Everyone in the courtyard had been listening intently to Qin Wang.
When he finished speaking, they all let out long sighs of relief.
“It’s good that they found him. As long as they found him.”
Only Qin Yuan felt no relief whatsoever. Instead, suspicion churned endlessly in her heart.
Xiajiawan, where the Qin family lived, was situated at a three-way river junction. With the rivers serving as boundaries, the surrounding area belonged to three different communes.
Xiajiawan belonged to Changxi Commune. Across the river to the right was Meilin Commune, which led toward the county town. Across the river to the left was Baomen Commune, most of which consisted of forest farms.
In her previous life, Xia Junsheng had only returned a month later.
He claimed that a deaf-mute old man from Meilin Commune on the right bank had rescued him. He also said that the old man had a strange temper. Although the man had saved him, he had kept Xia Junsheng confined for an entire month.
Whenever Xia Junsheng mentioned that old man, he would become furious.
Back then, Qin Yuan had been overwhelmed with joy upon seeing Xia Junsheng return from the dead. She believed everything he said without ever questioning a single word.
But this time, Qin Wang had brought back information obtained directly from the police.
There was no way the location of the rescue could be wrong.
So…
Was the person rescued at Baomen Forest Farm really Xia Junsheng?
The suspicion in Qin Yuan’s heart only grew stronger.
Hu Yinglian, however, had already decided that the rescued man had to be her son.
She scrambled up from the ground and immediately grabbed Qin Wang.
“Where in the forest farm is he? Hurry! Take us there!”
Qin Wang was still young and couldn’t understand all the hidden schemes behind everything that had happened. Seeing how frantic Hu Yinglian was, he looked helplessly toward Qin Yuan.
“Sis, he’s at the clinic in Baomen Forest Farm. The police said that when the forest farm reported the situation, they specifically emphasized that Brother Junsheng was in critical condition. They told us to bring plenty of money and an introduction letter. We’ll probably have to transfer him to a major hospital for treatment. Otherwise…”
Before he could finish, Hu Yinglian thrust a filthy finger toward Qin Yuan and shrieked,
“See?! This is what happened to him because he saved you! Qin Yuan, hurry up and get the money to save him! And we need the clan elder to witness everything and write up an agreement right now. You’re marrying into our family immediately!
“What are you glaring at me for? What, now that you’ve heard Junsheng isn’t dead, you want to go back on your word? Not a chance! He was injured because of you, so you have to marry him and take care of him for the rest of his life! You also need to compensate us at least five hundred yuan for his medical expenses. Hurry up and sign the agreement and put your fingerprint on it!”
Qin Yuan instinctively leaned away from Hu Yinglian’s filthy hand.
It wasn’t because she was afraid of the woman making a scene.
She simply couldn’t stand the lingering stench coming from her body.
Although the freezing wind in the courtyard had dispersed most of it, the smell remained horribly pungent. Getting even slightly closer made Qin Yuan feel like vomiting.
Qin Yuan had no intention of arguing with a walking pile of filth.
Instead, she turned toward Xia Kunshan and spoke earnestly.
“Grandpa Clan Elder, since Xia Junsheng isn’t dead, there’s no longer any question of repaying his life with mine. Even if he really was the one who saved me, it’s only right that my family cover his medical expenses. But forcing me to marry into the Xia family is completely unreasonable. Auntie Hu is even demanding five hundred yuan the moment she opens her mouth. Isn’t that extortion? Is the Xia clan really going to stand by and watch her extort me like this?”
Five hundred yuan really was an excessive amount.
The expressions of the people nearby subtly changed.
Even those who had originally supported Hu Yinglian began to feel that something wasn’t right.
Xia Junsheng wasn’t even dead.
How could saving someone suddenly earn him both a wife and a fortune?
And what did those who had helped Hu Yinglian get out of it?
Nothing!
The crowd immediately began discussing the matter.
Some said that offering oneself in marriage to repay a life-saving debt was perfectly reasonable, but if Qin Yuan married Xia Junsheng, the Xia family shouldn’t demand additional compensation.
Others argued that this was a new society now, and forcing someone into marriage was inappropriate. Paying compensation should be enough.
Even more people said that since Xia Junsheng had finally been located, they should go see him first. Why was Hu Yinglian still obsessing over the marriage?
As Qin Yuan listened to the discussion, another question surfaced in her mind.
Hu Yinglian and Xia Min were clearly after her university admission slot.
So why were they so determined to force her to marry Xia Junsheng?
In her previous life, everyone had believed Xia Junsheng was dead. The Xia family had lost an able-bodied worker, so Qin Yuan could at least understand why they had forced her to marry into the family.
But in this life, Xia Junsheng was still alive.
There had never been a marriage agreement between their families, either.
She simply couldn’t understand Hu Yinglian’s obsession.
Hu Yinglian hadn’t expected the crowd’s attitude to change merely because she had tried to demand a little more.
Some people were even saying they wanted to leave and stop involving themselves in this mess.
She panicked.
Hu Yinglian suddenly rushed toward the entrance and spread her arms wide, blocking everyone’s path.
“No one is allowed to leave! Until Qin Yuan signs the agreement and puts her fingerprint on it, nobody is walking through this gate! My Junsheng fell into the river because he was doing a good deed! When all of you came here earlier, you agreed that Qin Yuan should marry my Junsheng and serve him for the rest of her life! Why are you suddenly taking the side of an outsider now? Nobody leaves until the agreement is written!”
Everyone was already furious after the earlier “manure fiasco.”
Now that Hu Yinglian shamelessly blocked their way, their patience completely ran out.
The women who had previously helped her stir up trouble only wanted to hurry home and change their clothes. None of them was willing to speak up for Hu Yinglian anymore.
“They already found him! What are you still making a fuss about?”
“Hu Yinglian, shouldn’t saving your son be more important right now? Why are you blocking the gate?”
“Whether Qin Yuan marries into your family is your business. It’s not like I’m getting anything out of it!”
The same people who had surrounded Hu Yinglian in support earlier now shoved past her and left.
In an instant, more than half the courtyard emptied.
Hu Yinglian suddenly found herself isolated and without support. Her arrogance weakened considerably, but she still stubbornly blocked the entrance and continued making a scene.
“I don’t care! Qin Yuan, if you don’t write an agreement and sign it, I’ll hang myself right here from your gate! This time I’ll really die, and I’ll make sure your Qin family never knows peace for the rest of your lives!”
Qin Yuan coldly watched Hu Yinglian’s disgusting performance.
She understood perfectly well what the woman was thinking.
Hu Yinglian was probably afraid that something might change if they waited too long. She wanted to use Xia Junsheng’s status as Qin Yuan’s “savior” to permanently secure both the marriage and Qin Yuan’s university admission slot.
But in truth, Qin Yuan was even more anxious than she was.
What if the person at the forest farm wasn’t Xia Junsheng?
What if he was the person who had truly saved her?
If they continued wasting time here, they might delay something far more important.
They couldn’t drag this out any longer.
Qin Yuan stepped forward. Her hoarse, raspy voice immediately drowned out Hu Yinglian’s wailing.
“Fine. We can write an agreement. I’ll give you two choices. First, I marry him, and there will be no other compensation whatsoever. Second, I don’t marry him. My family pays his medical expenses and gives him the work points I earn over the next three years. Choose now. If you refuse to choose, I’m going back inside. You can stand here and waste your own time.”
Hu Yinglian still wanted to bargain.
But the truth was, being covered in filth and surrounded by that horrible stench had drained everyone’s patience.
Even Xia Kunshan, who had initially believed he could remain composed, had long since become irritated by the foul odor filling the courtyard.
He finally snapped at Hu Yinglian.
“Third Xia’s wife, don’t push your luck! Enough is enough! If you keep making trouble, even I won’t help you anymore!”
Seriously, the stench was unbearable.
Who could possibly endure it?!
Xia Min hadn’t appeared to have much say in the matter, but at that moment, she leaned over and whispered several words into her mother’s ear.
Hu Yinglian considered her options briefly before immediately changing her demand.
“Fine! I choose to have Qin Yuan marry into our family. But she has to give us an additional hundred yuan for medical expenses. Then we’ll go to the forest farm!”
Xia Kunshan didn’t even bother asking Qin Yuan for her opinion before impatiently making the decision.
“Then it’s settled! Hurry up and get ready. We’re going to the forest farm!”
See?
When it came down to it, he still favored his own clansmen.
Bah!
Qin Yuan cursed the old man inwardly, but outwardly, she remained perfectly calm as she began making arrangements.
“Fine. Grandpa Clan Elder, Uncle Captain, please go inside and warm yourselves up. You can help write the agreement while you’re there. Auntie Hu, you and Xia Min should go home and change your clothes first. You can’t possibly visit Xia Junsheng looking like this. As for the hundred yuan, I need to go inside and prepare it. We’ll all leave together in half an hour.”
Everything she said was perfectly reasonable, so no one objected.
Hu Yinglian was already miserable from the filth covering her body, so she didn’t dare linger any longer.
After shooting Qin Yuan a vicious glare, she hurried home with Xia Min.
Only Clan Elder Xia Kunshan and Production Team Captain Xia Shugen remained inside the house.
Qin Yuan asked her mother to retrieve two packs of Peony cigarettes that her late father had hidden away.
She respectfully handed them to the two men.
“It’s freezing outside, yet the two of you elders have had to run around handling all these matters. I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble.”
These cigarettes came from Hai City and were considered a rare luxury in their remote mountain village.
The moment the two men accepted them, their attitudes noticeably softened.
Xia Kunshan even made a halfhearted attempt to refuse.
“Oh, there’s no need for this. Since we’re acting as witnesses to the agreement, all that matters is that you keep your word. We shouldn’t be taking anything from you.”
Qin Yuan remained humble and respectful, but calmly slipped in her own condition.
“Grandpa Clan Elder, please keep the cigarettes. I will definitely keep my word—whoever saved my life is the man I’ll marry. So the agreement should state: ‘I, Qin Yuan, willingly agree to marry the person who saved my life.’ There shouldn’t be any problem with wording it that way, right?”
Production Team Captain Xia Shugen had already stuffed the cigarettes into his pocket. He immediately spoke up in support.
“No problem! Everyone agrees that Xia Junsheng was the one who saved you anyway. Writing it like that makes no difference!”
Xia Kunshan shot the captain a look, then subtly lifted his chin toward him.
“Write it! Write exactly what Qin Yuan said!”
Qin Yuan: I’ll only marry the man who saved my life.
Xia Junsheng: I’m obviously the savior.
Little Wangwang: Dream on! You think my wife would ever be interested in you?
The true savior can’t stay hidden much longer!