Chapter 204

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the café as Mrs. Lin took a graceful sip of her black tea. She had deliberately chosen a Chanel suit for the occasion, her pearl earrings gleaming softly in the light.

"Excuse me, are you Mrs. Gu?"

A slightly nervous voice came from behind. Mrs. Lin turned to see a middle-aged woman in a plain cheongsam standing by the table, clutching a counterfeit Gucci handbag tightly.

"That would be me." Mrs. Lin gave a slight nod, her gaze sweeping over the other woman with subtle scrutiny.

Mrs. Gu sat down awkwardly, her fingers twisting together anxiously. "Our son has caused you trouble."

"Not at all." Mrs. Lin smiled faintly and pushed the menu toward her. "What would you like to drink?"

"J-just water is fine."

When the server brought two glasses of water, Mrs. Gu immediately gulped down a large mouthful, droplets trickling down her chin. Mrs. Lin frowned imperceptibly and handed her a napkin.

"I heard your daughter is pregnant?" Mrs. Lin cut straight to the point.

Mrs. Gu choked violently, coughing hard enough to draw glances from nearby patrons.

"Th-this…" Mrs. Gu's face flushed red. "The two of them truly love each other…"

Mrs. Lin stirred the sugar cube in her tea with deliberate slowness. "Getting pregnant at twenty seems rather early, don’t you think?"

"We’ll take responsibility!" Mrs. Gu suddenly raised her voice. "Dowry, house, car—we won’t skimp on anything!"

The café fell silent. Mrs. Lin’s fingers paused on the rim of her cup.

"Mrs. Gu," she said, her voice as light as if discussing the weather, "do you really think my daughter can be bought with money?"

Mrs. Gu’s face paled. She fumbled through her bag and pulled out a bulging red envelope. "This—this is just a small token of our sincerity…"

The envelope landed with a thud on the table, revealing a thick wad of cash inside.

Mrs. Lin’s expression turned icy. She rose slowly, looking down at the flustered woman across from her.

"It seems we have nothing more to discuss."

She turned to leave, but Mrs. Gu grabbed her sleeve in desperation.

"Please!" Mrs. Gu’s voice trembled with tears. "My son truly loves your daughter…"

Mrs. Lin glanced down at the wrinkled handprint on her sleeve, her eyes unreadable.

Just then, the café door burst open. Two young people rushed in, panting—

"Mom!"

"Auntie!"

Both mothers turned to see their children’s panicked faces.

"Mary, I heard a lady from the city visited Emily's house?" Aunt Wang from next door whispered conspiratorially. "She was dressed so elegantly, carrying a briefcase!"

Mary Stone's broom clattered to the ground. Her heart skipped a beat—had Emily's family finally come?

For years, Emily had been receiving packages from the city every month. Mary had always wondered about it, but now that the moment had arrived, she felt unexpectedly flustered.

"I should go see for myself." Mary dusted off her apron and hurried toward Emily's house.

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar. Taking a deep breath, Mary knocked lightly.

"Mary, the door's unlocked. Please come in."

As she stepped inside, Mary immediately noticed the refined woman sitting in the parlor. The resemblance between her and Emily was uncanny—they could have been carved from the same mold.

"Emily, who is this?" Margaret Johnson set down her teacup, her sharp gaze sweeping over Mary. A pang of bitterness twisted in her chest—her daughter called this woman "Mary," yet hadn't addressed her as "Mom" even once.

"This is my mother-in-law," Emily turned to Mary. "Mary, this is my mother."

"Mrs. Johnson! What a pleasure!" Mary greeted warmly, though her heart pounded nervously. Why did this woman's eyes feel like they could cut through steel?

Margaret forced a tight smile. "Hello."

The air turned icy.

Mary understood immediately—city folk looking down on country folk. The disdain was practically tangible.

"Mary, please sit." Emily offered a stool before turning to Mary. "Since Mom's visiting, I'll go prepare some meat—"

"No need for trouble," Mary waved her hands quickly. "I'll fetch some from home. We just butchered a pig."

She subtly motioned to David. "Sweetheart, come with Grandma to get the meat."

Once they left, the silence in the room became deafening.

"Is David in school?" Margaret finally broke the quiet.

"There's no kindergarten in the countryside," Emily replied calmly.

"Mommy teaches us!" Tommy suddenly piped up, his little face beaming with pride.

Margaret's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? What does Mommy teach you?"

"I can recite The Hundred Family Surnames!" Tommy puffed out his chest and began chanting in his childish voice, "Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang..."

Margaret listened, growing more astonished by the second. The boy's pronunciation was flawless—nothing like a rural child's. Since when had her daughter become such a skilled teacher?

She studied Emily discreetly. Six years had changed her youngest daughter beyond recognition. The spoiled, willful girl was gone, replaced by a composed and dignified woman.

"Mommy, I forgot the rest..." Tommy scratched his head, looking to his brother for help.

Margaret's heart churned. Her daughter had poured everything into these children, yet refused to even take the college entrance exam. Was she truly determined to stay in this village? Six years—surely any resentment should have faded by now.

Gazing at Emily's serene profile, Margaret suddenly felt like she was looking at a stranger.