1 – She was seen naked by that man
“You little wretch, why don’t you take a piss and look at yourself in the puddle—what makes you think you’re worthy of entering our Li family? Go home and dream on!”
“Alright, Taohua, don’t blame me for being heartless. Your family really isn’t a match for mine, but if you’re willing to be my concubine, I can consummate the marriage with you tonight!”
“Oh my, what’s going on here? Why is the Li family’s grain and oil shop so lively today?”
“Tsk tsk, you haven’t heard? Some country bumpkin girl came to force a marriage, and the Li family is kicking her out. Her father said that as long as they pay enough bride price, they can take the daughter away immediately. Everyone knows the Li family is notoriously stingy—how could they possibly fork over ten taels of silver? That’s why they’re fighting!”
“Oh dear, such a thing? If I were that girl, I’d have died of shame long ago. How can she still stand here showing her face in public?”
“Exactly, if it were me, I’d just find a rope and hang myself!”
“…………”
At the break of dawn, Taohua walked alone to the riverbank.
Recalling the scene from yesterday when her stepfather took her to the grain and oil shop in town to inquire about the marriage, she couldn’t help but feel disheartened.
Her marriage had been arranged by her biological father while he was still alive, with the old master of the Li family’s grain and oil shop.
But who would have thought that when the wedding day arrived, the Li family hadn’t sent anyone over.
Her stepfather went to town to inquire and only then learned that the old master of the Li family had passed away. Fearing that the Li family would deny the marriage agreement, he took Taohua to their doorstep to demand an explanation.
The Li family ran a grain and oil shop in town, while Taohua’s family were mere farmers—the difference between them was like that between clouds and mud.
As soon as they arrived, they were met with ridicule and insults from the Li family. That Li Gui was no good man either, shouting in public for Taohua to become his concubine and even pulling and tugging at her.
Taohua’s reputation was utterly ruined by Li Gui.
After returning, the villagers pointed fingers at her, and her stepfather even scolded her for lacking the means to keep a man, telling her to learn from the widow at the village entrance.
But that widow was someone everyone despised!!
She couldn’t accept it and argued back a few times, only to be met with more slaps.
When her stepfather hit and scolded her, her mother didn’t dare say a word.
Taohua felt that life was truly meaningless, so she chose to jump into the river.
But she couldn’t bear to get her cotton-padded jacket wet, as it could still be worn by her two younger sisters.
After taking off the jacket, she stepped one by one into the icy river water.
Just as the water submerged her head, she suddenly felt something thick and strong wrap around her waist.
Immediately after, she felt her back collide with a large, hard yet warm rock.
Before she could even experience the sensation of drowning, she was pulled out of the water by an immense force.
Only then did she realize something was wrong—what she had encountered in the water was neither a tree branch nor a rock, but a tall, robust man brimming with strength!
Taohua was both startled and frightened, frantically splashing the water. “Who are you? Let go of me!”
The man paid no heed, simply holding her as he strode forward.
After walking a dozen steps forward, the man finally reached the shore.
He placed Taohua on the grass and began wringing the water from his clothes.
Taohua had choked on some water during her struggle and was now coughing.
When her coughing subsided a little, the man suddenly spoke.
His tone was serious, his voice deep and resonant: “You only have one life, you should learn to cherish it.”
Dawn was approaching, and by the faint morning light, Taohua could clearly see the face of the man before her.
It was a handsome face, yet also very unfamiliar.
For some reason, seeing this stranger speak to her with such a serious and earnest tone, she suddenly no longer wanted to die.
She bit her lip and nodded, her damp eyes filled with timid unease, her voice soft and delicate:
“I… I understand, thank you for saving me. I won’t do this again.”
However, as soon as Taohua finished speaking, the sound of women chatting came from not far away.
“It really is a sunny day today, it’s already so bright this early. We have to wash the bedding early, otherwise it won’t dry in time for the New Year.”
“Yes, we came early today, so we can still get a good spot. Aunt Tao and the others will catch up soon.”
Hearing this, Taohua immediately panicked.
She struggled to stand up and find a place to hide, but as soon as she moved, a sharp pain shot through her right ankle.
She couldn’t help but let out a soft cry: “It hurts, my ankle is sprained.”
Then she looked up pitifully at the man before her: “Could you help me up again? I can’t stand.”
The man was putting on his outer garment. Knowing the girl’s concerns, he immediately took a step forward.
But just as he bent down to pull Taohua up, his movements suddenly froze.
Taohua didn’t know what was wrong with him, only that his gaze seemed a bit strange.
Involuntarily, she followed his eyes and looked down at herself, her face instantly flushing red to the roots of her neck!
She!! When she had entered the water earlier, she had taken off her cotton-padded jacket and lined coat, leaving only her undergarment on.
Now, her clothes were soaked and clinging tightly to her body—everything was exposed!!
Instinctively, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, lowering her head and not daring to look at the man, she said:
“Y-you should go now. My clothes are on that rock over there. Could you please throw them to me? I won’t tell anyone about what happened today, and please don’t tell anyone either. Is… is that okay?”
“Okay.” As soon as Taohua finished speaking, the man’s response came from above her head.
Immediately after, her padded jacket was placed beside her.
She watched as the man strode into the woods before hurriedly starting to put on her clothes.
But she was too slow. Granny Wang, who was rushing over to secure a spot, saw her.
“Isn’t this Taohua? What are you doing here so early in the morning? I think I just saw a man heading into the woods. What’s going on?!”
“Oh my goodness, were you two doing that? Is this a man’s belt?!”
As she spoke, Granny Wang bent down and picked up a black belt from the ground.
Taohua took a closer look and thought, Oh no, this must have been left behind by that man earlier.
When he had jumped into the river to save her, he had taken off his outer garment, and in his haste to leave just now, he had forgotten to put on his belt.
What should she do now? Taohua panicked instantly.
Seeing Taohua’s expression, Granny Wang grew as excited as if she had caught someone in the act:
“Taohua, oh Taohua, how could an unmarried girl like you learn to sneak around with a man! How could you be so shameless?”
Soon, news of Taohua’s intimate encounter with a man by the river spread far and wide.
Her stepfather, Chen Dashan, kept pressuring her to reveal the man’s name.
Taohua refused to speak, and she didn’t even know who he was.
She endured Chen Dashan’s beatings and curses without uttering a word.
Because she didn’t want to harm her savior.
She knew exactly what Chen Dashan was after—he wanted to find the man, demand a sum of money, and sell her off.
But this time, she was determined to resist. She would not let Chen Dashan have his way. Just as the man had said, life is precious and must be cherished.
From now on, she would no longer allow her stepfather to trample on her life.
Yet no one expected that the very next morning, the stranger would arrive at her doorstep with gifts to propose marriage…