When Mother Lu heard those words, she spat directly at Lin Xue. “Bah! You shameless little hussy! How dare you open your mouth to speak such brazen nonsense?
You stripped yourself bare and climbed into my son’s bed, and now you claim you couldn’t help yourself?
You’re nothing but a seductress, a vixen who set out to trap my son! What kind of upbringing did your parents give you to raise someone so shameless?”
Lin Xue covered her face and wept, repeating over and over that what they shared was true love.
Beneath her tears, though, she felt only a flicker of shame and fear — the rest was sheer relief at having pulled off her scheme. Earlier that day, she had gone to the factory where Lu Jinyu worked, only to hear others say he had fallen ill and taken the day off.
So she had hurried straight to his house. Finding it empty except for him lying in bed, she felt as if heaven itself was helping her — helping her avoid being sent back to the countryside.
The two had only just started seeing each other, so they had much to talk about. After exchanging sweet words and confessions of longing, they began kissing and embracing. With Lin Xue’s subtle but persistent advances, Lu Jinyu eventually lost control, and the two ended up sleeping together in his bed.
Mother Lu had stepped out for a short while to chat with neighbors. When she returned and heard the scandalous sounds coming from inside, she pushed the door open without knocking — and caught sight of their naked bodies tangled together.
The couple realized immediately they had been discovered. They scrambled to cover themselves, while Lin Xue let out a sharp scream. It was already close to mealtime, and the noise quickly drew a crowd of onlookers.
With the door left wide open, word spread fast: everyone now knew that the Lu family’s sick son had been caught in bed with a woman in broad daylight.
Furious beyond words, Mother Lu ordered them both to get dressed. After berating Lin Xue mercilessly, she dragged her straight back to her parents’ home to demand an explanation.
Lin Zijing knew exactly what Lin Xue had done just to stay in the city and avoid being sent away. She had thrown away her chastity before marriage, resorting to the most degrading possible means…
Lin Zijing looked at her with undisguised disgust. Lin Xue had held a decent hand, yet she had played it so poorly.
If she had only taken the time to get to know Lu Jinyu properly, let his family see her good qualities, and courted him openly and honestly — meeting his parents and doing things the right way — she could have become his wife through proper and honorable marriage. Instead, she had chosen this shameful path.
Even if she managed to stay now, she would forever be looked down upon by the Lu family and pointed at and gossiped about by every neighbor. It was a classic case of winning a battle while destroying herself in the process.
In those days, reputation was everything. Otherwise, why did so many women of that time end up driven to their deaths by malicious rumors and gossip?
Lin Zijing turned away and would not look at her cousin anymore. Yang Qingqiu, afraid of getting dragged into the mess, had slipped into a corner to watch. She had suspected Lin Xue would eventually try something like this, but never imagined she would go so far…
Lin Xue’s father stared at his daughter, who could do nothing but sob, while Mother Lu’s curses grew coarser and her voice louder, drawing more neighbors to gather outside and whisper about their family.
His face burned with shame, his eyes turning red with anger, until he finally roared, “Enough! Stop this nonsense! Do you want to make us look even more ridiculous than we already do?”
His shout silenced the crowd instantly.
He shot his daughter a look of disappointment and frustration, then turned his gaze to Mother Lu, whose face was twisted with rage. Gritting his teeth, he spoke in a low but sharp tone: “Is this something to shout about and show off?
Now that it’s happened, you still want to make a scene instead of figuring out how to fix it?
If someone with a grudge decides to report this to the neighborhood committee as lewd behavior or improper relations between unmarried couples, we’ll both be ruined once that label sticks.”
His words acted like a bucket of cold water poured over Mother Lu’s fury. She had acted purely out of anger and had never thought it through. She had never liked Lin Xue — a scheming little hussy, in her eyes. Though she had found Lin Xue’s family background acceptable, she could not forgive her for plotting against her son.
To climb into his bed before even being properly engaged — what parent could accept such a thing?
Blinded by rage, she had dragged Lin Xue straight back to her home, completely forgetting about the serious consequences of being labeled as having “illicit relations.”
If some spiteful person really did report them, her family would face terrible trouble — and her son especially could be sent away to a labor camp for reeducation…
The thought sent a chill down her spine, and her earlier arrogance and fury deflated instantly.
Lin Jiancheng noticed the shift in attitude and immediately pressed his advantage.
“Then let your son, Lu Jinyu, marry Lin Xue and settle this by registering their marriage.
Otherwise, let’s see whose family’s reputation gets ruined in the end. We’ll see who suffers the greater loss. Anyway, Lin Xue was originally supposed to be sent to the countryside.
Now that things have come to this, her reputation is already destroyed. At worst, she’ll just go through with the original plan.
But your Lu family is different. Not only will Lu Jinyu lose his job, he’ll also be sent to a labor farm for reform.”
Mother Lu was so furious that she felt as if her chest would explode. She was utterly unwilling to accept someone like Lin Xue as her daughter-in-law.
But she didn’t dare gamble with her family’s jobs or her son’s future.
Grinding her back teeth together, her chest heaving violently, she fixed Lin Xue with an icy stare.
“Fine. We’ll register the marriage tomorrow after we get back.”
After saying that, she glared fiercely at Lin Xue and hissed through clenched teeth, “Just you wait.”
Then she turned and stormed away.
The onlookers couldn’t help discussing the scene.
“Lin Xue hasn’t even married into the family yet, and she’s already offended her future mother-in-law. She’s not going to have an easy life after this.”
“Exactly. Using this kind of trick to force a marriage… What mother could possibly accept that? She’s in for a hard time.”
“She always seemed pretty clever. How could she do something like this? Isn’t she afraid of being cursed by everyone?
“They were already dating. Why the rush? Couldn’t they have taken things one step at a time?”
“How could she not be in a hurry? Didn’t you hear what Lin Jiancheng said? Lin Xue was originally supposed to be sent to the countryside. The Lin family’s countryside quota had fallen on her.
“That’s the clever part. She traded her reputation to avoid being sent away.”
“Tsk… What was she thinking? Sure, she gets to stay in the city, but do you think she’ll ever be treated well by the Lu family?
“Did you see the look on her future mother-in-law’s face? She’ll make Lin Xue’s life miserable.”
“That’s right. Even if that happens, she’ll just have to endure it. After all, she lost her chastity before even entering the family.
“Once a woman’s reputation is ruined, even if she manages to marry in, she’ll never be able to hold her head high again.
“Oh, that’s right. No one from their family has gone to the neighborhood office to register today, have they?
“Doesn’t that mean the staff at the neighborhood office will forcibly send someone to the countryside tomorrow?
“So who will the Lin family’s countryside quota fall on?”
“Do you even need to ask? Isn’t it obvious?
“Zijin’s future parents-in-law came over today to discuss the wedding date. They’re holding the wedding banquet this very week.
“Why would she still be sent to the countryside?
“The quota will definitely fall on Lin Shu.”
Lin Shu, who had been secretly listening from behind the doorway, turned deathly pale the moment she heard that the countryside assignment would fall on her.
Before this, she had always been thankful for her father’s favoritism and for having two older siblings standing ahead of her.
But now…
She was terrified.
Lin Xue had ruined her own reputation just to avoid being sent to the countryside.
What was she supposed to do?