“Seriously, how dramatic. She’s just being told to marry that cripple—does she really need to jump into a river over it?”
“Look at her, that little slut can’t live without a man. That cripple probably can’t even use it anymore—no wonder she’s panicking.”
“I bet she’s still hung up on that Educated Youth Zhao.”
“Shamelessly chasing after him all day, and in the end she got nothing. Now she still has to marry a cripple—serves her right!”
“Speaking of that cripple from the Qin family, he is quite handsome… such a pity about his lower body…”
Yu Qiaoqiao had been awake for a while.
Just moments ago, she had been on her way to receive a major award for her latest medical breakthrough when a car accident sent her vehicle plunging off a cross-river bridge.
She died at twenty-seven.
Dead. Just like that.
She had thought she’d arrived in the underworld—but instead, she was awakened by a barrage of noisy voices. Then, a flood of memories that didn’t belong to her rushed into her mind.
…Had she transmigrated?
The original owner of this body was also named Yu Qiaoqiao. The least favored member of her family. Hot-tempered, sharp-tongued, and widely disliked in the village—she would argue at the slightest disagreement.
Mentally? Years ahead of everyone else.
She never bottled things up.
Except when it came to Zhao Lijie.
To him, she was obedient to a fault—a complete love-brain.
Zhao Lijie strung her along while secretly carrying on with her cousin. When her awful grandmother decided to marry her off to a disabled veteran who had returned to the village, the original Yu Qiaoqiao went to Zhao Lijie for help.
Only to catch him embracing and kissing her cousin.
Heartbroken, she ran to the river to vent her anger… slipped… and fell in.
She drowned.
She hadn’t meant to die.
What a huge misunderstanding.
Yu Qiaoqiao slowly opened her eyes.
A sharp, piercing voice immediately shrieked loud enough to split her skull—
“She’s awake!”
Yu Qiaoqiao frowned.
The first thing she saw was a scrawny, sallow-faced girl with a sharp, monkey-like face. She looked thirteen or fourteen, but was actually sixteen—Yu Pingping.
Her cousin.
“Yu Qiaoqiao, you’re unbelievably stupid. Why don’t you take a look at yourself? And you still dare to dream about Educated Youth Zhao? Being married off to a cripple is already a blessing for you!”
Her arrogant tone made it obvious she’d learned well from someone.
“You shameless little slut. Having you in the Yu family is our misfortune—you’ve completely disgraced us!” croaked an old woman with a dark, gaunt face, high cheekbones, and only two front teeth jutting out beneath thin lips.
That was the original owner’s grandmother.
Yu Qiaoqiao rubbed her aching limbs and glanced at the crowd.
What era had she even landed in?
Most of the women wore their hair in two braids. Their clothes were ragged, covered in patches. Barefoot children ran around, their faces smeared with dirt like little stray cats.
Her head throbbed.
After working so hard all her life, she’d somehow gone straight back to pre-liberation days.
Still, Yu Qiaoqiao wasn’t someone who couldn’t read the situation.
Since she was here, she’d deal with it.
No matter what—she wouldn’t lose in presence.
“What do you mean ‘slut’? Did you see me seduce anyone? Or catch me in bed with some random man?”
She pushed herself up from the ground.
The moment she stood, her vision spun and her body swayed.
Just how long had this girl gone without a proper meal?
“I’ll beat you to death, you shameless thing! You dare say anything! Our family is cursed!” the old woman wailed, pointing at a meek middle-aged man nearby. “Yu Dahai, look at the daughter you raised! Married a short-lived wife and gave birth to this little wretch—she’s here to collect a debt from our family!”
Yu Dahai frowned deeply and looked at Yu Qiaoqiao with annoyance rather than concern.
“The Qin family marriage… your grandmother worked hard to secure it.”
That was her father.
Yu Qiaoqiao sneered.
“When have good things in this family ever fallen to me?”
The Qin family’s youngest son—
A veteran who returned completely disabled from the waist down, bedridden, already in his twenties and still unable to find a wife.
But the Qin family was offering fifty yuan as bride price.
So of course, her grandmother immediately decided to sell her off.
“You’re getting married whether you like it or not! I’ve already taken the money. If you dare go back on it, I’ll break your legs!”
If it were the original owner, she would have resisted.
But Yu Qiaoqiao… surprised everyone.
“Who said I’m going back on it?”
She suddenly smiled sweetly and moved closer to her grandmother.
“Grandma, I’m not worried about anything else—I’m just afraid someone might have tricked you. Are you sure you actually received the Qin family’s money?”
Caught off guard, the old woman hurriedly fumbled in her pocket and pulled out the fifty yuan.
“Of course I did!”
Before she could put it away, Yu Qiaoqiao snatched it.
“Then thank you, Grandma.”
She jumped back quickly, then raised her voice before the old woman could react:
“Oh my, aunties, come take a look! My grandma is the kindest person in Qingshi Village! Not only did she find me such a good marriage, she even gave me the entire bride price so I won’t suffer after marrying!”
More villagers gathered.
The old woman froze, unable to snatch the money back in front of everyone.
Yu Qiaoqiao put on a tearful, touched expression, though inwardly she sneered.
You old witch—selling me off and still thinking of pocketing the money? Dream on.
Since she was going to be sold off sooner or later—whether to a cripple or a blind man—she might as well take the money first and stabilize the situation.
Besides…
Marrying a cripple had its advantages.
At least if he couldn’t move his lower body…
she could keep her “purity.”
“Qiaoqiao, you’re still young. Why don’t Grandma hold onto the money for you? You can ask me for it when you need it,” the old woman said with a forced smile, reaching out.
Yu Qiaoqiao immediately clung to her arm affectionately.
“Grandma, I used to be ignorant and caused you so much trouble. Now that I’m getting married, I can’t let you worry about everything anymore. If you get exhausted, I’ll feel terrible.”
To outsiders, it looked harmonious.
Only the two of them knew what schemes lay beneath.
Yu Qiaoqiao gripped the money tightly.
This was her lifeline in this world.
As for that bedridden husband-to-be…
She had a headache just thinking about him.
But since she was already here—she might as well go take a look first.