“Yu Yin, you bitch, what are you saying?!”
“You drank so much of my malted milk and brown sugar drink, and now you’re going back on your word?!”
Wang Zhaonan lunged forward, intent on tearing Yu Yin’s mouth apart.
Just as Wang Zhaonan’s dark, calloused hand was about to claw at Yu Yin’s fair, flawless face, a figure even thinner than Yu Yin’s sent Wang Zhaonan flying.
“Ah—!”
‘Thud’!
Wang Zhaonan crashed into Yu Xiaoqiu and Chen Maocai, who were bound hand and foot.
Yu Xiaoqiu’s clothes had never been properly fastened to begin with; after being knocked to the ground, her undershirt slipped out, exposing her arms and shoulders.
Chen Maocai wasn’t faring much better either. He wasn’t as lucky as Yu Xiaoqiu—Wang Zhaonan’s feet, still caked with mud from repairing the river embankment, slammed into his face.
That did the trick—the stinky sock stuffed in his mouth was shoved straight down his throat, and combined with the black mud on Wang Zhaonan’s feet, the stench was overwhelming. Chen Maocai finally couldn’t hold it in: “Ugh!”
“Maocai!” Chen Shan glared furiously at Zhao Ping’an, who had rushed over. “Who the hell told you to run into people?”
He looked as if he were about to tear Zhao Ping’an to pieces.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yu Yin stepped in front of Zhao Ping’an.
No one noticed that after a moment of stunned silence, a glint of tears flashed in Zhao Ping’an’s eyes.
“He was trying to save someone, not bump into him,” Yu Yin retorted, her brows furrowed. “Besides, if you want to take it out on someone, shouldn’t you be going after the real culprit?”
“You—!”
“Fine, fine, fine. One after another—none of you take this village chief seriously, do you?”
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Village Chief Chen Dahe steeled himself and stepped between the two.
With a stern expression, he said, “All right, let’s sit down and discuss what happened.”
Fearing that Chen Shan might abuse his power in public, Village Chief Chen Dahe added, “If this can’t be cleared up, we’ll have to treat it as an extramarital affair.”
Secretary Chen Shan: “……”
He gritted his teeth.
Just you wait.
……
Of course, they couldn’t sit down right there. After a group of village officials sent the villagers home, they gathered in the conference room.
The spacious meeting room was divided into three factions.
One faction consisted of Secretary Chen Shan, his son Chen Maocai, and the alleged adulteress, Yu Xiaoqiu; another faction included Yu Yin, Old Lady Chen, and the village chief, along with a few others.
The rest were neutral, siding with no one.
Since the matter involved a woman, Ye Hong, the Women’s Affairs Director and a member of the neutral faction, eventually stepped in as a mediator.
Ye Hong: “Why don’t we start by figuring out exactly what happened?”
“Enough talk! The fact is, my son and his fiancée—two young people—couldn’t resist temptation and kissed, and then Old Lady Chen slandered them, accusing them of having an affair,” Secretary Chen Shan interrupted.
“Pah! I saw with my own eyes that they were completely naked—and you call that just a kiss?” Old Lady Chen refused to back down.
Secretary Chen Shan glared at Old Lady Chen, grinding his teeth. “I already said they’re young and couldn’t resist the temptation. So what if they lost control for a moment? They’re about to get married—a little slip-up like this is forgivable.”
“Don’t forget, we all agreed on the rules back then: no messing around on the side.”
Secretary Chen Shan kept sidestepping the main issue and using the rules to pressure everyone, while Grandma Chen didn’t seem to be grasping the crux of the matter either.
This couldn’t go on.
Since the mask had already been torn off, Yu Yin had no intention of holding back any longer.
She stepped forward and cut straight to the chase: “Yu Xiaoqiu was already pregnant before she pushed me off the hillside. She’s carrying Chen Maocai’s child right now.”
“What?!”
“No way!”
Everyone was stunned.
“Doesn’t that mean they were already sleeping together before the arranged marriage?”
“Could it be that they arranged the marriage just to cover up the scandal?!”
Old Mrs. Chen’s wrinkled face suddenly lit up with excitement. “That’s right! I almost forgot—when we were banging on the door just now, I heard Yu Xiaoqiu say she was carrying Chen Maocai’s child.”
“Chen Shan, didn’t you say your son couldn’t resist the temptation only after he was engaged to Yu Xiaoqiu?”
“Then how did that lump of flesh end up in her belly?!”
“And you’re still trying to deny they were having an affair!”
“They were shamelessly having an affair.”
Chen Shan: “……”
Bullshit!
Chen Shan instinctively looked over at Chen Maocai, but Chen Maocai was still vomiting and hadn’t even noticed his own father’s question.
Finally, Chen Shan turned his gaze toward Zhao Liqiang.
But as for Zhao Liqiang—he didn’t know either.
Although he was close to his nephew Chen Maocai, he wasn’t going to be constantly keeping tabs on his nephew’s sex life.
Zhao Liqiang shook his head slightly and silently stepped back.
Chen Shan felt a lump in his throat; he nearly choked to death.
……Useless.
There was nothing he could do now; Chen Shan had no choice but to turn his gaze back to Yu Yin.
The only way to settle this matter was to get Yu Yin—the victim—to drop the charges.
Although her reputation was ruined, it was still better than being branded a “slut” and dragged through the mud.
“Yu… Yu Yin, your name is Yu Yin, right?”
“Come out here with me. Let’s talk.”
Chen Shan suddenly beckoned to Yu Yin in a friendly tone.
It was obvious he had ulterior motives.
Old Mrs. Chen, of course, wasn’t about to let Yu Yin face Chen Shan—that old fox—alone. She stepped in front of Yu Yin first, afraid that the young girl might be deceived, which would render today’s whole farce a waste.
Yu Yin placed her hand on Old Mrs. Chen’s shoulder and patted it, then stepped past her and walked out.
“We can talk, but we have to do it here. After all, this affair is clearly damaging the reputation of our Cuizhu Village. What if this isn’t handled properly and it affects our year-end evaluation?”
Yu Yin hadn’t been idle in the dozen or so days since she’d been transported into this world. Although she hadn’t left the house, she’d been constantly sifting through the original host’s memories and occasionally asking Zhao Ping’an about major village events.
She knew that every year at the end of the year, Fengbai Town in Ning’an County held a model village evaluation. Although Cuizhu Village had never made it into the top three, if they ended up at the bottom this year because of this extramarital affair, the resources allocated by the higher-ups the following year would be reduced.
Since everyone’s interests were at stake, Yu Yin believed that no one who wanted to protect their own interests would stand idly by.
Sure enough, the very next second.
“Secretary, why don’t we just talk right here? Since things have come to this, there’s nothing we can’t share with everyone.”
“That’s right, Secretary. Besides, this concerns the reputation of our female villagers—you should discuss it in front of everyone,” added Ye Hong, the Women’s Affairs Director.
Chen Shan gritted his teeth and glared coldly at Yu Yin. “Fine, let’s talk right here. I know Maocai and Yu Xiaoqiu did something wrong, but as you just said, if word gets out about this affair, it will definitely tarnish the village’s reputation.”
“Yu Xiaoqiu is your older sister. She also wants to make it up to you by swapping marriages with you for a match in the provincial capital.”
“See? Why don’t we just let this matter drop? We’ll treat it as if the marriage exchange had already taken place. What do you think?”
He really lived up to his reputation as the Party Secretary—in the blink of an eye, he’d found another loophole in her argument.
The moment she mentioned the village’s reputation, he immediately used that against her.
If Yu Yin refused, she’d be disregarding the village’s reputation and jeopardizing the post-New Year evaluations.
Then she would face the condemnation of the entire village.
Yu Yin’s heart was beating faster and faster, but she didn’t let it show on her face.
“An arranged marriage is fine…”
Chen Shansong let out a sigh of relief. He’d known that a young girl who hadn’t even grown a full set of hair yet wouldn’t have the guts to stand up to him, the Party Secretary.
“Yin Yin, what are you saying?” Old Mrs. Chen clutched Yu Yin tightly.
Yu Yin smiled and continued, “But I want Yu Xiaoqiu and Chen Maocai to apologize to me in front of the whole village. Also, since you’re arranging this marriage swap to cover up the truth, then you’d better see it through to the end.”
“I didn’t take a single penny in dowry when I was betrothed to your Chen family. But I remember my aunt boasting that she received a 500 dowry from the Pei family in the provincial capital for that match. So shouldn’t that dowry be given to me?”
“You’re dreaming!”
“That’s not true—when did I ever say I received a 500 dowry?” Wang Zhaonan was both furious and frustrated.
As if she’d ever hand over five hundred to that slut Yu Yin—in her wildest dreams!
Besides, she hadn’t actually received five hundred from the Pei family in the provincial capital—that was just her bragging. She’d only gotten three hundred.
And fifty of that had to be deducted as hush money for the matchmaker, which meant she’d only actually received two hundred and fifty from the Pei family.
If she handed over five hundred to Yu Yin, wouldn’t she be losing two hundred and fifty?
She’d rather die than hand over five hundred yuan.
Yu Yin suppressed the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Of course she knew Wang Zhaonan hadn’t accepted the 500 betrothal gift from the Pei family in the provincial capital.
But what did that have to do with her, Yu Yin? Since they were forcing her into the marriage swap and making her cover up Yu Xiaoqiu’s scandal, wasn’t it only fair for them to foot the bill?
“Since my aunt doesn’t want to go through with the marriage swap, let’s treat this as an affair.” ” Yu Yin addressed the other village leaders apologetically: “Uncles and aunts, it’s not that Yu Yin doesn’t want to handle this matter. I grew up in Cuizhu Village, and I don’t want to jeopardize the village’s reputation and future just because I’ve been slandered and deceived, but this really is…”
After speaking, Yu Yin lowered her head, perfectly portraying her sense of injustice, helplessness, and bewilderment.
Not only the women, but even the grown men in the village felt sorry for Yu Yin.
The Secretary’s family and the Yu family had gone too far.
The two families had joined forces to bully a young girl with no parents—not only had they pushed her off a cliff, but when they saw she hadn’t died, they schemed to arrange her marriage.
This was even more inhumane than the heartless landlords of the past.
Ye Hong, the Women’s Affairs Director, felt the deepest empathy; she stepped in front of Yu Yin and embraced her.
Ye Hong knew that Secretary Chen Shan was the one who ultimately made the final decision on this matter. “Secretary,” she said, “what do you have to say about this?”
“What do I have to say? It’s not like I took the dowry,” Chen Shan replied. He wasn’t stupid.
Even though his family was very wealthy, he didn’t want to give money to the Yu family—the ones responsible for this whole mess.
“But—”
“If he won’t pay, then he doesn’t have to. Dahe, send someone to town to get the Revolutionary Committee over here. Tell them there are two shameless people in our village—have them come and take them away, so we don’t have to keep them here and make a spectacle of ourselves.”
Suddenly, a hoarse, aged voice cut through the heated argument in the meeting room.
Everyone turned to see a teenager about the same age as Zhao Ping’an leading an elderly man with snow-white hair and a face deeply lined by the years.
The old man was dressed in a style somewhat more traditional than what men typically wore in this era—clad in a long black robe and leaning on a cane. When his cloudy eyes rested on someone, they inexplicably carried an indescribable sense of pressure.
“Grandfather Ye!”
“Grandfather Ye, why have you come?!”
“Quick, quick—get a chair for Grandfather Ye.”
The group of village officials, who moments ago had been locked in a standoff, panicked the moment they saw Grandfather Ye, each one acting like a child who’d just spotted the head of the academic department.
Then the crowd rushed over to surround Grandfather Ye, while the young man who had helped him inside took the opportunity to slip away, flashing a smug smile back at Zhao Ping’an.
Yu Yin watched from the sidelines.
Earlier, she had whispered in Zhao Ping’an’s ear, asking him to find Grandfather Ye and see if he could invite the village’s highly respected elder to the event.
But when she saw Zhao Ping’an return without Old Master Ye, she assumed he hadn’t been able to bring him.
Little did she know… he’d actually found some help.
Yu Yin praised him quietly, “Well done.”
Understanding the subtle implication behind her words, Zhao Ping’an’s face flushed instantly.
Daring not to look at Yu Yin, he shot a fierce glare at the young Ye Dong.
Young Ye Dong had absolutely no idea why Zhao Ping’an, who had been perfectly fine just a moment ago, had suddenly become angry.
He scratched his head, his face full of confusion.
……
“Two options.”
“First, send Chen Maocai and Yu Xiaoqiu to town to be dealt with by the Revolutionary Committee.”
“Second, go through with the arranged marriage as planned, and in addition to the customary dowry, you must compensate the young girl.”
“Pick one!”
After hearing the full account of the incident, Ye Taigong sat back in his chair and let Secretary Chen Shan, Wang Zhaonan, and Yu Liangcai—who had rushed over later and remained silent the whole time—make their choice.
But none of the three wanted to choose; they wanted to pretend nothing had happened while still getting the money.
Grandpa Ye knew at a glance what they were up to and wasn’t about to indulge them. He tapped his cane on the ground and ordered, “Dahe, go find the Revolutionary Committee.”
“Wait!”
“Grandpa, I… I didn’t say we wouldn’t go through with the marriage.” Chen Shan finally caved.
He knew Grandfather Ye well—he usually stayed out of the village’s affairs, but once he made a decision, he saw it through to the end.
He had no way out, but he didn’t want to let the Yu family off easy. After all, the whole commotion today stemmed from the Yu family’s shameless daughter seducing his youngest son.
And then there was that little slut, Yu Yin.
Once this was over, he’d make her pay dearly.
Chen Shan took a deep breath and said, “But our family didn’t receive any betrothal gift. We shouldn’t be the ones to pay this, should we?”
Grandfather Ye’s aged, cloudy eyes fixed on Chen Shan. “You don’t have to pay the betrothal gift, but you’ll have to pay compensation.”
“I’ve heard that the reason your family became engaged to that girl Yu Yin was because she saved your grandson’s life. Since she’s a life-saving benefactor, you’ll compensate her fifty.”
He paused, half his gaze fixed on Yu Yin. Seeing that her clothes were full of patches, he added, “And pay for two more sets of clothes.”
“Any objections?”
Chen Shan was seething with anger. Hearing about the monetary compensation and the demand for clothes, his vision began to darken. Gritting his teeth, he said, “…None.”
“As for the Yu Liangcai family, you first attempted murder, and then forced Miss Yu Yin into a marriage swap. Including the 500 dowry, you must compensate Miss Yu Yin a total of 600.”
“On what grounds? I won’t pay!” Wang Zhaonan screamed.
Her family didn’t even know if they had 600 to begin with—this would be the death of her entire family.
Yu Liangcai, who had remained silent until then, also said timidly, “Grand Elder, we don’t have that much money.”
The Elder tapped his cane twice with his finger, his cloudy, aged gaze radiating an oppressive intensity. “I recall that when Liang Gong made the ultimate sacrifice, both the town and the village contributed a sum of money…”
“What money? I don’t have—!” Wang Zhaonan was terrified and screamed even louder.
The timid and honest Yu Liangcai’s pupils contracted sharply. Fearing she might blurt something out, he quickly grabbed Wang Zhaonan’s hand—his grip so tight it drew blood from the palm.
“We’ll pay,” Yu Liangcai said, casting a guilty glance at Yu Yin. “Yin Yin, your sister was in the wrong here. Your uncle will definitely make it up to you.”
Yu Yin: “……”
“After-the-fact payback”—that’s exactly what Uncle Yu’s family was all about.
But what did “compensating her with a sum of money” even mean?
It seemed Uncle Yu was hiding some secret about her.
But there was no rush. Someday, she would get it all back, with interest.
Just like this time—she’d make everyone who’d ever bullied the original host pay dearly.