Shuanglin's family's second son brought back a super beautiful wife. The news, spread by Guihua, who was sent to the small shop to buy candy, caused a sensation in Yangli Village.
The neighborhood aunties and grannies all came to see the new bride and ask for wedding candies. It was noon, and some young men also used excuses to come and catch a glimpse of the beauty.
"My goodness, this girl is so beautiful. I've never seen anyone so lovely."
"Exactly, look at her skin, like milk, so fair."
"This girl has it all, a good bust, a good figure, and she's tall. She's definitely fertile. Er Jian is truly blessed."
The aunties and grannies lavished all the praise they could think of on Lu Yao, sincerely and simply.
The young men's eyes were glued to Lu Yao, they were so captivated they were almost drooling, but they didn't even have the heart to envy.
They felt they couldn't compare to Yang Jian in any aspect. Even though he owed over a million yuan, they all believed he could repay it quickly.
Marrying such a beautiful wife was something they could only dream of.
Liu Xingzhi beamed with joy, constantly telling Yang Shuanglin, Liu Chao, and others who had just returned from the factory to hand out cigarettes and candies to everyone.
Lu Yao acted shy, staying by Liu Xingzhi's side, greeting the workers who had followed them back, and helping to serve dishes, looking every bit like part of the family.
Yang Jian had a bitter taste in his mouth, unable to explain the situation at the moment. He could only force a smile and planned to settle the score with Lu Yao later.
The lunch that day was exceptionally rich. Yang Shuanglin even brought out good wine, encouraging everyone to drink to their heart's content, and declared the afternoon a holiday from work.
Liu Xingzhi was a skilled cook, her dishes were perfect in color, aroma, and taste. However, Lu Yao, trying to maintain her ladylike demeanor, ate delicately beside Yang Jian. Her eyes, however, were fixated on the chicken, duck, fish, and meat on the table, her mouth watering. She particularly craved the local fried fish balls, fish cakes, and mung bean balls, which were incredibly delicious, but she could only have a small taste, which was agonizing.
Yang Jian watched her with amusement, thinking this glutton was finally getting her comeuppance. He whispered in her ear, "Stop pretending. Eat to your heart's content. You're not our family's real daughter-in-law anyway, so why bother with an image?"
Lu Yao shot him a glare and secretly placed her hand under the table, pinching his thigh hard.
Yang Jian almost cried out in pain but could only continue to smile at her.
Liu Xingzhi saw this and her eyes crinkled with amusement. It further convinced her that the two had a special relationship, and she quickly went into the room to prepare a red envelope.
After eating until half-full, Lu Yao excused herself from the table. The men were engaged in a drinking contest, and she felt uncomfortable.
But as soon as she got up, Liu Xingzhi pulled her into the room and pressed eight large red banknotes into her hand.
Lu Yao was startled. "Auntie, what are you doing?"
"Yaoyao, Er Jian didn't inform us you were coming, and we didn't have time to prepare. This token of appreciation is a bit meager, please don't mind. We'll give more as betrothal gifts later."
It was a rural custom for the mother-in-law to give a token of appreciation to the bride when she visited for the first time. Eight hundred yuan was not a small amount in that area.
Lu Yao realized the joke had gone too far. "No, no, Auntie, I can't take your money."
"Child, do you think it's too little? Shall I borrow some more from Aunt Guihua?"
"No, no, no, it's not that I think it's too little."
"If you don't think it's too little, then take it. Our second son's current circumstances aren't great, but his second sister has already secured a plot of land for him in the town. He'll eventually settle in the town. This child is willing to work hard and is very capable; he won't let you live a hard life."
Lu Yao couldn't bear to listen any longer and finally took the money. "Auntie, I don't dislike Yang Jian. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come today."
"That's good, that's good. Come visit often in the future, and I'll cook delicious meals for you."
"Thank you, Auntie. Your cooking is truly delicious. I will definitely come."
This wasn't just politeness; Lu Yao genuinely wanted to come back for another good meal.
Seeing how well-behaved Lu Yao was, Liu Xingzhi adored her and chatted with her endlessly, first asking about her family situation, then recounting embarrassing stories from Yang Jian's childhood. Lu Yao could only respond with helpless agreement.
Finally, it was two o'clock, and Yang Jian came in to say he would drive her back, finally freeing Lu Yao.
"Jian Ge, today was so much fun. Those aunties are so cute. They really thought I was your girlfriend. This is the money your mom gave me, I'm giving it back to you."
Once in the car, Lu Yao took out the eight hundred yuan.
"That won't do. Our local custom is that if the bride accepts the token of appreciation, it signifies her acceptance of the engagement. Otherwise, she can't accept it," Yang Jian teased with feigned seriousness.
"Dream on. Eight hundred yuan to seal an engagement? I don't think so."
"Then how much do you want?"
"Eight million would be more like it."
"Alright, when I earn eight million, I'll propose to your parents."
Lu Yao then realized she had been led astray. "Get lost. Who wants you to propose? You're not my type. If you don't want this money, I'll keep it. At worst, I'll introduce you to a girlfriend after a while and consider it a matchmaking fee."
As soon as she said this, Yang Jian's heart sank to the freezing point. It seemed his affections were unrequited, and he had been overthinking things.
Lu Yao also felt her words were a bit hurtful, and the car fell silent, the atmosphere becoming heavy.
Feeling a bit awkward, Lu Yao took out her camera and started filming the scenery outside the window.
Leaving the village, the SUV slowly drove towards Xinqiao Town. The road was still a gravel path, not yet paved, barely wide enough for two cars to pass. Therefore, Yang Jian didn't dare to drive too fast. There were many bicycles and motorcycles on the road.
When they were about a kilometer away from Xinqiao Town, Yang Jian noticed a white Jinbei minivan behind them, driving quite fast, seemingly preparing to overtake.
Yang Jian didn't pay much attention, intending to let the car pass. However, two cars suddenly appeared ahead, driving side-by-side: an Iveco and a brown minivan, completely blocking the road. They were less than fifty meters away.
A sense of immense danger washed over him. Yang Jian slammed on the brakes and unlocked the passenger door.
"Yaoyao, get out and run towards the fields. Don't look back."
Yang Jian grabbed his extendable baton and jumped out. He circled around the front of the car, pulled out the bewildered Lu Yao, and without hesitation, charged into the farmland.
At the same time, the Jinbei van behind them stopped behind Yang Jian's SUV. The doors opened, and eight men wearing masks jumped out, each holding a machete over a meter long. They were chasing after the two.
The farmland was planted with vegetables, mainly radishes and cabbage, offering a clear view with no obstructions.
Fortunately, Yang Jian reacted quickly and got out of the car beforehand. After reaching the farmland, he managed to create some distance from his pursuers, though he was only five or six meters behind the foremost attacker.
"Yaoyao, run hard, don't look back."
Yang Jian realized that if they ran together, they would eventually be caught. A girl's stamina was no match for a man's. He had to buy Lu Yao some time, so he gave her a push and stopped.