A grocery store in Wan'an County.
"Lin Chunmei, you accepted my gifts, but you still haven't done anything for me. If you dare to play me for a fool..."
“I’ve been recovering from my injury for a while now and haven’t had a chance to go out. I came here for this. There’s a wedding in my area in a couple of days, and Yang Cui will definitely be there for the banquet. There will be a lot of people there, which will be a good opportunity to make my move. At that time…”
Fifteen minutes later, Lin Chunmei came out of the general store in the county town, her smile carrying a hint of sinister intent.
"Chunmei".
Lin Chunmei looked in the direction of the sound. Unexpectedly, she ran into Zhao Xiyun.
Lin Chunmei knew that Zhao Xiyun admired Lin Mingfu, but Zhao Xiyun had broken off contact with Lin Mingfu after the Lin family's misfortune. Now, upon seeing her again, Lin Chunmei no longer showed the same enthusiasm for Zhao Xiyun as before.
"Is there something you need?"
"How is your uncle...?"
Why are you asking this?
Zhao Xiyun looked troubled: "Actually, I really want to see your uncle, but my family... Chunmei, can you help me arrange for your uncle to come out?"
Hearing this, Lin Chunmei was stunned, and her expression softened considerably towards Zhao Xiyun. She nodded and said, "Okay."
When she got home, Lin Chunmei went to find Lin Mingfu.
Since the Lin family's reputation was ruined, Lin Mingfu has not left his room for a long time, lying in bed all day doing nothing, he has completely given up on himself.
"Uncle, I ran into Miss Zhao today."
Lin Mingfu only reacted when he heard the name "Miss Zhao".
"She wants to see you."
These four words struck a nerve with Lim Beng Hock.
Upon hearing this, Madam Lin was taken aback: "What did you say? Miss Zhao wants to see Mingfu?"
Lin Chunmei nodded.
Afterwards, Lin Niu called Lin Chunmei aside and inquired about the matter in detail.
"So, Miss Zhao really likes your uncle." Madam Lin Niu had an idea. "Chunmei, go and tell Miss Zhao that your uncle is sick, and it's very serious."
Lin Chunmei was taken aback. She had already guessed what Lin Niu was going to do, and then nodded in agreement.
...
On this day, Yang Cui received an invitation from Zhou Daqing's family; Zhou Xiaomei was getting married.
Yang Cui could only stop teaching how to make fried chicken for one day.
Wedding banquets are always held in the morning, so on this day, Yang Cui, along with her children, Wen Shi, and An Xiaohai, went to Zhou'an Village early.
"Xiaomei's marriage is so sudden!"
"That's right! We hadn't heard anything about her getting engaged before, and now she's suddenly getting married. Could it be that there's something going on..."
"Oh dear! Don't overthink it. I heard that the groom's grandfather is dying and might not make it past three months, so they're in a rush. On one hand, it's to bring good luck, and on the other hand, they're worried that if the old man dies, they'll have to observe three years of mourning, which will make both sides older."
...
As soon as Yang Cui arrived at the Zhou family's house, she heard people talking about it.
Upon seeing Yang Cui, the people of Zhou'an Village were as enthusiastic as if they had seen a god of wealth. Everyone asked about Yang Cui and Cen Xiao's marriage. Yang Cui still said the same thing: three years later!
As for what happens three years later when they find out they're not married, that's fine too. They can just make up another excuse. At worst, they can just buy a handsome guy. Anyway, in a few months, they'll be rich. Even if they want the same kind of happiness as Xiao Xuan, it'll be easy.
"Mother, Aunt, let's go see the bride." Er Ya San dragged Yang Cui and Wen Shi to see the bride.
In the bridal chamber, Zhou Xiaomei's cousins and close friends all surrounded her.
"Sister Xiaomei, your hairpin is so beautiful!"
"The silver bracelet is also beautiful."
"This must have cost a lot of money."
"Sister Xiaomei, I heard that your husband's family is in business and is very rich, is that true?"
...
Zhou Xiaomei: "They run a business and can earn a few dozen taels of silver a year. In addition, the family has about ten acres of land and a two-courtyard house in the town."
Wow, that's so rich!
"Xiaomei, you're so lucky, I'm so envious, unlike me... I can't even afford an egg."
Zhou Xiaomei enjoyed the feeling of being envied by everyone.
At this moment, someone said, "Xiao Tao, you're engaged now. My mother said your husband's family is very wealthy, so you'll definitely have a gold hairpin to wear in the future."
“Of course there is. My mother said that since they raise ducks, they will definitely have more money than they can spend in the future. My mother also said that Xiao Tao will be a lucky girl in the future.”
Zhou Xiaomei was unhappy. She felt that in everyone's eyes, she was not as good as Zhou Xiaotao: "Although the An family is raising ducks now, who knows if the ducks will survive? If something unexpected happens in the middle, let alone making money, they may lose everything. At that time, they may not even be able to afford a peach wood hairpin, let alone a gold hairpin."
"How can you talk like that? Brother An raises ducks very well, there's definitely no chance of anything going wrong, don't jinx it." Zhou Xiaotao was very angry.
“I’m telling the truth,” Zhou Xiaomei said. “Xiaotao, don’t be upset, I’m just stating the facts.”
"No way!" Zhou Xiaotao exclaimed anxiously.
Zhou Xiaomei exuded a strong sense of superiority: "My husband's family has been running a shop for many years and they are very wealthy. They can afford not only one gold hairpin, but also three or five. Anjia can't compare."
"I think Anjia is a good place, and besides, I'm not comparing myself to you."
"You can't compare. Don't forget, I didn't want the An family's marriage proposal, so it's your turn now."
"You..." Zhou Xiaotao was furious.
Yang Cui and Wen felt extremely uncomfortable upon hearing this, and they really wanted to rush in and clean Zhou Xiaomei's mouth.
Only then did they realize that the Zhou family had originally intended to marry Zhou Xiaomei to An Xiaohai!
Even while eating the banquet, Wen Shi still couldn't muster any energy.
"Aunt, don't take her words to heart. Our lives will definitely get better and better in the future," Yang Cui comforted her. "Luckily, Xiao Hai is engaged to Xiao Tao. If it had been Zhou Xiaomei, he probably wouldn't have a peaceful life."
"If it weren't for her joyous occasion today, I really would have liked to go and wash her mouth clean," Madam Wen said through gritted teeth. "Was that even human language? I'm definitely going to tell her grandmother later and have her teach her a lesson!"
It's one thing to look down on someone, but to belittle them is another. They're doing business, and instead of saying anything nice, you say they can't even raise their poultry. You're so young, yet you have such a sharp tongue. If you don't change this habit, you'll get beaten up sooner or later!
Yang Cui: "If she doesn't change her temperament, she'll suffer the consequences later."
After the meal, the groom arrived shortly after in an oxcart to fetch the bride. The Zhou family members blocked the door, and the guests went to watch the excitement. Only Yang Cui watched quietly from the side.
"Sister Cui, someone just asked me to deliver a letter to you." A little boy, with candy in his mouth, mumbled as he handed Yang Cui a letter.
"A letter for me?"
Yang Cui was very curious. Who would write her a letter all of a sudden?
"Who told you to deliver the letter?"
The child shook his head: "I don't know him, he's not from our village."
And it's someone I don't even know!
Yang Cui became even more curious. With curiosity in her heart, Yang Cui opened the envelope. The first thing that caught her eye was two hair ornaments. These were Er Ya and San Ya's hair ornaments!
Yang Cui immediately had a bad feeling!
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