These past years, Yu Tingwan was afraid of being swept out the door, worked hard without complaint, even when wronged she swallowed it into her stomach, never shouted like this.
Wang-shi was used to seeing her being low and small, now her fire rose “ceng ceng ceng” upward:
“Not a single true word in your mouth, really learned some skills now. Do you want me to serve you too!”
Yu Tingwan pondered: “That’s fine too.”
Wang-shi was so angry her whole body trembled, turned her head to Aunt Wu at the side to pour bitterness:
“Outside they’re all saying I torment this niece all day to death. But Auntie, look at her conduct, stepping on the nose to climb the face! Even the lightest tasks she refuses to do.”
“Don’t know which beast spread it, ruining my reputation!”
Aunt Wu lived next door, how could she not know the Hu family’s messy affairs. If not for Hu Dazhu protecting this niece, how could Yu Tingwan still be alive now?
This Wang-shi, she simply cannot tolerate others!
When Hu Dazhu was not home, she tormented the niece to death!
As for the Hu family’s affairs, she didn’t want to get involved, so she quickly dodged the matter and hurried off.
Yu Tingwan feared the cold, gathered close the patched-up, tattered, unbearable cotton-padded coat:
“Hu family gave me a place to stay, just like Aunt said, this life of mine should be repaid by being an ox or a horse.”
Little Xu-shi had just composed her mood and stepped out, meeting Yu Tingwan’s soft gentle gaze, she had a bad premonition.
“But Sister-in-law pities me, afraid my body can’t hold on, insisted on doing the work for me.”
Little Xu-shi: ?
Wang-shi twisted her brows: “How can that be?”
What’s in Xu-shi’s belly is her golden grandson!
Yu Tingwan: “Sister-in-law relies on being pregnant to act arrogant and provoke me all day, she also said she will self-reflect.”
Little Xu-shi: ???
Does she dare say Yu Tingwan is speaking nonsense?
No, she doesn’t dare.
She smiled stiffly: “Yes, it’s my fault.”
This daughter-in-law of hers is an expert in being slippery and scheming, Wang-shi was astonished:
“This… shouldn’t be.”
“Aunt, those words of yours.”
Yu Tingwan lightly laughed: “Isn’t it allowed, for Sister-in-law to be sensible for once?”
In the countryside, the walls were built from stone and yellow earth. The house she lived in was low and cramped, the old wooden window panels trembled wildly under the assault of cold wind.
Yu Tingwan returned to the room, the smile at her brow faded inch by inch.
Her head ached as if it would split. Once she closed her eyes, it was her miserable death that appeared.
Ever since she fell into water last year and hit her forehead, some scenes would appear unintentionally in her mind.
Fragmented and incomplete.
But all were things that would happen in the future, or things from the previous life that she had experienced.
Yu Tingwan slowly lowered her eyelids. Her whole body was cold, even her bones trembled.
The Hu family is no longer a place she can stay.
But where could she go?
Xilin Village was surrounded by mountains on all four sides, and the only passable road had also been sealed.
Even if she left the village, were there few cases of roaming bandits outside forcibly taking young women?
Why was it only after Uncle left that she remembered Aunt would harm her?
Panic couldn’t solve the problem. Yu Tingwan tried to stay calm, but her heart was left only with hollowness and endless confusion.
She didn’t know how much time had passed. After composing her emotions, she went to the corner, picked up the clothes she’d changed out of last night, and stepped out the door with them in her arms.
Little Xu-shi, full of complaints, was mixing chicken feed, casually glanced over, and didn’t want to speak.
But Yu Tingwan stood still in front of her, and in her gaze toward Xu-shi, there was now a hint of some unclear meaning.
Xu-shi felt chills from her stare: “What are you looking at!”
Yu Tingwan blinked, enunciating clearly: “Sister-in-law seems a bit unlucky today.”
Little Xu-shi: ???
You came over just to curse me?
Are you sick in the head!!
Why are you cursing me again?!
She was full of resentment, wishing she could scratch up Yu Tingwan’s face.
But just then, Wang-shi, sensing something wrong, came out in a fury:
“Which damn bastard broke the bowl?”
Yu Tingwan quickly replied: “It was Sister-in-law.”
Xu-shi’s breath caught.
She even staggered a bit, needing to be steadied by the one who caused it.
Yu Tingwan: “Why is Sister-in-law trembling?”
She didn’t forget to soothe the frightened woman: “Sister-in-law is with child now—so what if you broke a bowl? As long as you’re happy, even if you smash up the whole house, Aunt will still have to accept it.”
Wang-shi’s face darkened.
What kind of nonsense was this!
Bowls don’t cost money?
Did she, Wang-shi, really need to suck up to Xu-shi?
Little Xu-shi, afraid of Wang-shi blaming her, picked up the chicken feed and fled in panic to the backyard.
She couldn’t help cursing in anger: “That little wretch really has bad intentions—just don’t let her fall into my hands!”
“Before, she was at least obedient. Who knows what medicine she took these past few days.”
Pa-ji!—a flap of wings overhead, a bird flew past above her.
Xu-shi looked up, and something hit her mouth.
She raised her hand to touch—it touched bird poop.
Wang-shi came striding over, holding the thin bamboo switch used for hitting, about to deal with her.
“Such sin! You stupid thing…”
Little Xu-shi wiped the sticky mess at the corner of her mouth, face full of disgust. She couldn’t care about anything else anymore, trembling as she said:
“Mother! That little wretch’s been weird ever since she fell into the water!”
Every time she said she was unlucky, she’d really run into bad luck!!
Last time she said she was unlucky, she mysteriously broke out in densely packed red bumps, itching for half a month.
The time before that, when she said she was unlucky, Dalang got drunk and slapped her.
She was traumatized now!
The strange and sinister Yu Tingwan walked along the village path, not in a hurry to go down to the river to do the laundry.
She couldn’t leave, so she could only think of a way to stall Matchmaker Liu first.
Outside Matchmaker Liu’s house were two willow trees—very recognizable. She had a clever tongue, could talk the dead into being alive. People from all around, ten miles, eight villages, liked to seek her for matchmaking.
She wore heavy makeup, unlike the dried-up figures of rural women. She had a rare plumpness, and both her eyes and brows carried festive spring charm.
She was currently worried about not being able to give an explanation to Local Xiangshen Dong, when Wang-shi came knocking.
Xiangshen Dong was getting on in years, but was famously lustful. After outliving his original wife, he turned around and sought another one—specifically requesting someone pretty, and fresh-looking, who had never been married.
That made things difficult.
Pretty girls—those families couldn’t bear to have their daughters marry an old lecher and suffer.
As for the families willing to tie with the Dong family, Xiangshen Dong would nitpick—disliking that the girl wasn’t beautiful enough.
If it weren’t for the generous matchmaking payment from the Dong family, she would’ve already turned hostile.
But now—no need to struggle.
Yu Tingwan’s face, the old master gentry would definitely like!
Matchmaker Liu walked like the wind, wishing she could seal the deal early.
On the road to the Dong family, someone had already been waiting for a long time.
Under the light, the girl’s eyelashes were long and finely curled, her lips rosy and plump, her skin like white porcelain—translucent and delicate…
Such appearance made Matchmaker Liu’s eyes light up. She stepped forward quickly to size her up.
“Aiyou, isn’t this Wan-niang? You’re growing more and more lovely.”
Yu Tingwan looked steadily at her, then suddenly smiled.
“Auntie is here.”
“Really made me wait quite long.”
Matchmaker Liu paused slightly: “You were looking for me?”
She didn’t think too deeply: “Was it your aunt who told you to come pass on a message?”
“Auntie, are you still going to the Dong household?”
“Of course, I…”
Matchmaker Liu paused, startled: “How do you know I’m going to the Dong family?”
She probed: “Did your Aunt tell you?”
There was no emotion in Yu Tingwan’s eyes.
“Said what?”
“Said she nagged a thousand times and warned ten thousand times, only one condition—as long as someone is willing to give twenty taels as betrothal gift, whether they’re a person or a ghost, they can take me away?”
She spoke without leaving a shred of mercy: “Or should I say, she and you are birds of a feather, colluding together?”