Chapter 4: The Phoenix Woman, Yin Mingzhu

No one would doubt the sincerity in Yin Mingzhu’s words.

Just by looking at her bloodshot eyes, one could tell that her resolve was something ordinary people couldn't fake.

Ma Xiulan opened her mouth, wanting to speak but holding back.

She glanced at her eldest daughter.

Then she looked at Lu Yang, who was relatively calm.

She decided to trust her daughter one more time and wait and see.

Yin Mingzhu took a deep breath, her gaze now shifting to a pitiful one as she looked at Lu Yang, who was silently sitting on the edge of the bed, and said, “Lu Yang Gege, I’ve never asked you for anything since we were little. I admit I had some feelings for you, but I was young then, I was ignorant, and I never thought of marrying you. My dream is to cross mountains and seas, to chase the light, not to be stuck with you, cooped up in this isolated little mountain village, bickering over trifles every day, raising children, with dirt on our faces and backs to the sky, without dreams. I think I would die, do you understand?”

It was indeed touching, and Lu Yang generally understood. Wasn't this the typical 'Phoenix Woman' of later generations?

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a Phoenix Woman!

Everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness.

However, that doesn't mean one can recklessly harm their family, close friends, or innocent bystanders—like him, Lu Yang—for the sake of so-called happiness.

At least Yin Mingzhu, right before his eyes, could definitely not be considered innocent.

Didn't want to marry?

You should have said so earlier!

What were you doing before you received the admission letter? Why didn't you say anything then?

Your parents forced you, and you couldn't bear to make them sad?

But what does that have to do with me, Lu Yang?

I'm just a bystander, at most a bystander who ate your family's rice, but I also worked every day, didn't I? I'm just a poor carpenter's apprentice trying to make a living and get by, okay?

Yes, you're noble, you're amazing. You saw that your small arm couldn't twist your Master and Mistress's big thighs, so you decisively adopted a delaying tactic because you were confident you could get into a good university. You got the Capital University admission letter, and you came to slap them in the face.

But have you ever thought about your family?

Master and Mistress, little sister Mingyue, and me, this innocent carpenter's apprentice who got dragged into this, what are we supposed to do?

Little sister's death.

Master's depression leading to his death.

The furniture factory closing down, Mistress losing her sanity in her loneliness and homelessness, resorting to picking up trash to survive.

And me, being pointed at, bearing the burden of little sister's death, Master's depression, and Mistress's mental breakdown for a lifetime—who will pay for these pains?

If there were no do-over, your dream would only fulfill you, but it would ruin all of us.

Looking at this intellectual young woman of the era, eloquently speaking about her dreams, Lu Yang's eyes showed not a hint of appreciation, but only endless sarcasm and mockery. The beautiful youthful infatuation, like a first love, faded away like a tide.

Lu Yang was completely sober.

It turned out he didn't love her at all. Inside that beautiful young girl's skin lived a soul no longer worth loving. Instead, it was the little sister by his side, Yin Mingyue, with her pure heart, simple kindness, and utter obedience to him. Aside from not being as brightly dressed as her sister Mingzhu, in terms of true beauty, she was not inferior in the slightest, after all, they were twins. And little sister Yin Mingyue was the one truly worth loving, caring for, and protecting with a lifetime.

Yin Mingzhu couldn't stand Lu Yang's current gaze and finally couldn't help but question him again, “Lu Yang, what exactly do you want to do?”

“Tell me your demands, and I will try my best to fulfill them, but I have already sworn that I will not marry in this life before completing my studies, so if you are still thinking of that good thing, then I can only advise you not to be delusional anymore.”

Lu Yang chuckled, deliberately provoking her, “Then what if I insist on being delusional?”

Just as Yin Mingzhu was displeased with Lu Yang's gaze, Lu Yang was equally displeased with her haughtiness.

Yin Mingzhu was angered into a laugh, taking a deep breath and saying, “Then unless I die.”

Seeing that the two were about to fall out, Ma Xiulan quickly stepped between them, then turned back to soothe Yin Mingzhu, “You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? What's with all this talk of dying? Do you want to anger your parents, who worked so hard to raise you, to death? We're all family behind closed doors, what can't be discussed? Lu Yang is a good child, and he will surely understand your difficulties, right?”

Ma Xiulan turned her head, her eyes almost pleading.

Lu Yang felt a tingling in his scalp. Looking at this situation, his Mistress was trying to corner him!

No way.

The grievances from his previous life couldn't be endured in vain. A surge of anger was rising within him.

“Mistress, you said it, it's hard to be a good person, so...”

Lu Yang was about to be relentless, the latter half of the sentence, “I'm going to make things difficult for you today,” almost slipped out after “so.”

It was the little sister.

Little sister Yin Mingyue covered Lu Yang's mouth with her small hand.

The two exchanged a silent gaze.

They say eyes are the windows to the soul, but this window was too clean; so clean that Lu Yang could see the apology, heartache, and concern in her eyes with just one glance.

The only thing missing was any trace of blame.

Lu Yang shivered, and he completely sobered up.

What am I doing?

Yin Mingzhu, that crazy woman, if she wants to be a Phoenix Woman, then let her be! Why am I still stopping her?

Can't I let go of her?

Pah, that woman harmed me enough in my previous life. In this life, even if she wanted to throw herself at me, I, Lu Yang, would never want her again.

I just want to get some revenge for little sister. Yes, it must be like that.

But little sister doesn't want to. She doesn't seem to like me targeting Mistress, and what she's doing now is giving the groom to her good sister.

That's right, she's not like me, who has lived again, and she doesn't realize the seriousness of this matter at all.

Silly girl, if I don't marry you, you will die!

Lu Yang silently spoke in his heart.

Never mind.

Cherish the person in front of you.

He finally understood, and it was at this moment that little sister Yin Mingyue, who had covered his mouth with her small hand, seemed to sense his thoughts. She smiled sweetly at him, revealing shallow dimples like crescent moons.

Lu Yang involuntarily reached out his hands, took her small hand, placed it over his heart, and then turned around to face the dramatic mother-daughter duo: “Alright, I can not marry Yin Mingzhu, but how will my emotional trauma be compensated?”

Yin Mingzhu opened her mouth.

But before she could say anything, Ma Xiulan, afraid her daughter would mess things up again, quickly pulled her aside and gave her a warning look.

Ma Xiulan turned back, and when her peripheral vision caught Lu Yang and the youngest daughter's hands tightly clasped together, she immediately understood, secretly pleased with her cunning plan today, and put on a smiling face, saying, “Good boy, just tell me what you want, as long as your Mistress can do it, I won't even bat an eye.”

“First, tomorrow's wedding cannot be canceled.”

“Yes, yes, yes, of course it can't be canceled. The villagers in front and back of the village all know that our family has a joyous event tomorrow. If it's canceled, it's not just your Master's face that's lost, but also your Mistress's face, and your Lu Yang's face! But if there's no bride, that won't do either, right?” Ma Xiulan blinked, implying, 'You boy, hurry up and get with the program.'

“That's what I was going to say. The person I want to marry is Yin Mingyue, not Yin Mingzhu.”

Lu Yang indulged her.

He said, holding little sister Yin Mingyue's small hand.

“Exactly! How did you two think alike? Our Yin Lao Si thinks the same way.” Ma Xiulan was so happy she almost slapped her thigh. Lu Yang's words had truly hit home.

“Since Mistress, you agree, then for such a good girl like little sister, you wouldn't not give her any dowry, would you?”

“Huh???”

Ma Xiulan was a bit slow to react.

“5000.”

Lu Yang held out one palm.

He had calculated that 5000 wasn't much. In 1988, an ordinary carpenter could earn over a hundred yuan a month. To save 5000 yuan, one would have to work for five years without eating or drinking. But the key was that his Master wasn't an ordinary carpenter; he was a self-employed individual who had contracted the village's poorly managed timber yard. With excellent craftsmanship passed down from his ancestors, he had turned losses into profits in recent years and, as Lu Yang observed, had made a good amount of money. While 5000 yuan wouldn't completely drain their savings, it was just enough to make Master and Mistress feel a pang of pain.