Chapter 16

“What do you mean by that?”

Zhao Shufen, surprised at first, couldn’t help but press further.

What did Lu Chen not possibly marrying Educated Youth Meng mean? Could it be that he liked someone else, was already engaged, or was there another reason?

The Wang family was clearly captivated by Lu Xiujuan’s words, and even she felt a little nervous.

After all, apart from her wedding day, this was the first time she’d been the center of attention at the Wang household. Though nervous, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy and satisfaction.

Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke under their curious gazes: “Because Lu Chen… his family’s financial situation isn’t great, and there were also some issues surrounding his birth. So, he won’t get married.”

Especially not to someone like Meng Yinyin, who obviously wasn’t from a family that could handle the kind of life Lu Chen’s family could offer.

More importantly, Lu Xiujuan knew her parents, as Lu Chen’s only living relatives, would never let him marry just anyone.

If Lu Chen ever decided to marry, her parents would have to contribute financially, or they’d lose face and be ridiculed by other relatives. To save money, they’d undoubtedly try every possible way to dissuade him from marrying.

Although she occasionally felt that her parents’ actions were unfair, she also thought that, given Lu Chen had lived alone for so many years and the tragic incidents surrounding his birth, perhaps not marrying was for the best. At least he wouldn’t end up dragging down a future partner.

Zhao Shufen listened to Lu Xiujuan’s explanation but found it hard to believe.

After all, she was educated enough to know that superstitions about “bad omens” and “fate” weren’t necessarily true. Besides, if Meng Yinyin was willing to be with Lu Chen, she must already know about his family situation.

These reasons didn’t seem compelling enough for Lu Chen to reject Meng Yinyin.

Especially considering Meng Yinyin’s beauty, not many men would have the heart to turn her down.

However, Lu Xiujuan was Lu Chen’s cousin, and their families lived so close. It didn’t seem likely she would lie.

For a moment, the Wang family hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.

In the end, it was Zhao Shufen who couldn’t hold back and asked again, “Are you sure about this?”

“Is there really no possibility between Lu Chen and Educated Youth Meng?”

Deep down, Lu Xiujuan was unsure herself. Although she had grown up with Lu Chen, their relationship was only slightly better than that of strangers.

Especially after their grandmother passed away and her parents forced Lu Chen to move next door, she avoided him even more.

So she couldn’t be certain what her now twenty-something cousin really thought.

Still, she knew he had always avoided close relationships for fear of bringing misfortune to others or affecting them with the rumors surrounding him.

Now that he was older, he must have grown accustomed to living alone. It seemed even less likely that he’d change his ways for a stranger like Meng Yinyin.

And even if Lu Chen had developed feelings for Meng Yinyin and was willing to change his solitary lifestyle for her, Lu Xiujuan had her ways to make him give up.

After all, she was well aware of what Lu Chen had been persistently asking her parents for.

If needed, she could persuade her parents to return some of her second uncle and aunt’s belongings to Lu Chen, using that as leverage to deter him from pursuing Meng Yinyin.

She knew Lu Chen would never refuse his parents’ keepsakes.

In the end, she nodded with unprecedented determination. “Yes, they can’t possibly get married.”

Zhao Shufen’s expression shifted between surprise, doubt, and finally, a hint of calculation.

If Educated Youth Meng and Lu Chen weren’t an option, then maybe…

Just as she was about to suggest her son try his luck again, her second son, Wang Chengwu, suddenly fixed his gaze on Lu Xiujuan with a peculiar look.

“Sister-in-law, as far as I remember, you don’t seem that close to Lu Chen.”

The implication was clear—how could she be so certain that Lu Chen wouldn’t be with Meng Yinyin?

Yesterday, when he and his elder brother went to Lu Dashan’s house, it was obvious that none of the family members got along with Lu Chen. Even his cousin, Lu Xiujuan, seemed to avoid him like the plague. Yet today, she was suddenly acting as if they had a deep sibling bond and confidently declaring what was or wasn’t possible for Lu Chen.

Lu Xiujuan hadn’t expected Wang Chengwu to pick up on her inconsistencies so quickly. Panicked, she lowered her gaze to avoid his probing look and forced herself to remain calm. “We were closer when we were younger; it’s only as we grew older that we drifted apart.”

It was a reasonable explanation. Even blood-related siblings could grow distant over time, let alone cousins.

Zhao Shufen, however, was entirely focused on the idea that Meng Yinyin and Lu Chen couldn’t be together and didn’t want to think about anything else.

Still, her son’s concern wasn’t unfounded. The next moment, Zhao Shufen turned to Lu Xiujuan.

“Xiujuan, this is about Chengwu’s future. It’s a big deal, so let’s be careful. How about this: in the next couple of days, find some time to go back home and ask your cousin directly about his thoughts?”

This was the first task her in-laws entrusted her with, and Lu Xiujuan felt a surge of excitement. She eagerly agreed without hesitation.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll definitely get to the bottom of this and make sure everything is clear. I promise I won’t let my younger brother down!”

As long as she handled this task well and helped Wang Chengwu marry Meng Yinyin, she believed her position in her in-law’s family would be firmly established.

Wang Chengwu, however, remained silent, though suspicions lingered in his heart.

Since returning from the Lu family yesterday, he had felt that something was off about them. Given Lu Xiujuan’s typically timid nature, it was unlikely for her to take on such a task so proactively. Yet, her determination was evident, as if she was certain that Lu Chen would refuse no matter what.

It was true that he was captivated by Meng Yinyin’s beauty, but they had only met once and hadn’t even spoken. To claim that he was set on her would be an overstatement.

Still, he didn’t interrupt his mother’s suggestion because he was curious to uncover what secrets Lu Xiujuan and the Lu family were hiding.

As long as those secrets didn’t implicate the Wang family, he could let it slide. But if it posed a risk to his family, he wouldn’t hesitate to act.

…

Meanwhile, Meng Yinyin and Lu Chen were completely unaware of these developments. Upon returning to the brigade after their lunch break, they went back to work as usual.

Their arrangement remained unchanged. Lu Chen worked in the fields while Meng Yinyin stayed by the banks, doing her best to catch fish.

To her delight, Song Yue hadn’t come to supervise them in the afternoon, likely because he hadn’t seen them around earlier. As a result, Meng Yinyin successfully spent the afternoon catching fish and even managed to earn two more work points from Lu Chen.

Song Yue, unable to find any evidence of her slacking off, grudgingly marked two work points next to her name with a forced smile. However, his cold eyes betrayed his true feelings.

What a creep!

Meng Yinyin cursed Song Yue inwardly as she hurried back to the Educated Youth point.

Unlike before, she now had an important mission—making clothes for Lu Chen!

Although she had never sewn before, after observing Lu Chen’s jacket that afternoon, she felt confident she could replicate it.

Back at the Educated Youth point, she borrowed a needle and thread from Yu Xiaoyu and started working earnestly by the window.

Half an hour later, she stared at the two pieces of fabric she had cut—one larger and one smaller—and hesitantly set down the scissors.

Well, even though one side of the jacket would end up longer than the other, it shouldn’t be a big issue as long as Lu Chen didn’t button it up.

This was her first attempt at making clothes, and achieving something 80% accurate was already commendable. After all, it was the thought that counted.

With that in mind, Meng Yinyin finally picked up the needle and began stitching. By the time Yu Xiaoyu returned to the room, she was met with the sight of Meng Yinyin sewing two pieces of dark fabric with a crooked line in between.

Yu Xiaoyu remained silent for a long moment before cautiously asking, “Yinyin, are you making… a cloth bag?”

She had been tempted to ask if it was a diaper, but considering there weren’t any babies around, that couldn’t be the case. Still, it really did look like one.

Glancing up briefly, Meng Yinyin seriously corrected her. “Wrong. I’m making clothes. But do you think I have a talent for making bags? Should I make one for you?”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement at what she perceived as Yu Xiaoyu’s praise for her handiwork.

Yu Xiaoyu: “…”

Yu Xiaoyu hesitated. “No, no . I already have a bag. Besides, you should save your fabric since it’s hard to come by.”

Then, something occurred to her.

“Why did you choose black fabric? Don’t you like pink?”

Startled, Meng Yinyin nearly pricked herself with the needle. She quickly made up an excuse.

“Uh, I wanted a change of color for a change of mood. Plus, black doesn’t show dirt easily.”

Yu Xiaoyu found her reasoning plausible and dropped the topic, although she couldn’t help but glance at the uneven stitches again before leaving.

Completely unaware of Yu Xiaoyu’s thoughts, Meng Yinyin remained focused on her work. She was determined to finish a jacket filled with her love and effort.

For the next two days, Meng Yinyin seized every opportunity to work on the jacket in her dormitory. While she had plenty of time during the day, she didn’t dare work on it in front of Lu Chen, so she waited until she returned to her dorm.

However, with all her attention on the jacket, her work points remained stagnant for two days.

The brigade leader was too busy to check the work point records for now, but Meng Yinyin knew she’d be in trouble if this continued.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would finish the jacket and give it to Lu Chen. She’d confess her feelings at the same time.

Otherwise, she was truly doomed.

That evening, she skipped dinner and worked tirelessly until the jacket was complete.

Though the final product looked far from presentable, Meng Yinyin comforted herself with the thought that Lu Chen would appreciate her effort.

It wasn’t about the gift itself but the thought behind it. She had poured her heart into this, and it was the first item she had ever made by hand. Surely, he would be moved to tears.

Perhaps because she was so eager for tomorrow, the night passed by in the blink of an eye.

Early the next morning, Meng Yinyin carefully tidied herself up and placed the item—barely recognizable as a fabric jacket—into her small bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she headed to the work site.

At the same time, Lu Xiujuan set out on her bicycle, heading toward her parents’ home in the Nanjiao Brigade.

She carried the important task of ensuring that Lu Chen and Meng Yinyin would not end up together. Before heading home, she even made a stop at the supply and marketing cooperative to pick up a few items.

These items were specifically prepared at the insistence of her mother-in-law, Zhao Shufen, before she left that morning. Zhao Shufen had told her, “While you’re going back to gauge Lu Chen’s attitude, you can’t go empty-handed. Take a few things to visit the in-laws on behalf of our family and extend our regards to your father and the others.”

After all, if Lu Xiujuan returned home empty-handed, people might start questioning why she went back. Bringing some items with her could at least give the appearance that she was simply visiting her parents.

This was the first time Lu Xiujuan had been given so much money, as well as the first time she was buying so many things on her own.

Riding along the road to the Nanjiao Brigade, her bicycle handlebars carried two bags filled with the gifts she was taking to her parents’ home. Passersby couldn’t help but glance her way.

Feeling their gazes, Lu Xiujuan suppressed her smile from growing too wide.

Even though she hadn’t yet reached the brigade, she could already imagine the looks of admiration from the others in the brigade, especially her parents!

Seeing her bring so many gifts home and witnessing how capable she had become, they would surely never again call her “useless” or say she only lived off others.

She wasn’t just capable, if she managed to handle Lu Chen’s matter smoothly and get Meng Yinyin to marry her younger brother-in-law, her status within her in-laws’ family would rise even higher. Then, her parents would no longer dare to look down on her or think she wasn’t as successful as her brother!