Chapter 28

Jiang Manzhu, hearing Li Linxi's question, slowly raised her hand and touched her forehead.

It felt warm… no, actually, it was a little hot. She wasn't sure if her brain had frozen or if the fever had dulled her senses, but she only just realized it now.

"Oh, it seems like it," she said, nodding slowly, not quite knowing what to do next.

Liu Jumai was still going through the thick coat her son had bought for her, the one with a fuzzy lining. She felt a mix of joy and heartache. "This coat must've been expensive, right?"

She had money, so why not save it instead of wasting it on things like this?

Though she muttered under her breath, her heart felt warm. She was moved by her son's filial piety. Hearing Li Linxi's words, she quickly put down the coat and walked over.

"Manzhu has a fever? Did she catch a cold? It must be. This winter is colder than usual, maybe Manzhu isn't used to it yet?" She touched Manzhu's burning forehead—it was indeed hot.

"Oh no, she really has a fever. Linxi, hurry and see if there's any medicine in the house?" Even though she had a bowl of ginger soup when she got home, maybe it wasn't enough to ward off the cold?

She sent Li Linxi to look for medicine, while she helped Jiang Manzhu back to her room. She tucked a hot water bottle under the blanket at the foot of the bed. "Get back into bed and rest."

She covered her tightly with the blanket, making sure she was wrapped up snugly. "Get a good night's sleep, and you'll feel better tomorrow."

Li Linxi searched the house but couldn't find any fever medicine. After all, who keeps that kind of thing just lying around?

"We'll have to go out and buy some." Liu Jumai frowned. The weather was cold, and the pharmacy was far away. If she'd known earlier, she would've had them pick some up on their way back from school.

It was almost evening now, and the shops were probably closing.

"I'll go and come back quickly. Mom, you should finish tidying up the clothes I just bought." After leaving the household chores to Liu Jumai, Li Linxi put on his thick coat. Only when Liu Jumai bundled him up properly did she allow him to leave.

He was a boy, after all, with tougher skin and plenty of youthful energy, not afraid of the cold.

Still, it was important to keep warm. Glancing around the house, he noted, "We should collect more firewood. Once the winter holiday starts, we'll be home all day. It would be unbearable without a fire."

As she finished putting away the new clothes Linxi had bought, Liu Jumai felt the soft fuzz of the fabric and nodded in satisfaction. It was certainly warm.

Linxi had grown up. He was already thinking about taking care of the family.

Liu Jumai was filled with pride. She didn't think sending Li Linxi out to buy medicine was a bad idea—instead, she felt he was becoming responsible, capable of shouldering the family's burdens. He was becoming a man.

One day, he would take good care of Xiaobei…

She glanced at Xiaobei, who was grinning happily and touching his new clothes. "Mom, it's almost New Year's, I want to wear my new clothes when I go out, just like Er Zhuang and the others."

In the past, he had new clothes for the New Year, but… he had no friends to show them off to.

Now it was different. He had friends to play with, and they would all wear new clothes together.

Hearing Xiaobei's cheerful words, Liu Jumai's heart filled with sorrow. If only it weren't for her fault… If only she had taken better care of Xiaobei back then, he wouldn't have been left with brain damage from the fever.

"You will, and they'll be just like you. You'll all go out together." Liu Jumai kept a kind and gentle smile on her face, speaking with warmth and affection. Her little Xiaobei deserved to be happy from now on.

She knew, though, that Xiaobei's happiness was largely thanks to Jiang Manzhu.

Before, no one played with Xiaobei. The other kids shunned him. But after Jiang Manzhu got involved, things slowly changed.

After all, with the respect Jiang Manzhu and Li Linxi earned as teachers, no one would dare say the teachers were foolish or stupid, right? They couldn't spread those ideas around.

At first, the kids were bribed with Jiang Manzhu's little fruits, but as they played together, they got used to calling Xiaobei along.

Eventually, they realized Xiaobei wasn't so bad. In fact, his height and strength made it easier to win when he was on their team.

"Mm-hmm." Xiaobei decided to take his new clothes back to his room and put them away carefully. He didn't want to get them dirty.

"More yarn? This yarn looks pretty good…" Liu Jumai found some yarn balls as she continued to sort things. She had mentioned earlier she wanted to knit a sweater for Manzhu. With so much yarn, she could knit one for everyone…

Nodding to herself, she thought if there was any left over, she'd knit some woolen shoes as well. The warmer they were, the better they'd avoid getting sick.

A sweater could last for a long time…

Liu Jumai's expression turned dazed as she thought of something. "A long time…" Her lips curved into a faint, gentle smile, full of warmth and kindness.

By the time Li Linxi returned, it was already dark.

He had the medicine in hand and noticed the door was slightly ajar, with light spilling out—someone was waiting for him.

Pushing open the door, he saw his mother knitting by the light of a kerosene lamp. "Mom, it's late, you should go rest. And don't use the kerosene lamp at night, it'll damage your eyes."

Li Linxi spoke with concern as he walked over and stopped her from knitting. It was far too cold to be sitting outside doing this.

"Go back to your room and rest. You can finish tomorrow." Going to bed earlier would keep her warm. Li Linxi was genuinely worried his mother might catch a cold, too.

"Did you get the medicine?" Liu Jumai didn't listen to him and asked about the medicine instead. She still had to take care of Manzhu and make sure she took it.

"Yes, I got it. I'll give her the medicine with some water. You should go rest. Your hands are freezing—if you catch a cold, who will take care of Xiaobei?"

Li Linxi took her cold hands in his, feeling worried for her.

"You're not as good at taking care of people as I am…" Liu Jumai was still concerned. She had always had cold hands and feet in winter, and if Manzhu's condition worsened, it wouldn't be good.

"I can handle it, Mom. Trust me, I've grown up. I can take care of you, take care of Xiaobei… It's just one sick person. How hard can it be?"

He would just bring her some water and give her the medicine—what else was there to do?

"Oh, by the way, there's some warm dinner left for you in the stove. You must be hungry after coming back so late. I'll go get it for you." She said, ready to head to the stove.

"No need, I'll do it myself." He stopped her. He wasn't a three-year-old anymore; he could handle it.

"But…" Liu Jumai tried to say something but was pushed gently towards her room.

"Go rest, don't make me worry. Oh, and…" Li Linxi added seriously, "if it gets late, don't wait up for me. I'm fine, don't make me worry about you while I'm out."

Li Linxi knew exactly what to say to make his mother listen.

Liu Jumai hesitated, but seeing his stern face, which was becoming more and more like his brother's, she wavered.

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you." She smiled and nodded. Lin Dong and Lin Nan were both gone, all gone… She couldn't let Linxi worry anymore.

Perhaps it was because Linxi's serious expression reminded her so much of her second son that her mind drifted, and without thinking further, she was guided back to her room to rest.

"Go to bed early, you hear me? No more knitting." Although Li Lingxi didn't know what her mother wanted to knit, staying up late with the kerosene lamp burning could hurt her eyes.

"I know, I know," her mother replied with a smile, touched by her son's concern. After closing the door, she went back to bed, not wanting Lingxi to worry about her.

Lingxi poured himself a cup of hot water. The water from the thermos was still scalding, so hot that even someone as rough-skinned and thick-skinned as him could feel the heat just by touching the cup.

He set the cup on the table, then poured himself a bowl of ginger tea. After all, he had been out in the wind for quite a while earlier.

The food from the stove was still warm—not hot, but warm enough. He didn't mind and dug in, occasionally touching the cup to check if the water had cooled.

After finishing his meal and washing the dishes, he found the water had cooled too much, so he added some hot water to it.

Picking up the medicine and the cup of water, he knocked on Jiang Manzhu's door.

Jiang Manzhu was in a deep sleep, irritated by the knocking. Who would bother her now? Didn't they know people were trying to sleep?

Was it already time to wake up for work? How could time pass so fast? It felt like she hadn't slept at all.

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" she groaned, thinking the knocking would stop after a couple of taps, but it persisted. Jiang Manzhu reluctantly raised her voice toward the door.

Why does my head feel so heavy? Did I not sleep enough?

At this moment, Jiang Manzhu had completely forgotten about her fever. Following her usual routine, she noticed how dark it still was outside. Waking someone up this early was a bit too much, wasn't it?

"Get up and take your medicine." A cold voice came from outside the door, sounding slightly impatient at her delay in opening the door.

But Lingxi didn't enter. He just waited outside.

Medicine?

Jiang Manzhu's foggy brain took a moment to process, and then she remembered. Oh, right. I have a fever. No wonder I feel terrible.

Lighting a kerosene lamp, Jiang Manzhu walked to the door and opened it to find Lingxi standing outside, holding medicine and a cup of water.

Honestly, when she saw this scene, she felt touched.

"Lingxi…" Feeling weak and sick, her voice came out a little whiny, and her watery eyes blinked at him, as if pleading or complaining.

"Alright, take the medicine first, and you'll feel better tomorrow." Seeing how uncomfortable she looked, Lingxi softened his tone considerably.

Looking at the pills, Jiang Manzhu felt there were quite a few. Maybe her headache was making her see double, or maybe she just didn't want to think too hard, so she asked directly, "How much should I take?"

She knew she had to take the medicine. Back in her previous life, she once fell ill and thought she could just sweat it out under a blanket without taking anything—only to find she hadn't improved after three days.

So Jiang Manzhu didn't believe in simply sweating it out, especially not in the middle of winter. She was afraid her fever might fry her brain, which would be a disaster for the rest of her life.

Jiang Manzhu took the cup from Lingxi's hand and gestured for him to give her the medicine.

She didn't expect that even in this small rural village, they had Western medicine.

Jiang Manzhu's knowledge of the 1960s and 1970s came solely from TV shows, which she wasn't too fond of. She thought only traditional Chinese medicine was used.

Hadn't Li Lingtong taken Chinese medicine when he was gravely ill?

Seeing her gestures, Lingxi understood what she wanted. He didn't bother arguing with a sick person, knowing it would only frustrate him. He handed her the correct dosage of medicine.

He had thought this delicate woman might complain about the bitterness of the medicine, but she took it down with surprising ease.

"What did the doctor say? Will I be better tomorrow if I take the medicine?" After taking the medicine, Jiang Manzhu looked at Lingxi with bright, hopeful eyes.

"You're taking medicine, not a miracle cure," Lingxi replied, feeling exasperated. Why did she think she would recover so quickly?

"Oh…" Jiang Manzhu responded dryly, a little deflated. Being sick really was miserable.

"Rest up, stay under the covers, and maybe you'll feel better after sweating it out," Lingxi said after a brief pause, trying to comfort her when he saw her so down.

Jiang Manzhu nodded. But as soon as she did, her head felt woozy, and she nearly lost her balance.

Lingxi watched the whole scene helplessly. It was just a fever, yet he feared she might have toppled over and hit her head…

He worried something unexpected might happen after he left. What if she couldn't call for help because of her illness and ended up freezing until someone found her the next day?

Lingxi had no choice but to urge her to get back into bed, giving her a light but steady hand to guide her. "Go on, sleep," he said, watching her settle back in and ensuring the blanket was snugly tucked around her.

After confirming she was comfortable, Lingxi took another look under the kerosene lamp to make sure everything was in order. His family really did worry him to no end; they all needed his care.

"Sleep. If you're still not better tomorrow, I'll help you call in sick and cover your class," he told her as he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

He then went to boil some water. After a long day of running around, he was sweaty and needed a bath.

…

The next day.

Jiang Manzhu groggily opened her eyes to find that it was already light out. For a moment, she was disoriented. Why hadn't anyone woken her up?

Was it the weekend?

Then she remembered—oh, right. She'd caught a cold and was sick. She touched her forehead with the back of her hand, pausing for a moment. Was it still hot or not?

The blanket was definitely warm, and her hands were too. Thinking for a bit, she realized her head didn't feel fuzzy anymore. Am I better?

Could the medicine from last night really have been a miracle drug?

A second later, she scolded herself for thinking such nonsense. There was no such thing as a miracle drug—probably just fever medicine.

She got up and wrapped herself up tightly. Her pants weren't warm enough, so she added another layer.

"Manzhu, you're up? Come eat, I made porridge and added some meat. Don't forget to take your medicine after, alright?" Liu Jumei quickly expressed her concern upon seeing Jiang Manzhu, "Is your forehead still hot? Has the fever broken?"

"Still a little hot. One more day of medicine should do the trick," Jiang Manzhu replied, heading to brush her teeth and wash her face.

"Good. Do you still feel unwell? Maybe you should rest another day?" Liu Jumei hadn't planned to wake Jiang Manzhu, but she must have woken up out of habit.

"I think I'll rest another day." Jiang Manzhu thought about it. She wasn't fully recovered yet, and the cold wind outside was fierce.

What if she caught a chill again and her illness worsened? She still valued her life very much.

"Lingxi, can I ask you to cover my class today? I'll make it up to you next week." Jiang Manzhu asked Lingxi, confident that with his talent, covering one class shouldn't be a problem.

"No need. Just rest," Lingxi said, his gaze resting on her delicate face, the image of her softly calling his name under the dim candlelight flashing in his mind…

A second later, Lingxi frowned, pushing the inappropriate thought away.

"What? Lingxi, do you think I'm not capable of teaching fifth graders?" Jiang Manzhu misunderstood his frown, thinking he was looking down on her.

"That's not it." Lingxi felt there was a significant communication gap between them. They weren't even three years apart, yet it felt like they were from different generations.

"I'm more than capable. You help me, and I help you. It's called repaying a favor, so it'll be easier to ask for help next time," Jiang Manzhu explained confidently, puffing out her chest with pride. Women shouldn't be underestimated.

"That phrase doesn't quite fit here," Lingxi said, looking at her strangely. Fortunately, she taught math, not language arts.

"What do you mean it doesn't fit? I'm borrowing your effort to cover a class for me, and when I'm free, I'll return the favor by covering one for you. That's repaying your effort. This way, next time you'll be willing to help me again, and you won't feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

Jiang Manzhu explained her reasoning meticulously, nodding with satisfaction at her logic.

Her exaggerated gestures made Lingxi's eyes flicker twice, as if contemplating something.

Jiang Manzhu held her head in her hands, thinking her headache might be from getting too worked up talking to Lingxi.

"Luckily, your class doesn't overlap with mine," Jiang Manzhu said, patting her head a couple of times as if to smooth her frazzled thoughts. It doesn't hurt, it'll be better tomorrow.

Watching Jiang Manzhu's self-soothing gestures, Li Lingxi couldn't help but let out a small laugh, earning a side-eye from her. He quickly shifted his gaze, pretending he hadn't seen anything.

At school, the students in Jiang Manzhu's class liked her quite a bit. She was pretty, spoke gently, and never hit anyone. Most impressively, they could actually solve the math problems she taught by the time they got home.

It was almost miraculous. Plus, Teacher Jiang was so kind, always encouraging them and handing out little red flowers as rewards.

Bringing those red flowers home would earn them praise from their parents and grandparents, making them feel like the most impressive kid in the family.

If their grades were good this year, would their mom buy them new clothes for the New Year? Not store-bought, of course, but fabric to make clothes at home—still something to be excited about.

But today, the person walking into the classroom wasn't Teacher Jiang.

"Isn't this supposed to be math class?"

"Yeah, who's this teacher? I've never seen them before."

"I have! I think they teach fifth grade."

"Really?"

The students, restless as always at that age, started whispering among themselves. Normally, they kept quiet around Teacher Jiang, who seemed so fragile they didn't want to upset her. But now they couldn't help but chatter among themselves. This new teacher looked so young too.

"Hello, everyone. I know this is usually Teacher Jiang's class, but she's not feeling well and had to take a sick day. I'll be covering for her today," Li Lingxi said in his usual gentle tone. His teaching style was different from Jiang Manzhu's, but he led the class smoothly, guiding the students through the lesson step by step.

However, the students still preferred Jiang Manzhu's way of teaching.

After class, a couple of students anxiously asked Li Lingxi, "Teacher, when will Teacher Jiang be back?"

"Probably tomorrow." Li Lingxi was a bit surprised. He could see genuine concern on the little girl's face. Who knew Jiang Manzhu was so well-loved by her students?

At home, Jiang Manzhu couldn't focus on reading. Her head felt heavy from the fever, and any attempt to concentrate made it worse.

Bored at home but not wanting to step outside into the cold, she sat next to her mother-in-law, learning how to knit a sweater.

"Mom, you're amazing! How do you know how to do everything?" Jiang Manzhu said admiringly. Her mother-in-law could knit sweaters, socks, and who knew what other surprises she had in store?

"Hehe, if you practice more, you'll learn too," Liu Jumei replied with a smile, her hands never stopping as she continued to knit. Instead of handing the needles to Jiang Manzhu, she patiently explained each step as she worked.

Jiang Manzhu nodded, thinking, This is too hard to remember.

"Forget it, no more thinking. It makes my brain feel uncomfortable. Today, I'll just focus on protecting you, my dear brain!"

"Xiao Bei, come here. Teacher Jiang will teach you arithmetic." Feeling bored, Jiang Manzhu called over Xiao Bei. "Have you learned addition and subtraction within ten?"

Xiao Bei, who didn't mind the cold, still wanted to run around outside. He was a bit troubled when his sister-in-law called him over to study, and his face scrunched up in frustration.

No child is born with a love for learning—perhaps some are, but Xiao Bei was certainly not one of them.

However, he had to listen to his sister-in-law's orders. His mom also told him to listen to her.

"Today, Mom cooked ten pieces of meat, and she wants to share them between the two of us. I get five pieces, so how many do you get?" Jiang Manzhu asked with a playful smile. The method might be old, but as long as it works, who cares?

Sure enough, when Xiao Bei heard that, his eyes lit up immediately. "Five pieces!"

"Very good. Now, write it down. What's 10 - 5?" Jiang Manzhu nodded in satisfaction. Look at me, I'm a natural-born teacher! Without me, Jiang Manzhu, teaching would be like eternal night. Hahaha!

After praising herself, Jiang Manzhu felt even more proud.

Liu Jumie sat nearby, knitting a sweater while watching them with a kind and gentle smile. The atmosphere was warm and cozy.

Around noon, Jiang Manzhu thought of a serious matter, one so important that it determined whether she'd catch a cold this winter.

When Liu Jumie and Xiao Bei were taking their afternoon nap, Jiang Manzhu stopped Li Lingxi, her face brimming with a smile.

From Li Lingxi's perspective, Jiang Manzhu's smile seemed somewhat… ingratiating?

"Thank you so much for getting me the medicine yesterday. Without it, I might be lying in bed, barely hanging on. Lingxi, you're my lifesaver."

Jiang Manzhu was deeply grateful. Oh, how kind of the male lead to brave the cold wind to buy her medicine—it showed that he really thought of her as family.

I have to be a good sister-in-law and take care of Mom and Xiao Bei.

"Hmm." Li Lingxi responded softly. So, she stopped him just to say this? That can't be all, right?

"Here's the thing, Lingxi. I have a weaker constitution, and it's so cold in the winter. Do you think… is there a chance we could get a bath tub?"

Initially, Jiang Manzhu had thought of asking Li Lingxi to make a bath tub, but this thing is a bit more private than a beehive box. She was worried he might not be happy about it.

What if he misunderstood?

"The supply and marketing cooperative doesn't sell that," Li Lingxi said. He had been to the supply store many times and remembered everything they had in stock.

"Huh?" Jiang Manzhu was shocked and disappointed. She had been hoping that taking baths would make her less likely to catch colds.

Now, she was even afraid to bathe every day in winter, worried that one fever might burn her out.

Seeing her disappointed face, Li Lingxi's expression shifted subtly, and he raised an eyebrow. "You want one?"

Jiang Manzhu's smile became even sweeter. "Yes, I mean, it's freezing in the winter, and it's so uncomfortable to bathe. Wouldn't it be great if someone could make one?"

"You think I can't?"

Huh?

Half a second later, Jiang Manzhu realized what Li Lingxi meant. She beamed even more. "Of course! Lingxi, you're amazing in my eyes, always hardworking and capable. There's nothing you can't do! These little things would never stump you!"

She thought Li Lingxi might be displeased, worried that he'd misunderstand her 'hint.' But hearing that he was willing, she immediately showered him with praise.

"Lingxi, you're the best in our family. Without you, nothing would work!" She chuckled. Look, with all this flattery, how could he refuse?

At that time, bathing wasn't as simple as turning on a shower. They had to pour hot water into a bucket and use a towel to wash themselves.

"Lingxi, please, help me make a bath tub. It doesn't need to be too big, just about this size." Jiang Manzhu gestured with her hands. "Will it be difficult? If you need any help, I'm the first one to volunteer!"

Her eager and willing attitude made it impossible for Li Lingxi to keep a straight face. "Alright, then you'll be my assistant for the time being. But it's cold—can you handle it?"

"No problem at all!" Jiang Manzhu excitedly agreed. A bath tub! If they made one this year, she could use it for a long time since she'd be living here for a while.

"Why didn't our family have a bath tub before?" Jiang Manzhu wondered aloud. Didn't she hear about some wives needing their husbands to fetch bathing water? Wasn't that for a bath tub?

"Maybe they didn't think it was necessary?" When they were younger, things were simpler, and the mischievous kids didn't need much. Now that they were older, they still didn't think they needed it, except for Mom…

When Li Lingxi mentioned it to Liu Jumie, she quickly waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, I don't like that. You all go ahead."

From that day on, Jiang Manzhu couldn't wait to come home after school to warm up by the fire or work on the bath tub project.

They were busy.

***

After being confined for half a month, Su Qianqian finally admitted her mistake and was allowed out once she apologized to her parents.

But as soon as she was released, she was informed that she was getting married before the end of the year. The groom? None other than Luo Liangce, the educated youth.

The moment she found out, Su Qianqian was dumbfounded. What? Marriage? To Luo Liangce? Me?

"Mom, I'm engaged again? How come I don't know about it???" An angry Su Qianqian immediately went to find her mother, her first words full of questioning.

Huang Yeying had initially been comforted when her daughter came to admit her mistakes, thinking that the child was finally growing up and starting to understand things.

Who knew she was about to start causing trouble again?

"Qianqian, is that how you talk to your mother?" Nearby, her sister-in-law, hearing her tone, quickly intervened to calm her down.

"I'm talking to my mom, not to you," Su Qianqian entered attack mode, glaring impatiently.

"Qianqian, don't speak to your sister-in-law like that!" Huang Yeying immediately put on a stern face, angrily scolding Su Qianqian, then quickly apologized to her daughter-in-law, explaining that Qianqian was immature and asking her not to take it personally.

Her second daughter-in-law came over to pull the sister-in-law away, suggesting they go collect firewood together. Whenever Su Qianqian was involved, they pretended not to notice.

From her questioning tone, it was clear that their little sister-in-law didn't like this engagement, and they didn't want to get involved and worsen the already strained mother-in-law relationships. The current improvement in those relationships was largely due to Qianqian's constant troublemaking.

Now, only Huang Yeying and Su Qianqian were left. Seeing her daughters-in-law leave, Huang Yeying frowned, "What exactly are you causing a fuss about? You don't want to get married? Do you plan to stay at home forever?"

"Don't you see? Who would still want to marry you now? Your reputation, after all your tantrums, is already ruined!"

Huang Yeying truly felt her daughter didn't appreciate her blessings. Didn't she realize how damaging her own behavior was to her reputation?

How foolish!

How did she end up raising such a foolish daughter?

"What?" Su Qianqian was dumbfounded, "Ruined? No, Mom, why do I have to marry Luo Zhiying? Can't I marry someone else? I could… marry someone else!"

Su Qianqian still had no self-awareness, thinking of herself as the prized daughter of the village leader, still precious and in high demand.

Luo Liangce was just a sent-down educated youth, with no roots here. How could he compare to Li Linxi?

"Mom, I don't want to marry Luo Zhiying. What if he returns to the city? Li Linxi from the Li family is so much better," Su Qianqian pouted, trying to make her mother change her mind.

"Mom, don't you care about me?" Su Qianqian whined and tugged at Huang Yeying, hoping her mother would help solve this problem.

Could her mom really think Luo Zhiying was better than Li Linxi? That didn't make sense.

Li Linxi had roots here, could earn full work points, and was even a high school graduate who had become a teacher. Plus, there was the pension his second brother left behind. Life would only get better.

Luo Liangce, on the other hand, couldn't do much work, had no family support, and was a sent-down youth with an uncertain future.

Was her mom really so short-sighted?

"Qianqian, it's not that I don't care about you, but the Li family isn't interested. Now, the young men in our village know about you and Luo Zhiying. Their families won't agree to it. Do you want to marry some riffraff or an old bachelor?"

Huang Yeying was also worried about her daughter's situation, but what could worry achieve? After considering all the options, the only one left was Luo Zhiying.

Back then, her daughter had insisted on marrying Luo Zhiying. Now her dream had come true.

Other options? They were even worse than Luo Zhiying!

Not long ago, while Su Qianqian was still grounded, the village leader and Huang Yeying had called Luo Liangce to their house.

It was like a tribunal. The three sons and daughters-in-law were all present, asking how he planned to handle his relationship with Su Qianqian.

Luo Liangce was someone who knew how to read people. Back when they were at the fish pond, he could tell things would go wrong.

Sure enough, trouble came to him.

"I don't know, village leader. How does your family plan to resolve this matter?" Luo Liangce was also quite frustrated. What did this have to do with him? He wasn't the one who initiated it.

"It's really not a big deal. It was just a fall, and if I hadn't been there to cushion her, Comrade Su Qianqian would have fallen into the fish pond. In this cold weather, she could've gotten sick with a fever."

Get it? I'm the one who saved her. I did your family a favor, and now you're using this against me?

"If every rescuer had to be responsible for the person they saved, who would dare save anyone next time? The bachelors could just wait by the riverside, and wives would come to them automatically."

If this precedent was set, others would follow the same path, and people would talk behind their backs forever.

The village leader understood the underlying meaning of his words, and his expression darkened.

"Luo Zhiying, we know about your situation with our Qianqian. Now, because of this, she's been rejected by another family. Are you not going to take responsibility?"

Huang Yeying knew that news of Qianqian's broken engagement had spread throughout the village. Luo Liangce couldn't possibly not know. She wasn't afraid to lay it all out.

But speaking so plainly felt like a threat to Luo Liangce, and of course, he didn't like that.

"Luo Zhiying, I know you feel upset about what happened before. That's our fault as parents, worrying that our child might suffer in the future."

"Qianqian has always cherished the good times she had with you. As parents, we can't go against her wishes."

"We plan to leave the old house my father left behind to Qianqian. Even after she gets married, she'll have a place to settle down."

While she placed the blame on herself, she also emphasized Qianqian's virtues, both emotionally and materially. Huang Yeying was truly going all out for her daughter.

As he listened to her heartfelt and remorseful words, Luo Liangce's thoughts shifted multiple times.

"Yes, Luo Zhiying, it's winter now. The cold winds and snow are everywhere. It's time to stop the land reclamation work," the village leader added slowly.

The land reclamation work was a punishment for Luo Liangce after he offended the village leader.

Now…

"Village leader, Madam, I'm truly sincere about being with Qianqian. I'll definitely treat her well in the future." Luo Liangce immediately expressed his seriousness, signaling his desire to be with Qianqian.

After all, the village leader was Qianqian's father, and with three brothers and capable sisters-in-law who had earned full work points before, they could help him if he ever ran out of food…

Thinking all this over, it seemed like a long decision, but in reality, it took only a few seconds for Luo Liangce to relent.

No one had told Su Qianqian in advance. She only found out after being released, and the moment she knew, she rushed to confront her mother, not understanding why she was being treated so harshly, like she was being discarded.

"Mom, I want to marry Li Linxi! He's so much better than Luo Zhiying, a hundred times better! I don't want to marry Luo Zhiying!!!"

Seeing that her angry questioning wasn't working, Su Qianqian quickly switched tactics, tearfully complaining to her mom.

She tugged at her mother, whining, "Li Linxi is handsome, hardworking, and his family has some savings. Plus, he's from our village. Don't you think he's better?"

Huang Yeying: …

"Didn't I just tell you? It's not that I don't want it, but their family doesn't want you! The Li family isn't interested!" Huang Yeying was about to pull her hair out. Wouldn't being a military wife be good?

"With a stable monthly salary and benefits, if Gangzi succeeds in the future, who knows, he might climb the ranks and become a government official's wife.

At that time, Qianqian was still causing a fuss. Right, since she 'broke off the engagement with Luo Liangce,' she insisted on marrying Li Linxi. Why?

"Did that Li Linxi kid seduce you?" Huang Yeying's first thought was this, as she grasped her daughter's arm and asked nervously.

In that moment, Su Qianqian had intended to refute, hoping to leave a good impression of Li Linxi in her parents' minds so they would approve of her marrying him.

But the next second, it became clear that no matter how good the impression was, it wouldn't help her marry Li Linxi because he wouldn't accept her.

She recalled that day under the pine tree when Li Linxi looked at her with disgust, and a hint of resentment grew in her heart.

"Yes, it's him, Mom. Li Linxi said he would marry me," Su Qianqian admitted, her voice filled with anger.

"Really? When? That damn Li kid, how shameless to pursue a respectable girl like you! Just watch me deal with him!" Huang Yeying was immediately furious.

In the past, her daughter hadn't been so disobedient; she must have been led astray by someone.

From Luo Liangce to Li Linxi!!

"Exactly, Mom! Since Li Linxi promised me, he can't go back on his word," Su Qianqian urged her mother to create a scene, hoping it would force Li Linxi to marry her.

Huang Yeying was also aware of which of the two was better, "Did Li Linxi really say that? When? Why didn't I know? Why didn't you tell me?"

How did this girl get such big ideas?

From Luo Liangce to Li Linxi—if Su Qianqian hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have known anything.

"I… it was a long time ago, but I was afraid you and Dad wouldn't agree, so I wanted to persuade you secretly and tell you later…" As she spoke, Su Qianqian found it hard to keep her story straight.

Only Huang Yeying, still looking through her daughter's filter, thought that her daughter was just shy about admitting it, which made her even more furious.

Her daughter was too easily coaxed; she was worried!

Now, she had to go find Liu Jumai to settle the score regarding her son supposedly abducting her daughter.

"Jumai, I'm here." Since it was about a marriage proposal, she couldn't barge in yelling; instead, she put on a smiling face.

"Ah, Linxi, you're home today, what a coincidence." Upon entering, she saw Li Linxi tinkering with something in the living room, and the atmosphere was also quite polite.

Liu Jumai was still boiling water. When she heard someone coming, she came out and saw it was the captain's wife. "Fei Ying, what brings you here?"

"Jumai, I heard about our kids and Linxi, so I came to discuss it." As she spoke, she glanced at Li Linxi.

Li Linxi exuded a calm demeanor; indeed, compared to Luo Liangce, he was much better.

"What? Our Linxi? What about him?" Liu Jumai was surprised; there was no connection between their Linxi and her child, so she thought it was nonsense.

"Linxi, our Qianqian said you promised to marry her. Is that true?" Huang Yeying's voice made Li Linxi stop what he was doing.

"Aunt Ying, I don't know what you're talking about. I've never said such a thing to Su Qianqian. Instead, it's Su Qianqian who has been trying to get close to our family since the beginning…" Li Linxi showed no regard for her, as some people were just too bold.

"Fei Ying, your daughter has broken off two engagements, first with Luo Liangce and then with Gangzi from the neighboring team. Everyone knows about the previous drama. If she can't get married, she shouldn't just blame others."

With Su Qianqian's track record of not being officially engaged and flirting with several others… cough, though it sounded harsh, Liu Jumai was definitely not pleased.

Not only that, but Su Qianqian had a bad temper, often arguing with her sisters-in-law and not helping out, leading a lazy lifestyle.

Faced with their remarks, Huang Yeying's expression darkened. "Li Linxi, are you denying it? You abducted my Qianqian and now want to walk away?"

"Fei Ying, do you think you can just say a few words and tarnish my Linxi's reputation? He's never gotten close to your daughter. It's actually Su Qianqian who keeps chasing after him."

Seeing Huang Yeying become more outrageous, Liu Jumai also turned serious.

Now, Linxi was her only son; Xiao Bei would also depend on Linxi in the future. How could she accept someone randomly pushing a partner onto Linxi?

Huang Yeying had a dark heart, and facing her, Liu Jumai was not polite either. Their conversation escalated into a confrontation, and both women looked displeased.

"My Qianqian said it herself; how could it be wrong?"