Chapter 190
"I heard you clearly. You said that as long as I marry you, your father, my teacher, would help me get back to the city and let me continue doing research under him." Mu Shi'an repeated her words.
"Since you heard everything clearly, why would you still reject me?" Zheng Lanhui stared at him in utter disbelief.
"I already answered that question just now. If you didn't hear me clearly, I can answer it again. I'm already married." Mu Shi'an said in a steady voice.
"Being married doesn't mean you can't get a divorce. That woman is nothing but a common fisherman's daughter who can't even appear in polite company. You're the most outstanding student under my father. She probably can't even read more than a few characters. Do you really think you two have anything in common? Even if you don't divorce now, you won't last long together anyway." Zheng Lanhui spoke with urgency.
To be honest, along the way here, she had been imagining the look of pleasant surprise on Mu Shi'an's face when he heard he could return to the capital. She had never expected him to refuse so bluntly and without hesitation.
"Whether we have anything in common is a matter between my wife and me. You don't need to worry about it. I still have things to do, so I'll be going now. There's no need to look for me again in the future." With that, Mu Shi'an turned around and left without a second thought.
"Shi'an-ge!" Zheng Lanhui wanted to chase after him, but then she noticed the villager in the distance who had been staring at her the whole time.
The man was holding a hoe, and his attitude suggested that if she dared to set foot in the village, he wouldn't hesitate to swing it at her.
Zheng Lanhui's steps froze in place immediately. All she could do was glare resentfully at Mu Shi'an's retreating figure.
"What happened? Did the talk not go well?" Mu's mother had been watching the commotion around Mu Shi'an from a distance. Though she couldn't hear anything, seeing him walk back with a gloomy face, she quickly stepped forward to ask.
"If Comrade Zheng comes to you again asking you to arrange a meeting with me, don't agree to it." After saying this, Mu Shi'an left without hesitation.
Mu's mother stood in place, completely baffled.
What on earth did they talk about?
What made Mu Shi'an so angry?
Mu's mother turned around and glanced at Zheng Lanhui, who was still standing at the entrance of the village. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over.
"Lanhui, what exactly did you say to Shi'an just now? Why did he look so angry?" Mu's mother asked with confusion in her voice.
"I..." Zheng Lanhui's eyes were red, and she couldn't even speak through her sobs.
"It can't be that Shi'an bullied you, could it?" As soon as these words left her mouth, Mu's mother thought it impossible.
Given Mu Shi'an's personality, he would never take the initiative to bully someone, let alone a young woman who was his teacher's only daughter.
"Auntie, is Shi'an-ge really so bewitched by that woman that he's lost his senses?" Zheng Lanhui grabbed hold of Mu's mother's hand.
"What do you mean by that?" Mu's mother frowned slightly.
"..."
After talking with Zheng Lanhui, Mu's mother felt somewhat dazed. She walked back in a trance, and when she finally came to her senses, she realized that she had not gone back to the square but had instead stopped in front of Song Nianchu's doorstep.
How did she end up here?
She must have been thinking about Song Nianchu the whole time, which led her here unknowingly.
Mu's mother turned around to leave, but unexpectedly ran right into Song Nianchu, who was returning home.
The two locked eyes, and Mu's mother's mind suddenly cleared. She even unconsciously stepped back a pace.
"Are you looking for me?" Song Nianchu hadn't expected Mu's mother to look so frightened at the sight of her, so she asked.
"No... no, it's nothing." Mu's mother stammered in reply, then moved to step around Song Nianchu and leave.
Song Nianchu found her behavior a bit odd but didn't ask further. Today, she had brought her new product to Sun Wenshi and Manager Li, and both had given very positive feedback, even increasing their orders a bit.
Her biggest client, Xiang Tianyi, hadn't been around though. She planned to go see him tomorrow since she had already asked Sun Wenshi to pass along the message.
By then, she would make the packaging for his portion even more exquisite and capture his attention at first glance.
Song Nianchu's mind was occupied with these thoughts, so she stopped paying attention to Mu's mother.
However, Mu's mother took a few steps before stopping again, thinking about what Zheng Lanhui had told her.
This was a matter concerning the entire trajectory of Mu Shi'an's life. As his mother, shouldn't she try to fight for him once more?
Mu's mother turned back and saw that Song Nianchu was about to close the door.
"Wait... wait a moment..." Mu's mother finally spoke up.
"Is there something else?" Song Nianchu's thoughts were pulled back by the sound of Mu's mother's voice.
Mu's mother swallowed hard, and in the end, under Song Nianchu's gaze, she made her way back in front of her.
But she opened her mouth several times without managing to say a complete sentence.
"Why don't you come in and sit for a while?" Song Nianchu, seeing her like this, wondered if Mu Jingmei had come to cause trouble again, and so she stepped aside to let her in.
Mu's mother gritted her teeth and stepped into Song Nianchu's courtyard.
This was the first time she had ever been to Song Nianchu's home. The yard was kept clean and tidy, and a few pieces of clothing were hung out to dry in one corner.
Some were big, some were small. Those small ones should be the clothes of Mu Haoxuan and Mu Yongnian.
They were items she had never seen before, likely ones that Song Nianchu had made for the two boys afterwards.
Seeing those clothes, the look in Mu's mother's eyes softened.
"Haoxuan and Yongnian have gone to the village office to print labels. If you want to see them, you can go there." Noticing where Mu's mother was looking, Song Nianchu reminded her.
"I know." Mu's mother finally withdrew her gaze.
Hearing that, Song Nianchu's eyes flickered slightly.
So she had come here specifically to see her.
"Why don't you come inside for a cup of tea?" Song Nianchu invited Mu's mother into the main room.
Though she called it tea, since it wasn't the New Year or any special occasion, there was no tea leaves in the house, so in the end, she could only offer Mu's mother a glass of plain boiled water.
"Thank you." Mu's mother accepted it politely and took a small sip.
Song Nianchu wasn't in a hurry. She poured a glass for herself too.
Mu's mother sipped her water while studying Song Nianchu, as if she couldn't find the right moment to start. She didn't say a single word until her glass was empty.
"Would you like some more?" Song Nianchu was in no rush and, noticing the empty glass, asked.
"No... no, that's fine." Mu's mother shook her head hastily.
Song Nianchu didn't insist and simply went back to drinking her own water.
Then, when Mu's mother could no longer hold it in, she put down her glass, summoned up her courage, and looked directly at Song Nianchu.
"Comrade Song... Song, what are your feelings toward my son, Shi'an?"
"Ah?" Song Nianchu hadn't expected that after waiting all this time, Mu's mother would ask a question like that.
"I previously asked the village chief about your situation. Your parents are gone, and you're an only daughter, so you wanted to bring in a live-in husband, just to continue your family line." Mu's mother spoke up.
"Yes, that's right." Song Nianchu nodded. "But what exactly are you trying to say?"
"If it's only for the sake of continuing the family line, then... wouldn't it be possible that it doesn't have to be Shi'an?" Mu's mother asked, and as she said this, her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, a hint of nervousness showing in her eyes.