Chapter 4: The Real Big Shot Makes His Entrance

As dusk settled in, an oil lamp was lit inside the house. The flickering flame cast shadows on Zhao Father’s deeply wrinkled face, making him appear even more weathered with age.

The mud-brick walls were already split with several large cracks. Now, the evening breeze seeped through those fissures, causing the candle flame on the table to waver precariously, nearly extinguished several times.

After dinner, Zhao Father looked at Zhao Ruhua with a trace of guilt. “Daughter, I’m afraid we’ll have to wrong you this time.”

Unable to find a suitable match, they had no choice but to lower their expectations and consider families with less favorable conditions.

Zhao Ruhua understood how difficult it was for Madam Hu and Zhao Father.

In the surrounding villages, aside from Li Hongyun, no one particularly stood out.

If she hoped to find a man in these villages who was young, handsome, wealthy, and completely devoted to her—well, she might as well be dreaming.

Since she was already here, she would have to follow local customs and accept the way things were.

With her gaze lowered slightly, Zhao Ruhua said softly, “Actually, I’m not in a hurry to get married.”

Madam Hu immediately interjected, “What kind of girl doesn’t get married? You’re already eighteen—if you don’t start worrying about it now, it’ll be even harder to find someone when you turn nineteen.”

Zhao Ruhua remained silent.

This wasn’t like the era she had grown up in—back then, eighteen was just the age to start university. But in this time, being eighteen and unmarried already made her an old maid.

Madam Hu and Zhao Father were acting out of concern for her. If she insisted now that she didn’t want to marry, it would only cause them more worry.

If she could find someone willing to live with her in a practical partnership and quietly part ways when the time came, that would be ideal.

But… was there really anyone willing to enter such an arrangement with her?

While the Li family was busy arranging Li Hongyun’s marriage with the woman surnamed Shen, Zhao Father and Madam Hu were still troubled over Zhao Ruhua’s own marriage.

On the morning the Li family was set to bring the betrothal gifts to the Shen family, Old Madam Lin came to visit Zhao Ruhua’s home.

Old Madam Lin was a strong-willed woman who took charge of most matters in her household.

After Li Hongyun broke off the engagement with Zhao Ruhua, Old Madam Lin had secretly begun looking for a suitable match for her, fearing that Zhao Ruhua might not be able to marry at all.

And as it turned out, she had indeed found someone.

“Is the eldest at home? Everyone come out—I have something to discuss with you,” she called.

When Zhao Father heard that Old Madam Lin had come, he quickly stepped out of the house.

“Mother, what brings you here? Is something the matter?”

As she spoke, the rest of the family also came out of the house.

Old Madam Lin stood with her hands on her hips, making no move to sit down. She said to Zhao Father, “I’ve found a match for the girl Ruhua. I came over to talk it through with you.”

Zhao Father was startled. “Who is it?”

Zhao Ruhua had also stepped outside.

The moment she saw Old Madam Lin’s face, her heart sank. She had a bad feeling—like she was about to be manipulated by this old woman.

Based on the memories in her mind, she knew Old Madam Lin wasn’t a good person. She had always treated the original Zhao Ruhua with indifference. Could she really be so kind-hearted as to find her a good marriage?

Even if the match truly was good, she would still need to find a way to sabotage it.

Old Madam Lin cleared her throat with two soft coughs and said, “It’s Yun Shiyue—the man who came to our village a couple of years ago while fleeing from famine.”

Zhao Ruhua: “…”

Yun Shiyue!? How could it be him?

Just a few days ago, she had accidentally caught a glimpse of his eight-pack abs while he was bathing in the pond.

That man was extraordinarily ugly. His face was covered in lumps, like the skin of a toad—deeply unsettling to look at.

And now, only two days later, he was going to marry her?

Was this some kind of twisted fate refusing to let her go?

When Madam Hu heard the match was Yun Shiyue, her face was filled with hesitation. “Mother, you know perfectly well what kind of man Yun Shiyue is. How could you pick someone like him for Ruhua?”

Old Madam Lin’s expression darkened. “What? You’re looking down on him just because he’s ugly? You should take a good look at your own daughter’s condition.”

“She’s as dark as a lump of charcoal, and she’s already getting on in age. It’s a blessing that someone’s even willing to marry her—how dare you be so picky?”

Zhao Father said, “Mother, you can’t say that about Ruhua. She’s my daughter. No matter what shortcomings she might have, she’s still family. We can’t just stand by and watch her marry someone like that. Please, find someone else.”

Old Madam Lin snorted coldly. “Find someone else? And who exactly do you think you’ll find? A widower who’s lost his wife? Or some aging bachelor no one else wants? Say what you will about Yun Shiyue, at least he’s young and strong—a hard worker.”

“This matter is settled. I’ve already decided. You all better get yourselves ready—tomorrow, they’re coming over with the betrothal gifts. And you’d best not embarrass yourselves again.”

“Our Zhao family’s already lost face once. I won’t let it happen a second time.”

With that, Old Madam Lin turned and left.

Zhao Father and Madam Hu hurried after her, trying to change her mind—but it was no use.

The two brothers and their wives could only stew in helpless frustration.

Now that Old Madam Lin had gotten involved, there was virtually no room left for negotiation.

But Zhao Ruhua didn’t see it that way. She stood in place, recalling what had happened between her and Yun Shiyue just two days ago. As she thought about it, she realized—maybe this situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

The next morning, Yun Shiyue indeed came to deliver the betrothal gifts.

Zhao Ruhua was still in her room, preparing to go out, when her Sister-in-law Li came over to call for her.

Hearing her voice, Zhao Ruhua opened the door and stepped outside.

Li glanced at her with worry in her eyes. “Little Sister, the groom’s side has brought the betrothal offerings. If you really feel wronged, maybe we can still go and beg Grandmother to reconsider?”

“That Yun Shiyue is truly frightening to look at. Even if you end up never marrying, we can’t let you throw your life away like this.”

Zhao Ruhua didn’t want to marry either. But this wasn’t a situation she could simply avoid by refusing to face it.

Since there was no way to escape, she might as well face it head-on.

“Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry. I know what I’m doing.” Zhao Ruhua reassured her gently.

How could Li not worry?

The groom’s family was already here. Zhao Ruhua couldn’t keep hiding in her room forever.

Li entered the room and helped her tie her hair into a simple style before leading her to the main hall.

As Zhao Ruhua stepped outside, the first thing she saw was the Eight Immortals table, upon which several gifts had already been laid out.

She turned her head and looked toward the guests—and saw a tall, upright man seated calmly on a chair.

His hands rested on his knees—fair, slender, with well-proportioned joints. So beautiful that one couldn’t help but stare.

But when she looked again at his face… even though Zhao Ruhua had lived two lifetimes and considered herself well-versed in the ways of the world, she still couldn’t help being deeply startled.

Up close, his skin looked even more terrifying than what she had seen two days ago.

How could someone with such beautiful hands have a face that sent chills down one’s spine?

Zhao Ruhua couldn’t stop herself from recalling the moment of awkwardness she had shared with Yun Shiyue two days earlier.

That day, she had gone into the mountains and, by sheer accident, stumbled upon Yun Shiyue at a secluded deep pool—where she had caught a very clear glimpse of his eight-pack abs… and slightly below that.

His body was striking—snow-pale skin, perfectly sculpted muscles, each segment of his abdomen sharply defined, glistening with beads of crystal-clear water.

The scene had been so visually stunning that even now, whenever Zhao Ruhua thought of it, she still couldn’t understand—how could a man with such a physique have a face so appalling?

After returning home, she had been immediately swept up in a flurry of family matters. Her Father, Mother, and both elder brothers and their wives had been consumed with worry over her marriage, and she hadn’t had the time or energy to think about Yun Shiyue.

In the two days that followed, he hadn’t come looking for trouble either. She had assumed Yun Shiyue didn’t recognize her and didn’t know she was from Baihi Village.

Who would’ve thought—today, he actually showed up with betrothal gifts to propose.

In Zhao Ruhua’s heart, there was only one phrase: “Hot damn, what the hell is this?”—though she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to say out loud.

Across from her, Yun Shiyue lifted his deep, obsidian-black eyes and looked straight at her.

That lumpy, scarred face of his suddenly stretched into an eerie smile.
“Zhao Ruhua, I’ve come to propose to you.”

I’ve come to propose to you!

Zhao Ruhua’s scalp tingled instantly.

Was this man… mentally unwell?

All she did was accidentally stumble upon him while he was bathing, and now he wanted to marry her?

What on earth had Old Madam Lin given him—some kind of brain-rotting potion?

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