1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

Seeing Miao Cuiying's enthusiasm, Qiao Wanqing didn't say anything.

Actually, she doesn't have any idealized view of men. Whether Lu Mingyu was genuinely foolish and deceived, or if there was some other reason, no one can say for sure. Anyway, she hasn't spent much time with Lu Mingyu and doesn't know him very well, so she'd better leave it to Miao Cuiying to handle!

She could intervene when necessary, after all, he was Lu Mingzhou's younger brother, and she still hoped that he could have a sister-in-law with decent character.

Li Yuqing and Lu Mingyu went out for a stroll and returned. This time, Miao Cuiying didn't care about face or etiquette anymore. She also put aside her personal emotions and began to greet Li Yuqing warmly. Regardless of whether the other party wanted to talk or not, she insisted on asking about the other party's situation.

When the two returned, the Lu family members were sitting under the big tree in the yard. On the table in front of them were chilled drinks, fruit, and some melon seeds and snacks. Seeing them return, Miao Cuiying said warmly, "You're back! Come and sit down. It's so hot. You're all sweaty. Come and cool off."

Lu Mingyu brought Li Yuqing over to sit down, and Miao Cuiying handed her an ice cream. It was a freshly bought cream ice cream, with a milky aroma and a very good taste, much more expensive than a popsicle.

"Hurry up and have an ice cream. This is better than a popsicle. It has a milky flavor. In this hot summer, we need to keep these things at home. It's unbearably hot without them."

Li Yuqing accepted it and thanked her, saying, "Thank you, Auntie!"

Miao Cuiying smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite with me? By the way, Yuqing, how many younger brothers and sisters do you have?"

Li Yuqing tightened her grip and replied in a soft voice, "My two older sisters married closer to home, and besides me, I have three or four younger brothers and sisters! These past few years, while I was studying away from home, my sisters often took care of me."

Miao Cuiying frowned. "Three is three, four is four. What do you mean by three or four?"

Besides, what does that mean? She didn't even ask who was taking care of the family!

Besides, why does this girl give me such a strange feeling? She said she was going back to take care of her family, which means her family can't do without her. She should have expressed that to them so that the Lu family would understand why she insisted on going back to her hometown.

But now, it's all my older sister taking care of things at home? What is this trying to convey?

Is her hometown so far away from her, or so far away from her?

"So... what about your elders? Do your grandparents live with your parents? How many children do they have?"

Li Yuqing's fingers twitched slightly, and she forced herself to reply, "My dad also has brothers and sisters. My grandparents don't live with our family. My dad is in poor health, so my mom is the only one taking care of things at home. She doesn't have the energy to take care of them anymore."

Miao Cuiying was angry. This girl never answered her questions directly, always giving ambiguous and vague answers.

"I see! Your mother must have had a tough time. These days, if a family doesn't have an adult male and lacks labor, they'll be bullied in the countryside. By the way, how old is your younger brother?"

Li Yuqing pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and replied, "The oldest is fourteen."

Anger welled up in Miao Cuiying's eyes. Her younger brother was already fourteen years old and hadn't reached the point where he absolutely had to go back to their hometown. If he could stay in Beijing, she could simply send more of her salary home after she started working, and then find him a wife in a few years.

My fourteen-year-old brother is already able to work in the countryside. Even if he wants to go to school, it's just a matter of tuition. As for the other younger siblings, my two older sisters are married not far away, so as long as I send money back home, that can be taken care of.

Does she really need to go back to her hometown?

What can she do if she goes back? She'll still have to go to work. Does going home mean she can just take care of him personally?

Miao Cuiying felt that the girl wasn't telling the truth and was trying to deceive her son. Suppressing her anger, she said with a forced smile, "You're fourteen years old! Are you still in school?"

Li Yuqing lowered her head and said, "I'm not going to school anymore. My family can't afford it anymore."

"It's really not easy for a child who's only a teenager. In a few years, he'll have to get married, take care of his younger siblings, and support his ailing father. As his older sister, you really need to help him out."

Li Yuqing moved her lips, unsure how to respond.

She never expected the Lu family to react this way. She thought that her request for Lu Mingyu to return to her hometown with her would be met with strong opposition from the Lu family. She thought that this time when she came to visit, the Lu family would definitely try their best to either separate her from Lu Mingyu or persuade her to stay in Beijing. They even arranged a job for her so that she could stay with Lu Mingyu.

If things go even better, they might help her solve the problems in her hometown, allowing her to stay and marry Lu Mingyu with peace of mind.

She had considered all sorts of scenarios, but she never expected the Lu family to be so indifferent.

Their son is a graduate of Renmin University! A son with a bright future! How could they bear to let him go to Yunnan Province?

Li Yuqing took the initiative to bring it up, "Auntie, Mingyu and I are truly in love. We fell in love on our own and have had a great relationship for over a year. We really don't want to break up, but my hometown... I really can't help it. I'm just a student who came here to study, and my family is struggling financially. All I can do is go back to my hometown to work and try my best to take care of them."

"I know Mingyu is very talented. With his qualifications, staying in Beijing is the best choice. You are all here, his family is here, and his brother has a promising future and connections. He can definitely arrange a good future for him. But... I really don't want to leave Mingyu. We don't want to be separated. Can... can you forgive us?"

A surge of resentment welled up in Miao Cuiying's heart. "You know my son and family are here! You know he would have a better future if he stayed in Beijing! You know everything, yet you still tried to abduct him."

The key point is that, so far, she hasn't found any reason why her family in her hometown has to go back. She, as the mother-in-law, hasn't even said anything yet, but she's already making a fuss about it.

What exactly do they want to do?

Without understanding the situation, Miao Cuiying acted unpredictably, saying with a forced smile, "There's no such thing as forgiveness or not. Yuqing, don't overthink it. Our children have grown up and have their own ideas. There's nothing I can do about them."

"He's educated, a graduate of a prestigious university, so he definitely knows more than I do. If he's willing to go with you, then there's nothing I can do."

Li Yuqing froze completely.

Lu Mingyu listened to the whole thing from the side. He helped Li Yuqing up and said to Miao Cuiying, "Mom, let's talk about Yuqing and me properly. Yuqing is just worried about me. I'll take her back and talk to her."

Miao Cuiying and Lu's father glanced at their son but did not stop them.