Jiang Li thought back and forth, still unable to come up with a good idea, when someone suddenly burst out of the forest.
“Jiang Jie, Si Pang said you’re going to marry Wang Er. Is that true?” Ding Shijun looked at Jiang Li with a troubled expression.
Ding Shijun was seventeen this year. The “Si Pang” he referred to was Jiang Weiguo.
The Ding family had four brothers. The eldest had joined the army early on, and after being injured on the battlefield, he returned to the village with a permanent leg injury. Their father had died early, and their mother was in poor health.
The five of them survived entirely on the elder brother’s relief money, living a very difficult life.
In her previous life, Jiang Li often met Ding Shijun while collecting herbs and would intentionally teach him how to recognize certain medicinal herbs so he could sell them at the market.
Later, after Jiang Li gained her abilities, she secretly helped the Ding family as well. Unlike the ungrateful members of the Jiang family, the Dings had always wanted to repay her for this small kindness.
Unfortunately, misfortune struck the Ding family: their mother fell seriously ill, the eldest brother’s leg condition worsened, and both passed away one after another. Ding Shijun had to take care of his two younger brothers, struggling to make a living.
Moreover, he was mercilessly suppressed by Jiang Li’s third uncle, Jiang Aiguo. Forget about repaying her—they barely survived.
Yet even then, when she passed away and her soul left her body, she saw him bring his two younger brothers to collect her body.
Now, seeing him again, it was hard to tell who owed whom.
Still, seeing the energetic Ding Shijun again felt so good.
His mother and elder brother were still alive, and all the sources of past suffering hadn’t occurred yet. Since she had a second chance at life, did that mean she had the power to change everything?
Jiang Li stepped forward. “The Jiang family does intend to marry me off to Wang Er, but I have no plans to go. Shijun, do you want to help Jiang Jie?”
“Whatever you say, as long as it keeps you from marrying Wang Er, I’ll do anything,” Ding Shijun promised, patting his chest.
His sincerity moved Jiang Li. This was just someone she had helped with a small favor, and yet he would stand up for her, while her own brothers, whom she had raised with all her care, were only thinking of trading her for money!
Truly, bad seeds are born, she sometimes wondered if she even belonged to the Jiang family.
“No rush, Jie will first help you make some money,” Jiang Li’s plan was a bit risky, but it was undoubtedly a good way to strike back at the Jiang family.
Night fell, and wild beasts occasionally appeared in the deep mountains. The Jiang family’s lights were unusually left on.
“Where has she gone? How can it be so late and she still isn’t back?” Jiang Jianguo worried, turning to glare at Jiang Weiguo.
“It’s all your fault! Eating those thorny fruits—you know well enough that forests with thorns are traps. What if she had fallen? If she couldn’t marry Wang Er, you wouldn’t even get the bride price. You’ll be in trouble.”
“Why are you scolding him? I think that girl is doing it on purpose to make us worry, without thinking of her own limits. A useless girl—who cares if she gets hurt?” Li Qiujü frowned.
“The eldest, don’t worry. That girl has spent nights in the forest before, she’ll be fine. I guarantee she’ll marry into the Wang family safely in three days.”
“Then you just wait happily to be the bridegroom.”
Thinking that her eldest son was about to marry the village beauty, Li Qiujü was full of joy. So many young men in the village had been eager to marry her.
With her son as the groom, how many people would envy them? Once their family became related to the village chief, her status would rise, and everyone would be jealous.
After raising this useless girl for twenty years, at least she finally proved useful. That year of beatings hadn’t been in vain.
Convinced by his mother, Jiang Jianguo went to sleep happily.
Seeing her son asleep, Li Qiujü got up and turned off the lights before returning to her room.
She really wasn’t worried about Jiang Li. In her view, that girl had nowhere else to go besides the Jiang family, and daughters were born to serve the family’s sons.
If Jiang Li didn’t understand this, the Jiang family wouldn’t tolerate her. Forget about marriage, she probably wouldn’t even have anyone to give her a meal and would be rejected by society.
The Jiang family was still waiting for Jiang Li to return on her own, with no intention of searching for her.
At this moment, Jiang Li had already earned several thousand yuan on the black market with Ding Shijun.
At dawn, the two returned to the Ding family with over ten thousand yuan in hand.
“Where did you go?” In the Ding family courtyard, the eldest brother Ding Shizhen sat in his wheelchair with a stern face.
Even though he couldn’t stand due to his leg injury, as a soldier, his presence was imposing. Just opening his mouth made Ding Shijun shiver.
“I…I…I…” Ding Shijun couldn’t lie, and also didn’t dare tell the truth. He stammered, unable to say a complete sentence, and stepped aside to let Jiang Li come forward.
Jiang Li waved to Ding Shizhen.
Including her previous life, she had met Ding Shizhen only a few times.
She only knew he was a great hero, a man who stood tall and righteous, but had suffered oppression in the village due to his disability. Even so, he was honest and kind, contributing much to the village.
Such a person shouldn’t die young!
Jiang Li resolved to save him. But for now, she had to ask him to save her first.
“Big Brother Ding, hello, I’m Jiang Li.” Jiang Li explained how she had taken Ding Shijun to collect herbs, then sold them on the black market.
“This is the money we earned tonight. I counted—it’s nearly ten thousand.”
Ten thousand yuan was no small sum for villagers in this area.
Ding Shizhen’s gaze shifted from the money, his anger at them clear:
“The mountain is full of venomous snakes, and wild beasts roam at night. Are you two trying to get yourselves killed?”
See, this is family. What they care about is never just money.
If it were the Jiang family, seeing this money, they’d probably want her to go into the mountains every night, never caring about her safety.
Jiang Li felt a warmth in her heart. Before she could say anything, Ding Shizhen shouted angrily:
“Just this once! If it happens again, I’ll break your legs, understand?” Luckily, this wasn’t directed at her.
Jiang Li envied him a little, stepping forward to shield Ding Shijun.
“Big Brother Ding, don’t blame Shijun. He risked his life to help me. It’s my fault; I shouldn’t have dragged him into the mountains.”
“You’ve probably heard—I’m being forced to marry Wang Er. That man could be my father! I don’t want to marry him, so I need to earn more money to escape the Jiang family.”
“You’re just a little girl. Where could you go if you leave home?” Ding Shizhen disapproved. “Think of another way; there has to be a solution.”
Jiang Li shook her head. “There’s no other way. My parents are determined to trade me for the bride price. Even if not Wang Er, there’s Zhang Er or Li Er—they’ll sell me eventually.”
“Unless…” Jiang Li looked at Ding Shizhen, hesitating to speak.
Though she had decided to do it, she was a little embarrassed to say it aloud.
“Unless what?” Ding Shizhen asked.
“Unless Jiang Jie gets married,” Ding Shijun interjected. “Big Brother, how about you marry Jiang Jie?”