Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Wild Fancies

Wang Miaomiao returned home briefly, only to be picked up by a car the next day. However, the car’s owner, Jiang Yan, stirred up quite a matchmaking buzz in the village…

Liu Yulan was annoyed these days; indeed, getting attention isn’t as great as it seems, and now she’s facing the aftermath.

A group of women kept seizing opportunities to inquire about Jiang Yan from her, subtly hinting that they had nieces or granddaughters, eighteen and gentle and virtuous.

Liu Yulan uniformly replied that she didn’t know anything about Jiang Yan. Still, some people were persistent, unwilling to give up.

Meanwhile, the Zhang Family was also in turmoil over Jiang Yan.

It turned out Zhang Hongfang was smitten when she saw Jiang Yan pick up Wang Miaomiao and others on Sunday; her mind was filled with thoughts of him and him alone.

She returned home and urged her mother, Li Yinfeng, to approach the Wang Family for matchmaking, as she wanted to marry Jiang Yan.

Hearing her daughter’s words, Li Yinfeng was so shocked she saw stars and felt dizzy, unable to utter a word.

Given the torn relationship with the Wang Family, she couldn’t lower her head to ask Liu Yulan for such a favor.

“No way, you’ve only met him once. Do you even know his background and character? And you’re already thinking of marrying him…”

“Why don’t you just ask and find out?” Zhang Hongfang was enthusiastic, her mind full of his handsome silhouette and attractive features. “I heard from Li Xiaohong that he’s a comrade of Pan Di’s husband, a skilled worker. If I could marry him…”

“Shut up already! Have you no shame?” Li Yinfeng clutched her chest, so angry she could hardly breathe, “And you believe what Li Xiaohong says?”

Not long ago, a scandal involving Li Xiaohong and that educated youth Meng Zhiqing was everywhere—Li Xiaohong was pregnant before marriage, and Meng Zhiqing was found to be involved with others. Though they eventually married, their reputations were ruined, and no young women or wives in the village wanted to associate with Li Xiaohong, yet her daughter was mingling with her and taking her words to heart. This made Li Yinfeng livid.

“Mom, what are you saying? How am I shameless? Are you even my mom? How can you say that about me?” Zhang Hongfang was also brought to tears. “Aren’t you going to consider what’s best for me? The last person you asked to match was worse than Zhaodi’s husband. Are you truly my mom? You only care about Zhaodi, always giving her the best, right…”

“What Zhaodi, Zhaodi’s this and that, she’s your cousin.” Li Yinfeng felt wronged; her own daughter, how could she not care and seek a good match? When a woman marries, it’s not just about the man but also about the mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. She put in so much effort, and yet her daughter wasn’t appreciative, constantly comparing herself to Zhaodi. What’s there to compare?

Zhang Hongfang, deeply angered, retorted bluntly, “You just said she’s a cousin, not a sister. You’ve spared no effort for Wang Zhaodi, but when it comes to me, you won’t even speak to the Wang Family.”

“You know the relationship between the Wang Family and me. If I go talk to them, would they even listen?” Li Yinfeng felt as if her heart was breaking. She remembered the month when Zhang Rongfa had driven her away—not a word from her children, nobody visited her at the old house…

Those days, she’d always go to spend the night at Zhaodi’s after work for an entire month. The household seemed to go on without her, as if she was marginal, dispensable.

“Then why did you fall out with the Wang Family? I really don’t understand.” Zhang Rongfa, overhearing the argument, came over. He too envied the Wang Family for having a good son-in-law like Yang Zhigang. Given his daughter had taken a fancy to that young driver, he was eager for it to work out and hoped Li Yinfeng would swallow her pride.

“Is your daughter’s future or your face more important? Zhaodi and Zicheng visited the Wang Family on Mid-Autumn Festival with gifts; their relationship seems fine. Why get involved? Why incur the Wang Family’s ire for no reason—are you out of your mind…”

Zhang Rongfa criticized Li Yinfeng in front of the younger generations, causing her face to flush with embarrassment and anger.

“Go ask the Wang Family what’s going on… If the young man is good, shouldn’t you plan well for our daughter’s future happiness? If she marries well, you’ll benefit too. Can’t you comprehend such simple logic? How can you be so clueless, you might as well not eat!”

“I’m not going; if you want to go, you go.” Li Yinfeng was upset with Zhang Rongfa. They hadn’t been talking much since she came back, giving each other the cold shoulder. Now, he’d berated her like this; she’d be the last to listen to him.

“If you don’t go, if you don’t go, then get out!” Zhang Rongfa, with a temperamental personality, glared at her and said, “Aren’t you capable? Then go back to your precious niece and let her take care of you in old age…”

Li Yinfeng looked at him incredulously, “You know…”

Zhang Rongfa’s gaze was hard to read, but he smirked sarcastically, “Know what? I know nothing. In any case, either go to the Wang Family or find your precious niece. You’ve done so much for her; she should pay you back a bit. Ask her to speak with Liu Yulan to set up Xiao Fang with that young man. If it works out, she benefits too. They’re relatives; the relationship will only get closer.”

Li Yinfeng didn’t know how she managed to leave the house, standing at the crossroads in the cold wind, feeling chilled inside. So they all knew; no wonder nobody checked on her or cared for her that month.

She definitely didn’t want to visit the Wang Family. After some thought, she headed to Huinan Village to find Wang Zhaodi. Zhaodi was smart; she wanted to see her thoughts.

Carrying her burdens, Li Yinfeng soon arrived at Wang Zhaodi’s home.

Things had transformed around the riverside cottage: weeds were cleared, several plots of private land had been created around the house with vegetables planted, some already flowering and bearing fruit—a delightful sight.

“Zhaodi, Zicheng, having dinner, huh…” Li Yinfeng hesitated, standing at the door, watching the young couple eat dinner as her stomach grumbled. She hadn’t eaten since being driven out.

Seeing Li Yinfeng, the young couple exchanged a look, their expressions not too friendly.

Their house was small, with no spare room. That month with Li Yinfeng staying over was challenging for the newlyweds.

The first night, Li Yinfeng’s unexpected arrival forced Zhu Zicheng to crash at a close friend’s place. When Li Yinfeng returned the next day, he again had to find a place to stay. Upon realizing she was going to stay for a month, he couldn’t keep imposing on friends, lest village gossip start rumors about a newlywed quarrel.

So, Zhu Zicheng scavenged a piece of scrap wood, and Wang Zhaodi found an old bed sheet, making a makeshift curtain with some rope—Zhu Zicheng made do on the floor for that entire month.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep