novelraw Chapter 573 - 547: Forced Marriage and Getting Caught
Chapter 573 - 547: Forced Marriage and Getting Caught
"Why are you laughing! I’m worried sick, I just can’t stand that little brat, everyone’s stressed about his issues while he acts like nothing is wrong. Qian, what do we do about your brother?"
"What else can we do, whatever he gets into is what he gets into. Even Comrade Liao Fugui can’t solve this problem, so we have no way either."
Qian spoke truthfully. Her brother wasn’t stupid, and his observational skills were actually sharp, but studying just wasn’t his strong suit.
During the middle school entrance exams, it was she and Yu Minglang who took turns drilling him, practically whipping him into shape, and he barely managed to scrape into a high school with a very low progression rate. Jia Xiufang and Qian then discussed transferring him to a better private high school, which took a hefty fee, and later, they arranged one-on-one tutoring with a doctoral student stepbrother. Still, he got only 250 in the third mock exams...
Even Yu Minglang felt sympathy for Liao Fugui. Fugui’s stress-induced mouth ulcers probably weren’t unjustified.
"With those scores, him getting into a vocational college would be just barely possible. Do we really have to pay for him to go to a vocational school or a tech institute just to buy a diploma after a few years?" Jia Xiufang’s expectations had risen. She no longer recycled building materials; she opened a larger dry cleaning business, hiring people to work while she occasionally checks on the accounts.
The family’s financial situation improved, and the money accumulated over the past few years was enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life. They had several retail properties collecting rent; the household expenses were all covered by Mr. Liao. Jia Xiufang was now leading a leisurely life like that of an official’s wife.
The only worry lingering in her heart was her son’s future. She didn’t want her son to learn a trade and become a bottom-tier artisan, retracing the hard path she had once taken. But the child wasn’t doing well in his studies, putting her in a tough spot.
"I’ll discuss it with Minglang and get back to you." Qian already had plans for her brother’s future but hadn’t sought his opinion yet.
"Your brother is a worry, and you’re no better," Jia Xiufang complained.
"Hey, Old Lady, has becoming an official’s wife gone to your head a bit? How am I making you worry?" Qian retorted defiantly.
"How long have you and Minglang been engaged? You’re about to graduate with your master’s, and why hasn’t he mentioned marriage yet? You’ve been together numerous times, and I haven’t even minded that, but you’re not getting any younger—"
"Wait, mom! I’m not getting younger?!" Qian felt attacked.
She had completed her credits two years early and was in her early twenties, a blossom of youth; how could her mom see her as a leftover woman?
"The girl from your Uncle Liao’s third sister-in-law’s family is the same age as you, and she’s already married with a child. She just showed me her baby yesterday. You’d better ask Minglang soon, and just have the wedding. What’s the delay? I wanted you to get married when you graduated from college, but you insisted on finishing your master’s. Now that you’re about to graduate, I’m afraid you’ll go for a PhD next..."
Jia Xiufang’s voice was characteristically loud, reaching Yu Minglang clearly through the receiver. The marriage topic intrigued Yu Minglang; he listened intently, even taking Qian’s phone and putting it on speaker.
Qian stomped on his foot in anger, but it couldn’t deter Lang’s determination to listen to this crucial conversation!
He cheekily signaled to her with his eyes, implying, this isn’t just your business; it affects me too!
Relying on his height, Yu Minglang held the phone up high. Qian worried her mom might say something inappropriate and decided to speak up.
"Mom, be careful with your words, okay? Don’t just blurt things out without thinking."
"You little brat! I’m thoughtless, but haven’t you been thoughtless doing what should and shouldn’t be done with someone? You guys think with your kidneys!"
A mother speaking with her daughter naturally wouldn’t filter her words, unaware that her son-in-law was also on the line.
"Mom, aren’t you quite busy? Go handle your things. If you don’t buy groceries and cook, my Uncle Liao might starve." Qian felt helpless. How did she end up with such a mom who pits her daughter?
"Don’t give me that, just talk to Minglang about marriage. If this kid sleeps with you and doesn’t marry you, I’ll have a talk with him myself!"
"Auntie, I’d love to marry Qian. Whenever she agrees, I’ll start planning the wedding immediately."
"Oh my!"
Accompanied by Jia Xiufang’s startled voice, something hit the floor; the phone likely slipped from her hand in shock.
Qian rolled her eyes; serves you right!
Let this menopausal lady gossip all the time, and now someone overheard!
"I told you to think before speaking, but you didn’t listen!" Qian didn’t feel any sympathy for her mom; rather, she felt a bit awkward, as if she and her mom were pressuring Yu Minglang into marriage. She didn’t even want to see Yu Minglang’s expression now, but her peripheral vision involuntarily glanced over.
Yu Minglang looked very serious. Marriage was a significant matter to him, allowing no room for sloppiness.
The phone conversation paused for a full 5 seconds before Jia Xiufang’s voice returned, noticeably softer than when she was speaking with Qian.
"Minglang, you’re with Qian’er? Have you eaten yet?"
"I’m cooking right now. Auntie, I’d love to marry Qian. We’ll discuss the wedding date and give you a reply. Don’t worry about Da Long’s situation; once Qian is on holiday, we’ll go back together and have a family discussion."
"Oh, oh, no rush, no rush—can you come back next week?" Jia Xiufang sounded very happy, although a bit embarrassed from being overheard. Yu Minglang’s words satisfied her, and she was already setting the time despite saying it’s not urgent.
"No problem, I’m on leave."
"Then come back and we’ll talk!" Jia Xiufang seemed to envision her daughter in a wedding dress, momentarily overshadowing the sadness of her son’s 250 score, happily hanging up the phone.
"Mei, did you hear what Auntie said?" Yu Minglang asked.
Qian’s eyes darted, "I heard, wasn’t it about my brother’s 250 score? I was just about to bring it up with you—"
"We’ll discuss his issue later. I meant our marri—"
"Oh, is there no vinegar at home? Eating dumplings without vinegar is so bland. I’ll go buy some."
Qian didn’t wait for him to finish, rushing back to change her clothes, and running out, disregarding whatever expression Yu Minglang had.
Yu Minglang watched her retreating figure, pondering, was he overthinking it?
Why did it feel like Mei was avoiding the marriage topic?
Could it be she thinks his proposal wasn’t formal enough, or the setting wasn’t right?
Yu Minglang glanced down at his shorts and the flour on his hands. Okay, the atmosphere might be off; he’ll talk to her about it later.
This time, he had taken all his accumulated leave from recent years just to settle this big matter.
He wanted to propose, to get Mei’s name printed alongside his in that little red book, which has an official name: marriage certificate.