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

In the morning sunlight, the man stood tall, seemingly draped in a soft golden glow.

But that person… wasn’t he the man who had saved her from the river yesterday?

How did he find his way to her home?!

Thinking about how she hadn’t had time to comb her hair that morning, Tao Hua immediately dropped the broom and rushed back to her room.

Inside, her younger sister Chen Xiaoye had heard the commotion outside and opened the window to see what was happening.

Seeing Tao Hua come in, she pointed at the man in the courtyard and asked with a smile, “Sister, is that the man who wants to propose to you?”

Tao Hua followed her sister’s finger and met the tall man’s gaze.

At that moment, she didn’t know what was wrong with her; her entire face flushed red.

She quickly closed the window, but her heart raced wildly in her chest.

A short while later, their mother, Mrs. Zhou, came in.

She first sent Chen Xiaoye out to play with her brother, Chen Bao, then turned to take Tao Hua’s hand and whispered, “Tao Hua, I want to ask you, did you get a good look at that man just now?”

Tao Hua nodded. “I did, Mother.”

“Is he the one who saved you from the river yesterday?” Even though rumors circulated in the village, claiming her daughter was compromising with a wild man by the river, Mrs. Zhou didn’t believe those filthy words. She believed in her daughter.

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

“Good,” but Mrs. Zhou still looked worried. “Are you sure? You’re not mistaken?”

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

“Well,” Mrs. Zhou continued, “he’s here to propose to you today. He knows that by saving you, he has put your purity at risk, so he has decided to take on that responsibility. I think he’s a responsible man, and he looks decent too. However, his family has no land or property, so if you marry him, life might be tough. Are you willing to do that?”

“Mother,” Tao Hua’s eyes turned red immediately, “what does it matter if life is tough? Is it really going to be worse than now? Chen Dashan said this morning that he would sell me to a brothel! If this man is willing to marry me, that 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 be away from you.”

“ silly child,” Mrs. Zhou wiped tears for Tao Hua, “you probably don’t even know who that man is or where he lives, right?”

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

“Hmm!” At this point, a smile crept onto Mrs. Zhou’s face. “Don’t think it’s just you; I’ve never met him before either, but I’ve heard of him. Today is just the first time I’ve seen him. His name is Qin Feng, and he moved to the village six months ago. He lives in an old house left behind by his grandfather at the foot of the mountain.

But his grandfather passed away a long time ago, and apart from that old house, he didn’t leave any land. He usually lives by hunting, struggling to make ends meet and leading a tight life by himself.

However, his home is close to ours, in the same village, so even if you marry him, it’ll be convenient for you to come back to visit. If anything happens, you’ll also have someone to rely on. He used to be alone with no thoughts of settling down, but after you marry him, if you’re diligent, you two can work together to cultivate a piece of land at the foot of the mountain and your lives will surely improve. Don’t you think so, Tao Hua?”

As Mrs. Zhou spoke, tears streamed down her face. “It’s because I’m useless that I couldn’t protect you. You’ve suffered following me in the Chen family over the years.”

“Mother,” Tao Hua choked up, “please don’t say that. I know you’ve had a hard time too, and I believe that as long as I work hard, we will surely be able to lead a good life in the future. I want not only to have a good life for myself but also to take you, along with my younger siblings, to a better life!”

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

Just then, Mrs. Zhou heard someone calling for her outside. She gently touched Tao Hua’s head and said softly, “Make sure to tidy your hair; you might have to meet people later.”

“I know, Mother. You go ahead and do what you need to.”

However, it wasn’t long after Mrs. Zhou left when the door to Tao Hua’s room was pushed open with a creak.

This time, it was Tao Hua’s friend, Sun Xiaolan.

Sun Xiaolan was the village chief’s granddaughter. She had six older sisters and no brothers, and knowing that her parents were getting older and could not have more children, they had decided to let her stay at home and find a husband.

Having been married for less than three months, she and her new husband were inseparable and sweetly in love. Tao Hua hadn’t had a proper conversation with her in a long time.

As soon as she walked in, she linked her arm with Tao Hua’s and cheerfully exclaimed, “Congratulations! You’re finally going to get married this year. Oh, this is a big happy event—why are you still crying?”

Tao Hua raised her hand to wipe her eyes. “Do you think we can have a good life together in the future?”

“Of course you can! I’m here to reassure you. Do you know his name is Qin Feng? He just moved to our Baiyun Village six months ago.”

Tao Hua nodded. “My mother just told me, but she doesn’t know anything else about him.”

“Of course! Even my grandfather doesn’t know him; there are still some people in the village who haven’t even seen his face. But I met him six months ago when he just returned to the village. He came to my grandfather to ask for a guarantee; it seemed he needed to go to the village head to register or something. Don’t be fooled by his dilapidated house; he’s actually quite capable, especially good at hunting. Besides, he can read and write—how rare is that?”