Chapter 6: So What If Lu Yaozu Suffers a Little Injustice?

Lu Yaozu cursed under his breath, growing more certain that Jiang Xiaoci couldn’t even compare to Bai Miaomiao.

The thought of Bai Miaomiao made him even more frustrated.

If only Miaomiao’s family had the same conditions as Jiang Xiaoci’s, they could’ve been together a long time ago.

Although Bai Miaomiao was also a high school graduate, she was not like Jiang Xiaoci. She had a younger brother, and when she was little, her parents didn’t want her to study. They wanted her to stay home, do housework, and take care of her brother.

But Bai Miaomiao secretly taught herself, borrowing books from an older neighbor boy who had gone to school. When her parents found out, they beat her severely.

Thinking quickly, she persuaded them: she said she was smart and had potential, and if she gained some knowledge, she might marry a wealthy man one day. Then her dowry money could be used to help marry off her younger brother.

She even promised that while she was studying, she would still do all the housework at night.

She was outstanding, strong-willed, ambitious, pretty, and delicate—qualities that evoked Lu Yaozu’s protective instincts.

But along with all that came the Bai family’s outrageous bride price.

In 1975, when most people couldn’t even get enough to eat or wear, and monthly wages were only a few dozen yuan at most, the Bai family demanded a bride price of 888 yuan.

The Lu family wasn’t poor—in fact, they were quite well-off. But his parents could see at a glance that the Bai family’s background would only be a burden on their son after marriage. They were sure the Bai family would continue to rely on them in the future, so no matter what, they refused to let him marry Bai Miaomiao.

Instead, they took a liking to Jiang Xiaoci.

Her parents worked in a factory, had steady incomes, and she was their only daughter—extremely cherished.

She had a high school education, was beautiful, and had a good personality. Altogether, she was a desirable match.

So Lu Yaozu’s parents told him to propose to Jiang Xiaoci.

Even though Lu Yaozu had his own thoughts, he still relied heavily on his family, so he had no choice but to go.

But to his shock, Jiang Xiaoci rejected him!

What an ungrateful girl!

Fuming, Lu Yaozu went to find Bai Miaomiao.

She was at home feeding the chickens, wearing a faded floral cotton jacket. Though old, the garment had been carefully altered to fit her figure, showing off her graceful silhouette.

Her small, oval face was pale and delicate.

Her hair was loosely tied, with a few strands falling across her cheeks. She looked weak yet alluring, and her forehead was sweaty, showing she had been working hard—not like Jiang Xiaoci, that pampered girl who couldn’t even dress herself without help from her family.

Lu Yaozu looked at Bai Miaomiao with a mix of heartache and affection. His Miaomiao was so good, yet she wasn’t as lucky as that foolish Jiang Xiaoci. Life was so unfair!

He stepped forward a few more paces and accidentally stepped on a dry branch. With a crisp crack, Bai Miaomiao looked up in surprise when she saw his unhappy face.

“Brother Yaozu, why are you here?”

She put down the chicken feed, pulled him aside, and led him behind the house into a small grove to talk.

During this era, male-female relations were strictly scrutinized. Bai Miaomiao had to be cautious to avoid gossip.

After all, she was still an unmarried girl, and Lu Yaozu was a man. In matters of reputation, women always suffered more.

Only then did Lu Yaozu speak. “Miaomiao, I went to the Jiang family to propose yesterday. That damn girl Jiang Xiaoci actually rejected me!”

He gritted his teeth in anger, and Bai Miaomiao was stunned.

Everyone knew that the Lu family held a certain status around here.

Lu Yaozu’s grandfather was a retired soldier who had reached the rank of brigade commander before retiring.

His grandmother worked at a garment factory—Bai Miaomiao didn’t know her exact position, but it was clearly high-ranking, since all of Lu Yaozu’s immediate family worked there.

In that era, a job at a state-owned factory was a lifelong iron rice bowl. Jobs could be passed down, or even sold.

As for the Jiang family—even if they had money, how could they look down on Lu Yaozu?

Lu Yaozu himself was impressive: high school graduate, handsome, and had a respectable job.

More importantly, he was the only son, the sole heir of the Lu family’s eldest line. He looked good, and had good prospects—yet Jiang Xiaoci dared to reject him?

Bai Miaomiao was outraged on his behalf. “Brother Yaozu, did I hear that right? Jiang Xiaoci actually doesn’t appreciate your worth?”

That one sentence immediately reignited Lu Yaozu’s fury.

A man could accept being criticized for many things—but being looked down upon? That was like stomping on his pride!

Lu Yaozu fumed, “Who knows if she’s just gone crazy? She looks dumb and wooden, and when she talks, she’s rude like a shrew. Miaomiao, she’s nothing compared to you. If it weren’t for my parents forcing me—and you persuading me—I’d never have thought to propose to her.”

As he spoke, he subconsciously grabbed her hand. When talking about Jiang Xiaoci, his face twisted in anger and disgust. But when he looked at Bai Miaomiao, his expression softened, eyes filled with affection.

Bai Miaomiao let him hold her hand, smiling shyly—both sweet and conflicted.

In fact, it was she who had persuaded him to propose to Jiang Xiaoci.

Why?

Because Lu Yaozu’s parents were superficial and snobbish—they firmly opposed him being with her.

They were set on Jiang Xiaoci, the only daughter of the wealthy Jiang family.

Lu Yaozu resisted but was wavering. He couldn’t let go of Bai Miaomiao, and Bai Miaomiao, though resentful of her own poor background, was also disappointed in him: how could a man, the eldest Lu grandson, not have control over his own marriage?

Wasn’t he the one getting married—not his parents?

Thinking it through, and confirming Lu Yaozu’s affection for her, she decided: rather than let him marry someone else, better to let him go propose to Jiang Xiaoci.

She and Jiang Xiaoci were classmates, and in her eyes, Jiang Xiaoci was nothing special besides being rich.

In contrast, Bai Miaomiao felt she had many advantages.

Jiang Xiaoci was just a naive, brainless rich girl. Even if Lu Yaozu married her, Bai Miaomiao was confident she could win him back.

For her future, she pretended to be generous and pushed Lu Yaozu to propose to Jiang Xiaoci—just to make herself look kind.

Deep down, she even plotted: once they married, she’d find a way to get rid of Jiang Xiaoci’s parents, let Jiang Xiaoci inherit all the wealth, then kill Jiang Xiaoci—then all that money would be Lu Yaozu’s.

And if he had the money, he could marry her instead.

But things didn’t go as planned. Jiang Xiaoci rejected Lu Yaozu.

If Jiang Xiaoci didn’t fall for it, how could Lu Yaozu get her family’s wealth?

Without that inheritance, how could he afford to marry her? How could they be together?

Putting on a worried expression, Bai Miaomiao tentatively suggested, “Brother Yaozu, you’re so outstanding. If Jiang Xiaoci rejected you, she must be out of her mind. Why don’t you try asking her parents instead?”

But Lu Yaozu had just been humiliated. There was no way he could swallow his pride.

Besides, he had seen it with his own eyes—how Jiang Xiaoci’s parents spoiled her beyond belief.

What kind of parents did that?

A child’s marriage should be decided by the parents!

That’s how it was in his family!

So why did Jiang Xiaoci get to decide for herself?

What gave her that right?

Lu Yaozu sighed and said helplessly, “Forget it. Maybe we should talk to our parents. If I insist on marrying you, maybe they’ll finally give in.”

But Bai Miaomiao didn’t agree. She didn’t know exactly how badly Lu Yaozu had been rejected, but she’d suffered enough humiliation from his parents and was sick of their cold looks and disdain.

She felt this was a rare opportunity that couldn’t be wasted.

If they could take down Jiang Xiaoci and get the Jiang family’s wealth, Lu Yaozu could become financially independent. He wouldn’t need to listen to his parents anymore. Life would be so much better.

No more enduring the Lu parents’ glares or relying on their approval.

So what if Lu Yaozu had to suffer a little in the process?

She had already endured a lot from his family—for his sake.