47: Chapter 47 The Gossipy Villagers

Zhao Laosi, the village's famous big mouth, was puffing on a cigarette and talking grandly.

"Tsk tsk, the Ji Family has really blown their own horn to the heavens this time!"

"They say he has a car and a house, and is head over heels for Lili? Sounds a bit too good to be true to me."

Beside him was a middle-aged woman with permed curly hair and bright red lips—Wang Caifeng, Zhao Laosi's wife. She immediately chimed in, her voice shrill.

"Exactly! If you ask me, that girl Lili probably couldn't cut it out there anymore and just found someone random to fool her parents!"

"Auntie Caifeng, you shouldn't say that," a slightly younger wife whispered. "Guangli is quite capable and pretty; maybe she really did meet someone good?"

"Capable? Pretty?"

Wang Caifeng curled her lip, her volume not dropping one bit.

"Can being capable put food on the table? Can being pretty be spent like money? If she were really that skilled, why didn't she bring him back years ago? Why wait until she's nearly thirty and the village gossip has piled up to suddenly have a capable boyfriend pop out of nowhere?"

"Who is she trying to fool? I bet that car is rented, and the house is probably non-existent! Old Man Ji and Ma Guilan are fools too, believing whatever their daughter says!"

"Just you wait. When they get here, we'll see if he's a thoroughbred or a donkey once we take him for a spin!"

Others under the tree were also buzzing with discussion; some were purely curious, some skeptical, and some, like Wang Caifeng, were purely jealous and wanted to see the Ji Family make fools of themselves.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting spots of light. The air was thick with dry heat, idleness, and a subtle sense of anticipation.

Right then, someone sharp-eyed shouted, "Hey! A car is coming!"

Whoosh!

Everyone's eyes simultaneously turned toward the road at the village entrance.

They saw a massive car with sleek lines and a black paint job so shiny it gleamed under the sun, driving leisurely toward the village.

They didn't recognize the logo on the front, but the domineering appearance made them feel this car wasn't cheap!

"Good heavens... this car... it looks so grand!" someone couldn't help but marvel.

"What kind of car is this? I've never seen it! It looks even bigger than Boss Wang's Audi from town!"

"Who knows? It's probably some off-brand car. There are plenty of those nowadays that look impressive but only cost a few tens of thousands of yuan."

Most of these people were women or elderly men who didn't know much about cars.

So it wasn't surprising they didn't know the AITO brand.

Just then.

The car slowly stopped in a slightly spacious clearing at the village entrance, and Cao Kun and Ji Guangli stepped out one after the other.

Since they had already been spotted, they might as well make a grand appearance. This was the strategy Ji Guangli and Cao Kun had agreed upon earlier.

Rather than being evasive and inviting suspicion, it was better to take the initiative and shut everyone's mouths.

Cao Kun locked the car and pulled a box of Huazi cigarettes he had prepared earlier from his pocket. With a warm smile, he walked toward the group of villagers under the locust tree, who all had various expressions.

"Uncles, this is our first meeting. Just a small token of my appreciation, please don't mind it." He naturally opened the cigarette box and began handing them out to the men present.

The red Huazi cigarette box was particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

"Oh, we can't accept this, such good cigarettes..."

One old man was being polite, but his hand had already reached out to take it. He brought it to his nose, took a sniff, and clicked his tongue in admiration. "Good cigarettes, good cigarettes! Little Guangli has good taste; the man she found is truly generous!"

"The young man looks sharp. Standing next to Guangli, they're truly a perfect match!"

Another old man took a cigarette and sized up Cao Kun with a smile, then looked at Ji Guangli, who stood beside him with a proper smile.

"Isn't that the truth? Guangli has been successful since she was a kid, and the man she found is just as respectable!" someone began to chime in with praise.

On the women's side, Ji Guangli also took several large bags of beautifully packaged chocolates and milk candies from her handbag, distributing them to the surrounding women and the wide-eyed children.

"Auntie, have something sweet."

"Xiaohu, here, take some."

The children cheered as they took the candy and ran off to play.

The women also accepted with smiles, saying polite words while their eyes couldn't stop darting between Ji Guangli, Cao Kun, and the impressive black car.

"Guangli, this boyfriend of yours... what kind of big business does he do in Zhongzhou?" Wang Caifeng also received a handful of candy and couldn't help but ask sourly.

Ji Guangli smiled slightly and took Cao Kun's arm. "He's in management at an advertising agency. We're just colleagues."

She didn't specify Cao Kun's position, nor did she intentionally exaggerate it.

"Colleagues are good; you know each other's backgrounds!" someone agreed.

Cao Kun and Ji Guangli exchanged a few more pleasantries with the crowd, asking about the village harvest, the weather, and other small talk. Their manner was friendly and natural, without a hint of city-dweller arrogance.

Seeing that it was about time, Cao Kun smiled and said, "Uncles and Aunties, please continue your chat. Guangli and I will head home first. We'll have a proper talk with everyone when we have time later."

"Go on, go on! Old Man Ji must be waiting with bated breath!" The crowd waved them off with smiles.

Cao Kun escorted Ji Guangli back into the car. The engine started again, and they drove toward the Ji Family's courtyard.

As soon as they left, the discussions that had been suppressed under the locust tree for a long while instantly boiled over!

"My god! It really is Huazi! One of these must cost several yuan, right? And he just handed them out like that?"

"The candy that girl Guangli brought is also a good brand. It's not cheap!"

"That car... does anyone recognize it? What kind of car is it exactly? It looks so imposing!"

"Whatever car it is, it's definitely not cheap! It's much grander than the sedan the Village Chief's son drove back!"

"The Ji Family's ancestors must be smiling upon them this time! This boyfriend of Guangli's has the looks, the style, and knows how to handle people!"

"Exactly. From the way he acted just now, you can tell he's seen the world; he wasn't intimidated at all."

Voices of envy, wonder, and genuine happiness for the Ji Family made up the majority.

But there were inevitably some discordant notes.

Wang Caifeng stuffed the candy into her pocket, curled her lip, and lowered her voice to tell the women she usually hung out with, "Tch, what a bunch of posers!"

"Giving out a pack of Huazi and some candy proves they're rich? Who knows if those cigarettes are even real? Maybe they're fakes just for show!"

"Exactly," another woman chimed in, her eyes filled with jealousy. "That car... I bet it's rented! Isn't it trendy in the city now to rent luxury cars to come back to the village and show off? A few hundred yuan a day just to put on an act!"

"Right, right! I think so too! If he were really that rich, would he even look at Ji Guangli? Given her family's situation..." The spiteful words weren't finished, but everyone understood the meaning.

"Come on! Let's follow them to the Ji Family's house and see! Let's see what kind of expensive gifts he actually brought! If he's just carrying two boxes of milk, that would be interesting!"

Wang Caifeng egged them on. A few busybodies who were also prone to jealousy immediately agreed. Forgetting about cooling off in the shade, they stood up and followed the car toward the Ji Family's house.

More villagers, out of pure curiosity, also followed in small groups. They all wanted to see for themselves what kind of decent gifts this capable future son-in-law would bring on his first visit.

...