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

The festive atmosphere in the courtyard was dampened by Lin Xiumei's shrill laughter, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it, even the aroma of the meat in the pot had faded.

All eyes darted back and forth between Lu Qingshan's calm, expressionless face and Lin Xiumei's twisted, smug face.

Wang Guifen was so angry that she trembled all over, wishing she could tear Lin Xiumei's mouth apart on the spot!

Lu Qingshan remained expressionless, simply pulling Lin Xiulan a fraction further behind him. His tall figure, like a mountain, shielded her from all malice.

He was about to speak.

A soft, warm little hand gently pressed against the back of his hand.

Lu Qingshan lowered his eyes and saw a Lin Xiulan who was different from the Lin Xiulan he remembered from his previous life.

She didn't lower her head, nor did she tremble.

There was no hesitation in those clear eyes, only an astonishing calm.

She shook her head gently at him.

The next second, to everyone's astonishment, Lin Xiulan stepped out from behind Lu Qingshan and, for the first time, stood completely and without any hesitation in front of Lin Xiumei.

She smiled slightly.

It was a gentle smile, calm and even tinged with pity.

That laugh was like an invisible hand that suddenly grabbed Lin Xiumei's throat, preventing her from uttering even more vicious words!

"Sister, what are you laughing at?"

Lin Xiumei felt a sudden panic, a sense of foreboding washing over her. But she quickly suppressed that panic.

Laugh? What right does a village girl who's about to spend her whole life rotting away in a poor mountain village have to laugh!

Lin Xiulan didn't answer her, but just gave her a deep look, turned around, and walked into the room behind her amidst a crowd of puzzled gazes.

"Heh, what's wrong? You're just going to cower in despair because you can't win an argument?"

"Sigh, Xiumei's words are so harsh, they really hit home!"

The villagers started whispering again. Lin Xiumei listened to these words and raised her chin even higher. She was convinced that Lin Xiulan couldn't hold back and went inside to wipe away her tears!

But less than two minutes later...

Lin Xiulan came out again.

In her hand, there was a square object carefully wrapped in oil paper.

Under the curious gaze of everyone in the courtyard, she walked to the octagonal table in the center of the courtyard and solemnly placed the oil paper package on it.

Then, with swift and deft movements, it opened.

Everyone instinctively held their breath.

Finally, a bright red notebook with a hard cover was revealed.

Lin Xiulan picked up the red booklet, walked straight back to Lin Xiumei, and handed it to her.

"This is a wedding gift from Aoyama."

Her voice was soft, yet it seemed to have hooks, clearly penetrating the ears of everyone present.

Lin Xiumei took it with a suspicious look, weighed it in her hand, and found it to be very light.

She scoffed, thinking it was some kind of treasure, but it turned out to be just a little red book or something.

"Playing tricks..."

She flipped open the notebook with disdain.

next second.

All the expressions on her face froze instantly!

On that notebook, a line of bright gold lettering, like a red-hot branding iron, was fiercely burned into her eyes!

Property Ownership Certificate!

hum!

Lin Xiumei's mind went completely blank, as if she had been hit by a heavy hammer.

She didn't know many words, but she recognized these few! Each word felt like a needle piercing her brain!

Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, and her gaze followed the line of text stiffly downwards.

[Address: Courtyard house at No. xx, xx Hutong, next to the No. 1 Middle School in the provincial capital.]

[Property Owner: Lin Xiulan]

Provincial capital... courtyard house... Lin Xiulan...

She understood each word individually, but why couldn't she understand a single one when they were put together?

How could this be! This is absolutely impossible!

"What's that? It's a red booklet, it looks kind of festive."

"Who knows..."

One of the young men, who had attended high school in the county town, was the boldest. Unable to contain his curiosity, he suddenly leaned over and craned his neck to stare intently at the notebook.

Just one glance!

He sprang back like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his eyes wide as bells, his face filled with utter horror!

He screamed it out in a ghostly tone, at the top of his lungs:

"Property...property certificate!!"

"It's the property certificate for a courtyard house in the provincial capital!!!"

He was afraid others wouldn't believe him, so he pointed at the red booklet, his voice cracking from extreme shock.

"Head of household! The head of household section lists Xiulan's name! It's just her!"

These words were like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploding across the entire Lu family compound!

The entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar of screams and gasps of shock erupted!

"What the hell?!"

"A courtyard house in the provincial capital?! My goodness!"

"Only Xiulan's name was written? That...that must have cost a fortune! Isn't that a mountain of gold?!"

"Lu Qingshan... he's practically given his lifeblood to his wife!"

The envy that had previously wavered because of the "iron rice bowl" has now been shattered to pieces by this thin property certificate! Utterly shattered!

Workers at a food factory in what county?

Compared to a detached courtyard house in the provincial capital with its own name on it, that's nothing!

That's not even in the same dimension!

Uncle San's old opium pipe fell to the ground with a "clatter," and he stared at the ground with his mouth agape. Wang Guifen and Lu Changgui were even more excited, their faces flushed, looking at each other with eyes full of overwhelming joy and pride!

Lin Xiumei's lips trembled, and the color drained from her face at a visible speed, leaving her as pale as paper.

Houses in the provincial capital...

It's still a courtyard house...

The place she never dared to dream of, the place where her older sister, whom she had looked down on and trampled underfoot since childhood, had quietly come to be hers?

Lin Xiulan didn't look at anyone; her gaze remained fixed on Lin Xiumei, who looked ashen-faced, from beginning to end.

She slowly reached out and took Lu Qingshan's large hand in hers, their fingers intertwined.

Her gaze swept across Lin Xiumei's pale face, and she spoke clearly, each word imbued with unprecedented strength:

"Sister, you're right, I really won't go to work at the food factory in the county town."

"Because after the New Year and the beginning of spring, Qingshan will take me to live in the provincial capital."

"He told me to take care of my family's courtyard in the provincial capital, as well as their business."

Looking at his wife's finally straight and resolute back, Lu Qingshan's eyes softened with a gentle smile. He reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, delivering the final blow to this extreme slap in the face.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a nonchalant yet domineering air that resonated throughout the entire venue.

"That 'iron rice bowl' you mentioned..."

"My wife doesn't care."

boom!

Lin Xiumei's body swayed violently, and she almost fell over.

All the sounds in her mind disappeared, leaving only Lu Qingshan's casual words, which echoed repeatedly, crushing everything around her.

She is not rare.

Not rare...

He risked his life and abandoned his dignity.

In other people's eyes, it was actually "unremarkable" garbage!

Everything she was so proud of, the foundation upon which she built all her choices, was utterly crushed into dust at this moment by this red property certificate and the words "I don't care"!

The astonished, envious, and gossiping gazes around her now turned into silent mockery and pity, like ten thousand steel needles piercing her body.

The red notebook in my hand felt as heavy as a ton of gold.

She could no longer hold on to it.

"Clatter".

The brand-new property certificate, representing a life she could never attain, slipped from her trembling fingers and fell onto the dusty ground.