Chapter 16: For Whose Sake Is This All About Face?

Li Meng looked as if she were swallowing her pride and bearing a heavy burden, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared at Lu Feng.

Old Lady Lu almost laughed out of anger. If you really had a leg to stand on, would you be able to endure this? “Your second brother’s wife will be coming over soon. You agreed to something yesterday, so you’d better hurry up and get it done. Otherwise, I’m afraid she’ll make a scene.”

Old Lady Lu was planning to fight fire with fire. She didn’t believe that with the second daughter-in-law standing right there, Li Meng would still dare to talk like this.

After a night’s sleep, Li Meng was feeling much bolder. “Let her make a scene if she wants. Am I supposed to be scared of her?”

Anyway, Lu Feng couldn’t get rid of her now, and she didn’t have any kids, so she wasn’t afraid of that woman spreading rumors. She wasn’t the same person she was yesterday.

Old Lady Lu looked down on the eldest daughter-in-law’s family. She thought just one night was enough for Li Meng to get a hold over her eldest son and act tough.

Old Lady Lu glanced at her eldest son before saying to Li Meng, “So you think now that you’ve got the man, everything’s fine?”

What Lu Feng feared was Fang Yuan—and the family behind her. He didn’t need his mother to say anything; he immediately barked at Li Meng, “You’re not embarrassed by her making a scene, but I am! Go now. Don’t give her any excuse to find fault.”

Li Meng pouted, “Feng, what are you afraid of her for? What can she do to us? Things are already like this. Is she going to steal you away from me?”

Besides, she wasn’t pregnant, so she wasn’t afraid of that shrew using that against her.

Lu Feng’s face darkened. “If things hadn’t turned out like this, she wouldn’t have wanted me anyway.” He muttered, “If we let people gossip about us, do you think that’s a good look? Just be clear about things, so our family doesn’t lose face.”

Otherwise, every time he went out, people would point fingers at him. Mistaking his wife in public—wasn’t that embarrassing?

After getting scolded by Lu Feng, Li Meng realized her position in this family wasn’t so secure after all. Reluctantly, she got ready to go explain things to the villagers. “Mom, you’d better come with me.”

Old Lady Lu didn’t want to go embarrass herself, but thinking of her second daughter-in-law’s temper, she figured it was better to go along. That way, the eldest daughter-in-law wouldn’t run her mouth too much and cause trouble at home later.

So the job of cooking fell to Lu Xiaosan. But Old Lady Lu made it clear: the meat rolls would have to wait for her to come back and steam them.

Old Lady Lu went off to supervise Li Meng.

Meanwhile, on Lu Feng’s younger brother’s side, Fang Yuan had really been exhausted yesterday and woke up a bit late.

Lu Feng’s younger brother had already swept the whole yard and saw his mother leading that shameless woman from the eldest brother’s family around the village.

Honestly, he kind of admired the woman inside the house. She could whip people into shape, and everything she said, people took seriously and did as told. That was a real skill.

At this moment, Lu Feng’s younger brother realized Fang Yuan actually had a good quality—something worth learning.

When Fang Yuan got up, there was hot water in the pot and in the thermos. She was quite satisfied; Lu Feng’s younger brother wasn’t lazy.

Fang Yuan was dressed in brand new clothes, looking festive. She glanced at Lu Feng’s younger brother outside, all dusty and gray—nothing like a newlywed.

She called him inside and took out a new set of clothes. “Put these on. You’ll look more cheerful.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother didn’t want to. Those clothes were bought for his older brother, and it made him uncomfortable.

All his life, he’d worn his brother’s hand-me-downs. This time, it was different. He wanted to wear something new, something bought just for him.

He and his older brother were different sizes, different heights—the clothes didn’t fit.

Seeing him hesitate, Fang Yuan, always impatient, snapped, “Are you stupid? Why insist on wearing old clothes?”

Lu Feng’s younger brother stubbornly replied, “I still have to move firewood. It’s not suitable to wear new clothes.”

Fang Yuan was not one to overthink things or consider his feelings or possible embarrassment. “You’ve got a point, but it’s just one set of clothes. Put them on.”

He still didn’t move. Fang Yuan finally asked, “You don’t want to wear new clothes?” She really couldn’t understand—was he just dumb, or really dumb?

He replied blandly, “They don’t fit. Let’s talk about it later.” Some things, he just couldn’t compromise on.

Fang Yuan looked at the clothes, then at the awkward man, and finally understood he really didn’t care about wearing them. “If you don’t want to, then don’t. Why not just say so? After breakfast, let’s go to town and buy you a couple of new sets.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother looked up, surprised Fang Yuan was so easygoing. “You’re willing to spend money on me?”

He had to ask—he didn’t have money for new clothes.

Fang Yuan said, “Once we’ve met my parents, our marriage will be official. After that, we’re family. What’s this ‘willing’ or ‘not willing’? It’s not just about us—it’s about the whole family. If you go out dressed like that, it’s my face you’re making lose.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother suddenly didn’t know what to say. This woman, who everyone called a shrew, was surprisingly straightforward and clear-headed.

He felt like he’d discovered another good quality in Fang Yuan—she was generous and protective.

He found it odd. How had one night changed his view so much? Was it possible she’d drugged him in his sleep?

Otherwise, there was no reason for such a change.

Then Fang Yuan said, “But you can’t keep being like this. You have to know how to earn money and support the family, understand? If I don’t have a good life, it’s your face that’s lost, too.”

He definitely understood that. Otherwise, he’d spend his whole life being bossed around by this woman. As for whether he’d lose face himself, Lu Feng’s younger brother didn’t dare think about it.

With Fang Yuan’s temper, honestly, even if he didn’t lose face, he’d never get to show it off. He was mentally prepared for that.

Fang Yuan was just directing him to tidy up the yard when Old Lady Lu herself came over to call her for breakfast.

Old Lady Lu’s enthusiasm made Fang Yuan feel her mother-in-law was actually pretty easy to get along with.

Old Lady Lu brought her second son and daughter-in-law from the old house to the new one, introducing Fang Yuan to everyone in the village along the way.

Everywhere she went, Old Lady Lu said, “This is my second daughter-in-law, Fang Yuan. Everyone, get to know her.”

Everyone was giving them plenty of face. After all, Old Lady Lu had dragged her eldest son’s ex-fiancée around the village early in the morning, and everyone was talking about the Lu family’s two daughters-in-law.

People had come out early just to watch the drama. This kind of excitement wasn’t something you saw every day.

Some people whispered behind their backs, “A college student marrying a village girl? The Lu family must be crazy.”

Others were secretly waiting to see the showdown between the eldest and second daughters-in-law. There was sure to be a spectacle.

Some people, just wanting to stir the pot, chimed in, “Hey, I heard your eldest son got married yesterday, but no one said anything about your second son. How did this all get mixed up? Lu family, do you even know what you’re doing?”

That’s just people with too much time on their hands. What’s it got to do with you? Why do you have to butt in?

The crowd nearby just laughed. They couldn’t even find the real issue to nitpick. They should be asking why the Lu family had their college-educated son marry a village girl—what were they thinking?

Old Lady Lu’s face darkened. “What, didn’t we make everything clear from the start?”

She glanced at Fang Yuan as she spoke, meaning, “We did everything the way you said.”

Lu Feng’s younger brother even looked at his mother in surprise. Normally, she’d avoid any village gossip. Their family’s reputation in the village was that of honest, quiet folks.

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