“Big brother, what should we do? That old widower is here.”
Chen Xingyun immediately turned pale with fright, her eyes reddening as she cautiously glanced at Xiao Ying.
Now that their mother had woken up, she would surely still sell her to that man. What should she do?
That old widower was called Wang Ergou, already over forty years old – even older than her parents. He already had two or three children at home, with the eldest being older than her.
The only reason he could offer such a generous price – five taels of silver to marry her, or rather buy her – made her mother eager to sell her off.
But she didn’t want to marry him. She didn’t want to marry a man who was halfway into the grave.
“Xingyun, don’t be afraid. Your big brother is here.”
Chen Xinghai stood protectively in front of her, his face dark with anger. Though clearly terrified himself, he gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
He absolutely couldn’t let that old widower take his sister away, or her life would be ruined forever.
“Auntie Xiao? Auntie Xiao, are you there? I’m coming in.”
Wang Ergou’s voice sounded again, carrying some urgency, followed by the sound of the courtyard gate being forcefully opened.
Xiao Ying narrowed her eyes slightly.
Auntie?
Never mind her previous life, but this body was only thirty-two years old. How dare a man over forty call her “auntie”?
Truly, a dog’s mouth cannot produce ivory.
Throwing aside the thin, tattered quilt, she nimbly got out of bed, put on her shoes, and walked out.
Beside her, Chen Xingyun had started crying, while Chen Xinghai clenched his fists and followed behind her.
Just as she stepped out of the room, Xiao Ying saw a dark, skinny old man standing in the dilapidated courtyard.
The man looked even older than his actual age, with several wrinkles already creasing his forehead. This was the old widower Wang Ergou.
Behind Wang Ergou stood a crowd of villagers who had come to watch the spectacle. Perhaps Wang Ergou had deliberately spread the word to attract so many people.
These people were pointing at her and whispering, their expressions unfriendly, deliberately raising their voices.
“Tsk tsk… selling children again, this is the third one.”
“Exactly. She’s the only one in our village who sells her children, completely shameless.”
“Hmph, after she sells Xingyun, let’s see who will do her laundry, cook, and earn money for her. Next time, she probably won’t even hesitate to sell Xinghai.”
“Who knows? Maybe someone will take him as a live-in son-in-law.”
“Ah… these children are so pitiful, stuck with a mother worse than an animal. If their father were still alive, things wouldn’t have come to this.”
“…”
Xiao Ying listened expressionlessly. After all, they weren’t cursing her – the original owner truly deserved the criticism.
Seeing her so thick-skinned, the villagers grew even more resentful.
“You creature worse than an animal! Don’t even think about selling my granddaughter!”
Just then, an old woman pushed her way through the crowd, cursing loudly.
The old woman appeared to be around fifty years old – still quite young whether in the technological world or the cultivation world, but considered genuinely elderly here.
Xiao Ying glanced at her – it was her mother-in-law, Chen Zhangshi.
Chen Zhangshi’s name was Zhang Yuxiu, but women here basically stopped using their names after marriage. How tragic.
Chen Zhangshi was furious, her hair practically standing on end. She looked like she wanted to slap Xiao Ying, her lips trembling with rage.
“You vicious creature! Selling two of my grandchildren wasn’t enough for you, and now you want to sell the third!”
“Let me tell you, as long as I’m here today, you won’t succeed in selling Xingyun!”
“Grandma…”
Chen Xingyun called out plaintively, quickly running to the old woman as if she were a lifeline.
Chen Xinghai followed closely, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. With their grandmother present today, there might still be a chance to turn things around.
“Don’t be afraid, Xingyun. Let’s see who dares to sell you off today.”
Chen Zhangshi held Chen Xingyun’s hand tenderly, her heart aching for her poor granddaughter. How could she be married off to someone nearly old enough to be her father?
“Aunt Xiao, about this matter…”
Wang Ergou’s joyful expression turned gloomy as he hurried forward.
He resented Chen Zhangshi for meddling. Since the families had already separated, what business was it of hers if Aunt Xiao wanted to sell her own daughter?
“So this is Xingyun? How beautiful.”
His eyes lingered greedily on Chen Xingyun, filled with lecherous admiration.
Only such a pretty young maiden was worth spending five taels of silver on.
Terrified, Chen Xingyun hid behind Chen Zhangshi, who glared and shielded her granddaughter protectively.
Wang Ergou chuckled. “Still shy, are you? Once we’re married, you won’t be so bashful.”
“Who wants to marry you?” Chen Xingyun’s cheeks flushed crimson with shame and anger.
“Did you hear that? My granddaughter wants nothing to do with you.” Chen Zhangshi stared hatefully at Wang Ergou.
Wang Ergou grew displeased. “Old Lady Chen, no—I should call you Grandma. Grandma, my mother has already agreed to sell Xingyun to me. What reason do you have to object? Fine, I’ll speak with my mother instead.”
Hearing him repeatedly call her “Grandma” and refer to Xiao Ying as “Mother,” everyone nearly vomited their previous night’s dinner. How shameless of Wang Ergou to address Xiao Ying—who was younger than him—as “Mother”! The audacity!
“But since the families have separated, Chen Zhangshi really has no say in this matter,” the villagers murmured among themselves, sighing inwardly for Chen Xingyun. It seemed she would indeed be sold to Wang Ergou today—a fresh flower stuck on a pile of cow dung.
“You shameless—”
Chen Zhangshi cursed furiously, then turned her angry gaze toward Xiao Ying.
“If you dare sell Xingyun to him today, I’ll fight you to the death!”
Before Xiao Ying could respond, Wang Ergou eagerly pulled five taels of broken silver from his money pouch and handed it to her, afraid his prize would slip away.
“Mother, here are five taels. I’ll take her with me now.”
Once he brought her home, the matter would be settled. Everyone would accept that Chen Xingyun belonged to him, and they could formalize the contract later.
The thought made Wang Ergou ecstatic. He decided to consummate the marriage tonight and cherish his young, beautiful bride properly.
No! This can’t happen!
Chen Xinghai’s eyes reddened with hatred, his teeth grinding in fury.
Suddenly, he fell to his knees with a thud, his eyes pleading.
“Mother, I beg you, don’t sell Xingyun!”
He knew this woman too well—she cared about nothing as long as she got money.
Even if Grandma risked her life, she wouldn’t change her mind.
He hated his own uselessness. If only he could earn more money, Xingyun wouldn’t have to be sold.
If begging didn’t work, he would stake his life on it—after all, he hadn’t wanted to live for a long time anyway.
“Mother, please don’t sell me. I promise I’ll work harder to earn money… I’ll do anything you ask, just don’t sell me… Waaah…”
Chen Xingyun also knelt, weeping as pitifully as a drenched pear blossom, her heartbroken sobs echoing as she kowtowed repeatedly to Xiao Ying.
She truly had no way out. If her mother really intended to sell her to this old man, she might as well dash her head against a wall and die.
Watching Xiao Ying take those five taels of silver, both siblings felt their vision darken, their eyes filled with despair. What had they been foolishly hoping for?
Chen Zhangshi burst into a torrent of curses, her wrinkled face flushed with agitation.
“You heartless woman… you’ll get your retribution!”
Unexpectedly, Xiao Ying merely cast a casual glance and tossed the silver back to the overjoyed Wang Ergou.
“Five taels of silver to buy my daughter? Not selling.”
Her cold, detached words left everyone stunned, unable to process what had just happened.
The siblings exchanged looks of disbelief. What had their mother said? Not selling? Their mother actually looked down on even five taels of silver?
Then came a wave of relief—it was good that she looked down on it! That meant she wouldn’t be sold off!
Chen Zhangshi’s curses abruptly ceased, thinking her threats had taken effect.
Wang Ergou, however, was full of confusion and a touch of displeasure.
“Aunt Xiao, one must keep their word. We agreed on five taels of silver, and now you’re backing out at the last moment. Isn’t that a bit too much?”
If it weren’t for Chen Xingyun’s beauty and youth, he wouldn’t have been willing to spend so much.
Xiao Ying glanced at him. “Agreed on what? Do we have a contract?”
“You…”
Wang Ergou was furious, his eyes wide with disbelief. How could such a matter involve a contract? Besides, he was illiterate.
Was this woman truly planning to go back on her word?
His face darkened, the earlier friendliness gone.
“So, you’re determined to raise the price?”
Xiao Ying raised an eyebrow. “Exactly. I am raising the price. If you want to marry my daughter, prepare eight sedan chairs, ten li of red makeup, and ten thousand taels of gold. Otherwise, don’t even bother.”