Gu Wan’er glanced at the empty house, her eyes rolling as an idea formed in her mind.
Gu Wan’er had just finished washing up when she came face to face with an unfamiliar auntie.
She stared at the stranger with a somewhat dazed expression. “Auntie, who are you looking for?”
“I’m from the neighboring village.”
“I’ve come today to arrange a meeting for your family’s Ting’er. You really have good taste—that Chen San…”
Gu Wan’er had only heard the first half of the sentence before her face turned somewhat pale. Combined with the wounds on her face, it gave her an air of pitiful delicacy that made one’s heart ache.
The matchmaker auntie had never expected to meet such an exquisitely beautiful girl in this village.
She began mentally sizing up her own nephews, thinking that only a girl this beautiful was worthy of matching with her family.
Once Chen San’s marriage matter was settled, she would look into this girl’s situation.
The matchmaker had met Gu Ting’er before, so she naturally knew the girl before her was not Gu Ting’er.
Gu Wan’er glanced at the empty house, her eyes rolling as an idea formed in her mind.
As long as she drove this matchmaker away and made her lose face, Chen San probably wouldn’t be able to find another matchmaker for a while. By then, her cousin Ting’er wouldn’t need to marry an old widower who beat his wives.
With this thought, Gu Wan’er set down the towel in her hands and said earnestly, “Auntie, my cousin has no intention of meeting that Chen San. You’ve come to the wrong place.”
Hearing this, the matchmaker immediately frowned.
“A little girl like you—what say could you possibly have in your family’s affairs?”
She waved her hand, her tone carrying a hint of impatience. “Your uncle only just sent someone to contact me yesterday, asking me to arrange the meeting.”
“I’ve already gotten in touch with the groom’s side. They’ll be coming by later today. I only came to let your family know.”
“Where are the adults of your household?”
Gu Wan’er was now sixteen years old.
In the village, most girls her age were already engaged.
And Gu Ting’er was only a few months older than her.
In the eyes of the village aunties, the unmarried Gu sisters were still children, with no say whatsoever in household matters.
The matchmaker auntie stood on tiptoe, peering past the fence at the Gu family’s earthen house, but saw no one else from the family.
She couldn’t help frowning. “Gu the eldest really doesn’t handle things efficiently. Someone told him the meeting would be today, so why isn’t there a soul in sight?”
“Auntie, my uncle has changed his mind. He doesn’t want to—”
Before Gu Wan’er could finish, Gu Zehai and Jiang Youdi, who had rushed back home upon receiving the news, cut her off.
Although Jiang Youdi was unhappy about this marriage, after marrying into the Gu family all these years without producing an heir for Gu the eldest, she felt she had no standing and didn’t dare interfere in her daughter’s affairs.
She even put on a fawning smile when the matchmaker arrived. “Aiyo, Auntie Cheng, you’ve finally come!”
“Come inside quickly. I’ll make you some sugar water, Auntie Cheng.”
As she spoke, Jiang Youdi ushered the matchmaker inside.
Seeing Jiang Youdi’s demeanor, the matchmaker looked smug.
She was the best matchmaker for miles around.
Countless couples had been matched under her hand.
If the Chen family hadn’t been so generous with their payment, she would never have come to this small mountain village.
The small mountain village was a famously poor one in the area.
The entire village was destitute, and arranging marriages here was extremely difficult.
Matchmaking here basically brought no benefits at all.
The matchmaker auntie had only come here after being urged and requested three or four times, and she had arrived quite reluctantly.
She never expected that in this impoverished village there would be such a pretty, delicate girl, and someone so perceptive of others’ moods at that.
This trip hadn’t been a waste after all.
Gu Wan’er, afraid that Gu Ting’er wouldn’t be around and the matter would become settled, quickly spoke up, “Uncle…”
“Wan’er, Uncle knows what he’s doing. A girl like you should just learn sewing from your mother when you have free time—that way you can find yourself a good match.”
The words fell with a hint of lecturing in them.
Gu Wan’er realized that her family saw her opinions as nothing more than a child’s whims.
They wouldn’t take her opinion into account.
And if this marriage was settled, Sister Ting’er certainly wouldn’t go easy on the fifth household.
What was she supposed to do?
Gu Ting’er learned from the village children that there were guests at her home.
At such a sensitive time, the identity of the guests didn’t require much guessing.
Gu Ting’er had no intention of marrying that abusive old widower.
She was still so young—why should she have to throw away her whole life over some trumped-up charges?
A place like this small mountain village was terribly backward.
Even if life became unbearable, hardly anyone ever mentioned divorce…
Gu Ting’er refused to end up beaten to death with no one to care or intervene.
Since all of this started because of you, it should end because of you…
Gu Ting’er looked in the direction of the Gu family home, a somewhat malicious expression appearing on her delicate face.
Clearly, she had already thought of a solution.
Gu Wan’er assumed Gu Ting’er didn’t know what was happening at home and hurriedly ran toward the fields.
She wanted to be the first to tell Gu Ting’er the news.
But when she reached the fields, she only saw Ah Ye and Ah Nai busy at work, along with Second Uncle and the others—no sign of Gu Ting’er anywhere.
“Goudan, have you seen my sister Ting’er?”
Goudan sniffled back the snot dripping from his nose, tilted his head with a thoughtful sound, and pointed in a nearby direction.
Gu Wan’er didn’t think much of it and immediately headed off in the direction Goudan had pointed.
As she walked along, she didn’t see Gu Ting’er—instead, she came upon a cattle shed.
Inside the shed, a slender figure was busily working, in and out.
Zhong Heyang? What was he doing here?
The environment of the cattle shed was completely at odds with Zhong Heyang, who was wearing a dacron shirt.
Gu Wan’er felt that someone with Zhong Heyang’s bearing should be like the big bosses she’d seen back when she worked—bodyguards trailing behind him, sitting in luxurious hotels, talking business confidently with commercial rivals—not tidying up filthy messes in a cattle shed.
Watching him for a while, Gu Wan’er couldn’t help but speak up, “Do you need any help?”
Zhong Heyang had long since noticed Gu Wan’er’s presence.
But he paid her no mind.
She was just a stranger—she’d have nothing to do with him.
He just hadn’t expected Gu Wan’er to ask him if he needed help.
Zhong Heyang immediately raised his head warily, looking at Gu Wan’er.
Unprompted kindness meant treachery or theft.
Even people you knew would betray you when interests were at stake, let alone someone unfamiliar.
Who knew what this person’s motives were?
His family could barely take care of itself right now—it couldn’t afford any more upheavals.
With that thought, Zhong Heyang immediately lowered his head, not even glancing at Gu Wan’er, and continued tidying up on his own.
Gu Wan’er didn’t know why she had said those words just now.
Being silently rejected like this, she felt a flush of heat spread across her face in an instant.
So awkward… What should she do… As if completely oblivious to Gu Wan’er’s embarrassment, Zhong Heyang calmly picked up the basin and headed to the river in the village to fetch water.
There was no water at Niu Peng’s place, after all.