"It has nothing to do with you." Lu Chenyuan impatiently turned off the light, unwilling to waste more time with Lin Yan.
"How can it have nothing to do with me? If there's an issue, I still have to move. I'm not unreasonable," she muttered softly.
Lin Yan wasn't ready to sleep, but the room went dark, so she obediently changed into her slippers.
"Is there a place to bathe?" she asked softly.
A deep male voice resonated in the darkness, "I always use cold water."
It was already autumn, yet he still bathed in cold water, which made Lin Yan shiver at the thought.
Is this man cold-blooded? She regretted not buying a heating rod to warm the water for bathing.
Lin Yan got up early while Lu Chenyuan was still asleep.
Her father used to get up at five o'clock every morning to work, adhering to a regular routine.
Lin Yan, influenced by sight and sound, was diligent. It was her first time seeing a man who could sleep so much. She never thought about changing someone else's habits, living here was disturbance enough, no need to interfere too much.
Eventually, she would gently persuade him not to oversleep and to find a proper job.
After washing up, she went straight to the kitchen.
Mixing dough on the stove, there was no rolling pin at home, so she found a beer bottle in the corner to use as a substitute.
Seeing the neatly arranged beer bottles by the kitchen wall, Lin Yan frowned delicately. Could Lu Chenyuan be an alcoholic who might turn violent when drunk?
She steamed scallion oil rolls, cooked millet porridge, and even peeled a boiled egg.
Sweeping and mopping the floor, she tidied up the house.
After everything was in order, Lu Chenyuan was still sleeping.
She didn't wake him and left for the bus station to send Lin Xue off.
"Sis... I'm here." Lin Xue waved, standing next to a large suitcase, wearing tight jeans and a beige trench coat, a cheap but stylish look.
The bus station at the east end of the village wasn't far from Lu Chenyuan's house, a few minutes' walk for Lin Yan; the scallion rolls she carried were still warm.
She took out several scallion rolls for Lin Xue to eat on the road.
Lin Xue handed them back to her, "I've bought milk and bread."
With a smile curving up her lips, Lin Xue hadn't slept all night, and now, about to leave for the much-desired Hai City, she would leave and not come back.
"After you get there, take good care of yourself," Lin Yan instructed, holding Lin Xue's hand, feeling reluctant to let her sister go.
Growing up together, they had never been apart for long. Lin Xue's sudden departure was something she wasn't quite accustomed to.
Lin Xue, completely unconcerned with Lin Yan's sentimentality, was full of excitement, "Sis, once I graduate from makeup school, I'll either join a production crew or a photo studio. Then you can meet a big star through me and bask in the spotlight too."
The incident with Xiang Family had taught Lin Yan a lesson. Marriage should be between equals. With their status, they matched with partners of similar means.
Wealthy people wouldn't be interested in the likes of them.
Cinderella existed only in fairy tales, and besides, Cinderella was originally a princess.
She didn't wish to douse Lin Xue with cold water, "Just be cautious, don't trust men too easily, and don't rush into relationships."
Lin Xue scoffed lightly, "Sis, you should mind your own business, take care, and if that man hits you, don't stay with him. Once the Xiang family's pressure eases, find a good family to marry into. Your life will surely get better."
Lin Xue's words left Lin Yan feeling all sorts of unpleasant emotions. She believed that Lu Chenyuan wasn't as bad as others said, at least not now.
"He's a good person, don't talk nonsense. It's just idle gossip in the village, not as scary as it sounds."
Lin Xue had never even met her brother-in-law, and she couldn't be bothered to. What was there to see in a poor bachelor? Seeing him would only bring bad luck.
Even if she remained unmarried for her entire life, she wouldn't settle for someone who couldn't find a wife and never ventured beyond his own thresholds, unlike her sister who could compromise.
Lin Xue: "Yangyang is also going to attend high school in Hai City. With both of us gone, Sister... the family will be relying on you now. Dad didn't really mean to drive you away yesterday; he's just been in a bad mood these past few days."
Lin Yan was shocked: "Yangyang is also leaving? I didn't know that."
With three children in the family and two heading to Hai City, Lin Yan wondered if she had ignored her father's fate and pursued her studies, whether she wouldn't be stuck here like she was now.
Lin Xue: "Yangyang got accepted into a high school in Hai City, a boarding school. That kid says he wants to apply for the military academy later. The educational facilities are definitely much better there than here. Dad plans to host a celebration in the village for Yangyang in a few days."
Lin Yan: "That's great news. I remember a fortune teller mentioned that among us siblings, one would have great fortune, the kind that brings prosperity seen from ancestral graves. Maybe that person is Yangyang. He's so good at his studies. He's bound to be successful in the future."
Lin Yan also had such an opportunity during her middle school exams, but she wasn't as lucky as Yangyang—Zhou Ping didn't agree to let her go to Hai City.
Zhou Ping always said, "What's the use of a girl studying? In the end, it's just about cooking, washing clothes, and taking care of children for someone else. Knowing a few characters is enough."
Now, her life's trajectory was gradually aligning with Zhou Ping's words.
Lin Yan didn't want to resign herself to fate, but temporarily, she was helpless to change it.
Lin Xue raised her eyebrows defiantly: "Why can't it be me with the wealthy fate? Sister, once I start earning, I'll buy you a new phone."
Lin Yan, with her arm around Lin Xue's shoulder, smiled gently, "You don't have to... I lack for nothing. Just take good care of yourself out there, and don't skimp on eating or dressing well."
Lin Xue spoke without thinking: "Marrying that kind of poor bachelor, when will you ever get to change your phone?"
Lin Yan frowned. Realizing she had said the wrong thing, Lin Xue covered her mouth and tried to smile it off: "Just joking! Don't take it to heart."
The bus arrived, and Lin Xue hugged Lin Yan, "Sister, the family will depend on you now. I won't be coming back often. That witch Zhou Ping finally let her daughters go to school, so I must study hard."
Before Lin Yan could give more advice, Lin Xue briskly let go, grabbed her large suitcase, and boarded the bus without looking back.
Lin Yan watched the bus as it bumpily receded from her sight.
She knew that she and Lin Xue were now on two completely different life paths.
"I'm back," Lin Yan said, gathering her emotions, and pushed open the large iron gate to enter.
Having just woken up, Lu Chenyuan looked at Lin Yan, still unaccustomed to having such a presence beside him. Her submissive demeanor scared him—speaking a little louder might make her cry.
"Have you eaten breakfast? I saved some for you," Lin Yan worried that Lu Chenyuan really meant what he said the day before, not to eat her cooking.
Lu Chenyuan didn't reply; it was as if Lin Yan was speaking to the air.
She wasn't upset, still speaking in a gentle, soft voice: "If you haven't eaten, I'll go warm up the steamed buns and porridge for you."
Lu Chenyuan: "You don't need to go out of your way to please me, it's pointless."
Lin Yan kept silent, not really absorbing Lu Chenyuan's words, and pushed the door into the kitchen.
It felt to Lu Chenyuan as if his punch had hit cotton, unable to exert any strength. He thought she was timid, but her resolve was extremely firm.
Lin Yan found that the porridge in the bowl was all gone, and two steamed buns were missing.
Lu Chenyuan had eaten the food she made. She didn't make a point of it, fearing he might feel uncomfortable about going back on his word, and acted as if she hadn't noticed.