My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

Today, the entire Hongshitun village is even more lively than during the Spring Festival.

The dirt road from Tunzikou to Lujia Courtyard was packed with people.

Dozens of makeshift tables were set up in a long line, with steaming hot cabbage stew with pork, vermicelli, and golden-fried meatballs, the aroma wafting through half the village.

The villagers, young and old, men and women, children and teenagers alike, all wore smiles and chewed on meat, happier than if it were their own family's wedding.

Several elderly men, holding their wine bowls, watched the steaming scene, their eyes welling up with tears.

"My family can't even get enough sweet potato noodles to eat, yet Qingshan can put on such a grand banquet."

Grandpa Wang picked up a trembling piece of fatty meat and put it in his mouth, his eyes closing as he savored the aroma.

"I never dared to dream of this. This young man from Qingshan is incredibly capable; he can lead the way to wealth!"

"That's right! If we follow Qingshan's lead, our village's best days are yet to come!"

The men all looked affirmative.

The women helping around the stove, while washing dishes, were also gossiping with a mix of sourness and envy:

"Oh my, the bride is truly blessed. Marrying Qingshan is the best thing that can happen to her in a lifetime."

"Exactly! Look at the dowry, and look at this feast today. Just the cooking oil used to fry the meatballs must have burned through half a year's worth of oil coupons, right?"

"You won't find another place like Qingshan with such generosity! Marrying her means I'll be making a fortune every day!"

The Lu family's courtyard was bustling with noise.

Lu Qingshan was wearing a brand-new dark blue Zhongshan suit, his hair was neatly combed, which made him look even more upright.

He wore a faint smile, but his eyes would melt whenever they fell on the person next to him.

Lin Xiulan was wearing a bright red new cotton-padded jacket, which made her face look fair and rosy.

She kept her head down, her ears were bright red, one hand was held tightly by Lu Qingshan, and the other hand held a wine glass, her fingers were so nervous they were almost white.

"Qingshan, Xiulan, congratulations!"

"Wishing you a speedy arrival of your precious child!"

"I have to drink this!"

Lu Qingshan accepted all offers, picked up his wine glass, and downed it in one gulp.

Lin Xiulan took a small sip, and her face turned even redder.

Wang Guifen and Lu Changgui weaved through the crowd, their smiles wide and uncontrollable.

He kept urging everyone, "Eat! Everyone, eat as much as you want! There's plenty of meat!"

Uncle San, his face flushed from drinking, held up his wine bowl and spoke loudly to his old friends beside him.

"See? This is the benefit of following Aoyama Inui!"

"From now on, we all need to relax and feel at ease!"

A chorus of agreement erupted around him.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere of the wedding banquet reached its most lively moment.

Lu Qingshan was pulling Lin Xiulan along, preparing to toast Li Erniu's table.

At the entrance of the courtyard, the previously noisy voices suddenly fell silent.

It felt like someone was choking me.

For a moment, only the sound of drinking games on a distant table could be heard sporadically, which seemed particularly abrupt.

Everyone sensed something was wrong, stopped eating, and looked towards the door.

A figure wearing a camel-colored woolen overcoat stood there.

He stood out from the villagers around him, who were all wearing bulky cotton-padded coats.

It is Lin Xiumei.

She wore heavy makeup, her lips painted bright red, her chin slightly raised, her gaze sweeping over the lively scene in the courtyard, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly turned cold.

Whispers began to circulate.

"Why is she here?"

"You just made such a huge fool of yourself in the county town, and you're already back?"

"You've got some nerve..."

Lin Xiumei ignored these comments. She strode forward, her high heels clattering on the uneven, muddy ground. Her steps were unsteady, but her posture remained haughty.

She walked through the crowd and went straight to Lu Qingshan and Lin Xiulan.

All eyes were on her.

"Hey, congratulations, sister!"

Her voice was high-pitched and had a strange, peculiar tone.

"Holding a wedding in the village is really lively."

She looked around and pursed her lips.

"It's like going to a market."

Lin Xiulan remained calm.

The hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly, but it didn't become timid and hesitant as before.

She has grown a lot during the time she has been with Aoyama.

"Sis, what's wrong?"

Lu Qingshan remained silent.

He simply stepped forward half a step, completely shielding Lin Xiulan behind him.

His face was expressionless, and his eyes, which were fixed on Lin Xiumei, were devoid of any warmth.

Several men who were on good terms with the Lu family slammed their wine bowls down on the table, stood up, and stared at Lin Xiumei with hostile eyes.

Wang Guifen grabbed her apron and was about to rush forward.

"What are you doing here!"

Lu Changgui grabbed her and shook his head at her.

Looking at his son's composed back, he knew that this matter didn't need their elders' interference.

Lin Xiumei seemed oblivious to the murderous stares around her, and even less to the warning in Lu Qingshan's eyes.

Her purpose today is very clear.

She's here to cause trouble.

She wanted to ensure that even on her most glorious day, Lin Xiulan would be trampled under her feet.

Lin Xiumei wanted to prove that leaving Lu Qingshan was absolutely the right choice!

She looked at Lin Xiulan hiding behind Lu Qingshan and smiled even more smugly.

"Sister, what can I do?"

"I just came to congratulate you."

She deliberately rolled up the sleeves of her coat, revealing a brand-new women's watch on her wrist, which dangled in the sunlight.

"Look, I'm doing just fine."

"Although there was a small mishap at the wedding, with a bunch of country bumpkins messing things up, life goes on."

She paused, then her voice suddenly rose, carrying a shrewd, boastful quality.

"Gao Yang felt sorry for me and used his connections to get me a job at the county food factory!"

"A secure job! A government-subsidized grain ration!"

"From now on, I'll be a city dweller, living in an apartment building, earning a salary, and never having to rely on the weather for my livelihood again."

Upon hearing this, the villagers who had been restless in the courtyard immediately fell silent.

The anger on many people's faces turned into a complex mix of envy.

In this day and age, the phrase "iron rice bowl" carries immense weight.

That means you'll never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of your life, and it signifies a superior status.

Lin Xiumei was very satisfied with the result.

Looking at Lin Xiulan's pale face, she felt a surge of vengeful pleasure.

She wanted to use what she had to hurt Lin Xiulan and tell everyone that her choice, Lin Xiumei's choice, was not wrong!

"And you, sister?"

She took a step closer, her gaze sweeping contemptuously over Lin Xiulan's red cotton-padded jacket.

"Even if you're riding high today, so what?"

"Holding a banquet must have emptied your savings, right?"

"In the end, she's still just a country girl."

"Spend your whole life in this poor mountain village, struggling to make a living, having children, and when you get old, you'll be just like my mother, covered in the smell of dirt."

"No matter how capable Lu Qingshan is, isn't he just a peasant? What can he give you? A few pounds of wild boar meat, or a lifetime's worth of mountain delicacies?"

After saying that, she let out a shrill laugh.

The courtyard was deathly quiet.