Chapter 1

November 1982, Xiaojia Village.

In the evening, Jiang Yuning sat on the edge of the bed in her red wedding dress. The red dragon-and-phoenix candlelight flickered against the window, and she pressed her rosy lips tightly together, sitting nervously at the bedside.

From the main hall outside came the continuous sound of cups and bowls shattering, followed by Xiao Liye’s contemptuous voice:

“The person I’m marrying today is a widow?”

Jiang Yuning lowered her gaze in silent gloom, her slender fingers clutching tightly at her clothes.

Xiao Fangdong’s honest, simple face looked a little embarrassed as he tried to persuade him:

“Her husband died less than two years after they married. She’s practically ninety percent new, and she doesn’t have any kids. That’s good enough — why not just make do with it?”

Xiao Liye’s sword-like brows knit sharply.

“Ninety percent new and no kids? What, there are no women left in this world? You go and find me someone whose husband’s already dead?”

Xiao Fangdong said awkwardly:

“Her parents brought up that matter of saving my life back then and made this request. You know her father’s health isn’t great now.
They’ve never asked me for anything all these years… how could I refuse? Just think of her as another family member and support her, can’t you?”

Xiao Liye was unmoved. His face darkened as he kicked the chair in front of him — with a bang, it shattered into pieces.

Jiang Yuning’s heart jumped in fright, her whole body tensing in fear. Then she heard Xiao Liye say, his tone bitter:

“Her husband died within two years of marriage — maybe she cursed him to death. I, Xiao Liye, will never allow a widow to stay in the same space as me. What if she curses me to death too?”

Jiang Yuning’s beautiful eyes reddened, her trembling lips tinged with bitterness.

A year ago, she had married Jiang Zhiming, the boy her parents had adopted and raised. They should have lived a happy life together, but on their wedding night, he told her he only saw her as a sister and couldn’t get past that in his heart — intimacy would have to wait.

That “wait” dragged on for over a year. When her mother began pressuring her to have a child, Jiang Zhiming left in anger and vanished overnight.

From then on, she became the subject of malicious gossip from everyone around her. No matter how she explained, people said she had been married for over a year without getting pregnant because she was sick — that she’d been so desperate to marry that she was pushed onto her adoptive brother, and in the end had driven him to his death.

Because of this, her entire family couldn’t hold their heads high. They were afraid she would never marry again. After much thought, they approached Xiao Fangdong, who agreed without hesitation, saying Xiao Liye would consent.

Who could have expected such a farce? No wonder the wedding ceremony had been conducted with the excuse that Xiao Liye was “unwell,” making her go through all the formalities alone.

At that moment, Xiao Liye’s fierce voice rang out again from the main hall:

“Tell her to get back to wherever she came from! I don’t have time to waste my wedding night with her.”

Then came the sound of footsteps leaving.

Jiang Yuning lowered her long lashes, hiding the mist in her eyes, and quietly exhaled a breath.

Xiao Fangdong sighed and stepped into the room.

“Xiao Ning, don’t be angry. Liye’s just like that. He’s not a bad person. Once he knows your family’s decent, he’ll settle down and live a peaceful life.”

“Uncle, I’ll change my clothes and go talk to him. If he can accept me, then fine; if not, then forget it,” Jiang Yuning said, lifting her tear-bright eyes, the bitterness in her throat almost choking her.

Her family had already been mocked enough. If she made another scene now, after all the guests had left, not only would they be unable to stay in the county, but her parents would probably force her to find another husband.

“Don’t overthink it.” Xiao Fangdong sighed again. He, too, had wished his son could find someone not only compatible in background but also with a spotless marital history. But by now, he had no choice — if he refused, he would never get over it for the rest of his life.

He stepped out, closing the door behind him.

“It’s your wedding night. You can’t let him run off and make a fool of himself. Just say I told him to come back — whether he wants to or not.”

Swallowing her sadness, Jiang Yuning opened her suitcase, took out a white shirt and flared jeans, changed clothes, took down her hair, washed her face, and set off for the county winery.

The county was a little distance from Xiaojia Village, but not too far. Xiao Liye’s winery and her family’s pastry shop were in different locations, forming a rough triangle.

For years, Jiang Guohua had been afraid the Xiao family would think he was trying to exploit their old debt, so after moving away from the village, he opened a small pastry shop in the county to get by, never contacting them again.

Xiao Liye hadn’t known about today’s wedding. On his way back from the factory, he’d overheard a friend and started making a scene before even stepping inside the house. Naturally, she had never met him before.

When she arrived at the winery, it was just after work, and many workers in uniforms were riding bicycles out.

She didn’t know exactly where Xiao Liye was, so she glanced around. Not far away, at the stairs of a two-story townhouse, stood a man.

His features were as if carved from fine jade, his narrow eyes exuding a casual arrogance. His whole presence was like a drawn sword — sharp, aggressive. He was talking to the man next to him.

Jiang Yuning instinctively felt he must be part of management. She walked over and said from behind him:

“Hello, could you tell me where Xiao Liye is?”

Jiang Ping tilted his head to look, his eyes briefly stunned, heart pounding. But Xiao Liye didn’t even pause — he simply kept speaking to Jiang Ping:

“Have you looked into the shortage of goods at the factory? If anyone’s caught secretly selling large amounts of our liquor, send them straight to the police.”
“And how are the sales of the new product?”

Jiang Ping, unwilling to see Jiang Yuning left waiting, interrupted:

“Boss, there’s a young lady looking for you.”

Xiao Liye’s brows furrowed sharply, his tone impatient:

“Then let her wait. If she keeps coming to find me, I’ll deal with her. Do I still get to work or not? What I’m telling you now is the priority. If you can’t catch that person, then forget about your job.”

Jiang Ping was so frightened he didn’t dare speak again and nodded quickly.

Jiang Yuning stood behind him, uneasy and silent. From this brief encounter, she could tell he was not someone easy to deal with.

But since she now knew he was Xiao Liye, she waited patiently nearby.

Xiao Liye continued giving orders, but Jiang Ping kept sneaking glances past him, his cheeks growing redder.

Catching this distraction, Xiao Liye turned impatiently and barked:

“Can’t you see I’m still talking? Don’t you know to get—”

He broke off mid-sentence when he looked up and saw Jiang Yuning’s bare, makeup-free face — striking and beautiful thanks to her strong, vivid features.

Her long black hair spilled down her back, and the white shirt tucked into her flared jeans outlined a narrow waist and long legs.

His words stalled. The anger faded from his face, replaced by a faintly playful smile. His eyes lingered almost hungrily on her face, his mouth suddenly dry as he spoke:

“Looking for a job? I happen to need someone in my office to hand me documents. Interested?”