Lin Zijin let out a soft chuckle, the corners of her lips curling into a mocking smile.
“Oh?
Really?”
Grinding her teeth, Lin Xue snapped, “Yes, it has to be you!
Don’t think that just because you’ve found yourself a man, you’ll be able to escape.
You’re definitely going to the countryside.
When the neighborhood office releases the list, your name will be on it.”
It was hard to tell whether she was saying it to Lin Zijin or trying to convince herself.
Looking at her furious expression, Lin Zijin found it rather amusing. With a faint smile, she leaned close to Lin Xue’s ear and whispered, “Lin Xue, your information seems a little out of date~”
Lin Xue’s pupils shrank instantly, and a bad feeling rose in her heart.
“W-What do you mean?”
Lin Zijin smiled mischievously.
“Why don’t you guess?”
Lin Xue clenched both fists tightly.
“Lin Zijin, is this funny to you?”
Then she lifted her chin proudly.
“Let me tell you, Lu Jinyu agreed today. He said he’d talk to his family as soon as he got home.
He’ll bring up our marriage. He also said…”
Lin Zijin couldn’t be bothered listening to her bragging. She rolled her eyes.
“What does that have to do with me?
Now quit blocking my way.”
With that, she walked past Lin Xue.
Lin Xue bit her lip in frustration and stomped her foot.
Everything she had just said to Lin Zijin was made up.
Ever since Hu Cuihua had gone to the Lu family and caused a huge scene, the Lu family had become especially cold toward her.
Lu Jinyu’s mother, in particular, had even started looking for another match for her son.
She had even accused Lin Xue of being calculating and deliberately setting everything up.
Although it was true, she was still a young unmarried woman. How could they say something so hurtful right to her face?
Earlier that day, she had gone to Lu Jinyu’s factory to see him, urging him to speak to his family as soon as possible and settle their marriage.
She had practically talked herself hoarse before he finally agreed.
Even then, he wasn’t sure when it could actually happen.
He told her he would have to slowly coax his mother into accepting her.
Now Lin Xue was in a complete panic.
She couldn’t figure out what Lin Zijin had meant earlier.
Could it be that Lin Zijin was moving even faster than she was?
Don’t push her.
If things came to that, she would have no choice but to use her last resort…
Otherwise…
After returning home, Lin Zijin told Yang Qingqiu everything that had happened at the Lu family.
Hearing that the Lu family was satisfied with her daughter, Yang Qingqiu finally let out the breath she’d been holding.
Her daughter’s good days were still ahead of her.
“Mom, the Lu family is coming tomorrow. What should we do when both families meet?”
“What do you mean, ‘what should we do?'”
So much had happened over the past few days.
Lin Zijin’s household registration had already been transferred out, and she no longer had any reason to force herself to call Lin Jianshe “Dad.”
She changed her wording.
“I mean… Uncle Lin.
If the parents are meeting and he isn’t there, people will definitely gossip.
But if he is there, I’m afraid he’ll cause trouble.”
She pouted as she looked at Yang Qingqiu.
Yang Qingqiu gently ran a finger across the bridge of her daughter’s nose.
“Don’t worry so much about that.
I’m here, aren’t I?
Tonight, I’ll have a proper talk with him.
Don’t worry. Tomorrow will go smoothly, and this marriage of yours will work out.”
Lin Zijin blinked her bright, sparkling eyes, still looking a little doubtful.
“Really?”
“Of course. When have I ever lied to you?”
Using a sweet, spoiled tone, Lin Zijin said,
“Mom, that’s not what I meant. I mean… what are you planning to do…
How are you going to make sure everything goes smoothly?”
Yang Qingqiu wasn’t entirely sure how to explain the specifics herself. She would have to play it by ear.
“Well… I’ll try talking things over with him first.
If talking things over nicely doesn’t work, then… I just won’t talk nicely.”
Lin Zijin felt a little confused by the roundabout wording, but she understood the meaning.
“Alright, Mom. Thank you for everything~”
“Silly girl~”
Yang Qingqiu stared at her daughter’s face for a while, her eyes gradually becoming moist.
Seeing this, Lin Zijin panicked and quickly asked,
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
Yang Qingqiu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and shook her head.
“I’m fine. It’s just… time has passed so quickly.
The little girl I used to hold in my arms has grown up.
Now she’s getting married.
Your mother just can’t bear to let you go…”
Lin Zijin immediately threw herself into Yang Qingqiu’s embrace and said stubbornly,
“Then if you can’t bear to part with me, I just won’t get married…”
Before she could finish speaking, Yang Qingqiu pushed her away, hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes, and pretended that nothing had happened.
“Now then, where were we?
Oh, I remember. You said I’d worked hard.
I really have worked hard. Raising all of you from the time you were babies, changing diapers and taking care of everything. How could it not be hard?
But there was no helping it. You’re all Mommy’s precious treasures…”
Watching her mother completely change her demeanor in an instant, as if she had already forgotten what had just happened, the corners of Lin Zijin’s mouth twitched. Still, she was already used to it.
That evening, Lin Jiancheng came home from work. He had assumed the house would once again be cold and empty with no dinner prepared. He had even decided that if it came down to it, he’d cook himself, even though his cooking was barely edible.
But the moment he entered the living room, he saw a hearty dinner waiting on the table—three dishes and a soup.
He was puzzled, but also genuinely delighted.
Yang Qingqiu had been giving him the cold shoulder these past few days, and he was on the verge of breaking down. No one washed his clothes, and no one cooked for him. Since it was summer, he had already worn all of his clean clothes, while the dirty ones were still sitting in the washbasin.
Tomorrow, he wouldn’t even have a change of clothes and would have no choice but to wear today’s sweat-soaked outfit again.
Hearing him come in, Yang Qingqiu walked out of the bedroom.
“Oh? The hardworking breadwinner is finally home.”
Lin Jiancheng smiled at her and pointed at the dishes on the table.
“You’ve worked hard. Thank you.”
“Worked hard? How could this little bit of work possibly count as hard?
The truly hardworking one is the person lying down sleeping.”
Lin Jiancheng caught the hidden meaning in her words but pretended not to.
“From now on, let’s live our lives properly.
Qingqiu, I’ve truly realized this time that this family can’t function without you, so…”
“Enough. I have something I want to discuss with you today.
If you agree, then you can eat the meal on the table.
If you don’t, then you and your two daughters can keep buying meat buns.”
Lin Jiancheng grumbled inwardly.
Buying meat buns? We’ve already run out of food ration coupons.
Lin Xue had been eavesdropping by the door the whole time.
She had wondered why Yang Qingqiu had suddenly become so kind and cooked dinner today.
So this was what she’d been waiting for all along.
She really had bad intentions!
Unable to hold herself back any longer, Lin Xue opened the door and walked out of her room. Biting her lip, her eyes red with tears, she spoke with a face full of grievance.
“Aunt Yang, please don’t make things difficult for my dad.
I know you don’t want Sister Zijin to be sent to the countryside, but…
…this is government policy. My dad doesn’t have any choice.
How can you use cooking to threaten him?
If you don’t care about my dad, then as his daughter, I care more than anyone.
Aunt Yang, I’m begging you. Please don’t make things hard for my father.
We’re a family!”
Hearing Lin Xue’s words, Lin Jiancheng instantly felt that the delicious meal on the table had lost all its appeal.
Yang Qingqiu really was trying to force him into submission.
He absolutely couldn’t compromise!
He couldn’t wrong his own biological daughter just for the sake of having a meal.