Chapter 12: Marriage Proposal, the Marriage Candidate

“Xiangxiang, are you home?”

“Who’s there!”

Hearing someone call her name, Jiang Xiangxiang immediately went to the door. Opening it, she saw a middle-aged woman in a floral padded jacket standing there, smiling radiantly.

“Who are you?”

“Oh, my dear girl, I’m your Aunt Chunhua. Come, come in, let’s talk inside.”

“Ah, Aunt Chunhua?” Jiang Xiangxiang searched her original owner’s memories and quickly figured it out. Wasn’t this woman the village’s famous matchmaker? She had come to propose a marriage.

Considering Ye Meiping’s previous words, everything became clear.

Chunhua didn’t notice her unusual reaction and pulled her directly into the main room, sitting her down at the octagonal table. Seeing her dazed expression, her smile became even warmer.

“Good girl, I told you, those magpies have been chirping incessantly on the poplar tree by the door this morning. It’s a sign of great joy! I’m here to propose a marriage for you.”

“A marriage proposal…” Jiang Xiangxiang understood perfectly, but she pretended to be shy, timidly asking, “Aunt, who sent you?”

“The Lu family’s boy, Lu Jianshen,” Chunhua didn’t hide anything. “He’s a soldier, 183cm tall, three years older than you, 25 this year. He’s handsome and well-built, a fine young man. I heard he’s an officer in the army. He’s home on leave. He’s a bit older, but that’s not a problem. Older men are more caring. Those young lads are no good.”

It was him, as expected.

Jiang Xiangxiang recalled, but had no impression. Of course, the original owner had been unconscious after falling into the water, so she didn’t know what happened afterward.

However, a marriage proposal came after the fall. This man shouldn’t be bad.

Reconsidering what Ye Meiping and Jiang Rourou had said, her thoughts became more active. She wanted to leave this place and cause trouble for them—a win-win situation.

A soldier… Could she follow him to his military post?

Seeing her silent and downcast, Chunhua took it as shyness, holding her hand and saying, “Girl, I’ve watched you grow up and know you’ve had a hard time. Let’s be honest, with the Lu family’s circumstances, marrying into their family means only happiness, no suffering. It’s definitely better than your current life.”

The neighbors all knew what kind of life Jiang Xiangxiang had lived since childhood. She had suffered a lot of grievances.

Ye Meiping, that wicked woman, was like a demon, treating Jiang Xiangxiang terribly.

They could advise once or twice, but Jiang Xiangxiang would suffer even worse beatings after each intervention. Eventually, they stopped trying.

Now, with this opportunity, Chunhua didn’t hesitate when Lu Jianshen approached her.

Jiang Xiangxiang looked up after listening, “Aunt, can I meet him? At least I need to ask why he wants to marry me.”

Chunhua: “Ah, meet him? Yes, you should meet him. Marriage is a lifelong matter. Wait, I’ll tell him.”

Jiang Xiangxiang: “Thank you, Aunt. I need to meet him before I decide. Tell him I’ll wait for him at the sycamore tree at the village entrance at 5 pm tonight.”

Chunhua: “Okay, but don’t tell your mother. I’m afraid she’ll cause trouble.”

Jiang Xiangxiang: “Okay, don’t worry.”

She wasn’t stupid. Ye Meiping, with her partiality, would definitely create chaos if she knew about the marriage proposal. Besides, the mother and daughter were determined to snatch Lu Jianshen away.

Although Jiang Xiangxiang wanted to annoy them and escape her current situation, she couldn’t take advantage of others or involve innocent people.

She needed to understand why Lu Jianshen wanted to marry her. If it was simply a matter of responsibility, it would be fine. If he liked the original owner, she would have to make things clear.

All this would be decided after meeting Lu Jianshen. Jiang Xiangxiang wouldn’t rush into a decision. It was a lifelong matter.

In her modern life, she hadn’t even been in a relationship. Suddenly transmigrating, she couldn’t just carelessly give herself away. No way.

After Chunhua left, she repeatedly urged Jiang Xiangxiang to consider carefully, emphasizing that Lu Jianshen was a good match.

Jiang Xiangxiang found it funny but understood it was good-hearted advice. She had to see him first.

Ye Meiping and Jiang Rourou were gone. It was 4 pm, and she had an hour to prepare.

Jiang Xiangxiang looked at herself in the large red-flowered mirror. The original owner’s face was pale and sickly, her hair messy and unkempt.

She decided to tidy herself up. It was a blind date, after all. Maybe they’d hit it off.

Jiang Xiangxiang took a comb, but her hair was tangled and difficult to comb.

She fetched a bucket of spiritual spring water, washed her hair, and used her stored shampoo, making it fragrant.

After washing, she felt refreshed. Her hair was beautiful, giving her a gentle aura. She carefully put away the shampoo, fearing discovery.

Then, she searched for clothes. The original owner’s clothes were either tattered or patched, looking like beggar’s clothes.

Jiang Xiangxiang angrily threw them aside and went to Jiang Rourou’s room, her secret stash of good things.