Chapter 14 Urging Marriage
As soon as Lin Xili pushed open the bamboo gate, Grandma Huo, who was guarding the door, grabbed her hand.
"Oh, Miss Xili, you're back!"
"Old Zhang's wife at the street corner just told me that you're really amazing. You could tell at a glance that Old Li didn't have epilepsy, but was just having an allergic reaction to something he ate."
"If it weren't for you, we might have been delayed by the time the ambulance arrived. You're beautiful, kind, and capable!"
Lin Xili was somewhat taken aback; the news from the small town had spread far too quickly.
"Grandma, you flatter me. I just happen to know a little bit about it."
"This isn't a coincidence, it's real skill!"
Grandma Huo looked at her and became more and more satisfied. During lunch, she felt that their relationship had taken another step forward.
Grandma Huo then asked mysteriously, "Xi Li, Grandma has a question for you. You're such a good girl, do you have a boyfriend? Are you married?"
Lin Xili didn't understand why Grandma Huo suddenly asked this, so she shook her head and answered truthfully, "No."
"That's great!"
Grandma Huo clapped her hands and suddenly grabbed her hand, "Look at my grandson, Nan Chen, what do you think?"
"You know he's a doctor too, so he's your colleague. Although he's a bit quiet, he's reliable and good-looking. Grandma thinks you two look incredibly well-matched!"
Lin Xili felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. She had heard Wen Qing complain many times that the villagers in her hometown would try to set her up as a matchmaker as soon as they saw her.
Mention Dr. Huo?
Huo Nanchen is indeed a man of few words. He only talks to patients about their conditions, and he goes about his business alone after get off work. He has never been seen chatting with any villagers.
Two people who don't like to talk are together?
Just thinking about that scene is suffocating; wouldn't they become a pair of silent gourds?
She took a deep breath and offered the most practical reason to refuse: "Grandma Huo, thank you for your kindness, but we're not a good match. I have hyperthyroidism, this disease..."
"Oh dear, what's the big deal!"
Grandma Huo interrupted her before she could finish, "These are minor ailments, Grandma knows that, it's nothing serious. Besides, you know Nan Chen specializes in this kind of illness, he can definitely cure you. There's no rush to have children, you two can get to know each other first, it will be more convenient for him to take care of you."
Lin Xili looked at Grandma Huo's completely indifferent attitude, and the same was true for the patients' families at the health center.
To Grandma Huo and everyone else, it seemed to be just a minor ailment.
But in her original world, this minor flaw became the reason for her being jilted and suspended from her job, and a label that made her unqualified.
She recalled that marriage in wealthy families was essentially just a bargaining chip for exchanging benefits, with no autonomy whatsoever.
Her only wish now is to recover from her illness, have her test results return to normal, and be able to return to work in the forensic department.
"Dr. Huo is a very good person, he deserves better."
Lin Xili lowered his eyes. "A more lively and cheerful girl is more suitable for him. I am not suitable."
Grandma Huo knew that there was a very high wall in her heart, and it would probably be difficult to break it down in a short time.
She sighed regretfully, "Alas, what a pity... Grandma truly felt that you two were destined to be together."
Lin Xili didn't respond further, but just smiled and said, "Grandma, I'll go upstairs now."
After saying that, she practically fled upstairs, returning to her temporary safe haven.
Grandma Huo's enthusiasm and matchmaking, like a mirror, revealed even more clearly her inner resistance to intimate relationships and her pessimism about the future.
I had just sat down on the rocking chair on the terrace, wanting to get some fresh air, when my phone started ringing again.
The word "Mom" was still flashing on the screen.
Lin Xili's brows furrowed instantly, a sense of irritation welling up inside her.
She didn't want to answer, but the phone kept ringing, as if it wouldn't stop unless she answered.
She still pressed the answer button, "Mom, what's up now?"
On the other end of the phone, Song Yuan's voice was urgent: "Xili, get ready and come back right away."
"Go back? Didn't I say I'd only go back the day before the wedding?"
"It's not about the wedding!" Song Yuan said impatiently. "We've found you a marriage partner. The other person is a good match. Come back, meet him, and settle things."
"Find me a marriage partner?" Lin Xili smiled wryly. "Aren't you all busy preparing for Xue Nuo and Xu Yanchi's wedding right now? How come you have time to worry about me?"
"Here's the thing. When we asked the master to match Xue Nuo and Yan Chi's birth dates and choose an auspicious date, the master specifically calculated that Xue Nuo should not get married before her older siblings, otherwise it would be detrimental to the family's fortune and her marriage. Your brother is already married, and you're the only one who isn't. So, you have to get married before Xue Nuo."
Lin Xili sneered inwardly, "Just as I thought."
Wealthy families may appear glamorous and modern on the surface, but they are often the most superstitious at heart.
For the sake of so-called family fortune, people can easily arrange and sacrifice their children's marriages.
"Mom, have you forgotten? I have hyperthyroidism. Who in high society doesn't know that? Who would want to marry me?"
"Yes, of course there is. The second son of the Wang family lost his wife two years ago, leaving behind a three-year-old daughter. He already has a child, but he's not in a rush to have another one. You can take your medicine and adjust your body gradually."
Lin Xili felt a chill rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her blood almost froze.
"Mom," her voice trembled, "you...you actually want me to be someone's stepmother?"
"What's wrong with being a stepmother?"
"That's the Wang family. They're very wealthy. Countless women would kill to marry into their family and become a stepmother in a rich household!"
"Xi Li, you need to face reality. Real estate is a sunset industry now. Our Lin family may look glamorous on the surface, but do you know how much pressure we're under inside? Every ally we have is another source of funding. Don't be reckless!"
"I won't marry him!" Lin Xili refused resolutely. "I won't marry a divorced man, and I certainly won't become someone's stepmother!"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Song Yuan's voice turned cold: "So, do you want to see your sister's wedding fall through? To affect the Lin family's fortune?"
Lin Xili gripped her phone tightly, her nails almost digging into her palm.
She felt utterly absurd and deeply disheartened.
Are they really so willing to just get rid of Lin Xuenuo for the sake of her marriage and the Lin family's fortune?
She took a deep breath. "Is it okay as long as I get married, no matter who the other person is, as long as I get married before Jon Snow?"
Song Yuan seemed surprised by the question and hesitated for a moment before replying, "That's the principle, but don't think you can just find anyone to fool. At the very least, they have to be a good match for the Lin family and be able to help them. Otherwise, it won't work!"
Marrying someone of equal social standing? Would that help?
A cold smile curled at the corners of Lin Xili's lips.
"I see."
After she finished speaking, she hung up the phone without waiting for Song Yuan to say anything more.
Hearing the busy tone from her phone, she stood on the terrace, watching Grandma Huo tending to the flowers in the yard. An impulsive and absurd plan exploded in her mind.
Since they're pressuring her to get married, and since being well-matched in social status is so important...
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