Ji Yang took the money, tossed out a casual “I need some time alone,” and returned to her room.
The people remaining in the living room exchanged glances. Jiang Zhiyuan had at least enough sense to realize that they probably had some family matters to discuss. After offering a few polite words, he took his leave.
Once he was gone, Ji Yang’s father glanced at Ji Man. Although he had sided with Ji Man earlier, that didn’t mean he thought what she had done was right.
Seduce your older sister’s fiancé? No matter how you looked at it, there was no way to justify that.
If word got out, the gossip alone could drown them in shame.
Seeing that her father’s expression had darkened, Ji Man hurriedly apologized. “Dad, please don’t be angry. I know I was wrong. Actually, I wanted to be honest with the family about everything, but I could never find the right opportunity. Every time I was about to bring it up, I didn’t know how to start, so I kept putting it off.”
After saying that, Ji Man felt that she wasn’t entirely in the wrong either, so she added, “But Dad, if you think about it, we’re encouraging people to pursue free love nowadays and advocating that they break free from traditional restrictions. Zhiyuan and I got together because we wanted to pursue our own happiness. According to the current policies, the country supports us. So… we haven’t done anything wrong either.”
The country supported someone getting involved with their older sister’s fiancé? What kind of twisted logic was that?
Ji Yang’s father felt that he could barely keep up with the way young people thought nowadays. He took a deep breath and spoke in a stern voice.
“Until the wedding, you’d better behave yourself. Don’t contact Jiang Zhiyuan either. Tomorrow, your mother and I will visit his family. You stay home and prepare for your wedding. Don’t go running around outside. If you cause any more trouble, don’t blame me for breaking your legs!”
After a pause, he added, “Brothers and sisters should support one another. You and your older sister are biological sisters. This whole mess must have made her very unhappy, so don’t provoke her during the next few days. None of us knows what might happen in the future. When things get difficult, you’ll still need your own sister to help you.”
“She’s unhappy?” Ji Man protested indignantly. “All she had to do was cry a little, and she got two hundred yuan! What does she have to be unhappy about?”
“If you hadn’t caused this mess, would I have given your sister two hundred yuan? The deadline for registering to go to the countryside is almost here. If she can’t find a suitable man, she might really have to leave the city. If that happens, what does two hundred yuan amount to? Hmph! You should be grateful if your sister doesn’t hate you.”
Mentioning the two hundred yuan made Ji Yang’s father feel a little pained, too. But the money had already been given. What was the point of complaining about it now?
Besides, although Ji Yang had an unpleasant personality, she was still his biological daughter. He couldn’t simply refuse to give her an explanation for what had happened.
More importantly, he wasn’t at all certain that he could find a particularly suitable husband for Ji Yang in such a short time. If his second daughter happily married the man who had originally been engaged to his eldest daughter, while the eldest was forced to leave for the countryside in misery, and Ji Yang decided to make a scene before leaving, their entire family would become a laughingstock.
He couldn’t afford to lose that much face either.
So part of the reason he’d given Ji Yang the two hundred yuan was to appease her.
Fortunately, because the marriage had been arranged in such a hurry, their blind dates had taken place outside the home. The man had only visited their house once, and on that occasion, he’d been vaguely introduced as one of the daughters’ boyfriends. No one had specifically introduced him as Ji Yang’s fiancé.
Of course, even if Ji Yang told people the truth, he would never admit it. He had to protect the family’s reputation.
As long as he denied it, no one else could prove anything.
Thinking of this, he looked at Ji Man and issued another warning.
“Don’t leave the house before the wedding. Otherwise, I’ll really break your legs, and you won’t be able to blame me.”
Although Ji Man was somewhat unhappy, there were only a few days left. She understood that she needed to endure it for now, so she nodded.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll stay home and behave myself for the next few days.”
Ji Man’s mother still wanted to bring up the two hundred yuan, but seeing the look on Ji Yang’s father’s face, she decided to hold her tongue for the time being.
After everyone in the living room returned to their rooms, Ji Qiang drew the curtain around his sleeping area and lay down on his bed.
He had no real affection for Ji Yang and didn’t think much of Ji Man either. As far as this whole affair was concerned, he was simply watching the drama unfold.
He hadn’t expected Ji Yang to become so formidable today. She had actually slapped Ji Man and managed to squeeze two hundred yuan out of their father!
As the saying went, even a rabbit would bite when pushed too far. It seemed Ji Man had truly driven her older sister to the edge.
…
Inside the bedroom, Ji Yang counted the money in her hands once again.
Looking at the two hundred yuan, she had to admit that she had never been this poor in her entire life.
In her previous life, Ji Yang had come from a fairly well-off family. After entering the entertainment industry, she had never lacked spending money either. She’d never imagined that one day she’d be holding just two hundred yuan and actually feeling rather pleased about it.
Honestly, her feelings were complicated.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she reviewed the situation once more.
Today was July 24, and the deadline for registering to go to the countryside was August 1.
By then, all unemployed young people would be sent to the countryside in one large batch.
The family’s original plan had also been for the couple to obtain their marriage certificate before August 1, then hold the wedding banquet on August 9, which was the eighth day of the seventh lunar month.
In other words, her most urgent task right now was figuring out how to remain in the city.
Ji Yang had never suffered much hardship, and she had no desire to start now. There was absolutely no way she would go to the countryside and spend her days bent over in the fields, working from dawn to dusk. If she were forced to do that, she’d rather die all over again.
If she wanted to avoid being sent to the countryside, she had to find a man and successfully register their marriage within the next five days.
The problem was that finding a suitable husband wasn’t easy…
After thinking it over, Ji Yang decided to set her sights on Ji Man’s fiancé.
In the novel, when Ji Man talked about her husband from her previous life, she had described him as tall, handsome, and of good character, although he was somewhat cold and aloof.
Being cold and aloof wasn’t a problem. Having good character was far more important.
If they truly couldn’t get along, she could always divorce him.
Just as she was thinking about this, the door opened, and Ji Man walked in.
Ji Yang’s father was a Grade Three lathe operator at a machinery factory. The apartment they lived in had been allocated through an application based on his years of service and professional grade. It consisted of two small bedrooms and a little living room, with a total area of only forty square meters.
Ji Yang’s father and stepmother occupied one bedroom. Ji Qiang had a makeshift bed in the living room, while Ji Yang and Ji Man shared the other bedroom.
When Ji Man returned and saw Ji Yang sitting leisurely on the edge of the bed, she immediately thought of how this formerly meek little victim had suddenly turned the tables and dared to slap her.
The thought made her furious.
She sat down heavily on her own bed. The bed was narrow, and there was barely any space between the two beds. Folding her arms, she glared at Ji Yang across from her.
“Don’t get too pleased with yourself. If you can’t find someone to marry, you’ll have to go to the countryside. Let’s see if you can still smile after you’ve been sent there!”
Ji Yang opened her mouth and immediately began spouting nonsense.
“Oh, come on. If things really get desperate, I could always follow your example and try to seduce Brother Zhiyuan myself. He doesn’t look like the kind of man with much resolve anyway. Since he could fall for you while he was with me, then naturally, he could fall for me while he’s with you! After all, your older sister isn’t exactly ugly either.”
Ji Man became even angrier.
“Brother Zhiyuan only loves me! And who gave you permission to call him Brother Zhiyuan? He’s my boyfriend now! How can you be so shameless?”
“We’re biological sisters, aren’t we? If you, the younger sister, can be shameless, why should I, the older sister, bother having any shame?”
Ji Yang tilted her head thoughtfully before continuing.
“Actually, I’ve started to regret giving him up. Brother Zhiyuan is quite a catch, after all. He’s tall and handsome, and who knows? He might become a very successful man in the future. It would be a shame to let him go so easily.”
She looked at Ji Man with a sly smile.
“Should I go after him again?”