Spicy Daughter-in-Law and Evil Mother-in-Law (Prologue)
As soon as Li Guojian entered, he saw Lin Shaocheng pacing anxiously. He went up to him and asked, "Where are you grinding grain, little sister? Why aren't you with me?" Lin Shaocheng quickly approached and said, "Auntie is hitting Guorong. Second brother, you should go in and try to persuade her."
Li Guojian's small eyes gleamed, his buttocks sticking out, his ears pressed tightly against the dilapidated wooden board, and a gloating smile on his face.
Lin Shaocheng pursed his thin lips and gently bumped them.
Li Guojian rushed in, prostrating himself on the floor. Wu Cuihua, who was inside, paused, her face still showing lingering anger.
Li Guojian turned his head, his eyebrows raised, his small eyes filled with helplessness. He had no choice but to stand up and say in a low voice, "Mom, calm down. Didn't my little sister come back safely?"
Li Guorong had his head down, and his left hand was red and swollen.
Lin Shaocheng stretched his leg into the house, but Wu Cuihua gave him a look, and Lin Shaocheng pulled back, grabbing the door frame with both hands, his fingernails digging into the wood.
Wu Cuihua picked up a tree branch, which whistled through the air with a sharp force, and was about to strike Li Guorong when Lin Shaocheng lunged forward, grabbing Li Guorong. The tree branch then struck Lin Shaocheng with a snap.
"Ouch!" Li Guojian cried out, making exaggerated facial expressions. The three of them looked at him with mixed feelings. Li Guojian said with a grin, "It hurts me more when it hits Xiao Cheng."
Wu Cuihua's expression was no longer as serious as before. Li Guorong leaned against Lin Shaocheng's chest, tears streaming down his face onto Lin Shaocheng's shirt.
Lin Shaocheng felt a tightness in his chest. He pursed his lips and said, "Auntie, if you want to hit me, it's my fault." Li Guorong shook her head. "You're still injured. I'm not afraid of being hit."
Li Guojian quickly pleaded, "Today is my elder brother's big day, Mom, let it go."
Li Guorong stopped crying, stiffened his neck, and looked self-righteous.
Wu Cuihua was so angry with her youngest daughter that she felt dizzy. "Do you think you've done nothing wrong?" Li Guorong replied, "What wrong have I done? I've never made the wrong choice."
Li Guojian secretly glanced at Wu Cuihua's expression, then at Li Guorong's stubborn look; this was going to be difficult.
Lin Shaocheng shielded Li Guorong behind him and said, "Auntie, please calm down. It's all my fault. I made Guorong come with me to collect the medicine, which made you worry. I'll accept whatever punishment you want."
Wu Cuihua said, "Mr. Lin, right? This is my family matter. Please don't interfere. Li Guorong, come out here and tell me what mistake you made."
Li Guorong subconsciously stepped forward. She didn't feel she had done anything wrong. She said, "Shouldn't you have run away without leaving a note?" Li Guojian chuckled. Lin Shaocheng wished he could take her place.
Wu Cuihua's sharp, eagle-like eyes made Li Guorong feel as if he had returned to his childhood, when the teacher called on her to answer a question, but she kept talking to her deskmate and couldn't answer in the end.
Her face burned like fire, her body felt like it was crawling with ants, and her mind was like a stuck gear, unable to say anything.
Lin Shaocheng resisted the pressure of being disliked by Wu Cuihua and said, "I will definitely urge her to correct her impulsive nature, discuss everything with her family, and think twice before acting."
Wu Cuihua sized up the young man. His eyes were clear and firm, his clothes were neat and brand new, and his leather shoes were polished to perfection. He seemed to be a cautious person. She asked, "What guarantee do you have?"
Lin Shaocheng said firmly, "I will treat Li Guorong well for the rest of my life and protect her with my life." Li Guorong's body involuntarily moved closer to Lin Shaocheng; this was exactly the kind of person she needed to rely on.
Li Guojian stepped forward and patted Lin Shaocheng's shoulder forcefully to avenge the push he had just made, saying, "I think Brother Lin is sincere, and his personality complements that of my sister. Mom, why don't you agree?"
Li Guojian was very satisfied with his brother-in-law. He was tall and good-looking, well-educated and generous. If he were a woman, he would have married him long ago.
What could Wu Cuihua do? The village was already in an uproar. Her younger sister had run away with a man and was now making a big fuss about it.
There are no good families left in the nearby villages, and even Li Guolan can't find a suitable family. Several men who were willing before are no longer willing.
With Li Guorong looking so happy, Wu Cuihua could still act like the Queen Mother of the West, separating the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Wu Cuihua said, "Are you going to live in Beijing from now on?"
Lin Shaocheng looked at Li Guorong, who nodded naturally. That was the capital. Although it was his hometown that he longed for, his hometown had not yet developed, so of course he had to go to Beijing.
Wu Cuihua said, "When will you send a matchmaker to our door?"
Hearing this, Lin Shaocheng frowned. Wu Cuihua keenly sensed his predicament and warned, "My family is a respectable family. No one in our family would do anything shady."
Lin Shaocheng assured, "Guo Rong is the only one in my heart."
Li Guojian kept trying to cover it up, saying, "My mom was asking when you're getting married."
Lin Shaocheng's eyelashes drooped, making it difficult to see his expression. The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and his voice was dry, like a rusty gear, "Anytime is fine. I want to hold it in Guorong's hometown."
These words were like spring thunder, bringing gentle spring rain that nourishes all things. Li Guorong's hand didn't hurt so much anymore, and his smile was like spring flowers in full bloom. Who doesn't want to show off in front of their fellow villagers? When getting married in an unfamiliar place, not many relatives and friends can attend.
Wu Cuihua rubbed the calluses on her hands. Weddings are usually held at the groom's house. Why is this young man so special? He doesn't seem like the fickle type.
Wu Cuihua instructed, "Guojian, take Guorong out."
Li Guorong was naturally unwilling, saying, "There's nothing I can't hear."
Li Guojian quickly pulled Li Guorong aside and whispered, "Mom, her attitude has softened considerably, please don't add fuel to the fire."
Li Guorong had no choice but to follow his second brother out, his eyes fixed on Lin Shaocheng's face.
Lin Shaocheng smiled and gestured for her not to worry.
Wu Cuihua had seven children, but only five survived. Guoqiang and Guolan were too honest, Guojian was too shrewd, Guorong was too ambitious, and Guoliang was still too young to show his true colors.
She never expected her children to marry into wealthy families, but since things had come to this point, she had no way to stop it and could only try to use her limited knowledge to see what would happen to the young man.
Wu Cuihua asked, "Do your parents agree?"
Lin Shaocheng's expression changed slightly. "I can make my own decisions. My parents won't interfere with me, and we won't live with them in the future." Things are different now than they are now. Back then, the whole family lived together in a lively and chaotic way.
Wu Cuihua vaguely sensed that something was wrong and subconsciously asked, "Then who do your parents live with? What if they don't agree?"
Lin Shaocheng lowered his head and shrugged. This 1.8-meter-tall man looked like a child, with a wronged expression, just like the village's most majestic yellow dog being bullied by its own child.
“My parents only like my younger brother and not me. They won’t take care of me. I promise I won’t live with my parents and I won’t let Guorong suffer.”
Wu Cuihua felt that she had treated everyone fairly, and no one had ever said that she was biased. Such a sensible and capable young man, yet his parents didn't like him. But she was afraid that her own daughter would also be bullied if she followed the unloved child.
Lin Shaocheng took out a gold ring from his pocket and put it on Wu Cuihua's finger. Before Wu Cuihua could refuse, she hurriedly tried to take it off, saying in a flustered manner, "This is not allowed."
Lin Shaocheng quickly stopped him, saying, "This is my heartfelt gift. When I used to buy things for my parents, they always said that what I bought was not as good as what my younger brother wanted. I'm a rather materialistic person and don't know what to buy. I only know how to buy gold."
The ring on Wu Cuihua's hand had a phoenix printed on the face and a wide, heavy band. Wu Cuihua was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
When she got married, they were poor and couldn't afford it. Later, as she had more and more children, she was always thinking about how to feed them and had even less time. She never expected that her first gold ring would be bought by her son-in-law.
Touched, Wu Cuihua said, "I know you mean well, but let's decline this and buy some clothes for Guorong instead." Lin Shaocheng quickly replied, "Mom, these suit you perfectly. We've already bought Guorong a gold bracelet, a gold ring, and a gold necklace. These are special gifts that Guorong and I chose to show our respect to you."
Wu Cuihua was like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law; the more she looked, the more satisfied she became. She said, "Let the village fortune teller choose an auspicious date for you two to get married before returning to Beijing."
Lin Shaocheng nodded repeatedly, "Mom, I'll do whatever you say."
Li Guorong, who was outside the door, nodded repeatedly as she listened. She said that her mother liked gold rings and that she couldn't even open her eyes when she saw the gold ring on her aunt's hand that day.
Li Guojian's eyes lit up when he heard this. A gold ring! That's so extravagant! Even his mother-in-law bought it for him.
Lin Shaocheng opened the door, looking relaxed.
Wu Cuihua spoke again, "Guorong, come in."
Li Guojian tried to eavesdrop, but Lin Shaocheng pulled him away and led him to the front to help with Taige's wedding.
Sunlight slanted into the west room, leaving only a lingering glow, making most of the room hazy, like an afternoon dream.
The smile on Li Guorong's face gradually disappeared, and her mother's expression inside the room was not as cheerful as she had thought.
Wu Cuihua scrutinized her daughter in front of her. Her daughter was indeed an adult. There can't be two suns in the sky, and there can't be two different thoughts in a family.
Li Guorong's long braid hung down to one side, and her bangs covered her somewhat uneasy eyes.
Wu Cuihua said, "If you really want to go to Beijing, I think Lin Shaocheng would be willing to stay here if he persuaded you. If you go to Beijing and suffer grievances, there will be no brothers who can help you."
Li Guorong had a fire burning in her heart. These days she had been in a daze, one thing after another. She had returned to her youth. She knew the future. If she didn't seize the opportunity, she would waste her rebirth. She wanted to leave the mountains and make a name for herself. The first thing she did was go to Beijing.
Li Guorong raised her face, two flames burning fiercely in her eyes, "I want to go."
Wu Cuihua sighed deeply, then regained her usual gentleness and said, "When you go to Beijing, listen to Lin Shaocheng, don't argue with your parents-in-law, be diligent and tidy up, and don't act like you're still at home."
Li Guorong didn't take it seriously. In his previous life, he had been in charge of his own affairs for over 30 years. How could he not have experience?
The jingling of bicycles, the clanging of cooking spatulas, the crying of children, and the creaking of footsteps on the stairs felt like needles pricking Li Guorong's head.
She grabbed a pillow and covered her head tightly with both hands, but the sound seemed to penetrate her brain without leaving a pore. She threw the pillow away and was forced to wake up.
The ceiling was low, the bedroom and living room were combined into one small space, there was no place to cook, and the toilet was a public toilet. Now, apart from being able to eat rice and meat every day, it was not as good as his hometown. Li Guorong opened the door and took a breath of the dry and astringent air of Beijing.
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