Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 90 Liu Yanran's Visit
Some people felt happy, while others felt sour; the public's reactions to Wang Chengpeng's ostentatious behavior were varied.

Just as Aunt He exclaimed in surprise, a sharp and sarcastic voice rang out at an inopportune moment. It was Sun Fang, who was standing aside watching.

Sun Fang stared wide-eyed at the oxcart slowly passing by and said:

"Hmph, he's just putting on a brave face. He's showing off borrowed money. I really don't know where he gets the nerve."

“You all know about the time Wang Tieshan went to the team leader to get his work points in advance. He can’t even afford to eat, yet he still does these things. He’s just being picky.”

"You even introduced your daughter to him? Aren't you afraid of pushing your daughter into a fire pit?"

"This is a bottomless pit, how many years will it take to pay it off?"

Sun Fang's words seem reasonable, but it's obvious to everyone that she said them purely out of jealousy—a classic case of sour grapes.

Being directly contradicted, Aunt He was immediately displeased. She was the village's gossip queen, and no one dared to disrespect her. She retorted immediately:

"Borrow? Borrowing money isn't shameful. Every family borrows money when they get married, it's just a matter of how much or how little."

"The fact that their family was able to borrow so much money is due to their own abilities, and no one can say for sure. After all, not every family can lend out such a lavish dowry."

“I have met the young man from the Wang family. He is definitely a hardworking person and values ​​filial piety. Whoever marries him will be blessed.”

"It's just debt. As long as the whole family works hard and works together, we'll pay it off one day."

"Besides, these things aren't just for decoration; they're all practical."

"If I had a sewing machine, I could not only mend clothes for my family, but also take on odd jobs. It would be a way to make money."

"If I had a bicycle, I could save a lot of time when I go out, and time is money."

"And there's the radio! Don't you want to listen to a program after you've eaten and drunk your fill? That's life!"

Although conditions were tough at the time, who wouldn't want to live a better life? This can be seen from the hope in Aunt He's eyes; she had even begun to fantasize about being the one who owned these things.

Faced with Aunt He's reasonable and well-founded words, Sun Fang was choked and speechless.

But she was still unconvinced and could only keep repeating the simple words "borrowed" and "fussy about money," like a grasshopper in autumn, unable to jump for long.

Besides the onlookers, many children also gathered around.

They are usually very bored at home, and what they love most is watching these lively scenes.

As they looked around, they actually started rummaging through Wang Chengpeng's belongings, intending to steal them.

The oxcart is full of brand new stuff; we can't let them mess around with it.

Shaking his head slightly, Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that it was fortunate he had prepared in advance, otherwise he might not have been able to resolve this matter easily.

He reached into his pocket and soon found a handful of candy in his hand.

With a flourish, the candies transformed into graceful running paths, scattering everywhere.

"There's candy!"

It's unclear which sharp-eyed child spotted the candy Wang Chengpeng had scattered, but it immediately attracted everyone's attention, and they all rushed off to collect it. After they'd finished grabbing the candy, they tried to find the oxcart, but it was nowhere to be seen.
Once they arrived at their own yard, they busied themselves again, and finally managed to move all their belongings into the empty room of their house.

The house, which was originally quite spacious, now felt cramped due to the addition of these things.

Perhaps I should start thinking about building a house, otherwise it's not good for this whole family to be crammed together here.

Because there were relatively few people who came to help this time, only Wang Zidong and Hu Jianshe in total.

Considering that having one more person would just mean having one more pair of chopsticks, Wang Chengpeng invited the driver to stay and have dinner with him.

Perhaps it was because the engagement day was approaching and he was finally going to get rid of Liu Yanran, this big troublemaker, that Wang Chengpeng's mood improved for once, and he even decided to cook for himself.

Before long, a table of delicious food was served, making everyone's mouths water.

As they ate, Hu Jianshe's craving for alcohol kicked in, and he began to mutter in dissatisfaction:
"Such delicious food, how can we do without wine?"

"Brother Wang, I'm not trying to be mean, but you've already treated me to a feast, don't you mind having some more alcohol?"

It wasn't that Wang Chengpeng was reluctant to spend a bottle or two of wine, but the key was that this was his own home, and he had things to do that evening, so he didn't want to waste time on a drunkard.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng smiled and said, "Of course we have wine. If you want to drink, take a bottle back with you."

"However, my house isn't a good place for drinking. I'll pack you some snacks to go with your drinks later. You should go back to your own house to drink."

Hu Jianshe had only made a habitual complaint, but he didn't expect Wang Chengpeng to be so easy to talk to. He immediately stopped talking nonsense and obediently started eating his meal.

Being able to eat such delicious food was already a blessing, and he was too ashamed to ask for more.

Another half hour passed, and as the food on the table dwindled, the meal was considered a pleasant one for both host and guests, and the driver had already chosen to leave early.

Unlike Hu Jianshe, he and Wang Zidong had accepted money from Wang Chengpeng for the car hire. Staying to freeload a meal was already a bit shameless, so naturally he left as soon as he finished eating.

Taking the food and drinks from Wang Chengpeng, Hu Jianshe shouted excitedly:
"Brother, you're my own brother. Even our parents weren't this good to me."

Shaking his head helplessly, Wang Chengpeng said, "No, please don't say that. How could I possibly treat you as well as your parents?"

"I won't go into any grand principles, I'm sure your parents have already said them to you countless times. I just hope that you won't regret it when you look back on this in the future."

Wang Chengpeng isn't some saint, so naturally he wouldn't do something as difficult and unwise as forcibly interfering in other people's fates.

This is why he let Wang Zidong make his own choice; respecting other people's fate is the best option.

He nodded as if he understood, but it was unclear whether Hu Jianshe actually listened. In any case, he left happily with the gifts from Wang Chengpeng.

As for Wang Zidong, he chose to stay. He hadn't finished his studies for the day, so he naturally needed to work even harder.

But before the two could read for long, there was a rapid knocking at the door outside the courtyard, followed by a pleasant female voice:

"Cheng Peng, it's me, open the door quickly."

The woman's voice was clear and melodious, like the gentle murmur of a nightingale; it was the voice of Liu Yanran, who had been insisting that the two of them should not meet before their marriage.

(End of this chapter)