Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1232

Chapter 1232: Considerations ( 3 )
Since he was busy and could only make one trip, An Xuyuan figured he should bring a shoulder pole and several sacks as well. This way, they wouldn’t waste time for several trips.

After he left, Zhang Yulan swung her fists at his retreating back in frustration.

Why was she so unlucky? Plenty of people went to the mountains without getting caught. So, why did she have to run into this devil the moment she went to the mountain by herself for the first time?

She had almost been fooled by his concerned tone and listened to him. Fortunately, she was smart enough to see his hidden intentions. Otherwise, she would have been sold and still have to help him count the money.

Taking a few deep breaths, she finally calmed down. Since the rice was already cooked, she had no choice but to accept her fate and let the devil take his share.

As she walked home, she felt satisfied with her parable.

What she didn’t think was that if her brother heard how she had misused the phrase, he would have smacked her on the head and scolded her for being stupid.

This was what happened when someone refused to study—her lack of knowledge might land her in real trouble one day ah!

After returning home, Zhang Yulan poured the mushrooms into a basin of water and began cleaning them.

Although she didn’t know where the vice team leader’s house was, she was sure it would take him some time to return. Instead of wasting time doing nothing, it was better to keep herself busy while waiting.

As she washed the mushrooms, she heard the sound of sticks tapping and heavy footsteps. Without looking, she knew it was her mother.

A moment later, her mother’s voice rang out, “Yulan, did you go to the mountain again?”

Turning her head, she smiled and replied, “Mother, I picked these at the mountain foothills. Later, I will be going to the mountains with the vice team leader. He wants to forage for food, so I will just follow him.”

When Mother Zhang heard this, she frowned and asked, “Yulan, since when did you have a good relationship with the vice team leader?”

“I don’t,” Zhang Yulan refuted without hesitation.

Mother Zhang was taken aback by her reaction and looked at her with even more suspicion.

Noticing her mother’s scrutiny, Zhang Yulan explained, “Mother, the vice team leader caught me when I was coming back from the foothills. He told me the mountains were dangerous and said that if I wanted to go there, I had to inform him.”

“I was worried he might do something to stop me from going if I didn’t agree, so I just told him I was heading back for another trip. After that, he told me to wait for him and went home to get his tools,” she added with a shrug.

As someone who had experienced life’s ups and downs, Mother Zhang didn’t believe a man would say those words unless he cared about her or at least, was interested in her.

She observed her daughter, but Zhang Yulan’s expression remained neutral. Thinking about An Xuyuan’s usual demeanor, Mother Zhang felt she might be overthinking.

‘Perhaps he just wants to check the situation in the mountains. As for my daughter, it must be a coincidence,’ she thought to herself.

With that conclusion, she decided not to press further and said, “Mother will make some steamed buns for lunch. Take some with you when you leave.”

“Okay!” Zhang Yulan agreed readily and continued with her work.

At the same time, Comrade Han, Shi Qiwan, and Liu Fuyan arrived near Li Chenmo’s house.

When Shi Qiwan saw the beautiful double gate atop the hill, a flicker of envy flashed in her eyes. Of everyone in the village, the person she envied most was Lu Jueyu.

She always wondered, they were both women but why were their lives so different?

She didn’t expect to receive the same treatment as Lu Jueyu from her family, and she only wished for a third of it. Unfortunately, even 1% of the kindness that the Lu and Li families showed to Lu Jueyu was something her own family would never give her.

Noticing her mother’s low mood, Liu Fuyan held her hand and called softly, “Mother.”

Hearing her daughter’s voice, Shi Qiwan snapped out of her thoughts. After so many years, she finally understood that love was not something she could force.

Lowering her gaze, she looked at her daughter’s worried expression and smiled, “Don’t worry, Mother won’t make the same mistake again.”

“Mother, you are not alone. You have me and Ranran. Even if you are no longer my father’s wife, you will always be our mother,” Liu Fuyan said firmly.

Shi Qiwan’s eyes turned red at her daughter’s words. She held Liu Fuyan’s hand tightly and nodded.

Walking in front of them, Comrade Han pointed at a house on the left, and said, “That’s the one, the house with the bamboo gate.”

Looking at the dilapidated gate, Liu Fuyan made a mental note to ask her friends for help repairing the house later.

When they reached the house, Comrade Han pushed open the bamboo gate, revealing a large yard overgrown with tall weeds. Judging by its size, the front yard was about 150 square meters. Near the left wall, not far from the rundown house, there was a well.

Walking inside, Comrade Han sighed and said, “It looks like moving in today won’t be possible. This house is practically falling apart. We will need to rebuild everything.”

The house was riddled with holes and termites. Forget about providing shelter from wind and rain—if the wind blew too hard, the entire structure might collapse. They didn’t dare enter for fear it would cave in at any moment, so they headed to the backyard instead.

Although the backyard wasn’t as large as the front yard, it still covered about 100 square meters. Standing near the bamboo fence, they could see the river, which was only ten meters away from the house.