Chapter 25

"You think just because it's not today, no one will notice?" Linxi Li chuckled casually, but his words made Manzhu Jiang overthink.

Manzhu Jiang glanced at Linxi Li in surprise, "Are you sure this will work? What if they come looking for trouble? Can you really take on three people at once?"

At this point, it wasn't a matter of whether Manzhu Jiang believed in Linxi Li or not. No matter how much of a protagonist aura he had, he wasn't strong enough to fight three people at once.

Manzhu Jiang's innocence made Linxi Li give her a sidelong glance with a faint smile, "What made you think I can take on three people by myself?"

"No, it's not that. You can't take on three, but if Aunt Meihua comes looking for trouble while we're at work, what will happen to Mom and Xiaobei at home?" Manzhu Jiang wondered if he was being too impulsive.

"They won't dare," Linxi Li didn't answer her directly, leaving her with a sense of suspense, which confused Manzhu Jiang. Where exactly did his confidence come from?

Could it be… because he got beaten badly?

But if that were true, she didn't believe Aunt Meihua's family would let it go so easily. After all, they had three strong, burly men in their family. And Linxi…

"Alright, stop worrying. Leave the rest to me." Maybe he sensed her concern and unease, so he tried to comfort her, but his tone was light, almost like he wasn't taking it seriously at all.

After saying that, Linxi Li suddenly sneezed.

"Oh no, could it be Aunt Meihua's family plotting revenge on you? Linxi, you better be careful! You can't be too arrogant!" Manzhu Jiang grabbed Linxi Li's arm in worry, nervously reminding him.

She had forgotten that the protagonist's aura would protect him from whatever happened, but… it wouldn't protect those close to the protagonist. There was that saying, after all: "The parents are sacrificed to empower the protagonist."

For the protagonist to rise, what fuels his ambition? Hatred! And where does hatred come from? From his family being humiliated or killed…

"Linxi, as a man, you must be cautious. Don't forget, you still have an aging mother and a young brother to take care of." Manzhu Jiang reminded him earnestly, afraid Linxi Li wasn't taking it seriously.

"I know." Linxi Li gave her a silent glance. When had he ever been careless? Whether with the people in the village or in matters concerning her…

"That's good!" Manzhu Jiang nodded. They say the protagonist's aura cuts through everything, but it's those around him who suffer. She decided she needed to be more cautious in the coming days.

She made up her mind: from now on, she would stick with Linxi Li during their commute. If anything dangerous happened, she'd immediately throw the protagonist with his protective aura in harm's way and make her escape!

Just as she finalized her plan, Linxi Li sneezed again, making Manzhu Jiang feel a sudden pang of guilt.

Could it be that her thoughts had triggered some kind of divine warning to Linxi Li?

"Linxi, did you catch a cold last night when you went out? The weather's getting colder—it's almost winter. You should wear more layers when you go out to avoid getting sick. It's uncomfortable to be sick." Feeling guilty, Manzhu Jiang quickly attributed it to him catching a cold. "I heard honey water can help with coughs, and ginger honey water can warm you up and soothe your stomach. You should…"

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something. "Do we have any honey at home?"

She didn't even ask about cold medicine, knowing they definitely wouldn't have any. That stuff was expensive and had an expiration risk.

A minor cold? People in the village wouldn't be so delicate. Boiling some ginger water should drive the cold away.

"No, we don't." There used to be, but later… they sold the honey. Now that his older brother wasn't around, no one bothered with the bees anymore.

"Ah, that's a pity. Honey is so good—it can warm you up, soothe your stomach, moisturize your lungs, and help with digestion…" Manzhu Jiang thought for a moment, remembering that it was also supposed to be good for beauty. She wasn't sure about that, but honey had many benefits, that much she was certain.

The honey sold in the market nowadays was mostly synthetic, but it was different back then. The honey from those beekeepers was the real deal.

"Linxi, since you don't have much to do besides school, why don't we raise some bees together?" Manzhu Jiang looked at Linxi Li with sparkling eyes, making her suggestion.

"We don't have any income other than our salaries, and I heard the supply and marketing cooperatives buy honey…" From now on, whenever there's a financial need, this could be the excuse. Linxi wasn't as clever as she was.

Using that as an excuse, Manzhu Jiang secretly reminded Linxi Li, "This could be an extra source of income. Later on, if we want to splurge on some extra meat, it'll make others jealous."

Get it? My dear protagonist!

The smart man quickly caught on to her intentions. He lifted his eyelids and glanced at her, his deep black eyes like a cosmic black hole, as if he could suck her right in. Manzhu Jiang… had she found out something she wasn't supposed to?

Oblivious to being stared at, Manzhu Jiang clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh right, we'll need a beehive too. Linxi, do you know how to make one?"

Manzhu Jiang urged Linxi Li to start beekeeping. When they would finally get some honey, she didn't know, but nothing would happen if they didn't start.

She had plenty of free time, and she couldn't spend her leisurely moments just watching people work in the fields, right?

That would be foolish, and the people working in the fields wouldn't look too kindly on her.

"You really want to do this? Aren't you afraid of getting stung by the bees?" After living with her for some time, Linxi Li understood Manzhu Jiang's personality well.

To put it bluntly, she was delicate, like a pampered young lady. In these times, being called that could get her labeled as a capitalist sympathizer. But Linxi Li had seen her delicate nature firsthand.

However, because of Liu Jumei's care for her, Linxi Li had kept his thoughts to himself.

Manzhu Jiang, reminded by Linxi Li, suddenly remembered that while honey was great, beekeeping wasn't an easy task.

The biggest issue… bees sting.

What should she do now?

Knowing she was delicate, Manzhu Jiang turned her hopeful gaze to Linxi Li. In this matter, neither her mother-in-law nor Xiaobei would be of much help. Linxi was the only one she could rely on.

"Linxi, don't you think honey is a good thing? It aids digestion, promotes health, and would be good for Mom and Xiaobei. It's just as good as that malted milk drink!" Manzhu Jiang clasped her hands together, her bright eyes filled with anticipation.

Malted milk was a high-end gift.

People like them couldn't afford it, but honey could serve as a great alternative, couldn't it?

Brown sugar water cannot compare to honey water. This alone would allow Jiang Manzhu to persuade Li Linxi.

"Mom is getting older, and Xiao Bei is still growing; they both need to nourish their bodies more," Jiang Manzhu kept emphasizing her mom's and Xiao Bei's needs, implying that she herself didn't matter. "What matters is mom and Xiao Bei, you know that, right?"

How could Li Linxi not understand her? But looking at that energetic face, he chose not to dampen her enthusiasm and simply responded with a soft "Hmm."

"That's amazing! We'll plant flowers around our house as well, and by next year, we'll definitely have honey…" Jiang Manzhu clapped her hands happily, eager to share the good news with her mom and Xiao Bei.

Watching her bounce away joyfully while humming a tune off-key, Li Linxi's lips curled into a slight smile, but it quickly faded.

As he lowered his gaze, a coldness as deep as a frozen pond flickered in his eyes. Aunt Meihua? Her family deserves this?

At breakfast, everyone was focused on making plans for beekeeping, discussing how to raise bees.

Meanwhile, gossip spread through the village, with rumors saying that back when A-Qing was in middle school, he got a girl pregnant. Others whispered that Aunt Meihua had an affair when she was young…

When Meihua heard about these rumors, she was so furious she nearly exploded. "Which scoundrel is spreading such nonsense? When did I ever do anything like that?"

"It must be that old hag Liu Jumei! That wretched woman is spreading lies to get back at me! She's definitely doing this to take revenge on me!!!"

While she was yelling, Meihua accidentally pulled at her bruised spots, making her wince in pain. Her hatred for Liu Jumei grew as she slapped the table, glaring at her two daughters-in-law, who stood there dumbfounded.

"Why are you two still standing here? Worthless! Can't even say a word in my defense. Ugh…"

Her two daughters-in-law, heads lowered, stood meekly as if unsure how to respond, enduring her wrath without a word.

"Mom, it's not about finding out who started it right now; the real issue is that everyone's talking about it. What are we going to do?" Meihua's eldest son spoke up with concern. "If you hadn't provoked that sharp-tongued woman from the Li family, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"What do you mean? Of course, we're going to settle the score with Liu Jumei! You three, come with me!" Meihua demanded, seemingly forgetting that her three sons had already been beaten black and blue.

Her sons hadn't forgotten though, groaning in pain and refusing to follow her. "Mom, stop it. We're still hurting from the beating."

Meihua, hearing this, slammed the table in anger. That wretched educated youth was to blame for this.

But after slamming the table, her hand throbbed in pain, and she waved it in the air a few times, suppressing her fury. She wasn't about to let this matter go.

Unfortunately, her three sons didn't seem eager to help, except for A-Qing, who was also part of the gossip.

When Meihua went out to work, she faced the same treatment as others caught in the rumor mill and, in her rage, sought out the village head.

"Village head, the Li family has gone too far! They're spreading rumors about me and A-Qing, and they even beat up my sons. You have to do something about this! How can we have such evil-hearted people in our village?" Meihua pleaded, mimicking Jiang Manzhu's speech from the day before.

The village head: "…"

He stared at Meihua for a few seconds before responding. "Meihua, this issue does need to be dealt with. As Jiang Zhiqing said, spreading rumors and slandering others' reputations affects unity and disturbs peace. It's truly vile."

The day before, he had done some investigation. Or at least, he pretended to, just to give everyone a sense of closure. The truth was, the blame lay with his own daughter.

That afternoon, he even rang the village bell and gathered everyone for a production team meeting.

The open area where the villagers usually dried grain had a small platform, perfect for the village head to address the crowd.

By five or six o'clock, everyone who had finished work or school had been called to the meeting. As he stood on the platform, the village head looked at the unruly villagers and educated youths, his expression stern.

"Regarding the recent rumors in our production team, many have been harmed. As your village head, I am ashamed that I didn't notice the problem sooner."

"Thanks to Jiang Zhiqing's reminder, we've realized that what may seem like small issues are actually hidden dangers…"

He rambled on, first taking credit for his efforts, then mentioning the victims, both educated youths and villagers.

Finally, he concluded that spreading harmful rumors was damaging. From now on, unless multiple people had witnessed something firsthand, no one was allowed to spread such gossip. If they did, they would lose a year's worth of work points as compensation to the victim!

The critical part came at the end. "What? Losing work points? A whole year? On what grounds?"

"Because you spread lies and harmed others. If you don't want to lose work points, then don't spread rumors."

"But how am I supposed to know if it's a rumor or not? Do I have to think twice about every bit of gossip before speaking?"

"Exactly, village head, this rule is too harsh!"

For the gossip-loving women, this punishment was too severe. No one wanted to accept it.

"I might as well investigate whether anyone has bad-mouthed me then."

"If you slander someone by accusing them of serious crimes like murder, arson, or adultery, that's where you'll be punished. If you're unsure if your words will cause great harm, then don't speak. We are modern farmers, after all."

"The Great Leader once said that Chinese farmers inherently possess qualities of diligence, bravery, wisdom, and optimism. Now that we're in charge, are you still trapped in feudal, ignorant, and backward thinking?"

The village head's face was stern. "What is a modern village? It starts with me, with you all. We are cultured, educated farmers!"

Jiang Manzhu, seated below on a small stool, listened to the village head's speech. She hadn't expected this man, who seemed like a simple farmer, to be so articulate.

Where did he learn such official-sounding phrases? Probably from the commune.

And in her hand, she held a red booklet of quotes.

With great pride, she carried the Great Leader's quotes with her, ready to use them in any argument, making her feel more righteous and superior.

Li Linxi, sitting nearby, glanced at Jiang Manzhu's serious expression, as if she were genuinely learning from the lecture. He couldn't understand why she was so intent on absorbing this kind of talk.

Shifting his gaze, he focused on Xiao Bei.

Xiao Bei wasn't paying attention to the village head's speech at all. Instead, he was playing rock-paper-scissors with a neighbor's child.

They had already made plans to play a stone-throwing game together the next day, smiling with carefree joy. Li Linxi chose not to say anything that would ruin the mood.

The village head didn't manage to catch anyone to come forward and apologize. Everyone's attention was focused on the punishment, worrying that from now on, they couldn't say anything.

A year's worth of work points! That meant a year's worth of rations! The severity of this punishment struck fear into everyone's hearts.

Some believed that the village head didn't have the authority to dock their work points. If he insisted, they planned to report him to the commune.

"Fine, but if you harm someone, let's see who gets into trouble—me or you!" The village head sneered, confident in his position.

This made everyone panic a little. Would they really get in trouble?

It couldn't be, could it?

Hadn't they gotten away with this kind of behavior for years? Like when xx was dunked in the pigsty, or when xx did this or that…

"Alright, alright, it's all the fault of those educated youths. They're so delicate, they want to drown themselves over a few words. Who can stand that?"

"Hey, aren't you afraid the village head will punish you for saying that?"

"Hah, the village head said, as long as it's not slander about adultery or crimes, it doesn't matter! Seriously, why don't they just go to the commune and ask for the village head's position?"

"Hahaha, exactly! It's no big deal. I never talk about stuff like that, just things like whose chickens have died."

"Pfft, your chickens died!"

"Hey! How dare you curse my chickens? If anything happens to them, I'll come to your house for eggs!!!"

This was Jiang Manzhu's first time attending a village meeting, and it ended just like that. Dismissed?

"Didn't the village head say yesterday he'd investigate? No one was brought up as an example?" Jiang Manzhu curiously poked at Li Linxi. Shouldn't they have called someone up as a representative? Even schools would do that when giving speeches about this kind of thing.

"Otherwise? Should we arrest the brigade leader's wife or daughter?" Li Linxi replied calmly and unhurriedly.

Jiang Manzhu: …

"Oh, right, that's how it is." Jiang Manzhu suddenly remembered as well. It seemed that at the time, Comrade Luo was about to marry the brigade leader's daughter. Not long after the engagement was broken off, rumors started spreading.

"What if Su Qianqian wasn't the one who spread it? Maybe some other educated youth knew about this?" Jiang Manzhu still felt that there was something fishy about the situation.

After all, Comrade Su Qianqian was a woman, and in this conservative era, how could she get close to someone… cough, cough, cough, and spread such things? Wasn't she afraid of others finding out?

"I don't know about that." Li Linxi typically didn't concern himself with matters unrelated to him.

"How can you not be worried? Also, I was concerned at noon today, about the Meihua family's situation… Is it all connected?" Jiang Manzhu lowered her voice. What if it implicated Li Linxi?

Why are you so reckless in doing things?

"Why do you think the brigade leader made his decision so quickly? If A-Qing's family hadn't come to make a fuss, who knows how long it would have dragged on?" Li Linxi explained.

Ah… so that's how it is?

"How can you be sure that the Meihua family will go after the brigade leader and not us?" Jiang Manzhu felt her brain wasn't keeping up. Yesterday, with her fierce temper, Meihua dared to rush up and curse, even when nothing had happened.

"Did you notice if her three sons were there today?" Li Linxi wasn't annoyed, and he patiently explained.

Huh?

Oh… they were scared of being beaten?

This made Jiang Manzhu glance at Li Linxi again, checking out his arms, belly, and shoulders. After sizing him up, she began to doubt how Li Linxi had managed to take on all three of them.

You really can't tell—maybe he's the kind of guy who looks slim in clothes but is muscular underneath? Impressive!

This face had a refined, scholarly look, appearing gentle but with a touch of sharpness when he got serious.

Jiang Manzhu's scrutinizing gaze didn't cause Li Linxi any discomfort. He wasn't the least bit flustered. "I already dragged the logs down from the mountain at noon. Tonight, I'll start building the beehive box."

"Great, I'll definitely help," Jiang Manzhu promised. After all, she was the one who wanted to raise bees. If she didn't help, who would?

She was just worried that Li Linxi might stop halfway through and leave the job unfinished. That would be a huge loss!

As they happily headed home, some people noticed them. But, given that the brigade leader's stern lecture was still ringing in their ears, no one gave it much thought.

Even if they did, they wouldn't say anything.

However, during a chat with Liu Jumei, someone tentatively brought it up, "Your Linxi is getting older, isn't it time for him to marry? Otherwise, all the good girls will be taken."

"Exactly, those next door were already betrothed at fifteen or sixteen. It's getting hard to find a good match for my kid."

"Is that so? Then you better hurry. Jumei, your Linxi is getting older. The sooner he marries and has children, the sooner you can help with the grandchildren."

"Yes, just like the Du family. They've already had grandchildren. At sixty or seventy years old, how can they take care of grandkids? They can't even carry them."

As the conversation went on, Liu Jumei began to feel a little tense, though she didn't show it on her face.

"Every child has their own fate. Linxi is still young. The state says you have to be 18 to get a marriage certificate, right? We'll just follow the country's rules." Liu Jumei didn't mention that her son wasn't interested in marriage, avoiding any more gossip.

This group of gossiping women had loose lips.

"That's not the point. Getting married and having children early, the marriage certificate can come when the time is right. Is it that your Linxi has someone in mind and just hasn't told you?"

"I've said no! I think he's still too young. Besides, do you think my Linxi, good-looking and earning full work points, would have any trouble finding a wife?"

Liu Jumei rolled her eyes, speaking with pride and satisfaction. My good son, how could they compare?

The others: …

Yes, yes, only your son is good-looking and earns full work points.

"My son's pretty good too," Su Fang, sitting nearby, rolled her eyes. She wasn't about to lose in a contest of boasting about sons. "Earning full work points isn't that hard."

The others didn't feel like talking anymore. They blamed their sons for not being competitive enough, making them lose face in this bragging contest.

Liu Jumei didn't care. As long as no one slandered her son, she could handle these small matters on her own.

As the sky darkened, Li Linxi was working on the wood, and Jiang Manzhu was helping scrape off the bark. Xiao Bei watched eagerly from the side…

When Liu Jumei got home and saw what they were doing, she frowned slightly. "Take a bath and eat dinner. It'll be dark soon; you can finish tomorrow."

The meeting had taken over half an hour. Soon, it would be time to light the kerosene lamps for a bath and dinner. Such a waste of oil—all the brigade leader's fault with his endless chatter.

"Xiao Bei, go start the fire and cook. We'll take care of this." Jiang Manzhu urged Xiao Bei, as scraping bark was too heavy a job for him.

Though, it wasn't really suitable for her either… heh. She had barely started scraping before Li Linxi, unable to bear watching her struggle, took the hatchet from her.

"I think I can do it," Jiang Manzhu said confidently, trying to prove she could help.

"You'll be cutting into your own skin soon." Li Linxi's tone was light and casual, causing Jiang Manzhu to glance down at her hand in frustration.

Her slightly fair hand was already turning red. Jiang Manzhu was silent for two seconds. Alright, she had overestimated herself.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Jiang Manzhu eagerly looked at Li Linxi, feeling awkward just standing there and not doing anything.

"Just stay out of the way." Step aside.

Jiang Manzhu puffed out her cheeks, feeling insulted.

Seeing Jiang Manzhu pouting like a child, with a pretty hint of grievance in her eyes, Li Linxi paused for a moment. "Go help with the cooking."

In the end, Jiang Manzhu couldn't stay. She realized that this wasn't a task for her.

She was better at using her brain!

After convincing herself, Jiang Manzhu went to help prepare dinner. When the dishes were ready, they called Li Linxi inside to eat.

Compared to his two older brothers, Liu Jumei had never seen Li Linxi do carpentry before, so she was a little worried. "Linxi, are you sure you can do this? I've never seen you make anything out of wood or build boxes…"

"Mom, Linxi is really talented. Remember those reward stamps for the children that I gave out? Linxi helped me make them, and he even prepared red ink from flower petals for me. I never would have thought of that. Linxi is really smart and thoughtful…"

Jiang Manzhu, worried that Li Linxi might back out of the project, started praising him in front of Liu Jumei. You're amazing! You're the best!

"Linxi had never done woodwork before, but he carved those stamps so well, showing he's really gifted in this area. He must have inherited your intelligence, Mom! No wonder he can master anything so quickly—what a genius!"

As she continued praising, she turned her compliments to Liu Jumei, making her smile proudly. "Haha, Manzhu's right, like me—smart."

Liu Jumei nodded repeatedly. "With Linxi being so clever, he'll definitely figure it out. Once the boxes are done, we can put them behind the house and plant some wildflowers. But we still need bees. I'll look into that tomorrow."

"Oh, right, we'll need bees. Thank you for reminding me, Mom. Otherwise, it would've been awkward," Jiang Manzhu said, slapping her forehead as she suddenly remembered.

"By the way, Mom, do we have sugar at home? We'll need it to attract the bees to the box." Jiang Manzhu knew a little about beekeeping and took it seriously.

"Of course." Liu Jumei nodded. Beekeeping was allowed, and selling honey could bring in a little extra income, so how could she not care?

The next day, Li Linxi got up early to continue sawing and nailing wood. Jiang Manzhu, watching him work so diligently, felt a bit embarrassed to be standing idly by.

But… Linxi said there wasn't much she could help with.

So she found other ways to assist. "Linxi, breakfast is ready!"

"Linxi, I brought your book."

"Linxi, don't forget to take some water."

"Linxi…"

Early in the morning, Jiang Manzhu appeared busier than Li Linxi. He seemed to understand her mindset and did not stop her from trying to please him. He had invested so much effort in helping her with tasks like stamping seals and assembling beehives, and despite receiving very little acknowledgment in return, he felt no guilt.

On the other hand, Liu Jumai watched this scene with a sense of strangeness. She subtly observed the two of them, wondering if something was happening between them that she didn't know about. She glanced at Jiang Manzhu, then at Li Linxi, and suddenly recalled something Su Fang had said yesterday: "Doesn't Li Linxi have someone he likes? Is he too shy to tell you?"

Liu Jumai had previously thought it impossible, believing that Li Linxi simply didn't have those thoughts. Yet now, a new idea crept in—could it be that he had no interest at all, or perhaps he did but felt the person wasn't suitable?

She didn't want her thoughts to spiral too far, but Su Fang's words had influenced her a little, and now seeing them together stirred her curiosity.

Considering Jiang Manzhu's appearance, Liu Jumai acknowledged that she was not the prettiest girl in the village or even in the commune; otherwise, Li Dong would not have been so insistent on marrying her. Liu Jumai recalled how she had previously rejected a match for Li Linxi with a girl from the neighboring production team, described by the matchmaker as hardworking and attractive, likely to produce strong children.

Ironically, Li Linxi not only escaped that situation but also chose to spend time with Jiang Manzhu and Xiao Bei at the supply and marketing cooperative. At the time, Li Linxi had expressed concern for both Jiang Manzhu and Xiao Bei going out, and Liu Jumai had agreed, seeing them as vulnerable.

Now, as she reflected on all these events, she began to think differently. Her thoughts intertwined, though only a few seconds passed.

"Mom, we're leaving," Jiang Manzhu said, waving goodbye, completely unaware of the turmoil brewing in her mother's heart.

Li Linxi noticed a subtle change in his mother's expression, realizing she was looking at him and Jiang Manzhu with a certain complexity. However, he misinterpreted this concern as merely worry about their work. "We're off now, Mom. Don't worry; I'll take good care of her," he reassured her, knowing she viewed Jiang Manzhu as a delicate young lady needing protection.

As soon as he said this, Liu Jumai's expression became even more complex. Li Linxi thought to himself, "What's going on?"

He brushed it off, thinking his mother was simply feeling clingy today—perhaps worried he would treat Jiang Manzhu coldly as he sometimes did. After all, elderly people hope for family harmony and naturally want to avoid conflict.

With Jiang Manzhu walking ahead and Li Linxi following, they presented a striking image—a handsome couple, a perfect match in terms of looks. Watching this, Liu Jumai let out a soft hiss, quickly followed by several "pah pah pah" sounds. "It's all Su Fang's fault for gossiping; now I'm overthinking everything."

"How could this be? There's nothing strange about this!" she tried to convince herself. Determined to confront Su Fang about her meddling, she remembered that Su Fang's son had been rejected during a recent matchmaking attempt. "Let's see if she dares to talk about others again!"

Meanwhile, Xiao Bei had run off to play with his friends. Thanks to Jiang Manzhu's efforts, he finally felt included among the children his age.

In another setting, Su Qianqian was furiously confronting her mother, Huang Yejing. "Mom, how can you decide my marriage so carelessly? I refuse to marry him!" She was talking about the man Huang Yejing had chosen for her without any prior discussion or meeting.

"Parents have their duties; it's not up to you to refuse," Huang Yejing replied coldly, feeling exasperated with her daughter's defiance. After all the turmoil, Su Qianqian's reputation had suffered significantly. Huang Yejing worried that if this continued, no one would want to marry her daughter. Reflecting on her own situation, she thought about how, after her death, she couldn't have her daughter left vulnerable, possibly starving.

"Mom, how could you pick someone like that? I don't want to! I want to choose my own partner!" Su Qianqian protested, feeling hurt and misunderstood, convinced her mother was intentionally trying to make her miserable.

"Choose? What could you possibly choose?" Huang Yejing snapped back, her trust in her daughter's judgment dwindling. She recalled Su Qianqian's previous choices, including Luo Zhiqing and the boy from the Li family.

Frustrated, Su Qianqian defended her feelings for Li Linxi, insisting he was a good man, one her mother simply couldn't appreciate. "No, I must escape this marriage!" she resolved, realizing that escaping now wasn't as simple as just running away; without the right papers, she had nowhere to go.

"How can this be happening? I've been given a second chance to live better than before…" With knowledge of her future, she refused to accept a life with an unfamiliar, ordinary man.

"Absolutely not! I can't endure that!" Her thoughts drifted back to Li Linxi, even as Huang Yejing continued speaking, her words fading into the background as Su Qianqian became lost in her own thoughts.

"Qianqian, are you even listening to me?" After lecturing her daughter for quite some time, Huang Yejing grew increasingly frustrated when Su Qianqian seemed to drift off, ignoring her.

"Mom, I get it," Su Qianqian replied somewhat dismissively, her mind still preoccupied with how to get Li Linxi to marry her. She realized that both families knew the current circumstances, and the normal marriage process couldn't proceed.

It wasn't just her parents who disapproved; the other party also had objections.

"How annoying! The heavens have already given me a second chance, so why can't I get what I want?"

Su Qianqian muttered in frustration. If she could just drug someone… Well, finding the right substances was difficult, and she had no knowledge of that.

So, what could she do? A hero saving a damsel? Ruining her own reputation?

Although it would lead to gossip from the villagers, such gossip held no real power. Could it compare to the comfort she hoped for in her future?

Absolutely not!

With her resolve set, Su Qianqian found herself in another dilemma: how to make others discover her spending time with Li Linxi and have her reputation tarnished at the same time.

This was troublesome. Her father had always harshly criticized the spreading of rumors, so she needed most people to witness it…

Balding!!

Huang Yejing, of course, had no idea what her daughter was thinking. She believed she had found a good marriage for her, with a partner who was a soldier. In the future, she could rise alongside him and possibly become a military wife.

Unfortunately, Su Qianqian had no interest in those soldiers; she thought that only those with connections could climb the ranks. Soldiers were merely cannon fodder.

Her only real dilemma was that she couldn't find a way out, completely disregarding her mother's painstaking advice and education.

Meanwhile, Jiang Manzhu was quite happy that her wooden box was nearly complete. She had been busy these past few days, helping with stripping bark and nailing the boards.

Looking at the smooth wooden box, Jiang Manzhu exclaimed, "I thought it would turn out rough and full of splinters, but it's actually quite smooth!"

Li Linxi smiled slightly but remained silent. Xiao Bei chimed in, "Of course! Third Brother's boxes are definitely impressive."

"Yes, yes! Li Linxi is amazing!" Jiang Manzhu praised, secretly hoping that he would bring back a hive of bees for her.

Liu Jumai sat nearby, observing the interactions among the three with a thoughtful expression. Over the past few days, she had been subtly paying attention to them.

Li Linxi and Manzhu…

This was an odd pairing—a sister-in-law and her younger brother-in-law. How could that possibly be suitable? If word got out, she couldn't imagine what people would say…