Chapter 2

About ten minutes later, Mu Wanwan arrived at the Wen family’s old residence. The main gate was open, and she walked straight into the courtyard. Old Master Wen had just gotten up and was practicing tai chi there.

Although he was already over seventy, he still looked vigorous. Years of military service gave him an indescribable sense of authority.

The moment he saw Mu Wanwan, a loving smile appeared on his face.

“Wanwan, it’s you. How come you’re here so early?”

“Grandfather, I came to bring you breakfast.”

Mu Wanwan walked over to the table in the courtyard and laid out the breakfast. Instantly, the aroma spread through the air.

When Old Master Wen saw the neatly arranged, plump steamed dumplings on the plate, his appetite was stirred. The fragrant porridge alongside them looked just as tempting.

“When did this girl’s cooking become so good? Looks like I have a blessing today!”

Mu Wanwan smiled and helped him sit down at the table.

In her past life, she firmly believed in the saying, ‘If you want to capture a man’s heart, you must first capture his stomach.’ To win Wen Lin’s affection, she practiced cooking diligently. But in the end, he had hardly ever eaten her food.

Old Master Wen picked up a dumpling, bit into it, and flavorful juices burst out. The meat filling was bouncy, mixed with mushrooms, carrying a freshness hard to describe. He ate several in a row.

Then he sipped the steaming porridge. Refreshing and warming, it gave a wonderful sense of comfort.

“Wanwan, sit down and eat with this old man.”

“Alright.”

That was exactly what Mu Wanwan intended. She sat by his side and, after a few bites, went straight to the point: “Grandfather, this afternoon let me take you to the hospital for a check-up.”

Old Master Wen paused, then waved his hand dismissively. “A check-up for what? I know my body best. No need to waste money on that.”

“Grandfather, I’ve read in the papers recently that many elderly people have hidden illnesses. Sometimes it starts as a small issue, but because they don’t pay attention, it turns into something serious.

I know you’ve always been strong, but I’m still worried. If there’s nothing wrong, that’s the best outcome. But if there is, we can catch it early.”

Seeing the worry on Mu Wanwan’s face, Old Master Wen felt his heart warm. He had always known that no one understood and cared for him as this girl did.

Though he disliked the hassle of hospitals, he agreed.

Only then did Mu Wanwan breathe a sigh of relief. In her previous life, Old Master Wen’s stomach problems had gone unnoticed until they developed into cancer. Without treatment, he passed away.

If it had been discovered earlier, it might not have been so serious and could have been treated. Now, with this second chance, she would not let him suffer again.

After finishing breakfast with him, Mu Wanwan did not return home immediately. Instead, she stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative. She had no desire to remain tied to Wen Lin. Divorce was only a matter of time. Afterward, she would not go back to her parents’ home either. With two older brothers both married, living together with them would be inconvenient.

What she needed most now was money. Having lived through an entire lifetime, she knew how fast the country’s economy would develop in the coming years. This was a golden era for making money.

She only had ten yuan on hand, money given to her by Old Master Wen. Not much, but enough to start.

At the cooperative, she bought some seasonings, two pig intestines, and four pig trotters. At this time, intestines and trotters were cheap—most people preferred pork belly—so she spent only a little over three yuan.

She didn’t mind the smell. Happily, she put them into her basket and hurried home.

When she returned, she noticed the outer gate was open. Could Wen Lin be back?

Walking toward the house, she reached the doorway but, before lifting the curtain, overheard voices inside.

“Old Wen, did you really marry that little country girl? You even held the wedding yesterday, and now everyone knows. You really can’t go back on it!

What’s a girl like Mu Wanwan worth? I don’t know what Old Master Wen was thinking, forcing you to marry her. At best she has a passable face, but otherwise she’s plain and rustic!”

Inside, a man with slicked-back hair sat beside Wen Lin. His skin was fair, his features delicate, but his flashy attire made him look like a peacock.

Wen Lin frowned slightly and said coolly, “It makes no difference to me who I marry. Since Grandfather wanted it, I agreed.

Tingyu, watch your words. Whatever else, she is my wife now. Don’t keep calling her ‘country girl.’ She has a name.”

He didn’t like Mu Wanwan, but he didn’t dislike her either. Since his grandfather insisted, marrying her kept him from being nagged any further.

“Tsk, I doubt it’s that simple. That girl knows how to scheme—leaning on Old Master Wen’s favor, who knows how she might pressure you in the future?

And what about Huiru? You should have married her instead. That would’ve been far better than a country girl!”

Song Tingyu, speaking on Lin Huiru’s behalf, was openly scornful of Mu Wanwan.

Wen Lin cast him a cold glance. “Tingyu, I see Huiru as a younger sister. Don’t say such things again. It’ll only cause needless misunderstandings.”

Song Tingyu curled his lip. Misunderstandings? Everyone could see Huiru liked Wen Lin—except Wen Lin himself.

At the doorway, Mu Wanwan had heard every word clearly. She sneered inwardly, then lifted the curtain and walked straight in, catching the two men off guard.

Song Tingyu felt a pang of guilt, rubbed his nose, and avoided looking at her.

Wen Lin, noticing the basket in her hand, immediately got up and reached to take it.

But Mu Wanwan stepped back.

Wen Lin froze, not expecting such a reaction.

“What’s that smell? Country girl, what on earth did you buy? It stinks!”

Even from a distance, Song Tingyu could smell the strong odor. Pinching his nose, he looked at her with open disgust.

Mu Wanwan gave him a cold look. “Does it smell that bad? I think it’s not nearly as foul as your mouth.”

Song Tingyu’s eyes widened, flames of anger sparking.

“Country girl, what did you say? Dare to repeat that?”

“I said your mouth stinks. Better go brush your teeth.”

Her face was stern. With that, she turned and walked into the kitchen without sparing Wen Lin a glance.

Song Tingyu had always looked down on her. In her previous life, she had been timid and insecure, shrinking further under his disdain, trying harder to curry favor with Wen Lin and even treating Song Tingyu with obsequious caution.

But that was the old her. In this life, she would never care about such irrelevant nonsense.

Song Tingyu’s face darkened. “Old Wen, did you see that? That girl actually dared to insult me!”

Wen Lin watched her retreating figure into the kitchen, his lips tightening. Was it his imagination, or had Mu Wanwan changed?

Was she angry about him not coming home last night? Or had she overheard their earlier conversation?

He looked back at Song Tingyu and said in a low voice, “You were in the wrong. Go apologize.”

“What? You want me to apologize to a country girl? Are you serious? Which part of what I said was wrong? Do you even still see me as your brother?”

Truly annoyed now, Song Tingyu snorted and left. He would never apologize to that girl.

Wen Lin sighed helplessly. He was just about to go into the kitchen to explain when Mu Wanwan came out first.

“Wen Lin, let’s talk.”

“Alright, Wanwan. Tingyu was out of line just now. I’ll deal with him. Don’t take his words to heart. As for last night, I—”

“Stop! I don’t care about any of that. That’s not what I want to talk about.”

Mu Wanwan cut him off. Looking straight at him, her expression calm and resolute, she said:

“Wen Lin, let’s get a divorce.”