“Xiangdong, thank you… You’re the only one who’s ever truly treated me well.”
Chen Yanran’s voice was soft, her gaze pitiful as she bit her lower lip and looked up at Xu Xiangdong, her eyes shimmering with vulnerability.
Xu Xiangdong’s face flushed deep red under her gaze. The grown man stood there, awkward and helpless, completely flustered. In his simple mind, Yanran’s words, paired with her gentle expression, were a clear sign—she must have feelings for him too.
“I… I’ll head back for now, Yanran. In the afternoon, I’ll help you with your chores.” Scratching the back of his head shyly, Xu Xiangdong turned to leave, a foolish grin spreading across his face.
Chen Yanran nodded politely, watching him walk away. The moment his back turned, the affection vanished from her expression, replaced with unveiled disgust.
Useless.
Dong Wenzhong was completely unreliable now—he couldn’t even fend for himself, much less help her. With everything that had happened to the Dong family recently, especially the scandal involving the Dong brothers, her resentment toward them only deepened.
She needed a new pawn. Someone she could mold and manipulate. And in this poor, godforsaken village, the most suitable candidate was that naive and earnest Xu Xiangdong.
Her eyes, filled with veiled calculation, stared into the distance. When… when will I finally return to the city?
Yet that longing was tainted by an even more frustrating realization—the educated youth from the next village had agreed to marry a local villager. Chen Yanran’s heart brimmed with reluctance and confusion.
More and more people were settling into village life and starting families. Their days were visibly better than before, and it left her with a sense of doubt and helplessness.
If I really must marry someone here… then only the Xu family is barely good enough for me to consider.
Turning around, Chen Yanran walked swiftly back to the educated youth center. As soon as she entered the room, she was greeted by a pitiful sight—Sun Yunjuan’s eyes were red and swollen with tears.
“Yanran, you’re finally back!” Sun Yunjuan sobbed, her face twisted in sorrow. “Xu Shengcai… he found a girl. She’s from the county town. She has a proper job and she’s beautiful… I—I never stood a chance.”
“What? From the city?” Chen Yanran raised her brows in genuine surprise. “What does she do?”
“She works at the supply and marketing cooperative. Her name is Xu Qiuye… people in the village all talk about her. She’s Xu Renguo’s daughter,” Sun Yunjuan replied, her voice low and defeated.
Chen Yanran’s eyes flickered at the name. So it’s her. She had never thought much of Xu Qiuye.
With those decent conditions, she could’ve chosen a much better match. Why settle for a countryside boy? Her standards are pitifully low.
Chen Yanran sighed lightly, feigning concern. “That’ll make things hard then. I never even heard they were close… how did it happen so suddenly?”
Sun Yunjuan, thinking she’d found a confidante, began crying again—this time harder, more helpless than ever. Her pride, which had once kept her aloof, had now crumbled entirely.
“If I hadn’t been sent here, I wouldn’t be in this situation… I wouldn’t be worse off than her!” she choked out between sobs.
Chen Yanran scooted to the side with visible discomfort, carefully wiping at her sleeve so it wouldn’t be touched by Sun Yunjuan’s tears. But the girl only followed her, sniffling louder as she moved closer.
“Yunjuan,” Chen Yanran said softly, leaning in, her voice full of gentle coaxing. “So what will you do? Are you going to give up just like that… or do you want to fight for Shengcai’s heart?”
Sun Yunjuan’s teary eyes widened. “But he’s already with Qiuye… what could I do? If I go after him now, wouldn’t I just be the other woman?”
Chen Yanran scoffed lightly. “Mistress? What nonsense. Are they married yet? If you truly like Xu Shengcai, then why not go after him openly and bravely?
Do you really think you’re worse than Xu Qiuye? Do you think you’re not as good-looking, or not as capable?
I believe love has nothing to do with who came first. What matters is sincerity. If you love him more than she does, then you’re the one who should be with him.”
Sun Yunjuan looked conflicted, her lips trembling. “Then… then what should I do? Should I confess to him?”
The moment she said it, she blushed hard and ducked her head. For a girl, it was no easy thing to say out loud.
Chen Yanran leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear. Sun Yunjuan’s eyes grew rounder, her cheeks flushed a deeper red—but after a moment of hesitation, she nodded quickly.
Xu Ying, meanwhile, remained oblivious to the drama unfolding between her second brother and the village girls. That morning, she was in the county town with her mother, taking her to a restaurant for a rare treat.
As they stepped inside, Sun Lifang rushed over with a beaming face and gave her a tight hug. “Yingying! You’re here instead of resting?”
Xu Ying chuckled, tugging her mother forward. “I brought Mom out to eat.”
Sun Lifang immediately straightened and greeted her mother warmly. “Hello, Auntie! I’m Lifang, Yingying’s colleague.”
“Oh, Lifang! Such a pretty girl. Do you have a boyfriend?” Xu’s mother asked without missing a beat, smiling with interest.
Sun Lifang was stunned, caught completely off guard.
Xu Ying quickly jumped in before her mother could say more. “Mom, aren’t you hungry? We rode here all the way from home!”
Hearing that, Xu’s mother softened, reaching out to take her daughter’s hand. “You poor thing, come on then. Let’s go sit.” She turned to Lifang and added with a wink, “We’ll eat first, my dear daughter’s starving.”
Lifang laughed and nodded before hurrying back to work.
Xu Ying pointed to the menu and asked, “What would you like to eat, Mom? They have braised eggplant, spicy shredded potatoes, fish dumplings, shredded pork noodles…”
Mother Xu glanced at the prices and quickly chose the cheapest options—shredded potatoes, Mapo tofu, and a few steamed buns. “That’s enough.”
But when it came time to pay, Xu Ying added braised pork and fish to the order. “I promised you braised pork, didn’t I? I don’t break my promises.”
When the dishes arrived, Mother Xu looked distressed. “So much meat? This cost a lot, didn’t it? We could’ve made this at home. What a waste… besides, I doubt the chef’s cooking could beat yours.”
Just then, Chef Ge happened to pass by—and almost stumbled. Wasn’t he known as the imperial chef around here? Yet the old woman dismissed him so casually—his pride took a blow.
Xu Ying laughed. “Mom, don’t say that. Chef Ge is amazing—his ancestor was an actual imperial chef! Try it, you’ll see.”
Mother Xu hesitated, but the smell was simply too tempting. And this was for her daughter, after all. She picked up a piece of braised pork and popped it into her mouth.
The meat melted instantly, bursting with rich flavor. Her eyes sparkled with delight, though her lips curled into a stubborn line.
“It’s good. Not as delicious as yours, of course,” she said grudgingly, “but… as expected of an imperial chef—he has some skill.”
Xu Ying took a bite too and nearly laughed. Her mother was clearly bluffing. This braised pork was incredible—glossy, tender, not at all greasy. Every bite was better than the last.
Just then, two familiar voices called out:
“Yingying, Aunt Xu!” Gu Fuying approached with a smile, followed closely by Xu Qiuye.
Ever since Xu Ying had started working at the restaurant, Gu Fuying had become a regular visitor—and ever since learning that Xu Qiuye was her second brother’s intended, their relationship had grown even closer.
Accountant Xu had noticed the change too, and with the Gu family’s higher status, he wholeheartedly supported the connection.
“Qiuye, Fuying, have you two eaten yet? Come, join us!” Mother Xu called out warmly. “My daughter ordered so much food, there’s no way we’ll finish it all. It’d be a terrible waste!”
Her voice was full of genuine heartache at the extravagance.
And so, with laughter and warmth at the table, the once humble meal became a gathering of hearts.