Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties
Chapter 236 - 235: What’s the Use of Just Liking?

Chapter 236: Chapter 235: What’s the Use of Just Liking?

Lin Qiu understood that compared to Brother Lu Zheng, her elder sister was indeed far from matching his conditions.

However, choosing a partner isn’t just about conditions, it’s also about the person and the feelings involved.

She clearly saw Lu Zheng’s genuine affection for her sister, so if they were a bit braver, it might not be impossible for them to be together.

Her sister was already twenty-one during the New Year celebration, and it was time for her to start dating someone.

"Sister, I think that might not be necessary! As long as you two like each other, why don’t you strive to be together? In fact, I can feel that Lu Zheng truly likes you!"

Lin Xia touched Lin Qiu’s smooth cheek and said, "Xiaoqiu, liking someone doesn’t necessarily mean we must be together. We still have many practical issues to consider!

Even if I were with him, ignoring my family’s objections, what about later? Could I marry someone so far away? What would you all do then?"

She could not forget her sister being abused by her husband, with her wicked mother-in-law tormenting her until she became skinny, with nothing but numbness in her eyes;

nor could she forget those hands that were full of splits with protruding joints.

She could not forget her younger brother who had to drop out of middle school to work and earn money for the family and because he resisted, his brow bone was bloodied by welts from a willow whip.

Upon her return home, she had resolved to prevent her sister from marrying that scoundrel, to ensure her brother attended university, and to stop her elder brother from dying young.

Now, although they were gradually changing—her elder brother had moved abroad, and her younger brother had been admitted to a good school—Xiaoqiu was still unmarried, and she could not settle down.

And how old was Lu Zheng this year?

How could she bear to let him wait for several years, only to possibly end up with nothing good in the end?

Lin Qiu truly felt that they were burdens, constantly pressing heavily on her sister, preventing her from being able to wholeheartedly be with someone she liked.

"Sister, you don’t always have to consider us. After the New Year, I will start my apprenticeship. I’m not talking about starting a tailoring shop right away, but working for others can earn me some craft money...

Elder brother also doesn’t need us to worry about him, and Dongzi is studying hard too...

If you like Lu Zheng, don’t reject him. Anyway, dating him doesn’t mean you have to get married right away; it’s perfect if you get married after Dongzi gets into college..."

How could Lin Xia not have thought of all this that Lin Qiu was saying? She pondered during sleepless nights too.

"Xiaoqiu, don’t forget about those people. We’ve temporarily quieted them down with money, but who knows what might happen in the future?"

Lin Xia fundamentally did not trust Aiguo. He might keep his promise to not cause trouble for now, but he was influenced by people like Qian Chunli. Wasn’t everyone around him itching to make her life difficult?

Maybe it would be unexpectedly problematic for them sooner or later.

Mentioning those people made Lin Qiu frown, "Sister, sometimes I think, if it weren’t for Dongzi attending school now, how wonderful it would be if we moved to a place where no one knows us!"

"Yeah! Sometimes I’ve thought that too! Once Dongzi finishes college, we could go wherever we wanted!" Lin Xia had entertained such thoughts for a while, but deciding where to go was a problem.

Relocating to a completely unfamiliar place where they had no roots was not easy, and moving to their brother’s place, being somewhat remote, wasn’t practical just yet.

As for their mother’s hometown, they seemed to have only an uncle and aunt.

After many years without contact, what difference was there between them and strangers? If they encountered someone awful who wanted to exploit them, it might be worse than staying here.

Lin Qiu’s eyes sparkled, "Sister! If that’s the case, agree to date Lu Zheng. Then when you marry him and move somewhere, we can just follow you there, right? If there are any conflicts, we can rent a place and live separately!"

Lin Xia smiled gently, "Silly girl! You think marrying is so easy? Go to sleep! I’m tired!" She did not want to discuss this topic with her younger sister anymore.

"Alright then!" Lin Qiu knew her sister’s temperament. She obediently turned off the light.

In the darkness, neither of them fell asleep right away.

Lin Qiu bit her lip in thought. Previously, she hadn’t understood her sister’s feelings, and their second brother had seemed to show interest in her sister.

Now that Lin Xia knew that she liked Lu Zheng, Lin Qiu felt she should do something and not let two people who liked each other miss out.

However, Lin Xia was thinking about Lu Zheng and wondered if he could sleep at her second brother’s house and what the two of them would talk about.

At this moment, Lu Zheng was also thinking about Lin Xia. He felt it was a pity that he finally got to visit but didn’t have the opportunity to be alone with her.

Fortunately, taking the chance to give away that bracelet made his trip worthwhile.

But his goal was more than that; he wanted her to agree for the two of them to be together.

Jiang Mingyuan glanced sideways at Lu Zheng lying at the other end of the kang and tugged at the corner of his mouth. He knew Lu Zheng wasn’t sleeping.

He asked knowingly, "Lu Zheng! Are you asleep?"

"No!" Lu Zheng replied gruffly.

Lying on his arm and pondering for a moment, Jiang Mingyuan asked, "Lu Zheng! Do you like Lin Xia?"

Lu Zheng admitted directly, "I like her!"

Jiang Mingyuan snorted, "You like her! Then let me ask you, what’s the use of just a frivolous ’like’?

When she’s in trouble and needs help, when she’s in danger and needs protection, can you be by her side?"

Lu Zheng tightly pursed his lips and was silent; indeed, sometimes he really couldn’t be there due to the distance.

It could be said, this was his helpless situation when facing the girl he loved.

He liked Lin Xia, but when his beloved girl was in trouble, he might not be able to be there to protect her! It was a pain that he could not control!

Jiang Mingyuan felt Lu Zheng’s breath grow heavier and continued with a smirk, "Lu Zheng! So I’m telling you, if you truly like Lin Xia, then think carefully about whether you can make her happy! Whether you can protect her well! If not, please don’t keep disturbing her life!"

These were the words he had wanted to say last time, but hadn’t found the right opportunity.

He liked Lin Xia and wished for her happiness.

Jiang Mingyuan acknowledged Lu Zheng was indeed a good man, with both good external and internal qualities.

But the difference between them was huge, and even if he were a family member of Lu Zheng, he wouldn’t agree to their union.

Thus, perhaps they saw the ending before even starting.

Lin Xia was a good girl who had suffered a lot in the past, and Jiang Mingyuan hoped her future life would no longer be full of hardship and humility.

Lu Zheng sat up and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it up as he spoke, "Jiang Mingyuan! I can see that you also like Lin Xia!"

He knew Jiang Mingyuan truly had Lin Xia’s best interests at heart, and facing such a rival, Lu Zheng had never underestimated him.

Tonight, Jiang Mingyuan also brought him a slight shock; through a recent incident, he had realized how genuinely Jiang cared for Lin Xia.

"Yes! I like her!" Jiang Mingyuan also sat up and said emphatically, "But what I just said wasn’t out of selfishness to push you away. They were very practical concerns.

Liking someone cannot sustain you, and having only met Lin Xia a few times, do you understand her? Do you know what her family is like?"

He knew too well about Lin Xia and her family. What could Lu Zheng, who lived so far away, help her with?

After smoking pensively for a while, Lu Zheng said, "What does your understanding matter? Lin Xia and you are still just friends...

Although he felt a pang of jealousy that Jiang Mingyuan lived near Lin Xia’s family, he reconsidered that this could also be a form of protection.

Jiang Mingyuan clenched his fist and laughed out of sheer frustration, "That’s not necessarily the case! The days are long ahead, and I am with her every day, the person by her side is me, I’m the first one she thinks of when she’s in trouble, and you, only being able to communicate, what problems can you solve?"