“Sis… sis, what are you doing?” Jiang Jianguo grabbed Jiang Li, stopping her from slamming into the wall.
Jiang Li could die anytime, but not now—he was still waiting to marry off her in exchange for the bride price to the village chief’s daughter!
“Let’s talk this through. Why are you going against Mom? She doesn’t want you to marry into the Ding family for your own good. The Ding family is so poor they can barely make ends meet. How would you survive there?”
Jiang Jianguo tried to soothe her kindly, but the way he tugged on her hand hurt—clearly he wasn’t genuinely concerned for her safety.
“I know Mom is worried about me.” Jiang Li shrugged off Jiang Jianguo’s hand and ran behind Ding Shichen.
“But since I was little, Mom and Dad told me to always remember gratitude. While I’m in the Jiang family, I should think only of the family, care for my brothers, and be filial to my parents.”
“Now that the Ding family saved my life, can I not repay their kindness?”
“Mom never said I shouldn’t repay the Ding family.” Jiang Jianguo cursed Jiang Li silently, a flash of anger in his eyes.
The Ding family was so poor—they wouldn’t be able to provide a bride price. Without a bride price, how could he ever marry a wife?
For the eldest sister of the family, Jiang Li not thinking of the Jiang family—or of him, her brother—was infuriating.
“They saved you, so of course we have to repay them, but that doesn’t mean you have to marry into the Ding family because of it.”
The Jiang Li of the past would never do anything to harm the Jiang family—surely the Ding family must have influenced her.
Jiang Jianguo looked at the Ding brothers:
“You saved my sister, and we should be grateful. Here, take these two hundred yuan as a token of thanks.”
“Don’t bring up marriage again. My sister is a fine young lady—how could she marry a disabled man? Everyone can see the Ding family’s situation.”
“We won’t stand by and watch my sister suffer with your family. Forget about it.”
“Sis, come back home with Mom. Your brothers are still waiting for you. If you keep causing a scene, Dad will be angry.”
Jiang Li cared most about Jiang Tiezhu’s attitude. Jiang Tiezhu, a blacksmith by trade, came from a long line of ironworkers. In the Jiang family, daughters were basically useless.
So Jiang Li had never been favored by her father, and yet she always sought his approval, always trying to prove she wasn’t a “money-losing burden” and that she had value to the family.
In the Jiang household, as long as Jiang Tiezhu spoke, Jiang Li had always obeyed unconditionally.
Jiang Jianguo thought that mentioning Dad would trigger her ingrained fear, forcing her to obediently return home.
But he had no idea that the Jiang Li before him was no longer the Jiang Li of her previous life, who obeyed the family without question.
Jiang Li gripped Ding Shichen’s sleeve tightly, her eyes cold as she looked at Jiang Jianguo.
“No. I’m not going back. I’m staying with the Ding family. I’m marrying Big Brother Ding.”
“Big Brother Ding, shall we go register our marriage this afternoon?”
Having been a soldier and seen the worst of humanity on the battlefield, Ding Shichen knew that Jiang Li’s words weren’t entirely sincere.
She was using the Ding family to free herself from the Jiang family’s control.
Yet he could also see the fear she carried from the Jiang family.
The village’s longstanding preference for sons aside, the Jiang family’s treatment of Jiang Li went far beyond favoritism.
Judging from her injuries, her life in the Jiang family was likely hellish. If she hadn’t been pushed to the limit, no child would willingly abandon their own family.
Whether out of duty as a soldier or genuine concern for Jiang Li, Ding Shichen nodded solemnly.
“Alright.” He looked at Li Qiujü.
“The Ding family is poor, so there won’t be a wedding feast. Once we register, Xiao Li will officially be part of the Ding family, and living here will be natural.”
Hearing this, Jiang Jianguo, who had just been trying to reason with Jiang Li, completely lost his temper.
“No, absolutely not!” He rushed forward, trying to take Jiang Li away.
But the Ding brothers weren’t pushovers—they stood in front of Jiang Li.
“If you want to take your sister-in-law, you need to ask us first,” Ding Shijun said, standing tall and blocking Jiang Jianguo’s view.
Jiang Jianguo was furious, feeling as if the ducks he wanted had flown away—all thanks to Jiang Li.
“Jiang Li, don’t be ungrateful. The Ding family can barely put food on the table. If you really marry in, you’ll starve—don’t blame us for letting you fend for yourself.”
Had they ever cared for her back in the Jiang family?
Jiang Li rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, big brother. Since I’m marrying into the Ding family, I won’t be running back to my natal home asking for food or drink.”
“You…” Jiang Jianguo, caught off guard by Jiang Li’s bold response, couldn’t believe it. The Jiang Li who had always been timid and only cared about her family suddenly seemed like a different person.
He glared at the Ding brothers, still convinced they were somehow responsible.
It seemed that today’s matter couldn’t be settled with them around; he’d have to talk to Jiang Li alone.
Li Qiujü, not having sons to think for her, saw Jiang Li talking back to her son and thought the girl was being rebellious again.
How dare this “money-losing burden” speak to her own brother like that?
Li Qiujü rushed forward, intending to punish Jiang Li, but Jiang Jianguo grabbed her.
“Mom, don’t be angry. Since our sister’s mind is made up, stopping her is pointless. If the Ding family wants to marry her, let’s follow the village customs.”
In recent years, bride prices in the village had risen sharply. For a family like the Jiangs, four to five thousand yuan was normal.
Hearing this, Jiang Li knew that soft or hard tactics with her family wouldn’t work. She planned to use a strategy to force the Ding family to actively give up.
Even if the Ding family didn’t give up and offered a bride price to marry her, the Jiang family could take the opportunity to wipe out the Ding family.
Then, the already struggling Ding family would have an even harder life, and Jiang Li would become the scapegoat in their household.
The Jiang family was determined to make her suffer.
Jiang Li suppressed her anger and was about to speak when Ding Shichen continued:
“Since I sincerely want to marry Xiao Li, I naturally won’t withhold a bride price. But as you can see, the Ding family’s situation is such that we can’t offer much. All that’s left are these few mud-brick houses.”
“If you agree, we can have the village chief witness it now. I’ll give these houses as the bride price to the Jiang family.”
“Big brother! Big brother!” As soon as Ding Shichen finished, the Ding brothers all stood up and surrounded him, looking extremely disapproving.
The Ding family already had little—without these houses, where would they live?
Seeing their reaction, Jiang Jianguo smirked in triumph—he knew that as long as the bride price was involved, this marriage wouldn’t succeed.
Even willing to give up the houses as a bride price—this cripple must be desperate for a wife.
Well, at twenty-five, a man his age in the village would already be a father. If he hadn’t even married a wife yet, how could he not be anxious?