Chapter 15: Wishful Thinking Is Useless

Fang Yuan looked thoroughly displeased, glaring at Lu Lao’er. “Where do you want to live, huh? Where do you think you’re staying?”

Lu Lao’er opened his eyes. If I knew where I was staying, would I be struggling like this? He didn’t say a word, but his expression said it all.

Fang Yuan snorted coldly. “You haven’t even met my parents or my brothers yet. If you dare to have any funny ideas, believe it or not, I’ll kick you out myself!”

Then she tossed out, “You’ll sleep at the edge of the kang.”

Lu Lao’er was happier than if he’d received an imperial pardon. He quickly went to the west room, grabbed his ragged bedding, spread it out, and climbed onto the kang to sleep—feeling completely at ease.

He could fall asleep the moment he closed his eyes, not a hint of hesitation.

Fang Yuan looked down on his shabby bedding a bit, but at least it was patched up and looked clean, so she let it go. “You sure move fast when it comes to this.”

Lu Lao’er muttered, “If you want me to go to the west room, that’s fine too.”

Fang Yuan had her own reasoning. “No way. Outsiders already say I’m tough. If you go to the west room, won’t they just say I’m domineering and unreasonable, bullying my own husband? Just stay at the edge of the kang. If anyone asks, you know what to say, right?”

Lu Lao’er went along with the female overlord. “Got it. You treat me well, even better than well. You don’t bully your man.”

Fang Yuan nodded. “That’s right, I need to make this clear: I don’t bully my own man.” (Other men, though, don’t count.)

Lu Lao’er didn’t dare praise her for this—she was so clear about who’s in and who’s out, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. He just closed his eyes and went to sleep, not saying another word.

And honestly, regardless of whether their backgrounds matched or whether there was still a mess of problems, today’s events did stir up a few ripples in Lu Lao’er’s heart.

Fang Yuan was in a great mood, feeling truly at ease inside. “Not bad. Your bedding is pretty shabby, I’ll get you a new set tomorrow. I’m not going to let you say you got a good deal for nothing. I even have new clothes I made for Lu Lao Da in my trunk. You can wear them from now on—tidy yourself up and don’t embarrass me.”

Lu Lao’er wanted to die—he had absolutely no desire to wear the new clothes Fang Yuan had made for Lu Lao Da. Whatever ripples he’d felt in his heart vanished instantly. The whole “my own man” thing lost all meaning.

He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly—was Fang Yuan really a woman? Her heart was so rough you could lose a boulder through it. Did she not consider how awkward their situation was when she said that?

This topic was a real mood-killer for both of them, so he just started snoring, not wanting to talk to her anymore.

Fang Yuan was even more at ease than Lu Lao’er. After settling him in, she really did fall asleep—she just didn’t snore.

Lu Lao’er, on the other hand, tossed and turned, thinking back over the day, unable to figure out how he’d ended up with a woman sleeping beside him. Did he really have a wife now?

When Fang Yuan wasn’t speaking, Lu Lao’er kept thinking about her calling him “my own man,” and it left him unsettled.

Meanwhile, over at Lu Lao Da’s side, Li Meng was gentle and knew how to play her part. She first went to the east room to show her devotion to her in-laws.

Only then did she shyly return to her own room to talk to Lu Lao Da, though the room felt rather bleak.

There used to be a wooden cabinet in the west room, but since Fang Yuan brought a pair of trunks as her dowry, the cabinet was moved to the east room.

Earlier, Fang Yuan had her dowry trunks carried out by Lu Lao’er and Lu Lao San, leaving the west room empty, with nothing in the four corners.

There wasn’t even any bedding on the kang. For the wedding, the new bedding that Lu Lao Da’s mother had made for him had all been taken away by Fang Yuan.

Even the kang mat in the room was new for the wedding, but Fang Yuan didn’t leave a thing behind—she took everything she could, even rolling up the kang mat and taking it with her.

Lu Lao Da sat in the room, feeling miserable, glaring at Li Meng—this woman had left him with nothing.

Li Meng could tell from Lu Feng’s expression that he was blaming her, but she didn’t dare let him go out, nor did she dare complain about her own grievances.

She went to the east room herself to ask Lu Lao Da’s mother for some old bedding. Otherwise, they’d have to sleep on bare boards that night.

Lu Lao Da’s mother, feeling sorry for her son, brought over an old mat from the woodshed to make do. But no matter what, it just didn’t feel like a newlywed’s room.

It really was a case of old junk for old people—there wasn’t a trace of anything new.

Li Meng knew her place and snuggled up to Lu Lao Da. “Brother Feng, what are we going to do? That woman took all my things.”

Lu Lao Da edged away from her, annoyed. “You’ve got some nerve to talk. If it weren’t for you, would my wedding have turned out like this?”

If he’d married Fang Yuan smoothly, they’d have a solid foundation for their life together—better than anyone else in the village. But now, aside from a house that didn’t leak, they had nothing.

The worst part was, now Lao’er had all the family assets, and half of it was thanks to this foolish woman’s “generosity.” The other half was the dowry their own family had given.

The difference between the two brothers’ situations was immediately obvious, and the more Lu Lao Da thought about it, the more upset he became.

Li Meng wrapped her arms around Lu Lao Da. “Brother Feng, we’ll have everything in the future, but what do we do right now?” She was ready to throw away her dignity and cling to her man.

Lu Lao Da couldn’t escape Li Meng’s clinging—his face flushed with embarrassment, and he snapped, “Aren’t you supposed to be pregnant? Have some shame and let go.”

Li Meng looked a little embarrassed. “Not yet, but soon we will be.”

Lu Lao Da sat up abruptly. This woman had tricked him with the pregnancy—so it was all a lie? “You—”

Li Meng pounced on him, not daring to let Lu Feng say another word—she did have some tricks up her sleeve.

It wasn’t until the middle of the night that they continued their conversation. Lu Feng asked, “Did you only come back to me because someone else kicked you out?” He really wasn’t that dumb.

As if Li Meng would admit to that. She hadn’t been kicked out—she’d spent years with someone else, but things hadn’t worked out, so she wanted a fresh start.

Of course, Li Meng denied it. “No, no, Brother Feng, I was just young and heard people say the outside world was great, so I wanted to see for myself. After breaking off the engagement, I regretted it right away, but I was too embarrassed to come back and find you.”

Then she started crying. “When I heard you were getting married, I didn’t even dare hope for anything. Brother Feng, you have to believe me. Otherwise, why would I shamelessly use the excuse of being pregnant to fight for you?”

Lu Lao Da said, “I’m not that easy to fool. Your family broke off our engagement and immediately tried to set you up with a man who worked in town. You think I’m stupid?”

Li Meng replied, “That’s true, but I couldn’t let you go. Otherwise, would I have… would I have been with you…”

At this, Lu Lao Da fell silent. The two of them still got along well—otherwise, he wouldn’t have believed her claim about being pregnant so easily.

Li Meng felt lucky—thank goodness she hadn’t been too reserved when they were engaged, or it would’ve been much harder to win him over now.

No matter how patched up the window was, Li Meng made sure her own story was airtight.

With things as they were, Lu Lao Da accepted the marriage.

Early the next morning, Li Meng shyly greeted Lu Lao Da’s parents.

She even got up early to help Lu Lao Da’s mother make breakfast.

Lu Lao Da’s mother’s expression was fairly neutral, but she said, “No need to cook, Da’s wife. Even though we’ve split the family, we’ll all eat together today.”

Li Meng put on a look of suffering for the family. “It’s only right, Mom. For our family, I’ll put up with whatever comes from Lao’er’s side.”

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[End of chapter]"

"**Chapter 16: For Whose Sake Is This All About Face?**

Li Meng looked as if she were swallowing her pride and bearing a heavy burden, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared at Lu Feng.

Old Lady Lu almost laughed out of anger. If you really had a leg to stand on, would you be able to endure this? “Your second brother’s wife will be coming over soon. You agreed to something yesterday, so you’d better hurry up and get it done. Otherwise, I’m afraid she’ll make a scene.”

Old Lady Lu was planning to fight fire with fire. She didn’t believe that with the second daughter-in-law standing right there, Li Meng would still dare to talk like this.

After a night’s sleep, Li Meng was feeling much bolder. “Let her make a scene if she wants. Am I supposed to be scared of her?”

Anyway, Lu Feng couldn’t get rid of her now, and she didn’t have any kids, so she wasn’t afraid of that woman spreading rumors. She wasn’t the same person she was yesterday.

Old Lady Lu looked down on the eldest daughter-in-law’s family. She thought just one night was enough for Li Meng to get a hold over her eldest son and act tough.

Old Lady Lu glanced at her eldest son before saying to Li Meng, “So you think now that you’ve got the man, everything’s fine?”

What Lu Feng feared was Fang Yuan—and the family behind her. He didn’t need his mother to say anything; he immediately barked at Li Meng, “You’re not embarrassed by her making a scene, but I am! Go now. Don’t give her any excuse to find fault.”

Li Meng pouted, “Feng, what are you afraid of her for? What can she do to us? Things are already like this. Is she going to steal you away from me?”

Besides, she wasn’t pregnant, so she wasn’t afraid of that shrew using that against her.

Lu Feng’s face darkened. “If things hadn’t turned out like this, she wouldn’t have wanted me anyway.” He muttered, “If we let people gossip about us, do you think that’s a good look? Just be clear about things, so our family doesn’t lose face.”

Otherwise, every time he went out, people would point fingers at him. Mistaking his wife in public—wasn’t that embarrassing?

After getting scolded by Lu Feng, Li Meng realized her position in this family wasn’t so secure after all. Reluctantly, she got ready to go explain things to the villagers. “Mom, you’d better come with me.”

Old Lady Lu didn’t want to go embarrass herself, but thinking of her second daughter-in-law’s temper, she figured it was better to go along. That way, the eldest daughter-in-law wouldn’t run her mouth too much and cause trouble at home later.

So the job of cooking fell to Lu Xiaosan. But Old Lady Lu made it clear: the meat rolls would have to wait for her to come back and steam them.

Old Lady Lu went off to supervise Li Meng.

Meanwhile, on Lu Feng’s younger brother’s side, Fang Yuan had really been exhausted yesterday and woke up a bit late.

Lu Feng’s younger brother had already swept the whole yard and saw his mother leading that shameless woman from the eldest brother’s family around the village.

Honestly, he kind of admired the woman inside the house. She could whip people into shape, and everything she said, people took seriously and did as told. That was a real skill.

At this moment, Lu Feng’s younger brother realized Fang Yuan actually had a good quality—something worth learning.

When Fang Yuan got up, there was hot water in the pot and in the thermos. She was quite satisfied; Lu Feng’s younger brother wasn’t lazy.

Fang Yuan was dressed in brand new clothes, looking festive. She glanced at Lu Feng’s younger brother outside, all dusty and gray—nothing like a newlywed.

She called him inside and took out a new set of clothes. “Put these on. You’ll look more cheerful.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother didn’t want to. Those clothes were bought for his older brother, and it made him uncomfortable.

All his life, he’d worn his brother’s hand-me-downs. This time, it was different. He wanted to wear something new, something bought just for him.

He and his older brother were different sizes, different heights—the clothes didn’t fit.

Seeing him hesitate, Fang Yuan, always impatient, snapped, “Are you stupid? Why insist on wearing old clothes?”

Lu Feng’s younger brother stubbornly replied, “I still have to move firewood. It’s not suitable to wear new clothes.”

Fang Yuan was not one to overthink things or consider his feelings or possible embarrassment. “You’ve got a point, but it’s just one set of clothes. Put them on.”

He still didn’t move. Fang Yuan finally asked, “You don’t want to wear new clothes?” She really couldn’t understand—was he just dumb, or really dumb?

He replied blandly, “They don’t fit. Let’s talk about it later.” Some things, he just couldn’t compromise on.

Fang Yuan looked at the clothes, then at the awkward man, and finally understood he really didn’t care about wearing them. “If you don’t want to, then don’t. Why not just say so? After breakfast, let’s go to town and buy you a couple of new sets.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother looked up, surprised Fang Yuan was so easygoing. “You’re willing to spend money on me?”

He had to ask—he didn’t have money for new clothes.

Fang Yuan said, “Once we’ve met my parents, our marriage will be official. After that, we’re family. What’s this ‘willing’ or ‘not willing’? It’s not just about us—it’s about the whole family. If you go out dressed like that, it’s my face you’re making lose.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother suddenly didn’t know what to say. This woman, who everyone called a shrew, was surprisingly straightforward and clear-headed.

He felt like he’d discovered another good quality in Fang Yuan—she was generous and protective.

He found it odd. How had one night changed his view so much? Was it possible she’d drugged him in his sleep?

Otherwise, there was no reason for such a change.

Then Fang Yuan said, “But you can’t keep being like this. You have to know how to earn money and support the family, understand? If I don’t have a good life, it’s your face that’s lost, too.”

He definitely understood that. Otherwise, he’d spend his whole life being bossed around by this woman. As for whether he’d lose face himself, Lu Feng’s younger brother didn’t dare think about it.

With Fang Yuan’s temper, honestly, even if he didn’t lose face, he’d never get to show it off. He was mentally prepared for that.

Fang Yuan was just directing him to tidy up the yard when Old Lady Lu herself came over to call her for breakfast.

Old Lady Lu’s enthusiasm made Fang Yuan feel her mother-in-law was actually pretty easy to get along with.

Old Lady Lu brought her second son and daughter-in-law from the old house to the new one, introducing Fang Yuan to everyone in the village along the way.

Everywhere she went, Old Lady Lu said, “This is my second daughter-in-law, Fang Yuan. Everyone, get to know her.”

Everyone was giving them plenty of face. After all, Old Lady Lu had dragged her eldest son’s ex-fiancée around the village early in the morning, and everyone was talking about the Lu family’s two daughters-in-law.

People had come out early just to watch the drama. This kind of excitement wasn’t something you saw every day.

Some people whispered behind their backs, “A college student marrying a village girl? The Lu family must be crazy.”

Others were secretly waiting to see the showdown between the eldest and second daughters-in-law. There was sure to be a spectacle.

Some people, just wanting to stir the pot, chimed in, “Hey, I heard your eldest son got married yesterday, but no one said anything about your second son. How did this all get mixed up? Lu family, do you even know what you’re doing?”

That’s just people with too much time on their hands. What’s it got to do with you? Why do you have to butt in?

The crowd nearby just laughed. They couldn’t even find the real issue to nitpick. They should be asking why the Lu family had their college-educated son marry a village girl—what were they thinking?

Old Lady Lu’s face darkened. “What, didn’t we make everything clear from the start?”

She glanced at Fang Yuan as she spoke, meaning, “We did everything the way you said.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother even looked at his mother in surprise. Normally, she’d avoid any village gossip. Their family’s reputation in the village was that of honest, quiet folks.

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"Chapter 17: Scheming Gets You Nowhere