“He’s a relative from my family, works at the county’s agricultural machinery factory, has only one daughter who’s already working, and lost his wife last year. He’s forty-five and has urban household registration,” Elder Sister-in-law Chen quickly explained.

Chen Wangda’s gaze softened, and Second Sister-in-law Tian could no longer argue.

The man had formal employment and urban household registration – these two points alone made him far superior to Third Brother Tian.

These days, the difference between urban and rural household registration was like heaven and earth, as was the difference between having a job and being unemployed. University students were precious because once they got into university, both these concerns were resolved!

Society valued household registration and employment above all else. The match Elder Sister-in-law Chen suggested had another advantage over Third Brother Tian – the man only had one independent working daughter, not a burden like Third Brother Tian’s two dependent children.

Someone spoke up in Elder Sister-in-law Chen’s defense: “This isn’t a bad match. Did Fen agree?”

Elder Sister-in-law Chen felt wronged, “Liu Yong’s wife turned me away before anything could happen!”

This was exactly what upset Elder Sister-in-law Chen. The man she introduced wasn’t a scoundrel like Third Brother Tian, and his circumstances weren’t bad – what harm would there be in meeting him? If Xia Xiaolan weren’t a top scholar, her relative, despite being widowed, wouldn’t need to consider a divorced rural woman.

The Tian family had arrived aggressively, but Second Sister-in-law Tian’s accusations were silenced by the county man’s superior conditions.

Second Sister-in-law Tian tried to save face: “Hmph, he must have some major flaw to be looking for a divorced woman.”

“I haven’t seen any flaws in him, but as for Uncle Third Tian… well, let’s just say it’s quite unsuitable. We’re all from the same village, and while I appreciate everyone’s concern about my mother’s remarriage, she’ll be moving to Beijing with me after the New Year. She has no intention of remarrying now.”

Xia Xiaolan had appeared unnoticed, standing at the back of the crowd gathered at the village chief’s house.

Someone had rushed to inform Xia Xiaolan when Chen Wangda was beating Third Brother Tian, and she’d arrived just in time for the most dramatic part. To outsiders, the match Elder Sister-in-law Chen suggested wasn’t bad, but as Xia Xiaolan said, her mother was moving to Beijing – there was no point in marrying someone from Anqing County just for the sake of marriage.

Xia Xiaolan’s words stunned Third Brother Tian.

Liu Fen was going to live in Beijing?

Chen Wangda had long sensed that the small village couldn’t keep Xia Xiaolan, but he hadn’t expected that even the residential plot and farmland wouldn’t keep Liu Fen here.

“It’s right for your mother to live with you, but there’s no rush. If you’re not ready, let your mother stay comfortably in the village. I’ll make sure no one dares to take advantage!”

“Thank you, Grandfather Chen. We’ve already found a place in Beijing, and my mother will be fine living there.”

Chen Wangda had always looked after them, and Xia Xiaolan hadn’t come to argue with him.

“Will you still come back for Spring Festival next year?”

That was hard to say, and even Xia Xiaolan wasn’t sure. “We should come back – we need to visit my grandfather’s and grandmother’s graves.”

Chen Wangda felt relieved. The graves of Liu’s parents were still in Qijing Village, so Liu’s descendants would certainly return – though probably only once a year for grave-sweeping. Chen Wangda had many thoughts but didn’t make any demands of Xia Xiaolan. It was too early for that, and it might only alienate her.

After Xia Xiaolan finished speaking with Chen Wangda, other villagers couldn’t contain their curiosity.

“Xiaolan, you’re taking your mother to live in Beijing?”

“Now that’s a filial daughter.”

“Is your uncle’s family going too?”

So that was it – no wonder Li Fengmei immediately rejected yesterday’s matchmaking attempt, because Liu Fen was going to Beijing? Elder Sister-in-law Chen still felt bitter. Would it have hurt to explain things properly instead of flatly rejecting her? Her relative’s circumstances weren’t lacking at all.

True, his circumstances weren’t bad, but with one person in Beijing and the other in Anqing County, there was no possibility of them getting together.

The man was a proper worker – how could he give up his job just to marry Liu Fen? For ordinary people, the chance of transferring work to Beijing was practically non-existent!

Elder Sister-in-law Chen finally gave up completely.

Xia Xiaolan had publicly announced taking Liu Fen to live in Beijing because she wanted to enjoy a peaceful New Year. Whether well-intentioned or malicious, all other matchmakers should save their breath!

During the New Year festival, Xia Xiaolan didn’t want to spoil the atmosphere, which was why she chose this method. However, some people were particularly thick-skinned. While Elder Sister-in-law Chen knew when to back off, Third Brother Tian became even more excited.

Last summer, when Xia Xiaolan’s house was just completed, during the roof-beam celebration, the Tian family had already harbored these thoughts. However, once the house was finished, Liu Fen didn’t stay in the village much, giving the Tian family no chance to approach her.

Yesterday, Third Brother Tian had caught a distant glimpse of Liu Fen and found her even more striking than in her youth – the most beautiful among women her age. His desires grew even stronger!

Going to Beijing was perfect! Third Brother Tian had no job; he had originally planned to marry into Liu’s family to live off them.

In the village, he’d still have to do some work, but in Beijing, he’d live a life of luxury. Third Brother Tian became even more determined. Though Chen Wangda had just beaten him until he howled, his greed clouded his judgment, and he threw caution to the wind. He dragged his two half-grown children from the crowd and pushed them in front of Xia Xiaolan:

“Both of you, beg the university sister properly. If she agrees to be your sister, you’ll have food to eat, education to receive, and a good life! Your father is useless, we can’t make it through this New Year. If she doesn’t agree, I’ll take you both and jump in the river – better than letting you suffer with a father like me!”

The children Third Brother Tian pushed forward were his son and daughter.

Even by rural standards, these were among the most pitiful children Xia Xiaolan had ever seen. In the dead of winter when everyone wore padded clothes, Third Brother Tian’s children wore only thin, single-layer garments, so dirty and torn their original color was unrecognizable.

Accustomed to their father’s beatings, they trembled at the sight of him.

Hearing Third Brother Tian threaten to jump in the river with them, the younger child burst into tears.

Xia Xiaolan recognized these children. When she first returned to Qijing Village, she had bought wild duck eggs and eels, and village children were the main collectors – these two had sold her wild duck eggs.

Tian Xiaoyan, Third Brother Tian’s daughter, was already eleven. While children her age in other families were nearly finishing elementary school, Xiaoyan had never attended a single day of school.

While her brother cried, Tian Xiaoyan stared with large eyes:

“Sister Xiaolan, please be our sister. I want to eat, I want to go to school, I don’t want to drown… Sister Xiaolan, I’m begging you, you’re a good person.”

Tian Xiaoyan dropped to her knees before Xia Xiaolan and started kowtowing. Everything happened so quickly – no one had expected Third Brother Tian to be so shameless. Xia Xiaolan couldn’t lift Xiaoyan and could only step aside, unable to accept her kowtowing.

“Brother, you must beg Sister Xiaolan too. Don’t you want to play with Tao Tao? If Sister Xiaolan takes us in, you can be with Tao Tao forever…”

Tian Xiaoyan pulled her crying brother down to kneel, and both children kowtowed with all their might, their heads hitting the ground with loud thuds.

Except for the sound of kowtowing, the scene was terrifyingly quiet. Xia Xiaolan felt dizzy – this was pure moral blackmail!