Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 345: Outsourcing Filial Duty

The familiar face was Zhang Xiaoqin, standing with a young man under a big tree beside the panda exhibit.

At this time, the two pandas in the exhibit were sitting back-to-back eating bamboo, attracting the guests who came to visit, leaving no one paying attention to them.

In today’s era, even married couples couldn’t display excessive intimacy in public, let alone unwed youth.

Therefore, Zhang Xiaoqin and the young man kept an arm’s length distance between them.

They must have known each other for some time, as Zhang Xiaoqin’s posture hinted at wanting to get closer, yet she remained reserved.

Boyfriend?!

Yi Chichi squinted, not rushing to reveal herself, instead deliberately finding a spot to perfectly avoid Zhang Xiaoqin’s line of sight and played the onlooker.

At this moment, the young man spoke.

"Mr. Zhang, what do you think of me?"

"Pretty good."

Zhang Xiaoqin complimented with a smile, "Young and promising, a talented youth."

"So, have you agreed to date me?"

"...I have a bit of a bad temper..."

"I can accommodate you."

His quick response didn’t make Zhang Xiaoqin happy; instead, she seemed a bit choked as she spoke, "Mr. Lv, what are your expectations for a future revolutionary partner?"

Lv Xinghua pondered seriously for a moment and said, "Someone like you is good enough. I don’t have many requirements, just one. I hope after we get married, you can treat my mom well."

At this point, he seemed both apologetic and helpless, "My mom really has a tough time!"

In Yi Chichi’s eyes, his appearance was indeed not bad—thick eyebrows, big eyes, a square face full of righteousness, about 175 cm tall, and stood straight, actually matching well with Zhang Xiaoqin beside him.

However, his words made Yi Chichi feel utterly repulsed.

Your mom has a hard time; that’s your father’s and your responsibility as a son. What did Zhang Xiaoqin do wrong to take on your filial piety outsourcing?

Her gaze fell on Zhang Xiaoqin. The girl had dressed up today, wearing a beige dress with small floral patterns and red-edged sneakers, with her hair styled in a bun.

This hairstyle was taught to her by Yi Chichi back in Kao Shan Village.

Zhang Xiaoqin wasn’t unattractive. After dressing up, she looked even more radiant.

The young man’s eyes revealed satisfaction towards Zhang Xiaoqin, making it hard for her to ignore.

If it weren’t for his previous words, Yi Chichi would have thought they were a well-matched couple.

However, just based on his worldview of outsourcing filial piety, she felt this man was not right.

But what she thought didn’t matter; the key was how Zhang Xiaoqin felt.

So, she perked up her ears to listen, wanting to see how Zhang Xiaoqin would respond, whether she’d learned something.

If she learned something, the friendship could continue.

If not, then whatever; she didn’t want to befriend someone simple-minded.

Too exhausting!

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaoqin had learned something. She looked at the young man, surprised, "That’s your mom, not mine. She hasn’t raised me a day or fed me a grain of rice. If anyone should treat her well, it should be you or your dad. Why would you expect me to treat her well?"

Well done!

Yi Chichi wanted to applaud her but held back.

Lv Xinghua probably didn’t expect her to give such an answer and, with a matter-of-fact tone, said, "After we get married, we’ll be one family. It’s the daughter-in-law’s duty to treat the mother-in-law well, and I think that’s your responsibility as a daughter-in-law."

His attitude was very frank, suggesting this was his heartfelt thought.

Zhang Xiaoqin found it reasonable, nodding, "You’re right. For the small family to be harmonious, compromises must be made. How about this..."

She paused, and the young man couldn’t wait to say, "How so?"

"However I treat your mom, you treat my mom the same. I have obligations as a daughter-in-law, and you have them as a son-in-law too. What do you think?"

The young man, "..."

He didn’t think very highly of it.

His thoughts were naturally reflected on his face.

"But a daughter married is like water thrown out; your parents have your brother and sister-in-law to care for them; they don’t need me as a son-in-law to take care of them."

Zhang Xiaoqin replied bluntly, "So after we get married, only I would have to treat your parents well, and you wouldn’t treat mine well, and I also cannot treat mine well. Is that what you mean?!"

"No, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is that necessary courtesies should suffice, no need to over-involve."

Calmly and methodically, he continued with a doting smile, "After all, we are the ones spending the rest of our lives together."

Yi Chichi rubbed her arms, feeling that his tone was so greasy it made her want to vomit.

Looking back at Zhang Xiaoqin, her expression was also hard to describe, hesitant to say anything.

Her eyes showed a bit of impatience.

The young man wasn’t sensitive to emotions, or perhaps he thought he had Zhang Xiaoqin in the bag and didn’t need to care about her inner thoughts. Regardless, he proceeded to say something extremely unappealing.

"By the way, I hope after we get married, you could transfer your job to my sister, and you can focus on having children at home, ideally having two within three years..."

"Sorry, I refuse!"

Seeing he was about to ramble on, an exasperated Zhang Xiaoqin interrupted him, "Mr. Lv, I think we’re not suitable for each other. Let’s just be colleagues in the future, I’m off now."

Before she finished speaking, she turned around to leave.

But Lv Xinghua stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"How are we not suitable?"

"In every way."

Zhang Xiaoqin’s face showed exasperation, "Mr. Lv, please step aside."

A shadow of gloom crossed Lv Xinghua’s eyes, and his fist was clenched. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Because of the angle, Yi Chichi could see his expression and the bulging veins on his hand clearly.

It was her time to act.

Feigning excitement, she called out, "Xiaoqin!"

Someone who knows Zhang Xiaoqin?

Lv Xinghua felt a thud in his heart, sensing that today’s goal might not be achieved.

He looked in the direction the voice came from and saw Yi Chichi walking towards Zhang Xiaoqin with a beaming smile, "Long time no see!"

"Chichi?"

Watching Yi Chichi approach slowly, Zhang Xiaoqin blinked in disbelief, "I’m not seeing things, am I?"

Someone who was supposed to be in Kao Shan Village appeared before her—a magician’s trick this was.

"Not seeing things."

Yi Chichi replied with a smile, asking cheerfully, "Aren’t you surprised, totally unexpected?"

Zhang Xiaoqin curved her lips into a smile, "I’m very surprised."

Before her words finished, she grabbed Yi Chichi’s hand, "Where’s your man? When did you come to Yangcheng? You..."

Her questions came one after another like a string of firecrackers.

Yi Chichi answered them gently, while Lv Xinghua, who was being ignored by both of them, bit his teeth and feigned amicably, "Mr. Zhang, won’t you introduce us?"

Zhang Xiaoqin responded with an eye-roll, "Why should I introduce my friend to you, let’s go, Chichi, I’ll treat you to dinner."

Not waiting for Lv Xinghua to respond, she pulled Yi Chichi away, reminding him as they passed by, "Don’t follow us, I’m entertaining a good friend."

Yi Chichi nodded slightly at him, and Lv Xinghua immediately restrained his expression, smiled warmly at her, and then obediently stayed where he was, watching the two leave.