Chapter 37: This Younger Sister Competes in Beauty with the Bride

Was she planning to completely break ties with her mother-in-law, Old Lady Qian?

“No, not today,” Lu Lan, nearly driven crazy with anger, suddenly remembered that today was Feng Mian’s wedding day. Having the old lady quarrel in front of her door would be very unlucky.

“Hurry and hide the candies. Don’t let your dad find out. Wait until tomorrow, then you can show off to your cousins.”

Kids always like to brag when they get something tasty.

Feng Rongrong obediently took the candies and happily went back inside her own home.

She put them into a small box and carefully hid them, making sure her father wouldn’t find out.

Feng Mian was a little worried. “Lan Jie, your nephews might tattle to your mother-in-law. She’ll probably cause trouble for you again.”

“Hmph, let her come. I’m not afraid of her anymore. Even if it’s for Rongrong’s sake, I have to stand firm.”

The fire in her eyes was as fierce as the flames in the stove.

“What if Feng Er Ge sides with his mother?”

“Then we get a divorce. Let him go live with his mother. I don’t want him anymore.” Lu Lan was so furious she seemed determined to burn her bridges.

No matter how hard life might get, that’s just how it would be.

Before, Feng Mian only knew that women who divorced back then lost everything. They couldn’t even go out to work, with no way to survive.

But that was for men who had completely lost their conscience.

Feng Feng wasn’t that kind of person.

If it really came to divorce, he would most likely leave the house to the mother and daughter.

Of course, the more likely scenario was that he stubbornly refused to divorce.

Lu Lan making a fuss to pressure Feng Feng, this clueless mama’s boy, was still worthwhile — even if she only gained a bit of power.

Gu Yuelin carried three loads of water in a row, filling a large water vat, with one bucket left over.

After fetching water, he went to chop firewood.

Lu Lan kept teasing Feng Mian but also said that Gu Yuelin wasn’t a man of many words and was a decent person.

Since his biological mother died early, there was no mother-in-law conflict.

Actually, the man in her family was hardworking, it was just a pity he had a mother (implying she interfered).

Soon, Grandma Zhang found a neighbor to help carry Old Master Feng over.

In all these years, Feng Guodong had come to Feng Mian’s house for the first time.

Seeing the house clean and tidy inside and out, and seeing his granddaughter-in-law’s tall, handsome, and kind husband, he finally felt relieved.

“Grandpa, have some tea.” Feng Mian heard that her grandpa liked tea, so she brewed a pot just for him.

Feng Guodong nodded repeatedly, took a sip, and praised, “Brewed well, fragrant.”

After he left, Grandma Zhang whispered, “Old Master, how was it? Didn’t I say it’s good?”

“Hmm, looks okay, but we still need to observe.”

“Look at your smiling face — you call that ‘okay’? You’re stubborn.”

More villagers came by, but not many.

Since Feng Mian was an only daughter without family, they felt she wasn’t worth befriending and were afraid of bad luck.

Feng Fourth Grandpa and his wife came. He was the team leader and a generous person.

He thought, since she was an only daughter with no elders, he should come and support.

Gu Yuelin greeted guests outside with Feng Mian, while Lu Lan, Grandma Zhang, and Feng Fourth Grandma helped in the kitchen.

Around three or four in the afternoon, Gu Yuelin’s friends arrived.

There was Leng Chuan and Wei Guo, who had helped at their house before, plus some others Feng Mian didn’t know.

Leng Chuan even brought his younger sister, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with two braids, wearing leather shoes, and stylish clothes.

She had taken off her cotton jacket outside to reveal a cashmere sweater and a winter skirt inside.

This outfit was impressive to the villagers, who saw her as a rich family’s young lady.

Like a fairy, truly beautiful.

Countless eyes were fixed on her.

“Sister-in-law, this is my younger sister, Leng Ping.”

“Leng Ping, please come inside,” Feng Mian smiled and invited her.

But Leng Ping didn’t even glance at Feng Mian. Instead, she handed over a red envelope.

Her eyes landed on Gu Yuelin. “Yuelin Ge, congratulations. This is my wedding gift to you.”

Feng Mian’s smile stiffened. People usually congratulate a couple, not just one person. Shouldn’t it be “Congratulations to you both”?

She quickly realized that congratulating him meant congratulating him on getting out of the Gu family and escaping hardship, not congratulating their marriage.

But since this marriage was just for show, Feng Mian didn’t get upset.

Gu Yuelin’s expression darkened. He refused the red envelope and said to Leng Ping, “You’re welcome to join the wedding celebration, but you don’t need to give a gift.”

Leng Ping’s face stiffened stubbornly, still holding up the red envelope and refusing to lower her hand.

Leng Chuan saw something was wrong, quickly took the envelope from her and handed it to Feng Mian.

He smiled and said, “The money is for my sister-in-law to manage. Brother won’t take it. Sister-in-law, this is from my parents — a small token, don’t be offended.”

By making this clear, everyone had a way out.

Feng Mian wasn’t an unreasonable person and wouldn’t make a scene on such an important day. So she accepted it.

“Thank you.”

She took the red envelope without looking at Leng Ping’s unpleasant expression and smiled, inviting them, “I prepared quite a lot of wedding sweets; please help yourselves.”

There were fruit candies, White Rabbit milk candies, sunflower seeds, and peanuts — she brought out a large full plate.

Fearing they’d get thirsty from eating too much, she also had half a basket of oranges.

Gu Yuelin looked at her in surprise.

“When did you buy all these?”

“I bought them a long time ago. They’re all in that cabinet.”

The bedroom had a large wooden cabinet — big enough to fit a person.

But it was locked, and the key was kept close to her.

That cabinet was like a treasure chest; she could pull out anything from it.

Gu Yuelin’s friends whispered among themselves, “The new sister-in-law is really pretty, even better looking than Pingping.”

Leng Ping was furious. She had deliberately dressed up — this outfit was her best — all to outshine that country bumpkin.

And these people kept saying that she looked better than her?

Fuming, she threw down the candies she was holding and walked into the yard.

Everyone was praising the bride; she couldn’t stand it.

After a while, Leng Chuan followed her.

“Brother, what are you doing out here?”

“And you?”

“Just taking a walk.”

Leng Chuan noticed something was wrong in her eyes and warned, “Pingping, don’t forget what you promised me.”

Pingping snapped, “I haven’t done anything wrong. Why are you so nervous?”

“You better not. I know you like Yuelin, but since you can’t marry into their family, and he can’t marry into ours, it’s impossible between you two. Sister-in-law is a good person; don’t do anything to embarrass her.”

Pingping huffed, “Brother, why are you praising her too? So you all say she’s good, and only I’m not?”

Leng Chuan rubbed his forehead. “Where do you come up with such nonsense? I said sister-in-law is a good person. Did I say anything bad about you?”

“You did.”

“Hmph, never mind. You can’t be reasoned with. Don’t you see sister-in-law knows everything and is even giving you a way out? I really regret bringing you here.”