Hearing Ruan Nianzhi’s sarcastic congratulations, Ruan Xining merely glanced at her before her peripheral vision fell on the faintly visible hickey on Song Huizhi’s neck.
She said nothing and continued eating her breakfast slowly.
Wen Yunru naturally noticed it as well. If this had happened before, she probably would not have thought anything of it, but after learning the truth, she could not help wondering how she had been so foolish all these years.
Huo Tingyuan arrived very quickly. Almost as soon as the Ruan family had finished breakfast, he came to their door carrying cigarettes, liquor, and other gifts.
“Oh, Little Huo, why did you come so early? Come inside and sit down.”
The moment Song Huizhi saw him, she smiled and came out to greet him.
Anyone who did not know the truth might have thought she was the mistress of the Ruan household.
Although Ruan Xining had agreed to marry Huo Tingyuan the previous day, many people still felt that there had to be something going on behind the scenes. Ruan Xining had been so deeply in love with Su Zhixu, so how could she suddenly agree to marry someone else?
Perhaps the two of them had quarreled. Some kindhearted person even went to find Su Zhixu.
“Zhixu, how can you still be sitting here eating? That girl Xining is going to marry Nianzhi’s fiancé. Whatever misunderstanding you have with Xining, you should clear it up quickly.”
Su Zhixu’s heart tightened when he heard the older woman’s words, but thinking about how deeply Ruan Xining had admired him all these years, he straightened his back and said indifferently, “If she wants to get married, then let her. What does that have to do with me?”
Seeing that he could not be persuaded, the older woman turned and left.
Su Zhixu felt a faint sense of unease, but his pride told him that this was nothing more than one of Ruan Xining’s little tricks.
“Uncle, Auntie, since Xining is willing, I’ll go back and submit the marriage application.
“These are the red envelopes and betrothal money my parents prepared for Xining. They have never traveled far from home in their entire lives, and the unit needs them there, so they couldn’t come, but although they aren’t here in person, their sincerity is.”
Huo Tingyuan took out a thick stack of red envelopes and handed them over.
Ruan Nianzhi was even more disdainful when she saw this.
Such an important occasion as discussing the marriage, yet Huo Tingyuan’s elderly parents had not even come. It was obvious that they did not value Ruan Xining.
The red envelopes looked thick, but who knew whether they were filled with a few cents or a few yuan? They only looked impressive. Once Ruan Xining married into that family, she would have plenty of hardships to endure.
Huo’s father was the village Party secretary, with countless matters in the village waiting for him to handle. Huo’s mother had never traveled far from home in her entire life, and she was also aware of the difference between their family and the Ruan family, so she felt too inferior to come.
More importantly, now that the old master had passed away, they were afraid that the Ruan family might not recognize the marriage arrangement. Going there would only mean humiliating themselves.
“Please thank Uncle and Auntie for me when you go back.”
Ruan Xining smiled and accepted the red envelopes Huo Tingyuan handed her.
Seeing the many people watching the spectacle in the courtyard, Ruan Xining smiled sweetly at Song Huizhi.
“Cousin, I remember you bought quite a lot of candy a few days ago. Why don’t you hand some out to everyone so they can share in the good fortune?”
Song Huizhi had not expected Ruan Xining to ask her to help distribute the candy. Shouldn’t Wen Yunru have been the one to take care of something like this?
She secretly glanced at Wen Yunru, then went into the house with an even more pronounced air of being the mistress of the household. She brought out a basin of wedding candy and began handing it out to everyone.
Ruan Xining followed behind her, deliberately stumbling and bumping into her.
In an instant, the entire basin of wedding candy spilled onto the ground.
Song Huizhi hurriedly crouched down to pick it up. Ruan Xining crouched down with her, her eyes falling on Song Huizhi’s neck as she deliberately exclaimed, “Cousin, what happened to your neck? Could it have been bitten by mosquitoes?
“But it’s almost winter now, so there shouldn’t be any mosquitoes anymore, right? Could you have been bitten by some other kind of insect? You’d better hurry to the hospital and get it checked.”
When Song Huizhi crouched down, the marks around her neckline were exposed clearly for everyone to see. The older men and women present had all been through such things before, and they recognized immediately what had happened.
Their eyes widened.
One had to admit that Ruan Jianwei was quite capable. He had managed to marry a beautiful woman from a wealthy family like Wen Yunru’s, and because of that, even the chickens and dogs around him had risen to prominence. Song Huizhi, his widowed cousin, had benefited from it as well.
When Song Huizhi had first been brought over, she had been a rural woman dressed in patched clothing. Although she possessed some beauty, compared with her appearance now, she was like night and day.
After living well in the Ruan household for all these years, her skin had become fair and delicate, and her figure had filled out too. She hardly looked like a woman in her forties or fifties. At first glance, she looked more like a young woman in her early thirties who had only recently married.
Back then, quite a few people had tried to find Song Huizhi a match, persuading her to marry again, but she had rejected them all.
She had repeatedly claimed that there was only one man in her heart for her entire life.
Apparently, that had changed too.
“Jianwei, it looks like your family is going to have two happy occasions at once.”
An older woman smiled meaningfully.
Ruan Jianwei had no idea what she meant.
The neighborhood director, however, frowned and spoke up.
“Huizhi, if you’re willing to remain a widow, then behave yourself and live an honest life. If you don’t want to remain alone, then openly find a good man and remarry.
“Don’t behave improperly like this, leaving marks that invite gossip. It damages your reputation and gives people something to talk about. If you want to find another marriage, do it openly and properly. Don’t do anything that violates social morality.
“Have someone come and propose to you as soon as possible, then get the marriage arranged.”
Song Huizhi’s face went pale after being reprimanded. She anxiously looked toward Ruan Jianwei, hoping he would defend her.
Ruan Xining deliberately looked at Ruan Jianwei with a puzzled expression.
“Dad, is Cousin dating someone? Is it because you don’t approve?
“My cousin is already this age. She should have found someone else long ago. Yet she’s stayed here all these years taking care of you. I’ve told you that my sister and I are grown up now and don’t need a Cousin to keep looking after us.
“Why are you so reluctant to let Cousin go?”
“Xining, your father and your cousin grew up together and have always been inseparable. Naturally, they have a close relationship. Your cousin has also contributed quite a lot over the years.
“She has taken care of everything for you sisters and your father, from what you wear and eat to everything else in your daily lives. Don’t say your father is reluctant to let such a capable person go. Even I would be reluctant.”
Wen Yunru smiled as she stared at Ruan Jianwei.
“Oh, Jianwei, although Huizhi is your cousin, she’s grown up now, so she still needs to have some boundaries.”
Cousins marrying each other had been quite common in the past. Could it be that Ruan Jianwei was reluctant to let his cousin marry and had deliberately kept her by his side because there was something improper between them?
Some of the more curious older women openly scrutinized the two of them.
Ruan Jianwei already had a guilty conscience, and under their watchful gazes, he became even more flustered.
“Xining, don’t talk nonsense. It’s just that your sister has grown accustomed to having your cousin take care of her, so she has always been reluctant to let her go.”
“That’s right, Mom. Ever since we were little, everything our family wore and ate was prepared by Cousin. No one else could possibly do it.”
The moment Ruan Nianzhi finished speaking, Ruan Xining raised her hand and slapped her across the face.
She had put all her strength into that slap, and Ruan Nianzhi’s face immediately became swollen and red.
Ruan Nianzhi glared furiously at Ruan Xining.
“What gives you the right to hit me?”
“Ruan Nianzhi, I hit you precisely because of what you said. You just said that Cousin is our family’s servant. New China was established long ago, and employing servants is an unmistakable bourgeois practice, a decadent lifestyle, and a harmful social custom!
“Your head is filled with bourgeois bad habits. Dad, tell me, doesn’t she deserve to be slapped?”
Ruan Jianwei had originally been furious as well, but after hearing her words and seeing the neighborhood director, he immediately became as meek as a quail and nodded.
“Director Sun, this girl was just talking nonsense. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Director Sun had been somewhat angry at first as well, but after seeing how progressive Ruan Xining’s thinking was, he nodded.
“Your family needs to arrange Song Huizhi’s marriage as soon as possible.”