At the entrance of the Mu family home, a young man around the same age as Yan Tingfeng was waiting in civilian clothes.
“You’re really engaged?” Xie Yanshu curiously stretched his head toward the courtyard. “What does my future sister in law look like? Call her out so I can meet her.”
Yan Tingfeng took a step to the side and blocked Xie Yanshu’s view.
“Weren’t you supposed to keep an eye on that area? How did you end up coming all the way to the Mu family looking for me?”
Yan Tingfeng gave him a meaningful look and led Xie Yanshu to the corner at the end of the road.
“From now on, just leave me a signal. Don’t involve innocent villagers.”
Yan Tingfeng spoke seriously.
Xie Yanshu understood immediately.
“Oh, so you’re worried that those people might notice the My family and hurt your future sister in law? Not bad, Regiment Commander. You actually know how to worry about someone now.”
“Get to the point.”
Yan Tingfeng did not want to keep discussing his wife with another man.
The playful smile on Xie Yanshu’s face immediately disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.
“They have been unusually active lately. They should be about to make their move.”
Yan Tingfeng glanced toward the direction of the Mu family home.
“Wait here for me.”
He jogged back to the Mu family home.
Mu Mianmian was sitting in the courtyard, eating sunflower seeds.
“Mianmian, I have to leave first because something has come up. Stay home and behave yourself. Once our marriage application is approved, we will register our marriage.”
Yan Tingfeng was extremely anxious inside. He wished he could get their marriage certificate right away.
Mu Mianmian quickly stood up.
“You have a mission?”
After saying that, she ran back into her room. When she came out again, she was carrying several things wrapped in oil paper.
“Take these with you to eat on the way.”
Mu Mianmian threw herself into his arms and hugged him briefly.
“Be careful. I will wait for you to come back.”
Yan Tingfeng had only just reacted and was about to hug her back when Mu Mianmian had already stepped away.
“Go quickly. Don’t worry, I will definitely behave myself.”
Mu Mianmian smiled and waved goodbye to him.
For the first time, Yan Tingfeng found himself reluctant to leave before a mission.
But he had a duty to fulfill, so he had to go.
Without her future husband around for her to tease, Mu Mianmian spent her days wandering around the mountains and successfully joined the village’s little information network.
Several village aunties gathered together to gossip. Mu Mianmian shared some sunflower seeds with them and listened with great interest.
“Oh, the Chang family is arguing again today.”
“What is it about this time?”
“Jianjun’s new wife is a young lady from the city. She can’t get used to eating cabbage and potatoes. Every day when it is time to eat, she makes a fuss.”
Mu Mianmian secretly laughed.
The Chang family had relied on the original owner to have meat every day before. Naturally, they could not stand eating vegetables every day now.
And Lu Xiangxiang was a pampered young lady on top of that.
“Look, isn’t that Jianjun and his wife?”
Auntie Qin reminded them, and everyone turned to look.
Lu Xiangxiang had run out after being angered by Auntie Chang, and Chang Jianjun had spent quite some time chasing after her before finally catching up.
“Xiangxiang, she is my mother after all, and your mother in law. How could you speak to her like that?”
Lu Xiangxiang had never expected Chang Jianjun’s first words to be blaming her.
Slap!
She slapped him directly across the face.
“Chang Jianjun, your parents demand fish and meat at every meal, and they have dumped all the household chores on me. Look at my hands. It has only been a few days, and they have already become this rough. Now all the money and food coupons I brought have been spent on your family, and your mother has started complaining that I am doing nothing but eating. I, Lu Xiangxiang, have never suffered such humiliation before.”
Chang Jianjun grabbed her hand and stopped her from leaving.
“Xiangxiang, my parents were spoiled by Mu Mianmian. But don’t worry.
Once my official appointment comes through, I will make sure to get you all those major household items. I will also make sure you get to eat meat at every meal. As for my parents, please bear with them for now. They worked hard to raise me too.”
“Chang Jianjun! Your parents had a hard time, but what about mine? Were my parents not hard working too? Your parents raised you, but they never raised me. Why should I be the one to fulfill your duty of filial respect toward them?”
Lu Xiangxiang shook Chang Jianjun off and walked away alone.
Mu Mianmian and the others could not hold back their laughter anymore.
“We thought studying abroad would mean he had some great ability. In the end, he cannot even support his own family and is living off his wife’s money.”
Auntie Qin looked disdainful.
Back when Chang Jianjun left to study abroad, the Chang family had proudly boasted about it for a long time and had repeatedly looked down on her son.
Now they were finally getting what they deserved.
Mu Mianmian clicked her tongue.
“His promises really are tempting.”
No wonder Lu Xiangxiang eventually divorced Chang Jianjun in the original novel. It turned out that the two of them had already been arguing constantly from this point onward.
Chang Jianjun heard Mu Mianmian’s voice and turned around.
“Mu Mianmian, do you think you can attract my attention this way? Well, you certainly succeeded. How about this? I will give you another chance.
Tomorrow, bring some meat and wild game to my house. Then wash the bedding in my parents’ room. Oh, and leave some cloth coupons too.
Xiangxiang is angry, so I am going to make her a new outfit to coax her.”
Mu Mianmian stared at him.
This kind of overconfident man really deserved to end up divorced.
She pointed toward the sky.
“Chang Jianjun, look. The sky is still bright.”
Chang Jianjun nodded.
“Yes, I know.”
Mu Mianmian stared at him.
“So why have you started dreaming before it is even dark? You want me to bring meat to your family, and you want me to work for your family too. Are all people who studied abroad shameless?”
Chang Jianjun’s expression darkened, mixed with embarrassment and anger.
“Mu Mianmian, don’t tell me you really think you can marry Regiment Commander Yan and become the regiment commander’s wife. Don’t be foolish. How can a village girl like you compare with those girls from the city? The Yan family is no ordinary family in Kyoto. If they find out that you have been engaged to me for three years, how could they possibly let you marry into their family?”
Auntie Qin could not listen anymore. She stood up and spat toward the ground.
“Jianjun, judging from what you just said, you still cannot let Mianmian go, can you? What, do you want to have two wives and enjoy the blessings of having everyone at once?”
Mu Mianmian immediately covered herself with her hands in alarm.
“You look ugly, but your dreams are beautiful. If you keep pushing your luck, I will report you. When that happens, you will not even be able to become a doctor.”
What Chang Jianjun feared most was losing his job, so his expression immediately softened considerably.
“Mianmian, I know you still like me and are always trying to get my attention. But I am already married to Xiangxiang. How about this? From now on, I will treat you as my younger sister. It is only natural for a younger sister to help her older brother.”
Mu Mianmian gained an entirely new understanding of this overconfident man’s values.
She had seen shameless people before, but she had never seen anyone this shameless.
The brigade leader and the others happened to return from work at that moment.
Several of her uncles angrily raised their hoes.
“You little bastard! You are still thinking about my Mianmian? I think you are asking for a beating.”
“If you keep talking nonsense and ruining my Mianmian’s reputation, I will break your legs!”
“Chang Jianjun! You actually dare to bother my Mianmian again? Looks like you need to be taught a lesson!”
Chang Jianjun was frightened by the sight and ran away immediately. The dignified and cultured image he had painstakingly built over the past few days was instantly destroyed.
Meanwhile, Lu Xiangxiang had waited for a long time without seeing Chang Jianjun come to coax her, making her even angrier.
How had she ended up choosing such a man after being so selective?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Without realizing it, she walked to the foot of the mountain, where she encountered a group of hooligans from the neighboring village.
“Oh! I have never seen such a pretty girl before. Come here, little sister.
Come play with us. There is meat at my house.”
Lu Xiangxiang had only just cried out for help when someone kicked the hooligan to the ground.
Gu Jianwen was carrying a basket on his back and had just come down from the mountain as well.
“If you harass a female comrade again, I will call the law enforcement team.”
The hooligan was frightened and ran away.
Only then did Lu Xiangxiang relax. She looked at Gu Jianwen.
“Thank you. You are an educated youth from the city, right? My name is Lu Xiangxiang.”
Gu Jianwen took one look at her clothes and accessories, which clearly showed that she came from a wealthy family.
He smiled lightly and nodded.
“Hello, Comrade Lu. I am an educated youth from Kyoto. My name is Gu Jianwen.”