Yang Qingqiu watched Lin Xue’s performance and let out a cold sneer. Her voice was sharp and icy.
“Lin Xue, you’re really good at putting on a show!
The moment I finished speaking, you couldn’t wait to start acting.
I’m discussing something with your father. Why are you butting in?
Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. Are you afraid you’ll be the one sent to the countryside?
Let me tell you, what I was talking to your father about today had nothing to do with going to the countryside. Now stand aside and stop muddying the waters.”
After scolding Lin Xue, Yang Qingqiu suddenly turned to Lin Jiancheng.
“Lin Jiancheng, listen carefully. What I want to tell you is this: tomorrow morning, take the day off work and stay home with me to meet Zijin’s future parents-in-law. We’re going to discuss the children’s lifelong marriage.
I’m not asking you to listen to your daughter stir up trouble behind my back.”
Hearing those words, Lin Xue’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
She had never expected it to be about this.
She had assumed…
She had assumed that during this period, Yang Qingqiu had refused to cook for them as a form of resistance, forcing Lin Jiancheng to compromise so Lin Zijin wouldn’t have to go to the countryside.
She never imagined that the mother and daughter would move so quickly.
The thought made her heart grow cold.
If Lin Zijin’s marriage was settled, then the one who would inevitably be sent to the countryside would be her.
Seeing that Yang Qingqiu was truly angry, Lin Jiancheng felt a wave of regret. He had almost let Lin Xue lead him astray. So this was what Yang Qingqiu had been trying to tell him.
“Qingqiu, I…”
Yang Qingqiu refused to even look at him.
“Forget about eating this meal.
And Lin Jiancheng, if you dare let me down tomorrow, then there’s no point in continuing this marriage.
If the neighbors find out, then the Lin family’s reputation can forget about surviving.”
After saying that, she carried each dish into Lin Zijin’s room one by one. Closing the door behind her, the mother and her two daughters ate together inside.
Lin Jiancheng stood there blankly. Turning his head to look at Lin Xue, he saw nothing but calculation in her eyes, making his expression especially complicated.
Without another word, he went straight back to his room.
He didn’t even bother washing up before lying down on the bed, thinking over everything Yang Qingqiu had said.
He thought about it for a long, long time.
Zijin’s marriage was about to be finalized, yet he hadn’t known a thing. The groom’s family was coming tomorrow, and only now was he finding out.
More importantly, he couldn’t afford to give them the cold shoulder tomorrow. If word got out, everyone would accuse him of abusing his stepdaughter and deliberately sabotaging her marriage.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt—for the first time—that sending Lin Zijin to the countryside had been a mistake.
After all, she wasn’t his biological daughter. If he sent his stepdaughter away while keeping his own daughter at home, what would the neighbors think of him?
What would the people at the factory think?
Besides, it was a crucial time in the competition for the department director position. He had been serving as deputy director for many years, and now that he finally had a chance at promotion, he had to seize it.
So…
The only option was to let Xiaoxue go to the countryside.
After she left, he would make it up to her. He could mail her supplies from time to time. It wouldn’t be a big problem. She wasn’t that young anymore and could take care of herself.
The more he thought about it, the more brilliant the plan seemed.
If Xiaoxue went to the countryside, Yang Qingqiu would stop making a fuss with him. He could come home to hot meals again, someone would wash his clothes, and, most importantly, perhaps the factory would see how supportive his family was of the policy and finally promote him.
If Lin Xue had known that her own biological father had already decided to abandon her, she would have been furious beyond words.
Even so, she already had a faint premonition.
This time, Lin Jiancheng no longer dared to ignore Yang Qingqiu’s wishes.
Early the next morning, he went to the factory to request a day’s leave. On his way home, he even bought a chicken and a fish.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to work and had returned with so much food, Xu Cuicui asked curiously,
“Old Lin, is your family celebrating some happy occasion?”
“Why are you buying so much? Are you planning to spend all your money?” someone asked.
Lin Jianshe smiled. “Sister Xu, the family of Zijin’s future husband is coming over today to discuss the marriage. Of course we have to prepare a proper feast.
Although Zijin isn’t my biological daughter, she’s called me Dad for so many years. To me, she’s no different from my own child.”
Xu Cuicui’s expression turned complicated. She forced a smile and replied, “Yes… yes, you’re right.”
Lin Jianshe repeated those words to everyone he met. Before long, the whole alley knew about it, and many people secretly praised him for being such a good stepfather.
The news eventually reached Yang Qingqiu’s ears. She merely rolled her eyes and let out a sarcastic snort.
Today was an important day for her daughter, so she couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.
When the groom’s parents arrived, both families sat down together for lunch and discussed the wedding arrangements. The bride price was set at six hundred yuan, along with the “Three Turns and One Sound.”
When Lin Jianshe heard how generous the bride price was, his eyes lit up. Back when his eldest son got married, he had nearly cried over the one hundred yuan they had given the bride’s family.
The Lu family clearly had money. Since they lived so far away, he decided he would quietly investigate what kind of background they had.
If they had useful connections, perhaps they could help elevate his own family as well.
The wedding date was soon finalized for this Sunday.
Today was Wednesday, leaving only four days.
One family wanted their daughter to leave this suffocating environment as soon as possible so they could finally straighten things out at home. The other simply wanted to bring their future daughter-in-law home quickly so their son could finally marry the woman he loved.
Lin Xue and Lin Shu had both been warned beforehand. Throughout the entire meeting, neither of them said a single word.
After lunch, once the Lu family had left, Lin Xue quietly slipped out without saying anything.
Yang Qingqiu had long grown used to it. She knew exactly what Lin Xue was thinking. As long as it had nothing to do with her own daughter, she had no intention of interfering.
That evening, members of the Lu family personally escorted Lin Xue back.
Every one of them wore dark expressions, especially Mother Lu. Her eyes burned with fury, as though she wanted nothing more than to skin Lin Xue alive.
After learning who Lin Xue’s father was, Mother Lu immediately pointed at Lin Jianshe and exploded with curses, spraying spit all over his face.
“So you’re the father of that shameless little slut?
How exactly did you raise your daughter?
Does she have no sense of decency or shame?
In broad daylight she seduces men and crawls into their beds! Does your Lin family have any dignity at all?
You bastard! What kind of father are you?
To raise such a shameless girl who throws herself onto a man’s bed… Our Lu family must have had the worst luck imaginable to get tangled up with people like you.
You think my son is going to marry her? Keep dreaming! Absolutely not!”
Lin Jiancheng had been completely confused at first, but after hearing Mother Lu’s accusations, he finally understood what had happened.
Watching Lin Xue sob uncontrollably, he felt for the first time that this daughter of his was nothing but a troublemaker.
A nameless rage burned in his chest. Never in his life had he been publicly humiliated in front of so many people.
And it was all thanks to Lin Xue.
Listening to Mother Lu’s relentless insults, Lin Xue cried even harder.
“No… that’s not true. It isn’t like that.
We really love each other. We’re a couple. We just… couldn’t control our feelings.”