Lin Xiazhu wasn't provoked; she had been considering this matter all along. Before, she was unsure of Xiao An's attitude, but now that Xiao An had made his stance clear, there was no reason for her to push it away.
Why should she be afraid? Since they like each other, they should just continue dating and deal with the future later.
"Well, you've put in so much effort, spending over two million, it would be ungrateful of me not to agree. So, our relationship is settled, we'll be boyfriend and girlfriend from now on." Suddenly feeling a little embarrassed, she realized how formulaic and boring her words were.
Lin Taozi was stunned. Did her second sister and brother-in-law also speak so frankly when they were dating? Should she learn from them?
Lin Xiaoxue's eyes darted around, her mind racing. She thought to herself, "So Xiao An is different towards my older sister. He's been eyeing her for a while now. I didn't realize he was so quick to realize things. But if Bai Ru'an becomes my older sister's husband, it will be good for her, right?"
Gu Yan and Gu Qiao'er: "..." They seemed superfluous, but no matter how superfluous they were, they could only endure it. In any case, the Bai family wouldn't kick them out, so they could only obediently wait for the Bai family to feed them.
After Lin Xiazhu finished her makeup, Bai Ruan took her to her room, leaving the other four people staring at each other in the dressing room.
"I've always wondered what kind of fairy Xiao An would marry, someone as handsome as him. I never imagined he would like my eldest sister. She's so wonderful, and I'm so happy that Xiao An likes her." Lin Taozi's eyes sparkled, and she radiated a pink glow.
Lin Xiaoxue seemed thoughtful, but she was also in a good mood. In the past, she was always afraid that Xiao An would hold a grudge and suddenly suppress her or something. Now she didn't have to worry about that. After all, she was her sister-in-law and would always receive some care.
"They're just dating. Who knows what will happen in two or three years? Even married couples can get divorced, let alone people who are just dating. You don't know, but the divorce rate has been very high for the past few years," Gu Qiao'er reminded her with a smile.
Didn't they see Master Bai's attitude just now? He clearly disagreed, but he couldn't go against Bai Ru'an's wishes, so he only agreed temporarily. In the meantime, the Bai family will definitely take some action and try every means to break them up.
Lin Taozi seemed not to understand her meaning and continued, "That's true. The divorce rate has been rising steadily for the past few years. Not to mention other places, just in our area, our house isn't far from the county government, and people going to get their marriage certificates have to pass by our house."
At the beginning of the year, we saw seven couples getting married. But by the end of the year, I witnessed four couples who had only been married for less than ten months going to the county government to get divorced. Marriage and divorce are treated like a joke.
Gu Qiao'er nodded in agreement. Although she didn't have a good relationship with her older sister Gu Mei'er, she had been sending money back home on time every day after arriving in Beijing. Now, on the surface, she had a good relationship with her older sister. Anyway, her older sister often called her and told her gossip about their hometown, so she knew quite a lot.
"This also proves that times are changing. In the past, no matter how fiercely a couple argued, no one would get a divorce. If the husband beat and scolded her badly, the wife would be so angry that she would drink pesticide. If she had no other way to live, she could only end her life."
Now that people go out to work, they've seen more of the world and can find jobs. They can support themselves even without a husband. If they find they can't get along, or if the man has a bad temper and is abusive, wouldn't it be better to just get a divorce quickly?
"So it has nothing to do with whether you're married or not. It mainly depends on the person. If the person is bad, you should get a divorce as soon as possible. If the person is good, the relationship will naturally last." Lin Taozi concluded.
"However, family background is also very important. Things are different now than before. Nowadays, wealthy people receive better upbringing, education, and overall quality than the poor. Take this banquet, for example."
They had opportunities to attend events from a young age, knew many people, and had a wide network of connections. Their consumption views and values were different from those of the poor. It was difficult for two people who grew up in different environments to have the same preferences and habits... Gu Qiao'er knew quite a lot and listed a bunch of questions.
“But Xiao An grew up with us.” Lin Taozi blinked her almond-shaped eyes innocently.
“That was before. You two have been separated for so many years. Who knows what happened in between? He’s abroad. Do you know how he lives every day?” Gu Qiao’er argued, though she didn’t know what she was arguing about, and what the point of winning would be.
Lin Taozi was speechless and had no way to refute. Gu Qiao'er was a little smug. Lin Xiazhu and Bai Ru'an would break up soon. Just wait and see.
How could you break up? Lin Xiaoxue was the first to disagree. She glared at Gu Qiao'er and said, "What you said only applies to other people. Xiao An is different. He will definitely marry my older sister. He is destined to be my older sister's husband. There's no way around it."
It has to be, otherwise how could she legitimately cling to the Bai family's coattails?
"You're so confident..." Gu Qiao'er wanted to say something to provoke her, but Lin Xiaoxue's glare stopped her from speaking.
In Bai Ru'an's room on the second floor, Lin Xiazhu said with some distress, "Xiao'an, your grandfather is against us being together. He just agreed on the surface, but it's only because the banquet is about to start and he doesn't want any complications, so he used delaying tactics. He will definitely come back to be forceful later."
According to the typical TV drama trope, the first step wealthy people take to force their sons or grandsons to break up with poor girls is to freeze their bank cards and cut off their allowance. If they still don't listen, they kick them out of the house and let them experience the taste of poverty.
"...If you get kicked out of the Bai family, you'll be penniless again. I'll take you back to our hometown then, and we can develop a pig farming business with Chacha, as well as chicken and duck farms and fish ponds. There are many ways to make money, so you won't have to worry about making a living. However, your social standing will drop several levels. You should think about it carefully."
Lin Xiazhu patted his shoulder earnestly, but Xiao An was too tall, so she didn't feel natural doing the gesture and had to stand on tiptoe to get the pat on.
"You've even thought of a way out for us, so what's there to worry about? We've had it tough before, but we still lived it to the fullest. Now that we're all grown up, things will only get better." Bai Ru'an chuckled softly, feeling very happy.
"I'm afraid I'll make you feel wronged. After all, the Bai family is like a palace. If you leave the Bai family, you'll be a kept man. I'm afraid you'll feel disappointed." Lin Xiazhu chuckled. Originally, she had a dream of being a lazy bum, but if she were to raise Xiao An, she could turn her life around and continue to work hard.
“Fool, my great-grandfather left me a large sum of money. My grandfather and second uncle can’t touch it. Only I can control it. Even if they dare to kick me out of the Bai family, I will still be very rich and won’t let you suffer.”
Old Master Bai's assets were originally intended for his father, Bai Junsong, but since his father couldn't return, the enormous fortune was left to him.
"I forgot about that. It seems I was worrying unnecessarily. Does this mean we're not afraid of anyone? We can date whoever we want and get married whoever we want?" Lin Xiazhu couldn't help but want to laugh out loud. A life free from control is a truly carefree life.
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