Chapter 17: Scheming Gets You Nowhere

Over there, Sister-in-law Tian was well-known in the village for her gossiping skills—no one could beat her sharp tongue. She sneered, “Listen to that, everyone. The Lu family’s got themselves a new daughter-in-law, and now they’re different. Even their voices are louder. Must be someone backing them up now.”

Her words were aimed at Old Lady Lu, mocking her for being honest and tongue-tied.

Old Lady Lu straightened her back, wanting to declare, “I’m not afraid of you.” But when she opened her mouth, nothing came out—she didn’t even know what to say.

Fang Yuan stepped forward, “Mom, your voice is soft and you’re too gentle. Next time you need to greet someone like this, just let me handle it.”

She turned to Sister-in-law Tian, raised an eyebrow, and put her hands on her hips. She didn’t even need to say anything—her attitude alone drew a clear line in the sand. Her presence was so imposing that Sister-in-law Tian was left in the dust.

Everyone in the neighboring villages knew Fang Yuan was a tough one. Not only was she unbeatable in an argument, but even if you could out-argue her, you wouldn’t dare pick a fight—she had several brothers backing her up.

Whenever Fang Yuan got into trouble outside, if she suffered even the slightest loss, her mother would bring her sons to stand up for her. Stories about their family were well-known for miles around. That’s also why, when Fang Yuan married a man who’d been rejected in a previous engagement, no respectable family dared to cross them.

With Fang Yuan standing there, Sister-in-law Tian shrank back and didn’t dare take another step forward. Even she had people she wouldn’t mess with.

Old Lady Lu grabbed Fang Yuan’s hand, her excitement plain to see. This was the benefit of having a good daughter-in-law—no one dared argue with her anymore.

In the past, Old Lady Lu had three sons at home, and even though her eldest was already in his twenties, none of them had managed to marry. She never had the confidence to argue with anyone.

But now things were different—though she still hadn’t learned how to argue.

Lu Chuan could see what it meant to have a reputation. He didn’t even get a chance to stand up for anyone.

Old Lady Lu walked home in high spirits, chatting happily. “Second daughter-in-law, from now on, I’ll learn from you. Once I’ve got the hang of it, if you ever need to argue with someone, I’ll take over.”

Fang Yuan raised her eyebrows, a little unimpressed by Old Lady Lu’s skills. Someone who didn’t even speak up when her son was taken away—what could you expect from her?

Lu Er (the second son) couldn’t help but twitch his lips. This really was a daughter-in-law they’d paid for—his mother’s flattery was getting out of hand. The look on her face wasn’t pretty.

It’s not that Lu Er looked down on his own mother’s fighting spirit—it just didn’t exist.

But what he didn’t know was that Old Lady Lu was sincere, not just flattering. She genuinely admired Fang Yuan and wanted them to fight side by side in the future.

All the way home, Old Lady Lu kept flattering Fang Yuan, and Fang Yuan seemed to enjoy it—she didn’t even blush. One dared to praise, the other dared to accept. Lu Er was impressed.

From a distance, Lu Xiao-san (the third son) shouted, “Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, come over! Time to eat!”

Lu Da (the eldest) stiffened for a moment. Around Fang Yuan, he just couldn’t relax. After all, she was the woman he’d once been engaged to and even gone through the wedding ceremony with.

Not to mention, she’d taken his family’s property last night. His feelings were a tangled mess of love and hate.

Li Meng, ever alert, saw Fang Yuan and immediately went over to Lu Da’s side. “Brother Feng, don’t worry, I’m fine. I’ve already explained to Second Sister-in-law that I’m not pregnant, so we don’t have to worry about her spreading rumors about us.”

Lu Da felt awkward—the relationships were just too complicated. Yesterday she married into the family, and today she was his sister-in-law. He glared at Li Meng but said nothing.

Li Meng pouted and shot Fang Yuan a dark look. This woman should never have set foot in this house.

Old Man Lu came out, beaming at Fang Yuan. “Second daughter-in-law, come on in, let’s eat.”

The whole family welcomed Fang Yuan as if she were the empress dowager, ushering her into the house.

Li Meng felt a pang of jealousy. She’d walked all over the village, helped set the table, and tended the fire, but never got a single smile from her in-laws.

Yet when it came to this woman, her parents-in-law revolved around her. Why? They were both daughters-in-law—why the double standard?

Li Meng didn’t want to be ignored like this. She blocked the doorway, glaring at Fang Yuan, ready for a showdown.

But before Fang Yuan could do anything, even Lu Er, who wanted to smooth things over, was a step too late.

Old Lady Lu rushed to the door. “What are you doing? Don’t you know you’re in the way? Move aside.”

She pushed Li Meng aside and turned to Fang Yuan. “Second daughter-in-law, come in. Didn’t you say last night you wanted meat rolls? I made them for you.”

Lu Er watched as his mother treated Fang Yuan like she was serving her own mother-in-law, ushering her into the house.

Fang Yuan didn’t even spare a glance at Li Meng, who’d been pushed aside. She didn’t need to fight—she’d already won. Li Meng wasn’t even worth her attention.

Li Meng was so upset she nearly threw something, but thinking about her shaky position in the family, she held back. One day, this family wouldn’t need her at all.

Still, she forced a smile and sidled up to Lu Da. “Brother Feng, it’s okay. I’m not upset.”

Lu Xiao-san happened to overhear and shivered, quickly running off. This eldest sister-in-law was really something.

Lu Feng ignored her—he couldn’t see what she had to be upset about anyway.

The family’s table was small, not enough for everyone, so Lu Xiao-san took a bowl of porridge and a meat roll and sat on the doorstep to eat.

That was normal in the village—most families did the same. As long as there were pickles or sauce on the table, it didn’t matter where you ate.

Lu Da glanced at Fang Yuan, thinking, “This woman probably doesn’t know to let the men eat at the table first.” He didn’t feel comfortable eating at the same table as her, so he joined Xiao-san on the doorstep.

Fang Yuan didn’t even look at Lu Da and his wife—she didn’t care. She wasn’t bothered by Lu Da’s awkwardness.

As the new daughter-in-law, she sat cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed), right at the head, and Old Lady Lu brought her the meat rolls.

Li Meng watched with envy and tried to sit on the kang too, but Fang Yuan shot her a look, and Li Meng didn’t dare sit down.

Fang Yuan called to Lu Er, “Why aren’t you coming over to eat?”

Lu Er thought, “Dad, Mom, the two new daughters-in-law are on the kang, but my brothers and I are all on the floor. How can I be the only man sitting up there?”

Then Fang Yuan said, “Xiao-san isn’t married yet—he’s still a kid, he can eat wherever. But you’re married now, the man of the house. You should eat on the kang, like Dad.”

With that, she pulled Lu Er to sit beside her. She didn’t mention Lu Da, but he still felt like he’d been hit—no matter what, he was always the one left out.

He was eating on the doorstep.

Old Man Lu was delighted at being respected by his daughter-in-law and was about to praise Fang Yuan when—

Li Meng protested, “My husband isn’t sitting on the kang!”

If she didn’t stand up for her own husband, who would? This was her moment—she couldn’t let the second daughter-in-law outshine her.

Fang Yuan sneered, her words dripping with sarcasm. “It doesn’t matter where your husband sits—he’s not much of a dish anyway. Don’t you know that yourself?”

Old Man Lu quietly ate his meal. He really couldn’t praise the second daughter-in-law’s words. As an elder, he couldn’t take sides.

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"Chapter 18: So Who Really Got the Better Deal?

Oldest Lu was so put on the spot by those words, he lost his appetite. Over the line, was it?

Lu Chuan didn’t even look up; he could imagine exactly what Oldest Lu’s face looked like.

Li Meng was so angry her face turned pale. “Fang Yuan, let me tell you, from now on I’m your sister-in-law. In this family, you’re Second Brother’s wife, so you have to listen to me. Don’t talk about all that shady business. Let me be clear: I don’t even have a child.”

Fang Yuan finally looked up at her. “So what, you’re saying you married in under false pretenses? You think admitting that makes you look good? Not having a kid is actually a blessing—less karma on your head, and you won’t have people cursing your child in the future. You’re doing yourself a favor, really.”

That mouth of hers—every word hit like a knife. Second Lu could only sit and listen. Honestly, the whole Lu family could only listen.

Li Meng thought, If I don’t win this today, I’ll be under this woman’s heel forever. “Enough with that. I’m your sister-in-law. If you’re sitting at this table, then I’m sitting here too. My husband has every right to sit here as well. Don’t keep bringing up the past to embarrass people. Isn’t there any respect for seniority in this family?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Losing your morals is the same as losing your conscience. What you two did—back in the day, you’d have been drowned for it. Where do you get the nerve to shout about seniority? You don’t even know what shame is, and you want to talk about respect?”

Second Lu couldn’t listen anymore. This was getting too complicated. Better to change the subject. “Didn’t you want to eat meat rolls? Hurry up and eat.”

Fang Yuan shot Li Meng a glare, ignored her, and turned to the Lu parents. “Dad, Mom, let’s just eat this one meal together. After this, I won’t be dealing with her, and I won’t sit at the same table. It’s beneath me.”

With that, she started eating, not sparing Li Meng a single glance. Her contempt was bone-deep.

At least she stopped putting people on the spot, which gave Second Lu some face.

Oldest Lu ate in utter frustration. For the first time, even meat rolls tasted bland.

Third Lu looked at his big brother, who was squatting on the doorstep with him, and thought, Well, I’m just a kid, so squatting here isn’t embarrassing. But I’d better not end up like Big Brother, not even allowed at the table.

Father Lu thought, I’ll go get a bigger table tomorrow. The whole family needs to sit together, or there’ll always be trouble.

After the meal, Mother Lu brought out all the grain at home and divided some for Fang Yuan—even the salt.

Fang Yuan was pleased with her mother-in-law’s gesture and said generously, “It’s just a little stuff, no need to split it. Dad, Mom, you keep it for yourselves. We’ll just take the hens and go. We can buy what we need in town.”

Mother Lu was all in: “Alright, we’ll do as Second’s wife says.”

Li Meng just watched from the side. She didn’t care much for the grain, but now that they were broke, it was all they had left. Counting on Oldest Lu to get rich would take time. So she felt a bit reluctant to let it go.

But then Mother Lu divided out a share for Li Meng as well. “We’re all living together, but these are two families. Third still needs to get married, and we can’t drag you down. From now on, just like Second’s family, you keep what you earn.”

Li Meng was delighted—she hadn’t expected her in-laws to be so reasonable. If she’d known, she’d have chosen the old house for herself, living separately.

She was just getting happy when Oldest Lu told her to take the grain back to Mother Lu. “I’m the eldest. I should be living with Mom and Dad. What are you doing?”

Mother Lu said, “We’ll talk about the future when it comes. We’re not old yet. Don’t worry about us. Let’s just leave it at this for now.”

She didn’t mention splitting up the family officially, afraid it would embarrass her eldest son.

Li Meng said, “Feng-ge, since Mom and Dad said so, let’s listen to them. When we make something tasty, we all live in one house—how could we leave Mom and Dad out?”

That sounded nice, so Oldest Lu accepted it.

Second Lu glanced at his older brother and thought, He’ll never stand up for himself. A few sweet words from his wife and he gives in.

Mother Lu sighed inwardly. The eldest just wants to live his own life, afraid of being dragged down by the young or the old.

When Second Lu carried the two hens and the grain back to the old house with Fang Yuan, they saw a few young men about Second Lu’s age helping build a chicken coop.

Second Lu introduced them to Fang Yuan. “These are my classmates, here to help.”

Fang Yuan was pleased. Good, he’s not a loner. “So you’ve got friends, huh?”

Second Lu almost tripped over his own feet. “What are you talking about? They’re just classmates, not that kind of ‘friends’.”

Fang Yuan thought, What’s the difference? Why are you so loud? “Alright, I’m going to town to buy some things. Let’s have them stay for dinner.”

Second Lu said, “No need. There’ll be other chances. They have to go to extra classes soon.”

Fang Yuan glanced at the two guys building the coop. “Still in school? How old are they?” Then she turned to Second Lu. “How old are you?”

Second Lu thought, You already decided to marry me and only now ask my age? Isn’t it a bit late?

Fang Yuan stared at him. “Well? Or did you forget?” Is this guy slow in the head?

Second Lu kept a straight face. “I’m older than them. I’m twenty-one.”

Fang Yuan’s face fell. “You’re a year younger than me?”

Second Lu glanced at her. So you’re the one who snatched me up—guess you got the better deal.

Then Fang Yuan said, “I was hoping for someone older who’d know how to care for people. Now look, I’m the one who lost out by a year.”

She sounded like she’d been shortchanged, and the look she gave him was full of disdain. Second Lu felt utterly frustrated.

What an ungrateful woman. He felt stifled.

He didn’t say another word, just went next door to borrow a bicycle. “Come on, let’s go to town and buy things.”

Getting mad at Fang Yuan was just making things harder for himself. Even after such a short time together, Second Lu had already figured that out.

He rode the bike with Fang Yuan on the back. Fang Yuan clung to the bike, worried. “Are you strong enough to carry me?”

Second Lu’s bad temper flared up. He almost forgot about Fang Yuan’s invisible “brothers” watching from behind. He snapped, “What’s wrong with my strength?”

Why did this woman keep picking at him? Was she looking for a fight?

Fang Yuan said, “Why are you yelling? Just look at yourself—skinny as a noodle. Can you blame me for doubting you?”

Second Lu pressed his lips together and refused to say another word. Was “can’t do it” really appropriate to say in this situation?

This woman has no sense. Yesterday she managed to put Li Meng and the whole family in their place—must have been a fluke.

Fang Yuan tried to grab the bike. “Alright, stop sulking. I’ll take you.”

Second Lu held onto the handlebars, determined. “We’re going to town, you sit and I’ll take you.”

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"Chapter 19: Old Grudges, New Resentments

Fang Yuan had never met anyone so stubborn before. If this were her own home, who would dare go against her? She’d just call her brother over, and in no time, whoever it was would know whose word carried weight.

Unfortunately, her brother wasn’t here today, and she actually lost out to this student. “Fine, I’ll bring more money. If it really breaks, then so be it.”

The two of them dawdled as they got on the bike and left.

Meanwhile, a few of Lu Lao’er’s (Second Lu’s) classmates had been secretly watching them from the old courtyard for a while.

They were all gossiping, “They seem to get along pretty well. Now that Lu Chuan’s married, will he still be willing to go to college?”

Gong Er said mysteriously, “My mom told me that Lu Da (the eldest Lu) got his wife for free. That wife of Da Chuan’s was originally supposed to be Lu Da’s.”

Zhang Xiaole, the village secretary’s son, didn’t want to hear it. “Gong Er, why do you always talk nonsense? Your mom’s not as well-informed as my dad. The Lu family married that wife for Da Chuan, didn’t you hear what Lu Da’s wife said this morning? The Lu family just married in two daughters-in-law at once. Lu Da’s wife was late getting here because her home is far away, that’s all.”

He continued, “Besides, everyone knows Lu Da was engaged before. Isn’t his wife the same girl he was engaged to? Am I wrong?”

Gong Er didn’t buy it. “I know you’re close with Da Chuan, but I’ve never heard him say he wanted to get married. People just say what sounds good, but can you really cover up something like this? Not many people know about Lu Da’s engagement to the Fang family?”

Zhang Xiaole retorted, “Bullshit! How do you know it was Lu Da who was engaged to the Fang family? It was always Lu Chuan. Lu Chuan’s just shy and doesn’t like to talk about personal stuff with you. So what if he didn’t tell you? What, are you trying to say Da Chuan married his own sister-in-law?”

It looked like the two of them were about to start bickering.

Zhu Jia’s kid, standing nearby, got anxious. The couple was doing just fine, but these guys were about to start a fight. “Enough, enough, what are you arguing about? No matter what happened, just don’t spread these rumors. That’s the least we can do for Da Chuan.”

Zhang Xiaole glared at the two of them. “None of you are any good.” They were all buddies—why did they have to make a joke out of each other? Couldn’t they just pretend not to know?

Gong Er was annoyed too. “So what if we talk among ourselves? If outsiders said this about Lu Chuan, would I be okay with it? You think you’re so great? They got married and didn’t tell you either. Why are you so eager to stick your nose in?”

With that, he grabbed his schoolbag and left.

Zhang Xiaole, fuming, kicked over the half-built chicken coop. Each of them had a worse temper than the next.

Zhu Xiaosan scowled. “Them getting married has nothing to do with you guys. What’s the fuss?” Then he rolled up his sleeves and went back to building the coop.

These childhood friends didn’t have much money. When a classmate got married, all they could do was come over and help out with some manual labor.

Zhang Xiaole joined in, but with all the arguing, they were way behind schedule and would definitely be late today.

Meanwhile, Lu Lao’er was riding steadily with Fang Yuan on the back, earning her praise. “Didn’t expect you to be so skinny but still have some strength.”

Lu Lao’er thought to himself, she might as well keep quiet. Whenever Fang Yuan spoke, it was like she was sizing up livestock. Even compliments sounded off.

Fang Yuan said, “By the way, let’s buy a bicycle. We’ve got money anyway.”

Lu Lao’er was a little tempted. “Not like we really need one.”

Fang Yuan replied, “How could we not? It’ll be so much easier for me to visit my family in the future.”

Lu Chuan thought, so this has nothing to do with me.

Then Fang Yuan asked, “When are you starting school? How are we going to live after that? What’s your plan?”

Lu Lao’er fell silent again. This woman always had a way of putting people on the spot. They’d only gotten married yesterday—he hadn’t even had time to think about it. The marriage had come out of nowhere, and he had no idea what married life was supposed to be like.

Fang Yuan continued, “By the way, why are you older than the others? Did you get held back because you’re not smart enough?”

Lu Lao’er snapped back, “You’re the one who’s not smart. I started school late, they started early, and now I’m repeating a year.” Meaning, I’m actually smarter than them.

Fang Yuan nodded. Her family lived close to town, so she knew how school worked. “Good thing you got in this year. Otherwise, with someone like Lu Da ruining the family’s luck, who knows if you’d ever get in?”

Lu Da really wasn’t much, but he wasn’t that powerful.

Lu Lao’er didn’t want to argue about Lu Da. If Fang Yuan praised Lu Da, he didn’t like it. But if she badmouthed him, always bringing him up, he still felt uncomfortable. Why did everything have to come back to that troublemaker?

It was a long way, so Fang Yuan chatted with Lu Lao’er. “How come I never heard Third Aunt mention you going to college? Doesn’t seem like anyone knows.”

Lu Lao’er thought, it was hard enough for the family to find a wife for Lu Da. If word got out that the family still had to support another son in college, would it be easy to marry off a wife? There was some scheming in the Lu family—they couldn’t let this be known.

He mumbled, “Not sure if I’ll go to college yet. Nothing to talk about.”

Fang Yuan said, “See, you’re so secretive. Something this big and you don’t even explain it. Am I an outsider to you?”

Well, you’re not exactly an insider either, Lu Lao’er thought, keeping quiet. He felt like if this marriage didn’t work out, he and Fang Yuan would never see eye to eye.

Fang Yuan went on, “But your family really doesn’t have anyone in charge, do they? Otherwise, who wouldn’t brag if their kid got into college?”

As accurate as Fang Yuan was, Lu Lao’er still felt embarrassed and didn’t want to hear it. He forced out, “How do you know so much?”

Fang Yuan replied calmly, “Before I got married, my brother checked everything out for me. Your eldest brother is a loser, so I’m not afraid of being bullied. Your parents are honest and don’t make decisions. You’re quiet. Only the third one is a bit rowdy, but easy to handle. The only thing we didn’t find out was that you actually got into college.”

She sounded genuinely regretful, like she’d been tricked.

Lu Lao’er said nothing. In other families, having a college student would be something to show off. In his family, with so little to their name, if they said they were sending a son to college, no one would have wanted Lu Da for a husband. Of course they had to keep it quiet. If you looked closely, there was some guilt there.

Then Fang Yuan said, “My dad said, marrying into a family like yours, I wouldn’t lose out. Your family wouldn’t dare mistreat me.”

What could Lu Lao’er say? Her dad was right. Now the whole family was under Fang Yuan’s thumb.

Fang Yuan continued, “If my family had a scholar, my dad would be so happy he’d jump for joy. He’d never stop a kid from going to school just to get him married. He’d rather sell his son than keep a smart one from studying.”

Lu Lao’er couldn’t exactly praise her dad for his vision—selling your son wasn’t exactly something to be proud of.

Fang Yuan found Lu Lao’er too sullen. “Does your family even have the means to send you to college?”

Lu Lao’er glanced back at Fang Yuan, his eyes full of mixed feelings. “Lu Da got engaged and married, so there’s no money left at home.”

She got it. So, to marry her, the family ran out of money. At least Fang Yuan knew what could and couldn’t be said.

She slapped Lu Lao’er on the waist. “See, I knew that good-for-nothing was trouble. Turns out it’s old grudges and new resentments—holding you back from college, ruining your future. That’s just heartless.”

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"Chapter 20: The Fang Family’s Logic

Lu Lao’er was riding his bike all over the place, wobbling this way and that—his little waist really couldn’t take that kind of slapping. This woman really didn’t know how to hold back.

Lu Lao’er’s face was bright red. “You—you can’t just hit me anywhere, even if you’re mad! That’s a man’s waist, you know. Can you just slap it like that?”

Besides, even though Lu Laoda and Li Meng’s engagement and breakup had cost a lot of money, the main reason he didn’t have money for college was marrying Fang Yuan. Was that responsibility something you could just shrug off?

Lu Lao’er finally managed to steady the bike.

Fang Yuan, on the other hand, was totally clueless. “Where did I hit?”

Then she even reached out and patted Lu Lao’er’s waist again. “Oh, my parents always said you can’t just hit someone there. Are you okay?”

She sounded genuinely worried, not faking it at all.

Lu Lao’er’s face was beet red. He thought, “If you’d just stop touching me, I’d be fine.” He grunted, “I’m fine.”

He’d already been a little weak in the knees from riding the bike, but after Fang Yuan’s antics, Lu Lao’er started pedaling like a madman. He didn’t even know where all that energy came from.

Fang Yuan, meanwhile, acted like nothing had happened. “Oh right, do you want to stop by my house?”

The moment she said that, it was like a magic spell—Lu Lao’er’s legs instantly turned to jelly.

Lu Lao’er was usually pretty steady, and he knew he’d have to face this sooner or later. But just thinking about Fang Yuan’s brothers made him nervous.

If it were any other girl’s family, Lu Lao’er would have the guts to talk about marriage.

But with the Fang family, Lu Lao’er felt a little intimidated. The word “discuss” didn’t really apply here.

Before Lu Lao’er could even say anything, their bike was stopped by three burly men grabbing the handlebars. Their presence alone was enough to scare most people.

Lu Lao’er’s skinny frame looked especially pathetic next to these three.

One of them spoke up, “Fang Yuan, what are you thinking? Do you know what day it is? You’re out running around with some random guy?”

Lu Lao’er recognized Fang Yuan’s brothers. Hearing this, he thought, “Well, at least they’re reasonable people. They want their sister to behave.”

Of course, even if they were reasonable, his legs were still weak—because in this situation, he was definitely in the wrong.

Fang Yuan got a little excited. “Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Wu Hu!”

Lu Lao’er hiccuped. Not even all of them were here yet—where were the eldest and second brothers?

He snuck a glance at their physiques. No wonder Fang Yuan always complained he was too skinny—he really didn’t measure up.

Fang family’s fifth, Fang Wu Hu, was Fang Yuan’s twin. He was anxious and red-faced. “What’s going on? Tell us clearly. Your brother will help you figure it out.”

He really was worried about his sister, not even thinking about boundaries.

Lu Lao’er hiccuped again. This was the kind of situation where people could get killed and disappear without a trace.

Fang Yuan glared at them. “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m a decent person! Watch out or Dad will smack you.”

Then she pulled Lu Lao’er over to introduce him. “Let me introduce you—this is my man.”

Fang San Hu stared. “Nonsense! This isn’t the brother-in-law from yesterday’s wedding. What did you do to him? Explain yourself.”

Fang Si Hu said, “If you liked this pretty boy, you should have snatched him up earlier. Taking him after getting married—Dad can’t handle that. That’s not right.”

Listening to this, Lu Lao’er realized Fang Yuan was definitely not someone he could handle.

Fang Wu Hu asked, “Is that other brother-in-law okay?” They clearly needed to figure out how to clean up this mess.

Lu Lao’er finally understood what kind of family this was. Forget about breaking off the engagement—he didn’t even dare dream about it. Whatever Fang Yuan said, he’d just go along with it.

Fang Yuan was annoyed. “Don’t talk nonsense. I don’t like pretty boys. Don’t mess things up—I’m busy, I’m leaving.”

Fang Wu Hu glanced at Lu Lao’er. “You call that not liking pretty boys? Where do you think you’re going? This is serious. You can’t just leave. Go home and explain everything to Mom and Dad and get things sorted out.”

Lu Lao’er didn’t say a word as they basically sandwiched him between them and marched him off.

Fang Yuan sat on the bike while Fang Wu Hu pushed it. She said, “This is Lu Lao’er from the Lu family, my future man. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Stealing her own brother-in-law—now there was an ethical mess. Fang Wu Hu was worried sick about how to resolve it.

Then Fang San Hu said, “Lu Laoda is such a pushover, he can even put up with this?”

They didn’t blame their sister for stealing someone—they blamed their brother-in-law for being a wimp. That’s how clear their loyalties were.

Lu Lao’er had basically figured out his future role. There’d be no “discussion”—he’d just wait for them to decide everything.

When he’d first asked around about the Fang family, he knew Lu Laoda would have a hard time with this marriage, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

It was a kind of despair—like there was no hope for the rest of his life.

He never thought one day it would be his turn.

Fang Yuan, clueless as ever, nodded. “Don’t mention Lu Laoda. He makes my skin crawl.”

No matter how much Lu Lao’er’s heart trembled, he had to speak up now, or the misunderstanding would get out of hand. “Here’s what happened—my big brother—”

He looked at the brothers, not daring to continue. They were even more unreasonable and aggressive than the relatives who’d come when Li Meng broke off her engagement.

Si Hu said, “Brother-in-law, don’t be scared. We know you’ve been wronged. Let’s talk this through.”

San Hu said, “Brother-in-law, don’t worry. Our family is reasonable.”

Lu Lao’er just kept hiccuping. For the first time, he realized he’d inherited his father’s nervous hiccuping habit.

Fang Yuan finally sensed something was off. “Wronged? Lu Laoda is a scumbag. The moment you all left, some woman showed up saying she was pregnant with his child. How could I want a guy like that?”

San Hu glared at Lu Lao’er. “So you’re bullying us now? Where is he?”

Lu Lao’er thought, “Weren’t you just saying your family is reasonable?”

Wu Hu grabbed Lu Lao’er by the collar. “So the Lu family can do something like this? This kid isn’t any better. Why are you only coming back now—do you think we’re dead?”

Fang Yuan quickly made him let go. “What’s with the attitude? If I came back again, people would say I couldn’t get married. So I just switched men.”

Lu Lao’er patted his chest—miraculously, he stopped hiccuping. There was no point in talking reason when you were in the wrong. And when it came to fists, he’d never get a chance to use his. He really realized how much of a coward he was.

Si Hu looked Lu Lao’er up and down. “So they’re compensating you with this little chick?” No wonder they were siblings—they thought alike.

Fang Yuan said, “Yeah, he’s not much to look at, but I’ll make do.”

Wu Hu looked at Lu Lao’er, who hadn’t made a peep. “I’ve seen you in the village before—you’re a student, aren’t you?”

Lu Lao’er answered cautiously, “I used to be.”

Wu Hu gave him a look, thinking, “Pretty boy, but not stupid.” “Are you going to keep studying?”

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"Chapter 21: The Greenhorn Son-in-Law