Sun Yanhua lunged forward, blocking the prying gazes of the crowd.
Water dripped from Jiang Yumeng’s hair as Sun Yanhua, hands trembling, took off her own outer garment and covered her.
“Looks like even the heavens can’t stand it anymore. Fortune turns in cycles—people shouldn’t do things that weigh on their conscience.”
Mocking voices continued to rise from the crowd, and Sun Yanhua’s heart felt even colder than Jiang Yumeng’s hands.
“What nonsense are you all spouting here? I only came because I heard someone fell into the water! A bunch of shameless people—I think you just can’t stand seeing others doing well!”
Already seething with anger, Sun Yanhua had gathered such a large crowd to make a scene, only to end up shooting herself in the foot.
The good marriage she had painstakingly snatched from Jiang Yunshu had ultimately come to nothing.
Instead, she had made a laughingstock of herself!
The pent-up rage in Sun Yanhua’s chest nearly suffocated her.
“So many people saw Yumeng and Old Wang soaked and hugging each other—what kind of in-laws would accept a daughter-in-law like that?”
“Yumeng was a pure young girl, and now she’s been touched all over—what man in the village would still want to marry her?”
No one knew who raised the question first, but soon the discussion grew lively.
“What’s so hard about it? Old Wang doesn’t have a wife anyway. I say they might as well make do and live together.”
“Old Wang may be a bit older, but it’s still his first marriage. Maybe once he has a family, he’ll settle down and learn to live properly.”
Before Sun Yanhua could even think about the future, the onlookers were already enthusiastically offering suggestions.
Furious, she suddenly sprang to her feet, startling those nearby.
With one hand on her hip, she raised her voice and unleashed her fury.
“You shameless lot! Why don’t you take a look at yourselves first before gossiping about my daughter? Even if she never marries in her life, she will never marry this old bachelor!”
Sun Yanhua was infamous across several villages as a shrew—many had witnessed just how sharp her tongue could be.
But the village was never short of women who were equally skilled in verbal sparring.
“Sun Yanhua, don’t take offense at what we’re saying. We’re doing it for your daughter’s own good. Think about it—what respectable man would willingly marry a woman who’s already been compromised before marriage?”
Sister Zhang from the west end of the village was known for her booming voice. When she shouted, everyone inside and outside heard her loud and clear.
Sun Yanhua’s eyes darted around, but she didn’t spot Jiang Yunshu anywhere.
She cursed inwardly—this little wretch must have been behind all of this. Now, feeling guilty, she must have hidden herself somewhere enjoying the chaos.
When she caught her, breaking one of her legs wouldn’t even be enough to make up for her daughter’s ruined reputation.
“Ahem… ahem…”
Just as Sun Yanhua was about to shout again, Jiang Yumeng, lying on the ground, suddenly coughed violently, drawing everyone’s attention.
Sun Yanhua rushed over to help her.
“Yumeng, how are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? You scared me to death!”
“Mom, where’s Jiang Yunshu? Did that disgusting old bachelor see her body? When is their marriage arranged?”
Having just choked on water, Jiang Yumeng’s voice was hoarse.
Her mind was still muddled, but her tone was urgent.
How could the people around not realize what was going on?
A hint of impatience appeared in Qi Zihao’s eyes—there was clearly something fishy about this matter.
If not for sheer coincidence, the one who fell into the water today might have been Jiang Yunshu.
This mother and daughter had staged the whole thing just to steal a marriage.
Earlier, Jiang Yumeng had deliberately gotten close to him, and he had already sensed something was off.
Still, given his status, he was naturally someone many village girls admired.
Besides, Jiang Yumeng was considered fairly pretty among the nearby villages.
Though she couldn’t compare to Jiang Yunshu, at least she was intelligent—settling for her wouldn’t have been impossible.
Jiang Yunshu’s only flaw was her mind; he feared any condition might be passed down to future generations.
Originally, Qi Zihao had been wavering.
But he hadn’t expected them to resort to such unscrupulous methods!
Now that Jiang Yunshu seemed to have recovered, he would never give Jiang Yumeng another chance to get close to him.
“Mom, why aren’t you saying anything? Jiang Yunshu, she—”
Still not understanding the situation, Jiang Yumeng shivered from the cold, yet she pressed for answers.
Afraid she might say something more, Sun Yanhua hurriedly covered her mouth.
“Yumeng, how could you be so careless? I’ve told you so many times to stay away from the river. Even if you want to save someone, you have to consider your own ability. You silly child—you’re willing to suffer any hardship.”
With just a few words, Sun Yanhua twisted their original scheme into a story of Jiang Yumeng bravely trying to save someone.
Her righteous tone even made some of the people who had been criticizing Jiang Yumeng feel a bit guilty.
For a moment, no one could tell who was telling the truth anymore.
Jiang Yumeng’s mind was still in chaos.
What was going on?
How had she, of all people, ended up falling into the water?
“Yumeng, don’t be afraid. Even though I’ve already touched your whole body, I’ll take responsibility. I won’t let you become an old unmarried woman. I’ll come to your house tomorrow to propose. I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life.”
Old Wang reacted quickly. Even if the one who fell into the water wasn’t Jiang Yunshu, it didn’t matter.
As long as he could get himself a wife, anyone would do.
“Get away from me! Who would marry you? I—I wasn’t touched by you at all!”
Jiang Yumeng was terrified as she watched Old Wang’s mouth move.
His mouth full of yellowed teeth made him look worlds apart from Qi Zihao.
Marrying someone like him would be worse than death!
She shrank back into Sun Yanhua’s arms, trying to cover her exposed skin.
But Old Wang wouldn’t let his prize slip away.
“Jiang Yumeng, trying to deny it now? You were the last person I saw before I jumped into the water—I saw it clearly. I touched you all over in the water, even kissed what should be kissed. Even if you don’t marry me, no one else will want you!”
Jiang Yumeng had never been insulted like that before.
Cowering behind Sun Yanhua with reddened eyes, she spotted Qi Zihao in the crowd, as if grasping her last lifeline.
She scrambled toward him, grabbing his arm tightly, tears streaming down her face.
“Brother Zihao, don’t listen to his nonsense! I don’t know anything! I’m definitely going to marry you—I’ll only ever marry you! If I can’t become a daughter-in-law of the Qi family, I’d rather drown!”
The crowd quickly backed away, afraid of getting dragged into the trouble.
Qi Zihao, worried about being entangled with Jiang Yumeng, forcefully pried her fingers off his arm.
“Jiang Yumeng, I think you’re out of your mind from the shock. I’ve never said I would marry you. I only ever treated you as a friend. Since you’re going to marry Old Wang, we’d better keep our distance from now on.”