Rebirth in the 90s: Her Counterattack and Redemption

Chapter 1569: Chapter 914

"Sis, when do you want to get married? Do you want to go back home or stay in Sha City?" Li Xiaoxian hesitated for a while and finally opened her mouth.

Li Xiaoyan frowned. "Talk about something serious!"

Li Xiaoxian let out a soft sigh. "Sis, I’m your real sister, you don’t know what I’m like? If I’m asking you this, of course there’s a reason."

Li Xiaoyan glared at her. "Exactly because you’re my real sister and I know your temperament that I’m giving you a chance to explain. Otherwise I would’ve kicked you out long ago. Don’t ask all that useless crap, hurry up and say it!"

"Second Sister, stop circling around it. Forget it, I’ll tell Big Sister myself." Standing off to the side, Li Xiaoning also got anxious. "Big Sister, Mom and Dad are busy at home arranging your marriage for you."

"What?" Li Xiaoyan stared blankly at her little brother. "Since when? I just called Mom and Dad the day before yesterday, they didn’t mention a single Ding Dian’er of this."

Li Xiaoxian rolled her eyes at her own sister. "Sis, you should know just how anxious they are about this. How many times have they pushed you already, has it worked?

You also know what Mom and Dad are like—if you don’t have a suitable boyfriend, and you still stop them from helping you arrange things, they definitely won’t let it go.

You’re such a filial person, I don’t want you to wrong yourself over marriage just for Mom and Dad. If you could bring a boyfriend like Chairman Qu home for a visit, I’m sure they wouldn’t keep messing around with arrangements. Now you know why I was so thick‑skinned today, right?"

"Xiao Xian, I know you mean well, but what can this actually solve? Chairman Qu didn’t invite me to dinner because he’s interested in me, he just wanted to reward me for being serious about my work. Doing this will only put me in an awkward spot..."

Li Xiaoxian gave a cheeky smile. "Sis, all I know is, after how I acted today, Chairman Qu is definitely going to have some questions in his mind. When you explain to him why I was acting so weird, I believe he’ll help out!"

"I don’t want to use Chairman Qu like that!"

"Sis, would I ever harm you?" Li Xiaoxian, so angry she shoved her own sister. "If this wasn’t a last resort, why would I use this kind of method!"

Li Xiaoyan looked totally unconcerned. "Mom and Dad used to be pushing all the time too, and what came of it?"

"This time isn’t like before!" Li Xiaoxian stared at Li Xiaoyan, speechless. "Forget it, you don’t believe me, let Xiaoning tell you. You at least believe him, right?"

"Big Sister, Second Sister isn’t making a fuss over nothing. A lot of people in the village are saying there must be something wrong with you since you still haven’t gotten married. When Mom and Dad heard that, they felt really awful.

But they’ve urged you so many times and it never worked, so they figured pushing you more probably wouldn’t help either, and decided to get things more or less settled before telling you.

By then, if you don’t agree, they’re planning to threaten you with their lives. Big Sister, Mom and Dad really are thinking of using death to force you, they’re not joking.

Of course, I only heard this by accident. I was afraid if I called, someone would overhear, so I thought I’d write a letter to tell you. I didn’t expect the letter not to be mailed yet and I’d be chosen to come to Sha City for the competition.

Big Sister, only if you bring a brother‑in‑law home can you kill their idea of using death to force you. Before Second Sister explained why she did all that, I also felt she was going too far.

But once I heard Second Sister just now, I finally understood. She had her reasons for doing it that way. Otherwise, when Mom and Dad really start using death to force you, you’ll definitely soften and listen to them.

Marriage is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime thing, you can’t just make do with it. Big Sister, listen to Second Sister. Right now, President Qu is the most suitable candidate!"

Li Xiaoyan knew full well her little brother never lied, so hearing him say this, her expression turned a bit desolate.

There’s no doubt her parents love her, but at the end of the day, they’re just farmers who’ve never seen the world outside their village. In their eyes, if she doesn’t marry, no matter how much money she makes, it still means she’s not capable.

For a woman, finding a man and getting married is what matters most. Talk of suitable or not, like or not, her parents simply won’t listen.

In their words, they themselves only met once before getting married, and didn’t they still go on to have kids and live out their whole lives?

They didn’t put extreme pressure on her before because they hadn’t heard others gossiping. In the countryside, a girl’s reputation is more important than anything, so with what they’re doing now, you can’t exactly say they’re wrong.

If it wasn’t for her future happiness, they wouldn’t go this far. After all, if she kept working away from home, the family’s finances would only get better and better...

"Big Sister, Mom and Dad truly dote on you, don’t be mad at them..." Seeing Li Xiaoyan’s face go pale then flushed, Li Xiaoxian started to worry.

"I’m not mad at them." Li Xiaoyan gave a faint smile. "Alright, I understand. Xiao Xian, Xiaoning, thank you both.

Come on, I’ll take you out for a walk. President Qu arranged for someone to wait downstairs for us. We’ve already delayed too long, it’s not good."

"Sis!" Li Xiaoxian looked at Li Xiaoyan, face full of worry. "Sis, are you so angry you’ve lost your senses? At a time like this, why are you still thinking about going out?"

"I’m not angry. I know Mom and Dad mean well. Let’s go..." Li Xiaoyan said, taking the lead toward the door. "If we act like this, Chairman Qu will misunderstand."

The two sisters had been close since they were little, so Li Xiaoxian immediately understood that even after hearing the truth, her sister still had no intention of asking Chairman Qu for help.

"Sis..."

"Enough, don’t say any more, it’s bad if someone hears..." Li Xiaoyan said as she turned to look at Li Xiaoning. "Xiaoning, what time did the teacher leading your group say you have to be back?"

"Ten o’clock." Li Xiaoning couldn’t help tugging at Li Xiaoyan’s sleeve. "Sis, what are you going to do?"

Li Xiaoyan rubbed his head. "You just focus on studying hard and getting into a good university in the future. As for other things, don’t worry about them."

"Sis, don’t treat me like a kid, I’m already seventeen!" Li Xiaoning was so anxious his face flushed. He grabbed Li Xiaoyan and pulled her back into the office. "You ruined your whole life’s big event because of me and Second Sister. I won’t allow you to sacrifice your whole lifetime of happiness for Mom and Dad again!"

The usually honest, quiet little brother saying something like this made Li Xiaoyan’s eyes go red. She forced out a faint smile. "Don’t worry, I’m not going to sacrifice my whole life’s happiness. I’ll find a way to convince Dad and Mom, or I’ll listen to you two and take a boyfriend home to put on a show."

"Sis, you have to promise that everything you’re saying right now is true!" Li Xiaoning stared at Li Xiaoyan, completely unconvinced.

"Okay, I promise. Can we leave now?"

Seeing Li Xiaoning about to say more, Li Xiaoxian secretly twisted him and dragged him out the door.

The three siblings went down to the first floor. A black Buick was parked at the entrance. Xiao Ding got out and opened the car door. "Manager Li, please get in."

"Xiao Ding, it’s so late and I’m still bothering you, I’m really sorry." Li Xiaoyan apologized to Xiao Ding while ushering her brother and sister into the car.

Xiao Ding grinned foolishly. "Manager Li, you’re too polite. President Qu pays my salary, this is my job."

Xiao Ding was six feet tall with a crew cut, thick brows and big eyes, handsome features... Sitting in the car, Li Xiaoxian sized him up from head to toe, a trace of excitement flashing in her eyes.

Noticing Li Xiaoxian’s expression, Li Xiaoning quickly warned her in a low voice, "Second Sis, don’t start daydreaming. If you try to push him together with Big Sis and Big Sis doesn’t like it, how’s he supposed to keep working here?"

The excitement in Li Xiaoxian’s eyes faded bit by bit. Right, Xiao Ding was a driver. If she tried to match him with her sister and he took it seriously but Sis didn’t, and then the coworkers started gossiping, that would all be on her.

President Qu was still more suitable. He was her sister’s boss, and with her sister’s cautious nature, people at the company would never find out. Once Sis found a suitable boyfriend, she could explain things to the family. Wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?

But what was she supposed to do to make this work?

...

After dropping off her brother and sister, when Li Xiaoyan got back to Liangyou it was already ten-thirty at night. She thought for a bit, then headed toward Qu Yue’s office.

As expected, Qu Yue was still busy in the office. After a brief hesitation, she lightly knocked on the glass door.

"Come in!" Qu Yue looked up and, seeing it was Li Xiaoyan, asked, "Did your brother and sister have fun?"

Li Xiaoyan hurriedly said, "They had a great time, thank you, Chairman Qu."

"It’s fine. You’re tired too, go home and rest."

"Yes." Li Xiaoyan took a couple of steps toward the door, then stopped. "Chairman Qu, when Mr. Lin comes back, I’d like to ask for a few days’ leave to go home."

Qu Yue nodded. "Okay. You haven’t gone home for a long time, you should go back and have a look."

...

Two days later, private room at Imperial Chef.

Luo Ye, Ye Xuan, Luo Feng, Ying Nuo, Lu Lu, Xing Nong, Zhan Hao, Yaoguang, Luo Lian, Tang Luo, and Qu Yue were all gathered together. Xing Nong swept a glance around the room, and her little face scrunched up even more.

There were way more people than she’d expected. As for the cost... aaahhh, her allowance, her allowance!

"Qiu’er, you treat us to one meal and your heart already hurts that much?" Yaoguang eyed her bun-shaped face, deliberately teasing her.

Mou Qiu’er quickly squeezed out a brilliant smile. "Doesn’t hurt, not at all. It’s just that seeing everyone show up so neatly, I’m so happy I don’t know which way is north."

"Really?" Tang Luo looked her up and down. "You sure you’re actually excited?"

"Of course!" Xing Nong nodded hard with her little head. "Hey, it’s a pity this place only does set menus and doesn’t allow à la carte. Otherwise everyone could order more of what they like. Such a shame."

Lu Lu glanced at Xing Nong, the corners of his lips curling. He clearly saw Mou Qiu’er’s cheeks trembling slightly. He leaned over to her ear with a grin. "When your allowance runs out, you still have me."

"Great, give me your card." Xing Nong unceremoniously stretched out her hand to him, lowering her voice. "Hurry up, give it to me now."

Lu Lu cheerfully pulled out a card and handed it to Xing Nong. "The PIN is your birthday."

Seeing their small movements, Yaoguang lightly cleared his throat. "Qiu’er, you’re not planning to have Lu Lu pick up the bill, are you?"

"No, no, I only have my card, see..." Xing Nong hurriedly pulled her hand back, rummaging through her pockets to prove her innocence.