Chapter 13 : Didn’t You Call Me?

The ninth day of the first lunar month arrived, marking the wedding celebration for Jiang Ting and Fu Xiangyang.

Yao Xiangling glanced at Jiang Yu’s dress, which had seen better days, and disapproved of its shabby appearance.

“Wait a minute!”

Jiang Yu paused. “Aunt, are you going?”

Yao Xiangling scoffed, she had no intention of attending.

“Look at your shoes, the soles are nearly coming off, and the leather is peeling. Didn’t you notice?”

Jiang Yu looked down, feeling embarrassed.

She had taken good care of those shoes.

After years of wear and several repairs, they were finally giving out.

“They’re still wearable,” she said defensively.

Yao Xiangling chided, “Wear those?”

She pulled out a brand-new pair of leather shoes from somewhere and placed them on the ground.

“Try them on and see if they fit.”

Jiang Yu nervously clenched her fingers, her eyes slightly red.

“Aunt, you don’t have to buy these for me.”

Yao Xiangling shot her a glare. “You said you’d support me in my old age, so what’s wrong with me giving you a pair of shoes? Are you just saying that to placate me?”

“Of course not! I genuinely want to support you!” Jiang Yu felt the urge to raise her hand and swear.

“Enough already, just put them on. If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss out on a hot meal.”

Fu Xiangyang was going to pick up Jiang Ting from the countryside, so Jiang Yu didn’t need to go so early.

But now it was already ten o’clock, and the bride had long been welcomed inside.

Only then did Jiang Yu change into the new shoes, feeling delighted.

“Aunt, they fit perfectly! They’re beautiful!”

Yao Xiangling laughed, enjoying the sight of her vibrant and lovely niece. She went back inside and came out with a pink checkered dress.

“This isn’t new, I wore it a few times when I was young, and then I saved it.”

She had adored that pink checkered fabric, saving up to make the dress when everyone was struggling to fill their bellies.

As a result, she had treasured it and hardly worn it, leaving it in storage.

“Go change into it. You’ll look stunning.”

Jiang Yu pressed her lips together. “But it’s your dress.”

Yao Xiangling replied, “Instead of waiting to accompany me into the coffin, it’s better to let you wear it. I’ll enjoy it while I can.”

With a little push from Yao Xiangling, Jiang Yu changed into the dress.

The pink complemented her fair skin, making her look like a flower in spring.

“Looks great, now hurry up!”

Jiang Yu smiled nervously, clutching the hem of her dress.

“Aunt, won’t it be too eye-catching?”

Yao Xiangling smirked, tapping her forehead.

“Do you think your sister is kind-hearted enough to invite you over for a drink? She wants you to be her backdrop, stepping on you to make a name for herself! Only you would be so foolish to let her take the lead in marriage and then get bullied by her.”

Yao Xiangling refused to let her be so complacent.

In that dress, Jiang Yu’s already striking beauty became even more pronounced.

When she appeared in the courtyard, she instantly drew everyone’s attention.

Xu Lihua was the first to speak up, “Girl, who are you looking for?”

Jiang Yu politely stepped forward. “Aunt, my sister is getting married today, and she’s marrying into the Fu family in your courtyard.”

Xu Lihua was taken aback, her voice rising. “You’re Jiang Ting’s sister?”

Jiang Yu nodded. “Jiang Ting is my sister.”

Xu Lihua looked her up and down, thinking Jiang Ting couldn’t compare to her.

“Oh, everyone, come see! Jiang Ting’s sister is here!”

Jiang Yu was puzzled, not understanding the curious looks she was getting.

What she didn’t know was that Lin Hongxia had claimed the previous day that one must choose a good bride.

So everyone assumed Jiang Ting was the better of the twin sisters.

Now that they saw Jiang Yu, they realized Lin Hongxia had been bragging.

The first to step out was Grandma Sun.

Grandma Sun exclaimed, “Is this Jiang Ting’s sister?”

Xu Lihua smiled, “Of course! She looks quite lovely! Your Liangzi is still single, maybe he should take a look at her.”

Grandma Sun scoffed inwardly, Xu Lihua clearly had ulterior motives.

What use was beauty if she was just a country girl?

Outwardly, she replied dismissively, “Liangzi is stubborn, I can’t control him. Let him figure it out on his own.”

Jiang Yu maintained her smile, recognizing Grandma Sun as Sun Zailiang’s mother but not missing the disdain in her eyes.

If Grandma Sun looked down on her, she certainly looked down on Sun Zailiang, that heartless playboy.

Before long, Lin Hongxia came out, having heard the commotion.

Xu Lihua couldn’t wait to see the spectacle, shouting, “Old Lin, Xiangyang’s sister-in-law is here!”

Lin Hongxia focused her gaze, her expression changing as she realized Jiang Yu was the one Fu Xiangyang had been infatuated with after just one glance.

After seeing Jiang Yu that day, Fu Xiangyang had been talking about her for quite a while, blaming the matchmaker Yao for not doing her job properly.

Lin Hongxia then understood, it wasn’t that the matchmaker hadn’t done her research, but that Jiang’s family had picked a less desirable daughter-in-law to placate her.

She forced a smile, feigning enthusiasm as she approached Jiang Yu.

“So you’re the sister-in-law! Come in! Jiang Ting is waiting for you, we’ll head to the restaurant together for the feast.”

As she led Jiang Yu inside, her smile faded.

Why did she have to show up now?

Jiang Yu seemed to sense her thoughts, smiling as she explained, “I thought you would be too busy to entertain me, so I shouldn’t bother you, but Jiang Ting came personally to invite me, so I had no choice but to come.”

Lin Hongxia managed a strained smile. “Don’t say that, you’re Jiang Ting’s older sister, of course you should be here for a drink.”

But inwardly, she cursed Jiang Ting for being such a fool!

Jiang Yu lifted the curtain and entered the newlywed’s room. The Fu family didn’t seem to care much for Jiang Ting, the room was barely decorated, with just a couple of couplets hastily posted.

There wasn’t even a red quilt on the bed, it looked no different from usual.

“Jiang Ting, your sister is here to see you!”

As Jiang Yu walked in, Jiang Ting’s face turned pale at the sight of her.

The pink dress and new shoes made her look more like a bride than Jiang Ting herself.

“What are you doing here?” Jiang Ting demanded.

Jiang Yu found it amusing. “Didn’t you invite me to the feast? I didn’t want to come, but you came to get me.”

Jiang Ting’s eyes turned red with anger as she clutched the hem of her clothes tightly.

“Jiang Yu!” she shouted. “You did this on purpose!”

Seeing her stomp in frustration only made Jiang Yu laugh.

She blinked innocently. “Wasn’t it you who called me over?”

Jiang Ting was speechless, she had invited Jiang Yu to see how well she was doing, not to overshadow her!

Those shoes were clearly brand new, and she knew Yao Xiangling had bought them specifically for Jiang Yu.

It was clear that Yao Xiangling was being deliberately unfair!

In a moment, Lin Hongxia knocked on the door.

“Jiang Ting, Xiangyang is back to take you to the restaurant.”

As usual, Jiang Ting had to enter first and then go to the restaurant with Fu Xiangyang to toast.

Upon hearing that Fu Xiangyang had arrived, Jiang Ting panicked.

“You can’t come out!”

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to the feast, why can’t I go out? Didn’t you call me here?”

Jiang Ting was filled with resentment. With Jiang Yu appearing, her wedding night would surely be disrupted.

But Jiang Yu ignored her and walked straight out.