“…I’ll be damned,” the crowd gasped in disbelief. “Has Duan Hu really taken blind filial piety this far?”
“He… he can actually tolerate this fatso?”
“Shut the hell up, all of you!” Duan Hu was truly fed up with these people. “What the hell are you yapping about? Mind your own damn business.”
“What gives you the right to talk about our affairs?”
Ji Chunhua looked at the dark-skinned, fierce, and rough man standing before her.
Watching him curse and roar angrily, her heart warmed once more.
Only this time, that warmth would no longer be swallowed by the cold.
She then glanced at the auntie in front of her, who was even shorter than herself, and saw her squinting her eyes as she smiled at her sincerely.
Her eyes suddenly stung a little.
She knew the words praising her were just old-fashioned sayings from a bygone era.
But she still felt happy.
What did it matter whether it was backward or not? Her own family was nothing but a cesspit that treated her as a worthless burden.
Having lived a second life, Ji Chunhua only wanted to find a chance to repay kindness and, above all, to separate from Ji Qin.
She absolutely refused to stay with this rotten-hearted stepsister, serving as her tool and being used by her.
But if, if repaying kindness meant marrying him, bearing his children, cooking, and working for him…
Ji Chunhua quickly made up her mind.
She was willing.
“I’m willing,” Ji Chunhua replied softly, then nodded firmly and repeated, “I’m willing.”
“Oh my! I…”
The crowd wanted to shout and discuss, but they didn’t dare anymore.
As for Ji Qin beside them, her heart, which had been in her throat, now shattered into pieces.
She was broken.
Her soul was gone.
Duan Hu, however, showed little reaction. After a brief pause, he chuckled and said, “Fatso, you better think this through.”
“If you take this money, there’s absolutely no backing out.”
“I, Duan Hu, don’t force anyone, but I’m a man of my word. If you nod, you’re my woman.”
“If you dare even think of playing games… just see if I don’t—”
“Huzi.”
Sun Qiaoyun called out lightly.
Duan Hu immediately fell silent.
He clicked his tongue and said, “I was just scaring her a bit, giving her a warning.”
He squinted at Ji Chunhua and, as expected, saw her still blinking and looking at him, completely unafraid.
What a weirdo.
Sun Qiaoyun’s eyes shifted between the two of them, growing more and more satisfied, her smile radiant.
Without wasting any more time, she stuffed the money into Ji Chunhua’s hand and pulled her along.
After the earlier commotion, the activity courtyard had fallen almost completely silent.
Who would ask anything? Who would stop them?
Fine, fine.
Everyone thought, why bother with all that? A ruffian paired with a fatso, a broken pot with a broken lid—perfect!
Duan Hu told Sun Qiaoyun to stop pulling Ji Chunhua along—she wasn’t going to run off now that she’d taken the money.
Then he told her to get on the flatbed cart.
Sun Qiaoyun was still beaming at Ji Chunhua and nudged Duan Hu, telling him to go say goodbye to the girl and set a date.
Duan Hu grumbled about how troublesome this all was.
Then he turned and walked over.
Meanwhile, Ji Chunhua lowered her head, frowning, her face clouded with worry as she stared at the thick stack of bills.
“What? Regretting it already?” Duan Hu stood tall and imposing before her.
Ji Chunhua raised her dust-covered round face, still frowning. “Comrade Duan Hu, this is a bit too much money.”
“…Who cares how much it is? Just grab a handful. I don’t have the time to count it for you.”
“No,” Ji Chunhua shook her head, very seriously. “You might not understand my family.”
“They’re greedy.”
“Seeing this much money, they’ll easily want even more.”
“Wow,” Duan Hu couldn’t help but laugh.
His teeth, appearing even whiter against his dark complexion, were revealed—perfectly aligned, without a single cavity.
“This is the first time I’ve seen someone selling themselves while helping the buyer bargain down the price.”
Since her rebirth, last night was the first time Ji Chunhua had met him.
Today was the second time.
He hadn’t been without laughter during these two encounters.
But none of it was good-natured laughter.
Only now, he seemed to be simply amused by her, just as she found his cursing amusing.
His dark face was bathed in the warm winter sun, and even his sharp, rugged features seemed softened.
Ji Chunhua stared up at him, momentarily lost in thought, and suddenly wondered: Why are his eyelashes so long… and so dark.
He’s such a fierce man—what’s the point of having such long eyelashes?
Might as well share some with her, so she could look prettier too.
“Zoning out again?” Duan Hu waved his hand in front of her face. “What’s the process for getting married?”
Ji Chunhua murmured softly, “I don’t know, I’ve never been married before.”
Duan Hu was speechless. “Obviously, if you had, I’d have to think twice about it.”
Ji Chunhua wondered, “So if I haven’t been married, you don’t need to think twice?”
Duan Hu grunted, shooting her a sidelong glance. “What’s there to think about? You’ve got all your limbs.”
“You’re female, alive.”
“Nothing to think about.”
“…” Ji Chunhua held back for a moment but couldn’t resist. “What about Ji Qin? If she took a liking to you, wouldn’t you think twice?”
“What if your mother liked her too?”
Duan Hu’s expression grew even more disdainful, tinged with a hint of disgust. “Get lost. What kind of people do you think my mother and I are?”
“You think we’d take a fancy to just any random person?”
Duan Hu clicked his tongue, losing patience.
“Why do you have so many questions, popping out like beans without end? What, afraid I’ll take a liking to your sister, or that I’m interested in you?”
“Did you fall for me back on the mountain just now?”