Kang Rong felt a little embarrassed and turned his head to look at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng was looking at him too.
Their eyes met, and both of their faces flushed red.
That night, Lin Feng’s three sons moved into the eastern room to sleep with their grandmother.
Kang Rong moved into the western room, onto Lin Feng’s heated brick bed.
Nineteen-year-old Kang Rong was like a knight riding through the darkness, passionately embracing Lin Feng.
It was his first experience of such intimacy, and he found himself enjoying it.
Lin Feng had been married before and knew exactly what to do. She was also very attentive.
By the time they had finished three times, it was already well past midnight.
The next morning, both of them woke up late.
Lin Feng’s face was flushed with embarrassment. She was too ashamed to face her parents-in-law and the three children, so she quickly washed her hands and began preparing breakfast.
She was standing with her head lowered, busying herself over the cooking pot, when she heard the black dog in the courtyard barking furiously.
Someone unfamiliar had entered the yard.
Kang Rong, who had been crouching beside the stove tending the fire, hurriedly stood up and went outside.
When he saw that the visitors were Xiao’an and Huang Guixia, his heart jolted.
He quickly called off the dog.
“Auntie Huang, Xiao’an, what are you doing here?”
As he spoke, he looked toward Xiao’an. His eyes flickered several times, and there was an unnatural note in his voice.
“Come inside.”
When Lin Feng saw that Xiao’an was the visitor, the blush on her face instantly disappeared, leaving her as pale as fresh snow.
She glanced at Xiao’an, then at Kang Rong, and her heart began pounding.
Kang Rong’s heart was beating even faster.
He had a terrible feeling about this, and it left him somewhat flustered.
Once they entered the house, Huang Guixia got straight to the point.
“I came here with Xiao’an to break off the engagement.”
Kang Rong’s mother was so shocked that she shuddered.
“Break off the engagement? Why? Everything was going perfectly well!”
Huang Guixia said,
“I heard Kang Rong is going to marry into both households? Sister-in-law Kang, don’t take this the wrong way, but marrying into two households is something wealthy families can afford to do.
“Kang Rong is a hunter. He simply doesn’t have the means to support two households.”
Kang Rong’s mother immediately became displeased. Her expression darkened as she turned directly to Xiao’an.
“You were the one who told this to Matchmaker Huang, weren’t you?”
Xiao’an openly admitted it.
“Yes, I told her.”
Then she asked,
“I want to break off the engagement. Auntie Huang asked me why, and I didn’t want to hide anything, so I told her.
“Kang Rong can do it, but am I not allowed to say anything about it?”
Kang Rong’s mother asked,
“You’re breaking off the engagement because Kang Rong is marrying into both households?”
“That’s only half the reason,” Xiao’an replied.
“The other half is that I don’t think Kang Rong and I are suitable for each other anymore.
“A lifetime is a long time. If two people aren’t suitable, they shouldn’t force themselves to stay together. That’s why I came to end the engagement.”
The anger in Kang Rong’s mother’s eyes was like two sharp awls piercing directly toward Xiao’an.
“So according to you, Lin Feng and her three children can starve and freeze to death, and Kang Rong isn’t allowed to take care of them?”
Before Xiao’an could respond, Huang Guixia jumped in.
“What kind of thing are you saying, Sister-in-law Kang? Xiao’an never said Kang Rong wasn’t allowed to take care of them.
“These are famine years, and life is difficult. Xiao’an simply doesn’t want to marry a man who has to support two households. She’s ending the engagement because she wants to make arrangements for her own future. What’s wrong with that?
“Isn’t the reason you want Kang Rong to marry into both households also because you’re thinking about Lin Feng and the children’s future?
“To be honest, Kang Rong doesn’t actually need to marry into two households. Why doesn’t he simply marry Lin Feng?
“He can raise his elder brother’s wife and children, and he and Lin Feng can have children of their own. One husband, one wife, one family. Nobody would object to that. In fact, people might even praise him for being responsible.
“There’s no need to drag Xiao’an into this when she doesn’t want to be involved.
“No one is wrong here, so stop blaming one another.
“If you really feel that Kang Rong owes his elder brother’s family something and insist on finding him an unmarried young woman, then find one who doesn’t mind him supporting two households.
“Xiao’an minds. That’s why she came to end the engagement.
“Everyone has the right to choose how they live. Other people can’t interfere with that.”
After saying this, Huang Guixia took two taels of silver from her clothes—the money Xiao’an had given her on the way there.
“This is the betrothal gift. Xiao’an is returning it.”
Kang Rong’s face turned deathly pale.
He walked over until he stood in front of Xiao’an, his eyes red.
“Xiao’an, we’ve known each other for so many years. We’ve been engaged for more than two years. We understand each other, and we care about each other.
“I already decided long ago that you were the woman I wanted. I don’t agree to breaking off the engagement. I told you that once you married into our family—”
Xiao’an interrupted him.
“The things you said may seem perfectly reasonable to you, but I absolutely cannot accept them.”
“Xiao’an.”
Lin Feng suddenly spoke up.
She called Xiao’an’s name and slowly walked over.
“If—if you had come yesterday and I had understood what you were thinking, I definitely wouldn’t have agreed to Kang Rong marrying into both households.
“Why did you only come today? What am I supposed to do now?”
As she spoke, tears began streaming down her face.
She looked as though she were about to collapse and gently leaned against Kang Rong.
Although Lin Feng was illiterate, she was far from simple-minded.
With those words and that body language, she was clearly telling Xiao’an that she had already become Kang Rong’s woman the previous night.
Yet she deliberately placed the blame on Xiao’an, accusing her of coming too late.
The deed was already done, and no one could change the outcome now.
She wanted to provoke Xiao’an.
As long as Xiao’an became angry, there would be no room left for the engagement to be salvaged.
Xiao’an laughed.
“Lin Feng, stop acting.”
She then said something that left everyone in the room completely bewildered.
“I’ve watched way too many palace-intrigue dramas. Your acting is far too clumsy. I know exactly what you’re thinking.
“But I have no intention of making things difficult for you. Just stand to the side.”
Kang Rong felt sorry for Lin Feng. He took her hand and comforted her gently.
“Xiao’an is young. She’s just saying things out of anger. You’re the sensible one, so don’t take what Xiao’an says to heart.”
Huang Guixia was a matchmaker and was highly skilled at reading people and understanding their thoughts.
From Lin Feng’s words alone, she had already understood what had happened.
The deed between Lin Feng and Kang Rong was already done.
Lin Feng was no longer merely Kang Rong’s sister-in-law.
“All right, enough,” Huang Guixia said.
“The betrothal gift has already been returned. Give Xiao’an the marriage contract, and this matter will be settled.
“Later, if you take a liking to another girl, you can go to her family and ask for her hand. Kang Rong can marry into both households then. It won’t be too late.”
Kang Rong’s parents exchanged a glance.
From Xiao’an’s attitude, they understood that there was no possibility of changing her mind.
But Kang Rong continued to resist.
“No! I don’t agree to breaking off the engagement!”
Xiao’an sneered.
“Kang Rong, yesterday’s peach branch didn’t hurt enough, did it?
“Do you want a few more hits?”
Xiao’an deliberately said this because she wanted the engagement to be ended as quickly as possible.
When Kang Rong had returned home the previous day, his mother had asked about the cuts on his face and around his mouth.
Kang Rong had lied and said that he had accidentally fallen in the mountains and been scratched by a tree branch.
Only now did his family discover that Xiao’an had actually struck him with the branch.
Kang Rong’s mother immediately became furious.
“You haven’t even married into our family yet, and you already dare to hit a man?
“A girl like this isn’t worth keeping in our Kang family.”
With that, she picked up the two taels of silver from the heated brick bed and placed them inside the cabinet.
Then she reached deeper into the cabinet, pulled out the marriage contract, and tossed it to Huang Guixia.
Huang Guixia picked it up, carefully read it, and then handed it to Xiao’an.
Xiao’an read it carefully as well.
After confirming that it was indeed the marriage contract, she tightly gripped it in her hand.
“It’s settled. Let’s go.”
Huang Guixia stood up, and the two women headed outside.
“Xiao’an.”
Kang Rong’s voice was filled with grief and resentment.
“You’re so heartless.”
Xiao’an turned around and looked at him.
“Don’t put on this act. Just go and be a good groom.”
The journey from Kang Rong’s home to Linshi Village wasn’t far. Before they even broke a sweat, the two women had already reached the village.
“Auntie Huang, thank you for helping me today. I’ll remember your kindness. If I ever get the chance, I’ll repay you.”
Huang Guixia looked at Xiao’an with deep sympathy in her eyes.
“Xiao’an, don’t say things like that.
“From now on, I’ll keep an eye out for you. No matter how difficult it is, I’ll find a good match for you.”
Xiao’an smiled and watched as Huang Guixia returned home.
Xiao’an hesitated where she stood.
She had sold her house, but now she had no idea where to go.
According to the original owner’s memories, there was a bamboo house halfway up the eastern mountain.
The original owner’s family had two mu of farmland at the foot of the mountain. The year before last, they had planted melons there, so her grandfather had built the bamboo house so he could stay there and watch over the crops.
Xiao’an decided to go there temporarily.
At least she would have somewhere to stay while she figured out how to make money.
She looked up at the blue sky and white clouds and smiled as she said to herself,
“Everything will get better.”