Rebirth begins with an arranged marriage

Chapter 57 Not Afraid of Trouble

Outside the county high school, in a small restaurant called Yuelai, Tang Huaiyi, along with his third uncle Tang Zhengcai, met Teacher Xu for the first time.

"Ah, this...you...hello..."

Tang Zhengcai was at a loss, nervous and speechless for a moment.

Compared to Widow Ma in the village, Teacher Xu is much fairer and prettier, and she also has an air of cultural refinement that Widow Ma will never have in her life.

Teacher Xu was initially nervous, but upon meeting Tang Zhengcai, who appeared quite handsome and seemed more afraid than nervous, she immediately relaxed.

He turned out to be such an honest and simple man.

"Hello, I'm Xu Ruyun, Tang Huaiyi's third uncle."

"Hello, hello, I'm Tang Huaiyi's third uncle—" Tang Zhengcai blurted out.

Tang Huaiyi and Teacher Xu looked at Tang Zhengcai together. Tang Zhengcai's face quickly turned red, and he was so embarrassed and nervous that he almost tore his shoes with his toes: "No, my name is Tang Zhengcai."

Seeing how nervous he was, Teacher Xu felt even more relaxed. She smiled and invited, "Please sit down. Let's eat and talk. There are vegetables and steamed buns. I don't know if they'll suit your taste."

"well……"

Tang Zhengcai responded nervously, and the three of them sat down together.

Before Tang Huaiyi and Tang Zhengcai arrived, Teacher Xu ordered four dishes: cabbage and pork, pig's head meat, peanuts, and stir-fried greens, along with six steamed buns.

In terms of sheer abundance, it might not seem like much to a well-off family, but for an ordinary family these days, it would be considered a good meal to entertain guests.

After sitting down, Tang Zhengcai straightened his back and didn't dare to pick up his chopsticks to eat. He only dared to steal glances at Teacher Xu.

Teacher Xu found his honest appearance somewhat amusing, but dared not laugh out loud and could only hold it in.

"It was just a coincidence that I saw that neither of you, Teacher Xu nor Uncle San, were married, which gave me this idea," Tang Huaiyi said. "I've already told you about each other's situations. You two can chat, I'll go back to school for lunch."

"Huh?" Tang Zhengcai was startled.

You're gone, what am I supposed to say...?

Teacher Xu also felt that if Tang Huaiyi wasn't around, there were some things that couldn't be asked or said more. With him around, he could help explain things to both sides.

"Tang Huaiyi, don't go back to school to eat. Just eat here. I'm not good with words, and I'm afraid I won't say it well."

Seeing that both of them wanted him to stay, Tang Huaiyi stayed as well and explained the general situation to them again.

"Third Uncle, you have to come to the city to live. You have some bad habits, such as smoking, drinking, and not keeping good hygiene. Teacher Xu wants you to change them, and you have to change them."

"I'm willing to come to the city to live, and I'm willing to listen to Teacher Xu." Tang Zhengcai's nervousness had finally subsided a bit, and he was at least able to speak normally. "When I come to the city, I won't just sit and wait to be fed. I can endure hardship and fatigue. I can carry a sack weighing over 100 pounds all day. I can do any kind of work. I just want to live a down-to-earth life."

Teacher Xu listened and felt that his attitude was quite good, but she didn't know if he could actually do it.

He shook his head and said, "How could I let you do such hard labor? If we really became a couple, I definitely wouldn't let you suffer like this."

Tang Zhengcai was immediately moved, his eyes shining: "Teacher Xu, you're so kind!"

Teacher Xu is not only fair-skinned and handsome, but also such a kind person—if it were Widow Ma, would she care whether he lives or dies? She only knows how to ask for money, and she turns on him when she doesn't get any.

Feeling a little embarrassed by his eager gaze, Teacher Xu couldn't help but think to herself.

He didn't look like he had any bad intentions at all; on the contrary, he seemed to genuinely like her.

Will he really become the pillar of the family, helping to shield them from the wind and rain?

After a moment's thought, Teacher Xu began, "Tang Huaiyi has told you about my situation. I don't know if you're mentally prepared for some things... My former mother-in-law would come to bother me every few days and say some very hurtful things."

"Don't believe anything she says; she's just making it all up."

"Hmm, I don't believe it," Tang Zhengcai said. "Huaiyi told me about this. How come no one cares that she's causing trouble at the county high school, a place for learning?"

Teacher Xu gave a wry smile: "She's quite shrewd. She doesn't come every day, but she comes unexpectedly, scolds me, and then leaves. She doesn't go against the school directly."

"Especially since her son had just died, the school took it into consideration that death is a serious matter and didn't hold it against her. But now she's getting more and more aggressive and comes here every now and then."

Tang Huaiyi reminded her, "What about the school gatekeeper? Teacher Xu, the school gatekeeper could have easily prevented her from entering the school. She was caught twice, so she behaved herself."

"That's definitely impossible. My former father-in-law was a retired teacher at this school. He has a place to live in the staff quarters on campus. There's no way to stop them from coming in," Ms. Xu said with a bitter face.

This is indeed a difficult situation...

Teacher Xu was a young woman, while the one who insulted her was an old woman whose son had died. This old woman was also the wife of a retired teacher from the school. She couldn't hit her, she couldn't touch her; both sides were considered "one of the school's own people."

Moreover, the old woman didn't cause trouble every day; she would just come and scold Teacher Xu every few days, but she didn't target anyone else in the school.

Tang Zhengcai didn't understand what was going on at first, but after hearing what Teacher Xu said, he felt aggrieved for Teacher Xu: "Is there really no way to deal with her?"

"I really have no choice. She has ruined my reputation. Even if some people don't believe her and believe that I am innocent, I still feel that this situation is troublesome."

"Tang Zhengcai, do you find me troublesome?"

Teacher Xu asked Tang Zhengcai earnestly.

This is the most crucial question.

If Tang Zhengcai doesn't believe in her innocence and doesn't dare to face such trouble together, regardless of whether he is rich or poor, honest or clever, or what his status is, Teacher Xu would never agree.

This is a difficulty that the two will inevitably face after getting married, and there is no room for ambiguity.

If we're talking it out now and you can't accept it, then we can simply not get married. But if we don't talk it out now and only realize we can't accept it after marriage, then it will only lead to chaos and a messy family life.

Tang Zhengcai said earnestly, "Teacher Xu, if you're interested in me, none of this matters. I believe you're a good woman, and I'm willing to face these troubles with you."

"If you can't say it when the time comes, I'll scold her for you."

"Even if I can't win an argument, I'll bring my mother and sister-in-law from Tangmaji Village, and we'll go to her doorstep together and yell at her. She's throwing a tantrum, but we're not without family members; we can throw an even bigger tantrum than her."

Teacher Xu was taken aback, a tear glistening in her eye: "You're really willing...aren't you bothered? Won't your family look down on someone like me?"

"What kind of talk is that? If you become my wife, we'll all be family," Tang Zhengcai said, head held high. "How can family members look down on each other?"

"But my parents, my brother, and my sister-in-law won't let me go back to my parents' home. They think I'm a disgrace..." Teacher Xu couldn't help but wipe away her tears.

Tang Zhengcai panicked immediately: "Teacher Xu, don't cry, I..."

Tang Huaiyi reached out and gave him a push, gesturing with his eyes: Aren't you going to comfort her?

Tang Zhengcai then tensed up, slowly reached out, and carefully placed his hand on Teacher Xu's arm, as if she would fly away at the slightest touch: "Teacher Xu, don't be sad..."

After crying for a while, with red eyes, Teacher Xu slowly grasped his hand: "If you really want to be good to me..."

Tang Huaiyi watched from the side, grabbed a handful of peanuts, smiled, got up, and left the Yuelai Hotel.

He's no longer needed here.