Chapter 11: Not One for Reasoning

Thinking about the future, Lu Er felt as though the sky above his head had turned gloomy, and Fang Yuan was that dark cloud hanging overhead.

As for taking advantage of someone, Lu Er did not dare even think about it.

After psyching himself up for quite a while, Lu Er thought he should at least try communicating with Fang Yuan and salvage his future. “Do you really listen to reason?”

Fang Yuan replied very loyally, “Don’t worry. I’m the most reasonable person around. Everyone in our village and the township knows that.”

Her home village was close to the township.

As a result, Fang Yuan was quite a famous figure in the surrounding area.

Lu Er probed cautiously, “Well... could we discuss something? Look, you’ve already gotten quite a lot of money. Someone as immoral as Lu Feng, if you don’t want him, then you don’t want him. That’s no great loss, right? As for me, I know I’m not worthy of you, and I feel really sorry for you. So maybe you could stop wanting the person.”

Fang Yuan glanced at Lu Er, stared straight into his eyes, and said word by word, “My mother always told me that pretty boys never have good intentions. The moment I saw your face, I knew you weren’t a good thing. Can money compare to a person? Do you think I’m stupid enough to be fooled by you?”

One really wanted to ask who had said Fang Yuan was some kind of troublemaker. What she said actually sounded quite reasonable.

Lu Er also felt that although he was down and out right now, he had prospects in the future. He was a promising investment.

This woman had some insight.

Why did that make him feel a little proud?

Seeing Fang Yuan’s expression change, Lu Er truly feared her terrible temper.

He immediately said, “N-no. That’s not what I meant. I was worried you’d lose face if word got out. Mainly because I don’t have any confidence. I feel wronged on your behalf.”

He looked utterly sincere, as though he were considering everything for her sake.

Fang Yuan was someone with firm ideas of her own. “Hmph. Could it be more embarrassing than not being able to get married? Stop trying crooked schemes. In three days, get ready to accompany me on the return visit.”

Just like that, she unilaterally made the final decision.

As far as the marriage was concerned, she would not allow Lu Er to keep nagging about it.

In short, could he live properly with her or not?

If not, they could step outside and discuss things, and she would teach him exactly how life ought to be lived.

Lu Er felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body, and he became listless.

There was no escaping this demon’s grasp.

This woman was nothing like the reasonable person she claimed to be.

There was another matter that made Lu Er’s teeth ache.

Almost all of his family’s money was now in Fang Yuan’s hands.

If this wife disappeared, it would truly be a case of losing both the person and the money.

His mother probably would not be able to bear it.

To get Lu Feng a wife, the family had sent nearly two hundred yuan to this woman’s family over time, exhausting their savings.

If this marriage was called off, this woman definitely would not return the money.

Not to mention the three hundred and fifty yuan she had gotten from selling Lu Feng earlier.

Speaking of which, his own elder brother had been sold for three hundred and fifty yuan.

Even Lu Er felt his parents had suffered a huge loss.

Lu Er weighed Fang Yuan, his parents, the family’s assets, and all that money together in his mind for a long time.

Honestly, although he was young and confident, he still felt he was not worth that much.

To put it bluntly, he could not bear to part with the money.

Lu Er sucked in a breath.

Even though he would surely succeed in the future, right now he was truly trapped by this small amount of money.

Fang Yuan did not share any of Lu Er’s melancholy, nor did she have so many complicated thoughts.

She immediately began assigning work. “Put that immoral woman’s bedding on the kang. I’m disgusted by how dirty her bedding is anyway. It can only serve as the bottom layer. Then spread out my dowry bedding on top. We’ll make do for one night.”

Then she started criticizing Lu Er. “You’re supposed to be an educated man. How can you be so useless? I told you to bring everything useful. Why didn’t you think of moving the firewood pile too? Look, there’s not even any firewood for cooking.”

Lu Er twitched the corners of his mouth.

Was a firewood pile something that could simply be moved whenever one wanted?

Could his skinny frame even manage it?

Still, he really had not thought about bringing firewood.

That was because there was already firewood in this courtyard.

He simply did not want to tell Fang Yuan.

This woman spoke far too harshly.

Just because of a few sticks of firewood, he had become useless.

Did she even know how to talk to people?

Lu Er said, “If you call your own husband useless, do you think other people will respect you more? Is there really someone who belittles her own husband like this? That’s why I say you don’t think highly of me, and I’m not worthy of you. Why don’t we discuss things again?”

This time, Fang Yuan actually listened. “My mother really did teach me that I shouldn’t call my own man useless. Fine. I won’t say it anymore.”

Lu Er was left completely at a loss as to how to respond.

So this woman was not entirely unreasonable after all?

Admitting mistakes and correcting them, did that count as a virtue?

Fang Yuan’s words clearly came without much thought.

She directly issued another order. “Tomorrow we’ll move all the firewood over here.”

Lu Er tried to reason with her gently. “My parents are still living over there.”

Fang Yuan said, “Why are you worrying about that? That immoral woman looks quite capable. They won’t be lacking this little bit of firewood.”

Fine.

Lu Er stopped talking.

Thinking about the scene of hauling over an entire firewood pile, he sighed.

Tomorrow was going to be another embarrassing day.

The two of them simply could not communicate properly.

Lu Er calculated that the gap between their ways of thinking was too large.

This marriage could not work.

Tomorrow he would coax her into canceling the marriage.

Then someone knocked at the door outside.

Mother Lu called out, “Second Son, Second Son’s wife, open the door. Mom has come to heat the kang for you.”

Lu Er froze.

When he and Third Brother had lived here, he had always heated the kang himself.

Mother Lu was busy cooking for the whole family, sewing and mending clothes, and all sorts of other work.

She had never had time for this.

He glanced at Fang Yuan.

This woman’s importance was truly extraordinary.

Was his own mother not being a little too attentive?

Fang Yuan nudged Lu Er with her foot, looking somewhat disdainful, as though he were stupid. “Go open the door. Mom is here. Didn’t you hear her?”

When Lu Er stepped outside, he saw Mother Lu carrying a bundle of firewood into the house.

She pushed her son aside, then spoke ingratiatingly to Fang Yuan. “Originally, when Eldest Son got married, Second Son and Third Son were supposed to move over to the old house anyway. There were too many things happening today, so heating the kang was delayed. Second Son’s wife, Mom will get the kang warmed up for you.”

Her attitude was kind, her tone gentle, and every word carried a desire to please.

Anyone who did not know better would think Mother Lu was the new daughter-in-law.

Mother Lu had also been advised by Father Lu.

Her second son would be studying in the future, and studying required money.

Right now, Fang Yuan had money in her hands.

Of course, the main reason was that Second Son’s wife was fierce enough that even without money they would still have to coax her.

Fang Yuan was very satisfied with Mother Lu’s words.

At least on this matter, the Lu family had not deceived her.

“I’m a reasonable person. What you’re doing is right, so I won’t object. If you want to heat it, then go ahead. Just don’t make it too hot. That would waste firewood.”

She spoke as though she were granting a reward.

No one knew where this girl got such confidence.

As for how to treat elders and parents-in-law, she clearly needed some teaching.

Lu Er thought to himself that there was not a single new bride in the village as overbearing as this.

She and Lu Er truly were not suited to each other at all.

Mother Lu was especially delighted to hear that.

She had always said that although Fang Yuan was rough around the edges, she was truly someone who knew how to run a household.

Mother Lu pledged her loyalty to Fang Yuan. “I knew Second Son’s wife was someone who knows how to live a proper life.”

Then Mother Lu continued, “You’ve already given me to Eldest Son’s household. Otherwise, Mom would be willing to live with you.”

Lu Er thought to himself, You don’t know anything. She’s planning to move the firewood pile over here tomorrow. The firewood she’s saving is her own. This flattering look on my mother’s face is really not very pleasant to see.