If Song Dabao still didn’t know when to quit and dared to provoke her, she wouldn’t hold back.
Song Dabao was the grandson of Old Madam Lin’s elder brother. He was twenty this year—already an age when, in rural areas of this era, some men even had children of their own.
He was short, barely around 1.6 meters, unattractive, and a bit… as people in the Northeast would say, simple-minded and rough.
The Song family was also notoriously stingy, unwilling to spend money on a bride price for him. So even at twenty, he still had no girlfriend.
In her previous life, he had inexplicably started pestering Lin Yuxi. At first, she didn’t think much of it—after all, the two families were relatives, so she never considered anything inappropriate.
Later on, with the help of the Lin family, Song Dabao had nearly committed something utterly vile against her. She had barely managed to escape.
Thinking back, Old Madam Lin must have told her brother’s family that Yuxi wasn’t truly a member of the Lin family. That gave them the idea of marrying her off to Song Dabao without spending a single cent.
Old Madam Lin had surely approved—and even taken part in it. After all, that was her natal family.
But her adoptive parents, Lin Lao’er and his wife, must have opposed it. There was no benefit in it for them—they wouldn’t even receive a proper bride price.
They still wanted to keep her as their lifelong “cash cow.” Why would they willingly marry her off to Song Dabao?
Later, when they agreed to let her attend high school, that was likely part of the reason. They wanted her to leave temporarily, to cut off the Song family’s intentions.
After all, Song Dabao was already twenty-one at that time—he couldn’t afford to wait.
On September 26, the autumn harvest break began. Lin Yuxi and the others were still assigned to cut grass for the production team’s cattle and horses.
The adult workers who usually handled this task were busy harvesting crops, so the job fell to these half-grown children.
The autumn harvest was even busier than spring planting—everyone had to work in the fields, including Old Madam Lin.
She recalled her visit to her elder brother’s home a few days earlier. Her brother was already over eighty, and Song Dabao, his youngest grandson, was still unmarried at twenty, which worried him greatly.
When she visited, he asked her to think of a solution—but what could she do?
In rural areas, as long as you could afford a bride price, you could find a wife. But her brother’s family neither had outstanding sons nor were they willing to pay.
Where could she possibly find a bride under those conditions?
Still, it was her natal family. Song Dabao was her grandnephew—she had to help somehow.
Then suddenly, an idea struck her.
Didn’t her own household have a ready-made candidate? They had raised that girl for so many years—surely not for nothing.
Rather than letting her marry someone else in the future, wouldn’t it be better to marry her to Dabao? At least the “benefit” would stay within the family.
“There actually… is someone,” she said hesitantly. Marrying Yuxi to Dabao—her second son’s family probably wouldn’t agree.
Those two were selfish to the core. If she hadn’t accidentally discovered the baby swap back then, they might never have told her.
And all the benefits they gained afterward—who knew how much they had secretly pocketed?
“Who is it? Which family? Tell us quickly!” Old Master Song, Old Madam Song, and Dabao’s parents all looked at her expectantly.
Old Madam Lin glanced around. Fortunately, her brother’s other children weren’t present. The fewer people who knew about Yuxi’s situation, the better.
“If I tell you, you mustn’t spread it,” she warned. Only after they nodded did she continue:
“It’s Yuxi, from my second son’s family. She’s not his biological daughter, so there’s no blood relation with Dabao. She’d be perfect as his wife.”
“What? How could she not be his biological child?” they asked, shocked.
“That’s none of your concern. Just don’t let it get out. The girl herself doesn’t know.”
“If she finds out, she’ll definitely go looking for her real parents—and then Dabao will lose his bride,” Old Madam Lin added anxiously.
“But on the surface, they’re relatives. What will people say?” Dabao’s mother asked.
She was actually quite satisfied with Yuxi as a daughter-in-law—the girl was hardworking, quiet, and pretty. A good match for her son.
After all, in a mother’s eyes, her son is always the best—even someone like Song Dabao.
“Let people talk if they want,” Old Master Song said. “We’ll just hold a simple wedding at home and not register it. Nothing will happen.”
“But not now,” Old Madam Lin added. “Yuxi is only fifteen—too young. It’ll attract gossip.”
“At least wait until next year, when she turns sixteen and graduates middle school. Then we’ll find a way to get them married.”
“And if people talk too much, we’ll just say she was picked up somewhere—no one knows who her real parents are.”
“Once they’re married, what choice will she have but to live properly with Dabao?”
Thus, Old Madam Lin and the Song family secretly plotted how to scheme against Lin Yuxi.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuxi was also waiting for Song Dabao.
If he dared to come near her, she would make sure he learned a lesson he’d never forget.
The busy farming season had begun, and she continued cutting grass. At this time of year, the grass was thick and tall, but even a full basket—packed tight—earned only one work point.
When turning in the task, the grass had to be dumped on the ground and evaluated by volume, so there was no way to cheat.
Yuxi didn’t care. She already had plenty of money, and in less than a month, the corn in her space would be ready to sell again.
She no longer needed to deliberately hunt wild chickens or rabbits to sell—but if she came across them, she wouldn’t pass them up. Keeping them for herself was fine too.
For the first two days, she stayed near the foot of the mountain like the other children. This body was used to labor, naturally outperforming the others.
Of course, she wasn’t foolish enough to give it her all—no matter how many work points she earned, she wouldn’t see a single cent.
Seeing others manage three or four baskets a day for three or four points, she did the same. Whenever she had free time, she slipped into her space to rest.
On the third day, Song Dabao finally appeared.
He had heard from his mother that Lin Yuxi would become his future wife. He didn’t understand any notion that relatives couldn’t marry.
Although his mother warned him that Yuxi was still young and told him not to tell anyone—or he’d lose his wife—he kept thinking about it.
So early that morning, he skipped work and went straight to Old Madam Lin’s house.
As the youngest son and youngest grandson in the family, Song Dabao was doted on despite his looks. Whether he worked or not, no one really cared.
Old Madam Lin watched him sit down and eat breakfast with them, already feeling a headache coming on—unsure how to handle him.