Chapter 386: Completely Confused, No Idea What It Means

Chapter 386: Totally Lost, No Idea What’s Going On

In the afternoon, Old Lady Liu—Liu Yi's mother—came knocking again.

She had somehow heard that Fu Yanju had returned and decided to drop by and see her.

Fu Yanju was helping the girls at home with their hair when Old Lady Liu walked in. She greeted her with a smile, "Auntie Liu, please have a seat."

"Ah, Yan Ju," Old Lady Liu replied, plopped down right next to Fu Yanju without hesitation.

Fu Yanju inched away slightly, subtly putting some distance between them.

Acting like she didn’t notice, Old Lady Liu smirked and asked, "Yan Ju, have you thought about that matter?"

Seeing her persistence, Fu Yanju found it weird.

Was she some kind of hot commodity? She knew her own worth well enough.

"Well, I’ve always seen Liu Yi as a younger brother, so..." Fu Yanju dodged, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

She felt tongue-tied, unable to articulate herself clearly.

Yet, at Su He’s shop, when helping customers find items or introducing products, she was completely different—confident, eloquent, and at ease. That was like her comfort zone, where she could effortlessly chat with strangers while smiling.

"Oh, please, younger brother? Our families have never been related—just neighbors!" Old Lady Liu chuckled.

"Even if we’re not related, you know my younger brother Ting Hua is around Liu Yi’s age. I really just see him as a younger brother. Anyone younger than me... I just can’t."

Fu Yanju’s words were a clear rejection, but Old Lady Liu acted as if she hadn’t understood, instead listing tempting offers.

"Look, if you marry into our family, we’ll handle the betrothal gifts and wedding banquet just like a first marriage. And I promise, no one in our family will mistreat you. Plus, if the brothers ever divide the family property later, I’ll make sure you get an extra plot of land. How about it? What do you say, Yan Ju?"

If Su He had been there, she would’ve rolled her eyes at Old Lady Liu’s empty promises. Who could guarantee such future uncertainties?

"I..."

Fu Yanju was struggling to say no when Wu Yanhua stepped out of her room.

"Mom," Fu Yanju called out, as if seeing her savior, and stood up.

Wu Yanhua glanced at her and said, "Go back to your room."

Fu Yanju hesitated, shooting her a worried glance, but she didn’t want to stay and face Old Lady Liu any longer.

It was too awkward—especially when she had no feelings, yet the other side kept pressing.

Only after hearing Fu Yanju close her door did Wu Yanhua turn to Old Lady Liu with a blank stare. "You need to go. My Yan Ju will not marry into your family."

Old Lady Liu’s face darkened at Wu Yanhua’s words.

Fu Yanju was already this old, divorced, and with a kid to boot—yet she was still acting choosy?

Her Liu Yi was such a good-looking guy—how could Fu Yanju say no to him?

"Mrs. Fu, what do you mean by that? What’s wrong with our Liu Yi? Why are you turning your nose up at him?" Old Lady Liu snapped, annoyed.

"There's nothing wrong with him, it's just that our Yan Ju isn't a good match for him. Forget it. There are so many girls in the village who like your Liu Yi—he should find a decent girl and settle down properly." Wu Yanhua just wanted to send her away as quickly as possible.

Seeing that they were completely unreceptive, Old Lady Liu flicked her sleeves and marched out of the Fu household.

Wu Yanhua stared at her retreating figure, her eyes glinting thoughtfully.

Suddenly remembering something, she walked over to the neighbor's house, the Huangs.

Aunt Huang and Wu Yanhua had always been close, often visiting each other to chat and gossip whenever they had time.

After being prompted by Su He today, Wu Yanhua felt there must be something wrong with Liu Yi.

Otherwise, why would he, at the same age as Ting Hua—who already had two children over four years old—still be unmarried?

With so many girls in the village, why would he choose her Yan Ju?

The moment Aunt Huang saw Wu Yanhua, she immediately put down her chores and smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Just came to chat with you," Wu Yanhua replied with a smile.

"Come, let's go into the hearth room. It's warmer in there with the fire going." Knowing Wu Yanhua was here for a chat, Aunt Huang happily invited her in.

Once they were both seated, Wu Yanhua finally spoke. "Aunt Huang, what do you think of Liu Yi from the Liu family?"

The Lius had come to propose marriage between Liu Yi and Fu Yanju, but Wu Yanhua hadn’t mentioned it to anyone.

After all, since nothing was official yet, how could she go around talking about it?

If word got out and things didn’t work out, it would damage the girl's reputation.

"Liu Yi? Isn’t he, like your Ting Hua, said to be the most eligible bachelor in our village?" Aunt Huang asked, puzzled, unsure why Wu Yanhua suddenly brought him up.

To their generation, Fu Tinghua and Liu Yi were still considered boys, so she referred to them as "boys."

"Yes, him. Why hasn’t he married yet? He’s already in his twenties—past marrying age," Wu Yanhua dropped her voice conspiratorially, sounding somewhat mysterious.

After all, gossiping about others required discretion.

Aunt Huang bent down to poke at the fire in the fire pit, then glanced toward the living room to make sure no one was around before lowering her voice. "I’ll tell you, but you mustn't tell anyone else."

Hearing this, Wu Yanhua’s heart lurched.

Oh no, there really was something hidden—and it seemed like a bombshell.

She had almost ruined her daughter's life, nearly pushing her into the same trap again.

"Go on," Wu Yanhua said, forcing herself to stay calm.

"They say Liu Yi... doesn’t like women," Aunt Huang whispered.

Wu Yanhua was baffled. What was she saying?

Coming from her traditional worldview, she was used to the idea that men should like women—so what else could he like? Wu Yanhua’s mind blanked.

"Doesn’t like women? Does he want to take monastic vows?" Wu Yanhua asked.

If that were the case, then it would make sense why the Liu family was so desperate to get him married.

Aunt Huang couldn't help but exclaim "Good grief" when she saw Wu Yanhua's mind had wandered to such a bizarre place, then added, "If he doesn't like women, that means he likes men. How did that not click for you?"

Wu Yanhua: ......

"What do you mean? Isn't Liu Yi a man?" Wu Yanhua still couldn't get what she meant.

"Yes, he's a man, and he likes men. That's why he never got married."

After saying this, Aunt Huang noticed the fire in the fire pit was getting too strong, so she shoveled some ash to tamp down the fire.

Wu Yanhua was completely floored. She couldn't comprehend that in this world, there could be men who didn't like women?