Old Lady Jiang slumped into her chair, still shaken by the ordeal. Just then, Jiang Family's Second Son returned from outside and, seeing his mother in such a state, asked curiously, "Mother, what happened to you?"
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Jiang immediately burst into tears and wailed, "My son! Your mother was nearly killed by that woman surnamed Lu!"
Jiang Yanxuan: …
What was his mother talking about?
Old Lady Jiang tearfully recounted what had just happened.
When Jiang Yanxuan heard that the money hadn’t been retrieved, he also felt a pang of discomfort. After all, his elder brother couldn’t have everything.
"Mother, she’s just a weak woman—what could she possibly do? Don’t let her scare you. There’s no rush for the money. When the family is in urgent need, she’ll naturally help out."
Old Lady Jiang’s eyes lit up at these words. "You’re right! Son, you must be tired after all this commotion tonight. Go back and rest. Just wait and see how I’ll make her suffer from now on!"
"Mother, why did you make Elder Brother marry her today? Someone from the capital must be extraordinary." Jiang Yanxuan felt aggrieved.
Old Lady Jiang quickly explained, "I did this for your own good. Look at that woman surnamed Lu—she clearly fled here to avoid trouble, and who knows what happened with all that blood on her. How could the daughter of such a person marry you?
Tomorrow, I’ll find you a better match.
The young girl from the village chief’s family is a little lucky star. She goes up the mountain every day and always manages to find wild game.
I’ll arrange that marriage for you."
"Thank you, Mother." Jiang Yanxuan finally felt better.
Inside the Eldest Branch of the Jiang family.
Lu Zhaozhao was helped back to the room by Jiang Yanqing. Seeing the state of the room—so poor that even a mouse would weep and spit out a grain of rice before leaving—her heart grew cold.
Fortunately, she had the hundred taels of silver from her dowry, or else she’d be unable to do anything!
"Wife, you come from a great family. Marrying me has truly wronged you," Jiang Yanqing said as he helped Lu Zhaozhao sit on his wooden plank bed.
He pondered inwardly: In his past life, hadn’t she died shortly after entering the bridal chamber?
She seemed healthier than he was.
Lu Zhaozhao gazed affectionately at Jiang Yanqing’s celestial appearance, her heart racing uncontrollably.
She was a person who followed her desires. In her past life, she had taken over as head of the family early on, managing the family business and becoming a shrewd merchant.
However, marriage had always been delayed, as she never met anyone she liked.
Today, upon seeing Jiang Yanqing, she inexplicably felt a wild attraction! It was as if she had remained single all this time just waiting for him!
If she liked someone, she had to have him. And now, she and Jiang Yanqing were legally married!
Lu Zhaozhao looked at Jiang Yanqing, who was sitting upright on a broken stool, seemingly waiting for something, and beckoned him with a finger. "Husband."
Was she about to die?
Jiang Yanqing stood up and approached, asking gently with concern, "What’s wrong, Wife? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Zhaozhao felt perfectly fine—except for the itch in her heart!
Boldly, she wrapped her arms around Jiang Yanqing’s neck and kissed him.
Jiang Yanqing, who had never been intimate with a woman in either of his lives, widened his eyes in shock, his entire body stiffening.
Lu Zhaozhao exerted a little force and pulled him onto the bed.
Afraid of crushing her, Jiang Yanqing braced himself against the bedboard in his stunned state.
His thin lips were slightly reddened from her kiss.
"Wife…" His voice grew hoarse, tinged with desire.
His wife seemed very healthy, and this didn’t seem like the lifeless Lu Zhaozhao he had only glimpsed once in his past life.
Seeing him staring at her, Lu Zhaozhao proactively embraced him and kissed him passionately. "Husband, aren’t we going to consummate the marriage?"
Any man witnessing such a scene would feel his blood boil.
Moreover… it was as if he had been bewitched, utterly captivated by her earlier arrogant and sharp demeanor.
Faced with her proactive invitation, Jiang Yanqing responded to it.
He had never liked anyone before. In his laughable, pitiful, and short life, when he thought about it carefully, tonight's stirring of emotions was actually the first time.
As long as she wouldn't join those people in scheming against him or harming him.
He would treat her very, very well for the rest of his life, treating only her alone with such kindness.
In just one night, Lu Zhaozhao was nearly exhausted to death by him.
However, perhaps because 999 had modified her body, she could still bounce around energetically now.
Early in the morning, when she woke up, her body had already been cleaned.
An earthenware vase filled with flowers had appeared in the room at some point.
She had seen these flowers yesterday; they seemed to be wild lilies planted in the courtyard.
She slightly moved her fingers and called out to System 999, which had been so shocked since she married the villain last night that it had been playing dead.
Lu Zhaozhao: 999?
【999: The 999 Farming System is at your service.】
Its response was weak and listless, clearly still in shock.
This wouldn't do. If it remained inactive, what about the Golden Finger? Since there was something extra in her mind, it should at least pay some rent, right?
Thinking this, she gently said: 999, since you've bound yourself to me, and I've married Jiang Yanqing, it can't be changed now. But… if I marry the villain, and the villain isn't neglected and uncared for like in the previous life, maybe he won't oppose your beloved male lead?
999 seemed to waver slightly.
【999: But… the identity and money of this body were meant for the protagonist.】
Lu Zhaozhao continued to coax: Since he's the male lead, he must have ways to get money from elsewhere. Otherwise, how could he be the male lead?
【999: …That seems quite reasonable.】
A hint of a smile flickered in Lu Zhaozhao's eyes: Similarly, I have a bad temper. If I'm unhappy and there's something inexplicable in my mind, I'll get angry. Since you bound yourself to me, you must have investigated me, right? If I'm displeased, I might just team up with my villain husband to send the male and female leads straight to hell.
【999: The Farming System is at your service! Detecting a change in the service subject, the unbinding conditions are now updated: As long as the host changes the villain's dark ending, you can unbind!】
As soon as it finished speaking, Lu Zhaozhao saw a flash of brilliant light before her eyes.
An electronic screen appeared out of thin air, displaying various types of seeds, though they were all currently darkened and unclickable.
The only one that could be clicked was wheat seeds.
【999: The Farming System is activated. In reality, the host can earn 10 Farming Points per hour on average by farming, fishing, hunting, or gathering herbs. One thousand Farming Points can unlock one square meter of system farmland in the system space. More seeds require completing special tasks to unlock.
One thousand taels of silver earned by the host in reality can be exchanged for 10 Farming Points.
The system store contains various treasures that humans love. As long as the host works hard at farming, you can immediately reach the peak of life!】
Lu Zhaozhao felt conflicted.
…So, why is a Farming System tasked with precisely aiding the male lead out of poverty? Is it infected with a virus?
And farming?
She had never farmed in her entire life!
Also, did she owe this broken system a thousand points?
Work for one hour, earn 10 points?
She felt even dizzier. Forget it, better to learn more about Jiang Yanqing first!
Lu Zhaozhao: 999, I want Jiang Yanqing’s life trajectory.
【999: One hundred Farming Points, Master. You’re already at -1000.】
Lu Zhaozhao: …Lend me some more.
【999: Jiang Yanqing’s life trajectory has been sent. Host’s points: -1100. If points are not repaid within seven days, the system will deplete its energy and vanish, and the host will perish along with it.】
Outside, Old Lady Jiang’s shrill voice rang out: “What kind of newlywed sleeps in until noon? Did we bring home an ancestor or a daughter-in-law?”