The mocking smile vanished from Wang Xiulan’s face.
She stared at the bright red marriage certificate in disbelief.
“A… a marriage certificate?”
Behind her, Li Xue and the other women leaned forward for a closer look.
“Impossible!” Wang Xiulan shrieked. “How dare you marry him!”
She turned toward Zhou Yu’an, ready to unleash another insult, but the cold look he gave her stopped her short.
She had no trouble mocking his disability behind his back. Confronting him directly was another matter.Li Xue, in particular, turned deathly pale.
Watching Wang Xiulan struggle between outrage and fear, Lin Wanxia felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
She stepped forward and stood beside Zhou Yu’an. Following his example, she raised her own marriage certificate and waved it lightly in front of Wang Xiulan.
“Auntie Wang… Oh, wait. I suppose I should call you Sister-in-law now.”
Lin Wanxia smiled. Her voice was gentle, but every word carried clearly to the people gathered around them.
“According to the family hierarchy, you and my husband belong to the same generation. That means your son, Zhou Jianbin, should address me as his Young Aunt.”
She paused, allowing the words to sink in.
“So, Sister-in-law, I hope you’ll teach your precious son some proper manners from now on. He really ought to learn how to show respect to his elders.”
Sister-in-law?
Young Aunt?
Those two forms of address struck Wang Xiulan and Li Xue like thunderbolts. Both women looked ready to faint on the spot.
Li Xue’s face drained of color.
She was supposed to become engaged to Zhou Jianbin. Once they married, wouldn’t she also have to address Lin Wanxia as her Young Aunt?
The thought was unbearable.
The country girl she had always looked down upon had suddenly become her elder by marriage.
Li Xue clenched her fists, struggling to contain her fury.
“You… you shameless little bitch!” Wang Xiulan shrieked, completely losing control of herself. “Have you no shame?”
Smack!
A crisp sound suddenly cut through the commotion.
Everyone froze.
Zhou Yu’an had raised his hand.
Between his fingers was the marriage certificate they had just received, its official seal still fresh.
And with that very certificate, he had lightly slapped Wang Xiulan across her foul mouth.
The movement hadn’t been particularly fast, nor had he used much force.
But the humiliation was unmistakable.
“Watch your mouth.”
Zhou Yu’an slowly lowered his hand, his voice as cold as ice.
“She is my wife now. Lin Wanxia is married to me, Zhou Yu’an.”
His gaze swept over Wang Xiulan and Li Xue, both of whom were staring at him in terror.
“If I hear you insult her again, you won’t get off so easily.”
There was something terrifying about the way he looked at them, as though neither woman was worth a moment of his concern.
Wang Xiulan clutched her cheek, too frightened to speak.
She had never imagined that Zhou Yu’an, her intimidating and usually reserved younger brother-in-law, would publicly humiliate her for Lin Wanxia’s sake.
Meanwhile, the commotion had attracted an even larger crowd.
The onlookers began whispering excitedly among themselves.
“Good heavens! Now this is going to be interesting!”
“Just think about it! The nephew’s former fiancée has suddenly become his aunt. What kind of family drama is this?”
“Secretary Zhou’s family has really made a laughingstock of itself this time!”
Every whispered remark felt like another needle piercing Wang Xiulan’s pride.
She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.
After casting one final, venomous glare at Lin Wanxia, she grabbed the dazed Li Xue and hurried away, practically stumbling over her own feet in her desperation to escape.
Watching the two women retreat in disgrace, Lin Wanxia felt a quiet satisfaction.
For once, she had stood up to the people who had made her previous life miserable—and she hadn’t faced them alone.
“Let’s go.”
Zhou Yu’an’s voice brought her back to the present.
She nodded and followed him.
As they walked, she glanced at his stern profile. He seemed entirely unaffected by the confrontation, as though defending her had been the most natural thing in the world.
Lin Wanxia smiled faintly.
Perhaps this marriage would turn out to be more than the arrangement she had originally imagined.
By the time they returned to the village, news of Lin Wanxia and Zhou Yu’an’s marriage had spread throughout the entire Hongqi Production Brigade.
The whole village was in an uproar.
Everyone seemed to have something to say about the unexpected marriage, but Lin Wanxia paid no attention to the gossip.
She went straight home to pack her belongings.
There wasn’t much to take.
Everything she owned fit into a small cloth bundle.
Her mother helped her pack, wiping away tears as she folded the few pieces of clothing her daughter possessed.
Her father sat silently on the doorstep, smoking his long-stemmed tobacco pipe without saying a word.
“Dad, Mom, I’m leaving.”
Lin Wanxia shouldered her bundle, then suddenly knelt before her parents.
She bowed deeply, touching her forehead to the ground three times.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been a better daughter. I’ve made you worry so much.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“But one day… when I’ve made something of myself, I’ll make sure you can live comfortably. I’ll take good care of you both.”
With those words, she rose to her feet.
She took one last look at her parents before turning and walking out of the house.
This time, she didn’t look back.
Zhou Yu’an’s home stood at the easternmost edge of the village, near the foot of the hill behind it.
It was a small, detached courtyard house built from mud bricks.
Far removed from the noise and bustle of the village, the place was exceptionally quiet.
Perhaps even a little lonely.
The courtyard, however, was spotless.
Several neat rows of green vegetables grew along the wall, adding a touch of life to the otherwise simple surroundings.
The house itself wasn’t large. It consisted of a main room and two smaller side rooms.
Its furnishings were modest, with little more than a bed, a table, and a few chairs.
There was nothing unnecessary or extravagant.
Yet everything had been carefully arranged. The floors were clean, the windows were bright, and not a single item seemed out of place.
Compared with Zhou Jianbin’s filthy, disorderly home, Zhou Yu’an’s place was remarkably clean and well kept.
“You can have the east room.”
Zhou Yu’an pointed toward the side room with a window.
“I’ve already cleaned it.”
Lin Wanxia nodded and stepped inside.
The moment she entered, Lin Wanxia noticed the bed.
Brand-new bedding had been neatly arranged across it, the bright red fabric embroidered with blooming peonies.
She paused.
Zhou Yu’an must have prepared everything before bringing her home.
He was a man of few words, but this small gesture revealed a thoughtfulness she hadn’t expected.
Lin Wanxia set her bundle on the bed and gently touched the soft fabric.
In her previous life, she had spent years struggling to survive. Now, standing in this modest room, she felt the unfamiliar comfort of having somewhere she belonged.
For the first time since her rebirth, she allowed herself to imagine what a peaceful life might feel like.
She was still arranging her belongings when a sudden commotion erupted outside the courtyard.
Heavy footsteps approached, accompanied by angry shouting.
“Zhou Yu’an! Get your ass out here!”
It was Zhou Dehai’s voice!
Lin Wanxia’s heart tightened.
She immediately hurried out of the room.
At the courtyard entrance stood Zhou Dehai and Wang Xiulan, accompanied by a furious Zhou Jianbin and several uncles and male relatives from the Zhou family.
They had gathered in a menacing group, clearly intending to cause trouble.
The red marks from yesterday’s scalding were still visible on Zhou Jianbin’s face.
His eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Lin Wanxia, looking as though he wanted to tear her apart.
“Uncle! What the hell is this supposed to mean?”
Zhou Jianbin pointed accusingly at Zhou Yu’an.
“Lin Wanxia is a woman I threw away! And now you’ve gone and picked her up? Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me?”
“You two have disgraced the entire Zhou family!” Zhou Dehai thundered, his face dark with anger.
Leaning on his cane, Zhou Yu’an emerged from the main room.
He looked at the group coldly.
“Since when did my marriage become any of your business?”
“You!”
Zhou Dehai was so thoroughly silenced by the response that he couldn’t immediately think of anything to say.
“This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!”
Wang Xiulan began shrieking again, throwing all restraint aside.
“Zhou Yu’an, listen to me carefully! Our Zhou family will never accept that woman! You will divorce her today, do you hear me? Otherwise, you can get the hell out of the Zhou family!”
“Get out?”
Zhou Yu’an let out a cold laugh.
“This house was left to me by my parents. And the land was allocated to me in recognition of the military service I nearly lost my life performing.”
His gaze hardened.
“So tell me, exactly where do you expect me to go?”
Wang Xiulan opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“As for whether I’ll divorce her…”
Zhou Yu’an turned his head and looked at Lin Wanxia standing beside him.
Then, in full view of everyone gathered at the courtyard entrance, he reached out and pulled her firmly to his side.
His large hand closed around hers.
His palm was rough and calloused, but the warmth of his touch seemed to burn straight into Lin Wanxia’s heart.
“Lin Wanxia is legally registered as my wife. We are properly and lawfully married.”
His voice was steady and unmistakably firm.
“Anyone who dares lay a finger on her will have to answer to me, Zhou Yu’an.”
Zhou Yu’an surveyed the assembled relatives.
“I don’t care whether you recognize this marriage or not.”
He tightened his hold on Lin Wanxia’s hand.
“From today onward, her words carry the same weight as mine in this household.”
His gaze settled on Zhou Jianbin.
“And according to our family hierarchy, she is your elder. You will treat her accordingly.”
He paused.
“If anyone objects, speak now.”
No one answered.
The relatives who had arrived so aggressively avoided his gaze. Even Zhou Jianbin, trembling with anger, remained silent.
Even Zhou Jianbin, who was trembling with rage, couldn’t bring himself to utter a single word of protest.
The courtyard fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Just then, Lin Wanxia stepped out from behind Zhou Yu’an.
She looked directly at Zhou Jianbin, whose face was turning red and pale by turns.
Then, as though she hadn’t noticed his fury at all, she gave him a bright, sweet smile.
“Well, my dear nephew, aren’t you forgetting something?”
Her smile grew even sweeter.
“Shouldn’t you greet your aunt properly when you see her?”