The scorching sun blazed like fire, baking the earth beneath it.
The ground had been bleached white by the heat, while the leaves of the trees along the roadside drooped and curled, making dry, brittle sounds.
Heat waves rose from the ground, turning the entire area into a giant steamer. Anyone standing under the sun would break into a sweat, only for it to be evaporated moments later.
In the northwest corner of the county government office was an open area that served as the official matchmaking office. All the unmarried men and women of suitable age from the county gathered there.
There was a large poplar tree there, so wide that two people could barely wrap their arms around it. No one knew how many years it had been growing.
At that moment, the matchmaker was organizing a matchmaking session for the unmarried men and women, with the office desk set up beneath the poplar tree.
Although the tree provided shade, the people underneath still licked their lips from time to time.
The constant chatter only added to the oppressive heat.
The clerk took a sip of water and raised his hand. Everyone fell silent.
“Everyone is here, I see. Men on one side and women on the other. First, take a look at each other freely. If you find someone you like, we’ll issue the marriage certificate on the spot.”
The clerk’s booming voice echoed across the courtyard. Upon hearing this, the men and women immediately formed two lines.
From time to time, they glanced at the opposite line, searching for someone they liked.
The clerk took another sip of water and muttered, “What terrible weather. It’s only March, so how can it be this hot?”
As the men and women watched him drink, they swallowed repeatedly. They were all thirsty.
The clerk understood immediately. A sly look flashed in his eyes.
“Come on, hurry up. Once we’re done, you can all go home. Cooperate a little.”
Since they couldn’t escape this anyway, why not take the initiative?
Sure enough, one man and one woman caught each other’s eye. They gritted their teeth and stepped toward the desk together.
“Sir, the two of us…”
After asking them a few questions, the clerk immediately issued their marriage certificate.
Once someone took the lead, several more couples came forward. The line became shorter, though the quality of the remaining candidates was rather mixed.
Among the men were mostly elderly men, unattractive men, men with unpleasant body odors, and men with physical disabilities that made walking difficult.
Among the women, one young girl stood out.
She had a fairly pleasant appearance, but everyone knew that she was a fool.
In times like these, supporting another person for nothing was no easy task.
“Sir, I’ll take her.”
A young man with buck teeth pointed toward a woman across from him. The woman kept her head lowered and never looked anyone in the eye.
“Are you willing?” the clerk asked the woman.
“I… I have a large birthmark on my face. I’m not pretty,” the woman murmured.
“I know. I don’t mind. I’m willing to live with you,” the buck-toothed man said through gritted teeth.
After hesitating for a while, the woman finally nodded.
The man and the woman with the red birthmark received their marriage certificate. He then cast a smug glance at a young man in the crowd.
The young man had wheat-colored skin, a tall, slender build, and decent features. Unfortunately, his legs were disabled, and he walked with a limp. Even widows were unwilling to marry him.
The limping young man showed no reaction to the other man’s provocation. He figured that, once again, he would probably be leaving without gaining anything today.
Finally, it was the young girl’s turn.
“Ji Yun, from Nanshan Village, seventeen years old. Who wants her?”
The clerk’s loud voice rang out across the courtyard.
The remaining men immediately stepped backward, without the slightest hesitation.
The buck-toothed young man had already received his marriage certificate, but he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Seeing this, he maliciously shoved the limping young man.
Caught off guard, the young man stumbled and fell toward the girl.
The clerk nodded.
“Mm, she’s yours.”
The limping young man froze.
No.
He had been set up.
“Sir, I didn’t agree to this. Someone tricked me.”
The clerk impatiently waved his hand, cutting him off before he could say anything else.
“Why are you being so long-winded? You already hugged her. Do you expect her to marry someone else now? Come over and get your marriage certificate. What’s your name?”
“…Gu Zhou.”
The clerk wrote the name Gu Zhou on the marriage certificate before turning back toward the girl.
“And you?”
The girl stared at him with a pair of dazed eyes, clearly not understanding what he meant.
When he received no response, the clerk shook his head and muttered to himself, “Forget it. What would a fool know? Just have her press her fingerprint.”
The moment she pressed her fingerprint onto the marriage certificate, the girl swayed.
Bang!
She collapsed onto the ground, her condition unknown.
Everyone in the courtyard gathered around.
“What happened to her?”
A physician stepped forward to examine her and eventually reached a conclusion.
She was dead.
“No way. She was fine just now. How did she suddenly die?”
“Quick, give her some water. Maybe she can still be saved.”
“It’s useless. I once saw someone else die from the heat. There was nothing anyone could do.”
……
“Gu Zhou, you killed your newlywed wife the moment you got her. Your fate must be pretty strong,” the buck-toothed young man said gleefully from the side.
“Shut up. You already got your marriage certificate, so get lost.”
The clerk glared at him, and the buck-toothed young man hurried away with his new wife.
The others also kept their mouths shut, not daring to say another word.
The clerk first checked for a breath, then sighed.
“All right. Looks like you’re just unlucky. Bury your wife.”
Gu Zhou…
Who in the world gets married only to bring home a corpse?
He even began to wonder whether his fate was truly too strong and had somehow caused his wife’s death.
But the marriage certificate had already been issued. This woman really was his wife now.
Forget it. He would find her a place to bury her. At least that would fulfill the duty and affection owed between husband and wife in this lifetime.
The limping young man was just about to move her when suddenly—
Boom!
A deafening thunderclap erupted from the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck the corpse directly.
The woman’s body visibly turned black and charred. Her long hair exploded outward and curled up, making her look like a porcupine.
Everyone hurriedly scattered.
“What a miserable fool. Dying wasn’t enough—she even got struck by lightning. Will there be anything left of her?”
“Ah, the drier the weather gets, the more frequently the thunder seems to strike. Heaven, why don’t you send us some rain?”
……
The thunder continued to rumble.
Suddenly, the person lying on the ground spat out a large mouthful of black smoke.
Then—
Whoosh!
Her eyes snapped open.
“Mom! She’s come back to life!”
“Quick! Find a Taoist priest!”
The crowd panicked and scattered in all directions, hiding themselves wherever they could.
In the end, Gu Zhou was the only one brave enough to approach her.
Standing over her, he looked down at her.
“You’re not dead, are you?”
The foolish girl nodded.
“You can’t speak?”
She nodded again.
The intense heat had damaged her body, and her throat had also been burned.
Her throat felt as though she had swallowed razor blades. It burned terribly, and even swallowing her saliva was difficult.
After realizing that she wasn’t dead, the others cautiously gathered around again.
“I really have seen everything now. She survived even after being struck by lightning like that.”
“That’s what they mean when they say fools have foolish luck.”
“She’s burned completely black, like a piece of charcoal. How is Gu Zhou supposed to kiss her?”
“It’s pitch-black at night anyway. What’s the difference between white and black?”
……
The clerk returned to his seat behind the desk.
“All right. Since she isn’t dead, leave. The rest of you, continue.”
The others resumed their matchmaking.
Gu Zhou squatted in front of her. His tall body was like a wall, shielding her from the sun and casting her in his shadow.
“Can you walk?”
The foolish girl shook her head.
In the end, Gu Zhou crouched down.
“Come on. I’ll carry you.”
As the two of them left the county government office, the buck-toothed young man laughed happily.
“Gu Zhou, congratulations! You married this fool. I bet next year she’ll give you a whole litter of little fools.”
“Big Buck Teeth, just you wait.”
Gu Zhou glared at him, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
“Gu Zhou, don’t be ungrateful. If it weren’t for me, you probably wouldn’t even have been able to marry a fool.”
The woman with the red birthmark tugged at his sleeve.
“Stop talking. Let’s go home.”
“Stay out of men’s business. From now on, you just need to take care of the household.”
The buck-toothed young man pulled her along and walked away.
Gu Zhou carried Ji Yun on his back, limping as he made his way home.
When they passed a wonton stall, Ji Yun couldn’t help swallowing.
She was so hungry!
How long had this body gone without eating?
“Hungry?”
Ji Yun nodded.
A burning sensation churned in her stomach, making her extremely uncomfortable.
“Let’s go to the medicine shop first. We’ll have wontons when we come back.”
He didn’t have much money on him, and he didn’t even know whether it would be enough to pay for the medicine.
Gu Zhou shook his head. He didn’t know whether she could understand what he was saying.
She had already been foolish to begin with, and now she had even been struck by lightning. Who knew whether she would survive?
Sigh.
All he could do was do his best and leave the rest to fate.
He carried Ji Yun straight to the medicine shop.
“Brother Gu, this is…”
“My wife.”
“What happened to her? Did she just crawl out of a stove?” the young shop assistant asked curiously.
Forgive him, but he had never seen anyone this filthy before. She was black as a piece of charcoal.
“She was struck by lightning. Please take a look at her…”
Upon hearing that she had been struck by lightning, the physician did not dare to be careless. He quickly brought out a pulse pillow and said gently,
“Young lady, put your hand here. Let me check your pulse.”
Gu Zhou was afraid she wouldn’t understand, so he was about to take her hand and place it on the pulse pillow.
But Ji Yun placed it there herself.
The elderly physician checked her pulse and looked astonished.
“This young lady is truly blessed. The lightning didn’t cause any internal injuries. That’s quite a miracle.”
“Then why can’t she speak?”
“She injured her throat. It will recover in a few days.”
“Doctor, please prepare some medicine for her.”
“There’s no need for medicine. Just have her drink plenty of water when you get home, and she’ll naturally recover.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”