Chapter 4: Calculation

Ying Sisi couldn't bring herself to call her name, nor did she want to; she merely gripped the corner of her clothes and met the situation with silence.

Song Hanmei felt she had lost face and cursed, "Other people's children are just ungrateful. We provide them with good food and drink all day long, and they won't even greet us."

"Mom, Sister just arrived and is feeling shy with strangers, so she doesn't dare greet anyone. I'll take her for a walk to get familiar with the environment and ease her nerves," Li Yuwei said, pulling Ying Sisi toward the exit.

Song Hanmei was infuriated. *That damn girl, siding with outsiders, constantly ruining my plans.*

She had planned it out before coming: she would find an opportunity to take Ying Sisi to Feng Er's place, lock them both in the room, and then call people to catch them in the act. That way, Ying Sisi's reputation would be ruined, forcing her to marry Feng Er.

After walking a distance, Li Yuwei said, "Sister, I suddenly remembered I have an appointment with a friend. Why don't you wait for me at the park ahead? It's sunny there and very warm."

"Okay." Halfway through, Ying Sisi felt something was wrong. Li Yuwei always prided herself on being highly educated and well-mannered, always punctual and reliable with her friends. How could she suddenly remember an appointment only after proactively offering to show her around?

Was she intentionally trying to send her away?

She quietly followed.

She saw Li Yuwei walk up to the entrance of a large courtyard compound.

After carefully tidying her clothes and hair, Li Yuwei spoke with a somewhat excited voice, "Is Brother Feng Er home?"

Feng Er's real name was Feng Shuangxi. He was lazy, shiftless, and penniless. At twenty-six, he still didn't have a partner; whenever he saw a woman, his eyes would glaze over. The young ladies and wives in the neighborhood usually avoided him. This was the first time a woman had proactively come to his door and addressed him as "Brother," so he felt that Li Yuwei had taken a liking to him.

Unable to hide his joy, he said with a slick tone, "I thought a fairy had descended from the heavens, but it turns out to be Sister Yuwei."

Li Yuwei thought to herself that the saying "clothes make the man" was absolutely true.

The current Feng Shuangxi, who was mediocre and even looked a bit like a clown, would one day wear custom-made suits and high-end watches. Once he stood there, he would become the heartthrob of countless young girls and women.

Imagining his future success, her face couldn't help but flush, and she said quite shyly, "Brother Feng Er, you certainly know how to talk. There's no fairy here."

Receiving a response, the corners of Feng Shuangxi's mouth curled up uncontrollably. "It's you! Want to come in and sit for a bit?"

Li Yuwei hesitated. She wanted to marry him, but she didn't want to do it by ruining her reputation.

However, if she missed this chance to interact with him, she would have to wait until the New Year.

On this day in her previous life, Ying Sisi had been tricked by her mother into going to the Feng family home to be cornered.

Terrified, Ying Sisi had slammed against the door so hard that outsiders, unaware of the truth, thought she was being harassed by Feng Shuangxi.

Her father felt Ying Sisi had brought shame upon the family and decided on his own to let her marry Feng Shuangxi.

After Ying Sisi entered the Feng household, Feng Shuangxi actually changed from a profligate loafer into a hardworking and capable man. Not long after, word spread that he had earned a thousand yuan from the black market.

He dressed Ying Sisi up just like the women in the city.

Even when Ying Sisi later failed to bear children, he couldn't bear to mistreat her; he continued to dote on and spoil her.

Ying Sisi was already beautiful to begin with, and being showered with money by her husband, she grew even more beautiful and elegant.

Meanwhile, she herself had been tormented by Qin Yanci until she was neither human nor ghost.

At this thought, desire overcame her reserve. "This... how about we go sit in a nearby teahouse?"

Hearing that there was a chance, Feng Shuangxi said impatiently, "Alright!"

Hiding in a concealed spot, Ying Sisi was dumbfounded.

She didn't understand why a clean and decent young lady like Li Yuwei would proactively strike up a conversation with a man who looked like a hooligan.

If it were her, let alone talking to him, if he got within a meter of her, she would beat him to death.

Full of suspicion, Ying Sisi left.

Having been coaxed into the capital by her biological father for three months, she had managed to find the location of the city's black market. The goods there were much more abundant than in the regular markets, and the prices were fair and cheap.

Using this time, she planned to buy some flour from her fellow villagers, make fried dough twists, and then take them there to sell.

There were people stationed at the entrance of the black market to keep watch. Seeing that Ying Sisi was a stranger, they were very vigilant. "Miss, the area ahead is someone's private courtyard. You can't go any further."

Anxiously, Ying Sisi took out the entry permit she had been carrying. "Hello, brother, I have a permit."

She had spent two yuan on this piece of paper. She had hesitated for a long time when buying it, fearing they wouldn't recognize it next time.

Fortunately, after the lookout saw it, he said, "Go on in."

(End of Chapter)