Such a tea-like, manipulative remark.
Yan Zhao thought to herself, who doesn’t know how to act?
She lowered her eyelids and deliberately spoke in a pained, low voice, “But Gu Cheng said it was you who seduced him, that’s why he acted that way…”
Li Ling’s face stiffened, her breath caught, and her voice cracked as she shouted, “Impossible!”
Yan Zhao pursed her lips, reached out, and gently tugged at her. “Then come and listen. Listen to what he says.”
The two of them followed, sticking close to the wall.
Inside, the argument was in full swing.
They heard Gu Cheng snort coldly, “It’s not me who’s in a hurry now—it’s you. If your daughter doesn’t want to marry, fine by me. I’m not the one losing out anyway!”
Hearing this, Li Ling froze on the spot, her face instantly turning deathly pale.
Beside her, Yan Zhao felt the nausea in her chest ease slightly.
Inside, the Li family hadn’t expected Gu Cheng to be so shameless!
The old man of the Li family, Li Guaizhu, was so furious he slammed the table, making the chair wobble. “You dog! You’ve taken advantage of my daughter and still dare to talk tough?!”
Li Ling rushed in as well, wanting to ask Gu Cheng if what he said was true!
Seeing his daughter actually dare to follow them in, Li Guaizhu’s expression darkened even further. Mother Li, seething with anger, grabbed Li Ling and dragged her outside.
As she was being pulled away, Li Ling kept looking back, sobbing and crying out, “Brother Gu Cheng! You said you’d marry me! You promised—I’ve already given myself to you—!”
“Smack!”
Li Guaizhu’s face darkened, and he slapped her hard across the face.
“You disgraceful thing! Aren’t you ashamed enough?!”
His voice trembled with rage.
The sharp sound made Gu Cheng frown. He stepped forward and said a few words, “Uncle Li, let’s talk this through properly.”
Yan Zhao watched the scene quietly, her gaze as calm as still water.
This was exactly the scene she had been waiting for.
Because the villagers were terribly gossipy, in just one night, those ugly rumors had spread louder and louder.
The Li family couldn’t let Gu Cheng drag this out any longer. Now that their daughter’s reputation was completely ruined, they had to resolve this quickly to save face.
The Li family could only grit their teeth and say, “Five yuan it is, then.”
Who would have thought Gu Cheng would still shake his head, putting on a pitiful expression as he squeezed out a few words, “Uncle Li, I have two sons to feed. They’re growing boys—even if they don’t eat meat, they still need a whole pot of rice… I can only offer three yuan.”
Mother Li trembled with rage, pointing at Gu Cheng’s nose and cursing loudly, “Three yuan?! Is that money for buying a pig or a person?!”
Li Guaizhu’s face flushed red with anger, and he looked ready to smash the table. “Have you no shame?! My daughter is in this state, and you’re offering three yuan like you’re tossing scraps to a beggar?!”
The Li family was about to start a fight with him.
After more arguing, the drama finally reached its conclusion—the Li family agreed to three yuan.
They had no choice. They couldn’t just take their daughter back home—the Li family would truly have no face left in the village.
Gu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, a smile on his lips. “Don’t worry, Uncle Li. I’ll treat Lingzi well.”
The Li family wasn’t buying it.
They simply left.
Li Ling was left behind. With just three yuan, there was certainly nothing left for her.
She was wiping her tears, crying softly.
Yan Zhao stood at the doorway, quietly observing the two people inside.
One was dejected, the other was crying, her face streaked with tears.
Compared to the grand, glorious weddings of the previous generation, theirs was now shabby and humiliating.
But this wasn’t enough.
A faint smile curled at the corner of Yan Zhao’s lips, but the light in her eyes was cold.
…
The Gu family home now lay in ruins, devastated by the fire.
Half the roof had collapsed, charred wooden beams hanging in mid-air, creaking with every gust of wind.
The entire family was crammed into the only room that hadn’t been burned down.
Yan Zhao looked at that small room, already knowing what to expect.
She willingly gave up the room, carrying her bedding to the makeshift shed outside.
After all, it was hot now, and sleeping outside was cooler.
Not long after, Gu Cheng came out.
He looked somewhat haggard in the dim firelight, but his tone carried a hint of reassurance. “Xiao Zhao, I had no choice. You understand, don’t you?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely marry you.”
Yan Zhao looked up, watching his feigned helplessness, a wave of nausea churning in her stomach.
But she still said gently, “Brother Gu Cheng, of course I believe you.”
Her tone was so light it sounded as if she truly did.
Only in the moment she lowered her head, the coldness in her eyes could freeze a person to death.
…
The next morning, the scent of charred wood still lingered in the Gu family’s courtyard.
Yan Zhao tied up her hair and slipped out quietly.
She knew that once Li Ling woke up, she’d be looking for someone to vent her anger on.
That fury and resentment—she wouldn’t dare direct it at Gu Cheng, so naturally, it would be poured onto her.
And Gu Cheng would probably come looking for money from her too.
Now that the family had nothing left, with only three yuan remaining from the five, he’d surely ask her for money again.
Yan Zhao had no intention of giving them the chance.
She was going to leave this place.
But before leaving, Yan Zhao wanted to teach Gu Cheng and Li Ling a lesson.
And she didn’t want them to die too quickly—she wanted to torment them a little.
At that moment, the wind swept across the fields, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Yan Zhao narrowed her eyes. Coming here had reminded her of a story that had spread like wildfire in the village in her previous life.
In the neighboring village, there was a young widow, quite beautiful, who was suddenly exposed as having contracted a filthy disease.
Then, nearly half the men in the production team were infected by her.
At the time, chaos erupted in the production team—wives demanding divorces, men afraid to go outside, elders cursing heaven and earth.
The county sent three trucks directly, hauling all the men in the team to the hospital for check-ups.
That scandal shook the heavens, and the neighboring production team became the laughingstock of the entire commune.
In this life, Yan Zhao wanted Gu Cheng to contract that filthy disease too.
She had long since found out Widow Zhang’s address and pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.
Inside the paper were two yuan.
In such a poor village, that was a fortune.
Enough for a family to eat white flour for over ten days.
She saw Widow Zhang humming a tune as she walked home.
The opportunity had come.
Yan Zhao immediately tiptoed over and slipped the money through the crack in the door.
The paper slid in quietly.
She knocked three times.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Then she quickly ducked back behind the haystack, holding her breath as she watched.
A few seconds later—
The door opened a crack.
Widow Zhang peeked out, immediately spotting the paper-wrapped money at the doorstep.
She froze for a moment, then her eyes lit up at the sight of the two yuan.
…
After finishing her task, Yan Zhao returned to the Gu family’s courtyard, where the smell of ash still hung in the air.
Li Ling was washing clothes by the well, sleeves rolled up high, scrubbing with such force it seemed she might tear the fabric.
Hearing footsteps, she abruptly looked up, her eyes brimming with a bucketful of suppressed rage.
Just as the woman was about to rush over and vent—
Yan Zhao spoke first. “Lingzi, how about we go to the county town early the day after tomorrow?”
Li Ling was stunned, her momentum halting mid-air.
“Go to the county town? But we have no money at home, do we?”
Yan Zhao sighed, her expression weary and helpless. “We really have no money, that’s why I need to make a call and ask Gu Yu if he has any. Besides, you and Brother Gu Cheng just got married, and the house is so empty—it’s really unfair to you. When we go to the county, I’ll buy you something.”
Li Ling froze, the anger in her eyes extinguished as if doused with a bucket of water.
After a long pause, her eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl upward. “Xiao Zhao, you’re still the one who treats me best.” She linked arms with Yan Zhao. “Even though I married Brother Gu Cheng, you’ll always be my best friend.”
Yan Zhao smiled gently.
But there was no warmth in her eyes.
She had heard those words countless times in her previous life.
Li Ling’s “best friend” was nothing more than a soft bun she could trample underfoot at will, someone she could vent her frustrations on anytime.
Unfortunately, in this life—
the soft bun had become someone holding a knife.
…
Since Yan Zhao insisted on going to the county to make a call for money, she didn’t work in the morning.
Li Ling and Gu Cheng tacitly accepted it.
In the afternoon, Yan Zhao took the initiative to pull Li Ling to the ditch to dig for wild vegetables.
Her reason was perfectly natural—
“There’s nothing left to eat in the house. If we don’t find some wild vegetables, we won’t even have porridge tonight.”
Although Li Ling was annoyed, she thought about the chaos of the newlywed period and the fact that there was indeed no food left at home, so she didn’t say much and simply followed her.
The two of them dug until the sky grew dim before slowly making their way back.
On the way, Yan Zhao spoke in a tone full of grievance, pity, and heartfelt concern: “You and Brother Gu Cheng encountered a fire on the very first day of your marriage, and you haven’t eaten or slept well since. I still feel sorry for you.”
“You’re my best friend, and you’ve already married Brother Gu Cheng. I hope you two reconcile tonight.”
Li Ling hadn’t expected her to be so magnanimous, but she nodded and said, “Xiao Zhao, thank you. You’re so kind.”
By the time it was completely dark, Yan Zhao and Li Ling finally returned home with a large bundle of wild vegetables.
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Yan Zhao sensed something off in the air.
Gu Cheng stood under the eaves, his clothes disheveled, his expression unnatural—as if guilty or nervous. He didn’t even approach them when he saw them return.
Li Ling didn’t notice. She tossed the wild vegetables into the kitchen and called out, “Brother Gu Cheng.”
She wanted to reconcile with Gu Cheng. Now that they were a couple, how could they stay angry with each other?
Gu Cheng responded softly, his voice drifting.
His eyes darted around nervously.
Yan Zhao stared at him in the darkness.
Yes, this was exactly the look.
Weak legs, shifty eyes, a guilty conscience.
She had worried that Gu Cheng might hesitate due to his status and not dare to stoop to such filth.
But it turned out he really went for it.
Such a despicable man—how could she have given so much for him in her previous life?
All that remained in Yan Zhao’s heart was a cold laugh.
But it didn’t matter anymore. The outcome she wanted had already been achieved.
She returned to the barely habitable shed, rummaged through the bottom of the broken wooden chest, and pulled out her cloth bag, packing her belongings one by one.
Tomorrow, when she went to the county town, she had no intention of returning.
She was going to the capital city to find Gu Yu.
As for Gu Cheng and Li Ling?
Let them slowly wait for the consequences to unfold.
In this lifetime, she would never return to serve them like a beast of burden.
When her movements paused, she suddenly thought of Gu Yu.
That little husband of hers.
When Yan Zhao became Gu Yu’s child bride, he was only five years old.
Back then, the little boy was as thin as a twig, his skin pale as if from illness, completely unlike other children who were naturally lively.
He was silent all day long, neither crying nor making a fuss, often standing in the shadow of the eaves, quietly watching others with a pair of pitch-black eyes.
That appearance sent chills down Yan Zhao’s spine, making her want to avoid him at all costs.
But after being reborn, when she recalled those days again, it felt entirely different.
A five-year-old child, neither crying nor making a fuss, silently hiding in the shadows—perhaps it wasn’t gloominess, but loneliness and neglect. No one was willing to approach him, no one was willing to keep him company, which led him to become that way.
Moreover, Gu Yu treated her very well when he grew up—
He gave her the monthly allowance in full every time, without asking for reasons or purposes. Even when she occasionally asked for a little more, he would silently give it to her without a word of complaint.
And besides, she and Gu Yu were still married.
In name, she was still Gu Yu’s wife.
Going to find her husband was the most natural thing in the world.
After clarifying this in her mind, she felt a sense of security she had never experienced in her previous life.
…
Yan Zhao woke up extremely early the next day. The sky was still shrouded in darkness, and the courtyard was as still as stagnant water.
Carrying her bundle, she walked into the kitchen, felt her way to the corner, pushed aside the soil covering it, and dug out that small, pitch-black jar.
This jar held the true family savings of the Gu family.
Gu Cheng always complained about having no money because he only ever carried five yuan on him.
Once he spent those five yuan, he would push her to go ask Gu Yu for more.
And all the money that could truly be considered savings was hidden in this jar, tightly held by him alone.
Yan Zhao wiped the jar clean and gently pried open the lid with her fingertips.
In an instant, neatly stacked banknotes, like densely packed bluish-gray blocks, lay quietly inside the jar.
One stack after another—
Beneath them were even grain coupons, cloth coupons, and oil coupons.
She pulled out the money, spread it one by one in her palm, and counted it again.
The more she counted, the colder her heart grew.
The more she counted, the more absurd it felt.
Over three thousand yuan.
This money—
was all the allowance she had been forced to ask Gu Yu for in her previous life, pleading with sweet words and lowering her head.
Gu Yu gave it to her every month, and she handed it over every month, only for Gu Cheng to slowly stash it all away in this jar.
In her previous life, she had even been scolded until she couldn’t lift her head, accused of being wasteful, living off others, and dragging down the Gu family.
Yan Zhao slowly took a deep breath, suppressing the rising chill, and divided the over three thousand yuan into several stacks by thickness. She tucked them into the very bottom of her bundle and covered them with spare clothes.
She intended to take all this money back to the capital and return it to Gu Yu.
Yan Zhao left the village.
The sky was still not fully lit, mist hung low to the ground, and everything was quiet.
She waited at the crossroads for a while until the sound of ox hooves clattering on the gravel road echoed from the distance.
The old man driving the cart rubbed his bleary eyes and, seeing her standing by the roadside with her bundle, was taken aback. “Gu’s wife, where are you going so early in the morning?”
Yan Zhao smiled meekly. “Uncle, I’m going to the county town to make a phone call to Gu Yu.”
The old man nodded without asking further and gestured for her to get on the cart.
She climbed onto the ox cart. The wooden planks shook violently, making her waist ache, but her mind was unusually calm.
The ox cart slowly swayed forward as the sky gradually brightened, a pale golden light spilling over the mountain ridge.
By the time they reached the county town gate, the sky was fully lit. The streets were lively—some people carried loads on shoulder poles, while children chased chickens around.
Yan Zhao didn’t delay. She walked to the bus station and bought a ticket for the bus heading to the provincial capital.
The car sped along, the road jolted even more violently, but the scenery outside the window gave her the first real sense that she was truly leaving.
Upon reaching the provincial capital, she wasted no time. Her first task was to take the proof to the train station to buy a ticket.
This proof had been obtained by Gu Cheng from the team leader a long time ago, intended to scare her, telling her to get lost.
Unexpectedly, today it became her pass to leave smoothly.
The ticket clerk glanced at the proof, then at her carrying a bundle, and without giving her any trouble, quickly stamped and issued the ticket.
Then she went to call Gu Yu. The call was answered by the admissions office of his school.
Usually, she only asked for money, but this time she left a message for Gu Yu, saying she was coming to find him.
The admissions office was surprised but still said, “Alright, I’ll tell him after class. What time is your train?”
Yan Zhao gave the time.
The train whistle roared to life. She squeezed through the crowd and boarded, sitting by the window, placing her bundle at her feet.
For the first time, she felt her chest light enough to breathe.