It was quite a coincidence; after raising Li Guangyuan and enduring the tough years, Old Mrs. Li suddenly became pregnant and gave birth to Li Hongmei and Li Dongmei consecutively.
There was this belief among the older generation that these two children were brought forth by Li Guangyuan, so Old Mrs. Li never gave up on him, keeping him by her side all along.
Besides, she had given birth to two daughters in a row. Had there been even one son, it’s likely that Li Guangyuan wouldn’t carry the Li surname any longer.
These were things she later learned by chance. Old Mrs. Li had always valued the two daughters even more than the son, which was quite unreasonable in the rural setting.
Lin Chuxia didn’t linger, cutting through the crowd and heading straight for the Bun Shop.
Lin Jiayi didn’t even notice Lin Chuxia behind the crowd. She was angrily pointing at the woman next to Li Guangyuan, questioning their relationship.
She had specially made stewed meat to deliver to him today, only to find their own stand deserted, while Li Guangyuan was busy helping that woman.
She knew that woman—a widow not yet thirty, raising a child on her own by selling vegetables for a living.
Last year, when they were selling vegetables, she had seen men courting that woman, and even heard that one man was caught by his wife knocking on the woman’s door in the middle of the night and got a thrashing.
At that time, she had mocked the man for his lack of ambition. The young widow, though not old, had dark, sun-and-wind-battered skin from selling vegetables every day.
To think that such a person could entice him away, how desperate was he?
And what about now?
Today, she saw her own man chatting intimately with that woman, even helping her sell things.
In the face of Lin Jiayi, Tian Cuixia was calm and composed, indifferent even to the pointing and whispering of the onlookers, still warmly inviting them to buy vegetables.
The more Tian Cuixia behaved like that, the more infuriated Lin Jiayi became, stomping her feet in anger.
Surrounded by so many people, Li Guangyuan felt somewhat embarrassed and pulled Lin Jiayi aside to a quiet corner.
Lin Jiayi was truly furious and shook off his hand.
“Why are you pulling me? You aren’t ashamed of what you’re doing, yet you’re embarrassed by what I’m saying? Li Guangyuan, do you think you’ve been fair to me?”
Li Guangyuan glanced away and comforted Lin Jiayi, “I’ve already told you, there’s nothing between her and me. You’re making such a scene; it’s as if we really do have something. Jiayi, don’t you know me? I was just lending her a hand because I felt sorry for her, seeing her with a child.”
“You say you feel sorry for her because she has a child, and you’re lending her a hand. Lend it long enough, and what’s next? Going to help her raise the child?”
Lin Jiayi felt a sense of crisis welling up inside her.
Ever since Li Hongmei realized what the Ma family was like, she frequently returned to complain to the old lady.
She had thought that marrying the sister-in-law off far away would bring peace, but who knew that their mother-in-law was so biased towards her daughter, stirring up chaos at home just to side with her daughter.
She even considered asking Li Guangyuan to divorce her.
She was also adored at her own home, but no matter how much doting she received, it was no match for her brother Lin Jiadong.
She had thought that if one day Old Mrs. Li found out what the Ma family was like, at most she would burst into angry rants and be done with it.
But now, both the old lady and the sister-in-law saw her as a thorn in their side, especially when the sister-in-law returned to her mother’s house, making her life utterly unbearable.
She had hoped to find some peace by bringing the meal over, but instead, she saw Li Guangyuan with another woman…
If the home cannot accommodate her, what if Li Guangyuan develops feelings for someone else…
Lin Jiayi grew more and more afraid as she thought about it.
She didn’t want to divorce; she hadn’t yet lived the life of a rich wife.
Counting the time from her past life, Li Guangyuan would soon become wealthy, just another three to five years, and she would be a rich wife.
Li Guangyuan saw her tears falling like raindrops and also worried that getting upset might affect their child’s health.
“Don’t cry, I really was just giving her a hand. Besides, there are so many people in the market, what could I possibly do with her? You know, our village is far from the county, it’s not easy for me to come all the way from the village to sell vegetables. Waking up so early every day, by the time I get here, sometimes there’s no place left. Tian Cuixia lives in the county, she can save a spot for me. I’m doing it for our business, even if I don’t help her, someone else will, and wouldn’t our family still suffer the loss in the end?”
“Really?”
Lin Jiayi’s tearful eyes were adrift, and upon hearing Li Guangyuan’s explanation, she felt there was some truth to it.
“Really, do you not know what kind of person I am? Rest assured, how could that kind of woman compare to you? You are carrying my child, everything I do now is for you and the child.”
Looking at his earnest expression, Lin Jiayi was finally persuaded by Li Guangyuan, but for some reason, her heart still felt empty and unsettled.
Leaving the vegetable market, she clutched the 10 yuan Li Guangyuan had given her, wandering aimlessly down the street.
When she lifted her head, she saw Qin’s Buns Shop not far away.
It seemed that no matter the time, the Bun Shop was always bustling with people, clearly doing great business.
Thinking about the meager earnings from Li Guangyuan’s vegetable stall, struggling under the sun and wind and having to please even a widow.
They should have a shop like that too, and be the bosses.
Lin Jiayi stared at the Bun Shop for a while, squeezed the 10 yuan in her hand, and continued to walk head down.
When Lin Chuxia arrived at the Bun Shop, she saw Zhang Guilan and a new waitress bustling about.
She glanced at the hall and asked, “Where are Chen Chunhua and Qin Lihua?”
After the new year, the business at the Bun Shop had gotten even better, and even after hiring two more waitresses, they still seemed short-handed.
“Lihua got into a fight a couple of days ago and injured her face, so she hasn’t been here. Chunhua was supposed to have today off, but I discussed with her to take a day off later. She said she had matters to attend to at home, so I didn’t insist. The shop is only busy for a while; if we work deftly, it’ll soon pass.”
Speaking of Qin Lihua, Zhang Guilan sighed.
These past days, her and her husband had been repeatedly called by their uncle to mediate.
Normally, such mediations should be done by the elders, with both their father-in-law and elder uncle being available. Probably because they felt that Qin Han, who is in charge of the Bun Shop, had a more influential voice, and adding their elder uncle to the mix – one pressing, one persuading – seemed optimal for solving problems.
However, after two mediations, far from reconciling, every time the families of Qin Wen and Qin Liang met, it was like a standoff between enemies. There was no reconciling them.
“I think my eldest brother and his wife have firmly decided not to make amends with Qin Wen’s family. Qin Wen is also being stubborn, clearly his daughter-in-law is in the wrong, yet he refuses to admit this error. If things continue like this, the two families probably won’t be able to speak to each other in the future.”
Zhang Guilan glanced at Lin Chuxia and held a suspicion—that Qin Wen’s stubbornness in not admitting fault might be due to blaming Qin Liang’s family for their close relationship.
With Jianjun and Lihua both working here, Qin Wen might feel betrayed by his brother, and considering the issues involving Qin Lihua and Cai Jun, he wouldn’t easily swallow his pride as the matters also relate to the Bun Shop.