Xia Chuan diligently picked up some food for Ma Lili.
After taking a few sips of wine, Ma's father sighed, "My third daughter, I'm not exaggerating, but she's been capable since she was young. Because of her drive, I sold everything I had to support her education. She's always topped the medical school exams, and upon graduation, she joined the county hospital. Her salary is now worth a man's."
"He finally finished school, made it big, but who knows which family he ended up with," Ma's father said sadly. "So it's better to have a son. You raise a daughter with all your heart and soul, but in the end, she's just someone else's."
"Don't you think so?"
The matchmaker smiled and smoothed things over, "Lily is indeed a rare good girl in this area. The Ma family really knows how to raise a daughter."
Everyone knew that Ma's father was talking nonsense. He was obviously trying to raise his status and was preparing to ask for a huge amount of money for the bride price.
Ma Wenwu also gave her sister leverage, "Isn't it? Hao Xufeng has already promised my sister to go to the filming crew in the south of the city."
"The director has met her and said my sister has the temperament of a young lady. She might become a big star in the future."
"Big stars make at least a few thousand yuan a month."
When he said this, he smiled at Xia Mian and said, "You are also quite good-looking. If you want to film a movie, I can ask for you."
"No," Xia Mian said coldly, "I don't like being a star."
Ma Lili looked up at Xia Mian.
Xia Chuan frowned and looked at Ma Lili, "Hao Youtou recommended you to film a movie?"
Ma Lili tried to suppress the corners of her mouth and pretended to be calm, "It hasn't been decided yet. Didn't the director of the film in South City say he wanted to select an actress? I went for an audition, and the director said I was okay."
It would be fine if you just avoided the important issues, but this is also nonsense.
Xia Mian had a hunch that Xia Chuan and Ma Lili's relationship would not succeed. The problem was not with the Ma family, but with this girl. She was obviously not someone who was content with the status quo.
Everyone in Mingxi County knew that a movie was being filmed in Nancheng. After all, filming a TV show, which was originally a very distant thing, was happening right in front of them. How could people in a small place not be excited?
The crew rented the architectural complex and ancestral hall of the Jia family, the oldest family in Mingxi County, and it seemed that they were filming a drama about the Republic of China.
When the crew first arrived, the idle people in the county flocked to watch all day long, and it took more than half a month for the atmosphere to gradually calm down.
When Xia Mian came back, Xia Chuan was still thinking about taking her and Xiao Feng to see something strange.
But they were not too interested. When Mao Zhishan was filming in Yan City, his family was also curious about it and found time to visit the set.
The Hao Xufeng mentioned by Ma Wenwu and the Hao Youtou mentioned by Xia Chuan are the sons of the richest man in Mingxi County, the guy who tried to marry Mao Huimei.
After Mao Huimei's family disappeared, the Hao family punished the Mao family and even forced Mao Lao Da's daughter Mao Huihe to marry Hao Xufeng instead of Mao Huimei.
When Xia Mian first heard about this, she was stunned. She asked Xia Chuan, "Why is the Hao family doing this? That Mao Huihe is also very beautiful?"
Xia Chuan said, "It's just average, far worse than Sister Huimei."
That's why Xia Mian didn't understand. "His family is the richest after all. Wouldn't it be better for him to marry someone of equal status? At least it would be helpful."
Xia Chuan said, "With Hao Youtou's character, if he really marries someone of equal status, he'll definitely make an enemy."
"He's been spoiled by the Hao family, the richest man in the county. You don't know that he's completely lawless in the county and beats women whenever he wants."
"Since Mr. Hao can no longer manage the family, I only want him to get married and have a grandson, so I can raise him and let him take over the family business."
"Gentleman Hao has a personality like that, so of course he can't marry a strong wife, otherwise it will be troublesome if he makes trouble."
Xia Mian felt a surge of fear. "So they just want to marry someone to have children?"
"That's right." Xia Chuan couldn't help but feel sympathy. "That Mao Huihe is quite miserable. The Hao family has leverage over the Mao family, so Hao Xiaofeng can beat her whenever he wants. She doesn't dare to say a word. I heard that she once stayed in the hospital for over a month."
"Hao Youtou treated her as a mere decoration and openly went out to find women to play with."
"I heard that when Mao Huihe was in confinement after giving birth, that oily Hao brought a woman home and had sex in the bedroom. Mao Huihe and the Mao family didn't dare say a word."
Xia Mian was amazed. "Mr. Hao doesn't care?"
Xia Chuan said, "That's something he can control. He's reluctant to punish him, so in the end, he can only let it go."
"Whose daughter would you marry and be treated so badly? Mao Huihe can't even get a divorce if she wants to. The Hao family won't let her, and Hao Xufeng doesn't want to either."
This incident really scared Xia Mian, but she later put it behind her. Anyway, that Hao Youtou probably forgot about Mao Huimei.
The Mao family brought this upon themselves. If Mao Huihe really wanted revenge, she should look for Old Lady Mao.
I didn't expect to hear about Hao Xufeng in such an occasion.
Mr. Hao, the richest man, does have connections with the director of the crew. After all, the Hao family is rich and the director is short of money, so he will certainly not miss out on suitable investment.
So Hao Xufeng used the excuse of selecting actresses and cultivating big stars to lure young girls everywhere.
Ma Wenwu mentioned Hao Xufeng, and Ma Lili said that she had met the director, which obviously meant that she had already had contact with Hao Xufeng.
It is true that this girl wants to escape from the Ma family.
But she should have prepared multiple paths for herself. I just don't know whether Xia Chuan's is the last retreat, the first choice, or just a stepping stone.
Falling in love, Xia Chuan obviously couldn't think of any of this. He just smiled and advised, "Filming a movie is not that simple. It requires professional training. Now the whole county knows that Hao Youtou is cheating on beautiful girls everywhere. Lili, you should be more cautious. Isn't being a nurse a good thing?"
Ma Wenwu immediately said angrily, "What do you mean? How can my sister compare to those women? My sister has already met the director, and the director said that my sister has a good temperament."
Ma Lili remained silent and did not refute, and was obviously very confident in herself.
Seeing the expressions on Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia's faces fade, the matchmaker quickly changed the subject, "Let's not talk about this anymore. This is nonsense. Aren't we discussing the marriage of our two children?"
"There's no rush for marriage." Father Ma seemed to have great confidence in Ma Lili, and he was very arrogant. "We're just visiting and chatting."
He looked at Xia Mian and smiled, "Is this your niece who was taken to Yan City to study because she saved a rich man?"
This sounds weird.
No one in the Xia family said anything. The eldest aunt smiled and said, "She is my niece. She is studying in Yan City."
Ma's mother immediately asked Xia Mian with interest, "Are you living with that rich family in Yan City?"
"Do they eat like they do on TV, with every meal laid out on a platter?"
"Studying in Yan City isn't cheap, is it? How much is the tuition per year?"
"What year of high school are you in? Are you about to graduate?"
Xia Mian just ate silently. The eldest aunt picked up a piece of meat for Ma's mother and said with a smile, "Big sister, eat more."
After taking a bite of the meat, Ma's mother continued, "Your niece is so lucky. You saved a rich man and will never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of your life."
Xia Mian didn't know how to complain. It seemed that other people's misfortunes became her good fortune of accidentally meeting a rich man.
This wasn't the end of it. Ma's mother smiled and sighed, "This girl is pretty, not much worse than our Lily. She will definitely have a good future."
Ma Wenwu kept nodding in agreement beside her, grinning at her with a mouthful of uneven teeth, which made Xia Mian feel really itchy.
If it weren't for Xia Chuan's sake, she really wanted to throw the bowl at him.
"Oh, right, I just heard that these two dishes were made by this girl?" Ma's mother said in a very satisfied tone, "She's quite capable. Did she learn it from some rich family?"
"You are so skillful, you know how to serve others, and you look like you can handle things. I'm sure people will be satisfied with you."
"When you graduate from high school, I'll find you a job in Yan City. You'll be a Yan City resident from now on."
"But it's not good for a girl to fight alone in Yan City. It's best to seek help from relatives and friends."
Ma's father interjected, "That's right. You see, people working outside these days have to stick together, otherwise they'll be easily bullied if they're alone."
"Our family's Wenwu..."
Uncle Xia interrupted Ma's mother and said, "Mianmian, don't you have something else to do? Go and do it first."
The aunt also said, "Well, go quickly."
Ma's mother said, "What could be the problem? We haven't finished eating yet. How about we let the civil and military gangs..."
"No need!" Xia He stood in front of Ma Wenwu who was standing up, and pressed his shoulders to push him down. "You are guests, how can I ask you to work? Eat!"
Ma Wenwu was unable to move and could only watch Xia Mian leave.
After Xia Mian returned home, she thought about it more and more ridiculously, and then she thought of calling Ning Shaobai.
But knowing that her doctor Ning was coming to pick her up, she felt much better.
Hong Juan set the dishes for Xia Mian and sighed, "This Ma family is really no good. I thought Ma Lili was pretty good, but it seems she's also very ambitious."
Li Fang also saw it, "Third brother may not be able to be subdued."
Hongjuan said, "I actually hope he can't be subdued, and someone dumps him and moves on to someone better."
Li Fang said, "I think she must also know that Hao Youtou's place is unreliable, so she came to our third brother."
As expected, everyone guessed the same thing, except that Xia Chuan, who was in love, was blinded by love.
"I'm afraid her thoughts are also with Mian Mian."
Hongjuan asked, "You mean, she asked Mianmian to take her to Yan City?"
As the three of them were talking, Xia Chuan brought Ma Lili into the gate.
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