Chapter 72

PS: This is an additional update due to M Hu's generous donation of 10,000 coins. Also, the update plan has been released and can be viewed in the related sections of the work.

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"What should I do, what should I do now!" Xiao Zhishuang was almost at her wits' end. She had not expected her family to knock on her door at this moment, and Li Mang was still in the bathroom showering. If he were discovered, she would be in an unexplainable situation, even if she jumped into the Yellow River!

"Zhishuang, why aren't you opening the door!" A woman's voice called from outside. It was her mother, Xiao Zhishuang's mother.

Despite her panic, she couldn't ignore her mother, so Xiao Zhishuang had to force a smile and go to open the door. She deliberately stood in front of the door, coquettishly asking, "Mom, is there something you need?"

"You child, why are you blocking the door? I have something to tell you," her mother said irritably.

"… No, I'm just too sleepy, I'm about to go to bed after washing up!" Xiao Zhishuang's beautiful eyes darted around as she lied, clearly feeling guilty.

"Hey, you little girl, didn't we agree that you would rest after drinking the soup!" Her mother was a bit angry but also noticed something odd about her daughter. She asked suspiciously, "Could it be that you're hiding something in your room?"

"How could that be, Mom, please come in!" Xiao Zhishuang was startled by her mother's suspicion but could only bite her lip and step aside.

Xiao Zhishuang's mother felt that her daughter was acting strange today, but after looking around the room and seeing nothing unusual, she didn't press further. Girls have secrets, after all. She didn't check the bathroom, and the noise from the thunder and rain outside made it hard to hear if there was water running in the bathroom unless one listened carefully.

This made Xiao Zhishuang, who was initially very worried, feel a bit relieved, though she was still full of guilt and anxiety. If Li Mang appeared now… She didn't dare to think about it, but at this point, she could only force herself to stay calm.

The two of them sat on the bed, and Xiao Zhishuang's mother got straight to the point: "Zhishuang, you're not young anymore. Have you found a boyfriend yet?"

"… Mom, I'm only twenty-two this year. I'm still young, and I'm not in a hurry to get married," Xiao Zhishuang said with a bitter smile. Although she had been asked about marriage before, each time it made her feel depressed. At twenty-two, modern women are in the prime of their lives, focusing on their careers and lives, and there's no rush for relationships.

"Nonsense! When I was seventeen, I married your father. Most of the girls your age in the village are already married, and even Wang Mei from next door has two kids. Only you are not up to the mark. If you don't get married at twenty-two, who will want you when you're old?" Her mother sternly criticized her daughter's "foolish words."

In her generation, twenty-two was indeed the age when one should be married, and twenty-five was considered too old to find a husband, which was why her mother was so anxious.

Xiao Zhishuang understood that her mother was only concerned for her, but she still felt a headache. Her views were not wrong, nor were her mother's, but the problem was that the views of two generations did not align. In urban areas, it was better, but in rural areas, women's views were hard to integrate with contemporary society.

Just as she was troubled, her mother took on the role of a matchmaker, her eyebrows flying as she said, "The son of the village chief from the neighboring village is quite good. His family is well-off, and he is tall and handsome. He also has feelings for you. He even asked a matchmaker to discuss a match between you two a while ago, but you happened to be at work and couldn't come back…"

Xiao Zhishuang couldn't bear to listen anymore. She knew the village chief's son from the neighboring village, as they were classmates from elementary school, middle school, and high school. He looked decent, but he was actually a despicable person. How could she possibly consider dating him?

Xiao Zhishuang steeled herself and interrupted, "Mom, I'll tell you the truth! I… I already have a boyfriend, so you don't need to worry about me anymore!"

"What!" Her mother jumped up from the bed, shocked and staring at her daughter.

Xiao Zhishuang couldn't help but shrink back, wondering if she had overplayed her hand.

To her surprise, her mother's shock turned to joy, and she laughed, "Hehe, I always knew my daughter is so beautiful, how could no one pursue her!"

"… Hehe." Xiao Zhishuang could only force a smile, realizing she couldn't follow her mother's train of thought. What was this all about?

"What does he do?" Her mother asked seriously.

"Government official." Xiao Zhishuang had to make up a lie.

"Government official? That's not bad. At least he has a stable job and won't be unemployed and unable to support a family." Her mother nodded in satisfaction and continued, "How old is he?"

"Twenty… two, I guess!" Xiao Zhishuang's mind was a blur, and she didn't know what she was basing her answer on. Boyfriend? Where was she supposed to find one?

"What does he look like…" Her mother asked a series of questions, and Xiao Zhishuang answered them randomly. Fortunately, her mother wasn't very perceptive, or her lies would have been easily exposed.

"Men these days are unreliable. You have two days off, right? Call him over to the house tomorrow so I and your father can meet him." Her mother finally made the decision.

"Wh-what?" Xiao Zhishuang was genuinely shocked, jumping up from the bed and looking at her mother in disbelief. She had made all that up, and now where was she supposed to find a boyfriend? She realized she had really overplayed her hand!

"… Mom, we just started dating. It's not appropriate to invite him over so soon," Xiao Zhishuang quickly tried to salvage the situation, pretending to be shy.

"It's better to do it early. If you get too deep into the relationship and then find problems, you'll be the one who suffers, daughter!" Her mother lectured her earnestly.

"But… he might not be free tomorrow. He has to work, and it's a long way to come!" Xiao Zhishuang pleaded with a sad face, hoping her mother would reconsider.

"You little girl, tomorrow is Saturday. What work does a government official have? Don't make excuses. If he finds a reason not to come, it means he doesn't care about you. You should break up with him early. I'll arrange for you to meet the village chief's son from the neighboring village tomorrow!" Her mother made the decision without any room for argument, as if she were Empress Wu Zetian making a decree.

"That's settled. Contact him later… and remember to come down and drink the soup." Without waiting for Xiao Zhishuang to say anything more, her mother got up and prepared to leave.

"…" Xiao Zhishuang wanted to stop her mother, but thinking of Li Mang in the bathroom, she could only remain silent.

"Oh, a woman's room shouldn't be so wet. If you don't clean it up, your future in-laws will definitely be unhappy!" Just as her mother was about to leave, she turned around and saw the large wet patch on the floor, shaking her head in disapproval and reaching for the bathroom door to get a mop.

The wet patch on the floor was caused by Li Mang, but in the awkward atmosphere, they hadn't noticed it. She hadn't expected it to lead to this.

"…" Xiao Zhishuang hadn't anticipated that after enduring the ordeal, this would happen. She wanted to stop her mother, but it was too late. She could only pale and hold her breath, praying that Li Mang had locked the bathroom door so she could find an excuse to persuade her mother to leave.

"Click!"

To her dismay, Li Mang hadn't locked the bathroom door, and her mother easily pushed it open.

"…" Her mother stood there with her mouth open, looking at the bathroom in disbelief, disappointment, and anger.

"Finished… Why didn't you lock the door, ah, ah, ah!!!" Xiao Zhishuang felt the sky was about to fall. Her embarrassment made her bury her head in the blanket.