"What? You're accusing me of harassing you?" Fang Yan was dumbfounded, not knowing where this was coming from.
"My parents told me you identified me, claiming I harassed you, and wanted me to hand over the braised meat recipe as an apology. Since you're here, I might as well ask, when did I ever harass you?" Zhang Liunian's tone was icy.
"..." Fang Yan hadn't expected her sister to use such an excuse to demand the recipe from Zhang Liunian. Harass her? As a representative of strong women, what man would dare to harass her?
"Perhaps it was a slip of the tongue," Fang Yan explained awkwardly.
Zhang Liunian smirked sarcastically. "My second sister-in-law, a university student, can also make such a low-level mistake. It truly opens my eyes."
Fang Yan, sensing his disbelief, quickly explained, "This was our mistake. She and I both apologize to you."
"No need. I'm afraid you'll resort to other means later. Don't make me look down on you, Fang Yan." Zhang Liunian's gaze was not that of a man looking at a woman, but more like a strategist sizing up an opponent.
Fang Yan was momentarily speechless. She admitted she was desperate, but this wasn't the method she wanted. She wanted to explain, but facing Zhang Liunian's cold stare, she couldn't utter a word.
After a prolonged silence, Fang Yan finally spoke again, "I just want your recipe. If you don't want to sell it, then let's cooperate. What do you say?" She had compromised. She had been trying to crack the recipe for the past two days without success. Now that Zhang Liunian had seen through her plan to have her second sister help steal it, she could only step back and suggest cooperation.
However, Zhang Liunian held no good feelings towards her and didn't want to cooperate. "I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, Director Fang. I don't want to cooperate with someone who has harmed me."
"How have I harmed you? I only said I wanted your recipe. I had no idea what she would do. Zhang Liunian, I've already apologized to you, can't you be a little more forgiving?"
"My mind is too small for that. I can't," Zhang Liunian said, turning to leave.
"..." Fang Yan was furious. She reached out to pull him back to clarify things. However, she misjudged her strength, not only pulling Zhang Liunian back but also losing her balance and falling backward. Zhang Liunian, caught off guard, fell with her.
With a "thump," they both hit the ground, him on top of her, bodies pressed close together. The next moment, a sharp voice echoed from not far away, "Ah! What are you doing?"
The dazed Zhang Liunian heard the voice and immediately scrambled off Fang Yan. Fang Yan, however, was even more stunned and in pain, as she was the one who had landed underneath and sustained the injury.
"How dare you do something like this in broad daylight? And you dare to fight with me over Yan Yan? Who are you? State your name and I'll beat you to death!" The newcomer was the man with the slicked-back hair from yesterday. Seeing the woman he desired pinned down by another man, he angrily stepped forward to attack. But as he met Zhang Liunian's height, which was half a head taller than his own, and his sturdy physique, his clenched fists couldn't strike.
"It was just an accident. I have no relation to her, nor am I your love rival. So, you can boldly pursue her. I support you." Zhang Liunian's words infuriated Fang Yan. She strongly disliked this slick-haired man, and now Zhang Liunian was offering him support. If he was unkind, she wouldn't be obligated to be righteous.
Getting up from the ground, she linked her arm through Zhang Liunian's, putting on a blushing, heart-fluttering, ambiguous expression. "You scoundrel, how could you say we have no relationship? I'm ignoring you now." Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Liunian forcibly dismantled her act. "I have a wife and children. It's not appropriate to joke like this. I hope Director Fang will conduct herself with more decorum in the future and not cause trouble for me." Zhang Liunian strode away, leaving Fang Yan seething and wanting to lash out.
Meanwhile, in the young educated youth dormitory in Zhangjia Village, Zhang Wenxue and his wife were bringing Tie Mu to take their youngest daughter home.
"Zhu Zi's wife, it was my fault in the past. I will treat you well from now on." Only after losing Zhang Xiaomei, her outlet, did Tie Mu realize how important Zhang Xiaomei was to her.
"I have no relationship with your family anymore. I would rather die than go back." Zhang Xiaomei clung to the doorframe, still resentful in her heart of her parents' heartlessness in pressuring her for her second brother.
"Zhu Zi's wife, how can you say that? Zhu Zi's body is barely cold, and he's thinking of you right now. If you don't go back to be with him, why are you staying here?" Tie Mu said, stepping forward to pull her out. But Zhang Xiaomei held onto the doorframe tightly, refusing to leave.
The mute man, seeing this, looked indignant. He had just promised to be with Zhang Xiaomei that morning. Now, seeing her being forced, he knew he had to step forward to help her. Thinking this, the mute man pushed Tie Mu away and stood in front of Xiaomei, spreading his arms to prevent anyone from approaching her.
"Get out of my way. She's part of the Tie family. It's only right that I take her back." Tie Mu, having been pushed aside, secretly resented the meddlesome person. The mute man remained unmoved, standing resolutely in front of Zhang Xiaomei, vowing to protect the woman behind him. Zhang Xiaomei looked at the mute man before her, tears of gratitude streaming down her face.
Seeing this scene, Tie Mu's eyes flickered. Then, as if realizing something, she blurted out, "Zhang Xiaomei, you haven't already hooked up with that mute, have you!" Looking at the mute man's posture, didn't it resemble a lover protecting his beloved?
"You're talking nonsense! We haven't!" Zhang Xiaomei didn't want to bear such a stigma. Their relationship was consensual.
"If not, why won't you come back with me?"
"I have no relationship with your family anymore. I am no longer Tie Jia's daughter-in-law. You can forget about taking me back."
"My in-laws, I apologize. It seems if I want Xiaomei to return, I'll have to use force. If she gets hurt, don't blame me." Tie Mu, impatient, exchanged a word with Yu Xiaohua and then tried to push the mute man aside. Because she was accustomed to heavy labor, she possessed considerable strength. Coupled with her sudden action, the mute man, caught off guard, was indeed pushed a considerable distance. With the mute man no longer blocking her, Tie Mu advanced, pinching and pulling, finally dragging Xiaomei to the entrance of the young educated youth dormitory.
"Ah..." Seeing Zhang Xiaomei about to be taken away, the mute man, disregarding his injuries, lunged forward desperately. But Tie Mu had anticipated this and grabbed a shoulder pole from the side of the door, striking the mute man to the ground.
"Let's go, come back to the Tie family with me." After dealing with the mute man, Tie Mu pulled Zhang Xiaomei and finally stepped out of the dormitory.
"No, I don't want to go back. Third brother, Third Brother, save me!" Zhang Xiaomei grabbed the wooden pillar at the large door and shouted for Zhang Liunian. The mute man inside the door heard this and, ignoring his injured body, stumbled out again. "Ah..." Let Xiaomei go, let her go. The mute man was heartbroken and rushed forward, trying to push Tie Mu away, but Tie Mu was fierce and kicked him.