Chapter 5: One Hundred Plus Two Hundred and Fifty

Fang Yuan alone could defeat a whole roomful of people. Pointing at Li Meng’s nose, she said, “You, yes, you. Do I even need to insult you? Were you ever respectable to begin with? Have you ever seen a respectable girl show up pregnant at someone else’s wedding? Should we go outside and talk about it?”

Li Meng shut her mouth. She wanted to save face too. If gossip spread through the whole village, it would not look good for her. She had not expected this woman to be so fierce.

Fang Yuan launched into another round of scolding at Lu Feng and Li Meng. “When someone gives you face, accept it. When I tell you to shut up, talk less. What, do you think I’m easy to bully and won’t go outside and find people to reason things out with?”

Then she looked at Li Meng with disgust. “Bah. Your eldest legitimate son of the main family line. What a disgraceful thing.”

Li Meng pressed her lips together tightly. If this got out, she could forget about holding her head high in the village in the future.

Turning around, Li Meng grabbed Lu Feng and spoke like a delicate white lotus. “Brother Feng, I was willing to suffer all this for you.”

Lu Feng’s face darkened. Who asked you to suffer? Even he felt ashamed. What had this woman been doing before? Why had she come back after the engagement had already been broken off?

Li Meng’s heartfelt confession earned her nothing but Lu Feng’s back. There was no understanding, no concern. Her road toward wealth was proving somewhat bumpy.

Over there, Fang Yuan said, “I’m giving up this house so the parents can live here. If Lu Feng wants to stay here, he has to compensate me with money.”

There was no free lunch. Fang Yuan could not be bothered wasting words on people like this. The Fang family only had two principles, never suffer losses and value money. Anyone could ask around in the township and hear the same thing.

Father Lu thought it over and found it quite reasonable. Although Fang Yuan behaved recklessly, her heart was upright. Even at a time like this, she was thinking of the elders.

His sons were both his flesh and blood. If they were dividing the family, fairness was only natural.

Puffing on an unlit tobacco pipe, he said, “Fang Yuan is right. But the family has no money left. It was all spent marrying you.”

That was the typical complaint of a penniless household.

Fang Yuan was not afraid of how poor the Lu family was. Before marrying in, she had already known most of their financial situation. The person she intended to skin alive financially was not the Lu family.

Pointing at Li Meng, she said, “If you don’t have money, she does. She managed to travel all the way here by herself while pregnant to find a man. She definitely has money.”

A woman without money could not afford to be so particular. The new quilt, the luggage roll, even the new enamel mug hanging from it. One glance was enough for Fang Yuan to know this was someone with money.

Li Meng instinctively covered the pocket where she kept her money. She was so angry she could barely think straight. This woman was truly shameless, coveting her money. “Keep dreaming. You woman, this is robbery. Why should I give you my money?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Which is worse, stealing money or stealing a man? Besides, I’m giving you a chance to redeem him with money. This man just married me. What, you think you could take him away for free?” Without any need to act, she looked exactly like a bandit.

Both Father Lu and Mother Lu were stunned. What kind of person had they actually married into the family? Mother Lu came to one conclusion, Fang Yuan was someone she could not afford to offend.

Lu Feng’s feeling was that perhaps he was not all that valuable after all. He had just gotten married, yet this woman was already selling him off for money.

He glanced at Fang Yuan, then turned away. He did not want to look at her for even one second longer. What exactly had this family brought into the house? That matchmaker Granny San had truly cheated them.

If Lu Feng had been given a choice, he would have stayed far away from both women.

The family’s money had all been spent on marrying a wife for the eldest son. They genuinely had no money. Everyone stared at the two women before them, silently indicating that they should settle it themselves.

Li Meng could tell that Lu Feng seemed somewhat dissatisfied with her now. She had to secure her position. Gritting her teeth, she asked, “How much do you want?”

The moment Fang Yuan opened her mouth, she infuriated people. “What, after all this fighting, that immoral thing isn’t worth much in your eyes? Shouldn’t he be worth however much money you have? If it were me, I wouldn’t take him even if someone paid me extra.”

Could he possibly be worthless? At a time like this, it was all about pride. Li Meng had to help Lu Feng save face. The man she loved had to be valuable.

Besides, she had already caused such a scene before, and Lu Feng seemed less than fully supportive of her. She needed to show her determination and prove how much she valued Brother Feng.

Li Meng gritted her teeth. What was a little money? A capable man would earn plenty more in the future. One day she would be a wealthy lady.

She glared hatefully at Fang Yuan. In the future, this woman will only be able to watch me prosper. Once we’re living well, we definitely won’t help the second son’s family. Hmph. Let her regret it.

After fumbling around in her pocket for a long time, she pulled out a roll of cash. Hardening her heart and stamping her foot, she closed her eyes and threw the money over. “Take it. Take it all.”

Lu Feng watched with his own eyes as the two women bought and sold him back and forth. So I really have been sold by that woman and bought by this one?

Watching what Li Meng had done, Mother Lu became worried. This Li Meng was not very bright. She had handed over all that money just like that. Was she stupid?

How was the eldest son’s future supposed to work out now?

This woman truly was not very good. No advantage came without a price.

When it came down to it, Fang Yuan was much better. She knew how to manage a household. Just look at her. She had only been in the family a short time, yet she had already secured both property and money. She was clearly skilled at running a household.

Mother Lu might have been timid, but she was not lacking in shrewdness. This isn’t so bad. Both the eldest and second sons have wives now.

The eldest son’s wife practically threw herself at him. If she suffers a little, then so be it. The second son’s wife was the one our family begged for. Of course we have to treat her well. Even if we originally sought her for the eldest son, what else could we do? The real problem is that the second son still has university ahead of him. What are we supposed to do?

The second son’s wife was fierce, and Mother Lu did not dare provoke her. She did not dare voice these thoughts either. However, she had already made up her mind to go along with whatever the second son’s wife wanted in the future. She simply did not dare do otherwise.

Unhurriedly, Fang Yuan opened the roll of money, spat on her fingers, and began counting. Then she frowned and said to Li Meng, “That immoral man is only worth two hundred and fifty?”

The coincidence of that particular number was not very auspicious.

However, the amount stunned the entire Lu family. It was not a small sum. Even the bride price they had scraped together for Fang Yuan had not been that much.

They looked at Li Meng as if she were a complete fool. She had handed over that much money to someone else just like that?

Mother Lu even secretly glanced at her eldest son. He was not worth two hundred and fifty either.

Li Meng was furious. This woman was truly wicked. Wasn’t she deliberately driving a wedge between her and Lu Feng? “You’re the two hundred and fifty. Brother Feng is not a two hundred and fifty.”

As she spoke, she pulled out another handkerchief and threw it to Fang Yuan. “Take it all.” She was practically willing to tear her heart out for Brother Feng.

Every single coin represented her love for Brother Feng. The only question was whether Brother Feng could appreciate it.

Unfortunately, Lu Feng was thinking something entirely different. Watching Li Meng act foolishly made him anxious. What was wrong with being worth two hundred and fifty? Throwing money around like this was what really made someone a two hundred and fifty.

At this moment, he simply could not bring himself to call out that he was worth more than two hundred and fifty.

Fang Yuan opened the handkerchief and counted the money. Finally satisfied, she put it away and announced to everyone in the room, “One hundred plus two hundred and fifty. Fine then. This immoral thing belongs to you now.”

Li Meng was so angry that she felt dizzy. Three hundred and fifty was three hundred and fifty. Why insist on calling it two hundred and fifty plus one hundred? It felt as though Fang Yuan was saying she was not even worth two hundred and fifty. It was simply too vicious.

As she spoke, Fang Yuan wiped her hands with the handkerchief. Then she tossed it back to Li Meng with obvious disgust. “I don’t want this thing. It’s filthy.”

The contempt in her tone was genuinely a bit bullying.

Just then, Lu San arrived with the village party secretary.