Chapter 160: Peach Blossom Calamity

Gong Er’s face was burning with embarrassment—he really had nowhere to put it. This group of people, why couldn’t they just give the girl a little face? “Yeah, yeah, we know you’re protective of your wife.”

Zhang Xiaole chimed in, “That’s already pretty impressive. In our village, not many even finished middle school. Fang Yuan, you’re still studying on your own now.”

Fang Yuan glanced at Lu Chuan. What he said was more or less true. “I just like reading, that’s all.”

Lu Chuan added, “She reads every day—whenever she has a spare moment. If it weren’t for marrying me and getting delayed, high school or college would be nothing for her.”

Everyone around them hadn’t gotten into college. They all looked at Lu Chuan—he was really bragging now. If just reading a few books could get you into college, then all their years of hard work would’ve been for nothing.

Luckily, the topic passed quickly, or it would’ve gotten awkward.

No one bothered with Gong Er and Sun Hongyan either. If they didn’t feel embarrassed, let them sit there.

Zhang Xiaole felt bad for Fang Yuan. That Sun Hongyan—her eyes were glued to Lu Chuan’s face. How shameless.

Zhu Xiaosan felt like they were making trouble for Lu Chuan and decided to take the lead. “It’s getting late, let’s get going.”

Gong Er was reluctant. “We just got here! Why are you all such killjoys?”

Zhang Xiaole said, “It’s New Year’s—who doesn’t make dumplings at home? You might have time to hang out, but we don’t. Lu Chuan and Fang Yuan are busy too.”

Gong Er replied, “You guys are really no fun. With Fang Yuan here, does Lu Chuan even need to help with this stuff?”

Then he looked at Fang Yuan. “Right?” He even wanted to play the ‘hostage’ game in front of Fang Yuan. Ha.

Fang Yuan really gave Lu Chuan, Zhang Xiaole, and Zhu Xiaosan face by not cursing him out. She just asked calmly, “Which dad?”

Gong Er thought to himself, This woman’s really slow—can’t even have a normal conversation. How does Lu Chuan put up with this country girl?

Fang Yuan continued, “At my house, my dad helps my mom make dumplings every year. Lu Chuan’s dad, after lunch, went next door to help my mom too.”

Then she looked at Gong Er. “No matter which dad taught him, Lu Chuan knows how to make dumplings. What did your dad teach you?”

It wasn’t that she couldn’t communicate—she was just waiting to call him out for having no manners.

Zhang Xiaole nudged Lu Chuan’s shoulder and mouthed, See? I told you your wife isn’t someone to mess with.

If Gong Er still couldn’t tell he was being scolded, he was just dumb. “What’s with your attitude?” he protested.

Fang Yuan replied, “I’m talking to you nicely. Otherwise, do you think you’d still be sitting here? Who gave you the nerve to come to my house and step all over me? Let me tell you, my man has standards. Just because you’re close with him, that’s exactly the kind of girl he’d never go for. Do you know what you are?”

Lu Chuan looked at Fang Yuan with stars in his eyes and pulled Zhang Xiaole aside. “See? All that reading really paid off. Listen to her—her arguments are way more substantial than back in the summer.”

Zhang Xiaole and Zhu Xiaosan looked at Lu Chuan. How are you so chill? You’re actually admiring your wife’s verbal skills at a time like this?

Lu Chuan wasn’t worried at all, so why should they be? Zhang Xiaole grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and settled in to watch the show. He asked Lu Chuan, “Aren’t you going to step in?”

Lu Chuan grabbed some seeds too. “Fang Yuan’s not the type to suffer losses. And tell me, don’t you think she looks especially good when she says ‘my man’?”

Zhu Xiaosan picked up on it. If Fang Yuan ever got the short end of the stick, the two of them would stand together against anyone. What a pair of cunning lovebirds.

Zhang Xiaole wanted to keep his distance from Lu Chuan—every word was just showing off his wife, rubbing it in that he didn’t have one.

Zhu Xiaosan was calmer than Zhang Xiaole. “She’s improved a lot. How did she do it?”

Lu Chuan puffed up with pride. “That’s my skill. I figured out how to get my wife to read. If she’d met me earlier, I’d have taken her to college with me.”

Zhang Xiaole and Zhu Xiaosan couldn’t help but kick Lu Chuan. “The point is, how did you teach her?”

Lu Chuan said, “I told her, the more you read, the better you are at fighting and arguing. You’ll have more words to use. That’s when Fang Yuan started reading.”

Zhang Xiaole was shocked. “She started reading just for that?”

Zhu Xiaosan muttered, “Talk about ambition. Guess her goals weren’t set right at first.”

Lu Chuan said, “What else? Fang Yuan doesn’t really need anything. Well, mainly it’s a hobby—no, mainly it’s convincing and you can see progress, right?”

What could anyone say to that? No one else’s dreams were on that level. This method only worked for Fang Yuan.

Sun Hongyan, hearing Fang Yuan drag her into it again, was fuming.

Ever since she entered this house, she’d been pushed aside at every turn. Was she really worse than this country woman? She couldn’t just keep taking it.

She stood up, chin held high. “I may have come with Gong Er, but I’m not dating him. I came to ask Lu Chuan about university in the provincial capital. Why do you keep targeting me? Do you think I’m a better match for Lu Chuan? What do you mean, ‘a girl like me’?”

She was just short of saying, Are you jealous?

Fang Yuan was straightforward—if you didn’t spell it out, she really didn’t know what you meant. “I don’t know about university in the provincial capital, but I do know Lu Chuan isn’t close to you. Coming to his house like this is presumptuous. A girl like you—thick-skinned.”

Sun Hongyan turned and grabbed Lu Chuan, who was still admiring his wife’s style. “Lu Chuan, you studied for so many years just to marry a woman like this? Rude, uneducated, suspicious, unreasonable? You’re going to spend your whole life with such a shrew?”

Lu Chuan quickly shook her off. “Let go, let go, let go!” He was desperate to clear his name—he almost jumped onto the kang in his shoes.

Sun Hongyan said, “Lu Chuan, I know this isn’t what you want. I know you’re the victim in this whole marriage.”

Fang Yuan stepped forward, pulled her away, and briskly shoved Sun Hongyan out the door. “I’ve had enough of you. Get out.”

When it came to action, Fang Yuan was second to none.

Sun Hongyan was tossed out, stumbling several steps, not even sure how she ended up outside. This woman was violent too.

Zhang Xiaole was stunned by the scene—he even dropped his sunflower seeds. “Lu Chuan, Fang Yuan’s studies are shaky—she’s back to her basics.”

Lu Chuan snapped, “Cut it out.” Now was not the time for jokes.

He went over to Fang Yuan and called out to Sun Hongyan, who was just steadying herself outside the door. “Stop talking nonsense. We’re doing just fine. I’m happy with her.”

Sun Hongyan said, “Lu Chuan, don’t say it. I get it. The Fang family is just bullying people. Fang Yuan, just wait—Lu Chuan will get tired of you and leave you sooner or later.”

Fang Yuan picked up the door bolt, almost rushing out after her. This woman was even more aggressive than she was. “Am I being too nice?”

Sun Hongyan had already pushed open the main gate and left. She just couldn’t swallow her anger—she wanted to disgust them.

That crush was over, and there was nothing beautiful about it. Lu Chuan was only a match for a country woman like this—he and Sun Hongyan were never meant to be. Hmph.

161."