Lin Ran asked casually, “Mom, Third Brother, did you thank him?”
Shen Wenfang had been watching Shi Yan leave, but when she saw her daughter approach, she immediately grabbed Lin Ran’s arm and began praising him.
“Ranran, you have no idea. This Youth Shi is truly something else. Think about what a massive favor it was for him to save your brother—it’s a huge debt our family owes him—yet he didn’t care at all. He just said it was a small favor.”
“He wouldn’t take the mushrooms we offered, and he wouldn’t come to our house for dinner. It seems he really didn’t take it to heart. Where else can you find a young man who acts so bravely without seeking reward?”
“The key is, not only does he have a good character, but he’s also extremely handsome! I wonder which girl will be lucky enough to get such a handsome young man in the future!”
At this point, Shen Wenfang paused and suddenly looked at the Lin Ran beside her.
Exactly! An excellent young man like Youth Shi would be a perfect match for her Ranran!
A talented man and a beautiful woman—what a perfect pair!
The thought of Youth Shi becoming her son-in-law made Shen Wenfang satisfied in every way, and she couldn’t suppress the smile on her face.
But suddenly remembering something, her smile vanished, and she quickly changed her tune.
“Regardless of which girl gets him, Ranran, you must not fall for him.”
“No matter how good Youth Shi is, he is still an educated youth who came to the countryside. Who knows when he might return to the city and leave? So, we can’t be foolish when it comes to your lifelong marriage!”
Lin Ran was both amused and exasperated listening to her.
“Mom, what are you thinking? I don’t even know Youth Shi, let alone have feelings for him.”
Even though Lin Ran had transmigrated, she still held remnants of the traditional marriage values of her past life, such as “parents’ orders and matchmaker’s words.”
Though not extreme, she would never do anything as scandalous as a private exchange that might damage her reputation.
Nearby, Lin the Third couldn’t help but interject.
“Mom, let me tell you, you’re just worrying for nothing. From the look of it, Youth Shi definitely wouldn’t be interested in Little Sister!”
This made Shen Wenfang furious, and she slapped the back of Lin the Third’s head.
“How can you say that? Why wouldn’t he be interested in my Ranran? If anyone is doing the looking down, it’s our Ranran looking down on him!”
“Ouch, that hurts! Mom, you hit too hard. Are you even my real mother? I’m still injured, yet you hit me. Aren’t you afraid of making my injuries worse?”
Lin the Third rubbed his head and complained.
Shen Wenfang didn’t buy it and ruthlessly exposed him.
“Oh yes, an ‘injured person.’ Such a heavy wound—it’s almost healed before even being treated!”
“It’s no use. I’m telling you, don’t try to act pitiful with me. If I hear you intentionally belittling Ranran again, see if I don’t slap you to death!”
Lin the Third felt truly wronged now.
“Mom, you’re too autocratic. You hit me without even knowing right from wrong. And I wasn’t intentionally belittling Little Sister; I was just telling the truth. Youth Shi really isn’t interested in her!”
Shen Wenfang’s expression turned very sour. Although she didn’t want Ranran to get involved with him, it didn’t mean she felt comfortable hearing that he wasn’t interested in her.
Why would Youth Shi look down on her precious daughter, who was perfect in every way?
Thinking this, she asked the question out loud.
By now, Shen Wenfang had long forgotten that Shi Yan was her third son’s savior and all the praise she had just showered on him.
Her mind was full of the thought that this boy Shi Yan had no vision and actually didn’t appreciate her precious daughter!
Seeing Shen Wenfang take it so seriously, Lin Ran only found it funny. She didn’t care herself; whether someone liked her was their business and had nothing to do with her.
However, she was a bit curious about how Lin the Third had reached that conclusion. Had something unpleasant happened between her and Shi Yan before?
Being stared at by the two of them, Lin the Third felt his scalp tingle. Fearing another beating, he quickly explained.
“It’s about that basket of wild vegetables and mushrooms. I spent a long time trying to convince Youth Shi to take them. At first, he refused, but eventually, he couldn’t win against me and finally showed signs of relenting.”
“But it was also my fault for mentioning that Little Sister worked hard all morning to pick them. As soon as Youth Shi heard they were picked by her, he firmly refused to take them.”
“No matter what I said after that, it was useless. He went to such lengths to avoid suspicion; what’s there not to understand?”
Prompted by Lin the Third’s reminder, Shen Wenfang also remembered Shi Yan’s reaction.
She hadn’t paid attention at the time, but thinking back carefully, it seemed he meant exactly that. Realizing this, Shen Wenfang immediately wanted to curse.
“What kind of person is he! To actually dare to look down on our Ranran!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized Lin Ran was right there. She quickly shut up and looked at her daughter cautiously.
She knew that although her daughter wasn’t familiar with Shi Yan, she was still a young girl. Hearing that she was disliked by someone would surely be upsetting.
Lin Ran took Shen Wenfang’s arm and said playfully:
“Mom, it’s okay. I’m not gold; how can I be loved by everyone?”
“But anyway, those people who don’t like me definitely lack vision. I wouldn’t be interested in someone like that either!”
She truly felt indifferent. Others could do as they pleased; he was just a stranger. They wouldn’t interact in the future, so it wouldn’t affect her at all.
Seeing that Lin Ran really didn’t care, Shen Wenfang finally felt relieved.
The two of them chatted affectionately as they walked home, putting Shi Yan completely out of their minds.
Lin the Third, realizing he had said the wrong thing, limped silently behind them, not daring to complain that no one was helping him.
…
Meanwhile, on the road to the educated youth station, Shi Yan sneezed several times in a row.
Zhou Manman immediately walked over and asked with concern:
“Youth Shi, what’s wrong? Did you catch a cold from going into the water just now?”
Seeing Zhou Manman approach, Shi Yan subconsciously took a few steps back, his tone distant.
“I’m fine.”
By now, Zhou Manman had grown used to Shi Yan’s cold attitude, so she didn’t mind and continued the conversation.
“By the way, Youth Shi, you were so impressive just now! You even know how to do CPR!”
He truly was the man she had her eye on; he knew so much!
But to her disappointment, even in the face of her praise, Shi Yan maintained that indifferent attitude and didn’t even look at her directly.
“Something I happened to learn before.”
After saying that, Shi Yan walked quickly ahead, soon putting distance between himself and Zhou Manman.
This made Zhou Manman feel discouraged once again. As the daughter of the wealthiest man, she had finally taken an interest in a man, only to find he was a “hard bone” that couldn’t be gnawed no matter what.
However, she soon adjusted her mindset. It was normal for an outstanding man like Shi Yan to be difficult to approach.
But she believed she could definitely win him over!
Even having transmigrated to the 1970s, she, the daughter of the wealthiest man, was still a super-rich woman!
Thinking about her shopping mall trading space and the Zhou family treasures she had stored inside, Zhou Manman subconsciously held her head high, her gaze toward Shi Yan filled with a sense of determination.