The courtyard of the Siwu Alley was particularly noisy and lively today.
It was mealtime, and several people squatted on the steps with large bowls, watching the spectacle.
"Jiang Cheng, let's talk inside."
Jiang Cheng, who had her head down, shook it stubbornly, "No! There are too many people."
Lin Chengyuan's mouth twitched slightly. Did he not know there were many people? He just wanted to avoid them.
Was the person in front of him clueless, or was she trying to use the crowd as an excuse to prevent him from speaking?
Unexpectedly, Jiang Cheng was so cunning!
But given the situation, Lin Chengyuan didn't feel he was in the wrong, so he decided to speak.
"Jiang Cheng, He Dan and I got our marriage certificate approved by the organization. We are legally married."
"After we met once, I returned to my unit. We didn't even have a wedding. Although you lived in the Lin Family for three years, you are not my wife."
Jiang Cheng's legs were pressed together, her back slightly hunched, peering at Lin Chengyuan through her thick bangs.
Around 1.8 meters tall, with a pretty boy appearance, fair skin and red lips.
So this is the male lead from the book!
Indeed, with the face of a pretty boy and the square face of a douchebag.
"Jiang Cheng, do you understand?"
Lin Chengyuan's eyes showed irritation and impatience. The woman before him, as clueless as a wooden stump, couldn't read a word, was as outdated as could be. How unfit to be his wife!
"If you didn't plan to marry me, why did you make me wait for you three years ago? Why didn't you stop me from moving into the Lin Family back then?"
Jiang Cheng looked down, her hands clutching the faded edges of her clothes, her voice tight and stifled.
Sigh! The hot water scalded her. Her throat felt terribly uncomfortable.
Lin Chengyuan was stumped by her question.
He never thought the usually silent Jiang Cheng would retort. To him, once he explained, Jiang Cheng should immediately agree.
It seemed his marriage had greatly affected her.
Ultimately, knowing she liked him, Lin Chengyuan softened and explained further:
"Jiang Cheng, I only sympathize with you. There's no other meaning. From any perspective, our marital relationship doesn't exist. I hope you won't pester me."
Jiang Cheng pouted with her head down.
Pester, my ass!
She couldn't wait to get away from this family!
A month ago, after completing simultaneous interpretation for a major summit, Jiang Cheng drove to the supermarket for a big haul, planning to hibernate at home for half a month to recover her burnt-out brain cells.
In the end, she was hit by a truck that ran a red light and ended up inside the novel she was listening to while driving.
A disgusting book she wished she'd never opened.
The male lead Lin Chengyuan, the female lead He Dan.
The entire book was about their love, marriage, and entrepreneurship—a self-proclaimed sweet story.
Jiang Cheng's role was the feudal throwback wife the Lin Family had taken for Lin Chengyuan.
After they met once, Lin Chengyuan returned urgently to his unit, while Jiang Cheng lived in the Lin Family for three years as his wife.
During these three years, she took care of everyone in the Lin Family, worked tirelessly, doing a man's job.
Lin Chengyuan never returned during those three years, and when he did, he brought He Dan, already with a marriage certificate, proclaiming marriage freedom.
The disgusting plot began from there, with the whole Lin Family using PUA tactics on Jiang Cheng, making her willingly stay in the Lao Lin Family and continue being their maid.
Lin Chengyuan's parents shamelessly recognized Jiang Cheng as their goddaughter. When Lin Chengyuan faced obstacles in his career, they sent Jiang Cheng to a sixty-year-old man!
Of course, the book beautified the plot, claiming Jiang Cheng volunteered.
When listening to the book, she thought a hundred "pfft" wouldn't be enough to express her disgust.
A month ago, the original character succumbed to illness and rain, passed quietly from a fever.
If the car she was driving during the accident hadn't turned into her space, and if the car hadn't contained fever-reducing medicine, she might've burned to death as soon as she arrived.
Jiang Cheng, still standing with her head down in the middle of the courtyard, looked weak and old, with long hair covering half her face.
Clothes, washed to the point of white with patches, made Lin Chengyuan look at her with disdain.
How could a woman be so slovenly, she didn't even compare to He Dan's pinky.
Thinking this, Lin Chengyuan turned to look at He Dan beside him, who had a gentle smile and had been silent, her eyes full of trust in him.
They exchanged a smile, sweet and beautiful.
In contrast, Lin Chengyuan felt even more disgusted with the Jiang Cheng before him.
Not speaking? Playing the victim? Trying to elicit sympathy? What a low-class tactic.
"I'm not trying to pester you. I just want to ask—"
Jiang Cheng, who had been silent, suddenly raised her head, gathering courage to ask, "So what do these three years count for? Am I just unlucky?"
"Pfft!"
"Cough cough cough!"
The neighbors watching the scene in the courtyard either spat out their food or choked on water.
The words were too amusing!
Indeed, just unlucky.
Faced with questioning, Lin Chengyuan's face turned sour, scolding in a low voice, "Do you have to make a scene so ugly?"
"Make a scene?"
"Asking a question you can't face is making a scene?"
Jiang Cheng looked at the other Lin Family members, asking, "Do you also think I'm making a scene?"
Mrs. Lin walked up first, pretentiously patting Lin Chengyuan.
"Ah Yuan, I don't allow you to speak to Jiang Cheng this way!"
"Cheng Cheng, I've long treated you as my own daughter. Mom can't bear to part with you!"
Mrs. Lin's words changed many people's unfavorable views in the courtyard about Lin Chengyuan's behavior.
It seemed the Lin Family was still reasonable.
Jiang Cheng also looked at Mrs. Lin with a face full of gratitude, silently mocking inside: What a shameless face!
"Cheng Cheng, it's a new society now. They're free to love, you're not wrong, it's all Mom's fault. Blame me, okay?"
"Alright! Then I'll blame you for setting a bad example."
Mrs. Lin: ??????
Jiang Cheng, still looking wooden, calmly faced the stunned Mrs. Lin and said:
"You said I should blame you."
Mrs. Lin's eyelid twitched, her disdain flashing through her eyes, thinking Jiang Cheng was really clueless.
"Cheng Cheng—Grandma can't bear to let you go either. Why not stay, be our daughter, our granddaughter. We'll still be a family!"
Grandma Lin, whose white hair was neatly combed and holding a cane, spoke up.
Jiang Cheng muttered internally: The ultimate old white lotus has appeared!
"Grandma—you're so kind! How much dowry did you prepare for me?"
Old Mrs. Lin frowned slightly.
"What dowry?"
Jiang Cheng rubbed her sleeve, puzzled, and asked, "Didn't you say you'd treat me as your daughter, as your granddaughter? I've wasted three years, I'm twenty now, time to marry. Since you're my maternal family, aren't you giving me a dowry?"
Old Mrs. Lin's face turned grim.
She never thought of letting Jiang Cheng marry, let alone talk about dowry.
Calling her a daughter or granddaughter was just to deceive Jiang Cheng.
"Cheng Cheng, you've hurt Grandma's feelings! Grandma is sincerely good to you, and all you think about is money?"
Jiang Cheng, still clueless, in an honest tone, said:
"Talking about money hurts feelings, but not talking about money, how do I know you have feelings? Could Grandma have lied to me just now?"
Grandma Lin, as if shocked, had her wrinkled face twitch.
Mrs. Lin hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing Jiang Cheng's arm, her face full of sadness.
"Cheng Cheng, if Mom had money, I'd definitely give you a decent dowry! You know our family's situation. Give it two more years, and I'll save a dowry for you, okay?"
"I really can't bear to see you go out and suffer. You're a woman, and there's no one left in the Jiang family. Where could you go? Just be Mom's daughter, and our family will live together as before."
Jiang Cheng quietly withdrew her arm. Mrs. Lin's heart was in her throat, feeling the person before her was somewhat uncontrollable.
It should be fine.
Mrs. Lin knew how much Jiang Cheng liked Lin Chengyuan.
Mrs. Lin's high-strung heart settled down.
"Aunt Lin, return to me the six hundred compensation for bringing me to the Lin Family."
"You said I was treated as a sister-in-law, so it went to Lin Jiaojiao as her dowry."
"Now that a real sister-in-law is here, you can ask her for it!"
Mrs. Lin's heart dropped with a thud, her pupils quaking.
Jiang Cheng actually brought up the compensation!
"The Old Jiang Family's compensation was something they dared to keep, shameless."
"See, that's a true daughter, would give others' money to save as dowry!"
"Those words earlier were just to fool an idiot!"
"Idiot" Jiang Cheng: Even though you're insulting me, what you said is true!