“Right, isn’t this a typical problem girl? She needs to be re-educated, doesn’t she…”
“What a moral issue.”
Li Zhanye’s voice sounded from behind them. It sounded like he was laughing, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “What did my fiancée say that’s got you all putting labels on her?”
He walked past the crowd to Zhou Wanning’s side, his teeth nearly grinding to dust. “You really know how to cause me trouble.”
Though Zhou Wanning didn’t understand, she could tell from the atmosphere that she had caused trouble. She still didn’t quite grasp the rules of this era. At this moment, staying silent was the best course.
Looking at Zhou Wanning’s innocent eyes, Li Zhanye reminded himself over and over that she was just playing pitiful for his benefit. She might have even conspired with his stepmother long ago to trip him up. He absolutely couldn’t be fooled by her.
She was always using her looks to make him back down.
The rebuke about to leave his lips completely dissipated when Zhou Wanning asked in confusion, “Did I cause you trouble?”
Li Zhanye used his broad frame to block everyone’s view. With his back to the crowd, he pressed a hard kiss to Zhou Wanning’s lips. “Just this once, don’t let it happen again!”
He wouldn’t indulge her every time!
Zhou Wanning blinked, not understanding.
The smart ones had already shut their mouths, but some bold people still mixed in with the crowd, calling out loudly: “Regimental Commander Li, your fiancée was just asking people to sign an indenture of servitude. Everyone here heard it! Aren’t you a soldier of the people? How come you married a wife with such bad conduct?”
Someone else joined in: “Lock her up! Someone like her must be locked up!”
“Everyone heard that?”
Li Zhanye smiled at this. He looked around and asked, “Who all heard it? Step forward and let me see.”
The moment those words came out, everyone who had been questioning went quiet. This village had been notorious as a bully village, relying on its remote location. For outsiders or people in charge, they would either fight them openly or use shameless tactics like filing false reports. Until they met Li Zhanye—they couldn’t beat him in a fight, and their reports never got any response.
Remembering how badly they’d been beaten back then, they all shrank back, not daring to speak. Only a few scattered people crouched in the crowd, occasionally popping out a word or two.
Li Zhanye looked at Battalion Commander Luo Yao: “Battalion Commander, you were close by. Did you hear my fiancée say ‘indenture of servitude’ or ’employment’?”
Luo Yao answered without hesitation: “Employment, of course.”
Luo Yao looked at Wang Jinfeng. “Wang Jinfeng, you tell us—did she say ‘indenture of servitude’ or ’employment’?”
Wang Jinfeng, who had harbored some other thoughts, lost them all the moment she saw Li Zhanye. That Li Zhanye was a ruthless brute who wouldn’t hold back just because you were a woman.
At least admitting it now would still get her some money—Zhou Wanning had promised her 88 yuan! That old man Li from the neighboring village would give her at most 40 yuan.
“Employment, of course. Regimental Commander Li is a military officer—how could his fiancée knowingly break the law?”
Li Zhanye’s gaze drifted toward the crowd outside: “You all hear that? Our Wanning said ’employment,’ not ‘indenture.’ If anyone spreads rumors, I’ll be paying a personal visit to your doorstep.”
With the matter settled so decisively, no one dared utter another word of objection.
Before long, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Wang Jinfeng and Er Ya in the courtyard.
Wang Jinfeng didn’t dare meet Li Zhanye’s gaze. She rubbed her hands together and looked at Zhou Wanning. “About the 88 we discussed earlier…”
This time, Zhou Wanning didn’t rush in. She tugged at Li Zhanye’s sleeve. “Can we write a contract for the employment?”
After all, she couldn’t trust Wang Jinfeng’s character. Without some form of written proof, she wasn’t willing to part with that 88 yuan.
“Oh, so now you remember you have a husband? Beg me, and I’ll help you.”
Zhou Wanning gritted her teeth. How could this man be like this!
A breeze kicked up some loose sand, stinging Zhou Wanning’s eyes until they turned slightly red. She rubbed them. “Never mind, I’ll write it myself.”
“Alright, alright, look how spoiled you’ve gotten. If you don’t want to say it, then don’t. What are you crying for? I’ll just write it.”
Li Zhanye went back inside to fetch paper and a brush, and in a few swift strokes, it was done.
He presented it to Zhou Wanning like a trophy. “See if this works. If not, I’ll rewrite it.”
The further she read, the more her eyes gleamed with admiration. A person could be like this!
She looked at Li Zhanye with a complex expression. Good thing he’d joined the army—otherwise, the common folk would be in trouble.
It truly was less frightening to have a ruffian who fights than a ruffian with brains.
Zhou Wanning handed the employment contract to Wang Jinfeng. “Take a look. If there’s no problem, sign it, and I’ll go get your money.”
Wang Jinfeng gave it a cursory glance, then picked up the brush and signed. She didn’t care what happened to Er Ya—she only thought about how that 88 yuan could get her son a wife and give the family two decent meals.
Zhou Wanning had just risen to fetch the money when Li Zhanye pressed her back down onto the stool. He pulled several large bills and eight yuan in change from his pocket and slapped them down in front of Wang Jinfeng.
“I’ll pay.”
No way—he hadn’t even gotten to spend his wife’s money yet. There was no chance he’d let her spend it on someone else.
Zhou Wanning didn’t argue. Part of the reason she’d kept Er Ya was for his sake anyway, so it was only fitting that he paid.
Watching Wang Jinfeng count the money with a grin spreading across her face, Zhou Wanning added a reminder. “Once you sign today, Er Ya will have no connection to you from now on.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that.”
With the money in hand, Wang Jinfeng was positively beaming. “I raised her all these years just for this. Don’t worry—use her however you like. Even if you beat her to death, I won’t care.”
Though she’d long known this was the fate of poor women, Zhou Wanning still furrowed her brow almost imperceptibly.
It seemed women in this later era didn’t live any easier than those of Great Zhou.
She placed Li Zhannan into Li Zhanye’s arms and beckoned to Er Ya, who stood dazed in the courtyard. “Come inside with me.”
Seeing her grim expression, Li Zhanye couldn’t help but explain. “Wife, there’s nothing between me and her. I just had her cook and look after my brother. You—”
Zhou Wanning’s gaze swept over him, and Li Zhanye immediately shut his mouth.
She said, “She’s a fiancée. Not yet married.”
Li Zhanye grinned and planted two more kisses on Zhou Wanning’s lips. “Yes, yes, fiancée. Look at you, such a little jealous thing.”
Zhou Wanning felt her fists clench. She had no idea where he’d gotten the notion that she was jealous.
Er Ya entered the room, and Zhou Wanning climbed onto the kang, pulling the curtains tightly shut so that no one outside could see even a glimpse of what was inside.
She had Er Ya sit on the edge of the kang and said to her, “Take off your clothes.”
Tears the size of beans fell from Er Ya’s eyes one by one. “I… I really have nothing going on with Brother Li. Please don’t do this.”