Chapter 1 (1)
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Whoever loves according to rules will not be loved. - Montaigne
Jiangnan is known for its beautiful women, but this place is not authentic Jiangnan.
However, the awkward geographical location did not prevent Yu Yingzi from producing beauties. For many years, this palm-sized place has been a popular destination for people from all walks of life to seek marriage.
The women here are really beautiful.
Because they live at the crossroads of north and south, they possess both the gentleness of southern women and the strength of northern women. They embody a perfect blend of strength and softness, embracing both. Some say that at least one of the four great beauties of ancient China was descended from Yu Yingzi. Locals have repeatedly researched the theory, and the most plausible theory is that Diao Chan's surname was Yu. Historical experts deny this theory, arguing that it is unfounded and a falsehood intended to flatter themselves. But locals ignore the experts' claims. When they deny them, they curse: "Bah! What kind of expert! You're just a bunch of useless people! You can't even spit out ivory! You're just farting all the time!"
Fortunately, facts speak louder than words. The women here are incredibly talented, and for generations, the girls of Yu Yingzi have remained as beautiful as ever. Furthermore, over the past few generations, the women of the Yu clan have particularly captured the aesthetic of the times: pointed chins, large eyes, prominent brow bones, a touch of Western charm, fair skin, and the allure of Jiangnan jade. Truly a match made in heaven, a gift of beauty and grace.
However, the women in Yu Ying are not like internet celebrities. Their faces are all supported by bones, so even if they are a little older, they are still beauties - after all, a woman's beauty lies in her bones, not in her skin.
The girls of Yu Yingzi, though beautiful, didn't lose their harmony amidst the competition. On the contrary, they were remarkably united, advancing and retreating together. Those currently striving for success in the big cities shared a common destiny, sharing common prosperity. For example, at this time, Yu Jia, a prominent figure in Yu Yingzi, arrived in the metropolis with her husband. Her fellow clan members, Yu Meng, Yu Shuang, and Yu Rui, immediately set up a large table to welcome her.
Meng, Shuang, and Rui, originally from the big city, were genuinely happy for Jiajie. Back in Yuying, they were jokingly called "sinking fish, falling geese, closing the moon, and shameful flowers." Jia was beautiful enough to sink fish, Meng could close geese, Shuang could close the moon, and Rui could shame flowers. They were all beautiful girls. Those around them watched, sincerely thinking that such beauty was a waste if they didn't go out into the vast world to fight and make a big splash, to wreak havoc.
Unfortunately, many years have passed and the four beauties have never been able to gather together.
Three missing one.
Yu Jia married soon after graduating from university. Her husband, Di Liren, was a college classmate. When she married, he was just a minor civil servant, working as a village official in a remote area. Everyone felt sorry for Yu Jia. Her father was so angry that he threatened to disown his daughter. He said, "She's not ambitious. She's just a bunch of idiots. It's hard to teach a girl. What a mess!" In fact, even before Yu Jia got married, the entire Yu family wanted to break up the marriage. But Yu Jia's love for Liren was unwavering, and she was determined to marry him. The only downside was that the couple initially had no children, which made the Yu family unhappy. A few years later, when Liren was promoted to a provincial position, Yu Jia finally gave birth to a girl. Now that the matter was settled, the Yu family, seeing Liren's promising future, began to praise their marriage. Yu Jia worked in an administrative position at a vocational school, prioritizing her career over her family, and she spent her leisurely life in her small town, caring for her husband and children.
Yu Meng was a nurse by training. Before graduation, she interned at a major hospital and met a patient with a broken bone—her current husband, Luan Chengyun. When she married, he was just starting out in his career and considered moderately wealthy. Over the next decade, she gave birth to two sons, and Luan Chengyun, capitalizing on what she called "husband-helping luck," made a killing. They owned several properties in major cities, making them considered middle class. Yu's relatives frequently visited to take advantage of Yu Meng's influence. This marriage was quite satisfying.
Yu Shuang is also beautiful, but she's so unaware of her beauty. Over time, she's become somewhat of a pearl in the dust. After graduating from a prestigious university, she landed a job within the government before moving on to a major, trendy company. She's in online education, determined to take down a certain Oriental company. She has the talent, and within a few years, she's risen through the ranks, becoming the youngest mid-level manager at the company. Parents like to use Yu Shuang as a role model to inspire their children, saying, "Learn more from Teacher Shuangshuang! There's no problem she can't solve!" Yu Shuang is independent, self-reliant, and self-sufficient. She owns her own apartment, purchased before the housing market skyrocketed. She was lucky. Her first job was within the government, and her company allocated housing. At the time, prices were still low, and everyone else was taking smaller units, leaving only a large one. With no other options, Yu Shuang gritted her teeth and secured it. Unexpectedly, her daring and her land yielded great rewards. This three-bedroom apartment unexpectedly became her first pot of gold, the foundation of her future in the city.
Yu Shuang dated several boyfriends, all of whom she met through blind dates, but the relationships were bland and quickly fizzled out. Men couldn't serve her, and she wasn't bothered to serve them. In her own words, she didn't like to beg men. If she could rely on herself, then she would. Her family was worried about her at first. She thought it was impossible for a girl to survive alone outside the home. She had to get married, otherwise it wouldn't work. But after she turned 30, she saw Yu Shuang making more and more money. Her family benefited, and Yu Shuang's mother even moved in with her daughter, starting to live like a city dweller.
Yu Rui was the youngest of the four beauties, yet the most beautiful. Unlike Yu Shuang, she recognized her strengths early on: love, of course. She believed that study and love complemented each other, and her dedication to earning a degree simply gave her a leg up in high-end social circles. After graduating with a degree in acting, Yu Rui drifted through the city for several years, only to realize the harsh reality: for a girl like her, with no money or connections, making a name for herself in the entertainment industry was a daunting task.
She had the looks to play a major Qingyi role, but she lacked the clout to do so. She had no patience for waiting, so she could only focus on relationships. Her ideal was marriage, or at the very least, finding a rich or powerful partner. When Yu Jia arrived, Yu Rui had just broken up with her boyfriend, though no one knew about it.
Once, the four beauties were separated, only able to chat in their group chats. Now, Di Liren has been promoted four times in ten years, starting as a village official, moving on to the district, then the city, then the province, and finally the big city. His career is as fast as a rocket. With her husband transferred, the virtuous Yu Jia finally follows him, raising their children and soaring to higher positions. The four beauties are finally reunited, a truly beautiful event.
The sisters' gathering was attended by no family members.
Two of them have even been linked to family members: Yu Shuang isn't planning on having one and remains single; Yu Rui has several rumored partners, but none of them are currently being revealed. Some are either unspoken or unspoken.
Yu Meng, indeed, came from a respectable family and married a prominent husband, though she'd recently been at odds with her husband, Luan Chengyun. To outsiders, she appeared to be a wealthy woman, living in a villa in a big city. The photos she shared on her WeChat Moments often depicted her "own lawn," even if she shared it with her next-door neighbor. But living in a villa in a big city was considered exceptional for anyone from Yu Yingzi's generation.
She is a role model for many women and a "legend" in the mouths of many younger generations. She believes that she can find her ideal husband after just one internship. She is a miniature version of Wendi Deng - but Wendi Deng is not as beautiful as her.
Yu Rui envied her.
Yu Meng went to the ladies' Chinese studies class and finally found a line from the Book of Songs to describe herself: "Hands like tender catkins, skin like solidified fat, neck like a cicada, teeth like white jade; a beautiful forehead and eyebrows. A charming smile and eyes." She was very satisfied with this beautiful description.
But she wasn't satisfied with her marriage. Although Luan Chengyun had made a little money, Yu Meng still felt she had married him too hastily. For years, Luan had been so busy traveling that he'd accidentally gotten himself into a lot of trouble. He also had a dark past, dating eight or nine girlfriends. One of them had committed suicide for him, and two had abortions for him. He wasn't a good person, and recently, there were signs of infidelity with two of them.
Yu Meng had long loathed Luan Chengyun, and after finally seeing both of her sons sent abroad to study, she felt the marriage had reached a critical juncture. In the past, she had held back, but now, the arrow was on the string and had to be released.
She came out to see Jia, Shuang, and Rui to get some fresh air. This kind of family life was truly suffocating for her, not to mention that Luan Chengyun had once "slapped her in the face." That was domestic violence! What could be more serious than that?
Yu Meng felt that she didn't call the police to arrest him because of their long-term relationship as husband and wife.
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