Shen Qiao looked at Auntie Liu in confusion. Just as she was about to ask what exactly Auntie Liu was congratulating her for, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in her mind:
[Ding! Randomly triggering the first mission: Slap Auntie Liu twice to earn two mission points. Accept or reject?]
Shen Qiao was startled by the sudden voice. She hadn’t gotten used to sounds popping into her head out of nowhere, let alone hearing such a wild task.
“Xiao Mo, are you sure this is a mission and not a trap?”
“Of course it’s a mission. Accept or—”
“We don’t have any enmity.”
“If we don’t have a grudge, why are you setting me up right off the bat?”
“I’m not setting you up.”
“Not setting me up? The very first thing you ask is for me to slap someone across the face!”
“Stop dallying. I’m just asking whether you accept or reject. Let me warn you in advance, there’s no telling when the next mission will trigger. With your terrible luck, it’s uncertain if you’ll even live long enough to see the next one. Think carefully before you answer.”
Shen Qiao was rendered speechless by Xiao Mo’s sharp tongue.
While she was still debating whether to accept the mission, she heard Auntie Liu speak up again: “You’re sixteen this year. By all rights, a girl your age should have been arranged to marry long ago. Although my maternal nephew is a bit older than you, older men know how to cherish a woman, wouldn’t you say?”
After saying that, Auntie Liu sized up the house and continued, “When the time comes, you can give this house to my nephew’s eldest son. You can stay home, attend to your parents-in-law, do the laundry, and cook. What a wonderful life that would be.”
It took Shen Qiao a moment to remember who Auntie Liu’s nephew was. Auntie Liu’s maiden family was also from Qingshan Village. Her nephew was a complete rascal—a bully who shrank before the strong and picked on the weak. Everyone in the village called him Scoundrel Liu. He had a vile temper and beat his wives.
Auntie Liu’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Li—who was Scoundrel Liu’s mother—was equally cruel. When his first wife gave birth, Mrs. Li refused to hire a midwife. The child survived, but the mother passed away. His second wife lived with Scoundrel Liu for ten years before she finally drowned herself in a river, unable to endure his violence and her mother-in-law’s cruelty any longer.
Not a single family in the neighboring villages was willing to marry their daughter to him. Ever since his second wife died, he had remained a bachelor.
Shen Qiao had no idea why Auntie Liu had suddenly targeted her, but it didn’t matter. She feigned ignorance and asked, “Auntie Liu, is the nephew you’re referring to Scoundrel Liu from the village?”
Auntie Liu said unhappily, “What’s with calling him Scoundrel Liu? That sounds so awful. My nephew’s name is Liu Youfu—’Youfu’ means blessed! Just hearing his name tells you he’s a man of great fortune. Once you marry him, you’ll just be sitting back and enjoying your blessings.”
Now that she was certain it was Scoundrel Liu, Shen Qiao decided to take the mission. She immediately communicated with Xiao Mo and accepted it.
Looking at Auntie Liu, Shen Qiao said in a low voice, “Auntie Liu, I heard Scoundrel Liu is already in his thirties. On top of that, it seems two of his wives have died, and he has two sons. His eldest son should be old enough to take a wife himself by now, right?”
Auntie Liu’s face filled with disdain, and she curled her lips into a scoff. “That’s because his first two wives were cursed with thin luck and couldn’t bear my Youfu’s great fortune! Besides, with your reputation for bringing misfortune to your relatives, who else would dare to marry you? Only my nephew, with his deep blessings and good fortune, dares to take you in. Any ordinary man would run from you as fast as he could!”
As Auntie Liu babbled on, Shen Qiao suddenly gestured a “shh” at her, then slowly began walking toward her.
Taken aback by the sudden gesture, Auntie Liu stood frozen in place, unsure of what was happening. She didn’t dare move or speak another word, staring blankly as Shen Qiao closed the distance step by step.
Shen Qiao walked up softly in front of Auntie Liu. Without warning, she raised both hands and delivered a slap to each side of Auntie Liu’s face. After finishing, she calmly inspected her palms.
Right on queue, the mechanical voice sounded in her mind:
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. You have earned two points.]
Auntie Liu clutched her burning cheeks, stunned for a brief moment before realization struck. Furious, she roared at Shen Qiao, “Shen Qiao, you little bitch! How dare you strike me?!”
Shen Qiao looked up, her eyes completely clear and innocent. “Auntie, what are you talking about? How could I possibly hit you? Just now, I saw a mosquito on your face, so I was swiping it away for you.”
Auntie Liu reflexively touched her cheek, remembering that she was indeed prone to mosquito bites. Half-believing and half-doubting, she said, “Really just swatting a mosquito? Are there mosquitoes out this early?”
Adopting the original owner’s soft demeanor, Shen Qiao said, “Auntie Liu, don’t you know me by now? I’ve been in our village for several years. When have I ever raised my voice at anyone, let alone hit someone?”
Thinking it over, Auntie Liu realized she was right. If it weren’t for Shen Qiao’s soft, easily manipulated nature and her hardworking attitude, Auntie Liu would never have tried to match her with her nephew in the first place. At this thought, most of the anger in her chest dissipated, and she actually believed it.
After regaining her composure, Auntie Liu resumed her earnest preaching, her tone carrying a condescending pity. “Shen Qiao, you’re just a young girl, and your household has no farmland. Once the autumn harvest is over, it’ll be time to collect the poll tax. You have no source of income—how are you going to pay it? A woman ultimately has to rely on a man. Only by getting married can you survive.”
This lecture made the hungry Shen Qiao feel thoroughly annoyed. She interrupted Auntie Liu: “Auntie Liu, whether I can afford the tax or not is my own affair. There’s no need for you to worry yourself over it.”
“You ungrateful girl!” Auntie Liu’s face darkened, her tone turning venomous. “My nephew only wanted to take care of you because he pitied your solitary, helpless state. Don’t be so ungrateful!”
As she spoke, she scanned Shen Qiao up and down. “A ruined girl like you, who also brings bad luck to her kin… only my nephew is kind-hearted enough not to mind and willing to take you in.”
Shen Qiao’s eyes grew cold, her words becoming direct and sharp. “Enough, Auntie Liu. Everyone knows your nephew is a good-for-nothing loafer. Even if I, Shen Qiao, never marry for the rest of my life, I will never marry your nephew. Now get out!”
“You dare tell me to get out?!” Auntie Liu tore off her friendly mask instantly. Resting her hands on her hips, she cursed, “You little hussy! You look like a scheming enchantress. You act honest on regular days, yet you dare embrace a man in broad daylight! You shameless thing, how dare you look down on my nephew?!”
Dealing with such a crazy woman first thing in the morning—and without having eaten breakfast yet—Shen Qiao was so hungry her heart felt weak, completely draining her patience.
“Auntie Liu, you know full well what scheme you’re pulling here. Save your fake goodwill.”
Auntie Liu’s eyes flickered with guilt, but she forced a brave front and argued back, “What scheme could I possibly have?! Don’t you dare slander a good person out of thin air!”
“Coming to my door to scheme for my house, coaxing me to marry Scoundrel Liu, and trying to hand my house over to your grand-nephew… Do you dare call the neighbors over right now to let them judge who is right?”
Auntie Liu raised her voice immediately to deny it: “When did I ever say I was seizing your house?!”
“Didn’t you just say that I should give the house to your grand-nephew?”
Auntie Liu spoke with righteous indignation, taking it entirely for granted: “How can you call that seizing it? Once you marry into our Liu family, we’re all one household! What’s yours belongs to my nephew. His son living in his own house is only natural and right!”
Shen Qiao found it utterly absurd, her eyes glinting with ice. “My house is the dowry left to me by my parents. Since ancient times, a woman’s dowry belongs to herself. There has never been a rule that a dowry belongs entirely to the husband’s family.”
Unwilling to waste another word on the selfish and tyrannical woman, she stepped forward, pushed Auntie Liu out the courtyard gate, and slammed it shut behind her, completely blocking out the noise outside.