Xu Xiuying made a decision on the spot.
“Aunt Lu, Lu girl, since you insist on canceling the engagement, then let’s cancel it. I’ll convert the grain into cash and return every cent to you—no shortfall. Honestly, how can you act like this? Don’t you know what kind of year this is? You’re forcing our family onto a dead end. We won’t be able to survive like this.”
Educated Youth Qin Ruyan also stepped in to support her.
“That’s right, Lu Wanqing. People should be more broad-minded. Everyone is struggling to get enough to eat these days. Grain is scarce, yet you’re demanding that the Lin family hand over 100 jin of grain all at once. That’s basically taking lives—especially when there hasn’t even been an autumn harvest yet. We’re all neighbors. You really shouldn’t be so harsh. Once they have grain, it’s not like they wouldn’t return it to you.”
Lu Wanqing crossed her arms and looked at this white-lotus performance with a cold smile.
“Heh. You really have a thick face. Since you’re so generous, why don’t you repay it for them? That way you won’t just be standing there talking without any pain. Our family lent out grain—now we’re taking it back, and that’s somehow wrong? Lin Yuchuan messes around with educated youths and still thinks he’s in the right? Or is it that all you educated youths think the same way? Otherwise you wouldn’t say something so brainless and stupid.”
Qin Ruyan snapped angrily.
“Lu Wanqing, why are you attacking me personally? I’m just stating facts. Besides, Comrade Lin and Comrade Jiang are just revolutionary comrades. Everyone knows each other—what’s wrong with being a little closer? The leaders said we should help anyone who needs help. Are you trying to go against the leadership?”
Lu Wanqing replied lazily,
“Stop slapping labels on me. Eat less salt.”
“What do you mean by that? Lu Wanqing, what exactly are you saying?”
“You don’t even understand that? It means you’re just too idle.”
Hahaha!
The villagers watching the drama burst into laughter.
No one expected the Lu family girl—usually so low-key—to be this sharp-tongued when it counted.
Qin Ruyan clenched her fists.
That damn little bitch!
How dare she embarrass her in front of so many people?
She would make her pay for this.
The engagement between the Lu and Lin families officially fell apart.
Many people felt it was a pity, but quite a few others began eyeing Lin Yuchuan.
After all, he was a high-school graduate—maybe he’d make something of himself someday.
If the engagement was broken off, wouldn’t the Lu family lose out completely?
When did the Lu girl become so hot-tempered?
They were just a bit close—nothing really happened.
Why not just turn a blind eye?
As long as a man comes home at night, he’s still family.
The team leader shouted loudly,
“Why are you all still standing around? Don’t you want work points anymore? Is watching drama more important than eating? Anyone caught slacking off will have their work points deducted!”
The moment they heard “deduct work points,” everyone scattered faster than rabbits.
Work points were their lifeline.
Xu Mengyi supported Lu Wanqing and asked anxiously,
“Daughter, are you hurt? Should we go to the hospital? Why would you do something so foolish and jump into the river? You silly girl… If Lin Yuchuan doesn’t like you, then so be it. We’ll find someone better—he’s not the only man in the world. Besides, his mother is so hard to deal with. If you really married into that family, you’d only suffer. Why won’t you listen to me?”
The sisters-in-law also tried to comfort her.
Eldest sister-in-law Li Yuehong said,
“Little sister, I’m not very good with words. But I’m saying this for your own good. The Lin family really isn’t decent. Lin Yuchuan always thought he was superior because he could read. He’s never truly respected our family. Even after getting engaged to you, he kept entangling himself with educated youths. He was deliberately humiliating you.”
Lu Wanqing nodded.
“Sister-in-law, you’re right. After falling into the river, I finally thought things through. That kind of scumbag isn’t worthy of me. I’ll find someone a thousand, ten thousand times better—and piss him off to death!”
Second sister-in-law Qin Honglan added,
“Little sister, Mother and Father always spoil you. We sisters-in-law usually don’t say much. But honestly, at home you’re like a little tyrant— Yet in front of Lin Yuchuan, you completely lost your brain. You’d give him eggs, help him with farm work, wash his clothes.”
“But today I have to say this: You weren’t even married yet and you were already doing all that. He didn’t appreciate it—he just thought you were cheap. Look at what happened today. You and that educated youth both fell into the river, and he didn’t save you. He saved her instead. That tells you everything. Breaking off this engagement was the right choice.”
“Don’t be sad. Even if you do nothing in the future, no one in this family will let you starve.”
Lu Wanqing rubbed her nose awkwardly.
Original owner… you were really missing a screw.
Your family loved you the most, yet you chased that scumbag like you had no brain.
He treated you like a fool, like free labor—
And you still happily believed he liked you.
No wonder you ended up so miserably.
Raising someone else’s child, only to have that grown child and the mistress pull out your oxygen tube.
What kind of absurd melodrama was that?
Now that she was here, none of that would happen.
That scumbag could get as far away from her as possible.
If he didn’t leave—she’d kick him flying.
She was a five-element psychic powerhouse.
Why would she be afraid of a worthless man?
Lu Wanqing rarely worked in the fields.
She went home alone while everyone else returned to work.
After all, the family still had so many mouths to feed.
They relied entirely on work points to survive.
Without enough points, no one would have enough to eat.
Meanwhile, the fields buzzed with gossip about what had just happened.
The team leader’s mother, Ma Cuihua, sneered sarcastically at Wang Dani.
“Well, well, Wang Dani, your family has really grown bold. An engagement broken off just like that. Let’s see what kind of golden treasure of a daughter-in-law your family manages to marry in the future.”
Wang Dani snapped back angrily,
“Ma Cuihua, you nosy old hag! Who my family marries has nothing to do with you. Mind your own business! Why are you everywhere?”
Ma Cuihua planted her hands on her hips, not working at all.
“Oh my, look how angry she is. You do things like this and still aren’t afraid of people pointing fingers behind your back? Breaking off an engagement just like that— Have you thought about the situation of that girl?”
Wang Dani shot back,
“Ma old hag, stop being sarcastic. Everyone knows exactly what kind of person you are. You love gossiping about everyone’s business. If you weren’t the team leader’s mother, someone would’ve beaten you long ago.”
Ma Cuihua bristled.
“What? Wang Dani, are you looking for a fight?”