Chapter 34: The Pursuer
“Why should we wait for them? They can come if they want or not,” Lin Jia immediately protested.
Her second aunt frowned. “Our Xiao Fei has always helped out the relatives. Now he’s about to get promoted, and soon, everyone will be coming to him for favors.”
She couldn’t help but boast about her son-in-law.
Yang Yu found it amusing. A minor official at best—probably just a deputy section chief—what was there to brag about? Clearly, she had never seen the real world. If he wanted to, he could put this so-called official in his place in an instant.
Though he was just a businessman, at his level, he interacted with people far beyond this circle. Small fries like these weren’t even worth his attention. If it weren’t for Lin Jia’s parents, he would have flipped the table already.
Lin’s mother tugged at Lin Jia’s sleeve and shot her a warning look, telling her to keep quiet.
Not wanting to cause tension among relatives, she smoothed things over. “It’s fine to wait a little. Jia Jia is young and impulsive. Don’t take it to heart.”
“Hmph! Sister-in-law, you spoil her too much. A girl running off so far for work—how can an outsider she met there be better than someone introduced by the family? At least we’d know their background. Besides, you only have one daughter. If she marries far away, who will take care of you when you’re old or sick? If you ask me, Li Hui is a much better choice.”
She finished her speech with a disdainful glance at Yang Yu.
Yang Yu ignored her, but he turned to Lin Jia with curiosity. Who was this Li Hui?
Lin Jia leaned in and whispered an explanation.
It turned out that on her last visit home, she had met up with some middle school friends. Coincidentally, Li Fei and his cousin, Li Hui, were dining at the same restaurant. They exchanged greetings, and Li Hui immediately took a liking to her. He then asked Li Fei to set them up.
Li Fei barely knew Lin Jia, having only met her a few times, so he passed the request on to his mother-in-law—Lin Jia’s second aunt. Li Hui, knowing her nature, immediately gave her 10,000 yuan as a “thank you” and promised an even bigger reward if she successfully set them up.
Lin Jia’s second aunt eagerly assured him that she would make it happen. That same evening, she visited Lin Jia’s parents, claiming she had found a great match for their daughter. The man’s family was among the wealthiest in the county. Lin’s mother had been tempted but said she would ask Lin Jia first.
When Lin Jia heard about it that night, she rejected it immediately. At the time, her relationship with Meng Yun was still strong, so she had no interest in meeting anyone else.
The next day, her second aunt tried again, only to be turned down in person. Lin Jia even stated she already had a boyfriend.
This made her second aunt lose face. Worse, she had to return the money. Bitter about the failed match, she developed a grudge against Lin Jia and even resented this unseen boyfriend.
Now, seeing Lin Jia’s boyfriend in person, she disliked him even more. What was the point of having a pretty face? Money was what really mattered.
Just then, Lin Li and Li Fei arrived, followed by a two-hundred-pound man.
Li Fei immediately apologized, “Sorry for being late. Work came up at the last minute. I didn’t mean to keep everyone waiting.”
He looked average—neat, scholarly, wearing glasses. From the way he greeted the elders, it was clear he had good manners, quite unlike his snobbish mother-in-law.
Lin Li bore a slight resemblance to Lin Jia—around 30%—and was fairly good-looking.
As soon as they entered, Lin Jia’s second aunt fussed over them. “Xiao Fei, sit down! You work so hard—don’t overdo it. Take care of yourself.”
Then, she turned to the fat man. “Oh, Xiao Hui, you’re here too? Sit, sit, don’t be shy!” She acted as if this was her own home.
Li Fei seemed helpless about his mother-in-law’s behavior but had no choice but to tolerate it.
The overweight man who had followed them in was Li Hui—Li Fei’s cousin and the so-called “pursuer” of Lin Jia. He was a spoiled rich kid, though only by local standards. His family owned two supermarkets in town, using their connection to Li Fei’s family for leverage.
Hearing that Lin Jia was back, he had insisted on tagging along. Li Fei, unable to shake him off, had no choice but to bring him.
When Yang Yu finally laid eyes on this so-called suitor, he couldn’t hold back.
“Pfft!” He burst into laughter.
Li Hui had a round, pancake-shaped face, tiny squinting eyes that nearly disappeared when he smiled, and a height of no more than 1.65 meters. He had to weigh over 200 pounds—practically a walking meatball.
With that face, where did he find the confidence to pursue Lin Jia?
Yang Yu laughed so hard he started coughing. Turning to Lin Jia, he teased, “Your suitor is… quite unique.”