CHAPTER 393: CHAPTER 393 KNOWING (FIVE UPDATES)

Yang Peiying was in low spirits.

Everyone noticed it during dinner and thought she was upset because Zhang Minghua scolded her.

Zhang Minghua couldn’t stand seeing her like that and tapped her bowl with her chopsticks, "Who are you making that ghostly face for? Did I scold you wrongly?"

Yang Peiying shook her head, her voice barely audible, "No, mom."

"So what is it then? Speak up!"

"I didn’t expect Shuang Mei to be such a person."

Everyone was shocked.

How did she come to realize the truth so quickly?

Shen Yixiang was somewhat proud, "This silly girl, if I hadn’t pulled her along, she’d still be under the impression that Liu Shuangmei had some difficulties."

Shen Yiguang asked, "You brought her along? Where did you take her?"

Yang Peihua was also staring blankly at the two of them, wondering if something unknown to him had happened at home? Today, he went out to buy firewood because they burned a lot of it cooking breakfast when his sister’s classmate came over. Now they were out of firewood again. Thinking he couldn’t be much help at home, and knowing his skills in choosing good firewood, he heard from a neighbor in the afternoon that someone was selling firewood at the street corner, so he rushed out with his carrying pole. After buying the firewood, he realized he didn’t know the way back. It had seemed close when he came, and he had memorized the route firmly, but only then did he realize he had overestimated himself. The alleys all looked similar, and after taking wrong turns down two alleyways and asking for directions, he finally made it back - hence missing the event at home.

Yang Kai Min looked at his second elder brother, speechless, having been back for so long and still unable to discern the mood, yet nonchalantly enjoying his meal deliciously.

Now, he had that same dumbfounded expression again, adorably clueless!

Zhang Minghua gave her second son an annoyed glance.

Now, Shen Yixiang had already started talking about how she took Yang Peiying to eavesdrop at the Lin Family’s home.

It turned out that their house was almost connected to the large courtyard next door, with just a half-meter-wide gap between the walls, and Liu Shuangmei’s house was right behind this narrow alley.

Their house also had a window that opened to the back, providing Shen Yixiang the perfect opportunity. She had pulled Yang Peiying into that alley to eavesdrop.

"You didn’t believe it, right? Let’s listen and see what the Lin Family is like, maybe we’ll hear something different from usual."

So they happily nestled below the window of the Lin Family’s house.

It wasn’t time for dinner yet. Listening to the sounds inside, the Lin Family’s parents had returned from work, and Lin Shuangmei’s two younger sisters had also come back from school. The Lin household suddenly became noisy and lively.

Some were fetching water, some drinking tea, and some cradling their son.

Lin Shuangmei, just as she had said, came back and started cursing when she saw her damp quilt.

Mrs. Lin was harsh when she scolded, and it didn’t take long before she picked up an object to hit someone.

Lin Shuangmei hastily said, "Don’t hit me yet, look at this, what is it?"

Shen Yixiang and Yang Peiying guessed from below the window that she had taken out some money.

Lin Shuangmei: "The two yuan is from Brother Qu, he asked me to do him a favor, that is to dirty the quilt so Yingzi next door would come over and help wash it. Our family’s quilt will dry if hung overnight tonight; we don’t need to use quilts since it’s too hot now."

While she was saying this, Shen Yixiang felt Yang Peiying twitch beside her, knowing why: because Lin Shuangmei initially lied to Yang Peiying, promising that she must wash the dirty quilt and dry it for her mother to sleep with at night, but now told her mother it was too hot for quilts—wasn’t this revealing her earlier deception?

Mrs. Lin asked, "What’s really going on? Did that Mr. Qu take an interest in that Yang girl next door? I think he’s foolish, admiring a country girl, what’s so good about her? I’ve seen that Yang girl several times myself, plain and dull. Is he blind? If you’re going to admire someone, it should be that Shen girl. I heard she’s Yang’s younger sister-in-law and even has a proper job, working at a garment factory, and she is quite pretty, too."

Outside, Shen Yixiang was so furious when she heard this, she almost rushed in to tear Lin Shuangmei’s mother apart.

But Yang Peiying firmly held her back from doing anything rash.

Then they heard Yang Peiying saying, "I don’t know, maybe he admires Yingzi for being diligent and reliable. Mother doesn’t know that over at the Yang Family, all the household chores are done by Yingzi. That younger sister-in-law of hers just goes to work and never handles these chores. Normally, the person in charge in their house is her sister, yet all tasks fall to her own younger sister? That sister-in-law looks lazy, and no one likes a lazy daughter-in-law! I think Brother Qu has good taste; Yingzi would make a fine wife!"

Lin Shuangmei’s mother glanced at her, "What do you know? Which married woman isn’t anxious about her relationship with her younger sister-in-law? If you get along well with your sister-in-law, your mother-in-law and husband will think more highly of you. Being reliable and diligent is useless. But for the Qu Family, they indeed need someone reliable and diligent to survive. Aunt Qu is typically shrewd, and I see she might not just admire Yang girl for being reliable and hardworking."

Lin Shuangmei nodded knowingly, "I think she definitely sees that Yingzi’s family has money, who doesn’t know what their family’s situation is? With just Brother Qu’s salary to support such a big family, how could they survive if it weren’t for marrying someone with money?"

Mrs. Lin looked at her somewhat surprised, "I didn’t expect you to see things so clearly, but while you know this, you mustn’t speak of it, understood? Especially not to that Yang girl. You took the Qu Family’s money just to sabotage their chance, and they won’t let you off easily!"

Lin Shuangmei responded, "I didn’t intend to stop them. Actually, Brother Qu is quite decent, tall, energetic, and capable. With a proper job and a city residency, his previous partner was very attractive and she liked him too. Yingzi, coming from the countryside, isn’t much to look at and doesn’t have a job. Really, when I think about it, Yingzi has earned a good deal. She’s also my friend, and I hope she can marry into the city. When she finds out, she’ll surely be grateful to me."

After that, they didn’t listen anymore; first, it was time to prepare dinner at home, and second, there was no need—the matter was clear enough already.