“Ah, but Ji Qin has a good heart. She doesn’t find Ji Chunhua unlucky or dirty, always sticking close to her.”
“But to be fair, Comrade Xu Li isn’t very kind to Ji Chunhua. I often hear her scolding her.”
“Is that Comrade Xu Li’s fault? Even Old Ji can’t stand his own daughter. I heard his previous woman got pregnant before marriage, and she was quite fat too—he despised her! Later, wasn’t it because Ji Chunhua’s mother was too fat that she died in childbirth?”
“Exactly. He’s always hitting and scolding this fat girl. Naturally, the man who earns the money calls the shots at home.”
“Ah, don’t blame Old Ji either. Ji Chunhua always hangs her head, with hair like a bird’s nest, as if there’s a funeral at home. Anyone would find it unlucky. If I had a daughter like that, I couldn’t stand it either.”
“And Ji Chunhua’s mother too, hmph. A woman who doesn’t know her own worth, getting pregnant before even getting a marriage certificate—no wonder people think she’s cheap!”
“……”
Ji Chunhua’s head hung lower and lower, her soft, clear eyes now bloodshot.
She wanted to rush forward and tear their mouths apart, but she knew there was some truth to what they said.
No matter the reason, it was her foolish mother who gave everything to that scoundrel father, Ji Daqiang, without getting anything in return.
She was a kind, foolish woman.
Ji Chunhua closed her eyes, forcing back tears, but her teeth dug hard into her lower lip.
“Sis, don’t listen to those gossipy mouths.”
After seeing off several well-wishers, Ji Qin walked over and leaned close to Ji Chunhua. “They’re just like that, always prying into other people’s family matters.”
“If Mom, Dad, and Brother don’t like you, so what? We don’t need their approval anyway.”
“You have me as your sister, and I’ll always be good to you.”
Ji Qin spoke with sincere-sounding nonsense, then covered her mouth and lowered her voice. “If you trust me, walk in there with your head held high.”
“Listen, even though you’re heavy, there are advantages. Your chest is soft and full—men are sure to like that.”
Ji Chunhua’s temple throbbed, and she sneered inwardly: I think you’re the one who most wants Yu Guang to take a liking to me.
That way, you can effortlessly get rid of this potential murderer.
Ji Chunhua remained silent, so Ji Qin assumed she was just shy and continued, “Really, I’d never do anything to harm you, Sis.”
“Listen to me, it’ll work out.”
You bitch with a rotten tongue and rotten guts—it was you who killed me in my previous life!
Go to hell, all eighteen layers of it!
Ji Chunhua nodded half-heartedly while clenching her fists and cursing inwardly.
“It’s time!”
The Women’s Federation cadres, holding pens and notebooks, stood at the entrance of the activity courtyard and called out, “Women in one line, men in another!”
“Women, line up properly and come in first for roll call!”
The women then chattered and joked as they formed a long line, filing into the activity courtyard in order.
Ji Chunhua still hung her head, lost in the crowd.
After all the women had entered the courtyard, roll call began. Just as it was nearly finished, a loud, grating sound of wheels scraping against the ground echoed from outside, as if someone were pushing a cart with rough, forceful movements.
Sister You from the Women’s Federation peeked out and immediately turned pale.
She tugged at Sister Liu’s arm. “Hey, Sister Liu, why did you let this hooligan sign up?”
“Let’s not have anyone picking fights just because they don’t like someone’s looks right now!”
Sister Liu sighed, “He’s from this village and meets the age requirement… Besides, his mother helped him sign up and even paid double the registration fee!”
“Alright, since he’s already here. I think his mother genuinely wants him to find a wife.”
“For a ‘wild man’ like him, maybe settling down and having a wife to keep him in line could actually make him better!”
“What kind of woman could possibly manage such a rough character?”
“It’d be a blessing if she doesn’t end up suffering domestic violence from him!”
“Enough, let’s not worry about that. We still have plenty to do.”
Ji Qin, hearing the commotion, had already begun tiptoeing to look outside, while Ji Chunhua lowered her head, pursed her lips, and started praying.
She prayed that neither Duan Hu nor his elderly mother would take a liking to this venomous bitch.
Duan Hu pushed the flatbed cart directly into the activity courtyard. This uncouth and unruly behavior made many frown and glare, yet no one dared to stop him.
If Duan Hu had any redeeming quality in their eyes, it was his filial piety.
And it was unwavering filial piety at that—he treated his mother’s words as commands.
The old woman had bound feet and found it difficult to walk, so Duan Hu simply pushed the cart inside for her.
“Oh, Sister Sun is here!” Sister Liu from the Women’s Federation happened to make eye contact with Duan Hu’s mother. Since the woman had paid double the registration fee, she had to show some extra warmth.
Hearing this, Ji Chunhua couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity.
She knew about Duan Hu’s filial piety.
In her previous life, when he was carrying her, he had said it was his mother who taught him that refusing to help someone in need was no different from killing them.
So Ji Chunhua believed Duan Hu’s mother was also a good person.
And because of this, she firmly believed that Duan Hu’s imprisonment for assault couldn’t have been intentional malice—there must have been another reason.
He couldn’t have deliberately harmed anyone. How could a man like Duan Hu, who cursed while carrying a stranger through a snowstorm to the hospital, possibly do such a thing?
The one called Sister Sun was Sun Qiaoyun. Though she was no longer young, traces of her former beauty were still evident.
She had delicate eyebrows, a small nose, and a petite face, and she wore a consistently warm and friendly smile.
Ji Chunhua wondered how such a gentle aunt like Sun Qiaoyun could have raised a son as fierce as Duan Hu. It really was quite strange.
Just as she was thinking this, Sun Qiaoyun smiled and said directly, “Sister Liu, let me speak plainly.”
“I paid double the registration fee. Shouldn’t that give my son priority in choosing?”
“This…” Not only the Women’s Federation cadres but also the women present trembled with fear.
They felt like chickens waiting to be slaughtered, filled with panic.
No one wanted to marry into such a bizarre and terrifying family.
Sister Liu had no choice. She acknowledged the logic but added, “Priority in choosing is one thing, but you still have to see if the other party agrees.”
“Of course,” Sun Qiaoyun said, squinting her eyes with a kind smile, her tone firm and decisive. “My son still has to go to the construction site. Let him pick someone he likes, and we’ll see if the girl is willing.”
“If she is, we’ll go directly to her parents to discuss it. If not, that’s fine too.”
“Is that acceptable?”
“…Alright, fine. Go ahead and look then,” Sister Liu replied stiffly, avoiding Duan Hu’s gaze the entire time and speaking only to Sun Qiaoyun.
“Go on, Huzi.”
Sun Qiaoyun patted Duan Hu’s thick upper arm, the sound sharp and clear.
The hearts of the crowd trembled as one with that solid, resonant sound.
Duan Hu, still wearing the same clothes he had on when going up the mountain, swayed leisurely as he walked into the line of female comrades.
The roll call had just finished, and everyone was arranged in horizontal rows, making it easy to see each person’s features clearly.
At this moment, Ji Chunhua dared not lower her head—she had to make sure her benefactor would not take a liking to Ji Qin.
Just as she was thinking this, Ji Qin suddenly began to cough—
As if she had choked on something.
“Cough, cough, cough—cough, cough, cough,”
In the quiet line, she instantly stood out.
Sun Qiaoyun naturally glanced over as well.
The sunlight at that moment was bright and clear, shining on Ji Qin’s uplifted and delicate brows and eyes, making her appear utterly captivating.
Ji Chunhua felt a wave of panic, unsure of what to do.
Then, her actions moved faster than her thoughts!
She raised her hand, clenched her back teeth,
and pounded Ji Qin’s back with all her might, using almost every ounce of her strength!
“Are you all right, Ji Qin? Are you all right?”