Chapter 19 Who can End the Engagement
“Who says I’m breaking off the engagement?”
Lin Luoran asks in reply and Mrs. Li can’t respond at once.
The villagers are talking about them. They think Lin’s daughter finds another man but still doesn’t let go of Li’s son. It’s so shameless. Mr. Lin is irritated and wants to look for a stick to beat those yentas while Mrs. Lin just looks at her daughter.
Lin Luoran combs her long hair down to her chest. She stands here calmly, but the bachelors in the village stare at her straight.
Mrs. Li doesn’t understand why Lin Luoran still wants this engagement in such a situation. She is not the daughter of a wealthy, but her family, after all, has promised the marriage. Anping says the girl has got a lot of money, so her request can be considered.
At least use up all money and then dump her. Mrs. Li decides instantly. At the same time, she is deeply proud of her son’s charm!
“Lin, if you break your promise, I can persuade Anping to forgive you.” Mrs. Li is squinting. She seems to forgive Lin Luoran on behalf of her son, but her att.i.tude is very arrogant as if her concession is a great grace to Luoran.
Mr. Lin can’t help putting down the broom. A good woman doesn’t marry twice. He would like to see Luoran make it up with Li Anping.
Mrs. Lin doesn’t know exactly what happened, but when seeing what Mrs. Li does, there is only one idea in her mind: her daughter must be wronged!
She shivers with anger and looks at her daughter anxiously. She wants Lin Luoran to make peace with Li Anping, but when seeing the Li family is so arrogant now, she worries that her daughter will be bullied more seriously if she marries Li Anping.
The vagrants in the village covet Lin Luoran’s beauty. After hearing what Li says, they all burst into laughter, “Mrs. Li, you said Lin’s daughter has found a sugar daddy, but now you advise them to make up. It is humiliating for your son to be a cuckold, ha-ha, ha-ha.”
Lin Luoran stares at Mrs. Li grimly. The guffawing villagers and the self-important Li family, are they acting?
“Of course, I will not break off the engagement.” Lin Luoran clearly reply to Mrs. Li, but there is an idea of “won’t be so easy” in mind, which she doesn’t speak out.
Li and her daughter look at each other, and both find happiness in each other’s eyes.
Sure enough, the Lin’s girl is still as coward as before. They don’t know why Anping says she has been different. Licking her lips, Li Anping’s sister says, “How about handing out the bracelet first and I will put in a good word for you in front of my brother.”
Mrs. Li glares at those wanderers, “There is none business of you. Go back now!”
Lin Luoran ignores them and glances around the crowd. The village head has been hiding to watch the fun for a long time. The Lin’s is from another place, and Lin Luoran doesn’t expect the head to take the initiative to stop Li’s unreasonable behavior. For her, it’s happy that the head doesn’t help Li Anping’s family to oppress them. After all, the whole Li’s village shares the same family name, and they are connected by flesh even if their bones are broken.
Lin Luoran suddenly thinks of a way to disgust the Li’s. With a smile, she says to Mrs. Li, “I did make a lot of money lately. Now that I’m back today, I must repay you for your kindness.”
Mrs. Li doesn’t expect the affair to be solved so easily. Her doubt is s defeated by the hands-down money. She doesn’t doubt it anymore and her wrinkled cheeks become smooth as laughing. When she is guessing how much money Lin Luoran has now, and how much is appropriate to ask for, Lin Luoran nods at the village head and laughs:
“Mr. Li, I have something to discuss with you. Can we talk for a moment?”
The village head who is called is smoking in the crowd. He knows about the matter between the Lin and Li family. It is kind of him not to help the Li’s. It is ungrateful for Lin’s daughter to call him out in front of the villagers at this point.
He walks out reluctantly, and the onlookers make way for him, which showing the status of the head in the village. Lin Luoran is pleased with what she sees.
“Mr., my family is immigrant here. These years the villagers take good care of us. I’m ordinary and not very capable. But I’ve made a small fortune, so I must express my grat.i.tude naturally.”
Lin Luoran looks at the village head with a smile, and everyone feels shocked. This girl really broadens her vision in the city. How dare she do that? What she says means to bribe the village head in public. Ridiculously, the Li family stands aside jealously. It may not work.
Those with discerning eyes can understand, and doesn’t the head know the meaning of Lin Luoran’s words? However, the country is taking severe measures against corruption. He is just a village head, but also knows taking bribes is forbidden. The girl is too inconsiderate. Doesn’t she know to send bribes privately?
Mr. Li puffs and almost flattens the soil at the foot:” Luoran, what do you think of me, Li Weiguo? Can I take bribes from you?” This girl is too young to be thoughtful. What a pity of losing so much money! It serves her right to be cheated by the Li family.
The village head feels so regretful, but Lin Luoran is clear-headed. She almost guesses the thoughts of the villagers and pretends to be stunned, “Mr., I see the ancestral hall in our village has got shabby, so I prepare to pay to renovate it. Why is that a bribe?”
As soon as she stops, the head’s eyes flashes, more excited than when he thinks Lin Luoran wants to bribe him!
It doesn’t mean Li Weiguo is incorruptible and intelligent. The ancestral temple of Li’s village accurately belongs to Li Weiguo, because he is the direct descendant of the Li clan.
“How much are you going to offer?” He controls his excitement and even stops smoking.
Let alone the head, the onlookers are also whispering. The village still follows the traditional custom, and the concept of family name is ingrained. That’s why they are aware that Li Anping’s family is wrong, but still refuse to help the Lin family.
When hearing that Lin Luoran is going to repair the temple, these descendants of the Li clan feel like getting pennies from heaven, even a little dizzy.
Lin Luoran smiles and looks around at the villagers of different expressions. Her parents are confused. As for Mrs. Li, the shrewd, mean countrywoman, looks at her with doubt, and seems to have sensed something is wrong.
“Mr. Li, is one hundred thousand enough?”
One hundred thousand. Lin’s daughter really makes a fortune! Li Weiguo knocks his pipe on the stone in Lin Luoran’s courtyard. He yearns for the money. What a windfall it is, but he wonders what she wants.
When seeing the head considering about that, Lin Luoran turns to sneer at Mrs. Li, “Mrs. Li, are you kidding? I don’t care Li Anping hooks a wealthy girl and breaks off our engagement. Even all the money I spent on his education, for me, has been given to a dog. You family is shameless and dares to extort us in my yard. You really think we are easily bullied?!”
She stares coldly at the indignant Li’s daughter and several nephews ready to fight. Mrs. Li is raged and wants to scold the cheeky woman, but Lin Luoran looks down on her:
“Break off the engagement? You want me to break it off without any compensation?”