Chapter Seven: Xiao Xiao Could Bring Us Great Glory

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Li Hongjuan glanced at her husband Zhong Chengfa with a knowing look and continued, “Are you... just afraid that if we take out this money, the eldest son will bring up the matter of finding a job?”

“Bullshit!” Zhang Chunxue abruptly turned her head, shouting fiercely, “Are you crazy or did a donkey kick you? If I had really accepted that hundred yuan from the Wang family, would I be standing here saying I refuse to marry? Would I keep the money warm in my pocket? Do I have too comfortable a life that I have to make things difficult for myself?”

Zhang Chunxue’s barrage of scolding left Li Hongjuan stunned, her face flushing red as she struggled to reply.

Zhang Chunxue ignored her and looked again at the matchmaker Li, whose face was turning pale, “You said the Wang family gave the money, right? Then tell me, who did the Wang family give the money to? Was it me, Zhang Chunxue? Or one of my sons? There has to be someone who accepted the money, right?”

Li the matchmaker faltered, stammering, “I... I don’t really know... The Wang family just said they gave it to your Zhong family...”

“Don’t know?” Zhang Chunxue sneered. “You’re just babbling nonsense here? The Wang family says they gave it? Did they show a receipt? Who signed it? Who sealed it? No proof, just their word, and they want to pin this hundred yuan on our family?”

Zhang Chunxue pressed on, “I think you should go back and ask the Wang family properly! Let them clarify who exactly received the money! Whoever took their money, they should go ask them! Our family hasn’t seen a single cent!”

In her previous life, the Wang family apparently came to their home to give the betrothal money, and she accepted it; but this lifetime, the Wang family hadn’t come at all today!

Seeing Zhang Chunxue’s stubborn and resolute demeanor, Li the matchmaker knew that this marriage was completely off.

Not only had she failed today, but she had also been publicly rebuked by Zhang Chunxue, her face burning with shame, utterly humiliated.

“Fine! Fine! Zhang Chunxue! You’re something else!” Li the matchmaker trembled with anger, pointing at Zhang Chunxue’s nose, “I’ve been wrong about you! I’m done with this! You explain it to the Wang family yourself! That’s a hundred yuan!”

Since Li the matchmaker came to the door, villagers had gathered to watch the commotion. Upon hearing Zhang Chunxue’s words, the crowd instantly erupted.

“What? She’s refusing a hundred yuan betrothal gift?”

“Has Zhang Chunxue lost her mind?”

“Sending a girl off to high school? That’s unheard of in our village!”

“I think she’s truly crazy! Just wait, she’ll be the one crying!”

The gossip spread swiftly through the entire village, and some nosy neighbors even went straight to Liu Cuie’s house.

“Oh dear, Aunt Cuie, you really need to get your daughter-in-law under control!”

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“She dares to push away a hundred yuan betrothal gift and wants to send a burden to study!”

“Just look at this! What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Tsk tsk, your words at home don’t carry weight anymore! You can’t even control your own daughter-in-law!”

Liu Cuie grew angrier by the minute. She hurried over with her eldest daughter-in-law Huang Xiaolan and third daughter-in-law Gao Xiuli.

“Zhang Chunxue! The matchmaker’s already here, what are you still making a fuss about?” Liu Cuie said imperiously. “I’m telling you! Xiao Xiao’s marriage must go ahead!”

Huang Xiaolan stood with her hands on her hips, fanning the flames, “Exactly! Second sister-in-law! You’re really disrespecting Mom!”

Gao Xiuli shouted sharply, “Go back and tell the Wang family the marriage is still on! Don’t give them an inch!”

Inside, Zhou Mingli, hearing the argument, quickly came out carrying her just-awakened, crying child.

She looked frightened but still gathered courage to speak softly, “Grandma, eldest aunt, third aunt, please, let’s talk calmly... Mom only wants what’s best for Xiao Xiao...”

Before she finished, Huang Xiaolan cut her off sharply, “What’s best for Xiao Xiao? Who asked for your opinion? You gave birth to a useless kid and only know how to flatter your mother-in-law! Stop muddying the waters! Go back to your room!”

Zhou Mingli’s face flushed red and white from the scolding. Her child cried louder in fright.

With teary eyes, she hugged her child and retreated sorrowfully back indoors.

Zhang Chunxue straightened her back, “My daughter! If I say she’s going to school, then she will! Xiao Xiao’s grades are excellent—such a promising child! Why wouldn’t she continue her studies? As long as she wants to learn, I’ll support her, even if I have to sell everything I own!”

Liu Cuie’s face turned purple with anger, “You... you wastrel! You’re crazy!”

At that moment, hurried footsteps and stern voices came from the village entrance.

“What’s going on here? What’s going on?” The village chief Zhong Fugui’s voice called out. “Why is everyone gathered here watching the spectacle instead of working? What kind of example is this? What if the leaders see this and laugh?”

“Leaders?”

“What leaders?”

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The villagers, hearing this, scattered quickly like cats with their tails stepped on, but their curiosity kept them nearby, just clearing a path and craning their necks to look.

Village chief Zhong Fugui trotted over, accompanied by several people. Leading them was a middle-aged man in a clean Zhongshan suit, square-faced and kindly.

“May I ask, is this the home of student Zhong Xiaoxiao?” the middle-aged man asked gently.

Zhong Fugui quickly stepped forward, beaming with a flattering smile, “Party Secretary! Mayor! Leaders! Yes, this is it! This is Zhong Xiaoxiao’s home!”

He pointed to Zhang Chunxue. “This is Xiaoxiao’s mother, Zhang Chunxue.”

Then he hurriedly introduced her, “Chunxue! Quick, greet the leaders! This is our town’s Party Secretary Wang, this is Mayor Li, this is Deputy Secretary Zhou, and this is Deputy Mayor Ma!”

The village chief rattled off a string of titles.

“This is our town’s middle school principal Chen! This is Vice Principal Liu!”

Finally, he pointed to a bespectacled, genteel middle-aged female teacher, “This is Xiaoxiao’s junior high homeroom teacher, Teacher Sun!”

Zhang Chunxue was completely bewildered.

Why would so many high-ranking town officials, plus the middle school principal and teachers, suddenly come to her home?

But when she heard “Xiaoxiao’s homeroom teacher,” something stirred in her heart—she vaguely sensed this was about her daughter!

Sure enough, the village chief smiled broadly and said to Zhang Chunxue, “Chunxue! Quick! Call Xiaoxiao out!”

“A good thing! A very good thing!” he said excitedly, his face flushing, “Our Xiaoxiao has done us proud! She ranked first in the county on her junior high graduation exam! Not only that—she’s said to be among the top three in the city! Among the city’s top fifty, she’s the only one from our county! The county officially praised our town and our middle school! That’s why Party Secretary Wang, Mayor Li, and the others came specially to visit and commend Xiaoxiao! This is a great honor for our entire town!”