152 Backing Up
Before Mrs. Fu could explain, Mama Le, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly interrupted,
âHey, what engagement? Itâs just a joke from the old masters at home, how can you take it seriously? Besides, what era are we in now? Where would they find these arranged marriages?â
Mama Le helped Le Wan tuck in her bangs that had fallen off.
âAs the saying goes, children and grandchildren have their own lives. Both our families are very open-minded and will not interfere too much in the childrenâs affairs. Nowadays, children are all about free love. As elders, we donât want to be an eyesore by forcing the children into some arranged marriage. As the saying goes, life is like drinking water, only they know what they want and whether they are living well.â
She saw that a few of the madams had disapproving expressions and laughed in her heart, but she didnât care.
âAs parents, what we should do is to cover for our children, not keep saying that we have good intentions for them and discipline them like prisoners. Isnât this to satisfy our selfish desires? Donât let the child not learn well in the end and frustrate yourself, itâs not worth it.â
Mama Le said as she held Fu Siuâs motherâs hand.
âSister, donât you think so?â
Since Mama Le had already said this, Fu Suiâs mother could only smile and nod in agreement. After all, it was Fu Sui who had done something wrong first. The Le family had given them face, so she couldnât say anything on the spot.
But when Mother Fu stopped talking, Fu Sui suddenly said,
âYes, itâs a misunderstanding. Our family and the Le family are on good terms, and we all know that the two old men are close, so the children of the two families grew up together. We used to hang out together, but itâs probably because of this that some people misunderstood us, so they spread such rumors.â
Fu Sui glanced at Le Wan, who had been quietly standing aside like a wallflower.
âIâve always treated Le Wan like my own sister, but sheâs a little mischievous and doesnât want to recognize me as her brother. Sheâs always wanted to challenge me, like the mock exams these days. She even made a fuss about betting with me, and the whole school found out about it. Everyoneâs laughing at us.â
As soon as he said this, many people were curious and made a ruckus. What was the bet on? He wanted to say it out loud to make everyone happy.
Mama Le raised her eyebrows and looked at him. Then, she lowered her eyes and took a sip of the champagne in her hand.
Fu Sui wanted to use their baby as a raft. He wanted to make a name for himself on their home turf.
She sighed in her heart. He dared to show off this kind of petty cleverness. It seemed that the Fu familyâs education was really not good. Fortunately, the baby stopped his damage in time.
Fu Sui didnât know that his words had greatly reduced Mama Leâs impression of him. He pretended to be a gentleman and asked Le Wan,
âSince everyone is curious, you donât mind what I said, do you?â
Le Wan chuckled.
âOf course! Itâs just a small matter. If you donât mind, why should I? Itâs a good thing if we can let everyone hear it and be happy.â
Seeing how calm Le Wan was, Fu Sui was a little confused. Did she really not know the result? However, he had seen Zhai Jingâs battle on the invitation last night. With Zhai Jing and Le Wanâs close relationship, it was impossible for him not to tell Le Wan about it.
Or perhaps, Le Wan really didnât care at all? At the thought of this, Fu Suiâs proud mood suddenly disappeared. If she only thought this way, then he would seem even more inferior if he was so worried about his personal gains and losses.
But he had already said it, so no matter what Fu Sui was thinking, he had to continue speaking.
âOh my, one is third in the grade and the other is fourth. Why are your two families so good at raising children?â Someone sighed.
Mama Le and Mama Fu loved to hear people praise their children, so they looked proud and calm.
âItâs just an exam in school. Itâs not worth being proud of.â
âIf the two of them are so powerful, whatâs the point of competing?â
Some people said that, but there were also curious people.
âChildren are always competitive. So who won and who lost?â