Chapter 15

Fei Ying… Jiang Manzhu's mouth twitched slightly. Even if a person had gained a little weight or had become a bit sturdier, calling them names like that wasn't very polite.

"Finding a spouse in the city isn't easy, right? Did they already try finding a match in the city?" Jiang Manzhu asked curiously. It seemed like the brigade leader had some connections, which made sense since being a brigade leader was a significant position.

"Yes, they tried to find a match in the city, but it was a lot of trouble. Who would have thought that the young girl wouldn't appreciate it?" The pig-raising aunt shook her head, complaining that the girl from the Su family was too picky about her suitor.

She continued praising the pig butcher while criticizing Su Qianqian's choice in partners.

"Jiang Zhiqing, haven't you thought about finding a match for yourself?" The pig-raising aunt suddenly turned her attention to Jiang Manzhu. Despite Jiang Manzhu being a widow, there were still people interested in her.

Jiang Manzhu was taken aback. Why was she being asked this question? She felt that staying with the Li family was the right choice. After all, she didn't have to work in the fields, and there was help with household chores. It would be hard to find such comfort elsewhere.

"I haven't thought about it. I'm quite conservative. Once I'm married into the Li family, I'm part of the Li family. Aunt, please don't bring this up again. I need to take care of Xiao Bei, my mother, and Lin Xi."

Jiang Manzhu presented herself as a person who adhered strictly to traditional values, dealing with the village's well-meaning but bothersome attempts to find her a match.

The pig-raising aunt was surprised by Jiang Manzhu's response. She had expected Jiang Manzhu, who was exceptionally beautiful, to be more flirtatious.

"Jiang Zhiqing, I didn't expect you to be so loyal," the pig-raising aunt said, admiring her despite finding her a bit foolish. It was true that since Jiang Manzhu married into the Li family, she hadn't been seen out much and wasn't involved in any flirtations.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to the people in the village for you. Those gossipy women think that a young girl needs to find a husband, which is just…"

The pig-raising aunt continued rambling, making Jiang Manzhu a bit embarrassed.

"Aunt, weren't you talking about Su Qianqian from the brigade leader's family? What's happening with her now?"

"Oh, her? What else could happen? She didn't come to work today, so she must be locked up at home. It's impossible for the brigade leader and Fei Ying to agree to this. That girl is blind and foolish, choosing a suitor like Luo Zhiqing, who clearly isn't someone to rely on for life."

Jiang Manzhu listened and started feeling some abdominal discomfort, slightly frowning. She excused herself from the pig-raising aunt, realizing that her period had started, which was making her feel uncomfortable.

Realizing the date, Jiang Manzhu quickened her pace to get home. Living in the village without a calendar or regular paydays made it hard to keep track of time.

Seeing Jiang Manzhu hurrying, Xiao Bei followed, puzzled, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just in a hurry to get home and boil some water. The weather's getting cooler, so I need to drink more hot water," Jiang Manzhu said, giving an excuse while trying to mask her discomfort from her period.

"Oh…" Xiao Bei replied, looking up at the still bright and hot sun, wondering if it really was cooler.

When Jiang Manzhu got home, she confirmed her period had started and changed her clothes. Thankfully, she had bought some sanitary napkins in town, even though they weren't very comfortable.

Jiang Manzhu asked Xiao Bei to help boil water while she washed her clothes. After some effort, she sat on a stool, holding her abdomen, feeling the pain of menstrual cramps. She was determined to teach Xiao Bei how to cook, as she wanted him to be independent in case of future emergencies.

While Xiao Bei cooked, he sighed, "If I'd known, I wouldn't have cooked all the meat yesterday."

He wanted meat, but only had vegetables and eggs. Excited to make a dish with eggs, he prepared it with some scallions and oil, making the kitchen smell delightful.

"Wow, Xiao Bei, you're amazing! How can you cook vegetables so well? Mom and Lin Xi will be so happy to know you can cook now."

Jiang Manzhu praised him, making Xiao Bei's face turn red from embarrassment but his eyes shine with pride. He eagerly awaited the return of his mother and Lin Xi.

When Liu Jumei and Li Linxi came back, they praised Xiao Bei for being hardworking and capable. Xiao Bei, with a red face, was happy and quickly washed his hands for dinner.

Li Linxi glanced at Jiang Manzhu, who looked pale and uncomfortable, and asked, "Is this your way of teaching Xiao Bei independence? What about you? You'll need to work in the fields tomorrow."

Jiang Manzhu's previously cheerful smile vanished, replaced by a shocked and angry expression. "How can you leave Xiao Bei alone at home? It's dangerous for him to be unsupervised."

"If you know it's dangerous, why make Xiao Bei do it?" Li Linxi's face turned serious. He didn't want Jiang Manzhu to be at home only to delegate work to her brother.

"Cooking isn't dangerous. Xiao Bei is young and needs supervision, but it's not a daily task for me. I just don't feel well due to my period. After a couple of days, I'll resume taking on the work."

Jiang Manzhu was fiery, her face flushed with indignation. If not for her cramps, she would have jumped up to argue more fiercely with Li Linxi.

Imagining scolding him, she felt a mix of frustration and helplessness. "No! I refuse to go work in the fields!"

Her determination to resist made Li Linxi's stern face soften slightly, showing a hint of surprise at her condition.

"Okay," Li Linxi said, nodding in acknowledgment, showing no sign of remorse for his previous demand.

Jiang Manzhu huffed and focused on regaining her composure. She was determined to maintain her stance and managed to bring herself back to a positive mood. "Mom, it's time to eat."

Liu Jumei was aware of the little actions of the children below, but as long as nothing was visible on the surface, it was fine. Any conflicts should be handled by themselves. Intervening would only make things worse.

In the future…

Liu Jumei, with a smile on her face, looked at Xiao Bei, who was more lively than before. "Xiao Bei's cooking looks pretty good; let Mom have a taste…"

Li Linxi had already come over and sat down. Looking at the two ordinary dishes, there was nothing particularly special about them, but he joined Liu Jumei in praising Xiao Bei.

"Manzhu isn't feeling well. Let her rest these days," Liu Jumei said with concern, her gentle and kind-hearted image as a mother-in-law touching Jiang Manzhu, who felt quite moved.

Li Linxi said nothing, but Xiao Bei next to him nodded vigorously. "Yes, sister-in-law should rest; leave the rest to Xiao Bei. I can handle it!"

After the meal, Liu Jumei specially came to talk to Li Linxi about Jiang Manzhu's situation.

"Linxi, Manzhu, like you, is a good child. We're all family now, so don't make a fuss anymore, alright?"

Li Linxi initially thought his mother was going to discuss some emotional matter, but it turned out to be about Jiang Manzhu?

"Mom, she doesn't seem to genuinely want to stay with our family," Li Linxi wanted to say many things, but no amount of reasons could persuade Liu Jumei. He didn't understand why Jiang Manzhu had cast such a spell on his mother, making her like her so much.

"I know she doesn't want to stay at the commune and can't return to the city. She's gone from a young girl to a widowed woman. But true feelings come with true feelings, and Mom believes that in the future, she will willingly take care of you and Xiao Bei. Xiao Bei, doesn't know if she will always be this way. You'll have to work in the fields and need someone to take care of you," Liu Jumei said earnestly, "Linxi, you're not young anymore. In the future, when you marry, you need to find someone who can accept Xiao Bei. If not, find someone for Xiao Bei… Find someone…"

Liu Jumei's words faltered, as she knew it was difficult to ask.

But if she weren't around in the future, what would happen to Xiao Bei?

Xiao Bei was her responsibility, not Linxi's…

"Mom, I will take care of Xiao Bei for the rest of my life!" Li Linxi, seeing his mother's worried expression, solemnly promised.

Liu Jumei listened, and perhaps Linxi truly thought this way now, but as time passed, the future was uncertain.

"Hmm." Liu Jumei didn't say anything to hurt Li Linxi's feelings, but she brought up another topic, "Mom asked a matchmaker to find girls from the neighboring village. Linxi hasn't mentioned what kind he likes, but we'll look at them one by one. There's bound to be someone he likes. If he marries early, Mom will be much more at ease."

"Well, the main issue is whether they will accept Xiao Bei. It will take time to find someone," Liu Jumei began to worry, feeling that her son might not have much charm.

Finding a bride would be good, but she had to be able to accept Xiao Bei.

It would definitely be hard to find.

Li Linxi's expression was inscrutable as he listened to his mother's words and remained silent. He had no interest in any woman, and dealing with romantic matters was too bothersome.

The two women at home were already giving him a headache.

"It doesn't matter if no one accepts. I can take care of Xiao Bei for the rest of my life." Li Linxi, the big male lead, expressed his refusal. Unfortunately, his mother wouldn't listen.

Not getting married? No way!

There were old widowers in the village who hadn't married. How did they live in their old age? She knew it all too well.

Her third child was such a good kid; he must marry, and it must be soon.

"Don't say that. Anyway, leave this matter to me!" Liu Jumei, dismissing the matter as something Linxi's bookish brain hadn't quite grasped yet, refused to give him a chance to decline. Even if Li Linxi tried to refuse, she would just pretend she hadn't heard.

Liu Jumei did indeed go to find a matchmaker. Her Linxi wasn't as strong as Lin Dong and Lin Nan; she needed to find a diligent and capable girl to bring into the family.

Only then would the family prosper.

…

During Jiang Manzhu's period, things were going fairly well, and the villagers' attention was focused on the team leader's family.

Who would have thought that Su Qianqian, the team leader's daughter, would be so stubborn, insisting on marrying the educated youth, Luo Zhiqing?

That Luo Zhiqing… Everyone remembered him as mild-mannered and good-tempered, and it was said he was even a high school student, but unfortunately… he wasn't good at work.

The whole village knew about the commotion. In these times, a woman's reputation was still very important, especially in the city.

With things getting so out of hand, and the team leader's wife wanting to marry her daughter off to the city, who would still look at her with such a reputation?

People in the village were secretly speculating whether Su Qianqian was pregnant with Luo Zhiqing's child, otherwise, why would she insist on marrying him?

"I don't understand why Su Qianqian is so infatuated. Luo Zhiqing isn't even that handsome. I think Li's third son looks better than him." Some couldn't understand why Su Qianqian was so smitten. It was truly self-degrading.

People valued a woman's chastity. Second marriages existed, but generally, second marriages were either to men who had also married before or to men in their thirties or forties.

Finding a young man in his teens or twenties? The chances were slim. Even if she did marry, her mother-in-law would likely criticize and make things difficult, thinking she wasn't worthy of her son!

So people in the village thought, how could the clever Fat Ying have raised such a foolish daughter?

"Did you hear that the team leader agreed to let his daughter marry Luo Zhiqing?" Liu Jumei brought up village gossip at the dinner table.

"Really? He actually agreed? Didn't they want to marry Su Qianqian off to the city?" Jiang Manzhu was surprised. Even the pig slaughterers looked down on Luo Zhiqing, and now they really wanted to marry Su Qianqian to him?

"Of course it's true. It's all over the place. Moreover, with it being so widespread, how could the team leader not agree?" Liu Jumei said.

According to Liu Jumei, they would soon be holding a wedding banquet.

However, just a few days after Liu Jumei's statement, there was another uproar at the team leader's house. Su Qianqian had suddenly… refused to marry Luo Zhiqing.

The villagers were dumbfounded…

Was Su Qianqian's mind a bit problematic? She insisted on marrying Luo Zhiqing before, but now she was adamant about not doing it?

The team leader had nothing to say about his daughter, to the extent that he could only leave her with a dismissive "Do as you wish" and not interfere.

Don't think that just because the grain tax was paid, there was nothing to do. The grain production for the second half of the year had just started!

Su Qianqian's mother, Huang Yeying, was furious with her daughter. "Why, why did you cry and fuss about marrying Luo Zhiqing before, and now you refuse?"

As she spoke, she hit Su Qianqian's arm. How could this child be so disobedient?

Huang Yeying had already planned that if her daughter married Luo Zhiqing, she would find ways to keep him from returning to the city. Even if he did return, he would have to stay with her daughter.

But now…

"Mom, how was I to know that Luo Zhiqing was such a bad person? He's just deceiving me. He only wants to use my dad's team leader position to get a chance to return to the city. Boohoo, if he goes back to the city, he will definitely abandon me. Even if he doesn't go back, he can't support me with his work. I don't want to marry him!!"

Su Qianqian hugged her mother and cried in grievance, saying she didn't want to endure such a scary life.

Huang Yeying was moved by her daughter's heart-wrenching tears.

With a sigh, she considered how to retract her decision and avoid village gossip.

Su Qianqian's three sisters-in-law: You're just stirring up trouble, making a mess of the family, and not stopping until the whole house is in an uproar?

How many people in the village are watching the show? They thought she was crazy before; now they're even more certain.

But seeing their mother-in-law's attitude, Su Qianqian's sisters-in-law dared not speak out. They could only sit silently beside her, feeling full of resentment.

Su Qianqian didn't care; she didn't like her three sisters-in-law anyway—they were all trash!

Huang Yeing agreed to Su Qianqian's 'break-off' cry and fuss. After all, they weren't married yet, and Luo Zhiqing hadn't come to propose, so it didn't count as a breach of contract.

As for reputation… once she was married, it would be forgotten over time. After all, Old Zhang from the neighboring village was once involved with a widow next door, and no one mentions that anymore.

It's all nonsense; as long as she lived well and comfortably, that was enough.

Moreover, her family had the brigade leader. Even if she couldn't marry into the city, there were plenty of young men in the village to choose from.

With her decision made, Huang Yeing patted her daughter's head and asked in a serious tone, "Will you listen to me from now on?"

"Yes, I will listen to you from now on, Mom." Su Qianqian smiled through her tears, knowing her mother would agree.

Despicable Luo Liangce, how dare he treat her like this, abandoning her to return to the city, abandoning his family! Now that she was reborn in this time, she would make sure to destroy him.

"Mom, it was Luo Liangce who tricked me. He said he would take me to the city in the future, just so Dad would give him an easy job with high work points."

Immediately reporting to her mother, this matter had to be dealt with by her father, ideally by assigning Luo Liangce to manure picking!

"Mom, those intellectual youths are truly no good. It's my fault for not listening to you before." She clung to Huang Yeing, acting coquettish. "From now on, I'll listen to you."

Now, her mother hadn't yet been disappointed by Luo Liangce's incident. As long as her parents stood by her, she didn't believe she would continue to live so miserably.

"This is something you must not say outside, understand?" Huang Yeing's face turned serious as she warned Su Qianqian.

If this got out, the intellectual youths might report the brigade leader for looking down on them and disrupting the unity between urban and rural areas.

Su Qianqian was patted on the shoulder and felt displeased with her mother's sternness.

"Understood, Mom." She lowered her head, not daring to show her full emotions, and was thinking about what she should do next.

Luo Liangce was a dog; Su Qianqian couldn't marry again. In the village… who else did she know?

Suddenly, the person that came to mind was the character who appeared on TV, the richest man on the finance channel—Li Linxi!!

Right, Li Linxi!

"Mom, is Li Linxi still in the village?" After being reborn, she was focused on handling her marriage with Luo Liangce and hadn't considered other matters.

Without the memories of her current body, Su Qianqian naturally thought she was reborn and that things would turn out the same as in her previous life.

At this moment…

Su Qianqian had forgotten about Li Linxi being in the village back then. After all, she had been obsessed with Luo Liangce and had achieved her wish to marry him after causing a ruckus at home. She had no time to think about others.

Later, when Luo Liangce wanted to take the college entrance exam and leave, she wouldn't have it, causing another uproar.

By that time, Li Linxi had already left the village. Because he didn't leave through the college entrance exam, no one paid much attention to a villager suddenly leaving. The news of the college entrance exam had already shocked the entire village, town, even the county, and the whole country!

"Of course. Why do you ask?" Huang Yeing nodded, not immediately understanding why her daughter suddenly brought up this topic. She was still considering how to deal with Luo Liangce.

Huang Yeing didn't realize that her daughter might be interested in Li Linxi, but her three daughters-in-law glanced at Su Qianqian with some surprise.

Su Qianqian didn't answer Huang Yeing. After all, she had made quite a scene recently. If she kept insisting on marrying Li Linxi, not only would her parents be against it, but Li Linxi himself wouldn't accept it either.

She needed to present herself well in front of Li Linxi and make a good impression so that he would change his view of her. That way, things would be better…

Su Qianqian cheered herself up in her mind and then brought up her work that she would start the next day. "It's been delayed for many days. Mom, I will definitely work hard and perform well."

"Yes, it's good that you think this way. After this period, I will find you a good match." Huang Yeing was very pleased. After all, how could she not care for a child she gave birth to?

Su Qianqian nodded, not mentioning her interest in Li Linxi. After all, she had just made a fuss, and Li Linxi's family situation was not within her mother's range for selecting a son-in-law.

Wait a bit longer… wait a bit longer…

The next day at work, she secretly asked about Li Linxi's situation and was a bit confused… What? Li Linxi's mother is still alive? His younger brother is fine too?

Impossible!

Who? Jiang Manzhu? The Jiang intellectual youth? The same Jiang intellectual youth who was also abandoned? Still staying steadily with the Li family?

At that moment, Su Qianqian's face darkened, looking very unpleasant. What's going on? Why is it different from my memory?

Right, who was the person who abandoned Jiang Manzhu? She didn't remember very clearly! Her memory of Jiang Manzhu was mainly because Jiang Manzhu had also been the subject of village gossip like her.

But now…

Could it be that the time had not come yet? Indeed, maybe the time had not arrived, and Jiang Manzhu's affair of running away with money and a lover, only to be abandoned by the lover and left with Li's money, had not happened yet…

Su Qianqian was already in her forties in the new millennium and had never looked into Jiang Manzhu and Li family's affairs deeply. She had only heard some stories and didn't know the details.

…

Every day, Jiang Manzhu had to cut pigweed, and after that, she had to record her work points… Hm, let the recorder note down her work points for today.

With a beaming face, she looked quite comfortable and happy, having successfully completed the work today! Awesome!

When she saw Su Qianqian, she was quite surprised. "Su Qianqian, your work is done for today. Please help record the work points."

"Jiang intellectual youth?" When Su Qianqian saw Jiang Manzhu for the first time, she recalled her face, wondering if Jiang Manzhu had ever been this beautiful.

Is this Jiang Manzhu?

Her gaze was drawn to the young man beside Jiang Manzhu. She remembered what Li Linxi looked like from her childhood in the village.

This is…

Li Linxi is not dead? He is still alive?

"Is there something wrong, Comrade Su?" Jiang Manzhu, seeing Su Qianqian's shocked expression, wondered if Su Qianqian had discovered the conversation she had overheard between Jiang Manzhu and Luo Liangce.

Ah, I didn't do it on purpose; who told you to talk in a bad place?

"No, it's just that Jiang intellectual youth only has 2 work points every day. Isn't it… Haha, not that you're lazy, but as an adult, you're even worse than a child. Shouldn't you be more diligent?"

When Su Qianqian first saw Jiang Manzhu's beautiful face, which was comparable to a fox spirit, she knew she was a rival. How come she hadn't noticed how beautiful she was back then?

Su Qianqian felt deep jealousy and resentment. With such a beautiful woman around, how could Li Linxi…

Still be interested in her? Su Qianqian couldn't help but touch her own face, knowing that men are visual creatures and couldn't possibly not love beauty.

"Hehe, it's not for Comrade Su to worry about." Jiang Manzhu, although not very good at reading people, could tell Su Qianqian's words were clearly malicious.

What does it mean… as an adult, you're even worse than a child?

Immediately, her smile faded.

This woman's words are really unpleasant. Had she even offended her?

"It really isn't my concern. I'm just worried about the Li family. But if you say it's fine, then it's fine…" After recording the 2 work points, Su Qianqian made a special trip to the pigsty to ask the old woman if the pigweed had really been cut.

Starting tomorrow, she would check the quantity!

Xiao Bei was very sensitive to people's emotions and knew that the strange person didn't like his sister-in-law. Hmph, he wouldn't like her either.

"Sister-in-law, why doesn't that person like you?" Xiao Bei, not knowing how to hide his feelings and words, asked directly on the way home.

Jiang Manzhu: Who am I supposed to ask about this?

"Sister-in-law doesn't know either, maybe… it's because she envies Sister-in-law for having Xiao Bei's help and not having any herself? Oh, Xiao Bei is so great; who wouldn't want Xiao Bei's help!"

Jiang Manzhu couldn't find a reason and just casually praised Xiao Bei.

Jealous? What could she possibly be jealous of? She's powerless and can't even lift a finger, so there's nothing to be jealous of.

If we're talking about the Li family, it's even less likely. The Su family has a squad leader, and there are three strong laborers, with Su Qianqian having a light job with high work points.

So the most Jiang Manzhu could think of is her own pretty face, but in the village, a pretty face often means trouble.

The original owner had been harassed before…

Naturally, Xiao Bei didn't know so much and took Jiang Manzhu's words at face value, grinning with joy.

"I don't help others; I only help Sister-in-law cut pigweed." Xiao Bei proudly said he would help Sister-in-law.

"Yes, yes, yes, our Xiao Bei is the best. Do you remember the addition and subtraction that Sister-in-law taught you? If you don't remember, next time when your third brother gives you money to buy candy, you might get tricked without even knowing it."

For people nowadays, literacy and arithmetic are enough, especially for a child like Xiao Bei who is still young. Recognizing one's own name and doing some basic addition and subtraction for buying vegetables and meat is sufficient.

"I won't! Xiao Bei is very smart." Xiao Bei immediately defended himself with his changing voice.

"Yes, yes, yes, our Xiao Bei is very smart." Jiang Manzhu nodded with a smile. In fact, Xiao Bei is very cute, diligent, and sensible. What's not to like about such a child?

The weather was transitioning to autumn, but the midday sun was still scorching, unrelentingly shining its warmth. Once work was done, everyone hurriedly put away their tools and went home to rest and eat.

If it were any other day, Su Qianqian would have already gone home. Who would want to stay in such a hot place?

But today was different; she was waiting for Li Linxi.

At this moment, Li Linxi looked the same as he did on television—his appearance hadn't changed much. However, while he used to be mature and composed, now he carried a youthful, naïve look…

"Li Linxi." When Su Qianqian saw him, she greeted him with a smile, polite and friendly.

Li Linxi and Liu Jumei weren't working in the same field, so they weren't together when putting away tools.

Hearing someone call him, he looked over calmly. He had an impression of Su Qianqian but hadn't interacted much with her, "What's the matter?"

Seeing his indifferent tone, Su Qianqian remembered his suit and was still excited, "Nothing, just surprised to see your younger brother, Lin Bei, cutting pigweed with Jiang Zhiqing this morning. Isn't Lin Bei still young?"

While trying to build a connection, she was also subtly undermining Jiang Manzhu.

Li Linxi glanced at her in silence, not intending to respond. He could see through this shallow attempt at sowing discord.

No matter how much he disliked Jiang Manzhu, he had to admit that with her around, the family atmosphere was indeed much better.

As long as Jiang Manzhu didn't cause trouble, he could tolerate her.

As for Su Qianqian, Li Linxi didn't show any kindness and walked away directly.

Su Qianqian was somewhat angry at Li Linxi's attitude. Who was he? Just a dropout who had to work the fields alone to support his family. And she? She was the daughter of the squad leader, with a status unmatched by any other girl in the village.

But after her anger subsided, she thought that Li Linxi should have such a personality; otherwise, how could he possibly rise to such a high position in the future?

If she could win over Li Linxi, wouldn't her future be assured???

Feeling pumped up after mentally cheering herself on, she wasn't discouraged at all. Li Linxi was hers! No one could take him away from her!

After boosting her morale, she was even more excited when she saw Liu Jumei. It might be a bit difficult to start with Li Linxi, but targeting Liu Jumei would definitely be more straightforward.

If Liu Jumei knew that Li Linxi could marry the daughter of the squad leader, she would surely be happy to accept.

But Liu Jumei was somewhat puzzled. Why was the daughter of the squad leader smiling so strangely at her?

Could it be that…

She was asking for more gifts at their wedding banquet???