Chapter 3: Marry Me, and You’ll Belong to Me

Under the morning sunlight, the man stood tall, his figure seeming to be enveloped by a soft golden glow.

But that man… wasn’t he the one who saved her by the river yesterday?

How did he find his way to her house?!

Tao Hua quickly thought of how she hadn’t had time to comb her hair this morning, so she immediately put down the broom and ran back to her room.

Inside, Tao Hua’s younger sister, Chen Xiaoye, had heard the noise outside and had already opened the window to watch the commotion.

When she saw Tao Hua come in, she smiled and asked, pointing at the man in the yard, “Elder sister, is that the man who wants to propose to you?”

Tao Hua followed her sister’s finger and looked at the man, just as their eyes met.

In that moment, Tao Hua wasn’t sure what happened to her, her entire face turned red.

She quickly closed the window, but her heart was racing rapidly in her chest.

Not long after, their mother, Zhou Shi, entered the room.

Zhou Shi first sent Chen Xiaoye and her son Chen Bao outside to play before gently taking Tao Hua’s hand and asking in a low voice:

“Tao Hua, tell me, did you clearly see who that man was?”

Tao Hua nodded, “I saw him clearly, Mother.”

“Was he the one who saved you by the river yesterday?” The villagers were gossiping, saying that Tao Hua and a wild man had been in a compromising situation by the river, but Zhou Shi didn’t believe those slanderous rumors. She trusted her daughter.

Tao Hua nodded again, “Yes, that’s him.”

“Good,” Zhou Shi still seemed uneasy, “Are you sure? You’re not mistaken?”

“I’m sure,” Tao Hua shook her head firmly, “I definitely didn’t mistake him.”

“Alright,” Zhou Shi continued, “He’s here today to propose to you. He knows that by saving you, he has compromised your reputation, so he wants to take responsibility. I think he’s a man of integrity. He looks good, but his family doesn’t have land or wealth. If you marry him, life might be a bit tough. Would you be willing?”

“Mother,” Tao Hua’s eyes instantly welled up with tears, “What if life is tough? Will it be worse than it is now? This morning, Chen Dashan even said he was going to sell me to a brothel! Now this man wants to marry me, which means he’s saving me from the fire pit. Of course, I’m willing. But Mother, I don’t want to leave you, I can’t bear to part with you.”

“Silly child,” Zhou Shi wiped away Tao Hua’s tears, “You probably still don’t know who that man is or where he lives, do you?”

Tao Hua shook her head. “I don’t know. Mother, can you tell me?”

“Mm!” Zhou Shi couldn’t help but smile at this point. “Not only you, I had never met him either, but I had heard about him before. Today is the first time I’ve seen him in person. His name is Qin Feng. He moved to our village half a year ago and lives in the old house his grandfather left for him at the foot of the mountain.

However, his grandfather passed away a long time ago, and aside from the old house, he didn’t inherit any land. He survives by hunting, often having one meal without the next, living a rather tight life on his own.

But his house is close to ours, and since we’re in the same village, if you marry him, you’ll still be able to visit your family easily. If something happens, you’ll have someone to rely on. He’s been living alone without much thought for the future, but after you marry him, if you’re diligent, the two of you can clear some land at the foot of the mountain and plant grains. Life will definitely get better. What do you think, Tao Hua?”

As Zhou Shi spoke, tears began to fall down her face. “It’s because I’m useless, I couldn’t protect you. All these years, you’ve suffered with me in the Chen family.”

“Mother,” Tao Hua choked, “Please don’t say that. I know you’ve suffered too, and I believe if I work hard, we can have a better life in the future. Not only do I want to live well, but I also want to bring you and my younger siblings along to live a good life!”

Zhou Shi shook her head. “Good child, as long as you take care of yourself, I’ll be at ease.”

Just then, someone called for Zhou Shi from outside. She gently patted Tao Hua on the head and softly said, “Make sure to comb your hair well. You might need to go out and meet people later.”

“I understand, Mother. You go ahead and take care of what you need to,” Tao Hua replied.

But not long after Zhou Shi left, the door to Tao Hua’s room creaked open again.

This time, it was Tao Hua’s good friend, Sun Xiaolan, who came in.

Sun Xiaolan was the village chief’s granddaughter. She had six older sisters and no brothers. Seeing that her parents were getting older and couldn’t have any more children, they decided to have her stay at home and arrange her marriage.

She had only been married for less than three months, and she and her new husband were inseparable, always sweet and affectionate. Tao Hua hadn’t had a good conversation with her for a long time.

As soon as she entered, Sun Xiaolan affectionately linked her arm with Tao Hua’s and smiled, “Congratulations! You’re finally getting married this year! Oh, this is such a joyful occasion. Why are you still crying?”

Tao Hua raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye. “Do you think, in the future, he and I can have a good life?”

“Of course! I’m here to reassure you. Do you know his name is Qin Feng? He only moved to our Baiyun Village half a year ago.”

Tao Hua nodded. “My mother already told me about him, but she doesn’t know much about his background.”

“Of course, not even my grandfather knows much about him. Some villagers have never even seen his face. But I met him half a year ago when he first came back to the village. He went to my grandfather to vouch for him because he wanted to go to the village head to get his household registration. You might think his house is shabby, but he’s a capable man, especially skilled at hunting. And he can read and write. Isn’t that impressive?”