Chapter 74

Wang Mingfang looked at Li Qiulian with a sincere expression and said apologetically:

“Auntie Qiulian, you know our Shanshan. She’s not bad at heart, but she’s just too impulsive. She was just flustered and said those things. Please don’t hold it against a young girl.”

After saying this, she suddenly turned to Xiao Wu, who was standing aside, and started playing the emotional card. Even her voice became choked with tears. She asked with a sad expression, “Xiao Wu, tell Auntie, when you came to our house to meet Shanshan last time, did Auntie do something wrong, did we neglect you, or did we say something unpleasant to you that made you feel uncomfortable? Is that why you have a grudge against us? Is that why you don’t like our Shanshan?”

Hearing Wang Mingfang’s question, Xiao Wu thought that the matchmaker hadn’t conveyed the message clearly the next day and that she had misunderstood something. So he explained, “No, no, it’s just that I feel that I and Comrade He…”

“So, it’s because Shanshan was impolite, said something that upset you, or did something to make you angry, that you don’t like her?” Wang Mingfang didn’t let him finish. She interrupted him directly and continued to ask, looking very self-blaming.

Xiao Wu naturally didn’t understand why Wang Mingfang was asking these questions now, but there was really no conflict between the two families at the time. So he answered truthfully, “It’s not that…”

Getting the answer she wanted, Wang Mingfang immediately interrupted him. Her tone suddenly changed as she asked, “Since neither I nor my Shanshan have offended you, why are you humiliating our family like this?”

Xiao Wu, unaware that he was being tricked, looked confused. He didn’t understand why she was suddenly saying this. When did he humiliate their family?

Wang Mingfang didn’t give him a chance to retort. She suddenly raised her hand and wiped her tears. While crying in a pitiful way, she began to accuse him, “Woo… Xiao Wu, you know that our two families live in the same courtyard. You went on a blind date with our Shanshan, and then you went on a blind date with Maimiao. How can you do this?

Auntie knows that it’s your freedom to like whoever you want, but child, woo… We can’t be so inconsiderate! You’re doing this, aren’t you slapping our Shanshan in the face?”

Then she turned to the crowd and asked sincerely, “Uncles and Aunties, you tell me, if this happened to you, wouldn’t you be angry? Our Shanshan is a very straightforward child. Although she doesn’t speak nicely, she never has any bad intentions. She said those things just because she was flustered. She was just talking without thinking.”

Xia Qingning listened from the side and slightly furrowed her brows. As expected, Wang Mingfang was a master of eloquence. No wonder she was quick-witted and could make up excuses even when she was in the wrong.

This trick of putting yourself in their shoes and turning the tide of public opinion was truly foolproof.

As she expected, different voices immediately emerged from the crowd.

“If you put it that way, it’s not entirely He Shanshan’s fault. The man also did something wrong.”

“That’s right. If this happened to my daughter, I would be angry too.”

“Exactly. The man just admitted that when he came to the Lu family, neither the mother nor the daughter did anything wrong.”

“If you ask me, it’s all the man’s fault. He didn’t think things through. Now, he’s made both families lose face.”

Xiao Wu listened to everyone’s words and was completely dumbfounded. He, who had no cunning or scheming, was no match for the eloquent Wang Mingfang.

With a few simple words, Wang Mingfang had turned the situation around. Xiao Wu was now the target of everyone’s criticism and condemnation.

Hearing the change in public opinion, Wang Mingfang was secretly delighted, but she didn’t show it. She was about to press her advantage when Li Qiulian, who was standing aside, couldn’t listen anymore. She looked at her and said, “He just went on a blind date with your daughter. They haven’t decided anything. According to you, if he went on a blind date with your daughter, he has to consider her face and can’t go on a blind date with anyone else? That doesn’t make sense.”

Wang Mingfang quickly waved her hands, expressing her sincerity, “No, no, no, Qiulian, you misunderstood me. I didn’t mean he couldn’t go on a blind date with anyone else. I just think that he was a little too hasty. Even if he had waited a month and then gone on a blind date with your Maimiao, our Shanshan wouldn’t have said anything bad about him.

But it hasn’t even been two days, and he’s already going on a blind date with someone else. And it’s right under our noses. We have to consider our face too. Isn’t he slapping us in the face?”

Wang Mingfang’s words seemed reasonable, and Li Qiulian was speechless.

Seeing that Li Qiulian wasn’t saying anything, Wang Mingfang turned to Xiao Wu again, as if she was sincerely advising a younger generation. She said earnestly, “It’s true that you don’t like our Shanshan, and it’s okay to go on a blind date with other people. But in terms of feelings, you’re being a little too inconsiderate. Xiao Wu, we don’t need you to apologize for anything. We just want you to think things through more carefully in the future. We have no grudges against each other. What you did was really wrong.”

Her words were so reasonable that even Xia Qingning had to admire her ability to argue.

Clearly, it was her daughter, He Shanshan, who was ill-mannered and went to their house to cause a scene. Now, she had used moral blackmail to make them the victims. They had complained about them with a pitiful expression and finally said magnanimously, “We don’t need you to apologize.” Her audacity was truly unparalleled.

Now, there were basically no more voices criticizing He Shanshan. Everyone seemed to understand her outburst and even a few people showed sympathy.

Wang Mingfang seized the opportunity. She pretended to be very apologetic, bent down and apologized to Li Qiulian again, then pulled He Shanshan, looking sad, and started to walk out.

He Shanshan’s expression clearly still showed unwillingness, but under her mother’s threatening gaze, she didn’t dare say anything anymore. She was reluctantly dragged forward.

Now, the onlookers looked at Maimiao’s family and Xiao Wu with different eyes. Some people were even whispering that Maimiao had stolen He Shanshan’s blind date and that it was very inconsiderate.

Hearing their words, Maimiao’s family and Xiao Wu were a little confused. They didn’t know how to explain. Xia Qingning also slightly furrowed her brow.

Not only had she saved her daughter’s reputation, but she had also made Maimiao’s family eat their words and taught that blind fool, Xiao Wu, a lesson. Wang Mingfang was extremely pleased with herself.

Just as they were about to leave the crowd, they saw Xia Qingning suddenly step forward and block them without a trace.