Chapter 82

Qian Qian

"Be careful not to anger that elder from the Lin family to death, or they’ll come after you!" Grandma Lu agreed in her heart but teased lightly. "By the way, we have two small pigs left at home. They may not look impressive, but there’s plenty of meat, more than we can eat. Nan Nan said we can decide what to do with it. Let’s share the meat—send some to your parents and also to the two aunts..."

Zhang Xiaofeng and Pan Xiaoping exchanged glances but didn’t agree immediately.

"Mom, there’s no need to share it. Nan Nan loves meat. I’ll smoke and cure it into bacon or preserved meat so she can enjoy it over several meals," Zhang Xiaofeng said.

"Right, we could also make preserved meat—it’ll be delicious!" Pan Xiaoping added.

Grandma Lu was pleased that her daughters-in-law genuinely cared for Lin Nannan, but she reminded them, "I understand, but the whole village was watching today. If we don’t share some, people might come expecting freebies."

There were always those who loved taking advantage, so she’d rather give some away than deal with unnecessary trouble.

Zhang Xiaofeng and Pan Xiaoping seemed to realize something, their faces falling before they stopped objecting.

The two of them rode their bicycles through the village for everyone to see, making sure everyone knew they were giving it away.

As for money—who would dare borrow it? Even if others didn’t intervene, Zhang Xiaofeng alone would put up a fight. That was her son’s life-saving money. Anyone who dared scheme for it was asking for trouble—she would never allow it.

With the bicycles, their trip was quick, but they returned with some bad news.

"What happened to Qian Qian?" Grandma Lu didn’t catch it clearly and asked again.

Qian Qian was Lu Hua’s eldest daughter. She hadn’t come last time because she was at school.

Lin Nannan, now aware of the girl’s identity, tilted her head as her mother-in-law told the story...

"She’s seeing someone, and the family disapproves. She’s throwing tantrums—even threatening suicide. Auntie says she can’t control her anymore and is sending her here tomorrow to stay for a few days, so she doesn’t recklessly run off with that boy." Zhang Xiaofeng also wore a troubled expression as she spoke.

"What kind of family is it that Hua is so against?" Grandma Lu asked, puzzled.

Pan Xiaoping sighed. "Auntie isn’t the type to look down on the poor. As long as the family is decent, she’d agree. But the boy Qian Qian is with is from a broke household—a widow raising her son alone. If Qian Qian marries into that, she’ll suffer. But the girl won’t listen and insists on being with him. Auntie has fainted from anger several times."

Grandma Lu was speechless. "What does she even see in him?"

"Auntie says the boy is all talk—making empty promises and sweet-talking her into practically moving in and waiting on his family..."

Lin Nannan, not knowing the full story, stayed silent, but Lu Yuan couldn’t take it anymore. Fuming, she said, "Auntie has spoiled Qian Qian rotten—never even makes her do chores! And here she is, eager to serve someone else? No wonder Auntie hit the roof! If this marriage happens, she’ll be devastated!"

"Exactly. Even Yuan understands, but Qian Qian doesn’t. She keeps accusing her mother of tearing them apart, making Auntie wish she could thrash that boy." Zhang Xiaofeng said helplessly.

Grandma Lu frowned worriedly. "How will coming here help?"

"I said the same, but Auntie thinks a couple of days away might help calm her down."

With that, no one in the family objected—after all, it concerned Qian Qian’s future.

The news killed everyone’s appetite, even the meat lost its flavor.

"What are you thinking about?" Lu Hang asked, noticing Lin Nannan’s thoughtful expression.

Lin Nannan swallowed her bite of meat and said bluntly, "If your cousin wants to serve someone so badly, why not start with her own family? They’ve taken care of her all these years—it’s time she repaid them. Have Auntie put her through the wringer—cooking, washing clothes, everything harsh. Let’s see how long she lasts."

A girl who’s been pampered her whole life would never endure such treatment.

The adults exchanged glances, understanding what Nan Nan meant, and thinking the plan might actually work.

"Exactly! Take care of her own family first, so she can better care for her future in-laws," Grandma Lu declared, banging the table. "We’ll tell Hua first thing tomorrow to come down hard on her. Otherwise, she’ll forget where she came from."

"Ah, it’s true. Big Sis said she keeps talking back, accusing them of being unreasonable, domineering, and cold-hearted. It’s heartbreaking, but what’s she supposed to do? She’s still her kid. The child can be willful, but she can’t!"

Only when you become a parent yourself do you realize how hard it is.

Zhang Xiaofeng and the others could really relate.

"Then let’s try it. Let her get a taste of what it means to wait on others!" Grandma Lu was thoroughly disappointed in her granddaughter—so clueless, getting played and not even knowing it.

If sweet talk put food on the table, there wouldn’t be so many miserable marriages.

……

When Lu Hua got the message, the more she thought about it, the more she found it useful. She also felt she had wasted her love on that girl, so she agreed—but Qian Qian had to prove herself first.

"You picked him, so my blessing doesn’t matter. But you’re my child, and I won’t let you embarrass yourself. So from now on, you’ll get up before dawn every morning to cook, wash clothes, and clean…" Before she could finish, Qian Qian cut her off, furious.

"Mom, what is this about?" She was unwilling to do any work.

This time, Lu Hua was smart. Instead of arguing, she threw the boy’s family troubles in her face. "You know his family only has a sickly mother. If you marry him, if you can’t cook, can’t wash clothes—do you think your sickly mother-in-law’s gonna wait on you?"

Qian Qian was left speechless.

"He has to work. Even if he talks a big game, do you think he’ll actually take care of you? No, right? So you have to learn now so you can take care of them later…" This time, Lu Hua was merciless, dragging her daughter along. Within days, Qian Qian was breaking down.

Just waking up before dawn just about did her in, let alone cooking and cleaning afterward. She was miserable…

Love changes when faced with reality, especially when Qian Qian realized the boy’s promises were just empty words. She began to hesitate.

When her family stopped opposing and instead reminded her daily—after marriage, she must dutifully care for her sickly mother-in-law, cook to her liking…

In short, after marriage, she would no longer be herself.

Everything about her would belong to her in-laws, and she wouldn’t even be allowed to breathe wrong.

This realization sent chills down Qian Qian’s spine, and soon, she lost all interest.

Only after she changed her mind did Lu Hua allow her to visit her grandmother…

When Qian Qian arrived, the Lu family was preparing to send Lu Hang to Ning City by train.

Since they had sleeper tickets, the train ride wasn’t a concern. The wheelchair was a must, or Lu Hang wouldn’t be able to move at all.

To take care of Lu Hang, Lin Nannan had to go along.