Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapters 295 and 296. Back to Being an Ordinary Couple

Two days later, February 25th.

It happened to be Saturday, the day when the college entrance examination scores were released in Nanzhou Province.

This is Lin Xiao's third weekend since taking office in Xingguang Town. It's rare that the county doesn't have to hold meetings, and he has already visited all the places in the town that needed to be visited. There are no urgent or key tasks at the moment.

So Mayor Lin took a luxurious vacation for himself.

After all, there's no such thing as land that's been over-cultivated, only oxen that have died from exhaustion. While this saying might not be entirely appropriate here, Lin Xiao felt it perfectly reflected his current situation.

He plans to spend this weekend with his wife and children.

Of course, the premise of "spending time with him" is that his younger brother Lin Yu's college entrance examination score will not affect his mood too much. After all, Lin Yu is also considered family in a vague sense. If he does not do well on the college entrance examination, he will not be able to go to a good university or find a good job. In the future, he can only live in the house and drive the car that his older brother bought. Then his older brother will spend hundreds of thousands or millions to open a small shop and live a miserable life with no worries about food and clothing and a rich but very unstable life.

Lin Xiao felt immense pressure just thinking about it.

So deep down, he wanted his younger brother to get good grades more than anyone else, so that he could just buy him a car and a house in the future and wouldn't have to worry too much about his life.

For Lin Xiao, who now has a family and daughter and is focused on building his career, spending money is the easiest thing to do.

He couldn't afford anything except money.

After all, work and his daughter already take up 80% of his energy, and he also needs to reserve the other 20% to be loving and affectionate with his wife. He really doesn't have the extra energy to care about anything else.

Apart from Lin Xiao.

If you had to find someone in this four-bedroom house who was most concerned about Lin Yu's college entrance exam results, it wouldn't be him or his mother, Zhou Xiuping.

Instead, it was Liang Tian, ​​who had absolutely no connection to them.

Zhou Xiuping is now at peace with herself. Her eldest son is so capable, and as long as her younger son doesn't break the law, he'll be fine for life.

Of course, this rural woman didn't actually have the dangerous idea that her younger son had to rely on her older son for support.

Lin Xiao had repeatedly told her that he would take care of everything regarding Lin Yu, so that she and her father wouldn't have to worry and could enjoy their retirement in peace.

Zhou Xiuping naturally agreed, but she couldn't stay idle, so she came to Mashan County to take care of her son and daughter-in-law's daily life. She couldn't help with taking care of the children, but she could still cook and clean.

Ms. Zhou is now at peace with herself and has no worries about her youngest son's college entrance examination results.

She even had an outrageous idea: she hoped Lin Yu wouldn't get too high a score, would go to university outside the province, would just get into a second- or third-tier university or even a vocational college, stay in Nanzhou to study for a few years, find a job in Ninghai or their hometown after graduation, and then settle down to fall in love, get married, buy a house, and have children...

This was the most fulfilling life Zhou Xiuping could have imagined.

But seeing her youngest son's silent demeanor, she guessed that her plan was going to fail.

And look at how Liang Tian is arguing with Lin Yu...

Zhou Xiuping, having been through similar experiences, could easily understand what was going on, and secretly sighed.

She didn't have any problem with Liang Tian.

On the contrary, she liked this girl very much. She was well-educated, lively, and beautiful. Whoever could marry her was truly blessed.

But Zhou Xiuping dared not hope that this good fortune would fall on her own foolish son.

Because Liang Tian's family background was simply too high.

Even though Lin Yu now has a powerful older brother to back him up, Lin Xiao still has his own family. It's good to help his younger brother if he has the means, but he can't use all his savings to subsidize him.

Moreover, even if Lin Xiao were to use all his wealth, he might not be a match for Liang Tian, ​​a member of a wealthy family in Jingzhou.
If Lin Yu and Liang Tian really became a couple...

Having lived most of her life, Zhou Xiuping had no interest in romance or poetry; all she saw was the hidden worry of a mismatch between social status and family background. She believed that the one from a poorer family was destined to suffer in marriage.

Of course, she didn't want her youngest son to suffer any injustice.

Although the grievance is that he marries an extremely wealthy heiress, drives luxury cars, lives in a mansion, and has genuine feelings for his wife, he will only experience minor grievances in the trivialities of daily life.

Zhou Xiuping felt helpless just thinking about it.

Two years ago, she was worried that her eldest son, who was a grassroots civil servant in the provincial capital, would not find a girlfriend, and that her introverted, dull, and academically poor younger son would not be able to make a living in the future. She was so worried that she could hardly sleep.

However, only two years have passed.

The eldest son married the only daughter of a famous star from a high-ranking official's family, and also discovered an astonishing talent for musical composition, easily amassing a fortune of tens of millions. As for the younger son, he met his sister-in-law's wealthy cousin by chance, and this young woman seems to be quite fond of him as well…

Zhou Xiuping has been a farmer for most of her life. The best life she can imagine is buying a house in Anyang and a car worth a few hundred thousand yuan. That's it.

Who would have thought that her two sons' combined wealth would be enough to buy an airplane?

She wouldn't even dare to do that in her dreams. She doesn't feel happy in her daily life; she only feels trembling with fear.

However, Ms. Zhou has one good quality: she is easygoing. When she encounters difficulties, she comforts herself with what she already has.

So this time.

Faced with the budding romance between Lin Yu and Liang Tian, ​​she had some concerns but quickly came to terms with them and decided to remain silent and not get involved.

After all, worrying about something like "my son might marry a rich woman" would definitely get you a lot of criticism if word got out.

Your aunts and uncles won't call you Versailles.

They'll just roll their eyes at you and think you're crazy, seriously crazy!

Given that Ms. Zhou Xiuping has started a caregiving model for her youngest son, Liang Tian, ​​who is an outsider in terms of identity but never considers herself an outsider in terms of status but also doesn't seem to be an insider, has taken over from Lin Xiao as the second person to pay attention to Lin Yu's college entrance examination results.

After the recent period of estrangement.

After calming down from her initial anger, Liang Tian roughly guessed that Lin Yu's sudden decision not to go to Jingzhou was probably because he had performed poorly in the college entrance examination and felt that he would not be able to get into a university in Jingzhou.

From this perspective, Lin Yu's unusual behavior is somewhat understandable.

But Liang Tian has no intention of forgiving him.

Miss Liang's logic is that no matter how great your reason is, you have to do what you promised me, otherwise you shouldn't have promised.

Lin Yu... I hadn't agreed in the first place...

But Lin's idea obviously doesn't count.

In Liang Tian's mind, since Lin Yu said he wanted to apply to a university in Jingzhou, her arrangement of a study tour to Jingzhou after the college entrance examination was equivalent to Lin Yu agreeing to visit.

Lin Yu's refusal to go is tantamount to breaching the contract.

So Liang Tian got angry and broke off all contact with her in a fit of rage.

After discovering the truth, Liang Tian was not calmed down; instead, she became even angrier.

For her, the college entrance examination was just one event in her life, and it couldn't be considered a "major event" in any way.

She thought, "So what if I did poorly on the test? Why make such a big deal out of it, acting like a 'I'm sorry to everyone, everyone stay away from me' kind of heroine?"

Liang Tian despises people who are indecisive and unpleasant.

Therefore, the level of importance they placed on Lin Yu as a friend plummeted, just like the rocket returning to Earth.

Although Liang Tian lingered and didn't leave, she treated Lin Yu like he wasn't there, not saying a single word to him.

Even when Lin Yu couldn't stand the cold treatment and took the initiative to beg for reconciliation, she ignored him completely.

It's not that Liang Tian is being unreasonable.

Lin Yu's "initiative" was worse than not being proactive at all; it was infuriating to see.

His way of taking the initiative was to bring half a watermelon over to his mother at her command, hand it to her without saying a word, and instead make a rising sound through his nose instead of his mouth:

"Ok?"

Liang Tian became even angrier.

No, there's a limit to how much you can be sparing with words. I'm already this angry, and you still won't open your mouth in response, is that it?

Liang Tian twisted her arm and, in return, used the same tactic against her, responding with her own nasal cavity.

"Humph!"

The head is held high, the posture is carefree, and the mood is smug.

After several acts of revenge, Liang Tian had vented her anger and her mood began to shift from "So what if he doesn't get into university?" to "What if he really doesn't get into university?"

Liang Tian began to feel conflicted and worried.

To be fair, Lin Yu is a really good friend.

She didn't have many friends in Jingzhou. The girls all kept their distance from her, mainly because those who were just as pretty as her weren't as wealthy, and those from similar backgrounds weren't as pretty.

Girls tend to be compatible with those who are less mature or less mature when choosing friends.

Liang Tian is not in anyone's downline, so she has no friends.

As for the boys, there are many who fawn over her, but they are either arrogant, obsequious, or ugly... She doesn't like any of them.

Of course, there are also those who are indifferent to her family background and beauty, but can't stand her chattering personality and instead dislike her.

So when Liang Tian turned eighteen, she only had casual friends, not any truly close friends.

Lin Yu was the first.

This boy is introverted and innocent. Because of their different upbringing, he can take her to experience many novel things, such as riding electric bikes in the street, picking mushrooms in the mountains, and pulling radishes in the field. These are things she has never experienced before, which are very interesting and fun.

Lin Yu didn't find her annoying at all. No matter how much she rambled on, he would listen patiently and respond cooperatively when she ordered him to.

Most importantly, Lin Yu isn't bad-looking...

"Okay, I admit it, he really is quite handsome!"

Liang Tian thought to herself, "Since I didn't say it out loud, I won't let this kid get too cocky!"
Liang Tian recalled Lin Yu's appearance.

"Although his skin is a bit dark, his bangs are a bit thick, and his features aren't as handsome as his brother-in-law's, they still look quite delicate and cute together...like a silly goose!"

Liang Tian couldn't help but laugh when she thought about how this guy often gave her a speechless look.

She then realized why she was so eager for Lin Yu to get into Jingzhou, because that way she could see this silly goose often.

Then she started to worry:
What if Lin Yu really fails the college entrance exam and can't go to Jingzhou?
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. During the day, she still ignored Lin Yu, but at night she secretly searched for information such as the college entrance examination score release time in Nanzhou Province, the historical score lines, and the answers for each subject in this year's college entrance examination...

Although she didn't match Lin Yu's topic with hers, she was still having a great time searching, to the point that she became obsessed and couldn't sleep at night for the last two days.

Looking at her younger sister's increasingly dark circles, Han Xixi couldn't help but complain, "Even after the college entrance exam, there should be a limit to how much you can use your phone. No more staying up late at night from now on!!"

Liang Tian knew her sister had misunderstood, but she couldn't explain.

All I could do was play along and pretend to be annoyed: "Oh, okay..."

And so they continued acting until the day the results were finally announced.

The whole family was gathered around the computer.

Liang Tian, ​​however, sat far away, watching a variety show on her phone, seemingly completely unconcerned.

Lin Yu stood on the periphery of the crowd, glancing at his computer screen and then turning to look at Liang Tian.

He felt a strange unease, but he couldn't say anything.

Sitting in the chair facing the computer, Lin Xiao held his younger brother's exam number and typed it out very seriously, one character at a time.

They seemed even more nervous than when they checked their college entrance exam scores back then.

My palms were sweaty after just a few numbers.

Han Xixi stood to the side holding her daughter, unable to resist teasing, "Xiao Chu, your dad is going to college. Aren't you happy for your dad?"

Xiao Chu was being mischievous, and just then, she uttered a mumbled "Oh," which also carried a hint of ferocity.

This reaction immediately made everyone in the group laugh.

The tense atmosphere dissipated considerably in an instant.

Click to inquire!

After spinning for a fraction of a second, the score popped up.

Lin Xiao glanced at it and quickly focused on the final total score.

"Holy crap, 546!!"

He was so surprised that he instinctively swore, but before he could finish speaking, Xixi slapped him hard on the shoulder.

Lin Xiao quickly covered his mouth, feeling very apologetic for not setting a good example for his daughter.

Everyone else stared at the computer screen in astonishment, unable to believe the score.

Including Lin Yu himself.

On the sofa in the distance, Liang Tian breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the score.

She was already very familiar with the cut-off scores for Nanzhou Province over the years.

The first-tier university admission score has been around 520 points for the past three years.

With Lin Yu's total score, getting into a prestigious university is out of the question, but there are still many universities in Jingzhou he can choose from.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, as everyone was celebrating, his expression quickly switched to a cold and aloof state.

……

Lin Yu's exceptional performance prompted Lin Xiao to decide to take the whole family out for a nice meal.

After repeated revisions by the family, the idea became a barbecue by a lake on the eastern outskirts of the county.

Liang Tian reluctantly agreed.

Because this idea was decided on short notice, there were many things to buy, plus we had a baby with us.

So the family spent two hours packing, filling the trunks of both cars completely, before setting off for their destination.

The lakeside scenery is superb, but because the county town has a small population, the scenery is quite commonplace for the locals.

So the lakeside was very quiet, with only a few scattered people, no more than 10.

Lin Xiao found a quiet and spacious place. Everyone busied themselves setting up tents, making skewers, and lighting stoves, having a great time.

It wasn't until after 1 p.m. that the first batch of kebabs was finally successfully baked.

"Come on, let's raise a glass to congratulate Lin Yu on his outstanding performance in the college entrance examination and his upcoming enrollment as a university student in Jingzhou!"

Lin Xiao raised the Coke bottle and enthusiastically proposed.

Everyone was very supportive, and even Xiao Chu, who was in the nanny's arms, was waving her arms and legs while holding the pacifier. This reaction made everyone at the table laugh even more.

Put down the cup.

Han Xixi couldn't help but nuzzle Liang Tian: "Tian Tian, ​​Xiao Yu did so well on the exam and will be going to study in your area soon. As the host, aren't you going to say something?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Liang Tian.

Liang Tian said irritably, "As the host, I'm certainly happy to have friends coming from afar, but I'm afraid some people might change their minds and not want to go to Jingzhou at all. If I say welcome in advance and they don't come, wouldn't I lose face?"

This arrogant demeanor made all the adults around him unable to help but laugh. It's much better than those pretentious urban dramas!

Lin Yu blushed instantly upon hearing Liang Tian's sarcastic remark.

After a long pause, he managed to stammer out, "I...I'll go..."

Lin Xiao was about to exclaim that his younger brother had finally come to his senses, but the more he listened, the more he felt that something was off about what he was saying.

Liang Tian, ​​surprisingly, didn't go astray.

"where are you going?"

"Go to... Jingzhou..."

What are you going to Jingzhou for?

"Go to...college..."

"Humph!"

Liang Tian looked arrogant, her smug smile barely concealed. "Then let's make it clear first, once we get to Jingzhou, I'll be the boss, and you'll be my follower. You have to listen to everything I say! If I tell you to go east, you go east; if I tell you to go west, you go west..."

After Lin Yu finished speaking, Lin Xiao and Zhou Xiumei, the two family members, frowned strangely.

Han Xixi also sensed something was wrong and quickly gave her sister a meaningful look.

Liang Tian was completely unaware of this.

The key point is that Lin Yu didn't seem to care much, calmly shrugging his shoulders: "Sure~"

Then the two boys started toasting, finally making up after being awkward for many days. One smiled foolishly, and the other smiled brightly.

This reaction also surprised the adults.

Everyone looked at each other, and all their unspoken thoughts could only be summed up in one sentence: I don't understand the world of young people!

Everyone was full before they had eaten even half of the prepared food.

After finishing her feeding and burping, Ms. Lin Xiaoxi drifted off to sleep.

The grassy area by the lake, under the shade of the trees, is very cool.

The stroller had a mosquito net, and the chubby little girl slept soundly in her cradle while the nanny looked after her.

Zhou Xiumei cleaned up the mess, and the young people were free to do as they pleased.

Liang Tian went to the lakeside to show off, striking poses while directing Lin Yu to take pictures of her.

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi took a walk by the lake.

He tried to hold her hand several times, but Xixi shyly avoided him. It wasn't until they had walked quite a distance that he finally managed to hold his wife's delicate hand.

They strolled slowly across the grass, remaining silent for a moment.

Seeing his wife's ambiguous smile, Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel much better.

"My dear wife~"

"Hmm~"

You seem to be in a good mood today?

"Hmm, it's not bad. What's wrong? You can't?"

"Yes, how could I refuse? As long as you're in a good mood, I'd even give myself to you!"

Lin Xiao smiled obsequiously.

Xi Xi's smile vanished in an instant, and she rolled her eyes helplessly: "I really want to take a picture of you acting so unseriously and post it in your work group so everyone can see what kind of person their internet celebrity mayor is in private!"

Lin Xiao shrugged indifferently.

"Go ahead and post it. After all, I was exposed online recently, and I feel completely exposed in front of my colleagues. I've lost all my boss-like demeanor. I'm fearless now, so don't worry about posting pictures of me like this, or even if you post a video of me and you doing *that*..."

Before he could finish speaking, Han Xixi used magic to stop him.

"Um!!!"

Xi Xi stamped her foot in frustration, her face serious, "You... you're getting more and more outspoken!"

Lin Xiao realized he had gone too far with the joke and quickly slapped himself twice.

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue!"

"Humph!"

"..."

Looking at his wife's aloof and haughty demeanor, Lin Xiao realized that Liang Tian had indeed copied his act.

He quickly followed and took Xixi's little hand in his.

"My dear wife, may I ask: why are you in such a good mood?"

"cannot!"

"Hey, that's really disrespectful of me! I already slapped myself three times!"

"puff--"

Xi Xi was amused by Lin Xiao once again. She was completely powerless against her husband's ability to be funny and playful.

"Well, it's no big deal to tell you. The main reason is that the baby's eczema has improved significantly."

Xi Xi said.

Lin Xiao nodded. Although he was busy with work, he could see his daughter every night, so he naturally knew about it.

My daughter has had a persistent rash since birth.

The hospital diagnosed it as allergic eczema, which is not a serious problem. It's just due to my own allergic constitution; any allergen will cause large patches of rashes all over my body.

The family tried many methods, including medicated baths and various ointments, but they could only relieve the symptoms and not completely eliminate them.

I have a natural allergy, there's nothing I can do about it.

It took Xixi several months to slowly accept this situation. She could only follow the doctor's advice and take her daughter out in the sun and let her breathe fresh air.

After arriving in Mashan County.

Perhaps it's because the air, water, and sunshine here are so good, and everything is pristine and unpolluted, but Lin Xiaoxi's rash has started to fade away, and now her skin is smooth and delicate.

Xixi initially decided to bring her daughter because she missed her husband, so it was an impulsive decision she made in a moment of passion.

Unexpectedly, her husband was able to see her, and her daughter's eczema was cured.

This was a completely unexpected bonus.

Xixi was naturally delighted and has been in a particularly good mood these past two days.

Lin Xiao understood and felt relieved. The guilt he felt for going to Xingguang Town alone also dissipated a lot.

"That's it?"

He feigned regret, "I thought you were happy because you could finally have some time alone with your husband, but it turns out your mind is entirely on our daughter, and I'm not even involved. Sigh, so sad..."

Xixi knew he was joking around, and with a charming smile, she punched him lightly.

"Hmm...of course it's also related to you, brother~" Xixi said with a smile.

"Huh? Really?"

"Of course!"

Xi Xi's smile was bright and radiant, comparable to the afternoon sun. "But I'm happy not because I can walk with you now, but because... we can finally walk openly in the sun, without fear of being recognized, without worrying about passersby pointing and whispering... hehe~"

Xixi became more and more delighted as she talked, and two dimples appeared on her lips as she smiled.

Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow, not expecting that this girl was interested in this.

Lately, he has been getting used to the fact that more and more people are discovering him.

Last time I was at the fried rice noodle shop with Ge Tao, he was recognized by the young people in the shop. Later, every time I wandered around the town, people recognized me and even came up to ask for photos.

Lin Xiao had previously made some guesses.

In remote towns like Xingguang Town, nestled deep in the mountains, a large number of people have left, and perhaps no one will even recognize you.

It turns out that he thought too much.

At the same time, the facts also told him that our country's infrastructure is very well done, and even in remote and impoverished areas like Xingguang Town, the Internet has reached thousands of households.

Given his and Han Xixi's current popularity.

It's impossible for them to remain invisible in this country anymore. All they can do is accept the gaze of netizens and live a quiet life as a celebrity couple who are under constant scrutiny.

In hindsight, this compromise has proven to be quite effective.

Lin Xiao has been recognized repeatedly lately, and Xi Xi's situation is similar.

After all, her daily mission is to take her daughter out to bask in the sun and breathe fresh air.

Moreover, she lives in a county town, where there are far more young netizens than in Xingguang Town, making her chances of being recognized several times greater.

She has been on the trending topics list three times in less than 10 days since she arrived in Mashan County.

Now the whole internet knows that she lives in Mashan County with her daughter and is "raising the child alone," as her husband Lin Xiao has never appeared.

Following the topic, netizens expressed various sentiments and sighs. Some even felt that Han Xixi's "miserable state" made them think that her image was much more down-to-earth than before, and her public image had also improved a lot. She has now become a role model for people in the Chinese entertainment industry and a typical example of a virtuous wife and loving mother.

Xixi never expected this reversal in public opinion.

Lin Xiao was even more puzzled. In his spare time, he browsed the trending topics online and found that he had inexplicably become a scumbag that was being criticized by the entire internet.

He had the face of an old man on the subway, and didn't even know what had happened.

However, they could only let netizens have their fun and were too lazy to defend themselves, because the more they defended themselves, the more excited everyone would become. Only by remaining silent could they let the hype dissipate as quickly as possible.

You have to get used to living in the spotlight.

Fortunately, after trending on social media three times, netizens' curiosity about Lin Xiao and Han Xixi's work and daily life with their child has greatly decreased.

Every day, Xixi continues the same routine of taking her child out, being recognized by passersby, and having her image uploaded online.

However, the enthusiasm of netizens for discussion has waned, only causing a small climax in a small corner of the internet before quickly fading away.

This trend in popularity made Lin Xiao and Xi Xi very happy.

Especially Xixi.

Ever since she and Lin Xiao started dating in real life, they've been doing it secretly. They can't do any of the things that ordinary couples do, and they even have to go for a city walk in the middle of the night. This is a very sad thing for Xixi, who is experiencing her first love for the first time.

She also longed to be like any other girl, putting on beautiful makeup and going shopping, eating out, watching movies, and having ice cream with her boyfriend...

But for these big stars and their husbands, this is simply a pipe dream.

It took Xixi a long time to mentally prepare herself before she was forced to accept this and came to the conclusion that she would never be able to have a legitimate love and life.

But don't want to.

Once exposed, it caused a stir online.

Just moments before, Han Xixi was worried about the future of this online bullying, since she, her husband, and her parents were all involved, and the main concern was that the whole family should be together.

Xi Xi even dreamed that her parents were happy to receive silver bracelets back then.

Fortunately, the matter was resolved smoothly in the end, and there was even an unexpected surprise in my parents' work.

That's all.

Han Xixi never expected that as the online bullying frenzy reversed and her husband was exposed, the final outcome would be that they could finally be a legitimate couple... or rather, husband and wife.

Just like now.

The lake is wide open, the grass is lush and green, and there are citizens relaxing for the weekend in the near and far. Many of them have already been recognized.

Surprisingly, everyone was only surprised for a moment before looking away and returning to their own world.

There was no excessive shock, and no one took out their phone to take pictures.

As everyone knows, Lin Xiao and Han Xixi live in Mashan County, so the chance encounter with them was just an expected surprise.

Xixi really liked this feeling.

She held her husband's hand and walked on the soft grass, strolling in the early summer heat.

A gentle breeze is blowing, and the time is just right.

It's the perfect time for happiness and peace...

(End of this chapter)