Wu Meixia and Song Ke stared at the departing jeep, looking puzzled. “Isn’t your third uncle stationed in the southwest?”  

“He came back a couple of days ago.”  

Lu Tingting frowned irritably. “I don’t know if he saw me or not. If he did and realized I wasn’t in school right now, I’ll definitely get scolded when I get home.”  

“I’d better head back to school now.”  

Without hesitation, Lu Tingting turned to leave. She shoved the annoying soda bottles into Jiang Moli’s hands like they were trash and casually threw out a threat:  

“Next time, I’ll settle the score with you.”  

Once Lu Tingting left, Wu Meixia and Song Ke walked off together.  

Jiang Moli finished both bottles of soda, returned them to the shopkeeper, pocketed the five-cent refund, and headed home.  

…  

Lu Cheng hadn’t noticed his niece on the roadside. Right now, his mind was entirely occupied with planning how to file a marriage report.  

Given his rank, his chosen spouse would have to undergo rigorous political vetting by the authorities.  

The process could take anywhere from half a month to two or three months—and he wasn’t sure he could wait that long.  

On top of that, Jiang Moli didn’t have the best reputation. His father would probably be a tough nut to crack on this matter.  

He needed to think this through carefully.  

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaoguang, who was driving, was also mulling over the conversation he’d overheard earlier.  

From what Lu Cheng had said, it sounded like he had taken a liking to Jiang Peng’s sister. But the woman seemed to have some entanglement with a guy named Jiaming?  

No, he had to report this to the higher-ups immediately.  

…  

Zhang Jiaming rushed to meet Jiang Qing and shared the good news—Jiang Moli had agreed to break off the engagement.  

Jiang Qing hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly.  

After all, Jiang Moli had never been an easy person to deal with.  

“Did you hear her agree to it yourself?”  

“It was my superior who talked to her. If he says it’s settled, then it must be true. He wouldn’t lie to me.”  

Relieved, Jiang Qing asked Zhang Jiaming when he planned to visit the Jiang family.  

“My superior agreed to accompany me to your house in three days to propose. With him there, your father won’t give us too hard a time.”  

“Alright, then three days it is.”  

Staring at Jiang Qing’s elegant and delicate face, Zhang Jiaming couldn’t contain his excitement. He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest.  

“Qing, you’re so beautiful. I’m the luckiest man in the world to have you as my wife.”  

Jiang Qing’s cheeks burned, and her mind involuntarily flashed to Jiang Moli’s dazzlingly charming appearance.  

She pulled her hand back and said coolly, “I’m nowhere near as pretty as Moli. She’s the most beautiful girl in the residential area.”  

Zhang Jiaming’s mind conjured up an image of the red-dressed girl’s rough features and stocky figure.  

“Nonsense! With a face like hers, just looking at her kills my appetite.”  

“Really?” Jiang Qing asked skeptically.  

“If I’m lying, I’m a dog!”  

His resolute tone and genuine disgust brought a smile back to Jiang Qing’s face.  

“I believe you.”  

Zhang Jiaming took her hand again, guilt creeping into his voice. “Qing, I’m sorry. I’m from the countryside, and my family is poor. I can’t give you a respectable dowry.”  

“Like you, I didn’t get to choose my background. But our future and our prospects are in our own hands. As long as we work hard and strive for better, life will only get better.”  

Jiang Qing’s understanding, gentleness, kindness, and resilience moved Zhang Jiaming deeply.  

“Qing, I swear to heaven, I will never let you down in this lifetime. I’ll make sure you live a good life!”  

“Mm.”  

The two embraced tightly, as if unwilling to let even a sliver of space remain between them.  

…

By the time Jiang Moli returned home, Jiang Qing had already prepared lunch.  

Jiang Dahai and Li Hongying immediately surrounded Jiang Moli, eagerly asking about her blind date with Zhang Jiaming.  

Jiang Qing, on the other hand, acted as if nothing was happening, calmly going about her business.  

Jiang Moli couldn’t help but admire her composure and self-control.  

No wonder she was the female lead!  

Jiang Dahai: “Come on, tell us! How did it go with Jiaming?”  

Li Hongying: “With our Moli being so beautiful, Jiaming must’ve been head over heels for her!”  

Jiang Dahai: “When does he plan to come and propose?”  

Li Hongying: “The sooner, the better! Ideally, they can register the marriage tomorrow to deal with the educated youth office. The formalities can always be made up later.”  

Jiang Moli felt that if she didn’t speak up soon, Jiang Dahai and Li Hongying might even start picking out names for her and Zhang Jiaming’s future children.  

“He said he’ll come to propose in three days.”

Jiang Dahai: “That’s great!”  

Li Hongying: “See? I knew it wouldn’t be a problem. How could Jiaming not like our Moli?”  

Jiang Qing also curved her lips into a smile.  

But her smile was one of mockery—she found it utterly foolish that Jiang Moli was still putting on a brave face and lying to Jiang Dahai at this point.  

Being jilted might be embarrassing, but it would only mean being laughed at for a while.  

Going to the countryside, on the other hand, could be life-threatening.  

Even if Jiang Moli was lucky enough to avoid natural disasters, the grueling farm labor would still strip her of several layers of skin.  

When Jiang Moli caught Jiang Qing’s smile, she suddenly understood.  

No wonder that scumbag had acted so accommodating, even promising her an exorbitant bride price—he was just toying with her!  

First, he’d raise her hopes, then watch her crash and burn.  

Most likely, he was doing this to avenge his beloved woman.  

After all, the original Jiang Moli had genuinely bullied Jiang Qing for ten years.  

Fortunately, she wasn’t the original Jiang Moli. She wouldn’t lose her mind over the male and female leads’ schemes and end up throwing herself in front of a train.  

Jiang Peng was conflicted.  

He really wanted to tell his family that Jiang Moli had mistaken the man—that it wasn’t Zhang Jiaming, but Zhang Jiaming’s superior!  

As for Jiang Moli mixing up the men, Jiang Peng wasn’t surprised.  

She had always despised rural conditions and looked down on Zhang Jiaming, her arranged fiancé. She hadn’t been back to their hometown or seen Zhang Jiaming in seven or eight years, so it was natural she wouldn’t recognize him.  

As her younger brother, Jiang Peng genuinely hoped Jiang Moli would marry a capable man.  

But he also knew that apart from her pretty face, Jiang Moli had nothing else to offer.  

What if Lu Cheng discovered her true nature and changed his mind?  

If his sister couldn’t get married, wouldn’t she have to go to the countryside?  

…  

In the living room of the Lu family.  

An Hui, Lu Cheng’s mother, was chatting and laughing with the mother and daughter from the Meng family.  

When Lu Cheng walked in and saw this scene, he finally understood why his father had sent Jiang Xiaoguang to summon him home.  

Seeing him, An Hui’s smile faded. “Why are you only coming back now? Xiaowei has been waiting for you for ages.”

“I had some business to take care of at the political department.”

Meng Wei smiled gently. “It’s fine. Official matters take priority—we completely understand.”  

An Hui’s smile returned as she said to Meng’s mother, “Look at your Weiwei—so sweet and understanding. Unlike my rebellious son, who only knows how to upset me…”

Lu Cheng sat down beside An Hui on the sofa. “It wasn’t official business. It was personal.”  

Meng Wei, pleased that Lu Cheng had responded to her, was about to say something when she heard him continue speaking to his mother:  

“Mom, I have good news for you—your son has found a partner. Half an hour ago, I submitted my marriage application to the political department. Soon, you’ll be drinking your daughter-in-law’s tea.”

Then, he turned to the stunned Meng mother and daughter, unable to hide his joy: “You’re both welcome to attend the wedding when the time comes.” 

“Lu Cheng! Have you lost your damn mind?! Spouting nonsense like this—I’ll beat you to death!”

Snapping back to reality, An Hui grabbed a feather duster and started whacking Lu Cheng.