“DouDou is taking care of the child alone.” Li Tianlang stepped forward to explain.
He was equally surprised, never expecting Yuan Doudou to reveal this herself.
Originally, we invited her to be a shield, to make my cousin give up on us.
"Cousin, I know." Yang Mengxue covered her face, her eyes brimming with tears. It just means widow.
To distance himself from me, my cousin would rather find a widow with a child, which is clearly an insult to me.
"Mengxue, we're not a good match." Li Tianlang realized that hesitation would only lead to trouble.
Yang Mengxue looked up, her eyes red and swollen, her fingers trembling as she pointed at Yuan Doudou: "Because of her?"
"Yes," Li Tianlang said firmly.
Yuan Doudou stared wide-eyed: Isn't this person pushing himself into a fire pit?
You can't just say you don't like her directly; please respect each other's choices.
To insist on randomly picking someone and claiming they're your favorite only complicates things further.
Li Tianlang noticed the change in Yuan Doudou's expression; she seemed to have a thousand words to say, yet remained silent.
"Cousin, you've gone too far!" Yang Mengxue covered her face and ran away crying.
Yuan Doudou looked helpless: Are you satisfied now? You made someone cry.
A hint of helplessness flashed in Li Tianlang's eyes. After all, she was his cousin, and he didn't want her to get hurt.
"A short pain is worse than a long one." Yuan Doudou, an observer, sees things clearly.
"Mmm." Li Tianlang's eyes were like water, gently enveloping Yuan Doudou.
"I'm sorry for what happened today." He was abrupt and dragged an innocent person into this.
Yuan Doudou waved her hand casually: "Don't be shy, it's only right that we each take what we need."
"You are special."
Li Tianlang was filled with romantic feelings, but his expression remained calm. He led Yuan Doudou on a tour of the entire courtyard.
When they returned to the front hall, everyone in the Li family, except for Madam Li, scrutinized Yuan Doudou with strange looks.
"Miss Yuan, please sit here." Li Su'e said coldly, gesturing for her to sit in the empty seat next to her.
I want to sit with Yuen Long, but I also need to consider whether I am worthy of him.
Yang Mengxue covered her mouth and nose, looking shy, and waited for her cousin to sit down next to her.
“Yuanlang, come sit here with your mother.” Madam Li stepped in to defuse the situation, and then said to Yuan Doudou, “Doudou, come here too.”
Yuan Doudou had no choice but to obey her elders' orders, and she and Li Tianlang sat on either side of Madam Li.
Li Lian, the second uncle of the Li family, looked at them and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I can tell that you really like Miss Yuan."
Madam Li made no attempt to hide her feelings, her face beaming with smiles: "Of course, I've been thinking about this so much I could practically plaster it on the wall. It's all about seeing if my son lives up to my expectations."
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Li Tianlang, only to see him sitting upright, looking straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought.
It's so worrying, I gave birth to such a dullard.
"Miss Yuan, I heard you're a widow with a son." Li Su'e struggled to lift her eyelids, unwilling to look at Yuan Doudou any longer.
Yuan Doudou chuckled to herself: Did your daughter tell you that?
The sarcasm in their tone was obvious, but she didn't care. She had no intention of entering the Li family's home, so why should she care about their attitude?
"Yes." She took a bite of the osmanthus-scented lotus root; it was icy cold and sweet but not cloying.
Li Su'e was extremely pleased with herself; she really was a widow.
"Sister-in-law, isn't it a bit disrespectful of you to let Tianlang bring a widow to our house?" We were referring to her and Yang Mengxue.
Madam Li looked at her eldest sister-in-law with a stern gaze: "Eldest sister, as I said, she is my benefactor. I invited her here to express my gratitude."
Li Lian stepped in to mediate: "Yes, my sister-in-law said it a long time ago. Sister, have you misunderstood something?" He was two years younger than Li Su'e, the second oldest brother, and the third oldest sister.
"Second brother, what business is it of yours? I'm not deaf." Li Su'e said unhappily, giving him a cold glare.
Li Lian immediately fell silent. Ever since his parents passed away, his greatest fear had been his eldest sister.
“Sister, I know a thing or two about what you’re thinking. You’ve seen it yourself, the two children aren’t meant to be.” The son didn’t even look at his niece properly.
Yang Mengxue lowered her head and remained silent, her eyes already red.
“Yuanlang and Mengxue are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Sister-in-law, isn’t it too early for you to say they’re not suitable?” The two children have little contact, and feelings need to be cultivated slowly. It’s not too late to cultivate them after they get married.
Madam Li forced a smile: "Sister, I only have one son, Tianlang. I want to give him the freedom to decide his marriage."
Li Su'e sneered: "Since ancient times, marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Does my sister-in-law want to change the ancestral system?"
“Sister, you’re being too kind. This isn’t really about ancestral rules. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. As a mother, I still hope my child can be happy.” Madam Li’s patience was wearing thin, and her face darkened.
Li Su'e pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but was stopped by her husband Yang Kang with a look.
Seeing that they were at loggerheads, Yuan Doudou was happy to have some peace and quiet and began to eat heartily.
The roast duck was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the white jade tofu was smooth and delicious, and the sweet and sour pork ribs were sweet and sour. It has to be said that the chefs in this wealthy family were highly skilled.
It instantly made me look worse than my mediocre cooking skills.
Li Tianlang smiled; if she could enjoy her meal, the trip would have been worthwhile.
"Come on, eat more." Madam Li offered her some food.
She didn't forget to say, "Mengxue, what would you like to eat? Ask your mother to get it for you."
Yang Mengxue lowered her eyes and said, "Thank you, Aunt."
She had no appetite at all.
Li Su'e was furious. She got up and poured the sweet and sour pork ribs directly into her daughter's bowl, saying, "Come on, eat more. Look how thin you are."
Yuan Doudou was dumbfounded. Goodness, every member of the Li family is a master at protecting their own.
"Su'e, what are you doing?" Yang Kang suppressed his anger.
Yang Mengxue blushed and said, "Mother."
Isn't this just making myself look bad? What will my cousin think of me after seeing this?
Li Tianlang remained calm, with an expression that suggested he was used to it.
"Mengxue is indeed too thin. She should eat more meat to help her get better," Madam Li said, trying to smooth things over. Her younger sister was just venting her anger, so it was understandable.
Yang Mengxue, fighting back tears, said, "Thank you, Aunt."
Even Yuan Doudou felt sorry for her when she saw this; what was going on?
The banquet ended, and the sun had just set.
Yuan Doudou left the Li residence, took a deep breath, and felt refreshed.
"I'm sorry you had to see this." Li Tianlang said, his face showing embarrassment.
Yuan Doudou waved her hand: "It's nothing, it's just a small matter."
She recalled a time when she acted as a tool for her best friend, pretending to be a lesbian, which made her friend so angry that her nose was crooked.
That was incredibly awkward.
The man was persistent and insisted that they perform a kiss on the spot. The best friend grabbed her neck and forcibly kissed her.
Afterwards, she brushed her teeth three times, but felt increasingly nauseous with each brush.
Compared to the past, this is child's play.
Li Tianlang noticed that her eyes were flickering, as if she had thought of something unpleasant.
"I'll take you back." He felt bad for taking up half a day of her time.
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