu An'an and Aunt Xiao had already sensed the undercurrent in his words. After exchanging a glance, they heard Zhao Man say, "Don't worry, there might still be a chance. If that doesn't work, I'll think of something for you."

Fang Wei had been waiting for this very sentence. He kept saying no, but his actions completely charmed Zhao Man. After they finished eating and left, Xiao Ma said, "We need to talk to Zhang Meizi about this. Otherwise, if Xiao Man really ends up in a family like this, who knows what kind of life she'll have."

"Mom, that person next to Aunt Zhao is nasty!"

Gu An'an became interested. "Oh? How did it break?"

Xiao Dabao thought for a moment, not knowing how to describe it, and finally came to a conclusion, "It's bad, and it's not good-looking either."

Everyone laughed when he said that.

"It seems our Yun'an won't be fooled by boys anymore."

"That's right, you already know what's beautiful and ugly at such a young age. Da Bao, keep up this vigilance. If you grow up and get tricked by a little favor, see if Mom will spank your little bottom."

Spanking? No way.

Xiao Dabao stretched out his chubby white arm to cover his bottom, "Mom, pretty girls shouldn't hit people like that."

"Mom, you can't hit my sister, hit me instead."

Xiao Erbao stretched out his little arm to shield his sister, his face clearly showing his fierce protectiveness, which made Gu An'an laugh in exasperation.

"If you dare to be naughty, Mom will hit you too."

Xiao Erbao: ...Mom is very beautiful, but she's too fierce. As expected, Brother Dunzi was right, beautiful flowers are always prickly.

Joking aside, after Xiao Yuheng picked up his mother and children and returned to the family compound, Gu An'an went to the Zhao family's house immediately.

"Hey girl, what brings you here? Come on in and have a seat. I made some steamed buns, I'll take some back for the kids to try later."

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony with you, sister-in-law. By the way, sister-in-law, has Xiaoman returned yet?"

Aunt Zhang shook her head. "It's only Thursday today. That girl won't be back until tomorrow. What's wrong, sister? Do you need to see her?"

After considering it carefully, Gu An'an recounted what she had seen that afternoon. Although Gu An'an had embellished her story, it still infuriated Aunt Zhang.

"No wonder I said that girl went into her room and did something as soon as she came back. It turns out she's been secretly dating someone behind our backs. She's an eighteen-year-old young woman. If she had just told me she was dating someone, I wouldn't have scolded her. I could have even helped her vet the best men. It's better than her being completely fooled right now!"