RGL – Chapter 41

Li Meng had thought things over all night and realized she couldn’t keep waiting like this any longer. Whether Sun Hai disliked her or not, she needed to make things clear between them. She couldn’t keep dragging it out—what if some other girl came along one day?

Besides, with Sun Hai acting the way he did now, if she kept clinging to him shamelessly, he would only find her more annoying.

So, she had to let Sun Hai know her feelings. But she also had to do it in a way that didn’t make him dislike her even more.

Early the next morning, Li Meng got up and took extra care getting ready. She dressed more neatly than usual and even put on the bright fuchsia coat she’d been reluctant to wear. Looking at the youthful girl in the mirror, she patted her chest and said, “I can do this.”

Sun Hai, meanwhile, was feeling anxious about what he had to do today.

Even as he ate breakfast at home, he was clearly distracted. Su Min, munching on a meat bun, noticed him spacing out and tugged at his sleeve. “Uncle, what’s wrong with you?”

“Ah, nothing,” Sun Hai quickly lowered his head and sipped his porridge—nearly burning his lips.

Sun Qiufang had already heard about the situation from her mother, so she knew her little brother was just too nervous right now, which explained why he was so out of it. She didn’t say anything in front of Su Min. After all, it was grown-up business, and it wasn’t good for a child to know too much.

After finishing his porridge, Sun Hai gathered his things and was about to head to the shop.

Before he could leave, Sun Qiufang pulled him aside. “Mom already told me. You’ve thought it through, right? You can’t keep holding it in. When you come home tonight, we need an answer.” She was worried he’d chicken out at the last second.

Sun Hai nodded seriously.

In his heart, he told himself, If I can’t even open my mouth about this, then I really am useless.

“Mom, what’s up with my uncle?” Su Min stood at the door with her backpack, watching Sun Hai’s hurried figure. She turned to her mother, who was still tidying up the table.

“You’re just a kid—what are you poking your nose into?” Sun Qiufang said with a smile.

Su Min pouted. They were always treating her like a child. Never mind that she wasn’t really a kid—even if she was, she was still a middle schooler on the verge of adulthood. She could be helpful.

But judging by her mom’s expression, whatever was going on with her uncle didn’t seem like anything bad—maybe even something good. If it were business-related, her mom would’ve muttered about it a bit. Since they were treating her like a child and didn’t want to tell her, could it be… something about her uncle getting a girlfriend?

Su Min felt she had hit the truth this time.

She adjusted her backpack straps, no longer in a hurry, and walked off to school in a cheerful mood. There really wasn’t much she could do to help here, so she might as well wait for the good news. Maybe soon, there would be a new aunt in the house.

When Sun Hai arrived at the shop, Li Meng was already there. She stood at the door wearing a fuchsia coat and had her hair in a ponytail, looking full of youthful energy.

If it had been a normal day, Sun Hai wouldn’t have thought much of it. But now, with his mind full of complicated feelings, he couldn’t help stealing a few extra glances.

He realized that Li Meng was actually quite pretty—especially when she smiled. Her dimples peeked out just faintly.

Taking a deep breath, he walked over to her. “You’re here really early today.”

The shop did serve noodles and porridge in the morning, but Li Meng’s shift didn’t start until after 9 a.m. She usually handled lunch and dinner, and there weren’t many customers for breakfast, so Sun Hai hadn’t asked her to come in early.

Li Meng gave a slight smile and looked directly at him, more forthright than usual. “I’ve got something to take care of today.”

Sun Hai was puzzled. “Something to do? What is it?” He also noticed that she looked different today. Normally, for convenience, Li Meng wore old, worn clothes—so if they got dirty, it didn’t matter. But today she was wearing something brand new. If it got stained with grease, it’d be hard to clean.

He asked, “Where are you going?”

Li Meng nodded slightly. “My uncle sent word—said that since I’m getting older, the family wants to help arrange a marriage for me. I didn’t want to at first. I mean, nothing beats finding someone yourself. But I’ve been in the city for so long and haven’t met a single guy interested in dating me. So I can only go back and let them handle it.”

Hearing her say she was going back for a matchmaking meeting, Sun Hai felt like he’d been hit by a thunderclap—he stood there dumbfounded, unable to react for a long while.

Seeing his shocked expression, Li Meng felt a bit delighted. She had planned this. She was using it as an excuse to test how Sun Hai felt about her. If he really disliked her, he’d happily wish her well. But if he looked even a little unhappy, then… maybe, just maybe, he did have some feelings for her. Even just a little bit would be enough for her—it was still a chance.

She asked cautiously, “Sun Hai, what’s wrong?”

It took Sun Hai a while to recover. He was flustered. “Why are you suddenly going back? Everything’s fine here. There’s no rush for matchmaking right now.”

“I’m already at this age. If I delay any longer, it’ll be really hard to find someone. You know my circumstances aren’t great—no family left. A lot of people don’t want a girl like me. They think I’m unlucky. Now that someone suitable’s come along, I feel content.”

As she spoke, she lowered her head, looking sad.

Sun Hai panicked instantly, and the words he had prepared suddenly got stuck in his throat.

Seeing that Sun Hai didn’t respond, Li Meng bit her lip and looked straight at him with her round eyes, speaking in a low voice, “Sun Hai, do you also think I’m annoying? Do you also think you would never marry a girl like me?”

Li Meng had always been lively and bold. This was the first time Sun Hai saw her looking so timid, and his heart immediately softened. Her big round eyes made him nervous, and he gulped.

“Actually, I think…” Sun Hai found that his throat had gone dry.

“I understand,” Li Meng turned around with her head lowered. “I’ll go catch the bus now. I still have to hurry back for the blind date. Even though the man has lost his wife and is nearly forty, I think he’ll treat me well. I’ll come back to work after the blind date.” After she finished speaking, she started walking away.

When Sun Hai heard she was about to marry such an old man, his heart suddenly tightened. Before he could even think clearly, he had already rushed forward and grabbed Li Meng’s arm. “Li Meng, don’t go back.”

“Sun Hai…” Li Meng turned around, her eyes full of excitement as she looked at him. “You mean…”

“Li Meng, I don’t care that you don’t have parents. I want to marry you.”

“Marry me?” Li Meng thought she must be hallucinating. Otherwise, how could she have heard Sun Hai say he wanted to marry her? Honestly, she hadn’t even expected that much. She just wanted to test whether Sun Hai disliked her. If he didn’t, maybe there was a chance they could develop something.

She never imagined that Sun Hai would come right out and say he wanted to marry her.

She secretly pinched herself. Ouch—it hurt! So it wasn’t a dream!

“You really want to marry me? But you haven’t even spent time getting to know me.”

“Yes,” Sun Hai nodded solemnly.

He had always taken relationships very seriously. Since he had already admitted to himself that he liked Li Meng and wanted to spend his life with her, he had never considered just “trying things out.”

A woman’s reputation mattered, especially for someone like Li Meng, who didn’t have family to protect her. He would never treat her casually. As for getting to know each other—he thought the past six months working together counted for a lot. People who met through blind dates sometimes got married after only a few days.

“Li Meng, I know you’re a good girl—better than many others. Don’t sell yourself short and go back for some blind date.”

Li Meng bit her lip and nodded. She realized this was the first time she was truly at a loss for words.

After a long pause, she finally asked, “So you really want to marry me? And you’ll never regret it?”

She knew Sun Hai must have said this to stop her from going back and marrying that old man.

It was selfish, but she didn’t want to let go of this chance.

In the future, she really would treat Sun Hai with all her heart.

“I’ll never regret it,” Sun Hai said, tightening his grip on her hand. He felt an immense relief and joy now that he’d finally said what was in his heart. What could be better than confessing to the girl he liked?

Even making money didn’t feel this good.

Sun Qiufang knew her younger brother was planning to confess today, and based on her judgment, the chances of success were high. Still, she worried that he might chicken out and waste the opportunity.

What she didn’t expect at all was that not only had he confessed, he had also proposed!

Seeing their grandma’s beaming smile, Sun Qiufang didn’t say much. It was a good thing for young people to get married. She had been observing Li Meng for quite some time and hadn’t seen anything wrong with her. Although the girl had no parents, that wasn’t her fault. In fact, it might make her cherish family even more.

Grandma Sun said, “This is a good thing. Getting married is good. I think Mengmeng is quite nice. As long as a woman is hardworking, she can’t go wrong. I’ve been watching, and this girl can really endure hardship. Sun Hai, you’ve got good taste.”

Su Changrong added, “Indeed. She’s almost as good as I am.”

Sun Qiufang laughed, “You really know how to brag.” She turned to Sun Hai and said, “So, when do you plan to hold the wedding banquet? The New Year is coming. If you get married before then, the whole family can celebrate together.”

Sun Hai couldn’t help but smile at the mention of a wedding banquet. “I was planning to do it before the New Year. We’ll take Mengmeng back to our hometown. We usually work in the city and rarely have time to visit. The New Year is the best chance.”

“That’s a good plan,” Grandma Sun quickly agreed.

Sun Hai added, “Sis, I think I’ll rent a place now. After I get married, it won’t be good for us to keep living with you. I want to find a place of our own and bring Mom with us.”

“You can rent a place, but don’t bring Mom,” Sun Qiufang said. “You and Mengmeng will both be busy with work. You won’t have time to take care of her. I’m just watching the shop here, it’s not hard. And once we open the new branch, I’ll be guarding this one by myself. Mom staying with me will give me someone to talk to.”

Grandma Sun chimed in, “I’ll stay with your sister for a while. After you two get through your newlywed phase, I’ll move in with you. It’s not good for an old woman like me to be hanging around newlyweds.”

Sun Hai’s face turned red at those words.

Su Changrong said, “That’s settled then. I’ll help you look for a place to rent. Once that’s done, we’ll arrange the wedding. Mom will stay with us for a bit, and later she can move in with you two.”

Grandma Sun said, “I’ll go pick a date for the wedding later. Let’s see if there are any good days before the New Year.”

That evening, when Su Min came home, Grandma Sun had already picked the date: New Year’s Day.

Such an auspicious date—it was even better than those so-called “lucky” calendar days.

“My little uncle is getting married? So soon?”

Su Min was so shocked she nearly dropped her backpack. There hadn’t been any news at noon—how come by the afternoon he was getting married? That was fast!

Grandma Sun chuckled, “It’s not that fast. Your little uncle will be twenty-eight after the New Year. In the village, people his age already have kids in primary school. Honestly, your little uncle made the right decision coming to the city. Life is getting better and better, and he’s marrying such a good girl. If he’d stayed in the village, who knows when he would’ve gotten married?”

“That’s because my uncle is capable.” Su Min put her bag aside and helped Grandma Sun pack the wedding candies. “So where is my uncle holding the wedding banquet?”

“These days he’s been so busy that he didn’t have time to go back and handle it, so he’ll just hold it here. We’ll go back and do another one during the New Year.” Grandma Sun spoke about the wedding with a face full of smiles.

She placed the packed wedding candies in Su Min’s bag, “Take some candy and give it to your classmates tomorrow at school.”

Su Min counted the number of people, grabbing the candy as she said, “Grandma, you really want to celebrate the whole world.”

Lately, Su Changrong had been busy with the new shop renovation, so he also had time to help Sun Hai rent a house.

After searching the whole area for half the day, he still couldn’t find a suitable place.

He was anxious because his brother-in-law was waiting for the house to get married, and he couldn’t afford to delay the wedding just because they couldn’t find a house. His wife would definitely complain. While his mother-in-law wouldn’t say anything, he had already boasted that he’d find one, so it would be embarrassing if he couldn’t.

When he returned to the new shop, the renovation was underway.

He handed a cigarette to the lead worker, who smiled and said, “Boss Su, why are you coming so late today? You usually come early.”

Su Changrong took a few puffs of the cigarette, his face full of worry, “Don’t even mention it, finding a rental house in this city is tough. My brother-in-law wants to rent a house to get married. I’ve searched half the county and haven’t found anything suitable. I can’t even rent a shack for them.”

“What size house do you want to rent?”

“Just one room for the young couple will be enough.”

The foreman took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew out some smoke. “If you really want a house, I can help you inquire.”

Su Changrong was excited, “You might have a suitable house?”

“Not sure, but I have two relatives who are workers. Their children have all gotten married and moved out. The old couple plans to rent out the house they live in to make some extra money. With the county starting to sell properties, they need money.”

“Wow, if we can really rent it, that would be great. Let’s go out and have a meal when it’s done. My brother-in-law opened a restaurant, and the food is really good.”

Seeing Su Changrong so enthusiastic, the foreman decided to take it seriously. He planned to ask his wife to inquire about the house, and if it was available, they would quickly finalize the deal.

The next day, the foreman came with news that the house could be rented, but because it was a factory-owned property, the price wouldn’t be cheap. It would cost twenty yuan a month.

There was no choice. They wanted to make some extra money for future house purchases.

Su Changrong knew this was somewhat of a price hike, but since his brother-in-law needed the house urgently, they couldn’t afford to wait. Plus, they wouldn’t be staying in it for too long. Once the two houses Su Changrong bought were ready, his brother-in-law could move out. He immediately told the foreman to go check out the house in the afternoon and go eat at Sun Hai’s restaurant.

At noon, Su Changrong deliberately went to find Sun Hai and told him about the house.

Sun Hai was overjoyed when he heard the house was rented. He and Li Meng had already agreed to get married on New Year’s Day. If they didn’t have a place to stay, it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to marry at his sister’s house.

After hearing the rent, he didn’t mind, though he did have a concern. “It’s only one room. Where will Mom stay when she comes over?”

“You don’t need to worry about Mom. The house is on the second floor, and she’d have to climb stairs. Her legs aren’t very good, so it’s better not to trouble her. She can stay with us, and she can help your sister at the shop. Our house is big enough, and it’s comfortable.”

“Brother-in-law, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for our family.” Sun Hai was deeply grateful. He always remembered the support and help from his sister and brother-in-law ever since he moved from the city and started his business. Without them, he wouldn’t be where he was today.

Su Changrong smiled and patted his shoulder, “It’s all mutual help, don’t mention it. By the way, I invited the person who helped you with the house rental to lunch, so when the time comes, make a couple of dishes to show your appreciation.”

“Okay, no problem.” Sun Hai nodded with a smile.

After finishing his work in the afternoon, Sun Hai planned to take Li Meng to see the house.

When Li Meng heard the news that their wedding house was rented, she felt both happy and nervous. After thinking for a moment, she decided not to go. “You and brother-in-law go, I’ll stay home and prepare the food. I’ll get ready to work in the afternoon.”

“Alright, I’ll go and check it out.”

The house was in the Textile and Electric Power District. Although the price was a bit high, after looking at it, Sun Hai was quite satisfied. It was on the second floor, and although there was only one room, it was spacious. The bathroom was inside the building, making it very convenient.

Looking at their future home, Sun Hai felt very excited. He couldn’t wait to move in and decorate it according to his ideal home.

After renting the house, Sun Qiufang began to prepare for the wedding banquet.

Since there weren’t many relatives, there was no need for multiple tables.

After careful calculation, only Zhu Qiang and Zhang Hui could be invited, and their family would be enough for one table. As for Sun Changui’s side, Sun Qiufang decided not to invite them. It was her brother’s wedding, and she didn’t want to deal with any tension.

Sun Bing’s side was informed by phone. Sun Qiufang had the post office send a letter to let them know about the wedding.

No matter the tension, it was still a big day for her brother. Whether Sun Bing and Zhang Guihua came or not, at least they needed to be notified.

“Li Meng, you’re really getting married, huh?”

Li Meng had also come by the restaurant where Sun Hai used to work, taking advantage of the morning to hand out wedding candies. Since the restaurant had just opened, it was the perfect time to spread some cheer.

The restaurant owner took the candy, smiling widely.

Li Meng smiled back, “It’s happening on New Year’s Day.”

“Wow, that’s quick. It’s only ten days away, right? Where are you holding the wedding banquet?”

“His hometown is far away, and we don’t have time to go back, so we’ll just distribute the wedding candies for now. We’ll hold the wedding banquet when we return during the New Year.”

“That works. By the way, your partner works in the county?”

Li Meng smiled and nodded, “You know him, it’s Sun Hai.”

“Ah, so it’s this guy.” The restaurant owner suddenly realized, “No wonder he left, and you followed him. Didn’t expect you two would end up together. He’s a good guy, very solid.”

Li Meng smiled and pursed her lips, “I think he’s solid too.”

After handing out candies to everyone she knew, Li Meng went to Aunt Li’s place to give her some, and also invited her to the wedding.

“Aunt, my family is far away, and I sent a letter to my uncles. They probably won’t come, and I don’t have any elders here. Would you mind standing in as an elder for me?”

“Of course, I’ll go.” Aunt Li smiled, “I didn’t expect it to work out, but you didn’t listen to my advice and managed to win Sun Hai over. Now you’re getting married, and Sun Hai is doing well, opening a restaurant. You two will work hard together, and your life will definitely be prosperous. You’re living better than many women who married into our village.”

Some things in life really depend on luck.

Who would have thought that Sun Hai, once a poor guy working in the kitchen, would now have enough money to open a restaurant in the city?

After leaving the restaurant, Li Meng went to visit her good friend, Liu Li, during her break. Liu Li, now married to Gao Jianfeng, was living comfortably at home, having quit her job. Not long after they got married, Liu Li became pregnant, so she stayed home to prepare for the baby.

Now her belly was slightly round, and she stayed at home most days, watching TV and occasionally shopping.

Miao Ling, visiting Liu Li’s home, was a bit envious, “You’re really the luckiest among us. You married a city worker and have such a nice house. You don’t have to worry about food and clothes. Unlike us, we’re still working in restaurants, exhausted every day.”

“If you want, you can also look,” Liu Li said softly.

“It’s not that easy. Good men are hard to find these days,” Miao Ling took a bite of the pastry and suddenly said, “Did you know? Li Meng is getting married. Guess who she’s marrying?”

Hearing Li Meng’s name, Liu Li’s heart tightened, and she clenched her palm. “Who?”

“Sun Hai. I didn’t expect it either, but it turns out that Sun Hai, who is usually so quiet, has quite a bit of money. I heard he even opened a little restaurant outside. Hey, when you were with Sun Hai, did he ever mention this? You’ve really got good luck, both your exes have some family background.”

“Sun Hai and Li Meng are getting married?!” Liu Li looked at Miao Ling in shock, her mind spinning. Li Meng is actually marrying Sun Hai!

“Yes, but don’t get mad. If you hadn’t chosen Sun Hai back then, it wouldn’t be Li Meng’s turn. What’s she? An orphan, always laughing and goofing off.”

Liu Li felt uncomfortable, thinking that Li Meng was doing better than her.

At that moment, Liu Li couldn’t take in anything else. All she could think about was that Sun Hai was going to marry Li Meng.

After marrying Gao Jianfeng, Liu Li knew that Li Meng had gone to talk to Gao Jianfeng about her and Sun Hai’s relationship, and then Gao Jianfeng bought her jewelry to distract her. Back then, she was already married to Gao Jianfeng, and though she resented Li Meng for ruining her chance with Sun Hai, she had to swallow her anger.

Now, Liu Li realized that it wasn’t just that Li Meng couldn’t stand seeing Sun Hai with someone else; it was also because Li Meng liked Sun Hai herself and wanted to marry him, so she deliberately sabotaged Liu Li’s chance with him.

That woman really had deep scheming!

After Miao Ling left, Liu Li couldn’t sit still at home anymore.

She couldn’t let someone as calculating as Li Meng get her way. No matter what, Li Meng ruined her happiness, and she wasn’t going to let Li Meng marry Sun Hai. She had to tell Sun Hai the truth.

Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Li Meng was happily talking to Sun Hai about giving out wedding candies at the restaurant.

Sun Hai didn’t talk much, just cutting vegetables and occasionally saying a few words.

Although they were already in a relationship and talking about marriage, their dynamic hadn’t changed. Sun Hai was still the same, quiet and reserved, leaving all the talking to Li Meng, who did most of the talking while he simply listened.

“By the way, I’ve made plans with my sister to go shopping for clothes at the mall. We’ll be back before 5 p.m., so it won’t affect the business.”

Sun Hai smiled, “If you want to shop, take your time. Business doesn’t depend on a few minutes.”

“That’s not going to work. You can’t handle everything by yourself; what if you mess something up?” Now that she was going to live with Sun Hai, she had to work even harder to make their lives better.

After helping Sun Hai prepare the afternoon meals, Li Meng went to her sister-in-law’s store to meet her.

At the same time, Liu Li, following the information she had gathered, found Sun Hai at the restaurant.

It had been almost six months since she last saw him.

After marrying Gao Jianfeng, Liu Li had been too afraid to see Sun Hai, feeling like she no longer had the right to. But now, seeing him again, Liu Li realized she still had feelings for him.

Seeing Sun Hai brought back memories of when they were together. Back then, Sun Hai was gentle and considerate with her, always giving in to her.

“Sun Hai.”

She called out from the door.

Sun Hai, who was arranging items on the counter, instinctively glanced up and saw Liu Li standing at the door.

He froze for a moment, feeling a strange sense of unease. When he looked at Liu Li before, he felt nervous and happy. But now, seeing her, he just felt like he didn’t want to meet her.

Liu Li noticed that Sun Hai didn’t respond, so she walked inside.

Sun Hai put down what he was doing and walked out from behind the counter. “What are you doing here?”

Liu Li’s heart felt sour. “I heard you’re marrying Li Meng. Is it true?”

Sun Hai nodded. “Yes, we’re getting married on New Year’s Day.”

Hearing him confirm that he was marrying Li Meng, Liu Li felt a surge of bitterness. Her eyes reddened, and she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “You can’t marry Li Meng!”

Sun Hai furrowed his brows, about to say something, when Liu Li cried out, “Don’t you know? I was really going to go back to my hometown to talk about our marriage! I had already made up my mind to marry you. I didn’t lie to you that day. I was about to go to the station, but Gao Jianfeng came to find me, and he insisted on taking me shopping, so I got delayed. Later, I found out that Gao Jianfeng was looking for me because Li Meng had gone to him first, told him about us, and made him come after me!”

“What are you talking about?” Sun Hai stepped back, frowning.

“I’m saying, we could’ve gotten married, but Li Meng had other plans. She made Gao Jianfeng come after me and took you to his house, and that’s why we didn’t get married. Sun Hai, Li Meng isn’t a good person. She’s too scheming. She sabotaged us so she could marry you. I should’ve been the one marrying you!”

Liu Li covered her mouth and started crying.

Sun Hai was shocked by what she said. So, it was Li Meng who made Gao Jianfeng come to her, and that’s why he had felt confused back then. How did Li Meng know where Gao Jianfeng lived, and why did she know where Liu Li was?

But back then, he was too hurt to think it through, so he had ignored it.

So this is what happened.

Li Meng had come to his restaurant, not because she was unhappy with the work, but because she wanted to see him?

“Sun Hai, you really want to marry Li Meng? She’s not a good girl. She doesn’t deserve to be with you.”

“Go home.” Sun Hai suddenly said.

“Sun Hai?” Liu Li looked at him in disbelief. “You don’t believe me?”

Sun Hai sat down on a chair, looking straight ahead, not at Liu Li. “I do believe you. Actually, now that I think about it, everything makes sense.”

Liu Li nodded vigorously. “We were ruined by Li Meng!”

“No, it wasn’t Li Meng’s fault.” Sun Hai raised his head to look at her. “It was your lack of resolve. You were with Gao Jianfeng behind my back, and I forgave you. I did that because I liked you. We didn’t have a relationship before, so making mistakes is inevitable. But the second time, even if Li Meng had Gao Jianfeng come after you, could she force you to go buy jewelry with him? Could she force you to go back home with him?”

“Sun Hai, you really think that of me?” Liu Li looked at him in disbelief. She never expected that after all that time he spent liking her, he would now accuse her like this.

Sun Hai smiled faintly. “Actually, I’ve come to terms with it. You were wrong, and I wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t compare to Gao Jianfeng’s conditions. You wanted to be with him, and I couldn’t stop you. I don’t hold it against you anymore.”

Liu Li never expected this outcome.

She came to tell Sun Hai the truth and show him Li Meng’s true nature, but Sun Hai ended up blaming her, not Li Meng. She bit her lip. “So, you still want to marry Li Meng? Even if I was wrong, it shows that Li Meng is manipulative. Do you really want to be with such a scheming girl?”

Sun Hai heard this and smiled.

“I never knew that Li Meng actually liked me. I thought she only agreed to marry me because she was getting older. But it turns out she’s had feelings for me for a long time. She may be scheming, but it’s all for me. Liu Li, to be valued by someone is really rare.” He never expected someone to care about him like that.