Chapter 64

In Lu Jingzhe’s unclear and ambiguous gaze, Guo Yumei continued in a guilty tone:

“Little Ning has always been timid. How could she dare to climb onto your bed on her own? Because I knew she liked you since she was little, I gave her that idea. If you’re angry, be angry with your aunt.” She then looked at Lu Jingzhe, her voice becoming more urgent:

“It’s okay if you don’t acknowledge me, but please don’t blame Little Ning for this and have a falling out with her.”

Hearing this, Xia Qingning was moved again. She felt even more ashamed for misunderstanding Guo Yumei earlier.

She wasn’t asking her son-in-law for money. She was sacrificing her old face and taking all the blame upon herself, just to turn her daughter’s image around in her son-in-law’s eyes.

She probably didn’t sleep well last night after hearing her daughter say she hadn’t slept with Lu Jingzhe. She came to look for her son-in-law first thing in the morning.

These words were awkward to say to her son-in-law. But for her daughter, she could sacrifice her face, even her dignity, just hoping he could transfer his dissatisfaction and blame onto her and stop making things difficult for her daughter.

Lu Jingzhe silently stood there and listened to these words. He didn’t say anything. His expression remained calm. As smart as he was, how could he not know Guo Yumei was lying? He just didn’t want to expose her.

After a long while, he said in a low voice:

“Okay, I understand.”

Xia Qingning recovered from her shock and quickly walked forward, standing in front of Guo Yumei. She looked at Lu Jingzhe and said seriously:

“No, it wasn’t her who taught me…”

Before she could finish, Guo Yumei pulled her back, about to speak, when she heard someone calling her name outside. It sounded like they were yelling something.

“I know.” Lu Jingzhe looked at Xia Qingning and said in a low voice:

“I have something to do right now. If you need anything, we’ll talk about it when I get back.”

He didn’t stay any longer and went towards the village chief’s house.

“You child, I was talking to him nicely, why did you come out?” Guo Yumei looked at her daughter with a helpless expression.

“It’s okay if he hates me. As long as you two can have a good life, it’s okay with Mom.”

Xia Qingning naturally knew her good intentions. But how could she take the blame for this dirty pot? She held her arm and comforted her:

“Don’t worry about this. I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry, we’ll have a good life.”

The mother and daughter were talking when they heard unpleasant yelling coming from the yard:

“Guo Yumei, you old prostitute, get out here! Your son is lame and you still dare to think my daughter is ugly? You have such a big face! My daughter might be ugly, but she’s a hundred times better than your son who can’t even walk properly.

You said you wanted to marry a wife, but now you’re reluctant to pay the dowry. Are you playing with us? Ugh! I think your lame son shouldn’t even look for a wife. Go have children with the sows in the pigsty!”

Guo Yumei and Xia Qingning in the house both changed expressions when they heard these insults. They quickly walked out to the yard and saw a short and fat woman standing at the entrance, her face full of malice, her hands on her hips, yelling at the top of her lungs.

Behind her was a girl in her twenties. She was less than 5 feet tall, her face full of pockmarks, and her figure was just like the woman’s.

She was also yelling loudly with the woman:

“Xia Qing Shu, you lame bastard, get out here and make things clear! Who’s ugly? Who’s not good enough for you? Don’t even pee and take a look at yourself! It’s a blessing for you that I’m willing to marry you.”

Xia Qingning’s gaze fell on the girl, her expression clearly stagnant. She couldn’t believe this woman was the one introduced to her brother.

Didn’t her brother have a beautiful childhood sweetheart? What was going on now?

“Shut your mouths! When did I say your daughter was ugly? I only said your family’s dowry was too high. We can’t afford it.” Guo Yumei quickly walked to them, her face full of anger, and shouted.

She had always been kind to others. Even if she suffered some injustice, she would just endure it. But now these two women were actually coming to her door to insult her son, specifically picking out his weaknesses to attack.

She already felt indebted to her son. How could she stand for others to humiliate him with such vicious words? She was heartbroken and angry.

“You can’t afford it? Then why marry a wife? And what do you mean the dowry is too high? Don’t you look at what kind of person your son is? You can’t even afford 500 yuan? Your family has no money, and the man is lame. If you marry a wife, she’ll be eating your farts with you.”

The woman said sarcastically. Her face was full of flesh, her cheeks puffed out, and her saliva flew as she spoke. She grabbed the matchmaker beside her and continued to yell:

“Wang Matchmaker, you tell me, Guo Yumei, this old prostitute, she said my daughter was short and ugly, but she still dares to ask for such a high dowry.”

This matchmaker had just told Guo Yumei that the other side wanted 500 yuan as a dowry, and told her to ask her son-in-law for the money if she didn’t have it. But she didn’t expect this stupid Guo Yumei to not ask for it, but to say that her family wouldn’t let her son-in-law help. She thought Guo Yumei was stupid and ignorant, so she said:

“Your family is so high and mighty, how come one girl is going to marry the older brother, and then the younger brother?” Guo Yumei flipped out and directly kicked her out.

She was angry in her heart, so she went to the waiting mother and daughter and exaggeratedly told them that Guo Yumei thought their daughter was ugly. The two women immediately started yelling at the door.

“She did say that. She even said our daughter’s face is full of pockmarks that sparkle like gold, and she’s not even as tall as three piles of cow dung. Ugh, she said such mean things.”

The matchmaker knew she couldn’t admit that Guo Yumei hadn’t said those things. It was better to offend these two mother and daughter than to offend Guo Yumei. Besides, Guo Yumei had been so disrespectful to her, she had a chance to teach her a lesson.

“You!” Guo Yumei, who had been wronged, was so angry that she couldn’t speak. Her chest was heaving.

The short and fat woman, hearing this, didn’t get angry, but suddenly burst into laughter. In everyone’s puzzled gaze, she said with a disdainful tone:

“I admit my daughter is not as good as that Lin Xiaoyu. What’s the matter? Your lame son is now a useless person, and he’s still thinking about her? She’s already found someone better, she doesn’t want him anymore.

You should wake him up. Don’t dream that impossible dream. I think he should find a lame woman to marry. Two lame people can make three legs, right?”

The commotion here had attracted a crowd of onlookers. Everyone started laughing after hearing this.

The woman at the front, Niu Xianhua, was laughing the loudest. She looked at Guo Yumei and pretended to be kind as she reminded her:

“Yumei, I think Qing Shu’s like that, you should just forget about it. Getting married is just a burden for the girl.”

Xia Qing Shu, who had a bad leg, just walked over. He stopped when he heard the woman’s words. He stood there, his shoulders tilted because of his bad leg. Shame and anger filled his heart, but he could only clench his teeth and not say a word.

Guo Yumei saw her son coming over. Afraid that he would feel bad after hearing those words, she quickly said to Xia Qingning:

“Little Ning, it’s too loud here. Quickly take your brother back to the house.”

The matchmaker looked up and down at Xia Qingning, her eyes turning. She suddenly turned to the short and fat woman:

“Okay, okay, let’s go, Big Sister. Don’t make things difficult for them.” Then she looked at Guo Yumei with a sarcastic tone:

“They’re so poor, how could they afford that much dowry?”

She said these words deliberately to Xia Qingning. She knew that she was back from the city. Yesterday, her man bought so many things, she must have money. If she provoked her, maybe this girl would pay for it out of face.

As long as Xia’s family paid the dowry, this marriage would still have a chance. If it worked out, she would still get her matchmaker fee, wouldn’t she?

Now she had already torn her face with Xia’s family, so she couldn’t use conventional methods. She could only use this risky, desperate method. Guo Yumei wanted a daughter-in-law so badly, and the other side cared about money. If she paid, it would be a win-win situation.

Sure enough, the next second after she said those words, she heard the girl who came back from the city say:

“Who said we can’t afford it?”