Chapter 24: Uninvited Guests

The second day of the New Year is the day to visit one’s maternal home. Currently, Yu Meijuan is unaware of any matters concerning her family, so she and her daughter plan to spend the day quietly at home.

After breakfast, they each busied themselves.

Yu Zihan entered the space to study, while Yu Meijuan tinkered with her embroidery at home.

The winter sun generously cast warmth upon the world, making the entire house feel cozy.

A series of knocks suddenly broke the tranquility of the room.

Fearing to disturb her daughter, Yu Meijuan quickly ran to the door to open it.

As the door opened, two uninvited guests appeared before her.

Yu Meijuan saw Aunt Sun, who was beaming with a smile, along with a stranger standing at the door.

“I wonder what brings Aunt Sun here?” Subconsciously, Yu Meijuan didn’t want the two to enter her home, so she spoke from the doorway.

“Ahem,” Aunt Sun noticed Yu Meijuan’s rejection. Although she felt uncomfortable, she recalled her purpose for coming today, suppressing her displeasure and smiling as she said, “I came to ask you something. Can we talk inside?” she inquired tentatively.

“Oh, please come in and talk,” Yu Meijuan replied. At this point, no matter how reluctant she felt, as neighbors, she couldn’t refuse them entry.

As soon as they stepped into the yard, their eyes began to survey the surroundings.

The yard was tidy and well-kept by Yu Meijuan. Even in the freezing winter, it didn’t appear desolate. All the daily necessities were arranged neatly, and the entire yard exuded a lively atmosphere.

Aunt Sun thought to herself that Yu Meijuan was indeed good at managing her life. The yard was spacious, and there were many rooms. If her son married her, the mother and daughter could move into this yard.

If her son married someone who knew how to live well, she could rest easy when meeting the afterlife.

A determined expression of resolve was on her face.

She had already started to see this place as her own home.

Once they entered the living room, the furnishings captivated both women. It wasn’t just the high-quality items in the house but the meticulous arrangement.

Aunt Sun had the fortune to visit this house when the Luo couple still lived there. Back then, she had thought this kind of house was her dream home.

But now, the impact of everything she saw was overwhelming; this house was even better than before, enriched by the owner’s thoughtful touches. Even the vase of dried branches on the windowsill reflected the owner’s delicacy.

She felt happy, thinking that she could also live in such a house, and with that thought, she adjusted her posture to assume a host-like demeanor.

The other woman was even more stunned. She prided herself on having visited many homes throughout her life and had seen the mannerisms of wealthy families and the aura of dignitaries.

But now, in Yu Meijuan’s home, she didn’t even dare to take a seat easily, perhaps fearing she would disrupt the host’s elegance.

On the expensive rosewood sofa, Yu Meijuan had placed exquisite and comfortable cushions. The delicate embroidery on the cushions was something she had never seen in her lifetime.

Seeing such a home, along with Yu Meijuan’s graceful demeanor, the other woman began to regret her impulsive decision to accept Aunt Sun’s request today. She felt a strong urge to retreat.

Aunt Sun seemed to sense her thoughts; in fact, she had been a bit cautious upon entering as well.

But then she thought, this will be her home in the future, and she is the mistress here, so what is there to be afraid of?

From now on, no matter how capable Yu Meijuan is, she will have to serve her and her son. She couldn’t afford to show her a good face from the beginning; otherwise, it would only encourage her.

Yu Meijuan noticed her forced calmness. While turning to pour them water, she couldn’t help but become vigilant.

Having been born into such a large family, although she was raised with care, she was well aware of the unsavory things that often occurred in such families.

Moreover, during her time in Shanghe Village, she had seen too many examples of people’s malice. She understood very well the principle of being cautious of others.

“Please have some water, ladies.” She brought them boiled water, and there was no sugar added, indicating that she wasn’t welcoming their visit.

Yu Meijuan pushed the plate of sunflower seeds and peanuts on the coffee table closer to her guests and said, “Have some seeds,” her tone carrying a hint of indifference.

She didn’t ask them why they had come, waiting for them to speak up.

“Alright, alright,” the other woman responded, somewhat flattered. Aunt Sun was not pleased with this woman’s performance. She thought to herself, claiming to be a well-informed matchmaker, yet here she was, unable to even speak when meeting someone.

In truth, Aunt Sun had misjudged her. The woman simply felt that such a marriage was inappropriate and didn’t want to speak up for fear of ruining her reputation, which she had worked hard to build over the years.

Aunt Sun looked around the house and then at Yu Meijuan, already convinced that she was to be her daughter-in-law. Adopting a mother-in-law’s authoritative stance, she asked, “Why don’t I see your daughter?”

“Oh, my daughter is studying in her room,” Yu Meijuan replied to Aunt Sun’s question, but in her heart, she wondered why she was being asked about her daughter. Wasn’t this just meddling in matters that didn’t concern them?

“Why does a girl need to study so much? Isn’t that just wasting money?” Aunt Sun’s tone surprisingly carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Sensitive as she was, Yu Meijuan felt impatience rising within her upon hearing this unrelated person complain about her family matters. She bluntly asked, “I don’t know what brings you here, Aunt Sun?”

Hearing her unfriendly tone, Aunt Sun felt displeased. This woman spoke to her like this even before entering her home; just wait until you step through the door of the Sun family, I’ll make sure you are obedient.

She looked at the other woman, who coughed a few times.

The other woman realized it was her turn to speak, so she cleverly inquired, “Yu family girl, you are indeed single, right? You’ve divorced and obtained a divorce certificate, haven’t you?” Her tone was gentle, but the question made Yu Meijuan uncomfortable.

“I am divorced, and I have obtained a divorce certificate. I don’t see how this relates to you two,” she replied impatiently.

“Of course, it matters. If you hadn’t gotten a divorce certificate, what if you wanted to remarry and your ex-husband came to cause trouble? It’s better to resolve these issues early.”

Aunt Sun eagerly opened her mouth, making Yu Meijuan realize their intentions. However, Yu Meijuan didn’t take the bait.

She quietly looked at her visitors, wanting to hear what Aunt Sun was up to.

“I say, young lady, living in this world is already hard for women. It will be even harder for you to raise a daughter alone. Don’t you plan to take a step forward?” The other woman’s words were interrupted by Aunt Sun.

“If you want to marry, you can’t bring along a burden like that. Your daughter is already so big; she can live on her own. If it doesn’t work out, find someone for her to marry soon.”

Yu Meijuan, already angry, couldn’t tolerate this old lady’s interference in her family matters, especially her disdain for her daughter. Her temper flared.

Her family matters, her precious daughter, why should this unrelated person interfere?

She spoke rudely, “Old lady, aren’t you meddling a bit too much? Whether my daughter gets married or not is none of your business. We don’t need you to support us or eat your food. Why should you manage our affairs?”

Aunt Sun didn’t expect the usually gentle Yu Meijuan to have such a fiery temper.

This was a problem; if she didn’t rein her in now, her son’s life would be difficult in the future.

So she directly said, “Of course, I can manage this. You are going to marry my son, and once you enter the Sun family, you must follow our family rules.” After saying this, she crossed her arms and looked at Yu Meijuan.

Upon hearing Aunt Sun’s thoughts, Yu Meijuan was enraged and immediately pushed both women out of the house.

“You ugly old woman, you think beautifully! You want me to marry your son? Dream on! Get out of my house, leave now…” Her voice rose in anger.