"Ah Xianshu, where am I implying that, I’m just kindly reminding you, aren’t I?" Liu Mei put on an aggrieved face and started to complain, "Besides, what kind of man does your daughter Limin really want? There aren’t many outstanding men in our town, could it be she’s thinking of marrying into one of those wealthy families? Let me tell you, the men from those affluent families are either old men or already married, she’s a decent girl from a good family, she can’t possibly be thinking of becoming a concubine or a step-wife!"
Lady Liu spat out in disgust, and if Liu Mei hadn’t dodged quickly, the spit would have landed on her shoe.
"Liu Damei, stop your nonsense! It’s you who’d become someone else’s concubine or step-wife! My daughter Limin is a woman with integrity, she’ll only be a principal wife! That’s enough now, there’s nothing more to say to you, off you go!"
Lady Liu waved her sleeve and shooed Liu Mei away from the doorstep.
"Hey hey, what’s this for, I’m going, aren’t I, you don’t need to chase me! Humph!" Liu Mei snorted, turning around with a box of pastries in her hand and walked away, but after a few steps, she unexpectedly turned back and shouted, "Hey, I heard what your daughter said to them, everything in the Rice Flower Fragrance gets an eight percent discount, I want a discount too, tell your daughter about it when you go back, how could she forget about me? After all, I still remember her matrimonial affairs!"
"Go on, what eight percent discount! When you go, I’ll tell my daughter Da Ya to raise the price, raise it!" Lady Liu rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut.
Outside, Liu Mei’s disgruntled voice could be heard muttering for a while before it finally ceased.
Lady Liu was quite infuriated by her, if it had been just about herself it would have been one thing, but she had gone far enough to criticize her daughter and her sister, how detestable.
Leaning against the door, Lady Liu caught her breath, soothingly rubbing her chest until she calmed down.
Lin Yuan, who had been hiding, quickly ran over to help her into the house.
"Da Ya, you heard everything just now?"
"Ah, they must all think the same way in the village about your aunt," Lady Liu sighed, feeling sorry for her sister.
Lin Yuan knew what she meant; everyone surely assumed Liu Limin was reluctant to marry because she had some hidden illness or had done something shameful and was no longer pure, fearing it would be even more embarrassing if her in-laws were to find out.
However, Lin Yuan had a different view; she always felt there was something odd about what Liu Mei had said earlier. Even from her hiding spot, she could distinctly see Liu Mei’s expression, it clearly held a hint of anticipation when asking if Limin wanted to marry into a wealthy family, and when Lady Liu refused, her eyes immediately filled with disappointment.
Could it be that she was spying for someone else?
And that someone else, could they be from an affluent family?
"Mother, what does that Liu Mei’s man do?"
Lady Liu knitted her brows, "Who knows what he does, I’ve heard he’s a long worker who makes good money."
"Whose long worker is he?"
Lady Liu shook her head, "That I’m not sure of, it seems that Damei now lives with her man in someone else’s house, otherwise she wouldn’t be this arrogant. Hmph, I haven’t even told them that you’re the boss of Fuman Building. If they knew, their jaws would surely drop!"
Yes, mother, if you also told them about the tofu shop and the school, they wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. Lin Yuan mentally chuckled, finding her mother’s speaking mannerism really cute.
After the departure of Lady Liu’s close sisters, it was getting late, and Lin Yuan and her company began cleaning up, preparing to head back to the Lin family hollow.
As soon as the departure was mentioned, Lady Fan’s mood changed immediately, she was very attached. However, this time her reluctance wasn’t for her daughter but for her little grandson. Clinging to Xiao Yongyan, she showered him with kisses and caresses, and her eyes reddened as she spoke.
Liu Limin glared disapprovingly at her mother, "Mother, if you can’t bear to part with us, just go with big sister and the others, their house is big, there must be room for you to sleep. If you leave, at least my ears could rest."
Hearing this, Lady Fan’s eyes suddenly stopped reddening, she placed Xiao Yongyan in Lady Liu’s arms, with one hand she twisted her daughter’s ear and with the other she pointed at her nose, beginning to scold, "You little wretch, have you grown tired of your old mother, haven’t you? Ah? You even want to send me away, I’m not going anywhere! Wait until you’re married and living with your husband, then I’ll go stay at your elder sister’s house! Hmph, I nag you every day and you never listen, if I left, you’d probably go mad!"