Chapter 26

Normally, Lin Jingguo didn’t want to get involved in other people’s family squabbles. But this was a matter of life and death—Jiang Zhiqing was still waiting to be taken to the hospital.

He shouted from outside, “Second Xie daughter-in-law, let’s hurry! If we delay any longer, who knows what will happen to Comrade Jiang.”

Everyone inside heard him. The room fell silent for a moment before Second Son said, “Wife, you’d better go to the hospital first. We’ll talk about everything else later.”

So Chen Meiling left. The moment she stepped out, though, everyone caught a foul stench of urine.

The eldest and second sons of the Xie family pinched their noses.
“Mother, what happened? Why do you smell like this?”

Ma Yueying’s eyes bulged. “What, are you disgusted with your old mother now?”

The two of them quickly shook their heads. The eldest pushed his wife, Lin Damin, forward.
“Wife, since the second sister-in-law isn’t here, help Mother wash up and change clothes.”

Lin Damin agreed out loud, but in her heart she was repulsed. The smell was clearly from wetting herself. She figured the old woman must’ve lost control in the cold.

•  

Outside, Chen Meiling stepped out with a slapped-red face. Everyone could more or less guess what had happened inside, and some even gave her pitying looks.

But once at the hospital, Chen Meiling’s heart was filled with regret.

“The patient struck her head. It looks like a concussion. We can’t rule out the possibility of brain damage,” the doctor said.

He recommended hospitalization for observation. When Chen Meiling saw the medical fees, her heart ached—she had thought two yuan would be enough, but it was already four, and that wasn’t counting future treatment.

Since it was no longer his responsibility, the village head gave a few last instructions and left.

Once he was gone, Chen Meiling’s mind turned to the figure lying unconscious in the hospital bed. Taking advantage of the empty ward, she searched Jiang Ying’s body.

What she found made her gasp—one hundred yuan. She quickly put it back, but her mind was spinning with schemes to get hold of it.

Her eyes darted, and finally she thought of her younger brother.

If she married Jiang Zhiqing off to him, wouldn’t the money fall into their hands? Her mother might even spare her a few coins as pocket money.

With that thought, Chen Meiling wasted no time. She hurried back to her natal home.

“Mother!”

The moment she stepped through the gate, a basin of water was dumped on her. The Chen family lived in Chenjia Village, and her mother was the typical sort who favored sons over daughters.

“What are you doing back here? And empty-handed, no less?”

Chen Meiling quickly tried to butter her up. “Mother, I’ve come back with good news. Isn’t Xiaoli still without a wife? I’ve found him a match.”

Her mother perked up immediately. “Hmph, Xiaoli won’t take some useless baggage.”

Chen Meiling laid out the situation. “She’s an educated youth. While she was unconscious, I checked—she had a hundred yuan on her. I thought, isn’t Xiaoli just in need of a wife? If the money goes to our own family, isn’t that perfect? So I came straight to you.”

Her mother was tempted, but worried. If they married Xiaoli to a useless invalid, wouldn’t that ruin his reputation?

“What about this girl? She’s not paralyzed, is she?”

“The doctor said she’s fine—just a concussion.” Chen Meiling leaned in, her voice full of excitement. “Here’s what I think: let my brother take care of her while she’s recovering. Once she owes him that much, she’ll have no choice but to marry into our family. Then the hundred yuan will be ours. And if you’re still not satisfied, you can always throw her out later. With a hundred yuan in hand, it won’t be hard to find Xiaoli an even better wife.”

The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Her mother took her seriously and quickly went inside to tell Xiaoli.

Not long after, Chen Xiaoli came out wearing his cotton-padded jacket.