Chapter 27: Chen Li Is Already Engaged to Someone Else in the City

Xu Zhaoying struck first, playing the victim:
“Her daughter spent all my son’s money!”

Old Lady Miao instantly fired back:
“Nonsense!”

“When our Haitang went to the city, she brought half of our family’s savings with her. Even if the money was spent, it was your son who spent my daughter’s money!”

The two daughters-in-law of the Li family looked visibly awkward.
They hadn’t expected their stingy mother-in-law to be so generous—to actually give half of the family’s savings to that “money-losing” girl, Li Haitang.

Xu Zhaoying spat at her, “My son gets paid every month! Why would he need to spend your daughter’s money?”
“Your daughter must just be lazy and greedy, sitting at home waiting to spend my son’s hard-earned wages.”

She added with a smug tone:
“Ever since my son started working, he hasn’t taken a single cent from us.”
“So how come, as soon as your daughter moved to the city, he suddenly ran out of money?”

Feeling more confident with what she thought was sound logic, Xu Zhaoying stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for Old Lady Miao’s response.

Old Lady Miao sneered:
“A temporary worker—how much money can he possibly make per month?”
“He can’t even support a wife! I think we need to reconsider this engagement between Haitang and Chen Li.”

Xu Zhaoying was secretly thrilled—she wanted the engagement to break off!
That way, her son could openly marry a city woman!

The onlookers were all surprisingly unified in their shock:
Chen Li was only a temporary worker in the city?

Someone asked:
“Does that mean Chen Li won’t get a pension when he retires?”

Zhong Shuhe chimed in quietly:
“Temporary workers not only lack pensions, but also don’t get health insurance, allowances, or holiday bonuses.”
“And they’re not even eligible for assigned housing.”

Xu Zhaoying’s long-time rival, Old Lady Qin, couldn’t resist throwing shade:
“Temporary jobs are tough these days.”
“Promotions and raises don’t apply, and some people never get a permanent position even if they work themselves to death.”

Everyone in the brigade knew that the two women were sworn enemies.
Rumor had it that if they even accidentally crossed paths on the road, they’d spit at each other.

Now, like a lit firecracker, Xu Zhaoying exploded. She rushed over and slapped Old Lady Qin across the face!
“What do you know?!”
“My son is excellent—it’s only a matter of time before he becomes permanent!”
“Once he’s established in the city, I’m moving there to enjoy life too!”

Old Lady Qin wasn’t backing down. She slapped her back twice—hard!
“If the brigade leader’s daughter hadn’t taken a liking to your son, he’d be stuck in the fields forever!”
“Everyone knows your son only got the worker-peasant recommendation spot by agreeing to marry Li Haitang!”
“You’ve got no shame, bragging about your son all day long.”
“And if your son could really support you in the city, he wouldn’t have sent a telegram asking for money!”

The brigade leader was furious. He stomped his foot and shouted:
“Enough!”
“This is getting out of hand!”

Xu Zhaoying, realizing she was in the wrong, stopped her accusations and switched to dramatic sobbing.
“They’re all bullying me!”
“I don’t want to live anymore!”

The crowd: …

The brigade leader: …

Dead silence fell across the scene.

Lin Ting covered her face. She couldn’t bear to watch.

The brigade secretary finally arrived—late and confused.
What the heck was going on here?

Once he understood the full story, his expression darkened so much it looked like rain might fall from his face.
His gaze toward Xu Zhaoying could kill.

She shivered and stammered,
“Secretary Li, it’s not what you think…”
“My son never intended to abandon Li Haitang… It’s just… Could you ask her to be more frugal? My son’s money doesn’t grow on trees.”

Secretary Li put his hands behind his back and said coldly:
“If you’ve got something to say, let’s talk behind closed doors.”

Xu Zhaoying immediately backtracked, “I’ve got nothing more to say.”

Old Lady Miao couldn’t resist asking:
“So you’re not going to compensate us now?”

Xu Zhaoying hesitated for a moment, then muttered,
“If you’re willing to give a little, that’d be great.”

Old Lady Miao snorted:
“We’re marrying off our daughter, not marrying in a son!”
“Also, your Chen Li hasn’t even paid the bride price yet. Let me be clear: if you want to marry our daughter, the bride price must be at least 80 yuan and two sets of new clothes. It’s up to the Chen family to deliver.”

Xu Zhaoying gasped. Where was she supposed to get 80 yuan?!
And if she gave that much to Li Haitang, her eldest daughter-in-law Li Lijuan would definitely explode!

She whispered,
“That’s too much. My son can’t afford to marry your daughter.”

She secretly hoped the Li family would call off the engagement first.

But the brigade secretary seemed to read her mind and said sternly:
“Old Lady Xu, are you really planning to go back on your word?”
“Calling off the engagement means you’ll have to pay a 100-yuan penalty.”

Good thing he had everything written down in black and white back then!

Lin Ting suddenly remembered something:
In her previous life, the brigade secretary had died suddenly not long after she and Chen Li married.
When Li Haitang came to stay with them, Chen Li had mentioned the secretary’s death and told her to treat Li Haitang well. She even took Li Haitang out to cheer her up.

Now she had a chilling thought—could the secretary’s sudden death have had something to do with that 100-yuan compensation for backing out of the engagement?

Would Chen Li really go so far as to have someone killed just to avoid paying?

In the past, she would’ve thought that idea was ridiculous.
But after living through a whole lifetime, she felt Chen Li was more terrifying than anyone she’d ever met.

He could marry a woman he didn’t love for status,
and stay loyal to his “white moonlight” for decades without touching his wife.

Xu Zhaoying, eyes flickering, tried to dodge responsibility:
“It’s not like we want to break off the engagement—it’s just that your bride price is too high. If we can’t afford it, what else can we do?”

“I don’t care how you do it—just make it happen!”
“Our Li family’s daughters aren’t easy to marry!” the brigade secretary snapped.

In the crowd, Old Lady Qin muttered:
“If I’d known marrying Li Haitang came with a worker-peasant recommendation spot, I would’ve had my son propose!”
“What’s 50 yuan for a bride price? I’d pay 100!”

Someone else agreed:
“Buying a job in the city would cost way more than 100 yuan. Chen Li’s family really got a good deal and still doesn’t appreciate it.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhaoying turned red with anger and snapped:
“Li Haitang only loves my Chen Li! You all better stop dreaming!”

Since this was now the brigade secretary’s family matter, even the team leader didn’t dare meddle too much. He simply said,
“Whatever happens, the two families need to talk it out.”
“Everyone else, disperse!”

Just then, someone in the crowd spoke up:

“I heard Chen Li is already engaged to someone else in the city.”

The crowd went wild—
Everyone instantly turned to look at the speaker.