Chapter 871

With his hands clasped behind his back, Hans bellowed with a forceful intensity, striving to salvage his

reputation.

His intent was to turn Millie into a laughingstock within the town. Moreover, rural communities tended to

be lenient with boys and strict with girls.

In the countryside, gossip could be a lethal weapon. Once, in this very town, a girl who was found

exiting a widower’s room was branded as indecent. Young and unable to withstand the crushing weight

of the rumors, she tragically took her own life not long after.

Hans aimed to besmirch Millie’s reputation, tarnishing her family’s standing before her grandmother’s

return and ensuring their ostracism.

Millie, however, responded with a scornful laugh, deciding to withhold any effort to save his face.

“Then, I sincerely wish you a swift discovery of a suitable daughter-in- law. However, most men around

Roland’s age in this town are already married with children who can toddle about. Why is Roland

without a girlfriend? Didn*t you boast of your annual earnings amounting to hundreds of thousands?

Why would these young women opt for ordinary families over yours? By the way, I’ve heard whispers

that when your wife struggled to conceive, you visited the andrology department for a check-up, after

which she miraculously became pregnant. One wonders if your ailment might have a hereditary

inclination.”

Hans simmered with rage, his impulse urging him to deliver a slap to Millie, Discussing such topics was

taboo among men, and he hadn’t anticipated Millie’s audacity to publicly insinuate his son’s

inadequacy.

Deep within, Millie harbored a sense of remorse towards Roland. She had been driven mad by his

father’s provocation.

Hans shot Millie an incensed glare, playing his ultimate card.

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“Yet the verdict remains unknown. Millie, the town’s premier student and its crowning jewel, weds an

indigent youth with nothing to his name. As the adage goes, men fear selecting the wrong occupation,

while women dread marrying the wrong man. You’ve become quite the disappointment, Millie.”

A shockwave rippled through the crowd.

“Millie’s married? And to a penniless lad?”

“What a pity! She’s both striking and well-educated. Even the fat girl in town secured a more desirable

husband. It seems she truly lacks wit.” Hans continued his onslaught.

“Her husband hails from destitution. Behold, everyone in town owns a car. How did Millie return, you

ask? She arrived in a shabby minibus. The couple can’t even afford a modest car. What a spectacle.”

Married to a poor lad? Millie’s eyes narrowed, perplexed by Hans * assumption.

Scanning her surroundings, Millie caught sight of Laurel.

Laurel undoubtedly knew Millie had married into the Thomas family, yet here she stood, arms folded,

relishing the spectacle.

It must have been Laurel who divulged the falsehood that Millie married a poor boy.

In truth, Millie deemed marrying a less affluent individual inconsequential. Poverty wasn’t inherently

dreadful; it was a lack of ambition that posed the true concern.

However, in this antiquated rural setting, society would undoubtedly brand her as unintelligent, aligning

perfectly with Hans’ intentions.

As Millie maintained her silence, Hans presumed his victory and basked in self-satis faction.

Indeed, Millie was busy formulating her retort.

“Ha ha, look at you, Millie. Once a celebrated top student in town, your former female classmates, who

lagged behind you academically, have now surged ahead. Many of them merely completed high school

and resigned themselves to domestic life. Yet today, they’ve outpaced you. I’ve heard whispers that

your spouse isn’t exactly handsome.”

Just as Hans reveled in his perceived victory, a voice rang out from the crowd, disrupting the narrative.