Chapter 11

Liu Jinyun was reluctant, afraid her husband would cause trouble if he found out, so she secretly allowed her eldest daughter to choose a suitor from another region. Jiang Jianchun quietly tugged at her sleeve and smiled as she spoke to the matchmaker, “Of course we’re reluctant, but my little sister has such a big appetite. If we don’t find her a good family, what will she do when she gets old? We see how harmonious your family is and know you’re good people. Even if my sister eats a lot, you won’t scold her.”

The saleswoman guaranteed, “My cousin’s family is full of good people. If your sister marries into their family, I can’t promise much, but I can guarantee she’ll always have enough to eat.”

Jiang Ruan, overhearing the conversation, realized something was off. They had come to buy clothes, so why were they now discussing her marriage, and to someone from out of town?

She recalled Qin Yan’s warning and rushed over to question them, “You’re talking about my marriage. Why hasn’t anyone told me?”

Jiang Jianchun scolded her, “Your marriage is for your parents to decide. When is it your place to have a say? I met my husband through a matchmaker too. Don’t you dare be shameless and try to find a man on your own.”

The saleswoman quickly intervened, “Let’s not argue. It was already agreed upon, so let’s not cause a fuss. I’m just here as the go-between.”

Liu Jinyun gritted her teeth and declared, “I make the decisions in this house. This girl isn’t right in the head, so her opinion doesn’t count.”

Angry, Jiang Ruan turned to the saleswoman and asked, “If I marry, will I have to cook and do laundry?”

“Of course you will,” Jiang Jianchun snapped. “I have a job too, and I still cook, clean, and do laundry. You’ll have to do the same.”

“How many people are in the family?” Jiang Ruan asked.

“The parents, siblings, and yourself. Six people altogether, which isn’t a lot.”

Jiang Ruan pressed further, “Then how much will they pay me each month?”

“Pay you? Pay you for what?” The saleswoman chuckled, amused by the girl’s straightforwardness. In her mind, this pretty girl wasn’t just naive—she was outright foolish.

Jiang Ruan responded, “A salary, of course. If I’m going to cook and do laundry for five people, shouldn’t I be paid?”

Liu Jinyun was furious. “What daughter-in-law asks for a salary from her husband’s family? You’re speaking nonsense and embarrassing us!”

Jiang Ruan persisted, “Why should I marry if I’m not getting paid? I work as a maid now and make fifty yuan a month, plus meals. If I get married and have no salary, yet have to take care of five people, that’s not a good deal. You can marry them if you want, but I won’t.”

The marketplace was bustling, and Jiang Ruan’s remarks attracted a crowd. The saleswoman, regretting her involvement, quickly said, “This girl is even more trouble than a fool. My family can’t handle someone like her.”

“She’s right,” agreed another bystander. “Asking for a salary from her in-laws before even getting married? Never heard of such a thing. What a sharp-tongued girl. No family would dare take her in.”

Jiang Ruan refused to back down and loudly defended herself.

Outside the crowd, Miao Shufang, who had accompanied her son to the department store, was so enraged she wanted to rush in to help Jiang Ruan. However, Qin Yan held her back, advising, “Don’t get involved openly. I’ve already called the police. The city’s police station is right next door, and I reported that someone is publicly trying to sell a person here. The police should arrive soon.”

He then asked, “Mom, in a family that doesn’t favor boys over girls, what kind of mother would dislike one of her own children?”

“Only if the child isn’t her own,” Miao Shufang replied.

She realized Qin Yan was referring to Jiang Ruan’s family. But if Jiang Ruan wasn’t biologically related, the whole community would know. Her mother had given birth to her at the hospital, and their distant relative who worked at the maid agency had confirmed this. No one had ever mentioned that Jiang Ruan wasn’t their biological child.

Miao Shufang reasoned, “Ruan Ruan is different from other kids. She eats a lot. You wouldn’t understand. Ten years ago, almost every family struggled to put food on the table, and there were many children. A child like Ruan Ruan, who eats a lot and isn’t very likable, wouldn’t be favored.”

Soon, the police arrived, led by someone Qin Yan recognized: Han Qianqian’s older brother, a former soldier who had been working in the district for several years. Qin Yan didn’t like the Han family, but this officer seemed decent.

…

Officer Han Changfeng didn’t expect to meet the brave young girl the station had been discussing for days in this way. The criminals she had confronted weren’t just guilty of one crime; they were involved in robbery and assault, among other things. If this girl hadn’t defended herself, the next day there would have been bodies in the canal instead of wounded criminals.

Liu Jinyun, seeing Officer Han, was too nervous to speak. Jiang Jianchun quickly stepped in, explaining, “Some troublemaker must have reported this for no reason. Officer, we’re all law-abiding citizens here. How could we sell our daughter? It’s a misunderstanding. We’re just talking about an arranged marriage.”

Jiang Ruan, unwilling to let her sister lie, quickly clarified, “That’s not right. I came here for clothes because my brother said I won a hundred-yuan reward. When I arrived, they started discussing marrying me off to the saleswoman’s cousin, who’s mentally challenged. I asked how many people I’d have to cook and clean for, and when they said there’d be no salary, I refused. Now my sister is calling me shameless. Officer, you tell me, who’s shameless here? Isn’t it them trying to take advantage of me?”

Every word she spoke sounded right, yet they didn’t fit societal norms. This was simply how life was.

People said she was foolish, but no one could refute her logic.

Officer Guo found her both amusing and pitiable. Though he had dealt with many victims before, this was the first time he felt genuine sympathy for one.

He reassured her, “You’re right. They were trying to take advantage of you. If anyone ever tries to force you into an arranged marriage again, report it to the police, and we’ll take care of it.”

The situation became so heated that the saleswoman no longer dared to introduce such a “transaction-like” marriage to her family relative. She scolded Liu Jinyun, accusing her of being money-obsessed to the point of trying to sell her daughter.

Liu Jinyun, furious, took it out on Jiang Ruan, but Jiang Ruan calmly replied, “I’m earning my own money now. I can support myself. I don’t want to get married.”

Jiang Jianchun felt a chill in her heart, like it was winter in the middle of summer. Why was it Jiang Ruan’s older brother who kept showing up in these moments? Was this fate she couldn’t escape?

In her frustration, without thinking, she slapped Jiang Ruan.

“You idiot! Why can’t you listen to the family? The man we found for you has no other faults besides being a little slow. If you marry him, you’ll live a good life. Why are you making trouble? Why can’t you just obey?”

Liu Jinyun was startled. She understood her elder daughter’s frustration but didn’t think she should resort to violence.

“Dachun, how could you hit your sister?”

Jiang Ruan hadn’t expected it and was caught off guard. Her anger flared. If this had been the harsh post-apocalyptic world she came from, she might have endured the slap, knowing that resisting would lead to a harsher beating. But here, there was no one stronger than her—not even her sister. Being slapped for no reason was unacceptable.

If someone hit her, she was definitely going to hit back.

With one strong slap, Jiang Ruan struck back. The force of her blow left Jiang Jianchun’s head ringing, her cheek burning with pain, and tears flowing from her eyes. Her left jaw felt loose, and she staggered back several steps. As a medical worker, Jiang Jianchun knew she had likely suffered a mild concussion from the blow.

Liu Jinyun rushed to support her unsteady daughter, her heart aching at the sight of her swollen cheek and scraped skin. She angrily rebuked Jiang Ruan, “Your sister is pregnant! Are you crazy? If anything happens to the baby, do you think her husband’s family will let you off?”

Jiang Ruan felt a pang of fear. “I’ll go talk to Dad.”

Liu Jinyun, deep down, had never wanted this child, whose father’s identity was unknown. She secretly hoped this would result in a miscarriage. However, after a hospital checkup, it turned out that the fetus was strong and healthy.

Meanwhile, Liao Chunxing, who knew the secret, lovingly touched his lover’s belly in a private hospital room. He was convinced the child was his and angrily vowed to Jiang Jianchun, “It’s a good thing the baby’s fine. But your stupid sister, I’ll make sure she pays for this.”

Jiang Jianchun was trapped in her own despair, unsure how to rid herself of this unwanted pregnancy.

…

Jiang Ruan ran to her father’s machine shop and explained everything. She told him that her mother and older sister were trying to marry her off to someone from another region, a man who was mentally disabled. The police had been called to mediate, and when her sister became angry, she slapped Jiang Ruan, who then hit her back.

The factory director, who had overheard the entire conversation, was well aware of the Jiang family’s issues. He offered Jiang Ruan’s father some heartfelt advice.

“Old Jiang, you’re the top technician in the workshop. Years ago, you should’ve been promoted to chief engineer. Do you know why it didn’t happen? You should. And now, there’s talk of another promotion, but if there’s more drama about you ‘selling your daughter,’ your chances will definitely be ruined. Your wife’s antics are dragging you down, Old Jiang. Your daughter has a job now, so why do you need to send her away just to avoid seeing her? Everyone knows she’s your biological daughter, and this kind of behavior won’t win you any respect.”

Jiang Baomin broke out in a cold sweat. He remembered how, years ago, his wife Liu Jinyun had conspired with their eldest daughter behind his back, swapping their daughters’ ages so that the older one wouldn’t have to go to the countryside. He hadn’t known about it until the very last minute, right before they left.

“Director, my wife hid this from me. I had no idea.”

“I know you, Old Jiang. You’re dedicated to your work and wouldn’t sell your own daughter. But other people don’t know that. Don’t let your wife drag you down any further. You’re only forty-eight; you’ve still got time before retirement. Don’t you want that promotion? It could make a big difference to your retirement pay.”

Jiang Baomin realized that his wife’s behavior had become more outrageous, likely due to their eldest daughter’s influence.

“Director, I’m going home right now to sort this out. I promise it won’t happen again. If you don’t believe me, you can come with me.”

The director had thought Jiang Ruan would die in the countryside when she was sent away, but she had returned home healthy and vibrant. Now, her family was trying to “sell” her again. He couldn’t ignore this.

“All right, I’ll come with you.”

When Liu Jinyun returned from the hospital with her eldest daughter, she was trembling with anger. She told her two sons and daughters-in-law, “Dachun almost had a miscarriage. Don’t anyone try to stop me today—I’m going to kill her!”