She came over to persuade her now, acting like a good person on the surface, but in her heart she was probably hoping Su Wanqing would hurry up and marry Lu Shiyan so she could clear the way for herself.
Su Wanqing smiled and spoke slowly.
“Xiu-lian, what you said does make sense. Lin Wenxuan is, after all, a Zhiqing, his background is better than mine, and he is not bad looking either. How about… I just marry him instead?”
Li Xiulian’s smile instantly froze.
“Huh?” she gave a dry laugh. “This… this…”
Looking at Li Xiulian’s flustered expression, Su Wanqing was almost laughing inside, but her face remained serious.
“Didn’t you just tell me to think it through? I have thought about it. You are right. Lu Shiyan has a bad background, and life with him would be hard. Lin Wenxuan is better, we already know each other well.”
Li Xiulian’s face turned pale, the corners of her mouth twitching.
“Wanqing, that is not what I meant, I just… I just…”
“What do you mean then?” Su Wanqing tilted her head, deliberately teasing her. “Aren’t you doing this for my own good? I think what you said makes sense. I will go find Lin Wenxuan right now and tell him I am not marrying Lu Shiyan anymore, I will marry him instead.”
She turned as if she was about to leave.
Li Xiulian panicked and quickly grabbed her.
“Wanqing! Do not act impulsively!”
Su Wanqing turned back with an innocent look.
“I am not being impulsive. I think you are right.”
Li Xiulian’s smile looked worse than crying.
“Wanqing, I was just saying it casually. Your matters… you should decide for yourself. I… I still have something to do, I am leaving!”
After that, she ran off faster than a rabbit, afraid Su Wanqing might really go find Lin Wenxuan.
Su Wanqing rolled her eyes hard at her back.
Tch, fake green tea, pretending to be kind.
She turned back and continued tidying herself up in front of the mirror.
The original owner really had a good foundation, fair skin and delicate features, just that she never bothered to dress up, wasting such a good face.
She took out a box of rouge, dipped a finger into it, and lightly spread it on her cheeks. Her complexion instantly became lively.
She then took a bit of lard and applied it to her lips, pressing them together lightly. Her lips immediately became glossy and moist, giving off a delicate charm.
She redid her hair, braiding it into two thick plaits tied with red ribbons, hanging over her chest and swaying as she moved.
She changed into a clean white shirt, and wore a floral cloth jacket over it, deliberately leaving two buttons undone, revealing a hint of her fair neck, subtle but alluring.
In the mirror, the girl had curved brows, bright red lips, and fair glowing skin. She looked like a striking beauty straight out of a movie poster.
Su Wanqing nodded in satisfaction, tucked the documents she needed into her pocket, and happily went out.
By the time she reached the threshing ground, the sun was already high in the sky.
The workers in the fields were resting, gathered in small groups under the shade, chatting and laughing.
The moment Su Wanqing appeared, the buzzing conversations suddenly went silent.
She wore a white shirt with a floral jacket loosely hanging open. Her braids fell over her chest, her lips glossy, her face lightly flushed with rouge. As she walked, her braids swayed, instantly drawing attention.
Under the sunlight, her face seemed to glow. Everyone stared at her.
The men looked straight at her, unable to look away.
One young man holding a corn bun froze mid-air, forgetting to eat, mouth still open.
Someone beside him nudged him.
“Hey, what are you looking at? Your bun is getting cold.”
Only then did he snap back to reality, his face turning bright red as he quickly lowered his head, but still sneaked another glance.
Married men were not so lucky.
One wife saw her husband staring blankly and pinched his arm hard.
“Ouch! Why are you pinching me?”
“What are you looking at? Your eyeballs are about to fall out!” she scolded.
“I… I am not looking…”
“If you are not looking, where are your eyes going?” she snapped.
The man muttered under his breath, “Looking does not cost anything…”
The wife glared at him, then turned to look at Su Wanqing and snorted.
“Dressed like that, who is she trying to show off for? She looks like a fox spirit.”
Another woman chimed in.
“Exactly. She is about to get married, yet she is still so improper. I wonder what Lu Shiyan sees in her.”
“Lu Shiyan from the cattle shed? Perfect match for this shameless woman. Just wait, he will suffer in the future.”
The unmarried young men whispered among themselves, still sneaking glances.
“Oh my god, Su Wanqing looks so pretty today.”
“She did not look like this before. After dressing up, she is like a completely different person.”
“Pretty or not, she is still marrying Lu Shiyan.”
“Lu Shiyan is really lucky…”
Some also spoke sourly.
“Dressed like that, she is obviously trying to seduce people.”
“Exactly, what decent girl looks like that?”
“Look at her lips, shiny and greasy, disgusting.”
“People are getting married, it is normal to dress up. You are just jealous.”
“Jealous? Of her? Marrying a black-class man? No thanks.”
As Su Wanqing walked past them, she heard every word clearly.
She did not get angry. Instead, she smiled and turned to the gossiping female educated youths.
“Ladies, are you talking about me?”
They froze, not expecting her to speak directly.
She looked them over and sighed deliberately.
“I understand you. Really. Seeing someone prettier while you are not as pretty, it is normal to feel unbalanced and say a few sour words. I do not blame you.”
“You!”
One woman’s face turned red with anger, but she could not find words.
Su Wanqing waved casually.
“Alright then, continue chatting. I have to go get my certificate today. I am getting married soon, I am in a good mood, I will not argue with you.”
She walked away with light steps.
The women stood there trembling with anger.
“What kind of person is she!”
“So shameless!”
“Getting married to a black-class man and still acting so proud!”
Su Wanqing heard the voices behind her but did not care at all. Her mood was excellent.
Not long after, she ran into Lu Shiyan.
He had changed into a clean blue cloth jacket, his hair neatly combed, holding two documents in his hand. The moment he saw her, he jogged over immediately, his voice full of affection.
“Are you hot? I told you I would pick you up. Why did you come by yourself?”