Qiao Qingyan silently clenched her fists.
She wasn’t consumed by rage. Instead, she felt stunned, bewildered, and utterly incredulous.
Had Chen Xiaomeng really been willing to trade away her own chastity just to spite her and steal what belonged to her?
“You wretched girl! How could you do something so shameless?” Chen Xiuying rushed over and slapped her daughter hard several times on the back, looking both furious and disappointed.
“I don’t care. I’m already Brother Runsheng’s woman now,” Chen Xiaomeng declared stubbornly, wrapping both arms around Jiang Runsheng’s.
Jiang Runsheng immediately pried her hands away.
“Xiaomeng, don’t talk nonsense. We never went that far.”
He had only gotten a little handsy before someone caught them.
At that moment, he bitterly regretted drinking too much. A few flirtatious advances from her while he was tipsy, and he’d completely lost his judgment.
“Brother Runsheng…” Chen Xiaomeng looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Don’t you want to take responsibility for me?”
“It’s not that… I…” Jiang Runsheng looked helpless and instinctively turned to his father.
Jiang Decheng’s face had turned as black as the bottom of a scorched pot.
Meanwhile, people in the crowd continued to fan the flames, shouting that this was immoral and should be reported to the commune.
After a long silence, Jiang Decheng’s gaze lingered on Qiao Qingyan for two seconds before he spoke heavily to his son.
“Runsheng, marry Xiaomeng.”
Marry Chen Xiaomeng?
Jiang Runsheng’s legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground. He looked toward Qiao Qingyan, his lips trembling, yet not a single word came out.
Qiao Qingyan dug her nails into her palm and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
She and Jiang Runsheng had been classmates in high school.
After graduation, she became an elementary school teacher, while he found work as an announcer at the township broadcasting station.
Later, he’d sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.
Few young women could refuse a man as outstanding as him.
Neither could she.
She had always believed Jiang Runsheng was handsome, gentle, and employed in a respectable government position. He seemed like the kind of refined, dependable man worthy of entrusting one’s future to.
Even though she’d only ever thought of him as an older brother, she believed love could grow after marriage, so she accepted the engagement.
But now, seeing this ridiculous scene—
Jiang Runsheng’s shirt buttoned crookedly in his panic…
The glaring love marks on Chen Xiaomeng’s neck…
A mocking smile curled Qiao Qingyan’s lips.
So this is how much your “love” amounts to, Jiang Runsheng.
She wanted nothing to do with a tainted man.
The setting sun slowly dipped below the horizon, but the summer evening remained oppressively hot.
Jiang Runsheng suddenly clenched his fists, struggled to his feet, and made one last attempt to resist.
“Father, I can’t marry Xiaomeng.”
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
Even Qiao Qingyan was momentarily taken aback.
Chen Xiaomeng stared at him in disbelief, biting her lip so hard it nearly bled, her expression twisting with resentment.
[Jiang Runsheng, do you really love that bitch Qiao Qingyan that much?]
A bitch?
So this was how Chen Xiaomeng had been cursing her in her heart all along.
Qiao Qingyan found it laughable.
Given the situation, who was really the shameless one?
Chen Xiuying immediately exploded.
“What? Just because you’re the village chief’s son, you think you can act like some emperor with multiple wives? You ruin the older daughter, then marry the younger one? Both my daughters are supposed to revolve around you?”
She yanked Chen Xiaomeng to her feet and pulled her behind her.
“Village Chief, if you don’t give me an explanation today, this isn’t over! I don’t care if this goes all the way to the commune. I’ll tell them your son forced himself on my daughter!”
The muscles in Jiang Decheng’s face twitched. He rubbed his tobacco pipe with his weathered hand before speaking calmly.
“Xiuying, settle down first.”
He turned to his son.
“Runsheng, a real man takes responsibility for his actions. Since you and Xiaomeng are in love, you should explain things properly to Qingyan and make arrangements to marry Xiaomeng as soon as possible.”
Qiao Qingyan immediately understood.
The village chief was indeed an old fox.
With a few carefully chosen words, he’d transformed what everyone had considered a disgrace into nothing more than two young people overcome by love.
“My son worked hard to get where he is. Now that his career is stable, it’s time for him to start a family. Your mother and I can finally stop worrying.”
On the surface, it sounded like fatherly advice.
In reality, it was a warning.
Keep causing trouble, and you can kiss your secure government job at the broadcasting station goodbye.
“Father…” Jiang Runsheng tried to protest again.
One icy glare from Jiang Decheng silenced him.
Clearing his throat, Jiang Decheng addressed the crowd.
“Since everyone is here today, consider yourselves witnesses. My son, Jiang Runsheng, will marry Chen Xiaomeng. Young people sometimes lose control of themselves—that’s nothing unusual. When the wedding banquet is held, everyone is welcome to come celebrate with us.”
Then he turned to Chen Xiuying.
“Xiuying, our families were going to become in-laws anyway. The betrothal gifts we’ve already given will now count as Xiaomeng’s. I’ll add more later and make sure Runsheng marries her in grand style.”
The villagers exchanged quiet murmurs.
Since he was taking responsibility and they were getting married, and neither family objected anymore, what business was it of theirs?
Jiang Decheng had no desire to remain another moment.
After cleaning up the embarrassing affair, he shot his son a cold glance and left with his hands clasped behind his back.
Only then did Chen Xiuying finally relax.
Jiang Runsheng is such a good catch. Which daughter marries him makes no difference.
Now that it was her biological daughter climbing the social ladder, she couldn’t have been happier.
When the Jiang family first came to propose marriage, she’d hoped they wanted Chen Xiaomeng.
Instead, they’d chosen Qiao Qingyan.
Though things had become ugly, the result was exactly what she’d always wanted.
As for Chen Xiaomeng, the smile on her face grew wider and wider.
Looking at Qiao Qingyan, she immediately put on an innocent expression.
“Qingyan, don’t be angry. Love has to be mutual. You and Brother Runsheng simply weren’t meant to be. From now on, he’ll be your brother-in-law. Remember to keep your distance.”
“Qingyan…” Jiang Runsheng called softly, his throat tightening, unable to find the right words.
“So you’re done dealing with your filthy little affair?” Qiao Qingyan asked coldly as she stood before them.
Without warning, she raised her hand.
Smack!
A crisp slap landed squarely across Jiang Runsheng’s face.
A vivid red handprint immediately appeared on his fair cheek.
“What are you doing?” Chen Xiaomeng shrieked, rushing over to cradle his face protectively.
Qiao Qingyan truly didn’t care about either of them.
But she still had her pride.
Her own fiancé had gotten involved with her stepsister.
No matter how she looked at it, she’d been thoroughly humiliated.
With tears streaming down her face, Chen Xiaomeng sobbed,
“Qingyan, if you’re angry, hit me instead. Don’t hit Brother Runsheng…”
Before she finished—
Smack!
Another sharp slap echoed through the air.
Chen Xiaomeng only felt her cheek burning with pain.
She clutched her face, glaring at Qiao Qingyan in disbelief.
[You little bitch! You actually dared to hit me?]
“Qiao Qingyan! You hit my daughter?” Chen Xiuying shouted furiously as she raised her hand to slap Qingyan.
Before her palm could land, Jiang Runsheng caught her arm.
“Brother Runsheng, you’re still protecting her? Do you even know who’s supposed to be your bride?” Chen Xiaomeng cried pitifully.
“We’re the ones who wronged Qingyan…” Jiang Runsheng said in shame.
Folding her arms across her chest, Qiao Qingyan looked at the shameless pair before her.
“I didn’t make a scene earlier, not because I was weak, but because I simply didn’t care.”
“Anything that can be stolen so easily was never worth holding onto.”
“These two slaps were what you owed me.”
“Now that I’ve returned them, we’re even.”
“As for you, Chen Xiaomeng… you’re actually rather pathetic.”
“Ever since you were little, you’ve been like a stray dog fighting over scraps, always coveting what’s in someone else’s bowl.”
Ever since hearing Chen Xiaomeng’s inner thoughts, the last trace of sisterly affection in Qiao Qingyan’s heart had disappeared.
“Qingyan, let me explain…” Jiang Runsheng hurried forward, reaching for her arm.
Chen Xiaomeng frowned as her gaze fell like knives upon the spot where their skin touched.
Qiao Qingyan calmly shook his hand off.
“Brother Runsheng, what’s done is done. There’s no need to explain.”
“I’ve never loved you as a man. I’ve always thought of you as an older brother.”
“When you proposed, I believed feelings could grow with time.”
“But now that you’re with Chen Xiaomeng, I sincerely wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.”
She meant every word.
After saying that, she swept them both with one final icy glance, hugged her books to her chest, and walked home.
Watching her leave, Chen Xiaomeng’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.
In her previous life, she’d been too foolish.
She never fought for anything, allowing Qiao Qingyan to marry Jiang Runsheng.
Jiang Runsheng’s career had flourished, taking him from the township broadcasting station to a prestigious position at the rural credit cooperative. Together, the couple had lived a life others envied.
Whenever Qiao Qingyan returned to her parents’ home with him, even Chen Xiuying—her own mother—had eagerly fawned over them.
As for Chen Xiaomeng, lacking education, she’d ended up marrying Xiao Jinye, an equally uneducated hunter from the neighboring village.
To be fair, Chen Xiuying had been very careful when choosing a husband for her daughter.
She thoroughly investigated every suitor before comparing them.
She learned that the Xiao family made a living as hunters.
A single wild boar could earn them one or two hundred yuan. They owned hunting rifles, had cash on hand, and ate meat with every meal.
At first she was skeptical.
Later, she deliberately demanded an outrageously high bride price.
To her surprise, the Xiao family actually paid it.
Only then did Chen Xiuying become convinced they were well-off and happily married Chen Xiaomeng into the family.
But after the wedding, the truth came out.
The bride price had been scraped together only because Xiao Jinye’s mother had emptied the family’s savings and borrowed money everywhere just to help her son find a wife.
In reality, the Xiao family was dirt poor.
Xiao Jinye’s mother was sickly, took medicine every day, and was crippled.
He also had a younger sister with an intellectual disability who needed constant care.
The money Xiao Jinye earned from hunting barely covered the family’s daily expenses.
He had to buy medicine for his mother, repay debts, and support the entire household.
Life was always one step away from desperation.
The sight of that family filled Chen Xiaomeng with endless frustration.
But what angered her even more came afterward.
Being poor was one thing.
Having two disabled family members was another.
But Xiao Jinye himself…
…was useless as a husband.
Cold and emotionally distant, he was incapable of consummating their marriage. After they wed, he never even touched her.
Chen Xiaomeng had lived no differently than a widow with a living husband.
Those years had been miserable beyond words.
In this lifetime…
She would never make the same mistake again.