“Xiaoman, have you gone crazy? You just agreed to this, and now you’re already planning to hold the wedding banquet?”
Li Xianrong was shocked when she heard what her cousin had said.
“Do you even know him? You’re just going to marry him like this? Why are you being so cheap? At the very least, you should have talked about the bride price and things like that. Weren’t you trying to make some money out of this? This time, you should make as much as you can.”
Sigh, even after living another life, this cousin was still such a fool!
“Sis, don’t shout.” Lin Xiaoman hurriedly took her hand and said, “This is what I’m thinking. I should secure the man first, then slowly get the money.
No matter what, I’ll be his wife by then, so he’ll definitely spend the money he earns on me.”
“You’re thinking too naively. In his previous life, there were plenty of women spending his money.”
“But he never divorced, and his wife was still his original wife.”
That was true.
“Besides, if I don’t hurry up and secure him, what if his original wife appears again? We were both able to be reborn, so if she was reborn too, would she really let such a money tree slip away?”
“Forget everything else. I’ll grab hold of him first and worry about the rest later.”
“What you’re saying does make some sense.” Li Xianrong nodded. “It’s just that I still feel like you’re getting the short end of the stick. You have such a good hand, and it looks like you’re about to play it badly.”
“It won’t happen. Even if it gets worse, it can’t get that bad.” Lin Xiaoman held out her left hand. “Look at what he bought me.”
“What?”
Li Xianrong grabbed her cousin’s hand and examined it carefully.
“A gold ring? It isn’t fake, is it?”
“How could it be? He’s so rich. Why would he fool me with a fake one?”
Li Xianrong stared at her cousin, and Lin Xiaoman suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
“Sis, this was originally supposed to be yours. Do you really not regret it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What’s yours or mine about it?” It was a lie to say she was not jealous. Damn Ye Xiaochen. So what if he was rich? Did he really have to throw money at people whenever he got the chance?
“Since this is your choice, then hold on to him properly. Didn’t you say that if I married him, you’d cling to my leg? Now that you’re married, if your sister ends up having a hard time in the future, I’ll come and cling to your leg.”
“Sis, don’t worry. I’ll definitely be fine. As long as I marry him, I’ll grab as much money as I can and give it to Mom, my brother, and you.”
“Oh, stop right there.” Li Xianrong almost wanted to crack open her cousin’s head and see what was inside. “Have you forgotten how Chen Jian treated you in your previous life? You wanted a divorce and wanted to come back home to live. Auntie was too old to make decisions, so what did Lin Haitao and his wife do to you? And you still want to spend money on them?”
“I’m warning you, once you marry him, just live your own life properly. Don’t become someone who sacrifices everything for her younger brother.” Li Xianrong said, “No one wants to marry a daughter in law who keeps carrying things back to her mother’s family. Just quietly save some private money for yourself. Money is what gives you confidence. Understand?”
“Sis, you’re really smart.”
Yes, she really had forgotten the pain as soon as her wounds healed.
Back then, her own brother had not even been willing to take in her and her daughter.
“Sis, you’re almost forty years old and you want a divorce? Is there something wrong with your head? Where would you live after getting divorced? If you came back home, wouldn’t people laugh at you, Dad, Mom, and me?”
“It’s not that I’m trying to criticize you, but your temper is too stubborn. No man can put up with you. You shouldn’t control a man too tightly either. The more strictly you control him, the more he’ll go against you. You need to be smarter. Honestly, you’re already this old, yet you still have to make Mom, Dad, and all of us worry about you.”
It had all been criticism, without a single word of comfort or the slightest hint of support.
And that time, she had returned to her mother’s family with a bruised and swollen face, only to leave in tears after becoming completely disheartened.
“Xiaoman.”
Seeing that her cousin had fallen into deep thought, Li Xianrong patted her shoulder.
“I’m still a little worried about you. Your personality is too straightforward, and your brain…”
Honestly, this cousin really was not very bright.
“You really can’t handle someone like Ye Xiaochen.” Li Xianrong said, “I’m afraid you’ll be sold by him and still help him count the money.”
“Sis, I… Then what do you think I should do?”
“Xiaoman, I remember you passed the entrance exam for high school after graduating from junior high, right?”
“Mm. Dad said girls would eventually get married anyway, and sooner or later they’d become someone else’s family, so there was no point in studying that much.”
“Nonsense. Your dad is simply biased toward sons. Lin Haitao’s grades weren’t even good, yet he still let him go to high school.” Li Xianrong said, “Your dad just didn’t want to pay your tuition. If you ask me, once you marry Ye Xiaochen, why not have him pay your tuition and let you go to high school and study? You’re too simple minded, so learning more is always a good thing.”
Lin Xiaoman felt that her cousin was insulting her, but at the same time, she also felt that her cousin was absolutely right.
“Xiaoman, I’m really worried about you.”
“Sis, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll definitely live a good life in this lifetime.”
Once she held on to Ye Xiaochen, she would never lack money. And a life without money worries could not possibly be too bad.
“As long as you can live well, that’s good.”
Li Xianrong glanced outside, then leaned close to Lin Xiaoman’s ear and quietly said something.
“Ah, Sis, you…”
“Shh.” Li Xianrong said, “I’m only telling you this. Don’t tell anyone else.
You’d ruin my plans.”
“Sis, are you really going to do this?”
“Mm, I have to. After being reborn, this was the first thing that came to my mind. In this life, I can’t miss him.”
“But you don’t necessarily have to take this path.”
“You don’t understand. There’s no reasoning with my mother. These past two days, she’s been nagging me about Ye Xiaochen until my ears are practically covered in calluses.” Li Xianrong said, “If she finds out that you two are about to hold the wedding banquet, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll cause? I’d better stay out of the way for now. Without me there, she won’t have anyone to perform her one woman show for.”
“Auntie has completely come to resent me.”
“Who cares about her?” Li Xianrong said. “Xiaoman, don’t be so kindhearted in this life. Walk your own path and let others say whatever they want.”
“Sis…”
“By the way, tell Auntie that no matter how much she makes a fuss, she shouldn’t take it personally. Don’t keep it in your heart. One day… just wait and see. Once I’ve started living a good life, she’ll forget all about this.”
“Sis, I’m still worried about you.”
“You silly girl. Your sister is smarter than you and has seen much more of the world. Don’t worry. Just live your own life well.”
“Sis, can you tell me what that person’s name is? Where is he from?”
“I can’t tell you.” Li Xianrong said, “I’m afraid you’ll give me away if my mother pressures you. That would ruin my plans.”
“Sis…”
“All right, Lin Xiaoman, stop being so annoying. Hurry up and leave. My mother will be back soon, and then she’ll catch you and give you another earful.”
“Okay, then I’ll go first. I’m really afraid of Auntie.”
No matter how foolish Lin Xiaoman was, she knew she should avoid Huang Hongxia’s temper. She certainly was not going to walk straight into the line of fire.
Just as she stepped out of her cousin’s house, she saw Huang Hongxia returning with an armful of vegetables.
“Lin Xiaoman, you little wretch, what are you doing at our house again?”
Huang Hongxia had heard from her second sister in law about what had happened while she was in the vegetable garden, and she was already bursting with anger.
“Rongrong, you idiot! Those two are already planning to hold their wedding banquet, and you’re still completely in the dark. I think you’ll be sold by her and still help her count the money…”
Here it comes. Her mother’s endless nagging was about to begin again!