Chapter 52: 52. Can I buy a bit more?_1

And in the distant city of Jiangzhou.

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A young man cradled a bowl, slurping up the last of his vegetable soup.

The elderly woman beside him asked, “Son, did you really break up?”

The young man paused, “Yeah, we broke up.”

The other party suddenly became anxious, “Look at you! Why make a fuss over a trivial matter? Young people quarrel, but you can’t take it seriously! Besides, we are just country folks!”

“But I feel uncomfortable inside.”

...

“Mom, I’ve been meaning to say, when I followed Wa Qianqian home, her parents were neither warm nor welcoming. They saw me as a rural guy with no stable job, not good enough for her.”

“Being there for a few days felt quite unpleasant.”

The speaker was indeed Wa Qianqian’s ex-boyfriend, Xin Jun.

Xin’s mother felt a bit uncomfortable inside.

Still, she advised, “You’re a man, what are you afraid of a little grievance? They raised their precious daughter and are willing to marry her to you, to have your children. Enduring some hardships proves you cherish her.”

“When your dad married me, he worked three years on your grandpa’s farm before your grandpa gave his blessing.”

“Look at us now, did your dad lose out? I am capable! I can cook delicious meals. Our family-run farm makes how much money a year? Isn’t it all thanks to me?”

Xin Jun fell silent.

His father had injured his leg in a car accident before and it still pained him from time to time, truly unable to do much work.

But these words his mother spoke only in private with him, facing his dad, she was still warm and caring every day…

It was the very atmosphere of his own family that he found so good, which is why he wanted to find a forthright girl who didn’t hide her true feelings, and that’s how he came to know Wa Qianqian slowly.

Yet, once small disputes arose between young lovers, if they blew up, the relationship would shatter.

“Why don’t you communicate with Qianqian properly? Some things are better once talked through. If she is wrong, you reason with her. Ask Qianqian when she is free to visit our place? Although our farm is in the countryside, it’s quite big, and mom has saved up more than a million for you. You can keep that for Qianqian’s work or for buying a house.”

“Your dad and I are still young; we don’t need you accompanying us at home every day.”

Some families raise sons and daughters and can’t bear to let go, always needing to have them in sight to feel secure.

But Xin’s mom and dad were always open-minded, as long as their son was doing well, what did it matter where they were?

Raising a son wasn’t just for the sake of looking after them in old age, it was also for companionship and growth. Moreover, they were managing their family-run farm with passion and enjoyment— they didn’t want to be with young people all the time.

Of course, Xin’s mom couldn’t put all these profound truths into words, but she thought her son was pretty good. A girl he had his eyes on couldn’t be far off the mark.

Who doesn’t occasionally speak without thinking? If they change, that’s good enough, right?

Seeing that his mother was about to persuade him further, Xin Jun couldn’t bear it anymore and finally told the truth:

“Mom, it’s not just about that! Initially, when she insulted me as a country bumpkin, I was angry, and we had some conflicts. Qianqian did apologize later.”

Xin’s mom didn’t understand, “Then why be so petty? She apologized, can’t you just forgive her?”

Xin Jun gave a bitter smile, “But just after we made up, I took her out to dinner one night, and she ran into an old classmate on the way.”

The two of them started chatting casually.

But as Xin Jun watched Wa Qianqian’s demeanor, his heart felt increasingly bitter.

It’s nice to greet an old classmate, but Wa Qianqian had to talk to them in a hesitant tone:

“Do you still remember our high school classmate, Song Tan?”

“Let me tell you, she has grown up to be so pretty now. But, you know, sometimes family circumstances really hold you back.”

“She’s from a rural family and even has a mentally challenged brother—her parents must be really harsh. I heard Song Tan used to work in Ning City, but the other day I saw her at the market selling vegetables with her foolish brother!”

“And the prices were so high, it was obviously a ploy to win sympathy with her brother’s condition.”

“If you ask me, it’s definitely her parents forcing her to take care of her brother. Otherwise, with Song Tan’s looks, landing a rich husband would be a piece of cake!”

Gossip of this kind, especially when it treads on the pain of others, has always been well received by the public.

So, the old classmates chatted excitedly and got along even better.

By the time they were leaving, they even hypocritically suggested, “Why don’t we find time to organize a reunion? If there’s really trouble, there’s crowdfunding now, isn’t there? We can donate some money.”

Xin Jun felt really uncomfortable at that moment.

He couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but as he looked at his girlfriend, who was in a good mood and even humming a tune, he suddenly felt like she was a stranger.

On the way home, he voiced his opinion:

“Qianqian, I don’t think it’s nice of you to talk about our classmate like that.”

“I noticed she seemed very positive despite being with her brother, not at all like someone who’s oppressed or treated harshly at home.”

“Besides, she and her brother seem close, and the vegetables sold well. It’s not about winning sympathy.”

“Talking about crowdfunding and donations with your old classmates tonight, wasn’t that a bit hurtful?”

He felt he was being very reasonable, but Wa Qianqian saw it as nothing short of infuriating—

In her mind she thought: [Why are you paying such close attention? Are you developing feelings for her? Do you have other ideas?

I’m your girlfriend; you should be supporting me unconditionally!

Song Tan deliberately refusing to sell me vegetables and causing me to lose face, and you don’t even stand up for me. Now you have the nerve to criticize me?!]

Wa Qianqian’s expression suddenly turned sharp.

“Fine, I should have known you’d be swayed by her pretty face! Of all the sellers in the market, why did you insist on buying from her?”

“What, you think because she’s a country girl with a mentally challenged brother, she’d be easy to manipulate? Maybe she’d even marry into your family without a dowry, ready to serve your parents in that backwater of yours!”

…

Xin Jun let these thoughts out and finally sighed:

“Mom, I know she wants me to love her without logic, but I can’t do it.”

“Every time I think about Qianqian saying I want to trick someone into marrying into our poor valley, it hurts.”

“I know how she sees me: she thinks I don’t understand brands, I don’t have much for living expenses, saying my family has money is just me showing off in front of her. She’s been condescendingly tolerant of me…”

“When I went to her house for dinner and talked to her uncle and aunt, asking them to bring Qianqian to visit my hometown, I wanted them to see for themselves. But her mother said right in front of all the relatives: Many college girls are tricked into going to the countryside…”

Xin Jun said this helplessly.

“Mom, what can I do?”

He liked Wa Qianqian, but not to the point of life or death. In the end, it could only end this way.

Since things had come this far, Xin’s mother also felt it truly wasn’t suitable.

Although she believed that showing sincerity when marrying a daughter-in-law meant enduring some hardships, these could involve physical work or money, but not personal dignity.

After much thought, she carefully asked:

“Now that you’ve broken up, can we still buy some more Milk Vetch?”

She was planning to blanch them and freeze them, so that each table of guests could have a serving of Milk Vetch soup later on, a slow but sure way of earning quite a bit more…