Jiang Nuan wasn’t stupid—how could she not understand the unspoken meaning in the clerk’s words?
They had only met once, yet the woman was willing to say so much. Jiang Nuan felt grateful for her well-meant advice.
“Don’t worry, big sister,” Jiang Nuan said reassuringly, giving her a confident look.
As she glanced at the man’s broad, straight back, a strong sense of security filled her heart.
“This time, I definitely won’t choose wrong. He’s a good man. I believe he’ll make me happy.”
Though they kept their voices low, Lu Lin had spent years in the army. Every single word reached his ears clearly.
Hearing her praise, his gaze shifted slightly in shock.
She… trusted him that much?
Emotion surged in his chest, thick and overwhelming, clogging his throat.
For that one sentence alone—
Even if it cost him his life, he would make her happy.
Seeing Jiang Nuan’s mind was made up, the clerk stopped trying to persuade her and smiled instead.
“Since you’ve thought it through, I wish you both happiness.”
“Thank you,” Jiang Nuan replied sincerely.
The woman waved her hand. “No need to thank me. I’ll go process your marriage certificate.”
After submitting their documents, Jiang Nuan sat beside Lu Lin and waited quietly.
Suddenly, the hand resting beneath the table was clasped.
She froze and turned to him, meeting his gentle, smiling eyes. That fluttering chaos in her chest returned.
Lu Lin looked at her, his heart pounding like a drum, afraid she might pull away.
Instead, Jiang Nuan smiled—and tightened her grip around his hand.
Their fingers intertwined.
His lashes trembled as he lowered his gaze to their joined hands, reluctant to look away.
“Sign your names here. From now on, you’ll be husband and wife.”
The clerk handed over a form.
Jiang Nuan signed her name without hesitation.
When Lu Lin saw her name written there, he clenched the pen tightly and, with trembling hands, signed his own.
Soon, the clerk solemnly handed them two marriage certificates—bright red, like award certificates.
Jiang Nuan accepted hers with a smile. “Thank you, big sister. Sorry for the trouble.”
Lu Lin took his and spoke his first words since arriving.
“Thank you.”
The clerk blinked in surprise. She had thought the man might be mute along with having injured legs.
“You’re welcome. Congratulations on your marriage!”
They thanked her again and left.
Back at the flatbed cart, Lu Lin stared at the freshly issued marriage certificate for a long time.
Seeing his name pressed right next to Jiang Nuan’s, a happiness he had never known wrapped around his heart.
“Lie down properly. We’re heading back,” Jiang Nuan said, folding the certificates to put them away—only to realize she’d rushed out without bringing a bag.
“Give them to me,” Lu Lin said, extending his hand.
Without thinking much, she handed them over. Smiling, she added, “Today’s our big day. There’s still some meat at home—we’ll make dumplings tonight.”
His lips curved upward. “Alright.”
The moment she turned away, he carefully folded her certificate and placed both of them together in the inner pocket over his heart.
With the certificates secured, Jiang Nuan slowed their pace on the way back. By the time they reached Lotus Flower Village, it was already dusk.
From afar, they saw a crowd gathered at the Lu family gate.
“Impossible! Lu Lin is my own brother. How could that wretch Jiang Nuan register marriage with him?!”
Hearing Lu Daqiang’s shocked voice, Jiang Nuan paused slightly.
“They’re back!”
Villagers spotted Jiang Nuan pulling Lu Lin on the cart and began pointing and whispering.
“She divorced Lu Daqiang in the morning and registered with Lu Lin in the afternoon. They must’ve been involved already. She fooled us all this morning.”
“Must be. Otherwise, how could she remarry so fast?”
Several women looked at Jiang Nuan with disdain, convinced she was shameless and promiscuous.
The brigade leader’s wife frowned. “Nothing’s been clarified yet. Stop gossiping behind people’s backs. Jiang Nuan has always been honest. She wouldn’t do something so disgraceful.
“And she’s already divorced Lu Daqiang. Who she marries now is her business. It has nothing to do with outsiders like us.”
The others dared not speak further, but the contempt in their eyes remained.
Lu Daqiang, seeing Jiang Nuan truly together with Lu Lin, shoved villagers aside and strode forward, blocking her path.
“Jiang Nuan! They say you registered marriage with Lu Lin. Is it true?!”
Without waiting for her answer, he barked, “It must be nonsense! Lu Lin is my—”
“It’s true.”
Jiang Nuan frowned impatiently and shoved him aside. “Move! You’re blocking my way. Keep it up and I’ll beat you, believe it or not!”
Lu Daqiang fell to the ground, staring in disbelief as she pulled the cart past him.
Impossible!
How could they have registered?!
His mind short-circuited. Rage and humiliation surged as if a green hat had been forced onto his head. He scrambled up to chase after her—
Only to meet his younger brother’s icy gaze.
His foot suddenly slipped. He fell face-first, twisting his ankle and howling in pain.
The villagers burst into laughter.
Hearing his screams, Jiang Nuan turned back and laughed along with them.
Seeing her gloating expression, Lu Daqiang jumped up in fury.
“Jiang Nuan! You shameless bitch! You two must’ve been involved long ago! You dared to cuckold me! I’ll never let you off!”
Her expression turned cold.
Parking the cart, she bent down and picked up a stone.
“Y-You… what are you doing? Ah!”
Without a word, she smashed the stone against his forehead.
Blood poured instantly.
The onlookers instinctively stepped back, afraid of getting their heads split open next.
Clutching his bleeding forehead, Lu Daqiang pointed at her with his other hand.
“Jiang Nuan! If I’d known you were this heartless, I never would’ve saved you! I should’ve let you drown!”
Jiang Nuan let out a mocking snort.
“Lu Daqiang, dare you swear it was you who saved me?”
He stared at her cold eyes. His brow twitched; his throat felt stuffed with cotton.
Lu Lin’s gaze toward Jiang Nuan shifted sharply.
She… knew?
“W-What do you mean?” Lu Daqiang forced himself to play dumb under her piercing stare.
The villagers noticed his evasive eyes and instantly leaned in, hungry for gossip.
Jiang Nuan’s face was expressionless.
“I was going to leave you some dignity. But since you insist on claiming credit, don’t blame me for exposing your true face.”
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, she turned to Lu Lin.
“The one who saved me back then wasn’t Lu Daqiang. It was him—Lu Lin.”
The crowd gasped.
Jiang Nuan met Lu Lin’s eyes. When she proposed earlier, she’d been too nervous—she’d only mentioned the wedding night and the child, forgetting to talk about his life-saving grace.
Now, revealing it publicly was a good thing. If people knew he had saved her, it would silence much of the gossip about their marriage.
“Not long ago, I overheard Lu Daqiang, Lu Rou, and Old Madam Lu talking. That’s how I learned the truth.”
Images from her previous life flashed before her eyes—the moment she fell into the river.
As she sank, she had glimpsed Lu Rou’s face on the water’s surface.
Later, she had thought it was just an illusion.
But now everything connected.
“My falling into the river wasn’t an accident. Lu Rou pushed me in while I was washing clothes.
“The plan was to create the illusion that Lu Daqiang risked his life to save me, fooling everyone.
“Then he would marry me despite public ridicule, making me feel indebted—so I’d serve him like an ox or horse for life, obedient to his every command.
“With me as a convenient shield, Lu Daqiang could continue his affair with Lu Rou without suspicion.
“They just didn’t expect something to go wrong. Somehow, it was Lu Lin who saved me—but Lu Daqiang took the credit.
“I almost got caught overhearing them and ran off before I could hear how it happened exactly.”
Lu Daqiang was dumbfounded. When had that brat been eavesdropping so much?
The villagers noticed his restless eyes and all turned their gaze toward the man on the flatbed cart.
Lu Lin met their confused looks and spoke, while Lu Daqiang’s eyes widened in panic.
“At that time, I was secretly on a mission passing through our village, and I happened to see…” Lu Lin looked at Jiang Nuan, his expression softening.
“I saw my wife fall into the water, rescued her, and handed her over to Lu Rou, who came rushing. I told her that once my wife woke up, she should tell her that I would come back to propose after finishing my mission. But when I returned…”
By the time he came back, it was already too late.
No words were needed after that—everyone already knew what had happened.
By the time he returned, Lu Daqiang had already married Jiang Nuan.
“So that’s what happened!”
The villagers exclaimed in shock. Even in stories, this wouldn’t be written so dramatically.
“That shameless Lu Daqiang! To have an affair with Lu Rou, he even came up with such a devious scheme!”
Lu Daqiang hung his head. No wonder the second brother left in a hurry—it turned out he had to leave for a mission.
Jiang Nuan listened to Lu Lin call her “my wife” again and again. Her face burned with embarrassment as she reflected on the twists of fate.
Suddenly, she remembered the rushing water that day.
All the mysteries became clear.
Lu Rou had pushed her into the water. Lu Daqiang hid in the shadows and didn’t dare to rescue her because the current was too strong.
By chance, Lu Lin, who was on a mission, saw her and pulled her to shore.
At that moment, Lu Rou pretended to just pass by. Since Lu Lin couldn’t reveal himself because of his mission, he handed her over to Lu Rou.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know it was all a trap. He trusted the wrong person, and Lu Daqiang took advantage of the situation.
And she mistook her savior, making mistake after mistake, until she ended up with a tragic fate.
Jiang Nuan dug her nails into her palms and recounted everything from start to finish to everyone, and then glared at Lu Daqiang amid the crowd’s scolding.
Lu Daqiang shook like a leaf, his voice trembling. “J-Jiang Nuan, don’t try to fool everyone here! I rescued you myself, everyone saw it! They can all testify for me!”
Just then, Lu Lin suddenly spoke…