Not only Zhou Sinian, but everyone in the Zhou family looked at Meng Yu with curiosity.
It wasn’t that they looked down on her. It was just that they were all rural people, and Meng Yu—the third daughter of the Meng family—was also born and raised in the countryside. So why did she know how to play it?
That part was really strange.
Hearing this, Meng Yu couldn’t help but think for a moment.
“Mm… I learned it too.”
As soon as she said this, everyone fell silent.
How was that any different from not answering at all?
Shan Cuixiang immediately became a bit dissatisfied.
“You child… of course you learned it. It can’t be something you were born knowing.”
Talking nonsense like that—she really deserved a beating.
Meng Yu touched her nose.
“Mm…”
She was thinking of an excuse.
“From someone who was sent down to the cow shed in your village?”
Zhou Sinian “helpfully” gave her an explanation.
Meng Yu’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Yes! That’s right!”
The Zhou family looked at each other, all silent.
Did she really not feel embarrassed saying such an obvious and clumsy excuse?
Of course she did.
But so what?
There was no way to verify it anyway. If Zhou Sinian had the ability, he could go ask in Dapang Village himself.
In the original body’s memories, because Dapang Village was extremely remote, several intellectuals who had been sent down there couldn’t adapt to the harsh conditions and had already died.
Because of that, the remaining few were later relocated.
Although it felt disrespectful, Meng Yu could completely attribute her skills to those deceased intellectuals.
Dead men tell no tales—there was nothing Zhou Sinian could do.
“I didn’t get enough food or proper clothes at home. I had to work all the time. Sometimes when I was slacking off, I would go to the cow shed. Over time, my teacher there guided me, and I slowly learned it.”
“Then have you ever touched a violin?”
“Of course—” she suddenly stopped, then looked at Zhou Sinian warily. “Of course I haven’t!”
In a place like the cow shed, those sent-down people were barely surviving. There were constant struggle sessions and Red Guards inspections every day. Not to mention that there probably wasn’t even a violin there—and even if there was, it would have been smashed.
So how could she possibly have seen one?
This man was really too sharp.
Zhou Sinian nodded.
“That makes sense.”
Or rather, her explanation was very convincing.
Shan Cuixiang quickly looked at her eldest son.
“Sinian, this…”
This explanation was full of loopholes. There was no way he didn’t notice.
Zhou Sinian gave her a reassuring look and continued talking to Meng Yu.
“Then what do you plan to do next? Teach village children the violin?”
Hearing this, Meng Yu couldn’t help but twitch her mouth.
Shan Cuixiang immediately waved her hand.
“That won’t work. Didn’t you hear how Gouhua’s mother reacted when she found out it costs money?”
Most rural families were honest and practical. Every penny was hard-earned, so spending it on something like this—who wouldn’t feel heartache?
Although Gouhua’s mother had been too harsh when she left, what she said was also the reality.
Zhou Sinian raised an eyebrow and looked at Meng Yu.
Meng Yu also nodded.
“I was just bored anyway. If I really teach it, it would cause too much trouble. I hate trouble.”
Hearing this, everyone looked at her with subtle expressions.
You hate trouble?
You are the biggest troublemaker here!
Meng Yu obviously realized that too and coughed lightly.
“Anyway, I don’t like trouble.”
It sounded almost like she was being willful.
Zhou Sinian gave Shan Cuixiang a look, and the family dispersed.
In the east room, Shan Cuixiang sat on the kang bed, frowning.
“Sinian, your wife… have you looked into her background?”
She just felt something was off.
Zhou Sinian shook his head.
“Last time I went back, she took a knife and demanded the bride price back. After that, she never came again. I’ve sent people to investigate, but there are no results yet.”
Shan Cuixiang sighed after hearing this.
“Nothing bad will happen, right?”
If something dragged down her eldest son, she would regret it even if she crushed stones against the sky.
Zhou Sinian thought for a moment and shook his head.
“No, it’s fine.”
Although Meng Yu seemed strange everywhere, she hadn’t actually caused any real trouble.
“Don’t worry about her. I can handle it.”
Although still worried, since her son said so, Shan Cuixiang could only nod.
“Alright, Mom understands.”
When Zhou Sinian returned, Meng Yu was idly resting her chin on her hand, boredly playing with the large porcelain bowl on the table.
It was used for drinking water.
She was truly idle.
Seeing him return, she straightened up slightly.
“You want to ask me something, right? Go ahead.”
Quite straightforward.
But after studying her for a moment, Zhou Sinian shook his head.
“I don’t have anything to ask.”
“Huh?”
Meng Yu was stunned.
“Nothing to ask?”
She looked at him strangely.
“You believe what I said?”
Even she didn’t believe it herself.
Zhou Sinian chuckled lightly.
“I don’t believe it. Not even ghosts would believe it. And don’t forget, that excuse you gave—I was the one who helped you set it up.”
Hearing this, Meng Yu became even more curious.
“Oh right. Then why did you help me? Weren’t you always suspicious of me?”
At that time, she had thought she was about to be exposed. But instead, Zhou Sinian had helped her out.
Why?
Zhou Sinian looked at her calmly.
“Why?”
If she really were a spy, she would be a failed one.
Full of loopholes yet completely confident—he would rather believe she was possessed by something supernatural than that she was a spy.
Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud.
Talking about ghosts and spirits was not something to spread around.
“So are you a spy?”
“You’re the spy.”
Meng Yu instinctively retorted, rolling her eyes at him.
He really didn’t know how to speak nicely.
Zhou Sinian nodded.
“Then I understand.”
“Huh?”
“What do you understand?”
“That you’re not a spy.”
Hearing this, Meng Yu pursed her lips.
“Anything else you want to ask?”
Zhou Sinian shook his head.
“If I ask, you won’t answer anyway.”
Or rather, she wouldn’t tell the truth.
Meng Yu nodded.
He really understood her. She truly wouldn’t tell the truth about such things.
After all, her situation was too unbelievable, and she would never place her life in someone else’s hands.
But what he asked next made her fall into thought.
“Since you can play the violin, do you plan to join the county cultural troupe? I could help you with that.”