All according to Song Yao’s plan, Zhang Laosan hummed an unknown tune and walked off with "Song Yao" on his back.
But "Liu Yumin" had already picked his pocket clean, and Song Bowen didn’t get a single penny.
He immediately spun around and rushed home to demand an explanation from his mother.
Song Yao faked a sigh and slowly advised, "Bowen, that damn girl is finally married off, so we’re a little better off now. It’s the perfect time to find you a match. Don’t be in such a hurry to take Xiao Juan out to a restaurant. A woman like that is completely shameless! The more generous you are, the more she’ll demand. Next thing you know, she’ll be asking for a bride price of three or five hundred. Selling you wouldn’t even be enough to cover her demands!"
"Listen to your mother. Tomorrow, don’t take her into town. Just take her for a ’walk’ in the cornfields on the back hill. Once it’s a done deal, she’ll be crying and begging to marry you. How could she dare ask for a bride price then? Her parents will probably be on their knees, stuffing money in your hands and begging you to marry her!"
This Xiao Juan was anything but innocent.
In her past life, Song Yao had been selling meat in town when she saw Xiao Juan cornered in an alley by a few local thugs. Taking pity on her because she was a woman, Song Yao’s heart softened, and she called for help to rescue her.
As it turned out, the girl was already in cahoots with those thugs.
To save her own skin, she turned around and set a trap, luring Song Yao into a cornfield and letting that gang of men...
Too bad for them, they had no idea who they were dealing with.
That night, Song Yao bit off one of the thugs’ ears and kicked another one square in the crotch!
Then she grinned, her voice so chilling it made their legs buckle. The thugs were scared out of their minds and fled, scrambling over each other to get away.
When Song Yao confronted her later, Xiao Juan, far from being repentant, just rolled her eyes and said, "I never asked you to save me."
"Who asked you to meddle? You were the one stupid enough to get involved. You deserved what happened to you!"
Because Xiao Juan had four brothers, Song Yao was never able to get her revenge.
But now, fate had handed her the perfect opportunity. She would simply let Song Bowen and Xiao Juan tear each other apart.
Song Yao knew Song Bowen inside and out. With just a few goading words, he took the bait.
Song Bowen turned to rush out and settle the score with Xiao Juan.
He was out the door even faster than Song Yao had anticipated.
She leaned against the doorframe, quietly watching as Song Bowen’s figure disappeared into the darkness beyond the courtyard gate.
She knew he would be gone for at least half an hour.
Once he was gone, she was the only one left in the house.
Song Shunqiang also knew deep down that selling his daughter to Zhang Laosan was a despicable act. But he’d never felt much affection for Song Yao, and Liu Yumin was constantly whispering poison in his ear.
At first, Song Shunqiang had argued back, but eventually, he couldn’t be bothered to fight it anymore.
Still, he couldn’t face it. So tonight, he had simply stayed out of the house, pretending he knew nothing.
Song Yao kicked open the door to Song Shunqiang and Liu Yumin’s room and began to ransack the place.
She remembered Liu Yumin had a habit of hiding valuables in cracks in the wall and in a hidden compartment under the bed.
She crouched down and began prying at a loose floorboard at the edge of the room.
Dust filled her nostrils, but she didn’t stop.
Back then, Liu Yumin had been in such a hurry when swapping the babies that she’d only focused on switching the swaddling clothes, forgetting about the golden bracelet on the child’s wrist.
It was because of this oversight that Song Yao’s biological father had suspected for years that Shen Shuangshuang wasn’t his real daughter.
But without concrete proof, and with everyone else saying the bracelet must have been stolen by someone greedy, no one dared to voice the suspicion.
But Song Yao’s biological father never stopped investigating. He had secretly been keeping an eye on several suspicious families from the hospital back then.
The reason Song Yao was so determined to find the golden bracelet was because in her past life, on the very day she was sent to Zhang Laosan’s house, her biological father’s men had arrived at the Song family’s doorstep!
They had been a single step away from being reunited.
In this life, she would not let that tragedy repeat itself.
...
A dull THUD sounded from the back of Liu Yumin’s head. Her vision went black, and she fainted.
"Aiyo... it hurts like hell..."
She groaned, sweat beading on her forehead, as she felt her body being jostled up and down.
"Who are you?! Let me go! Somebody!! Help me!"
She screamed herself hoarse, nearly bursting Zhang Laosan’s eardrums.
He had heard Song Yao’s voice before, and it did sound a bit like this woman’s.
Besides, he didn’t know much about women and just assumed their voices changed when they were scared out of their wits.
Seeing her struggle so fiercely only got Zhang Laosan more worked up. ’I’ve already paid the money. There’s no way I’m leaving empty-handed!’
He glanced around and spotted a pitch-black grove of trees nearby. Without a second thought, Zhang Laosan slung her off his shoulder, clamped a hand tightly over her mouth, and dragged her into the woods.
At that moment, Liu Yumin’s mind finally cleared enough for her to vaguely recognize the man as Zhang Laosan!
She was about to shout her name when her mouth was sealed shut again.
She flew into a panic!
She twisted her body desperately, her arms and legs flailing wildly!
But the more she struggled, the more impatient Zhang Laosan grew.
He couldn’t be bothered with any of that. With a single, rough tug, he pulled her pants down...
He remembered Liu Yumin telling him that Song Yao had a fiery temper. If she resisted, he should just use force!
Five minutes later, Zhang Laosan got to his feet, panting and cursing.
Liu Yumin lay on the ground, pulling up her pants with trembling hands.
"Ptui! What kind of act are you two pulling? I paid over two hundred yuan, and you send an old hag to take her place! A virgin? My ass! Give me my money back! Now!"
Liu Yumin ground her teeth, seething with rage.
"Yes, it was that little bitch Song Yao! She’s the one who set this up!"
She finally understood what had happened.
That girl knew what was planned for tonight and had deliberately lured her away.
Now, only one thought consumed her: catch Song Yao and beat her to death!
Zhang Laosan was also fuming.
He’d spent so much money only to end up with this old woman. He’d been completely ripped off!
He immediately took off after Liu Yumin.
Just then, a dull rumble came from the village entrance.
The sudden sound drew everyone’s attention, their eyes focusing on the entrance to the village.
A vehicle came to a steady stop, and two young men quickly jumped out.
"Friend, can I ask you something? Is Song Shunqiang from this village?"
A villager who had been squatting on the roadside smoking his pipe froze for a few seconds before processing the question.
"Yes... What do you want with him?"
"Show us the way. It’s urgent."
The villager hurriedly nodded and bowed. "Yes, yes, of course! Follow me! Get in the car!"
The two soldiers didn’t hesitate, climbing back into the vehicle with the villager.
The driver started the engine and sped off toward the Song family’s house.
「Meanwhile.」
"You little mutt, stop right there!"
A thin figure suddenly darted out of the Song family’s courtyard gate, followed by Liu Yumin’s furious roar.
"Running? Where do you think you can run?! Zhang Laosan, what are you standing around for? Go! Catch her and she’s yours!"
The moment her words fell, Zhang Laosan, who had been smoking in a corner, rolled up his sleeves and gave chase.
Song Yao ran for her life, the wind whistling past her ears.
’Liu Yumin woke up too quickly!’
The vehicle bounced violently, the seats vibrating.
"The Song family’s house is just around this bend..."
The villager said, pointing out the window.
Before he could finish, the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes, and the vehicle screeched to a halt.
"Ow, my back!"
He clutched his back, grimacing in pain.
But the two soldiers in the front had no time for him; they quickly threw open their doors and leaped out of the vehicle.
In that same instant, the villager’s ears twitched. He thought he heard a faint cry for help in the distance.
"Help me!"
When Song Yao saw the two blinding headlights, she knew her chance had come!