The air grew quiet.
Zhou Xiaomei cast an apologetic glance at Shen Qingqing.
She knew her sister-in-law had a sharp tongue—no one in the courtyard dared provoke her.
But she hadn't expected her emotional intelligence to be this low.
Making foolish mistakes again and again, and still wanting to outshine Shen Qingqing—was that even possible?
Suddenly pinched by someone, Lin Fengmian grouchily asked, "Sis-in-law, why did you pinch me?"
Lin Zhidong, unwilling to smooth things over, reprimanded sternly, "The matter isn't even clear yet, and you're speculating wildly. How is this any different from spreading rumors?"
Zhou Xiaomei chimed in, "Mister Shen has a job and is very busy. Do you think she's like you, just staying home doing laundry and cooking? Do you have any idea how hard it is to travel all the way out here from Beijing?"
This remark hurt Lin Fengmian's feelings.
"What's wrong with doing laundry and cooking? I'm contributing to this family too. Otherwise, how could you and my brother go to work without any worries?"
Zhou Xiaomei wasn't one to stay quiet either.
She had invited Mister Shen for dinner, yet her sister-in-law kept causing trouble—utterly humiliating!
If things continued like this, people in the courtyard might completely cut ties with them!
"If you don't enjoy taking care of the children, you can return to the old home."
Being told once again to go back to the old home and in front of so many people no less, Lin Fengmian's face turned bright red with shame.
She stiffened her neck and responded, "If you all think so little of me, then you shouldn't have asked me to come in the first place."
"One hand tells me to do laundry, cook, and care for the kids, and the other hand criticizes me for not having a job. You say whatever suits you—don't you people have any decency left?"
Her words were sharp, but deep down she felt utterly humiliated in front of her rival.
Lin Fengmian's tears began dripping down her face.
They landed in her soup bowl, making her look heartbreakingly pathetic.
The people at the dinner table were all uncomfortable.
Chen Shaojie and Shen Qingqing, as the ones being named, didn't know whether to stay or leave.
Compared to them, Lin Zhidong and Zhou Xiaomei were even more embarrassed.
Rarely gathering with friends, having spent ration tickets and meat coupons, and yet failing to make everyone happy—it truly felt like a huge loss!
Chen Shaojie tried to smooth things over, laughing awkwardly twice.
"Xiao Mian sees me as her own brother, so she's worried for me. It comes from a good place, no need to blow things out of proportion."
Finally, someone stood up for her, and Lin Fengmian's tears flowed even more.
In contrast, Jiang Zhixun remained as cold as ever.
Not afraid of her crying in the least.
If the one feeling aggrieved were Shen Qingqing, would he still be this calm?
Lin Fengmian felt even more heartbroken.
She secretly resolved to stop liking Jiang Zhixun—it turned out he and Shen Qingqing were equally hateful!
She wiped her tears with her sleeve. "Brother Chen, are you really planning to start dating?"
Chen Shaojie felt an ominous premonition.
He stammered, "For now, I'm focusing on work."
"Then why are you letting Mister Shen introduce potential matches for you?"
"That was just a casual conversation. Besides, she's a Beijing resident—how could she possibly want to come out to the Northwest?"
Lin Fengmian took a deep breath. "Well, if you're going to date sooner or later, and we already know each other well, you won't have to worry about being deceived, nor a long-distance relationship. What do you think about us dating?"
Shen Qingqing had already snatched Jiang Zhixun away and now wanted to introduce friends to Brother Chen.
No way!
Once she married Brother Chen and lived a flourishing life, Jiang Zhixun might regret everything.
After all, his wife neither came to the courtyard to accompany him nor did his laundry or cooking.
Once he's had his fill of bitter days, he'd see how important it is to marry a virtuous wife!
*Clink.*
Lin Zhidong's chopsticks slipped from his hands, bounced off the table, and finally fell to the floor.
The air seemed to freeze.
After a few seconds, Lin Zhidong finally snapped back to reality.
He said helplessly, "Finish your meal quietly—let's talk about dating later."
Since the words had already been spoken, Lin Fengmian had to hear Chen Shaojie's response.
"Brother Chen, what do you think?"
Chen Shaojie's back was soaked in sweat.
He forced a laugh, "There's an order to things. I already told Mister Shen I'd first meet her colleague—it'd be bad to go back on my word."
Lin Fengmian liked Jiang Zhixun, but she couldn't openly compete with Shen Qingqing after they'd registered their marriage.
However, it was different with Chen Shaojie.
He was still single.
They were an unmarried man and woman.
Should Shen Qingqing dare compete for him, Lin Fengmian would have all the justification she needed to scratch Shen Qingqing's face!
As if she'd found a way to stand up to Shen Qingqing, Lin Fengmian pressed on relentlessly.
"If we're talking order, shouldn't I be first in line? Brother Chen, you can't favor Mister Shen and ignore your own happiness. When it comes to marriage and daily life, a simple and down-to-earth woman is more suitable."
Chen Shaojie broke out in a cold sweat and looked desperately at Lin Zhidong for help.
But Lin Zhidong had no solution either—his sister wasn't listening to anything he said earlier!
With no other option, Chen Shaojie turned to Shen Qingqing for help.
She was calmly entertaining Xiao Bao, as composed as ever!
It was like she wasn't the one being mocked by Lin Fengmian at all.
"Ahem, Mister Shen, why don't you make a call to Beijing today and ask for the woman's opinion? If it works out, I can take leave during the New Year and visit Beijing for the match."
Chen Shaojie knew Lin Fengmian's temperament.
Such a fiery woman was utterly unmanageable for him.
Regardless of how the matchmaking turned out, at least visiting Beijing would let him take in the beautiful sceneries of his country.
For now, solving the immediate problem was paramount.
Being jabbed at repeatedly by Lin Fengmian—even the most patient person would feel upset inside.
Shen Qingqing curled her lips slightly into a smile. "Alright, I'll head out and call now. Otherwise, if work hours are over, it might be hard to get through."
She had only sipped some soup and had half a bun—no one would believe she was truly full.
Zhou Xiaomei quickly pulled Shen Qingqing's hand, serving her a chicken drumstick and two pieces of meat-heavy chicken chunks into her bowl.
"Eat some more—today's Xiao Bao's birthday. He likes you so much—if you leave right now, he'll definitely cry."
The little one babbled something incomprehensible but clearly didn't want Shen Qingqing to leave.
Pursing his small lips, with tear-filled eyes, the toddler looked utterly innocent and pitiful.
Lin Fengmian silently cursed the child as an ungrateful brat. Didn't he know who had been caring for him all along?
She also cursed Shen Qingqing as a vixen.
How long had it even been since she came to the courtyard? Not only did all the men take her side—even this young child was clinging to her.
If that wasn't a vixen, what was?
She put her bowl down, folded her arms, and stared proudly at Shen Qingqing.
"Mister Shen, I want to date Brother Chen. By introducing someone else for him, wasn't that a bit underhanded?"
Shen Qingqing chuckled in amusement at her words. "Once you're actually dating Mister Chen, then come talk to me about this."
If someone else wanted to pursue Chen Shaojie, whether they succeeded or not, Shen Qingqing wouldn't interfere again.
But since Lin Fengmian had made things unpleasant, why shouldn't they all feel uncomfortable together?
Shen Qingqing placed the meat-filled bowl in front of Jiang Zhixun.
Whether he ate it or left it, the issue was his to deal with now.
After all, this whole awkward situation of being targeted by Lin Fengmian while having to consider Zhou Xiaomei and Lin Zhidong's sensibilities stemmed from Jiang Zhixun.
She gently stroked Xiao Bao's head. "Auntie wishes you a happy birthday. Xiao Bao, grow up healthy and happy."
The little one didn't understand, but he knew the aunt he liked was about to leave.
His lips quivered, his eyes shut tightly, and he began sobbing loudly.
Shen Qingqing said to Zhou Xiaomei, "You guys comfort Xiao Bao first, then take your time with the meal. I'll go make the call."
Her smile was composed and appropriate, yet Zhou Xiaomei and Lin Zhidong couldn't help feeling utterly mortified.
Who invites guests over for dinner only to make them suffer indignities?
What kind of nonsense was this!