Chapter 20: Breaking Off the EngagementMrs. Qian was irritated by her laughter and reached out to take the jade pendant from Zhao Zhengping’s hand.The jade felt warm and smooth to the touch. She had long known it was a fine piece, perfectly suited for a scholar like her son. As she held it, she felt a pang of reluctance.When she looked up and saw Lin Qinghe watching her with a faint, mocking smile, she pushed aside her reluctance and handed over the pendant. “Take good care of this. Don’t say later that we didn’t return it. Our Zhao Family is not unreasonable.”Though it pained her to part with it, she consoled herself that there would be better things in the future—it was just a jade pendant, after all.Lin Qinghe took the pendant, glanced at it briefly to confirm it was the same one she had given before, and tucked it into her robe. She had already silently decided what to do with it.For families like theirs, such items were impractical—they couldn’t be eaten or drunk, and worst of all, they were fragile. If accidentally dropped, they could shatter into pieces, instantly losing their value.When she looked up again, she noticed Zhao Zhengping still staring blankly at her. She frowned slightly, thinking that indecision only invited trouble, and turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze.Aunt Guihua also noticed Zhao Zhengping’s expression and silently cursed Mrs. Qian for her meddling. A perfectly good match had been torn apart by her interference.She no longer felt angry toward Zhao Zhengping and simply asked, “Zhengping, are you going to write the annulment document or not? If not, I’ll go find someone else to write it.”Since the betrothal token had been returned and things had come to this point, it was better to settle the matter cleanly.“Write it, of course we’ll write it. Why bother finding someone else? Our Zhengping is a scholar, and his handwriting is excellent. No one in the village writes better than him,” Mrs. Qian quickly interjected.Hiring someone would cost money, and besides, it was better to resolve this matter quietly among themselves without involving more people and risking further complications.“Zhengping, hurry up and write it. Once the annulment document is done, the engagement will be officially broken,” Mrs. Qian urged.But Zhao Zhengping ignored her and instead looked at Lin Qinghe. “Qinghe, do you really want to break off the engagement? Haven’t you considered what I said to you last time?”Mrs. Qian’s anger flared. This Lin Qinghe truly was a temptress, with her bewitching face that had lured her son into secretly seeking her out. If it hadn’t been brought up today, she would never have known. While it wasn’t entirely improper for betrothed couples to meet privately, she had often reminded her son to focus on his studies and avoid distractions. He had always agreed, yet he had gone behind her back to see Lin Qinghe.Thankfully, they were breaking off the engagement now. If she were to marry into the family, her son would be utterly bewitched, with no mind left for his studies.“There’s no need to consider what you said. I would never abandon my younger siblings for anything or anyone,” Lin Qinghe replied calmly.“See? She doesn’t care about you at all, yet you keep thinking about her. A man need not worry about finding a wife. Without her, we’ll find someone better,” Mrs. Qian said angrily.“We’ll see about that when you find one,” Aunt Guihua retorted with a sneer.“Since things have come to this, there’s no way the marriage can proceed. Let’s just write the document as soon as possible,” Lin Qinghe urged.Zhao Zhengping listened to their back-and-forth, his mind in turmoil. Seeing Lin Qinghe also urging him to write the annulment document, with no intention of salvaging the engagement, he felt both angry and indignant.As a scholar, many in the village respected him. Even the Village Chief spoke to him with great courtesy, not to mention the young women and married ladies in the village who often stole glances at him—he was quite popular.Yet Lin Qinghe alone was so decisive about breaking off the engagement, showing not a hint of reluctance. Sooner or later, she would regret it."Fine, since you’re so eager to break off the engagement, I’ll write it for you.""Hey, what kind of talk is that? Wasn’t it your mother who wanted to break it off all along? Why blame our Qinghe?" Aunt Guihua said with some displeasure, as if it were the Lin family who wanted to end the engagement.Hearing her son’s words, Mrs. Qian quickly added, "Yes, yes, write it for her quickly. Once this engagement is broken off, I’ll find you another match, one that’s definitely better than the Lin family.""Mother, there’s no rush for marriage. We can discuss it after I finish my exams," Zhao Zhengping said, lowering his gaze.Mrs. Qian clapped her hands in agreement. "Right, my son is clever indeed. Marriage really isn’t urgent. Once you earn your scholarly honors, good matches will naturally come knocking."Her mind was already filled with fantasies—perhaps an official’s daughter would seek him out after the results were announced, or a wealthy merchant’s daughter hoping to elevate her family’s status. Though merchants were of lower social standing, they had plenty of money, which wasn’t bad either.Zhao Zhengping said nothing more. He picked up the brush and wrote the annulment document in duplicate, signing his name on both copies.Lin Qinghe glanced over it a few times and, finding no issues, also signed her name.Zhao Zhengping stared at her signature—the elegant, delicate handwriting—and lost himself in thought.Seeing they had finished, Mrs. Qian stepped forward, gently pushing her son aside. Though illiterate, she picked up the document and examined it from top to bottom before declaring, "Well then, this engagement is officially annulled. From now on, there must be no further entanglement."She wouldn’t allow Lin Qinghe to regret it later, after Zhengping had achieved success and the Zhao family had prospered, and try to bring up the old engagement again. She had to make this clear from the start."Don’t worry. People need dignity, just as trees need bark. Since the engagement has been formally annulled, there will never be a day when I come knocking again. The same goes for you," Lin Qinghe said calmly."Hah, who do you think you are? Just because you’re somewhat good-looking, you think our Zhengping would cling to you? There are plenty of other women in the world," Mrs. Qian sneered, finding her words almost laughable. She didn’t consider the Lin family’s current state or how the Zhao family was on the verge of prosperity. Lin Qinghe simply had no fortune.Tang Guihua couldn’t bear to listen any longer and spoke up, "Sister Qian, since the engagement has been annulled, let’s all be civil. There’s no need to speak so harshly. We’re all from the same village—we’ll see each other often.""For now, we are indeed from the same village, but who knows about the future? Our family may not stay here forever, but that’s a matter for another day."Mrs. Qian smoothed her hair, let out a long breath, and said, "It’s good this engagement is broken off. It saves me a worry." Her demeanor was rather haughty.Tang Guihua was left fuming for quite a while. Having a son who studied truly was something to be proud of.Mrs. Qian didn’t waste any more words either. Turning around, she said, “Zhengping, we should head back now. This trip has already taken up too much of your study time. Let’s go home so you can focus on your work. Whatever happens with the Lin family from now on has nothing to do with us. Don’t come here again, lest you catch some bad luck. Even if someone tries to lure you here, you mustn’t come, understand?”She was still dwelling on the fact that her son had secretly come to see Lin Qinghe behind her back before.Tang Guihua grew even angrier upon hearing this. What nonsense about luring someone here! Rolling up her sleeves, she retorted, “Sister Qian, you’d better explain yourself clearly. Your son’s feet are his own—what does it have to do with anyone else?”Lin Qinghe, however, tugged at her arm and said, “Auntie, don’t be angry. What’s done is done. From now on, I’ll be more careful about keeping to myself and won’t give anyone a chance to gossip.”Seeing that his mother had gone too far, Zhao Zhengping also reached out to pull her back. “Mother, let’s go home.”

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops