Lu Qingshan looked utterly bewildered at the crowd. “Village chief, Grandpa… this isn’t appropriate. I—I…”
Ye Mengyi slowly opened her eyes, her blurry gaze fixed on the rain stains leaking through the roof. She listened to the curses ringing in her ears, along with the suppressed panic in Third Aunt and Eldest Aunt’s voices.
A surge of hatred mixed with sorrow welled up from the depths of her heart.
A family like this… relatives like these… she wanted none of them.
She took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of strength in her body. Slowly, she turned her eyes toward Lu Qingshan, who stood beside the bed.
The man’s back was straight and sturdy like a mountain, shielding her from the unbearable insults behind him.
And suddenly, a thought arose in Ye Mengyi’s heart.
A bold thought—one that would change her life forever.
Her cracked lips parted slightly as she spoke in a weak but crystal-clear voice, word by word:
“Lu… Lu Qingshan… save me… I… I’m willing… to marry you…”
The moment those words fell, the entire courtyard went silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Everyone’s gaze snapped toward her.
Including Lu Qingshan, who abruptly turned around to stare at the girl on the bed, shock filling his eyes.
When Lu Qingshan heard Ye Mengyi say, “I’m willing to marry you,” he froze completely.
The lingering warmth of the pheasant still clung to his arms, and the bow on his back pressed against his shoulder blades. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the courtyard wall, casting mottled shadows at his feet.
He looked toward the girl on the wooden bed.
Her face was pale as paper. Blood still seeped from the wound at the back of her head, dripping through her hair onto the rough bedding and staining it dark red.
But her eyes—
Her eyes were astonishingly bright, like a tiny but stubborn flame burning fiercely. She stared directly at him without the slightest trace of timidity, only a desperate determination with no path left to retreat.
Lu Qingshan’s throat bobbed, but for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Saving her had only been instinct.
People in the mountains valued righteousness. He simply couldn’t stand by and watch someone die.
But he had never imagined marrying a girl he had just met.
No one knew the Lu family’s situation better than he did.
They were dirt poor.
Several thatched huts crammed with twelve family members. His grandmother was old, his father crippled in one leg, and his younger siblings were only six years old—an age where they constantly needed food and clothing.
He was the pillar of the family, barely keeping everyone fed by hunting in the mountains. All year long, he couldn’t even bear to make himself a new set of clothes.
Taking a wife was something he never even dared dream about.
Not to mention, this girl was seriously injured. If he married her, he would have to spend money treating her wounds and supporting her afterward.
Lu Qingshan frowned deeply and was just about to refuse when Old Madam Ye’s shrill voice interrupted him.
“What?!”
As if she had heard the greatest news in the world, Old Madam Ye’s eyes widened instantly. The face that had been cursing moments ago suddenly bloomed with flattering smiles.
“You dead girl, are you serious? You’re willing to marry Qingshan boy?”
Yang Yun also snapped out of her shock and hurried to the bedside, grabbing Ye Mengyi’s hand so hard it nearly crushed her bones, though her face smiled like a chrysanthemum in bloom.
“Mengyi, you’ve finally come to your senses! Qingshan is honest and capable, and he’s great at hunting. You definitely won’t suffer following him!”
Feng Yan hurried to add:
“Exactly! Qingshan is a good young man. If the two of you get married, our Ye family can finally rest easy!”
The three women chimed in eagerly, looking terrified that Ye Mengyi might change her mind.
Watching their expressions, Lu Qingshan felt sick to his stomach.
He finally understood.
The Ye family didn’t care whether this girl lived or died—they simply wanted to dump this burden onto him.
Yang Yun’s grip hurt badly enough to make Ye Mengyi frown, but she endured it silently.
Looking at these so-called relatives, she only felt colder inside.
She tilted her head slightly to avoid Third Aunt’s hand and looked once more at Lu Qingshan.
Though weak, her voice was steady and clear.
“Lu Qingshan, I know your family is poor. I don’t want a bride price. I don’t want wedding clothes. As long as you’re willing to treat my injuries, I’ll marry you.”
After a pause, she added softly, her voice trembling faintly but filled with determination:
“I… I can also help you work. I know how to farm, wash clothes, and cook. I can do anything. I won’t become your burden.”
Those words struck Lu Qingshan’s heart like a gentle blow.
Looking at her pale face and the stubborn fear in her eyes, he suddenly remembered his own childhood.
Back then, his father had broken his leg while hunting in the mountains. The family had been so poor they could barely survive. His grandmother had cried while holding him and his newborn siblings.
And he, too, had gritted his teeth and declared that when he grew up, he could hunt and support the family.
They were both people cursed by hardship.
Lu Qingshan swallowed again, his gaze falling on the wound at the back of her head.
It looked horrifying.
If it wasn’t treated soon, she might really die.
He stayed silent for a long while as the scales in his heart slowly tipped.
Saving one life was better than building a seven-story pagoda.
And besides, this girl was willing to follow him and become his wife.
They might be poor, but with another person helping, life could always be endured somehow.
Lu Qingshan took a deep breath, lifted his head, and swept his gaze across Old Madam Ye and the others before finally looking at Ye Mengyi.
“Alright,” he said in a low voice. “I agree. I’ll treat your injuries… and you’ll marry me.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried unquestionable certainty.
The three women immediately smiled even brighter, as though a massive burden had finally been lifted from their shoulders.
Yang Yun hurriedly exclaimed:
“That’s wonderful! Qingshan, don’t worry, our Ye family definitely won’t mistreat you! We’ll leave Mengyi to you. As for the bride price, we don’t want a single coin!”
Old Madam Ye nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes! From today onward, Mengyi belongs to the Lu family. Our Ye family will never regret it!”
Though they sounded generous, inwardly they were overjoyed.
Not only did they no longer have to spend five taels of silver treating the girl, but they could finally throw away this burden.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
Lu Qingshan sneered inwardly at their expressions but said nothing.
Right now, he only wanted to take Ye Mengyi home as quickly as possible. If they delayed any longer, the wound might become infected.
He crouched down carefully, about to lift Ye Mengyi again, but she stopped him.
Looking at Old Madam Ye and the others, a cold hatred flashed through her eyes.
Gritting her teeth, she spoke word by word:
“Wait. I have one more condition.”
The smiles on the three women’s faces stiffened.
Third Aunt frowned immediately.
“You dead girl, don’t push your luck! What condition?”
Ignoring her completely, Ye Mengyi swept her gaze across the courtyard and suddenly raised her voice several degrees:
“I want to completely sever ties with the Ye family! From this day forward, in life I belong to the Lu family, and in death I’ll be a ghost of the Lu family. I will have absolutely nothing to do with the Ye family ever again!”