“Withdraw? We’ve already held ten tables at the Bund Grand Hotel today, and all our relatives and friends know about our relationship. And now you want to withdraw? How am I supposed to save face for the Xu family?”
Xu Yanli felt an inexplicable irritation rising in his chest.
He had never imagined this marriage would hit a snag.
The banquet was held, yet it would now be considered a second marriage.
Who would still want her in the future?
Ruan An’an didn’t fall for his act at all. She deliberately distanced herself and said calmly, “It’s not that I want to make trouble. I’m actually thinking about you.”
“Thinking about me?” Xu Yanli looked incredulous.
“Of course,” Ruan An’an said with righteous confidence. “We’re living under a monogamous system now. Anyone with improper conduct could be expelled from the factory.”
“Sister-in-law is a widow, and Big Brother hasn’t returned for so many years. If her belly grows, the family will be investigated.”
“Do you think your position as Deputy Director of the textile workshop will still be safe then?”
Her words hit Xu Yanli right in the weak spot.
If his iron rice bowl got broken, it would truly be the end of him!
But giving up gentle and sweet Su Qingyue—he just couldn’t bring himself to do it…
Xu Yanli’s face immediately clouded with worry.
Su Qingyue, however, reacted quickly and spoke softly, “How could the family be investigated? We’re not capitalists…”
Ruan An’an cut her off immediately. “But Big Brother is a martyr! The widow of a martyr becomes pregnant after his death. Do you really think no one would check?”
Su Qingyue’s heart skipped a beat.
When did this girl become so shrewd?
“Then I’ll move to the countryside once I’m pregnant,” she bit her lip, putting on a pitiful act. “The child will be registered under your name. I swear I’ll never reveal the truth in my lifetime…”
“Qingyue…” Madam Xu instantly felt a pang of pity.
“Mom, it’s alright. For the Xu family,” Su Qingyue wiped her tears.
Ruan An’an directly cut off her act. “Since Sister-in-law is so considerate of the bigger picture, I’ll step back. Once Sister-in-law goes to the countryside to give birth, we can then register the marriage. That way, even if the truth comes out, the child won’t be illegitimate within a marriage, and Xu Yanli won’t lose his job.”
Su Qingyue’s face instantly turned iron-gray.
That shameless girl actually wanted to send her off to the countryside?
Was that broken place even habitable?
Xu Yanli, on the other hand, thought this idea was good and gradually relaxed.
Su Qingyue saw it and felt her teeth itch with hatred.
She suddenly looped her arm around Madam Xu, pretending to casually remind her, “If the marriage falls through, what about this old Western-style house and the dowry…”
Madam Xu’s face immediately changed.
The Ruan family had clearly stated before: only once Ruan An’an and Yanli registered would the dowry truly belong to the Xu family.
This fat piece of property was now within reach, and Madam Xu wasn’t about to let it go.
She quickly changed her tone, smiling sweetly: “An’an, you wouldn’t be thinking of taking back the dowry, would you?”
As she spoke, her eyes flashed a vicious light, staring hard at Ruan An’an.
If she didn’t behave, there would be trouble!
Ruan An’an fully understood the old woman’s scheme.
She feigned obedience. “Mom, what you say is true. Even if we haven’t registered, we’re still family. The dowry belongs to our family.”
Madam Xu’s expression softened a little.
Indeed, the situation outside was severe. Ruan An’an, a lone girl, could only rely on the Xu family.
But the marriage application could not be withdrawn.
Otherwise, taking her dowry later would be legally questionable.
She had been eyeing those treasures for a long time!
The Ruan family was one of the top households in the coastal city. Over the past three years, while Ruan An’an and Xu Yanli were dating, she had visited several times.
In the basement, there were many large camphor wood chests—all Ruan An’an’s dowry.
She had peeked inside once; one chest was packed full of small yellow croaker fish!
Her son even said Ruan An’an had even more valuable items.
This treasure trove had to be firmly tied to the Xu family registry, or no one would sleep soundly.
Madam Xu had her own little scheme in mind. She took Ruan An’an’s hand and spoke kindly, “An’an, your eldest uncle works at the street office. He can hold the marriage application for a month. Why don’t you wait a little? If Qingyue still doesn’t make a move by then, we can retrieve the application, alright?”
Ruan An’an had anticipated that the old woman wouldn’t give in easily.
She frowned and feigned worry. “Wouldn’t that cause trouble for my eldest uncle?”
Madam Xu was pleased with her response and patted her hand. “You’re considerate of your eldest uncle. Don’t worry, this is something he can handle.”
Ruan An’an pursed her lips silently, looking troubled.
“It’s just delaying the registration by a month. You’ll be my daughter-in-law sooner or later anyway.”
To cheer Ruan An’an up, Madam Xu went into the room and brought out a nanmu wood box.
Inside was a fine mutton-fat jade bracelet.
Madam Xu placed it on Ruan An’an’s wrist, speaking in a gentle voice, “This bracelet was left by your mother. I originally planned to give it to you on the day you and Yanli registered, as a gift from your mother.”
“Although the registration is postponed, in my heart, you are already my daughter-in-law.”
The cold jade pressed against her wrist. Ruan An’an’s pupils slightly dilated.
Space!
This bracelet was the least valuable of Ruan family possessions, which is why Madam Xu could casually present it as a gift.
But what she didn’t know was that the bracelet hid a huge secret!
Su Qingyue had accidentally discovered the space within the bracelet, which was why during those three special years she donated grain and cloth and was mourned by the whole town after her death.
It could be said that the heroine became the heroine because of this golden finger.
Perfect! Now the space was in her hands. Next came reclaiming the family property.
Xu family—don’t even think of touching a single thing!
Ruan An’an concealed her inner delight, touching the bracelet, and hesitated before saying, “Since Mom values me so much, I can’t let you be in a bind. But since we haven’t registered, legally we aren’t considered husband and wife.”
“Living together as an unmarried couple would give people something to gossip about. Why don’t the three of you move out first?”
Madam Xu frowned. “Move out? This Western-style house has three full floors. There are only four of us; one room each is enough. Why should we move?”
This standalone old Western house was Ruan family ancestral property. Recently, the Xu family had moved in with Su Qingyue under the pretext of preparing for the wedding.
Why should a Ruan family house belong to the Xu family?
Ruan An’an’s eyes shifted, and tears fell from her eyes. “Ah, I’m just thinking of Yanli’s job. Living together unmarried could be considered indecent. If someone with designs on his position found out…”
“Besides, you’ve always stayed in the side wing, just a few meters away.”
Madam Xu’s expression changed slightly.
That side wing was rented by the Xu family; it had been given to the Ruan family’s servants by their ancestors.
This girl—what exactly did she mean, living alone in the main house while making their family stay in the side wing?