The argument in the courtyard was so loud that almost no one paid attention to Mu Jinyue’s movements. Most eyes were fixed on Grandma Mu and the Du family, as the dispute between them had reached a fever pitch. Everyone was eager to see just how much money the Du family would end up offering.

However, one person had been watching Mu Jinyue the entire time—Mu Jinhua. Since the engagement had been switched, the subsequent events had taken a drastic turn, and Mu Jinhua was determined not to miss a single detail.

By now, Grandma Mu had moved on to demanding money—a typical tactic of hers. She never let go of an opportunity to squeeze something out of others, though she was really just a bully who preyed on the weak. Right now, she was making a fuss about the money, but if real trouble arose, she’d be the first to flee. Still, Mu Jinhua thought it wasn’t a bad thing—if they got the money, her own parents might benefit too.

What surprised her, though, was Mu Jinyue’s reaction. When Mu Jinyue declared she wouldn’t marry, Mu Jinhua was genuinely shocked—but then again, it made sense. Someone like Mu Jinyue, with no real prospects, couldn’t handle good fortune. She was destined for a life of hardship. Just as she was thinking this, Mu Jinhua saw Mu Jinyue walk away from the crowd and stop in front of a man.

Curious, Mu Jinhua also moved toward the edge of the crowd, stopping at a distance where she could still hear their conversation. And what she heard truly surprised her—Mu Jinyue had actually chosen this man?

She recognized him—Jiang Yi, wasn’t it? He had a paralyzed mother at home, and not much else was known about him. It seems that Jiang Yi died early—he probably wouldn’t even make it past this New Year. Mu Jinyue really had the worst luck—either she died early herself, or the men she ended up with did. Who knew if she’d survive this time? If she did, maybe she’d even have to thank Mu Jinhua for changing her fate.

Once the two finished talking, Mu Jinhua slipped back into the crowd and tugged at her mother Zhou Feng’s sleeve. Zhou Feng, who had been fully absorbed in the argument, snapped out of it and asked, “What is it, Dahua?”

Mu Jinhua jerked her chin in Mu Jinyue’s direction.

Zhou Feng turned and saw Mu Jinyue walking back with a man in tow. The murmurs around them quieted slightly. Grandma Mu, still in the middle of her heated quarrel, suddenly heard a voice from behind say, “Grandma Mu, I’d like to marry your granddaughter, Mu Jinyue.”

Grandma Mu turned to look at him, sizing him up. He wore a patched-up work uniform—probably an old hand-me-down—and didn’t look like the most upstanding fellow. But at least he was a city dweller, which was better than some country bumpkin. “Where’s your family from?” she asked.

Jiang Yi’s expression remained indifferent, his tone neither warm nor cold. “I live in this compound.”

Grandma Mu’s eyes lit up. She turned to the Du family. “Is he really from this compound?”

Ma Huifen had frozen when she heard Jiang Yi’s words. Why on earth was this boy from the Jiang family interested in the Mu girl? It wasn’t like she was anything special. Jiang Yi used to be the golden child of the compound—top grades, handsome, every family wanted their daughter to marry him. Ma Huifen had even lamented that she didn’t have a daughter to offer.

Faced with Grandma Mu’s questioning, Ma Huifen nodded. “He’s from the compound.”

Grandma Mu was delighted and immediately started calculating. “Fine. If you want to marry her, then pay the bride price. I’ve already got the paperwork ready—just hand over the money today, and the wedding can happen immediately. I won’t ask for much—just match the Du family’s offer of fifty yuan. Prepare the rest of the dowry, and by this evening, you can take your bride home.”

Mu Jinyue felt nothing upon hearing this again. She simply walked over to Lin Guihua, who was watching her with worry, and gently took her arm, reassuring her in a low voice. As for Grandma Mu’s demands, she wasn’t too concerned. Jiang Yi had probably witnessed enough of this farce to understand her family’s situation. If he still agreed to marry her, he must have a plan.

Jiang Yi let out a cold laugh. “Fifty yuan? You think your granddaughter is some kind of treasure? My family is just me and my bedridden mother. The only reason I’m taking a wife is because my mother needs someone to care for her. If your granddaughter wasn’t so obedient, I wouldn’t even want her.”

The onlookers in the courtyard nodded in agreement. Even though Jiang Yi wasn’t as amiable as he used to be, he was still a city man with a proper job and a home in the compound. Plenty of city girls would be willing to marry him.

Grandma Mu studied the crowd’s reactions and realized he wasn’t lying—they all seemed to agree. Though she was indignant, she held back her curses. Like it or not, city folk were seen as a cut above country folk, and at least the bride price would be higher than what they could get in the village. If word of this mess got back to their village, that wretched girl’s value would plummet even further.

“Then how much are you willing to pay?” The moment she asked, the upper hand slipped to the other side.

Jiang Yi pretended to think for a few seconds before answering, “Twenty-five.”

He’d just halved the price. Grandma Mu nearly fainted on the spot but quickly rallied. “No! My granddaughter is a virgin! Twenty-five is too little—absolutely not!” She was practically spitting in her fury.

Jiang Yi took a step back, about to speak—

But before he could, Grandpa Mu stepped forward. “Twenty. But you have to find a city job for Mu Jinyue’s cousin.”

Jiang Yi didn’t refuse. “Fine. Twenty yuan and a job. But I’m just an ordinary worker—don’t expect anything too fancy. And as for the twenty, I don’t have it all right now. I’ll give you ten today, and you can come back for the other ten in half a month. By then, the job should be arranged too.”

“That won’t do! You have to pay it all now! And the job needs to be settled immediately—who knows if you’ll go back on your word? No money, no bride!”

Jiang Yi’s expression didn’t change. “Then I won’t marry her.” With that, he turned to leave without hesitation.

Lin Guihua, witnessing this, clutched Mu Jinyue’s hand in panic. But Mu Jinyue wasn’t afraid. She continued to soothe her mother. Though she hadn’t known Jiang Yi for long, she had a feeling he wasn’t the type to back out. If he’d agreed, he’d follow through.

Others didn’t share her intuition. Grandma Mu, afraid he’d really walk away, and after a sharp glance from Grandpa Mu, quickly shouted at his retreating back, “Fine, fine! Since you seem like a decent young man, we’ll take the ten yuan first and settle the wedding. The rest can wait half a month.”

Jiang Yi didn’t stop walking, but he said, “I’ll get the money.” When he returned, he was holding a handful of cash—though it didn’t seem like enough. He then borrowed some from people in the compound, managing to scrape together the full amount before handing it to Grandma Mu.

He then asked Grandma Mu for the marriage registration documents. Since they had originally been prepared for Mu Jinyue’s marriage to the Du family, everything was complete. Still, Grandma Mu couldn’t resist a final threat as she handed them over: “You’d better follow through with the money and the job, or we’ll go straight to your workplace and make a scene.”

“Fine. Wait and see.”

With that, Jiang Yi ignored her and motioned for Mu Jinyue to follow him to register their marriage. On the way, Mu Jinyue said gratefully, “Thank you for agreeing to marry me. The bride price and my cousin’s job—I’ll pay you back for all of it.”

Jiang Yi stopped and turned to look at her. “I thought you’d say something like, ‘I’ll bear you a child to repay your kindness.’”

Mu Jinyue pressed her lips together. “I know you’re not marrying me to have a wife.” She wasn’t stupid. The moment he had so easily agreed to her proposal, she had guessed his motives. And when he mentioned his mother needed care, she understood exactly what her role would be.

“You’re sharp. I’m marrying you so you can take care of my mother. I’ll provide food and shelter, and you’ll look after her. Let’s start with three to five years.”

“Alright.” Mu Jinyue agreed.

With the matter settled, the two continued to the registration office. Since all the paperwork was in order, the clerk only asked if they were marrying voluntarily. After receiving their confirmation, the formalities were quickly completed, and their marital status was official.

By the time they returned to the compound, the commotion had died down. Everyone was already seated at tables, eating. The Mu family had also found a spot and were digging in.

Mu Jinyue scanned the courtyard, looking for her parents. Just as she spotted them, Jiang Yi’s voice sounded above her: “Go eat. I already gave my share of the wedding gift this morning.”

“Okay.”

She squeezed in beside Lin Guihua and ate with her. The delay from the earlier argument meant the food wasn’t very warm anymore, and the taste wasn’t great. Mu Jinyue had a small appetite anyway, so after a few bites, she left the table.

The Mu family was in a hurry to return home, so they ate quickly. Lin Guihua was the first to finish. She pulled Mu Jinyue aside and handed her a small bundle—her dowry. She then gave her the usual advice: “Listen to your husband, take good care of your mother-in-law…” But before she could say much, Grandma Mu called for everyone to leave. Lin Guihua had no choice but to follow.

Mu Jinyue watched as the Mu family walked out of the compound, their figures disappearing into the distance. Only then did she feel at ease. When she turned back, Jiang Yi was standing at the door of the left side room, gesturing for her. “Finished eating? Come inside.”

She followed him quietly into the house. Jiang Yi then entered the room on the right and signaled for her to wait a moment.

While waiting, Mu Jinyue took in her surroundings.

From the outside, the Jiang residence consisted of two side rooms, with the entrance slightly to the left. Inside was a small living area with a room on either side. The left room was smaller, while the right one was of normal size.

The furnishings were simple—just a round table and a few wooden chairs. The ceiling was dark, suggesting modest means.

After a quick glance, Mu Jinyue stopped examining the place and waited quietly. Occasionally, she could hear a woman’s voice from inside the room, weak and frail. “Mother Jiang’s health really isn’t good.”

Inside the room:

“I heard some commotion outside earlier—sounded like an argument. What happened?” Mother Jiang had asked when her son brought her food earlier, but he hadn’t answered. Now, unable to let it go, she asked again.

Jiang Yi poured his mother a cup of warm water and explained, “It’s nothing, just some trouble with the Du family’s wedding. Also… I got married. We just registered.” He briefly recounted the morning’s events, then waved for Mu Jinyue to come in.

Naturally, Mu Jinyue obeyed.

Though Jiang Yi made it sound trivial, Mother Jiang knew her son too well. Plus, the morning’s drama had been loud—she had overheard plenty by the window. She knew she was the reason he had been forced into this.

Jiang Yi had a stable job. Back when their family situation was better, many had tried to match him with nice city girls. But after her legs gave out and she became bedridden, no one mentioned marriage to him again. Now, he had married a village girl. The thought pained her.

But when she saw the young woman who walked in, her heart softened. Just one look told her this girl had suffered at home. She beckoned warmly, “Come, sit here.”

The faint scent of medicine lingered in the room. Mu Jinyue subtly inhaled, then continued forward without reaction, sitting by Mother Jiang’s bed with a gentle smile.

Mother Jiang took her hand, her voice kind. “Good child, what’s your name?”

“Mu Jinyue.” As she spoke, she channeling a trace of her wood-element ability into her.

This was a power she had stumbled upon in her past life—a weak wood-based energy. It was pitifully limited, only enough to sprout a seed into a two-centimeter seedling each day.

After transmigrating, the ability remained the same. But since it was a life-force energy, aside from nurturing plants, it could also purify the body and restore vitality. Today being their first meeting, she wanted to make a good impression. At the very least, Jiang Yi seemed filial—building a good relationship with his mother could only help.

The energy was too subtle to detect, dissolving into the body almost instantly. Yet Mother Jiang felt slightly more comfortable and held Mu Jinyue’s hand tighter. “Good child, our Xiao Yi might seem cold, but he’s kind at heart. He’ll be a good husband. It’s just… I’ve burdened him…”

Mu Jinyue gently cut her off. “Don’t worry, Mother. I know he’s a good man. We’ll live well together. Things will get better—you just focus on resting and enjoying life.”

Finally, Mother Jiang smiled. “Good, good.”