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Chapter 36: Who Did She Think Her Son Was
Chapter 36: Who Did She Think Her Son Was
Chapter 36
The banquet hall for the Lan Family wedding was enormous, and Shi Li hadn't noticed her classmates.
Her classmates, on the other hand, were searching for Shi Li, hoping to sit closer to her so they could hear her thoughts more clearly.
They reported their locations to each other, trying to pinpoint Shi Li's position based on who could hear her most distinctly.
The classmate closest to Shi Li naturally took on the responsibility of providing real-time updates.
Shi Li sat in her seat, unaware that her classmates were seated not far behind her, and even more oblivious to the fact that her dear friend had already taken out a phone to record and broadcast her thoughts.
At that moment, Shi Li's attention was entirely focused on the groom's relative sitting to her left, alongside an older woman holding a boy around four or five years old.
The boy, sitting in the woman's lap, was not only noisy but also constantly fidgeting, his feet occasionally kicking Shi Li's dress.
A gray footprint suddenly appeared on Shi Li's white pants. Given the cold weather outside and the fact that they were attending someone's wedding, it wasn't appropriate to dress too extravagantly, so Shi Li was wearing relatively casual clothes.
Although these clothes looked casual, their price was anything but ordinary.
While it was irritating to be kicked by a child for no reason, Shi Li assumed it was an accident and decided not to make a fuss over a child's behavior.
However, when Shi Li looked over, the boy flashed a mischievous grin, and she realized he had done it on purpose.
Don't assume that young children don't understand what they're doing.
In today's environment, kids know a lot more than you might think.
Not all children are angels; some are inherently mischievous.
Under normal circumstances, knowing the child had done it intentionally, Shi Li wouldn't have let it slide just because he was a kid.
But since they were attending someone's wedding, she didn't want to cause a scene.
Shi Li shot a glare at the boy, her expression management befitting her role as a villainous character.
The child was instantly frightened, and realizing his embarrassment, he immediately began to cry loudly to attract his family's attention.
The middle-aged woman holding the child was the little troublemaker's grandmother. She had been scrolling through short videos but was drawn by her grandson's cries.
She quickly put down her phone to comfort her precious grandson.
"Oh my, what's wrong, sweetie? Who upset grandma's big boy? Grandma will get revenge for you."
The grandmother always said this to console her grandson whenever he cried.
The boy had grown accustomed to using his tears to get his grandmother's attention and have her solve his problems.
The troublemaker pointed his short, chubby finger and said, "This bad woman bullied me."
[Who can relate, family? I came to watch the drama, but first I encountered a little monster.]
Only then did the grandmother notice Shi Li, who had just taken her seat. Her eyes lit up, and as she took in Shi Li's attire, the spark in her eyes grew even more intense.
Shi Li thought she was in for an unavoidable and embarrassing confrontation, like two mad dogs fighting at the village entrance, right in the middle of this elegant wedding ceremony, with her parents' friends looking on.
[I came planning to watch the show, but now it seems I might become the spectacle.]
Shi Li's classmate heard her thoughts and knew she had run into trouble.
Mrs. Huang Jie was chatting with another grandmother nearby and hadn't yet noticed the small interaction between her daughter and the troublemaker.
A classmate farther from Shi Li stopped a passing waiter. "I think I saw a small problem over by Mrs. Shi. Could you go check? If everything's fine, great, but if there's an issue, please try to mediate."
After instructing the waiter, she sent an OK hand gesture to the group chat, indicating she had handled the situation.
In the class group chat:
[As long as everything's okay. Nobody better interfere with our drama-watching.]
[Nobody can bully Sister Li. If she's not in a good mood, who's going to lead us in our drama-watching?]
The situation Shi Li had anticipated - arguing with the older woman - didn't materialize. Instead, another less-than-ideal scenario unfolded.
Upon seeing Shi Li, the older woman's eyes gleamed with interest, and she insisted on introducing her son to Shi Li.
"Young lady, you're so pretty. I bet you don't have a boyfriend yet, do you? How about my son? He graduated from university this year and is preparing for graduate school entrance exams at home. He'll be a graduate student soon."
"My younger son is very handsome and talented. You two would make a great match."
As she spoke, she started searching for photos on her phone.
Shi Li's earlier silent confrontation with the chubby boy had caught the attention of Huang Jie, who had been exchanging pleasantries nearby.
Huang Jie didn't oppose her daughter dating early, but only if the young man was sufficiently impressive.
She overheard the basic information about the young man - a university graduate preparing for graduate school entrance exams at home, which meant he hadn't been accepted on his first try.
The fact that the older woman didn't mention which university the young man had attended suggested there was nothing impressive about his alma mater.
As for the young man's family background, Huang Jie could discern everything she needed to know from the older woman's attire.
Huang Jie and her husband had discussed what kind of boyfriend their daughter should have in the future. Shi Li's father said he didn't care about the boy's family background, as they only had one daughter and all their assets would be left to Shi Li anyway. Regardless of the boy's circumstances, the inheritance they left would be enough for their daughter to live comfortably for a lifetime. He only cared that the son-in-law treat their daughter well.
Huang Jie's thoughts were completely opposite to her husband's. Precisely because they had only one daughter who would inherit all their assets, it was even more important to find a boyfriend from a similar background for their daughter. Many young men these days had ulterior motives, hoping to marry the only daughter of a wealthy family to get their hands on the family fortune.
Huang Jie smiled faintly and politely declined on her daughter's behalf. "My daughter is still young, just a high school student. It's too early for her to be in a relationship."
After Huang Jie turned around, the middle-aged woman realized they were mother and daughter. Seeing the obviously expensive jewelry Huang Jie was wearing, her expression became even more satisfied.
Shi Li was a student dressed modestly, though in high-end designer clothes. The older woman didn't recognize the brands but could tell they were expensive, even if she didn't know exactly how much they cost.
Mrs. Huang Jie was different. The extravagant jewelry around her neck was something even people without much knowledge could guess was extremely valuable.
The older woman instantly became even more pleased with her future daughter-in-law.
Huang Jie didn't understand her polite refusal and said carelessly, "What's the use of studying for a young girl? You'll all get married eventually. You might as well get married early. Back in our day, we married at sixteen or seventeen, and we've lived just fine without education."
Although the legal marriage age for women was twenty, some regions were like this: they would hold a wedding banquet and consider it a marriage. When the legal marriage age was reached, they would go to the civil affairs bureau to get the marriage certificate and register the children's household registration.
Shi Li looked at her mother in confusion: What did she mean?
Huang Jie was usually quite composed when dealing with people who couldn't understand reason.
People have different perceptions, and you can't expect everyone to be like you.
But when it came to her own daughter, this woman was clearly suggesting that her daughter drop out of school to get married and have children.
She must be dreaming.
At this moment, Shi Li belatedly realized that this woman wanted her to drop out of high school to become her daughter-in-law.
She inwardly exclaimed how absurd it was [It really refreshes one's perception, what is she thinking, wanting me to drop out of school to be her daughter-in-law]
[This world is too crazy]
Shi Li: ?? I don't quite understand. Asking Shi Li to drop out?
Asking their class's top student to drop out?
Hello? Is this the head teacher? Someone's trying to steal your competition student.
This wasn't just a matter of whether Shi Li's parents would agree. The teachers at school wouldn't agree in the first place. Our class's best student, a student who could be recommended for admission to the best university, you want her to drop out and get married?
May I ask what's so special about your son? What charm does he have?
Is he the son of the American president?
Or does he have diamonds embedded in his dick?
Why do we keep running into people these days who don't have a correct understanding of themselves? Has the wall of the suburban mental hospital collapsed, letting out so many mentally ill people who have no self-awareness?