Chapter 3: Stuttering Younger Sister, Yin Mingyue
Outside on the porch, the carpenter Yin Laohan held a dry tobacco pipe in his hand, his rear end sticking out as he puffed away incessantly.
But it couldn't hide the tension in his heart.
Having been honest his whole life, he asked himself if he had ever done anything immoral, but unfortunately, heaven only blessed him with two daughters who couldn't carry on the family name, and the old woman inside had also injured her vitality during the twin birth, making it impossible for her to have more children.
There are three ways to be unfilial, and having no heir is the greatest.
In his stubborn eyes, having only daughters could not prove that his lineage had not been cut off; he absolutely had to recruit a son-in-law, who then had to have a son who would take the Yin surname, only then could he inherit the Yin family's incense.
It was hateful that the eldest girl was so stubborn; a girl insisted on studying, and if she studied, she even got into some university, which even alarmed the County Magistrate of the County, who personally sent people to their home to persuade them.
Oh, my dear parents.
He was a carpenter, and even if you counted back three generations, he was still a carpenter; how could he have seen such a display, and with the eldest girl beating the drum and the woman inside adding fuel to the fire.
In a moment of confusion, he nodded, leading to today's decision to go against his ancestors.
A son-in-law.
But what could he do if he didn't trick one?
Did he really want the eldest girl to hate him for a lifetime!
Yin Laohan was not stupid; on the contrary, he was very shrewd with his small calculations. Could an ordinary person get into Capital University? His own child was promising; their ancestral grave was smoking green, even if it delayed him, he couldn't delay his child!
And there was the youngest girl; the youngest girl had been sickly since childhood. From the day she was born, all the nutrition went to her older sister. She looked like a small cat, poorly developed in the womb and difficult to raise. Sure enough, when she grew a little older, she developed such a severe stutter.
A good daughter is not worried about marriage.
But this child had a severe stutter, making it difficult for her to marry into a good family. Yin Laohan couldn't bear the thought of her marrying into a family with problems and suffering hardships.
But if he could recruit a good son-in-law, and he could also help at home, that would be perfect.
Trick a son-in-law.
This could solve his two biggest problems. It was hard to say whether it was a loss or not.
But Yin Laohan felt stifled. His son-in-law Lu Yang had been following him to learn carpentry since he dropped out of junior high. His Ya Laozi died early, and his mother abandoned him to marry far away. He was someone who ate from a hundred families. If he hadn't pitied him and taught him carpentry, would he have the respectability he had now?
Damn it.
Foolish child.
Yin Laohan mumbled to himself, 'Pitter-patter,' as he knocked his dry tobacco pipe against the ground.
He steeled his heart, preparing to get up and go inside.
"Stepmother, let's be frank. I know your motive today perfectly clear. Ever since younger sister Mingzhu got into Capital University, I've been waiting for this day."
"I'm not good enough for her anymore."
"Stepmother, haven't you also gone back on your word? You don't plan to let her marry me anymore, do you?"
Just as Yin Laohan was about to enter the house.
Lu Yang's rapid-fire questions came from inside the house.
"Bullshit."
"You little bastard, you've gone too far!"
Yin Laohan instinctively wanted to curse as usual, but then he realized his guilt, so he simply hid, crouching behind the door, ears perked to listen.
"Who said they called off the engagement?"
"Our Mingzhu is knowledgeable and sensible; how could she be such a person? It's you, you little bastard, who first did something to wrong our Mingzhu. Look at you now, you little bastard, you still don't know when to let go, and you want to turn the tables, do you?"
The Stepmother was not to be trifled with either.
In the ten-mile radius, she was the most fiery. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to control Yin Laohan, the hereditary carpenter and a well-off family in the village. Her quick wit was not something an ordinary rural woman could compare to. Seeing that Lu Yang had already seen through her scheme, she wasn't flustered at all. Even if this matter was exposed to the heavens today, Lu Yang, that little bastard, would have to take responsibility.
The eldest daughter was not worried about marriage.
But the younger daughter was worried about marriage!
She went all out today, using a small trick to trap the two of them in one room. The little bastard drank too much at noon, but the foolish daughter didn't drink too much. It seemed she should be willing, otherwise, for a single man and woman, for her to take care of her brother-in-law, it wouldn't have even led to holding hands. They were caught red-handed, so how could he not marry her?
"Stepmother, if you're going to say that, then this blame must be placed on me, right? Then first ask your good daughter Mingzhu, ask her if she has even bought her train ticket to the Capital. If she really still wanted to marry me, would she not even discuss such an important matter with me first?"
Lu Yang retorted with a question.
Even if it was exposed to the heavens today, he wasn't going to take this blame anymore.
Ma Xiulan turned to look at her eldest daughter: "Eldest girl, isn't it still early before the official start of school? You've already bought your train ticket?"
It seemed Yin Mingzhu had kept it from her own parents.
A trace of surprise flashed across Yin Mingzhu's face.
She hadn't told anyone about secretly buying the train ticket. The only possibility was that when she hid the ticket last night after returning home, her younger sister was sleeping next to her. Could it be that she was pretending to sleep and discovered her hiding the ticket?
Foolish younger sister, you haven't even gotten married yet, and you're already helping him.
Yin Mingzhu's expression remained unchanged, she forced herself to remain calm and said: "What train ticket? There's no such thing. Lu Yang, are you trying to falsely accuse me?"
She still wanted to be stubborn and not admit it.
Lu Yang pointed to the big red mandarin duck pillow on the head of the bed and scoffed: "Want to search? Then tear it apart. I'm just afraid it won't look good if we rip off the facade, will it?"
Yin Mingzhu's face immediately darkened, enough to drip water.
She became even more certain that she hadn't guessed wrong; her younger sister must have seen it last night, and she was the one who told this guy that she had hidden the train ticket inside this pair of mandarin duck pillows. She had originally planned to take it out after everything settled, but now it seemed it couldn't end well.
No sooner said than done, she immediately pounced and hugged the pillow to her chest.
Ma Xiulan also reacted, exclaiming: "Mingzhu, oh, what can I say about you?"
She also finally realized that what Lu Yang said should all be true. She had even bought the train ticket; this stubborn girl apparently didn't even trust her old parents. All she wanted was to leave this home and go to the Capital for school. If forced to marry, she would run away from home.
At once, she felt both heartache and anxiety.
Yin Mingzhu ignored them, only focusing on flipping through the mandarin duck pillow she held in her arms, until she squeezed out a neatly folded train ticket from a finger-width unstitched area on the back of the pillow.
She opened it again and looked carefully, making sure her train ticket wasn't lost. She was so excited that she couldn't help but kiss it several times. Only then did she let out a long breath from deep in her throat, her eyes welling up with tears as she raised her head, stubbornly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, and with a smile uglier than crying, she looked at everyone and said:
"Mom, younger sister, and you, Lu Yang, you have all seen it. Yes, I have already bought the train ticket, and I'm not afraid to tell you that the date on this ticket is tomorrow. Even if you tie me here, even if I have to crawl, tomorrow I will crawl to the train station, and I will leave this home and all of you without hesitation. I've had enough of staying in this ignorant and feudal ghost place."
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