3 – Marry me, and you are mine
Sun Xiao Lan couldn’t stop talking about these matters, and Taohua, feeling embarrassed, asked her, “Where did you learn all these tricks?”
Sun Xiao Lan giggled, “Have you forgotten I have six older sisters? What do you think they talk about every time they come back to stay overnight at our parents’ house? It’s all about eating, sleeping, and having babies. Hey, did you remember everything I just told you?”
Taohua, feeling shy, deliberately said she hadn’t.
Sun Xiao Lan could tell she was just being stubborn, and the two of them instantly tumbled onto the bedding, wrestling playfully.
Just as they were fooling around, Taohua’s younger sister Chen Xiaoguo suddenly pushed the door open and came in.
“Big sister, it’s terrible! Dad suddenly doesn’t agree to your marriage anymore! He wants to drive that man away!”
“What?” Hearing Chen Xiaoguo’s words, Taohua’s face instantly turned pale.
Sun Xiao Lan’s expression also changed, “What nonsense is your drunkard father up to now?”
Chen Xiaoguo immediately ran over to Taohua and said, “Sis, Dad insists on asking that man for ten taels of silver. He says if he doesn’t bring out ten taels of silver as a betrothal gift, he won’t let you marry him!”
“What?!!” Sun Xiao Lan exploded with anger, “Does he think he’s selling his daughter? Shameless! I’ll tell my grandfather and ask him to come and uphold justice.”
But before Sun Xiao Lan could move, Taohua grabbed her arm.
Seeing this, Sun Xiao Lan was exasperated, “You’re not going to tell me to let it go again, are you? You finally have a chance to escape this hellhole. Are you really going to keep putting up with this?”
“It’s not like that,” Taohua shook her head, her eyes determined. “I must get away from Chen Dashan. I’m not stopping you; I want to ask for your help.”
“What help? Tell me!”
“Like this…” Taohua leaned close to Sun Xiao Lan’s ear and whispered a few words.
After listening, Sun Xiao Lan patted her chest and said, “Don’t worry, leave this matter to me!”
After Sun Xiao Lan left, Taohua straightened her clothes and opened the door to go out.
When she stepped outside, Chen Dashan was sitting on the baskets Qin Feng had brought, one leg crossed over the other, shouting, “Anyway, if you don’t come up with ten taels of silver today, don’t even think about taking my daughter away!”
When he saw Taohua come out, Chen Dashan immediately pulled her in front of Qin Feng, “Look at my daughter, with her delicate skin and tender flesh. Who in the surrounding villages can compare to her? I originally raised her to be a young lady, but who would have thought you’d ruin her? If you don’t pay these ten taels of silver, who will?!”
Humiliated in front of so many people by her stepfather, Taohua was filled with rage!
She shook off Chen Dashan’s hand and pushed him away forcefully, “Just because I’m your stepdaughter, you don’t treat me like a human being, is that it? I’ve already said it—yesterday, I couldn’t bear such humiliation, so I wanted to drown myself. It was a kind-hearted person who saved me. It’s nothing like what you all said about me sneaking around with someone!
Chen Dashan, do you know why I refused to say a word when you asked who saved me? Because I knew you would try to extort money from them. I didn’t want to drag my savior into this. Now that he’s come to propose, you’re really asking him for money. I’ve called you ‘Dad’ all these years—is your heart made of stone?”
“What did you say!” Chen Dashan completely disregarded Taohua’s tears, only hearing that she had called him by his name. He raised his hand to strike her, “How dare you call me by my name directly? Who gave you the nerve? Have you grown a death wish?!”
However, before Chen Dashan’s slap could land, his wrist was violently twisted by someone.
He cried out in pain and turned to see that it was Qin Feng.
“You wretched boy, how dare you lay hands on me! Now ten taels of silver won’t be enough.”
Qin Feng’s thin lips tightened as he coldly glanced at Chen Dashan, increasing the pressure in his grip.
Realizing his mistake, Chen Dashan quickly begged for mercy and urged Taohua, “You useless girl, hurry up and plead for your father! If he doesn’t let go, my wrist will break!”
Taohua gave Chen Dashan a cold look.
Then, with a thud, she knelt before Qin Feng.
She looked up at Qin Feng with tear-filled eyes, “Brother Qin, I beg you.”
Qin Feng furrowed his brows, his voice deep and resonant, “Are you pleading for him?”
Tears streamed down Taohua’s face, “Brother Qin, I beg you to marry me. When you saved me from the river, I knew you were a kind-hearted person. Even though we did nothing wrong, for the sake of my reputation, you still went to the Village Chief’s wife to propose marriage to my family. I am very grateful to you.
But I also know that my stepfather’s demand is putting you in a difficult position. Perhaps you are already having second thoughts. Yet, I still want to beg you, because if you leave today, my stepfather will sell me to a brothel.
I don’t want to be sold to such a place. I want to leave here. I want to have a home of my own. If you can come up with these ten taels of silver, I promise that after marrying into your family, I will find a way to earn money and repay you!”
Qin Feng had come today to propose marriage. He had thought things would go smoothly, given the girl’s less-than-stellar reputation, but he never expected she would have such a scoundrel of a stepfather.
Saving someone once is saving them, saving them twice is still saving them, but…
He lowered his gaze to Taohua, “Your stepfather doesn’t seem like someone easy to deal with. I’ll give you a piece of advice: if you want to leave, leave completely. Do you understand?”
Taohua understood, of course. Not only did she understand, but she had also secretly thought about it for a long time!
But she didn’t answer Qin Feng immediately. Instead, she glanced back at Mrs. Zhou, who stood behind Chen Dashan.
Mrs. Zhou’s eyes were filled with tears as she sobbed and nodded to Taohua.
With her mother’s support, Taohua solemnly nodded to Qin Feng, “I understand, Brother Qin.”
“Good.” This girl was more perceptive and decisive than he had imagined.
“Get up first,” Qin Feng said, releasing Chen Dashan before taking out a money pouch from his pocket.
He looked expressionlessly at Chen Dashan and said, “Here are fifteen taels of silver. I can give them to you as the bride price for marrying your daughter. The gifts I brought can also stay with your family.
But from now on, your daughter will be Qin Feng’s person. She has no blood relation to you in the first place. After she marries me, she will have no further connection with your Chen family. There will be no visits during festivals or holidays. Do you understand?”
“Really?” Chen Dashan’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the money pouch. He reached out to grab it. “There’s really fifteen taels in here? You’re not tricking me, are you?”
Seeing that Chen Dashan hadn’t listened to a word he said, Qin Feng pulled the money pouch back.
Frowning, he said, “Promise me first.”
“I promise, how could I not promise?” Chen Dashan’s mind was completely fixated on Qin Feng’s money pouch. “Isn’t it just cutting off all ties forever? That’s fine!”
Though he said this, he had another plan in mind.
He thought that although this kid Qin Feng’s home looked shabby, he seemed quite wealthy. Once Taohua married him, whenever he was short on money, he could just go ask them for it.
Thinking this, he felt quite pleased with himself.
But Qin Feng wasn’t easy to fool. “Words alone aren’t proof. Since we’ve reached an agreement, let’s draw up a written contract.”
“A contract?” Chen Dashan laughed heartily. “That’s not possible. Just leave the money and take the person. No one in my family knows how to read, and we don’t have any writing tools.”
Taohua knew Chen Dashan was trying to be difficult. Angrily, she stepped forward and said, “Yes, we do. Our family has writing tools. They’ll be here soon.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Sun Xiao Lan arrived with her grandfather, the Village Chief.
She lifted the basket in her hand toward Taohua and said with a smile, “Writing tools are here!”
Qin Feng asked the Village Chief to act as a witness and quickly drafted the contract.
Chen Dashan also gleefully pressed his thumbprint onto the contract. In his eyes, the silver in hand was far more valuable than a worthless stepdaughter.
…………
Inside the room.
Mrs. Zhou wiped her tears and murmured to Taohua, “This is for the best, this is for the best. My daughter can finally leave this home.”
Taohua knelt at Mrs. Zhou’s feet and kowtowed. “Mother, your daughter can no longer stay by your side, but I will still take good care of you in the future. I’m only cutting ties with the Chen family, but you will always be my mother.”
“Good child, just take care of yourself. Don’t worry about me. After all, I’ve given him three children—he won’t treat me too poorly. By the way, Taohua, I had hoped to find an auspicious day for your wedding, but today you must leave. There’s no time to make new clothes. You’ll have to make do with wearing my wedding dress. Though it’s old, it’s red and festive.”
Taohua nodded through her tears, then turned to pack her spare clothes.
And so, that winter, Taohua left for her wedding carrying only a small bundle.