Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xiao Lihua thought Ruyi was being intentional. She knew there were guests at home yet barged in like this. It wouldn't have been a problem if she had entered, but pretending not to know there were guests made it seem too fake. There was a carriage parked outside; who was she trying to perform for?
Not only were Xiao Lihua and Xie Youshun speechless at Ruyi's words, but even Zhao Linting, who was sitting inside, didn't know what to say. He thought to himself that this was Xie Youshun's sister, and she didn't seem very likable. He could see Ruyi stealing glances at him, so he immediately understood what she was thinking.
Zhao Linting generally had no good feelings towards girls like her. Despite always smiling and having a pair of slender peach blossom eyes that seemed charming, he actually preferred reserved women deep down.
Xiao Lihua stood up and quickly walked to the door, leaning against the doorframe to block Ruyi's view and any chance of her stepping inside. She didn't want Ruyi to stage a 'love at first sight' scene in her house; she didn't want to take on that responsibility.
"Ruyi, if you have something to say, just say it. Come on, let's go sit in the courtyard."
As Xiao Lihua spoke, she stepped over the threshold and grabbed Ruyi's arm, pulling her away.
Ruyi wasn't as strong as Xiao Lihua and was easily pulled away. She felt somewhat unwilling; she had just seen the guest inside—a handsome young man dressed in a silk robe. Thinking about the carriage and the coachman outside, Ruyi believed this young man must be wealthy, exactly the kind of man she dreamed of marrying.
Before being engaged to the Gao Family, Ruyi had also wanted to marry a refined gentleman like those described in plays. However, her family was too poor for such men to consider marrying her unless she became a concubine. Not only did she not want that, but her family wouldn't agree either. Ultimately, she settled on the Village Chief's Son from Shangqiao Village, which was considered a good match in the countryside. But then the Gao Family broke off the engagement.
Afterward, Ruyi decided that she must marry into a good family—one ten or a hundred times better than the Gao Family—even if it meant becoming a concubine, as long as she could return home with dignity and show everyone that even after being rejected, she was doing well.
Now that such a suitable young man had come to Fourth Brother's house, Ruyi's heart began to stir.
Xiao Lihua released Ruyi and asked, "What is it? If I can help you with anything, I will."
Ruyi was unhappy that Xiao Lihua had pulled her out but didn't show it on her face. She came up with an excuse on the spot: she wanted to learn how to cook from Xiao Lihua. After thinking for a long time about what Xiao Lihua could make, this was all she could come up with.
Xiao Lihua said, "Sure, let me go find you. We have guests at home today, and they are male guests, so it's not convenient."
"Sister Four, who is the guest at your house? I saw a carriage outside. Didn't you sell that Secret Recipe? Did you sell it to this person? Why has he come this time? Is he looking to buy the Secret Recipe again? Sister Four, do you still have the Secret Recipe?" Ruyi asked a series of questions in quick succession; she didn't want to be dismissed so easily.
Xiao Lihua's smile slightly faded. She realized Ruyi was also a girl who liked to put on airs. Why was she so talkative now? It seemed that the recent broken engagement had really affected her. What was she planning to do? Marry a rich man and make a comeback? That was quite ambitious; it would be even better if it didn't involve her family.
"Ruyi, so you did see the carriage outside. I thought you hadn't noticed; you seemed unaware of the guest when you came in just now."
"I thought it was a carriage going from the village to the mountain. I didn't expect it to be a guest at Sister Four's house. Sister Four, don't overthink it!"
Ruyi's face turned red as she felt Xiao Lihua was mocking her. She thought that Xiao Lihua was using this conversation to trap her since she didn't respond directly. Pulling her into the courtyard and not letting her meet or speak with that young man meant she didn't want Ruyi to have a chance to catch the eye of someone from a wealthy family. How mean-spirited! Ruyi recalled that Sister Four had been driven out by her family for being too extravagant in behavior; she didn't want anyone else to succeed when she hadn't. She had thought things had changed for the better, but it seemed only superficial—how despicable!
Xiao Lihua said, "I wasn't overthinking it, Ruyi. You should go home. If you want to learn how to cook, we can do it tomorrow. I'll come find you; just prepare the ingredients."
"Can't we do it here? Sister Four's house is quieter. Or are you afraid I'll use your things? I'm not an outsider; you wouldn't mind if I used a little bit of your vegetables and meat, would you?"
"Of course not! It's just that Second Sister wants to learn cooking with me too. You can both learn together, and when the dishes are ready, you can just serve them at the dining table—it's much more convenient than making them at my place and then bringing them back home. Ruyi, you're really overthinking this; just go home and rest. Come on, I'll walk you out."
After saying this, Xiao Lihua grabbed Ruyi's arm and led her outside, pulling her all the way to the door. Under the gaze of the coachman, Ruyi felt she couldn't say anything more and turned to leave quickly, her face falling as she walked away.
Xiao Lihua returned inside, subtly hinting that Zhao Linting should take his leave.
Zhao Linting was not someone who lacked perception either; after exchanging a few more words, he took his leave.
Zhao Linting came this time mainly to tell them one thing: he is the one who built the village next to the bridge. He also mentioned that he originally had a better place in mind, but after hearing about what Shangqiao Village was doing, he felt the need to give them a piece of his mind, which is why he chose that location.
Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua thought that Zhao Linting was quite a straightforward person.
The two expressed their gratitude to him.
Zhao Linting smiled and said that if they found a way to make money in the future, they should consider him; at that time, he could also be their support. Xiao Lihua nodded with a smile and said that if they found a way to make money, they would definitely consider him, and then she and Xie Youshun escorted him out.
"Wife, what did Ruyi want from you earlier?" After sending off Zhao Linting, Xie Youshun asked Xiao Lihua.
Xiao Lihua shared her thoughts openly, saying, "I think someone will come to our house soon; if it's not Ruyi, it must be someone from the old residence."
Xie Youshun wondered if it would really be like that. However, he knew his sister had high aspirations, and after being rejected in her marriage proposal, it was very likely she had some thoughts about it. But would the family really help her? Just as he was pondering this, sure enough, visitors arrived: it was Xie Youkang and Xie Youhe. As soon as they entered, their eyes scanned the room. Xie Youshun realized they were looking for Zhao Linting, thinking that his wife's guess was quite accurate. They were worried it would be inconvenient for women to come, so they specifically sent men instead.
The author has something to say: This is a very short chapter; I got stuck in my writing and couldn't ensure quality anymore. Sorry for disappointing everyone.
Comment 0 Comment Count