This wasn't just a job opportunity; it was a chance to get their household registration moved to the city. Having someone in the family on the state payroll was a matter of great prestige in this region. As the village accountant, the eldest son should have been the one to get this opportunity, but it was falling to Tian Lao'er.
Tian Jing turned her face away, refusing to speak to the fool. She was certain Tian Ping's stupidity was inherited.
"You idiot, no wonder you could raise such a stupid daughter."
Old Man Tian pointed his finger at his second son, scolding him. Then he pointed at his granddaughter outside, who was rubbing her knee. "Using it for ourselves would be like being caught red-handed with stolen goods. If we sell it, the evidence disappears."
Tian Lao'er pointed at Lu Jianjun. "Isn't the owner right here?"
Old Man Tian desperately wanted to throw his pipe at his second son. A perfectly good intimidation tactic had been ruined by him. Lu Jianjun hadn't said a word, and they had already exposed themselves.
Tian Jing: "...A pig of a teammate. Even watching this drama is exhausting."
Old Man Tian slammed his hand on the table, making a decision. "Hold a wedding, sell the job, transfer this person's registration to the village, and keep him in Zhonghe Brigade forever."
Wasn't it just a city household registration?
He had initially hoped for a city grandson-in-law to save face. Since Lu Jianjun had no intention of taking Pingping to the city, he could stay. Pingping's reputation was ruined; they should get married quickly. Anyway, they could earn work points by farming. Together, they could make a living.
Ruthless! Tian Jing silently gave Old Man Tian a thumbs-up. In those days, city registrations were highly sought after. Even without a job, one received a fixed quota of grain coupons. But no one wanted to transfer their registration to the countryside.
Lu Jianjun's expression finally changed. "Old Man Tian, you can't do this."
This time, Old Man Tian seized the initiative. "If you're not cooperative, I will naturally find the method most beneficial to myself to resolve this matter."
"I really didn't see the jar, how can I cooperate?"
"Hmph," Old Man Tian snorted heavily, putting that topic aside for now. The question of whether Lu Jianjun actually had the jar was still unknown. "What about your engagement to Pingping then?"
Lu Jianjun pursed his lips and remained silent.
Tian Ping, who had been rubbing her knee, saw Lu Jianjun's silence. Disregarding her pain, she ran into the main hall. "Brother Lu~"
"Young Educated Youth Lu, I don't have much patience," Old Man Tian's face turned cold. "If the jar is gone and you refuse to marry Pingping, I will have to recoup my losses from elsewhere. Several hundred yuan is not a small sum; a farmer might not save that much in a lifetime."
Lu Jianjun knew marriage was unavoidable. He gritted his teeth and agreed, "I agree to the marriage, but I need to go back to the city and secure my job first."
"Impossible," Old Man Tian refused. "Hold the banquet today, and Tian Ping will return to the city with you tomorrow."
"Alright."
Lu Jianjun agreed readily. Old Man Tian looked at him in confusion. After a night of turmoil, why was he agreeing so easily now?
"Grandpa," Tian Jing chimed in again, "The wedding isn't important; getting the marriage certificate is."
Lu Jianjun glared at Tian Jing. This damned girl was trying to harm him again. "Your Tian family just wants a son-in-law from the city, right? We can get the marriage certificate, but it must be with this Tian family daughter."
Lu Jianjun pointed at Tian Jing. Whether it worked or not was secondary; he wanted revenge on this woman who kept causing trouble. It would not only disgust the Tian family but also create a rift between the Tian sisters.
The quickest to react was naturally Tian Ping. She darted to Tian Jing's side in two steps and raised her hand to slap her. "You bitch, you're everywhere."
How dare she try to snatch her Brother Lu? She would scratch her face.
Tian Jing grabbed the incoming claw – were they claws? All five fingers were bent, clearly aimed at scratching her face.
With a forceful shove, she pushed Tian Ping to the ground. Tian Jing sneered, "Idiot, no wonder you blurted out family secrets that shouldn't be told to outsiders? You pig."
"You bitch, how dare you curse me? You..." Tian Ping sat down hard on the ground, hurting her tailbone. Her mind was filled with wanting to make Tian Jing pay.
"Shut up!" Old Man Tian slammed his pipe on the table and glared ferociously at Tian Ping on the floor. "If you want to die, I'll make it happen. You eloped with a man, which has serious repercussions. To avoid implicating the whole family, I'll ruthlessly disown you and send you and Young Educated Youth Lu to prison together."
"Grandpa." Tian Ping, seeing the ruthlessness in Old Man Tian's eyes, shivered. She came to her senses. She, she almost revealed Tian Jing's identity just now.
Seeing Tian Ping subdued by Old Man Tian, Tian Jing looked at the regret on Lu Jianjun's face and smiled faintly. "Young Educated Youth Lu, do you know that if I go to the commune's Women's Director and report this, your marriage for trade will be confirmed as a crime? Believe it or not? Director Qi should be interested in this case."
"Furthermore, you are an educated youth sent here for re-education by poor and lower-middle peasants. Instead of dedicating your efforts to the land of the countryside, you first seduced Tian Ping, then used money to buy a ticket back to the city, and now you're using your city arrogance to pick your marriage partner. On what grounds do you do this?"
"Tian family daughter, hehe, what a phrase to use. Do you think you're an emperor choosing a concubine? All the crimes you've committed add up to enough for you to eat peanuts. How ignorant."
Lu Jianjun also snapped back to reality. In his anger at Tian Jing, he had spoken without restraint. If this matter were truly blown open, he would have to be buried with the Tian family.
Old Man Tian turned his gaze to Tian Jing. This girl knew quite a lot.
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow at Old Man Tian. "You should be considering whether Tian Ping can outsmart this Young Educated Youth Lu. Before marriage, she already revealed family secrets to Lu Jianjun. After marriage, she'll think she's part of the family and tell him everything. Then he'll 'ruthlessly disown' you, hehe, and your ten-plus Tian family members will become his stepping stones."
This is boring. She had expected a different outcome from the original host's past life. Tian Jing turned and left crisply, leaving the main hall quiet for a moment.
Old Man Tian pondered Tian Jing's words and found them entirely plausible. If he hadn't stopped her just now, Pingping would have revealed Jing'er's identity. It seemed marrying Lu Jianjun was no longer an option. Therefore, they could only seize the greatest benefit.
Tian Ping and Lu Jianjun watched Old Man Tian nervously. Seeing his expression change and finally settle into a calm decisiveness, they both anxiously awaited his judgment.
"Pingping, you go back to your room first." Old Man Tian wanted to remove his troublesome and clumsy granddaughter.
"Grandpa~" Tian Ping wanted to stay. Her happiness had to be fought for by herself.
"You still know I'm your grandfather?" Old Man Tian said sarcastically. He turned to his second son and his wife. "You two drag her back. If she dares to argue, tie her up and throw her in the woodshed."
Old Man Tian had lost his patience. The item was lost, the marriage couldn't happen, so they had to find another way. Having someone who was a burden would prevent them from taking the initiative.
Tian Lao'er, whose daughter had caused him to be unable to witness the scene, acted with great force. Together with his wife, they dragged their daughter back to the room.