The Challenge of a Farmhouse Son-in-Law

Gu Youyou lifted her gaze and saw a petite young girl with a delicate, melon seed-shaped face. After a moment of thought, she recognized the girl as Yue Rujing’s younger sister, who seemed to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, and looked at Gu Youyou with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Gu Youyou unveiled a light smile, her voice as soft and clear as pearls falling onto a dish, and said, "I am from Qingshui Town, Yangguan City, a small place in the countryside, which Miss Yue may have never heard of."

She thought that her introduction was appropriate, but to her surprise, upon hearing it, Yue Ruxue immediately stopped smiling and showed a hint of disdain, sneering, "I haven’t heard of it, indeed. It is a small place from the countryside. But I wonder how a woman from such a small rural place managed to win Zijin brother’s favor and become his wife?"

Gu Youyou glanced at another table. The three men were chatting casually and seemed to be unaware of the awkwardness at their table.

Being new here, she honestly just wanted to be courteous and give face as a guest. But this second young lady’s bare disdain for her was hard to ignore.

Then, another woman spoke up, "Second younger sister, the people from small places have their own ways, how would you know, having always lived in Lingnan City?"

Yue Ruxue scoffed, "I’m just curious. Zijin brother is such a good man; I thought only the daughters of officials from Beijing would catch his eye. I never expected he would marry a country girl."

The two sisters seemed to egg each other on, their words filled with insinuations that Gu Youyou was not worthy of Jin Zijin. Gu Youyou bit her lip and had no choice but to meet the gaze of the second Miss Yue, saying timidly and shyly, "Destiny is preordained by heaven, and isn’t there an old saying, ’Fate brings people together from far and wide, and without it, they do not meet even when face to face’? These matters of marriage, how can one explain them clearly?"