So she immediately looked up at Yan Junting. Although she didn't say anything, her big, blinking eyes were filled with grievance.
Seeing that look in his eyes, Yan Junting felt a pang of pain in his heart. How could he let his wife suffer such injustice?
He frowned as he looked at Yun Xiaoqin...
Just then, a shout came from afar, "Big brother, thank goodness you haven't left yet."
Following the shout, Yun Duoduo and her companion looked ahead and saw two people walking towards them from a distance.
A middle-aged woman in her fifties, her hair wrapped in a blue handkerchief, wearing a blue khaki cotton-padded jacket, her face covered with wrinkles, was recognized by Yun Duoduo at a glance as Yan Junting's mother, Ding Meixiang.
Walking beside her was Yan Junting's second younger brother, Yan Qiuting.
Yan Qiuting is three years younger than Yan Junting, shorter, and slightly chubby. His facial features are about 50% similar to Yan Junting's, and in their rural area, he is considered to be quite handsome.
However, everyone who knows Yan Qiuting knows that he is idle, does not have a proper job, and is like a scoundrel. He spends half the month running around outside, and no one knows what he is doing.
Just then, Yan Junting was about to go find them. He walked up to Ding Meixiang, pointed at Yan Qiuting and Yun Xiaoqin, and asked with a frown, "Mother, what are you doing?"
Upon seeing Yan Junting, Ding Meixiang raised her eyebrows slightly, then pretended to have just remembered and said, "I forgot to tell you, the second son and Xiaoqin also went to town to get their marriage certificates today. I was thinking of getting both of your weddings done at the same time. I came here to discuss it with Xiaoqin's parents and your parents-in-law."
As she said this, Ding Meixiang glanced at Yun Duoduo, her eyes full of dissatisfaction.
Yun Xiaoqin was the wife she had chosen for Yan Junting, but unexpectedly, Yun Duoduo got the better deal. And her son was even willing to marry this woman, saying he would take responsibility for her.
If she doesn't agree, he'll go back to the army, sever all ties with his family, and never come back.
Ding Meixiang dared not sever ties with this son, so she had no choice but to reluctantly agree to their marriage.
However, she couldn't let Yun Xiaoqin down, so she persuaded her second son, Yan Qiuting, to agree to marry Yun Xiaoqin.
Yan Junting immediately understood his mother's meaning. He frowned and glanced at Yun Xiaoqin, then at Ding Meixiang. Ding Meixiang felt a little guilty, but still said firmly, "Your brother is not young anymore. He's at the age to get married. They've taken a liking to each other, and there's nothing I can do about it."
Even a fool wouldn't believe what he was saying. Yan Junting was very suspicious. Did Yan Qiuting know Yun Xiaoqin before? How did they fall for each other?
Yan Junting glanced at Ding Meixiang, then pointed at Yan Qiuting, "Second brother, come here."
Yan Qiuting was always afraid of his older brother Yan Junting, and he also knew that his mother had done something wrong. He walked up to Yan Junting with some fear and stammered, "Big, big brother, what, what happened?"
Yan Junting pointed at Yun Xiaoqin and asked him, "Are you sure you want to get married, to marry Yun Xiaoqin?"
Yan Qiuting glanced quickly at Ding Meixiang, who nodded at him. Yan Qiuting nodded back and said, "Brother, I'm of marriageable age. I'll get married sooner or later, I'll just marry anyone..."
These words sound insincere, like they were recited from memory. It's likely that they were discussed at home beforehand, and Ding Meixiang made him say it.
After glancing at Ding Meixiang, Yan Junting pulled Yan Qiuting aside and asked him in a low voice, "Speak properly, what is the reason?"
Once he was sure Ding Meixiang couldn't hear him, Yan Qiuting told the truth, "My mother gave me twenty yuan and insisted that I marry Yun Xiaoqin, I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Junting slapped him on the back of the head.
Yan Junting glared at him, "So spineless, you think you can be bribed with just twenty yuan?"
"I..." Of course, it wouldn't have been possible, but he had previously partnered with someone in a business deal and borrowed some money, which he was about to repay, but his mother refused to give him the money.
He had no other choice but to agree to his mother's suggestion.
Furthermore, he knew that Ding Meixiang had given Yun Xiaoqin a considerable dowry. After the wedding, he would coax Yun Xiaoqin to hand over all that dowry, and he could pull off a big heist.
He dreamed of making money in business, opening a shop in the city, and not having to toil in the fields in the countryside. He was so tired of farming.
So, after much thought, he agreed to marry Yun Xiaoqin. After all, it's just about getting a wife; it doesn't matter who he marries.
Yan Junting glanced at Yan Qiuting, then at Yun Xiaoqin, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
He felt that his mother was doing it on purpose, deliberately rushing to marry Yun Xiaoqin, just to make things difficult for him and his wife.
He knew very well that Ding Meixiang was unhappy that he had married Yun Duoduo.
Because she regarded Yun Xiaoqin as her savior, she wanted to repay her kindness.
Moreover, she went too far by giving Yun Xiaoqin all the things that were originally meant for Yan Junting's wife.
The silver bracelet on Yun Xiaoqin's wrist was left by Yan Junting's grandmother. It was originally intended for Yan Junting's wife. When Yan Junting's grandmother was alive, she doted on this eldest grandson the most.
Last night, Yan Junting discussed it with his family and asked Ding Meixiang to prepare all the betrothal gifts. After he and Yun Duoduo got their marriage certificate, he would send the betrothal gifts to Yun Duoduo's family.
In their rural area, everyone generally agrees that the wedding is only officially considered to be on the day of the banquet.
But Ding Meixiang deliberately put the bracelet on Yun Xiaoqin early on and brought it over to show him off.
Yan Junting was very displeased. He walked up to Ding Meixiang and looked at her unhappily, "Mother, do you really have to do this?"
Ding Meixiang knew what Yan Junting meant, and she was even smug. She wanted Yan Junting to know that even if he married Yun Duoduo, he shouldn't expect her to give him a good look.
She snorted, a hint of smugness in her expression, and muttered, "Luckily, I have many sons. One of them is disobedient, but the other listens to me."
Then, she pretended to be affectionate and took Yun Xiaoqin's hand, laughing, "Besides, your brother is not young anymore. He should be getting married soon. I think Xiaoqin is a good match for him. It would be such a good thing if he could marry a good wife soon."
After saying that, she pulled Yun Xiaoqin's arm and gestured towards Yun Duoduo with her lips, saying, "Oh, I love my Xiaoqin. She's kind-hearted, filial to her elders, and most importantly, well-behaved. Before we get married, she definitely won't do any messy things, especially seducing other people's men."
Yun Duoduo knew exactly what Ding Meixiang meant, and she glanced at Ding Meixiang with a faint look in her eyes.
She remembered that the book also mentioned this Ding Meixiang, who disliked the original owner very much and eventually threatened to kill herself to break up the original owner's marriage with Yan Junting.
If they really break up, can she walk away unscathed?
With a mother-in-law like that, she really wouldn't want to marry into the family.
It's so much better to stay at your parents' home. Your father dotes on you, your mother loves you, and you have several older brothers to protect you. Why would you want to go to their house and suffer grievances?
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