Qiao Qingyan silently clenched her fists.
There was no towering rage in her heart—only a sense of absurdity and disbelief.
Could Chen Xiaomeng really be willing to trade her own chastity just to disgust her, just to snatch away what belonged to her?
“You dead girl, how could you do such a shameful thing!” Chen Xiuying rushed forward and slapped her daughter hard on the back several times.
“I don’t care—I’m already Runsheng-ge’s woman now.” Chen Xiaomeng clung desperately to Jiang Runsheng’s arm.
Jiang Runsheng immediately pried her hand away. “Xiaomeng, don’t talk nonsense. We never went that far.”
He’d only touched her a few times—hadn’t even done anything yet before they were caught.
At this moment, he truly hated himself for being greedy with alcohol. He’d had a few drinks, she’d flirted a bit, and he’d fallen for it.
“Runsheng-ge,” Chen Xiaomeng gazed at him with tearful eyes, “don’t you want to take responsibility for me?”
“No, I…” Jiang Runsheng’s face was full of difficulty. He instinctively raised his head to look at his father.
Jiang Decheng’s face was already as dark as the bottom of a pot.
People in the crowd kept fanning the flames, clamoring that it was an offense against public morals and that it should be reported to the commune.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Decheng’s gaze paused on Qiao Qingyan for two seconds, then he finally spoke heavily to his son:
“Runsheng, marry Xiaomeng.”
Marry Chen Xiaomeng?
Jiang Runsheng’s legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.
His eyes turned to Qiao Qingyan beside him. His lips moved, but he couldn’t utter a single word.
Qiao Qingyan dug her fingernails into her own fingertips, turned her head away, and refused to look at him.
She and Jiang Runsheng had grown up together as childhood sweethearts. They had been not only elementary school classmates but also high school classmates.
After graduation, she became an elementary school teacher, and he entered the township broadcasting station as an announcer.
Later, he sent a matchmaker to propose marriage, wanting to marry her.
No girl could refuse such an outstanding man, and neither could she.
She had always thought Jiang Runsheng was handsome, gentle in temperament, and held a good position with a government job—a man as clear and bright as the breeze and moon, worthy of entrusting one’s life to.
Even though in her heart she only regarded him as an older brother, Qiao Qingyan thought that feelings could always be cultivated slowly, so she nodded and accepted the engagement.
Now, looking at the absurd scene before her—
Jiang Runsheng’s buttons fastened wrong in his panic, the glaring red marks on Chen Xiaomeng’s neck…
Qiao Qingyan curved her lips in a mocking smile.
Jiang Runsheng, your love amounts to no more than this.
She didn’t want a dirty man!
The setting sun gradually sank. The summer evening was still so stiflingly hot that one could barely breathe.
Jiang Runsheng suddenly clenched his fists and struggled to his feet, making one last resistance: “Dad, I can’t marry Xiaomeng.”
The crowd erupted in an uproar. Even Qiao Qingyan was slightly stunned.
Chen Xiaomeng looked at the man beside her in disbelief. Her lips were nearly bitten through, her expression almost twisted.
[Jiang Runsheng, do you really like that slut Qiao Qingyan that much?]
Slut?
So this was how Chen Xiaomeng usually cursed her in her heart.
Qiao Qingyan only found it ridiculous. In this situation, who exactly was the slut here?
Chen Xiuying was immediately displeased. She planted her hands on her hips and pointed at Jiang Runsheng, scolding:
“What? Just because you’re the village chief’s son, you want to learn from the old society’s emperors with their three wives and four concubines? Defile the older one, then marry the younger one? Both of my daughters have to revolve around you?”
She reached out, pulled her daughter up from the ground, dragged her behind her, and said aggressively:
“Village Chief, if you don’t give me an explanation today, this matter won’t be over between us! I’m not even afraid to take it to the commune—I’ll just say your Runsheng raped my daughter!”
The muscles on Jiang Decheng’s face twitched sporadically. His wrinkled hand kept rubbing his tobacco pipe as he spoke in a low, soothing voice: “Xiuying, don’t get worked up just yet.”
He looked at his son, his tone stern: “Runsheng, a real man must have the courage to own up to his actions. Since you and Xiaomeng are mutually attracted, you should make things clear with Qingyan and settle things with Xiaomeng as soon as possible.”
“Son, your career hasn’t been easy. Now that your work is stable, it’s time to start a family. Your mother and I won’t have to worry anymore.”
On the surface, these were words of persuasion—but in reality, they were a warning: if you keep causing trouble, don’t even think about keeping your iron rice bowl at the broadcasting station.
“Dad…” Jiang Runsheng wanted to say more, but a cold glare from Jiang Decheng shut him up.
Jiang Decheng cleared his throat: “Since all you folks are here today, consider yourselves witnesses. My son, Jiang Runsheng, will definitely marry Chen Xiaomeng.
Young people acting on impulse—it happens all the time. When the time comes for the banquet, I’ll be sure to invite everyone for a celebratory drink.”
Then he said to Chen Xiuying: “Xiuying, our two families were going to be in-laws anyway. The betrothal gift we sent before can be considered as for Xiaomeng. I’ll add some more later—I’ll make sure Runsheng brings her home in style.”
The crowd muttered among themselves with little enthusiasm. After all, the man wasn’t refusing to take responsibility—they were getting married. Even the girl’s own parents had nothing to say about it, so what business did they have sticking their noses in?
Jiang Decheng didn’t want to stay there any longer. Having dealt with this sordid mess, he cast his son a cold glance and left with his hands clasped behind his back.
Chen Xiuying’s taut face finally relaxed, and she secretly calculated in her heart:
Jiang Runsheng has good prospects anyway—what does it matter which daughter marries him?
Now that her own biological daughter had landed a good catch, she was naturally more than happy.
When the Jiang family first proposed, she had hoped it would be Chen Xiaomeng who married over—who would have thought they had their eyes on that wretched girl Qiao Qingyan?
Now, though it had turned ugly, the result was finally what she wanted.
As for Chen Xiaomeng, the smile on her face grew wider and wider, the upturned corners of her mouth impossible to suppress.
She looked at Qiao Qingyan, then immediately put on an innocent expression: “Little sister, don’t be angry. Love is about mutual affection—you and Runsheng-ge just weren’t meant to be. From now on, he’ll be your brother-in-law. Remember to keep your distance.”
“Qingyan…” Jiang Runsheng called out to her, but his throat choked up, and he didn’t know what to say.
“Are you two done with your filthy business?” Qiao Qingyan stood before the two of them, her eyes devoid of warmth.
Suddenly, she raised her hand sharply, and a crisp slap landed on Jiang Runsheng’s face.
A clear red handprint appeared on the man’s fair cheek.
“What are you doing?” Chen Xiaomeng shrieked, covering her mouth, and hurriedly reached out to touch Jiang Runsheng’s face with concern.
Qiao Qingyan indeed didn’t care about the two of them, but she had her pride too.
Her own fiancé had gotten together with her stepsister—no matter how she thought about it, she felt like she had green grass growing on top of her head.
Chen Xiaomeng’s eyes brimmed with tears: “Qingyan, if you’re angry, hit me—don’t hit Runsheng-ge…”
Before she could finish speaking, there was another crisp “smack—” and Chen Xiaomeng felt a burning pain on her cheek.
She covered her face, eyes wide with fury, glaring at Qiao Qingyan.
[Bitch, you actually dared to hit me?]
“Qiao Qingyan, you hit my daughter?” Chen Xiuying, standing nearby, couldn’t tolerate such a thing. She stepped forward and raised her hand to slap Qiao Qingyan across the face.
Before the slap could land, Jiang Runsheng’s arm blocked it outright.
Qiao Qingyan stared coldly at Chen Xiuying, her slap landing on Jiang Runsheng’s arm instead.
The sound was loud—it was clear she had put all her strength into it.
Chen Xiuying had hit her plenty in the past, pinching and twisting her until she was black and blue all over—a common occurrence.
When she hit her, Chen Xiaomeng would be right there pulling them apart.
In truth, she was helping her mother hold Qiao Qingyan in place so she’d stand there and take the beating, unable to escape.
Whenever Qiao Nianshan wasn’t home, vicious slaps frequently landed on Qingyan’s face and body, often accompanied by vulgar curses.
“You little bastard with no mother to raise you, you don’t even know the first thing about manners!”
“Your mind’s been twisted since you were little—just like your short-lived mother!”
Over time, Qiao Qingyan’s disgust for this mother-daughter pair only grew.
“Runsheng, you’re still protecting her? Do you even know who your fiancée is?” Chen Xiaomeng said with a wounded look.
“We’ve wronged Qingyan…” Jiang Runsheng said shamefully.
Qiao Qingyan crossed her arms and said to the pair of shameless dogs before her:
“I didn’t make a scene earlier—not because I’m weak, but because I don’t care. Anything that can be easily stolen isn’t worth holding onto.”
“Those two slaps were what you owed me. Now that they’re done, we’re even.”
“As for you, Chen Xiaomeng—you’re quite pitiful, really. From childhood to now, you’ve been like a dog fighting for scraps, eyes fixed only on what’s in other people’s bowls.”
Ever since she’d heard her innermost thoughts, the last shred of sisterly affection in Qiao Qingyan’s heart had been completely severed.
“Qingyan, let me explain…” Jiang Runsheng stepped forward urgently, reaching for her arm.
Chen Xiaomeng’s brow furrowed, her gaze falling like a knife on the spot where their skin touched.
Qiao Qingyan calmly shook off his hand: “Runsheng, what’s done is done. There’s nothing to explain. I’ve never had any romantic feelings for you—I’ve always thought of you as an older brother.
Originally I thought that since you’d already proposed, feelings could be cultivated over time. But now that you’re with Chen Xiaomeng, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.”
Those were her true feelings.
Having said all this, she swept an icy glance over the two of them, then gathered her books and went home.
Watching her retreating figure, Chen Xiaomeng curled a smug smile at the corner of her lips.
In her past life, she had been too foolish—she’d watched helplessly as Qiao Qingyan married Jiang Runsheng without a hitch.
Jiang Runsheng’s career had soared, going from the village broadcast station to a credit union with real power—the two of them had been living in glory.
When Qiao Qingyan brought him back to her family home, even her own mother Chen Xiuying had smiled and fawned over them.
And she, Chen Xiaomeng, had married Xiao Jinye—an uneducated hunter from the neighboring village.
Back then, Chen Xiuying had asked around and learned the Xiao family were hunters. People said hunters had rifles and could sell their game for cash—meat on the table every meal.
At first she’d been skeptical, but later she tested them, demanding an exorbitant bride price. To her surprise, the Xiao family actually paid it.
That convinced Chen Xiuying the Xiao family had some wealth, and she happily arranged for Chen Xiaomeng to marry into it.
Little did she know that after marrying in, she’d discover the truth:
That bride price had been scraped together by Xiao Jinye’s mother—emptying the family’s savings and borrowing from here and there just to get her son a wife.
In reality, the Xiao family was dirt poor.
Xiao Jinye’s mother was in poor health, taking medicine every day, and she was lame.
After his father died, the family was drowning in debt, and there was also a burdensome intellectually disabled younger sister who foolishly waited around all day for someone to take care of her.
The money Xiao Jinye got from selling the game he hunted was only enough to barely keep the household running.
He had to buy medicine for his mother, repay debts, and provide for the whole family’s food, drink, and daily necessities—life was extremely tight.
Watching this family, Chen Xiaomeng was truly furious.
What was even more infuriating came later. The Xiao family—being poor was one thing, having two disabled people at home was another…
But Xiao Jinye turned out to be a useless man!
He was cold in personality and completely impotent in that regard. After marriage, he had never even touched her. Chen Xiaomeng was no different from a widow.
During that time, she lived in torment and pain.
In this life, she would never repeat the same mistakes.