The moment Su Hongxia spoke, it was as if the air in the entire courtyard froze.
The sycophantic smiles on Li Xiulian and Su Jianguo’s faces stiffened at the corners of their mouths.
They didn’t understand anything about “meridians blocked,” but they knew this girl was talking nonsense again. If they angered the Lu family’s “living Buddha,” that two hundred yuan bride price could fly right out the window!
Su Hongmei shrank back in fear, thinking to herself that Su Hongxia was utterly useless—good for nothing and bound to cause trouble.
The few women watching the scene in the courtyard whispered among themselves in low tones.
“What’s that idiot saying? She thinks she can read illnesses?”
“Must be a blind cat hitting a dead mouse—babbling nonsense!”
..
Lu Huaizhou sat in his wheelchair, his back straight and unyielding.
His sharp eyes fixed on Su Hongxia, filled with an intensity no outsider could read.
Li Chibai, a man from the east side of the village, had once been brought in to see him privately. Only the two of them were in the room, and what Li Chibai had said was almost identical to what this “fool” just blurted out.
There could be no third person who knew about it.
Who exactly was she?
..
As Lu Huaizhou’s mind swirled with questions, Su Hongxia wobbled on her haunches and then plopped down onto the ground.
When she lifted her head, the sharp, terrifying clarity in her eyes instantly vanished, replaced by emptiness and confusion.
She looked at Lu Huaizhou and grinned stupidly.“Brother… you’re so handsome.”
The change was lightning-fast, leaving everyone off guard.
The matchmaker, Aunt Wang, was the first to react. She hurried forward, laughing awkwardly.“Oh, Huaizhou, don’t mind her. She’s just a fool and says whatever comes to mind. She’s… complimenting you!”
Li Xiulian snapped back to reality, leapt forward, and twisted Su Hongxia’s arm while scolding in a low voice.“You stupid girl, what nonsense are you spouting! Keep your mouth shut right now!”
“Ouch!” Su Hongxia cried out from the pain, dodging and whining.“Mom, I’m not making it up! I’m hungry! You said you’d bring me to see a handsome brother, and there would be white steamed buns! Where’s my bun?”
She stretched her neck, looking toward the western side of the courtyard like a small animal searching for food.
“You—!” Li Xiulian’s face went green with rage. She wished she could crawl into a hole right then.
Everyone in the courtyard overheard.
“Oh, so the Su family doesn’t even feed this eldest girl?”
“No wonder she’s so skinny. These parents are ruthless—after all, she’s their own child!”
“Just for two hundred yuan, they starve their daughter to show her off? Incredible!”
The gossip stung Su Jianguo and Li Xiulian like hot slaps.
Su Jianguo lowered his head further, his old face turning a deep reddish-purple.
Lu Huaizhou’s gaze slid from Su Hongxia’s emaciated face to her faded, patched-up clothes, then to her hands, gripping her mother’s wrist with only bones left.
A strange heaviness settled in his chest.
Instead of dealing with some scheming woman from outside, this one would do.
At least she looked simple, without complicated thoughts.
And she was hungry—that made things easy. Just give her food, and she should behave.
As for the words she had just said… there would be time to figure those out later.
..
“Fine,” Lu Huaizhou finally spoke, his voice cold and decisive, leaving no room for argument.“She it is.”
Those three words were like an imperial decree.
Li Xiulian’s anger instantly flipped to ecstasy. She released Su Hongxia’s arm, smiling at Lu Huaizhou.“Huaizhou, you agreed? Oh, this is wonderful! I knew our Hongxia was lucky!”
Su Jianguo raised his head as well, rubbing his hands together, grinning from ear to ear.
Only Su Hongmei pouted in dissatisfaction. How could such a good marriage fall to this fool?
Lu Huaizhou ignored their excitement, his eyes still fixed on Su Hongxia. His voice grew colder as he spoke to her parents:
“The bride price—two hundred yuan, plus the Three Turns and One Sound vouchers—I accept. Once the money and vouchers are handed over, she is mine. From now on, life or death, sickness or health, she has nothing to do with the Su family. If either of you comes here to cause trouble or lay a finger on her again, don’t blame me for being merciless.”
His words were icy, firm, and carried the harsh aura of a soldier.
Li Xiulian and Su Jianguo flinched, but the thought of the gleaming two hundred yuan quickly erased all their worries.
Perfect! A fool sold for money—better that she never comes back!
“Absolutely! Absolutely!” Li Xiulian nodded furiously.“A married daughter is like water poured out—she belongs to your Lu family now!”
As the deal was being sealed, Su Hongxia suddenly got up from the ground.
She dusted off the dirt from her skirt, faced Li Xiulian, and said in a serious tone:“Mom, I’m going to marry brother. Aunt Wang said a bride should have a dowry.”
Li Xiulian’s smile froze.“Dowry? You fool, it’s already a miracle you can marry out!”
“Yes!” Su Hongxia insisted stubbornly. She held up her fingers and began counting.“I want the old quilt on my kang.”
Li Xiulian twitched. That quilt was patched so badly it was almost a fishing net—filled with scraps Su Hongxia had collected and sewn herself.
“Fine, you can have it!”
“I also want the two sets of change-of-clothes in my trunk,” Su Hongxia continued.
Those were patched to the extreme as well. Li Xiulian waved impatiently.“Fine, fine, take them!”
The parents and matchmaker thought it was over—what could a fool want?
But Su Hongxia tilted her head thoughtfully, then suddenly pointed toward the courtyard and announced her next demand loudly:
“I want the big iron pot in our kitchen!”
..
“What?!” Li Xiulian exploded like a cat stepped on its tail.“Don’t even think about it! That pot is for your brother’s bride! How dare you, a worthless child, want our pot!”
In those days, a good iron pot was more precious than anything, passed down for generations.
The Su family’s pot had been inherited from the old house and had a thick base that made food taste amazing. Li Xiulian treasured it like her own eyes.
“I want the pot!” Su Hongxia refused to back down, even throwing a tantrum.“No pot, no marriage! I’ll eat at home every day and starve you all!”
She lay down as if to say: “If you don’t give it, I won’t get up.”
Li Xiulian was furious, raising her hand to strike.
At that moment, no one saw exactly how Su Hongxia moved.
She sprang up like a carp flipping out of water, astonishingly fast, and darted to the corner of the yard where firewood was stacked.
There lay a cleaver used for chopping wood.
Su Hongxia grabbed the blackened blade, chipped at the edge, and held it with both hands across her chest.
Her normally foolish, vacant face now shed all expression.
Her eyes dark and intense, she stared at the enraged Li Xiulian and said, clearly and deliberately:
“Pot stays, I stay!”