“She really has no manners at all. That’s the attitude you use to speak to your elders.”
“Mrs. Lu, don’t mind the child. She’s young and doesn’t understand. If there’s anything to discuss, we can do it inside. It’s early in the morning—if people saw this, they’d think we’ve done something terrible. Some words can be spoken nicely, can’t they?”
“Hmph. If there’s anything to discuss, we’ll say it out here. Your house is too prestigious for me. I wouldn’t dare step inside. I don’t want to waste time talking. I’m here for two reasons: to break the engagement, and to get back our hundred jin of grain. That’s it.”
“What your son did yesterday is clear for everyone to see. As a fiancé, he behaved like a disgrace. I don’t want to give my daughter to a man like that. And he’s too close to that educated youth. That’s a sign of bad character.”
“He may be a high school student, but we’re not impressed. Just return the grain, and from now on we go our separate ways. Marriage is a private matter. If your son wants to marry someone else, it has nothing to do with us.”
“And you don’t have to hide it. Don’t make your son feel embarrassed.”
“Mrs. Lu, what you said is wrong. My son might have been too anxious to save someone and didn’t see clearly. Is that a crime? Even if he rescued the wrong person, his intention was good. Do you want him to just stand there and watch someone drown? Wouldn’t his conscience be tormented?”
“If it were your sons, would they stand by and do nothing? He saved someone, and he made a mistake. And he’s only closer to that Jiang girl than others.”
“Is that wrong too? Doesn’t your daughter have close friends? This is a new era, not the old, outdated thinking. What Yuchuan did was right. No matter where you say it, he’s justified.”
“How can it be that as soon as it comes out of your mouth, it becomes a sign of bad character? You’re just slapping labels on people. You just said my daughter has no manners—are those the words a woman like you should be saying?”
“Xu Xiuying, you’re really good at twisting the truth. You can turn black into white. You truly have no shame. I don’t want to waste time explaining things to you. We don’t see eye to eye. Just return the hundred jin of grain and say whatever you want.”
“Whether your son is a hero who saved someone, or just an ordinary friend to that girl, it has nothing to do with us. You’re saying all this because you don’t want to return the grain, aren’t you? Do you know how valuable a hundred jin of grain is during a famine? Do you want to be virtuous while still keeping the grain? You don’t want to return it, and your son keeps flirting with my daughter.”
“Your family really knows how to scheme. The beads on your abacus are about to fall off. Daughter, look at him. How can you marry someone like this? He’s nothing but a scoundrel. It’s lucky you woke up now, or you’d suffer for the rest of your life.”
“Mother, everyone makes mistakes when they’re young. I was blind before. Fortunately, it’s not too late now. Lin Yuchuan, you coward, why are you hiding behind everyone? Come out and speak! Weren’t you so eager to break off this engagement? Why are you quiet now? Or are you planning to put all the blame on me?”
“Ugh! You shameless, disgusting thing. I’ve seen shameless people before, but never someone like you. You’re short, ugly, with sneaky eyes, and you act like you’re the prize.”
“Who gave you the courage? Jingru?”
“Lu Wanqing, why are you causing a scene in our house so early?
As a woman, you’re not gentle or virtuous at all.
All you do is speak crude words.
How could someone like you deserve to marry my Lin Yuchuan?
I’m a high school student and will soon work in the city.
If I marry you, I’d be ashamed.
And who’s the shameless one here?
That grain was given by your family to ours.
Now you’re demanding it back.
Let everyone judge—who is really shameless?”
“Good thing we didn’t marry into your family. Otherwise we’d be dragged down to ruin. We’ve already eaten the grain. You can’t take it back. And this is your responsibility because you’re breaking the engagement, not mine.”
“If you regret it later, don’t come looking for me. I don’t want a secondhand bride.”
Lu Wanqing said, “If you ate the grain, then pay money instead. You can’t just say ‘I won’t give it back’ after eating it. If you refuse both the grain and the money, then I will smash your house. Try me if you don’t believe it. What exactly happened with that hundred jin of grain? I’m sure your family knows better than anyone. And I’m innocent—unlike your accusation of me being a secondhand bride.”
“If you insult me again, I’ll beat your teeth out. Since you can’t speak properly, don’t speak at all. Don’t pretend you’re the victim. Who is the secondhand bride? You think you can get away with it? There’s a saying: if you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it. Paper can’t cover fire.”
“A grown man, dragging his feet and acting slow—can you be more decisive? You’re so cowardly, you’re not even worth being stepped on.”
The others watched with great interest, cracking sunflower seeds.
They hadn’t expected the Lu girl to speak so fiercely.
Her words were clear and sharp, every point well-made.
It seemed she truly no longer liked the Lin boy.
If it had been before, she wouldn’t dare say such harsh things.
Did falling in the water suddenly make her smarter?
They didn’t know that she wasn’t the same person anymore.
She was no longer the naive sweet girl she used to be.
Inside her space, the ice cream cheered for her sister.
“Big sister, big sister, you’re amazing. If you don’t become a judge or a debater, it’s such a waste. A scumbag like that should be hit every time you see him. Rip off his face. He thinks he’s something special, but he’s actually just a poor loser.”
“Now he’s only after the educated youth’s status, hoping to go to the city with her. But his plan will fail, haha. Big sister, I’ll tell you a little secret. That educated youth’s family is in trouble. Her parents have already been sent to the Northwest for re-education. She just doesn’t know yet. She’ll find out soon. What do you think that scumbag will think when he realizes the girl he’s chasing is the daughter of someone who’s been sent away?”