“Since I am no longer part of the Xu family, then sign a document to sever our relationship before you leave.”
Ever since Shen Qingge returned to the Xu family, she had always been timid and submissive.
Old Madam Xu clearly didn’t expect her to say something like this.
“No! Whether alive or dead, you belong to the Xu family. There’s no such thing as cutting ties. Give up on that idea!”
It wasn’t that Old Madam Xu was reluctant to let Shen Qingge go—she simply didn’t want her to escape her control.
Xu Lao’er hurriedly added, “Fourth Girl, don’t talk nonsense. Kneel down and apologize to your grandmother!”
Shen Qingge ignored him and tightened her grip on Old Madam Xu’s wrist, making her cry out in pain.
“Old Madam, my patience is limited. Either we sever ties, or I go back with you. Choose one.”
“You…”
Old Madam Xu stared at Shen Qingge suspiciously. If not for the familiar face, she would have thought this wasn’t her granddaughter at all.
Could she be possessed?
At that thought, her heart skipped a beat, and she became convinced.
That must be it—otherwise, how could she have changed so suddenly?
This troublemaker absolutely could not be taken back home.
“I… I’ll sign!”
Only then did Shen Qingge release her and turn to Father Liu and Mother Liu. “Please help me write several copies of a severance document.”
It took the Liu couple a while to recover from their shock.
The Liu and Xu families lived in neighboring villages, and before arranging the marriage, they had learned a bit about the Xu family.
They had all said that this daughter had been raised in a wealthy household, timid and easy to control.
But now? There was nothing timid about her—she was clearly formidable.
Mother Liu liked her very much.
Father Liu prepared the ink and wrote four copies of the severance document, while the eldest and second sons went to invite the village heads of Liu Village and Xu Village.
Under the witness of the two village heads, Shen Qingge, Old Madam Xu, and Xu Lao’er signed and pressed their fingerprints on the documents.
Shen Qingge and Old Madam Xu each kept one copy, while the remaining two were held by the village heads.
From this moment on, Shen Qingge had no connection whatsoever with the Xu family.
After signing, Old Madam Xu hurriedly left the Liu household, afraid of being haunted by the “possessed spirit.”
Before leaving, Xu Lao’er and Zhang Shi glanced at Shen Qingge, feeling a trace of sorrow.
After all, she was their only daughter.
But in order to remain in the family, they had no choice.
After the Xu family left, the two village heads also departed.
It was a year of disaster. Even weddings were simple—just the ceremony, with no feast, as there wasn’t enough grain.
Once everyone was gone, only Shen Qingge and the Liu family remained in the main hall, staring at each other awkwardly.
In this unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers, Shen Qingge didn’t know how to break the silence.
“Ahem!” Father Liu coughed lightly.
Mother Liu snapped back to her senses and quickly pulled Shen Qingge over to introduce the family.
The Liu couple had four sons and one daughter.
The eldest, Liu Boting, was married to Madam Wang and had two sons: Yicheng and Ercheng.
The second, Liu Zhongda, was married to Madam Wen and had a son and a daughter: Third Girl and Wucheng.
The third, Liu Shuhuai, was married to Madam Feng and had one daughter: Fourth Girl.
The fourth, Liu Mengqiu, the only daughter, had married a scholar, Chen Xiucai, from a neighboring village.
The fifth, Liu Ji’an, was the man Shen Qingge was to marry.
Liu Ji’an had once been an escort guard, so the Liu family had lived fairly well.
But misfortune struck. Half a year ago, he was seriously injured during a mission. Despite seeking many doctors, his condition showed little improvement.
Given his current state, he would likely die on the road while fleeing famine.
That was why the Liu family arranged for him to marry—to bring him luck and ward off death.
After calculating their birth charts, the original owner was deemed the most suitable, which led to this marriage.
Shen Qingge’s parents had died for their country when she was very young. She had been raised by the state and later trained in secrecy.
She had no family, and she had never married.
Now, faced with Mother Liu and her two sisters-in-law’s warmth, she felt unusually at a loss.
She could only nod slightly in greeting.
Third Sister-in-law Feng snorted in dissatisfaction and returned to her room.
The eldest and second sisters-in-law were already used to her behavior.
“Fifth Sister-in-law, you must be tired. Let us take you to your room to rest.”
“Thank you… sisters-in-law.”
Shen Qingge nodded. Compared to facing them, it might actually be easier to face her newly acquired husband.
After leading her to the door, the two sisters-in-law left with smiles.
Shen Qingge pushed the door open. The room was fairly large, with a bed and a square table.
A man lay on the bed. Despite being ill for half a year, his build remained strong—clearly someone trained in martial arts.
The room smelled of medicine. Without even approaching, Shen Qingge could tell his breathing was weak.
Though she wasn’t a military doctor, long illness had made her knowledgeable. Injuries were common during missions, so she had learned basic medical skills.
She walked to the bedside and lifted the blanket to examine the wound on his abdomen.
Logically, after half a year, even a severe injury should have scabbed over. Yet his wound was still bleeding.
If it wasn’t his body’s condition, then it must be poisoning.
“Meeting me means you’re lucky.”
With a flick of her hand, a syringe appeared in her palm. She skillfully injected the medicine into Liu Ji’an’s body.
This was her greatest secret.
On the day her parents died, she had gained an infinite space—anything, living or not, could be stored within it.
Because of this, she had become a key figure under state protection. As long as she was present, there was no need to transport supplies.
Except for humans—even she couldn’t enter the space.
After the injection, Liu Ji’an slowly woke from his sleep.
The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the person standing by the bed.
He had spent most of the past few days asleep, but he knew that today was the day his parents had arranged for him to marry.
The person before him must be his wife.
She looked thin and small, with dry yellow hair, yet her presence was powerful—nothing like an ordinary young woman, more like a soldier on the battlefield.
Liu Ji’an studied her, deep in thought.
After a while, he spoke weakly, “Wife~”
“……”
Shen Qingge felt goosebumps all over.
Unbelievable. She had been single for thirty years, yet on her first day after transmigrating, she was already married.
And being called “wife”!
She said awkwardly, “You should call me by my name. I’m Shen Qingge.”
Liu Ji’an nodded obediently. “Okay, wife~”
“……”
Her only response was silence.
Liu Ji’an lowered his gaze to his arm, which still stung slightly, with beads of blood forming.
Whatever she had done, he could clearly feel that his body was much lighter, and the pain had eased significantly.
He was shocked. Even the best military doctors had been unable to treat his injury.
Shen Qingge stood calmly nearby.
“You know medicine,” Liu Ji’an said with certainty.
“No,” Shen Qingge shook her head. “But I can save you—on one condition.”