Lin Tao did not refuse this time, and the two walked forward side by side.

Li Chengxi told her about his situation: he was 27 years old and currently held the position of a regiment leader. His family situation was a little more complicated, as he had a stepmother, but she didn't usually keep in touch with her family, so it wasn't a big problem.

Actually, he would have been twenty-eight this year after his birthday, but since his birthday had not yet arrived, he deliberately said he was twenty-seven.

I didn’t think that twenty-seven or twenty-eight was too old before, but now facing Lin Tao, who is not even twenty years old, I feel that I am indeed a little old.

Before meeting Li Chengxi, Lin Tao felt that she had a lot to say, but when they really met, she didn't know what to say.

Li Chengxi asked: "Do you like watching movies? Are you free tomorrow? I want to invite you to watch a movie."

Lin Tao nodded and said, "I'll treat you as a thank you for saving me today."

"That's fine." Li Chengxi didn't say much.

When they were about to reach the oxcart, Lin Tao stopped and said, "I want to take the oxcart home there, why don't you just take me here. There are many people in the village, and if we are seen, people will definitely gossip about me..."

After all, she and Li Chengqi are just friends now, and she doesn't want to be framed.

Li Chengxi nodded to show his understanding: "Okay, then I'll stay here and watch you get on the bus before I leave."

"Yeah." Lin Tao nodded, and the corners of her mouth raised because of Li Chengxi's words.

Lin Tao had just taken two steps when she heard Li Chengxi's voice behind her: "I'll be waiting for you here at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Okay." Lin Tao turned around and waved at him, "Then I'm leaving."

"Go quickly."

She walked slower than usual, as if she were an ant, but she soon reached the end of this short journey.

She greeted Uncle Liu who was driving the ox cart, and Lin Tao climbed onto the ox cart.

I don’t know if it was intentional, but as soon as Lin Tao got on, the women on the ox cart started talking about Lin Hui and Shen Guobin.

"Guess who I just ran into at the supply and marketing cooperative? I ran into Lin Hui and Captain Shen. Captain Shen was picking out a watch for Lin Hui. I heard that it was such a small watch, but he spent 200 yuan on it. Wow, Captain Shen is really generous. The betrothal gift alone was several hundred yuan, and he also bought her a watch. What a good man."

"Auntie, don't you see who is sitting next to you? Why are you still talking about this? Aren't you afraid that Lin Tao will feel uncomfortable after hearing this? After all, this is supposed to be her wedding, and the watch should be hers."

The worst people in the village are those who enjoy making trouble and gossiping.

Lin Tao frowned and pretended not to hear what they said.

But the man didn't give up even after waiting for her response, and deliberately approached her: "Lin Tao, all the things that should have been yours were given to Lin Hui, don't you feel bad?"

Lin Tao was speechless, but she couldn't ignore her, otherwise who knows what unpleasant words might come out of her mouth.

She smiled and said, "Sister Cai, look at what you said. This matter was never decided in the first place. It was my grandmother who was messing around. I never agreed to it from the beginning. How did it become something that should have belonged to me? It's fine for Sister Cai to say this in front of me, but if my grandmother hears it and scolds you, I won't be able to help you."

When the woman heard the name of Old Lady Lin, she curled her lips and turned away angrily to tell others about her neighbor's nagging.

After the ox cart was full, Uncle Liu reminded everyone to hold on tight, and with a wave of the whip in his hand, the ox cart started off.

Lin Tao couldn't help but turn around and look in the direction of Li Chengxi. She thought he had already left, but found that he was still standing there.

He met her gaze and waved at her.

Lin Tao's heart was pounding and her face was flushed.

After returning home, Lin Tao began to prepare dinner.

Lin Changhai has been delivering goods in Xiangcheng these past two days and doesn't need to drive long distances, so he comes to have dinner every night.

Today they had stir-fried bamboo shoots and long beans with pork lard. Her father had to go to work, so they had to eat better. Therefore, Lin Tao would always take the time to prepare dinner.

It was impossible for her to eat meat every day, but she had to at least let her father have some meat so that he would have the strength to work.

I pickled the bamboo shoots myself, and I grew beans in my own field. I picked a handful of older ones to stir-fry the fresh ones, and planned to pickle the tender ones into sour beans.

Just after washing the vegetables, Lin Hui, the uninvited guest, arrived.

On her wrist she wore a new watch she had just bought today, and her face was full of excitement. She had step by step taken away everything that had belonged to Lin Tao in her previous life.

And if Zhao Yuejin succeeds, Lin Tao will undoubtedly follow the same path as she did in her previous life.

But before she could even walk into the stove room today, she saw Lin Tao holding a basin of water and pouring it on her.

The water this time was different from the last time. Last time there were only a few drops, but this time it was a full basin, and Lin Hui became the chicken drowned in the soup.

“Ah—Lin Tao, you are crazy!” Lin Hui yelled and wiped her face. Her first reaction was to quickly check her new watch. Fortunately, nothing happened.

Lin Tao's face was cold: "I think you are the crazy one, Lin Hui, I think I have told you very clearly that I can't possibly like someone like Zhao Yuejin. Don't you understand what I'm saying? Why did you go to Zhao Yuejin and give him advice, allowing him to continue to harass me?"

If Zhao Yuejin hadn't betrayed Lin Hui at the Public Security Bureau, she really wouldn't have known that it was Lin Hui who was behind it.

Lin Hui was a little embarrassed by what she said, but she still argued: "Do you think I am willing to care about you? I really don't know what you are so arrogant about. You don't even want Zhao Yuejin, the son of the deputy director of the factory. Who would dare to want you with your identity as a coffin child? You will only marry someone else and become a stepmother."

"You don't need to worry about my affairs. Just be a good stepmother."

Lin Hui straightened her back and said, "Just wait. I will definitely be a good stepmother and raise good sons and daughters. When they are filial to me, you can be jealous!"

Lin Tao found it funny, sneered, and didn't bother to pay attention to her, and continued to make dinner.

Lin Changhai came back to eat in the evening. He had been delivering goods to other factories these past two days and was also responsible for unloading the goods. It was very tiring. He had to work harder and eat more than usual.

Lin Tao thought about what happened today and wanted to talk to Lin Changhai and hear his opinion: "Dad, I want to tell you something."

"You said... cough cough cough..." Lin Changhai was eating in a hurry and was accidentally choked while speaking.

Lin Tao quickly poured him some water to drink. When Lin Changhai recovered, he asked her what happened. Lin Tao blushed and said she would tell him in two days.

In fact, it was normal for her to make such a decision. After all, Li Chengxi hadn't said anything to her yet. It would be bad if she told her father about it in such a hurry.

She wanted to wait and see tomorrow.

Lin Changhai muttered: "This kid is silent again."

Lin Tao stuck out her tongue at her father and quickly went to wash the dishes.

*******************

The next day, Lin Tao got up early, made breakfast, fed the chickens and ducks, packed up and prepared to go out.

We will not rush to gather today. Although it is the idle time for farmers, there are still relatively few people who have nothing to do in the county town. At this time, the ox cart usually runs twice, one at 8:30 in the morning and one at 3:30 in the afternoon. If anyone wants to ride the ox cart, they have to calculate the time.

Not long after the ox cart set off, Shen Guobin caught up on a bicycle with Lin Hui on board.

This inevitably caused the people on the ox cart to start talking again, and as they talked, they started talking about Lin Tao again.

It was impossible to get them to shut up, so Lin Tao pretended to be asleep and closed her eyes, so no one asked her what she thought anymore.

I really don't know what she has to ask every day. What can she think? Of course she wishes them a long and happy life together.

She had never wanted to marry and become a stepmother from the beginning, and now, she would never regret it.

The bicycle was riding fast and soon disappeared.

By the time the oxcart arrived at the county town, it was almost ten o'clock.

Lin Tao didn't have a watch either, so she could only roughly estimate the time. However, when she walked to the place where she and Li Chengxi had parted last night, she found that Li Chengxi was already waiting there.

Lin Tao was a little out of breath from running, her face flushed, and she asked hurriedly, "Am I not late?"

Li Chengqi shook his head: "No, I came too early."

"That's good. I was afraid I would be late." Lin Tao smiled. "Then let's go."

"No hurry, take a break and drink some water before you go." Li Chengxi pointed at the military water bottle on Lin Tao's waist.

Lin Tao nodded, and when she raised her head to drink water, her fair neck was exposed. She wiped the water stains from the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand and explained to Li Chengxi: "This is from my father, who is a retired soldier."

Li Chengxi smiled, and the two of them talked as they walked, and soon they arrived at the cinema.

There is also a small service center outside the cinema that specializes in selling snacks, which are perfect for eating while watching movies. Li Chengxi bought some melon seeds, peanuts and red shrimp cakes.

They are lucky because a new movie happens to be released today.

Li Chengxi was about to buy a ticket, and Lin Tao quickly said, "We agreed yesterday that I would treat you to a movie today, so don't try to snatch it from me."

"Okay, I won't compete with you. I'll wait for you here." Li Chengxi stood where he was, watching the little girl go to the counter to buy tickets.

After a while, a female comrade came up to him and looked at him.

Li Chengxi felt uncomfortable with this scrutiny. He frowned and was about to speak when the female comrade asked suspiciously, "Are you Lin Tao's girlfriend?"

Hearing Lin Tao's name, Li Chengxi suppressed his discomfort and asked, "Who are you?"

Lin Hui also came to watch a movie with Shen Guobin, but unexpectedly ran into Lin Tao and a man here.

She pouted, "I'm Lin Tao's cousin. Are you dating Lin Tao? I can tell you that Lin Tao is a coffin child. She was born after her mother died. It's unlucky. No one in our place who knows her background dares to date her. If you are with her and you are unlucky in the future, don't blame no one for reminding you."

Li Chengxi's eyes were filled with disgust, and he said coldly, "If you spread feudal superstition, you will be arrested. If you keep talking nonsense like this, I will ask the police to arrest you. Don't blame me for not reminding you."

Lin Hui was so angry that she fell backwards: "You...! I took your kindness for granted."

Li Chengxi sneered: "Get out of here with your ass, you don't need to care about what happens between Lin Tao and me."