A gentle blade cuts deep, each strike aimed at the heart—my cousin’s enthusiasm is too much to bear!
Behind the pile of cornstalks, Zhao Weijian held Qin Hongmei firmly down, his rough palm gripping her wrist so tightly it nearly left red marks.
The floral-patterned skirt on Qin Hongmei’s body was crumpled into a mess, yet her legs actively wrapped around the man’s waist.
“Are you really going to marry that man from the Huo family who can’t have children?” Zhao Weijian gritted his teeth, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger.
“I don’t want to! It’s you I love…” Qin Hongmei’s voice trembled, carrying a sob and a tone of grievance.
“Then why did you agree?” Zhao Weijian tightened his grip even more.
Qin Hongmei winced in pain with a sharp “hiss” and quickly explained, “I had no choice—my mother forced me!”
“She keeps nagging in my ear every day, saying how rich the Huo family is, that marrying into them would make me a city girl, living a life of comfort forever.”
“If I didn’t agree, she threatened to break my legs!”
As she spoke, the grievance in her voice faded, replaced by a venomous edge.
She leaned close to Zhao Weijian’s ear, her breath soft as silk, but her words were laced with poison: “But I’ve already thought of a plan.”
Zhao Weijian paused, his rough thumb pinching her delicate chin. “What plan?”
Qin Hongmei’s lips curled into a malicious smile.
“Let my dear cousin, Qin Yao, marry him in my place.”
Zhao Weijian was taken aback, his brows furrowing into a knot. “Qin Yao?”
“She just returned from the capital—she’s quite the delicate one. Would she agree?”
“Whether she agrees or not isn’t up to her.” Qin Hongmei’s smile grew even more twisted. “I’ve already spoken to my younger brother.”
“During the wedding, we’ll find a chance to slip something into her drink. Once she passes out, I can make my escape.”
Zhao Weijian rubbed his chin, still somewhat hesitant. “But if she wakes up and makes a scene, won’t the whole plan fall apart?”
The scheming in Qin Hongmei’s eyes almost solidified into something tangible. “Once the deed is done, what can she do? A young, unmarried girl with thin skin—would she dare make a scene and ruin her own reputation in front of the whole village?”
She wrapped her arms around Zhao Weijian’s neck like a soft serpent, her tone turning sweet and coquettish again.
“Anyway, I’ve already called her back. She won’t be able to escape even if she grows wings.”
“Weijian, in this lifetime, I only want to be with you. Once this is done, we can be together openly.”
The two entangled once more, leaving only suppressed gasps and the rustling of corn leaves in the field.
The bus station was bustling with people, a cacophony of noise filling the air.
The pungent smell of gasoline, the sweat of travelers, and the aroma of steamed meat buns mingled together, creating the unique atmosphere of this era.
“Clang! Clang—”
A green-painted train roared into the station, its deafening noise making ears ring.
On the platform, an auntie selling tea eggs lifted the lid of her metal bucket, releasing a rich, savory fragrance along with billowing steam.
Qin Yao walked out against the flow of the crowd, carrying a light pink suitcase.
Her jet-black, silky hair cascaded over her shoulders, a few strands lifted by the wind and clinging to her smooth, full forehead.
She wore a beige knitted cardigan over a pink lace-trimmed blouse, paired with light blue jeans and white canvas shoes. Her entire appearance was clean and refreshing, exuding a scholarly air that didn’t belong to this small town.
As a fetal transmigration traveler, Qin Yao had been a somewhat renowned master of traditional Chinese medicine in her previous life, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
In this life, she was born into the eldest branch of the Qin family, the youngest sister doted on by seven older brothers.
Her parents had her later in life and cherished her like the apple of their eye.
From childhood, she never did heavy chores, not even washing a single bowl. When she slept in at home, her mother Wang Xiulan would praise her, saying, “Her sleeping posture is so well-behaved.”
In this life, she studied Western medicine in university. Thanks to the accumulation of two lifetimes, her grades consistently topped the charts.
Just a few days after graduation, she swiftly wrapped up all her affairs and hurried back to attend her cousin Qin Hongmei’s wedding.
“Yao Yao! My precious!”
Wang Xiulan spotted her daughter from afar—her striking presence was simply too eye-catching in the crowd.
The smile lines on her face instantly deepened as she rushed forward, lovingly ruffling her daughter’s hair, her eyes brimming with longing.
“Oh my goodness, let Mom take a good look at you!”
“You must be exhausted after six hours on the train!”
“How come your face looks thinner?”
Qin Guoqiang followed closely behind, snatching the suitcase from his daughter’s hand. He lifted it and immediately frowned.
“Of course she’s tired! Such a long journey, and the suitcase is so heavy.”
He studied his daughter’s face, his expression full of concern. “Look at her chin—it’s so pointed now.”
Hearing this, Wang Xiulan’s eyes instantly reddened. She grabbed Qin Yao’s hands, turning them over and over as she examined them.
“You really have lost weight!”
“You must not have eaten well at school. Wait, Mom will go home and stew an old hen soup for you to nourish you properly!”
Qin Yao smiled, linking her arm with her mother’s. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, sparkling brightly.
“Dad, Mom, this is what they call ‘parents thinking you’ve lost weight’—it’s just your imagination!”
“I ate well, slept well, and lived quite comfortably at school.”
Her words made both Wang Xiulan and Qin Guoqiang laugh.
Their precious daughter had such a sweet tongue, always knowing how to make people’s hearts bloom with joy.
Qin Guoqiang strode ahead, carrying the suitcase. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s head home!”
“Your cousin’s wedding is about to begin. We mustn’t miss the auspicious hour.”
Qin Yao walked arm in arm with her mother, following behind. The mother and daughter chattered away in whispers, their laughter scattering along the path.
The courtyard of the Qin family’s second branch was now filled with the clamor of gongs and drums.
Over a dozen round tables draped in red cloth were arranged neatly, and dazzling red “double happiness” characters were pasted everywhere on the doors and windows.
A thick layer of red firecracker debris covered the ground, and the faint scent of gunpowder still lingered in the air.
In a large iron pot at the corner of the courtyard, pork ribs simmered, bubbling and rolling as the rich aroma of meat wafted far and wide, making a group of half-grown children gather around the pot, drooling.
Qin Hongmei, dressed in a red wedding gown, craned her neck anxiously in the crowd, her eyes darting restlessly toward the entrance, her palms slick with cold sweat.
Just then, Qin Yao and her parents entered the courtyard.
For a moment, the noisy and bustling courtyard fell silent, as if an invisible hand had stifled the sound.
All eyes turned almost simultaneously to the young woman who had just stepped through the gate.
“Oh my, whose daughter is this?”
“Good heavens, she’s absolutely stunning!”
“Look at her skin—as fair as a peeled egg. And her eyes, like grapes.”
“That’s Qin Yao from the Qin family’s eldest branch, the one studying at university in the capital!”
“Tsk tsk, educated people are just different. Her poise is incomparable.”
A web of admiring, envious, and awestruck gazes enveloped Qin Yao.
Though she felt somewhat uneasy, she smiled graciously and confidently at the crowd.
In the crowd, Qin Hongmei stared fixedly at Qin Yao’s increasingly radiant and captivating face, then lowered her gaze to look at her own hands—yellowed and rough from years of farm work—her nails nearly digging into the tender flesh of her palms.
A cold snort escaped through her clenched teeth.
Why?
Why was Qin Yao so fortunate from childhood—cherished by her parents, doted on by her brothers, beautiful, academically gifted, and even a college student!
While she herself was being forced to marry a man who couldn’t have children!
But it didn’t matter anymore.
After today, she would drag this heaven-favored girl down into the mud.
Let her taste what it feels like to fall from the clouds!
(This story is set in a fictional era; please do not scrutinize the historical details. Thank you, dear readers! ^_^)