After the news that Su Tian was dating spread, the whole village knew about it. Even Chen Xiaojun from the neighboring village found out. Lately, he had become the laughingstock of the village. Rumors spread by people sent to the hospital claimed that “he’d been damaged down there and couldn’t be used,” leaving him struggling to explain himself to seven or eight people. Everywhere he went, he was pointed at and laughed at. He couldn’t even prove his innocence physically. Meanwhile, the person he had beaten was already talking about marriage, which made Chen Xiaojun furious.
He had spent some of the compensation he got from Su Lili before on hospital bills, which cost him dozens of yuan, and it had pained him greatly. Su Tian never expected Chen Xiaojun to have the audacity to come looking for her. Seeing his face reminded her of his lecherous expression that day in the reed marshes. She picked up a stone from the ground, ready to throw it at him.
Chen Xiaojun hadn’t expected her to be so fierce and bold. Knowing how ruthless she could be, he didn’t want another head injury and immediately ran off, fleeing the village in a panic. The local kids laughed hysterically at him, mocking his embarrassment. Chen Xiaojun: “……”
Embarrassed and humiliated, Chen Xiaojun decided to find out who Su Tian’s boyfriend was. He wouldn’t harm her or her boyfriend, but he wanted to say a few words to sully Su Tian’s reputation. Surely, this boyfriend would “fail” sooner or later. After some inquiry, he discovered that her boyfriend was from Shanghai.
Chen Xiaojun: “……”
Her sisters really knew how to marry well. City men were so desirable that they all ended up marrying into the city. Did this mean they were looking down on him, a rural guy? Furious, Chen Xiaojun got drunk and wanted to give Su Tian trouble. But before he could reach her home, the big yellow dog at the village entrance, whose gate wasn’t closed, chased and bit him, thinking he was a thief. Su Tian heard about this the next day. Supposedly, he was bitten badly, bleeding profusely, and had to be sent to the clinic for stitches. Some even said he might die.
Su Tian scoffed, thinking he deserved it. Whether Chen Xiaojun lived or died was none of her concern. Meanwhile, under Huang Guohua’s enthusiastic pressure, Su Tian nearly had the house turned upside down: “Mom, he’s just your future son-in-law, not a government official. No need for such a big fuss; cleaning the house is tiring enough.”
Huang Guohua was bossy: “You’re told to do it, you do it! No whining! Clean the house, then pull the weeds in front and back. If it’s not clean, no lunch for you.”
Su Tian: “……”
Confirmed, she was definitely Huang Guohua’s biological daughter.
To welcome Qin Yan’s arrival on the agreed Sunday, Huang Guohua slaughtered the non-laying drakes early in the morning, scalded them, plucked their feathers, and hung them to dry for later sale. The down could be used for quilts or jackets; buyers came from house to house.
Su Tian was sent running around, ordered to change into a dress and wear a straw hat, then go to the village entrance to greet him. Su Tian: “……” Do we really need such a ceremony? He knows the way just fine.
By almost ten, the village entrance was noisy. Passersby joked: “Sweetie, your boyfriend hasn’t arrived yet? Your sister Su Lili’s family came, driving a small truck!”
Su Tian raised an eyebrow. Huang Guohua’s eyes lit up, her joy overflowing as she grabbed her apron and rushed out: “Is it Xiao Qin? It must be Xiao Qin! He drives a truck—he came so early! I’m going to check!”
At the door, seeing him still, she turned back to urge Su Tian: “Why are you just standing there? Go greet your boyfriend!” With that, Huang Guohua stormed off.
Su Tian didn’t expect her mom’s legs to move so fast—she couldn’t catch up even if she sprinted.
By the time Su Tian reached the village entrance, Qin Yan’s truck was already surrounded. Children and adults who hadn’t gone to the fields had gathered to watch. Li Xiaomei’s triumphant laughter could be heard from afar, clearly wanting everyone to know what she had to say, smugly boasting: “Ah, Xiao Qin is here! Where’s my Lili? Why didn’t the couple come?”
Qin Yan recognized Li Xiaomei and replied coldly: “They didn’t come.”
Knowing Qin Yan’s cold nature, Li Xiaomei didn’t mind his terse response and continued flattering herself: “Really, since they didn’t come, you came all this way. Come on, let’s go home—I’ll make you a cup of malted milk. My Lili specifically bought it for you when she returned home.”
Qin Yan politely declined Li Xiaomei’s overly enthusiastic hospitality and scanned the crowd for the person he wanted to see. Not finding her immediately left him a little disappointed. He thought she was probably waiting at home, so he decided to go to her house.
The road in front of Su Tian’s home was impassable for vehicles, so the truck had to park by the roadside. Ignoring the curious onlookers, he opened the truck doors to reveal the gifts inside—most notably, a brand-new, still-packaged Permanent-brand “erba-gang” bicycle.
Everyone present was immediately impressed. Li Xiaomei’s mouth almost twisted with excitement as she exclaimed: “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Did my future son-in-law specially drive here to deliver this ‘erba-gang’ to us?”
“My son-in-law is so filial! He knows we don’t have an ‘erba-gang’ at home, so he specifically bought it for us, his elders! My Lili really married well!”
Hearing this, the crowd believed her and felt envious and jealous. Regretting that none of them had a successful daughter with a filial son-in-law. Many smiled and flattered Li Xiaomei, almost losing themselves in the praise, instructing Qin Yan: “Quick, put the bicycle inside our house! Don’t damage it!”
Qin Yan, about to unload the bike, furrowed his brows tightly, looking at Li Xiaomei’s presumptuous behavior, feeling slightly annoyed.
Just then, Huang Guohua and Su Tian arrived, one after the other. Qin Yan saw Su Tian running up, her small face slightly flushed, her features relaxed, wearing a pretty dress that made her look radiant. His previously sour and impatient expression immediately vanished, replaced by an unmistakable gentle light in his eyes. The downward curve of his lips lifted into a subtle, warm smile. My girlfriend is here! Qin Yan’s ears turned bright red.
Li Xiaomei also noticed Su Tian and her mother. She had been flaunting herself earlier, but now with a direct comparison in front of her, she had to flaunt even more to make her mother and daughter feel inferior. Shanghai city people, city visits—so what? Her son-in-law had really saved face for her today. He had personally sent over a brand-new “erba-gang” bike and a pile of gifts for their elders—cigarettes, alcohol, fruits, and other neatly wrapped items, likely pastries. Just by looking, it was clear a lot of money had been spent.
Li Xiaomei smirked inwardly, curious to see what Su Tian’s boyfriend would bring today. Could it possibly compare to the grand gesture of her own son-in-law, who had even arranged a truck to deliver the gifts? Even for a betrothal gift, it hadn’t been this extravagant. That “erba-gang” bike alone was dazzling.
“Yo, it’s the sister-in-law and Sweetie! Come see! That Lili girl, now that she’s married, still thinks about her parents—she specially had someone deliver an ‘erba-gang’ and all these things. They could have kept the money for themselves!” Li Xiaomei complained aloud, but her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Honestly, she doesn’t know how to live for herself. Later, I’ll call her and remind her—no matter how good your son-in-law is, you have to think about your own family too!”
“Isn’t that right, Sweetie?” Li Xiaomei asked, dropping the most lethal question: “Where’s your boyfriend? Why hasn’t he arrived yet? He’s not coming, is he?”
After her aunt finished showing off, Su Tian pointed behind her at Qin Yan, who was smiling slightly and had lost some of his usual cold aloofness. In front of the stunned crowd, she said casually: “Isn’t this the boyfriend you said wouldn’t come?”
Li Xiaomei: “……”
Onlookers: “…….”