Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“You must be Sheng Ning! I’m Xu Qigang’s old man.” Xu Xianxiong guffawed uninhibitedly, his laughter rumbling through the backyard and even scaring the pigs.
“Huh?” Sheng Ning blushed in embarrassment. She didn’t expect the visitor to be Xu Qigang’s father.
She finally understood where Xu Qigang’s nickname “Beelzebub” came from.
“Why?” he asked. “We don’t look alike?”
“You do. Very much so.”
“Nonsense. That rascal’s nowhere near as handsome as me.”
Sheng Ning was speechless. “This guy is delusional!” she thought. “Xu Qigang is a thousand times better looking than him!”
Sheng Third, who was on his way home, heard Xu Xianxiong’s voice from afar and quickly rushed over. When he realized that his daughter wasn’t frightened, he heaved a sigh of relief.
He had agreed to the marriage because he personally approved of Xu Qigang. As for the man’s father… well, that was a different story…
Xu Xianxiong enthusiastically slapped Sheng Third on the back when he saw him, and the force of the blow was almost enough to send Sheng Third to the ground. “Your daughter’s not too shabby!” he said. “It’s a shame my son won’t have the good fortune of marrying her.”
“Come in and have a seat.” Sheng Third led him into the house, and Sheng An threw Sheng Ning a glance before returning to her own room.
Shen Luhua smiled fawningly at Sheng Ning. “Ningning, I’m going to prepare lunch. Please call An’an out to help me.”
“That won’t be necessary, Mom. I’ve already prepared lunch.”
“What?” Shen Luhua’s eyes widened in disbelief. Ever since she was young, Sheng Ning had never liked entering the kitchen, and every time she was made to do any type of housework, she would thrown a tantrum and kick up a huge fuss. When did she learn to cook?
Shen Luhua’s shock was evident, and Sheng Ning lowered her head in remorse. “I’m sorry for being immature in the past, Mom. Will you please forgive me?”
“It wasn’t your fault. Not at all.” Shen Luhua was so emotional that her hands started trembling. “I’m already so happy that you’re willing to call me Mom!”
“Thank you, Mom!” Sheng Ning looked up and flashed a dazzling smile. Her face was beautiful, like a bouquet of roses. Shen Luhua’s eyes glazed over, and without even realizing it, she had followed Sheng Ning into the kitchen.
When she regained her wits about her, she couldn’t resist inhaling deeply when she saw the dishes on the kitchen table. “It smells delicious! Your cooking skills are even better than mine!”
Shen Luhua was one of the better cooks in the village, but at this period of time in the village, the villagers were lucky enough just to have something to eat. No one cared how the food tasted.
The corners of Sheng Ning’s lips turned up into a smile. There hadn’t been seasonings or other ingredients available. Otherwise, the food would have tasted even better.
While mother and daughter set the table, Xu Xianxiong and Sheng Third chatted in the central room.
The main purpose of Xu Xianxiong’s visit was to apologize on behalf of his son. The betrothal had been settled, and that rascal hadn’t given any word of objection. Given his personality, his silence was akin to his consent. However, no one expected him to be so adamantly against the marriage when he called home during the mid-autumn festival.
Xu Xianxiong ran all the way to the town’s distribution office to answer the call, and the message had infuriated him beyond measure.
Given that rascal’s ferocious looks and chilly personality, it was a miracle in itself that he had been able to find a wife for him. Furthermore, the Xu family village had such a bad reputation that most women wouldn’t dare to marry into the family.
The Xu family village was known for its abject poverty and uselessness. In his younger days, Xu Xianxiong was widely known as a useless hoodlum, and women quickly hid out of sight when they saw him. He didn’t manage to marry until he was thirty years old.
It was only after he settled down and started a family that he started earning a proper living. But he was unable to get rid of his old habits, and people still quaked in their boots when they interacted with him.
At the end of the year, when it came to distributing the goods, his share was delivered to his doorstep.
It was honestly hard to tell whose reputation was worse—Xu Xianxiong’s or his son’s. But no one dared to discuss this openly for fear of conflict with the Xu family. They were all scared to death of the aggressive-looking Northerner.