Spoiled By the Young Master After Reborn In the 80s
Chapter 405: Four hundred and four, a midnight fright

Chapter 405: Four hundred and four, a midnight fright

Along the way, Luo Shu and her companions finally came to understand what’s meant by "meddlesome matchmakers and gossipy relatives."

"Juanjuan, are these all your classmates?" A girl clad in a floral blouse and black cotton pants ran over, eyeing Luo Shu and her group with envy. Their clothes were so pretty; she longed to own a piece like that, too.

"Mmhm!" Meng Yujuan nodded with a faint smile. She didn’t have any intention of introducing Luo Shu and her group to the girl. Meng Xiaohua used to bully her when she was less attractive.

Meng Xiaohua didn’t seem to mind; she followed along with Meng Yujuan’s group, "Are you all studying at Jinchen University?" The last time Meng Yujuan came home for the New Year, the village chief asked her to take two girls from the village with her to Jinchen. It was said they were doing quite well now.

If she could only get on good terms with these city girls, maybe they would take her to Jinchen, too. Then she could live the life of a city person and even find herself a city lad, just like Meng Yujuan.

"Yep!" The others weren’t keen on speaking with Meng Xiaohua. When they saw her, that look of greed in her eyes was off-putting.

"Is Jinchen pretty? Are there cars all over the streets?" Meng Xiaohua, seemingly oblivious to everyone’s chilly demeanor, kept trying to ingratiate herself with the group.

"Meng Xiaohua, you should go back home; my place is too small to accommodate so many people," Meng Yujuan said, trying to send her away. Meng Xiaohua has always been vain, two-faced, which Meng Yujuan found quite dislikeable.

"Yujuan, your house has so many guests; your aunt and the others must be really busy. I can come over and help out," Meng Xiaohua said with a smile. She wouldn’t miss the opportunity to meet these city folk.

"We already have people helping out at home," Meng Yujuan said bluntly. She simply couldn’t stand Meng Xiaohua; that’s why she had refused when the village chief asked her to take Meng Xiaohua to Jinchen. Why would she want to burden herself with Meng Xiaohua?

"I’ll go have a look, and if you really don’t need any help, I’ll go back home," Meng Xiaohua said and then dashed into the yard.

Meng Yujuan frowned and led the group into the house.

Li Hui was enjoying tea with Meng Yujuan’s father and Big Uncle, and when he saw Meng Yujuan’s group come in, he greeted the elders with a smile and stood up to meet them.

"You all came!" Li Hui greeted them with a smile.

"Li Hui, congratulations!"

"To land someone as good as our Yujuan, you’re one lucky guy."

"You’d better treat our Yujuan well, or we won’t stand for it," the group teased with laughter. They were already familiar with Li Hui, so there was no need for reserve in their speech.

"Of course," Li Hui said, nodding with a smile. The more time he spent with Yujuan, the more he appreciated her goodness.

"You all must be Juan’s friends, right? Come inside and take a seat," Meng Yujuan’s father and Big Uncle came out and warmly invited everyone in with a smile.

"Thank you, Uncle!" everyone thanked him and followed Meng Yujuan and Li Hui into the house.

The house was already set with stools, benches, and square stools.

"Please take a seat! Take a seat!" Meng Yujuan’s father said with an honest smile. He had never imagined his daughter could have a day like this; not only did she go to Jinchen University to study, but she also found a city boy and made so many city friends.

Just as everyone had settled down, Meng Yujuan’s mother, Big Aunt, and the third auntie came in with bowls of sweet soup, "Thank you for looking after Juanjuan. Here in the countryside, we don’t have much to offer to welcome you all, so please don’t mind."

In this place, sweet soup was already considered the best they could offer to guests.

"Aunt, you’re too kind! This sweet soup is really delicious," they responded.

"I like drinking it too." Everyone had already mentally prepared themselves before coming here, and when they befriended Meng Yujuan, it was her heart they connected with, not her family background. So no matter what Meng Yujuan’s family served them, they would never look down on it.

Upon hearing everyone’s words, Meng Yujuan’s family felt relieved and put their minds at ease. They had heard that girls from the city were delicate and had been worried that they might disdain them and not associate with Juanjuan.

"Yujuan, this is the gift I prepared for you. It’s said that wearing red is festive for an engagement." Zhang Qi took out a red dress from her luggage, smiling as she handed it to Meng Yujuan.

"I’m a bit more old-fashioned; I’ve prepared a red envelope," Xiao Yan said, producing a red envelope she had already prepared.

"I did the same." The other people also took out their red envelopes and handed them to Meng Yujuan.

"You’ve all come from so far, and that’s already been a lot of trouble. How could I accept your red envelopes and gifts? No way! Please take them back," Meng Yujuan quickly refused, shaking her hands.

"What, do you not consider us as friends?" Zhang Qi asked with a straight face.

"Of course, I consider you my friends," Meng Yujuan quickly replied. Becoming friends with them was the luckiest thing in her life.

"If you consider us friends, then keep it. If you don’t, we’ll be upset."

"Exactly!"

"Alright! Thank you, all!" Meng Yujuan said with a grateful smile, her eyes slightly reddening.

"Enough with the politeness! Just take it," the people said, stuffing the gifts and red envelopes into Meng Yujuan’s hands.

Meng Xiaohua looked at the scene unfolding in the room, her face full of envy. Meng Yujuan’s friends were so generous; she wished she could become friends with them too.

The engagement was scheduled for noon the next day, and under the arrangements of Meng’s family, Luo Shu and his group stayed at the Meng residence. Fortunately, it was summer, and sleeping on mats laid on the ground was enough.

The Summer Breeze gently blew in through the open windows, the chirping of crickets and the calls of frogs from the distant rice fields were especially clear in the silent black night, like a beautiful symphony, lulling one unknowingly into slumber.

"Ahh!" Suddenly, a dreadful cry from afar shattered the moment of peace!

In no time, lights were switched on in every home.

Doors were opened one after another, and every villager who rushed out held tools used for tilling the soil in their hands.

"Has the monster come out to eat people again?"

"Whose child got into trouble this time? Let’s hurry and take a look."

Luo Shu and his group, hearing the commotion, walked out of the house to see Meng Yujuan’s father and big brother, both holding hoes, running towards the open square outside.

"What happened?" everyone asked, turning toward Meng Yujuan, who had a trace of fear on her face.

Meng Yujuan collected herself before saying, "Recently, a monster that specifically eats children has appeared in the village; several kids have already been eaten."

"A monster?" Everyone looked at Meng Yujuan in shock. This was the first time they had heard of such a thing.