Chapter 3: She's Just Jealous of Me
After Wang Meili finished giving her instructions, she left the house with Ye Laotai.
With her daughter marrying a city dweller, there was plenty to show off about.
Jiang Yu glanced at Jiang Ting and couldn't shake the feeling that this younger sister of hers seemed a bit different.
"Are you really going to meet with Fu Xiangyang for the match?"
Jiang Ting looked at her sideways. "Mom has already talked to the matchmaker, so it's set in stone. Don't tell me you think I'm stealing your marriage? You didn't say anything earlier, so I thought you didn't want to get married."
Jiang Yu shook her head, growing more suspicious.
"Of course not. This marriage is one you pursued yourself. It's just that..."
"Just what?" There was a glimmer of excitement in Jiang Ting's eyes. Jiang Yu must be regretting it already.
Regret it, envy me, but it's too late now.
Even if Jiang Yu regretted it, she wasn't going to back down!
Jiang Yu thought for a moment and said, "Doesn't it seem odd to you? A man from the city marrying a wife without a dowry? If Fu Xiangyang is really that perfect, why would he have to find a wife from the countryside?"
Jiang Ting scoffed. If she hadn't lived through her previous life, she might've been tricked by Jiang Yu's nonsense.
In her previous life, Jiang Yu couldn't have children, yet Fu Xiangyang didn't divorce her. He even brought his sister's two kids for her to raise.
A guy that good, she was determined to bear Fu Xiangyang ten or eight kids in this life.
"Big sister, you don't need to say so much. No matter how much you regret it, I won't give up this marriage to you."
Jiang Yu: "?" Is she crazy?
Seeing that Jiang Ting was firm, Jiang Yu decided to drop it and turned to leave.
Although her reputation in the village wasn't great, she got along with everyone.
Young or old, man or woman, she had no problems fitting in.
She had a good friend named Wang Zhaodi, but Jiang Yu later thought the name wasn't good and privately changed it, calling her Wang Yunshan.
"How come I heard that Jiang Ting is getting married?"
Jiang Yu nodded. "They haven't formally met yet, but it's probably a done deal."
Wang Yunshan: "To a city dweller?"
Jiang Yu hummed. "A machine repair worker at the Second State Cotton Mill. Both his parents work at the mill; their conditions are quite good."
Wang Yunshan, who had a sharp eye, immediately sensed something was off.
"With such good conditions, he couldn't find someone in the city?"
City girls don't need a dowry and even bring one with them.
Jiang Yu just mentioned, "His health's not great."
Wang Yunshan was shocked. "Health problems? Could he be incapable? And your mom still dares to let Jiang Ting marry him? Isn't that throwing her into the fire? Oh dear, ending up like a widow wouldn't do."
Jiang Yu choked on her saliva and started coughing violently.
Strange as it may seem, she really did call it right.
"Don't go saying things that aren't true, he's just weak."
She didn't know if it would work out, really.
According to the dream, Fu Xiangyang wouldn't be able to do it.
Jiang Yu's aunt, Yang Cuilan, overheard their conversation.
Yang Cuilan, who was known for gossiping, hurried toward the village entrance.
Ye Laotai had three sons, but her favoritism caused issues, especially with inequality.
She doted on her youngest son, Jiang Yonghua, who was Jiang Yu's father.
She was always trying to funnel money from the eldest and second son to support Jiang Yonghua, which made the brothers resent each other.
When Yang Cuilan heard Wang Meili mention that Jiang Ting was marrying a city man, she was shocked and then jealous.
She had a daughter, a year older than Jiang Yu, who was still unmarried. Why hadn't the matchmaker come to her?
Maybe Ye Laotai had waylaid Matchmaker Yao halfway.
Hearing that the man wasn't good enough made her feel vindicated.
"Meili, I heard Jiang Ting's city boyfriend isn't right for marriage. What's going on?"
"He's a city man, and both he and his partner have good, steady jobs. What's wrong with that?"
Yang Cuilan snorted, "Not his family, his body down there."
"Pfft! Weak or not, they've got money; they can help him get better."
"I mean the thing between his legs doesn't work. You know, down there in his pants?"
"You're pushing Jiang Ting into a bad situation. How come you're not marrying Jiang Yu off to him? Just favoritism, right?"
Wang Meili flew into a rage, but before she could say anything, she saw Jiang Ting approaching.
The usually quiet and docile Jiang Ting couldn't take it this time and lunged at Yang Cuilan, grabbing her hair.
"I spit on you! Aunt, you're just jealous that I found a city boyfriend and deliberately trying to ruin his reputation. I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Fu Xiangyang was such a good man; why should he be slandered by them?
Jiang Ting slapped Yang Cuilan several times with both hands.
This sudden turn of events shocked everyone.
Who would have thought that Jiang Ting would dare to hit someone?
"Oh my, this is serious! Wang Meili, quickly pull your second daughter away! She's going to slap her aunt so hard her face will swell."
Wang Meili finally remembered to pull Jiang Ting away, angrily saying, "What are you doing?"
Arguing was one thing, but why did she resort to violence?
Jiang Ting's face was contorted with anger, her face flushed with rage.
"She slandered my man, and I can't let that slide!"
An older woman nearby clucked her tongue in disapproval.
"You haven't even had the formal introduction yet, and you're already calling him 'your man.'"
"Your aunt didn't say anything much, so why are you getting so upset?"
"You're a youngster, and you hit an elder. You're not even married into the family yet. If you actually get married into the family, heaven knows what you'll do."
Wang Meili was itching to slap her, fed up with her nonsense.
"Yang Cuilan's got a big mouth, but when you marry, you'll make them all eat their words!"
She pinched Jiang Ting hard. "Apologize to your aunt!"
Jiang Ting stiffened her neck and refused to speak. "She was spewing nonsense first. I'm not apologizing."
Yang Cuilan flew into a rage, yelling loudly, "What lie did I tell? City dweller, both her parents have steady jobs, such great conditions. He could pick any girl in the city. Instead of finding someone his equal there, he came to the countryside to find you, a country girl. There's gotta be something wrong with him!"
"Are you still running your mouth?" Jiang Ting exploded, trying to hit her again but was stopped by Wang Meili.
Wang Meili slapped her several times. "You trying to hit again? You want to get knocked out?"
Yang Cuilan spat fiercely. "You're so uneducated. I used to think you were a good kid, but now I see you're a biting dog that doesn't bark! Let's see how long you can stay so smug!"
She stormed off, twitching her lips, wincing in pain.
Jiang Yu returned from Wang Yunshan's place and ran into Yang Cuilan, who was still cursing. Realizing Jiang Ting had actually hit someone, she rushed home.
She overheard Wang Meili scolding Jiang Ting.
"You're such a handful. What if this gets out and the Fu family doesn't want you anymore?"
"Let me warn you, if this marriage falls through and because of you your brother can't become a worker in the city and get that commodity grain, I'll skin you alive!"
"You're useless at everything. If you can't marry, we'll send your older sister instead!"
Jiang Ting immediately flared up. "I'm marrying him! This is definitely Jiang Yu's doing. She must have told Auntie Ber that my man isn't good enough. She's just jealous of me!"