The next morning, just after sunrise and before the relatives arrived, a group of unusual guests arrived at the Liu family's door. They were pushing bicycles, carrying sewing machines, and furniture with thirty-six legs.
The neighbors mistakenly thought that these were dowries sent by Deng Wanjun's family, but the Liu family knew clearly that this was not the case, because Deng Wanjun's dowries were all placed in the courtyard of Jingshi. They could not help but frown, full of doubts.
Just then, a plain-looking man with a smile on his face walked to the front of the group. Liu Yanran looked at him carefully and felt that he looked familiar, but for a moment she couldn't remember where she had seen him.
The man enthusiastically took out a pack of cigarettes and offered them to Liu Chunping and Liu Guoxing, but they politely declined. Instead of feeling awkward, the man introduced himself naturally and familiarly, "Uncle, brother, my name is Zhou Li. I met Comrade Liu Yanran at the Canton Fair last time. Today, I've brought a small gift to propose marriage to you."
"Don't try to get close to me. My sister doesn't know you very well. Go back to where you came from." Liu Guoxing crossed his arms, with a hint of disdain and vigilance in his eyes.
At this moment, Zhou Li, standing nearby, also frowned, a look of dissatisfaction on his face. He looked at Liu Chunling and said with a complaining tone, "Aunt, didn't you say you'd tell my uncle and auntie first when you got back? If I'd known you were so useless, I would have asked my parents to tell them."
When Liu Chunling heard this, her expression suddenly turned very ugly. She glared at Zhou Li, but did not dare to refute him, so she could only lower her head helplessly.
It turned out that Zhou Li was the son of Liu Chunling's husband's sister. Liu Chunling had initially thought she had married a wealthy man, but in reality, the real rich people were her husband's brother-in-law's family. Chen Jiajun was just an errand boy for his brother-in-law, in other words, a wage earner.
Although they claimed to have a house in Shanghai, the actual situation was that a family of four was squeezed into a small house of only more than 20 square meters.
Later, she felt ashamed and never returned home. After all, she made a big mistake in the heat of the moment, and now she can't face her family. This time, Zhou Li represented his family to do business at the Canton Fair and took a fancy to the dazzling Liu Yanran at first sight.
Over the years, their family has been relying on the Zhou family for their livelihood. When she saw the photo in the newspaper, combined with the name, she immediately guessed that this was her brother's daughter. So, she volunteered to return home and wanted to match Zhou Li and Liu Yanran.
However, after returning, she gradually discovered that Liu Yanran was a very independent girl with a clear plan for her future. Although she had not been home for a long time, her family still warmly entertained her, making her feel the warmth of home.
Therefore, she was never able to bring up this topic, and secretly felt that Zhou Li, the dandy boy, was not worthy of her lovely little niece.
"Zhou Li, I don't think you and Yanran are suitable for each other, so I didn't mention it. You should go back. There is an important matter at my parents' house today. Don't make a scene that will disturb everyone's attention." Liu Chunling seemed to have figured something out and said bluntly.
"What? Aunt, what are you talking about! How can Yanran and I not be suitable?" Zhou Li's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief, as if he had heard some fairy tale. He couldn't believe his ears. How could such words come out of his aunt's mouth?
Liu Chunling's face turned gloomy. She stared at Zhou Li and said coldly: "Don't think I don't know what kind of person you are. You idle around all day long and don't do your job! What future can Yanran have by following you?" Her words were like a sharp sword, piercing Zhou Li's heart.
Zhou Li was choked and speechless. His lips trembled slightly, but no sound came out. He had never expected his aunt to look down on him so much, and an indescribable anger and grievance surged in his heart.
"I..." Zhou Li tried to explain, but Liu Chunling didn't give him a chance and interrupted him directly: "Okay, you don't have to say anything. Go away quickly and don't come again." She ordered him to leave without mercy, and a trace of disgust flashed in her eyes.
Zhou Li was trembling with anger. He glared at Liu Chunling fiercely, then turned and slammed the door. A loud bang echoed in the air, like the roar of his inner rage. He secretly vowed to make Liu Yanran his woman and let his aunt know how wrong she was.
The man left, but Liu Chunling did not leave. Instead, she knelt directly in front of Liu Chunping. This action surprised Cao Cuilan who reached out to pull her, saying, "Little sister, what are you doing? Get up! If you have something to say, why don't you just stand and say it?" But Liu Chunling knelt stubbornly, with no intention of getting up, as if she wanted to express her determination and sincerity in this way.
"Brother and sister-in-law, I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I know I was wrong, please forgive me! I was stupid before, and actually wanted to marry Yanran to that bastard Zhou family, and rely on them to help Chen Jiajun, hoping to improve our family's living conditions. But, I didn't expect that the damn Chen Jiajun actually deceived me! He is not a wealthy businessman at all, he is just a poor guy working for others!" Liu Chunling no longer cared about her own face, she just wanted to explain things as soon as possible.
"What kind of life have I been leading since I married into the Chen family? I have to suffer from my mother-in-law's torture every day, and I have to help take care of Chen Jiajun's father and younger brother. I am simply a free babysitter! I finally got pregnant, and I thought I could live a good life, but who knew that my fate did not change. Even during the confinement period, I still had to continue to do housework, wash clothes, and cook, and I had no rest at all. Moreover, after so many years, I actually gave birth to four children, but only two survived. The first eldest daughter starved to death due to malnutrition, and the youngest son was sold by them for money. I once made a big fuss, and finally I was able to live separately from the Chen family." Liu Chunling said as tears kept flowing.
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