Chapter 29: My Wife

Xu Mo carried Shen Jiaojiao to the registration desk and got a number before finding a doctor.  

The doctor glanced at the injury on Shen Jiaojiao’s leg and spoke in a professional tone: “It’s just a flesh wound, nothing serious. I’ll disinfect and bandage it for you. Try to stay in bed and rest for the next few days.”  

Xu Mo felt that the doctor had not examined it carefully enough. “Doctor, please take a closer look. Are you sure the bone isn’t injured? Shouldn’t we use a cast or a splint?”  

“You’re questioning my expertise, huh?” The doctor chuckled.  

However, in order to reassure the patient’s family, he carefully examined the injury once again.  

The conclusion remained the same—there was no serious issue. Resting in bed for a few days would suffice.  

Only then did Xu Mo feel relieved.  

The doctor quickly disinfected and bandaged Shen Jiaojiao’s foot.  

“I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatory medicine for you. Take this and pay at the counter outside to collect the medication.” the doctor instructed.  

Xu Mo took the prescription from the doctor and hesitated for a moment before asking: “Could you issue a medical certificate? I’d like to buy some bones to make soup for… for my wife to eat.”  

At that moment, he could only refer to Shen Jiaojiao as his wife; otherwise, people might misunderstand.  

From the moment she heard the word “wife.” Shen Jiaojiao had been staring at Xu Mo, as if trying to bore a hole through him with her gaze.  

Xu Mo’s ears turned red again.  

The doctor glanced at the two of them, his face filled with amusement.  

Although this man looked like a countryside fellow, he was strong and seemed to dote on his wife.  

Perhaps that was why this fairy-like young lady had married him!  

“Your wife’s bones aren’t injured, so I can’t issue that certificate.” the doctor replied.  

Xu Mo had no choice but to give up on the idea.  

He carried Shen Jiaojiao out of the outpatient clinic.  

By now, more and more people were entering the hall.  

As Xu Mo carried her through the crowd, they once again attracted a lot of attention.  

However, Xu Mo’s mind was entirely focused on Shen Jiaojiao, and he had no time to care about the onlookers.  

He gently placed her on a seat in the hall. “Wait here. I’ll go get your medicine.”  

Shen Jiaojiao obediently nodded her head.

Ever since Xu Mo had ridden his bicycle to the hospital, he had not had a proper rest.  

With the stifling heat, his face was drenched in sweat.  

Because he had rushed out in a hurry, coming straight from the fields, the sweat mixed with the dust and wheat husks stuck to his body, making him look rather disheveled.  

His usual striking good looks, which should have belonged to a male protagonist, were now completely sealed away.  

Xu Mo had just walked away when a few middle-aged women sitting nearby huddled around Shen Jiaojiao.  

“Girl, that man wouldn’t happen to be your husband, would he?” one of the women asked.  

“Mm.” Shen Jiaojiao responded sweetly.  

Although they were not married yet, they would be in just half a month.  

The woman was visibly shocked.  

She scrutinized Shen Jiaojiao from head to toe and became even more convinced of her own thoughts.  

Leaning in closer, she whispered: “Girl, were you trafficked to that man? Did he force you? If you’re being forced, just blink, and I’ll report it to the Public Security Bureau for you.”  

Shen Jiaojiao: “……” What kind of logic was this?  

“I’m marrying him willingly. I wasn’t trafficked.” she declared seriously, her small face full of righteous indignation, like an adorable yet fierce little cub. She was so anxious that she wished she could drag this woman straight to the village captain and have the entire village testify for her.  

But the woman only became more convinced that Shen Jiaojiao had been brainwashed. Otherwise, why would she willingly marry a country bumpkin?  

Ah!  

How pitiful.  

If only she were still unwed—what a perfect match she would have been for her own son.  

Her son had a proper job and even earned a steady salary of thirty-five yuan a month!  

The other women sighed in regret.  

Some nosy onlookers, eager for drama, chimed in as well.  

“How could someone like you settle for a man like that? Sure, he’s tall and strong, but look at his ragged clothes! He’s so ugly. Aren’t you afraid of having nightmares when you sleep at night?”  

“Exactly! You look like a fairy, but your man is ugly, poor, and has a fierce face. He must have a violent temper! If you stay with him, you’ll definitely get beaten a lot.”

“They say beautiful women never marry into good families. Looks like it’s true! Just look at my daughter—she may have a broad, round face, but she’s blessed. She married a chef from a state-owned restaurant and lives a life of luxury, eating all the chicken, duck, and fish she wants every day.”  

Hearing this, Shen Jiaojiao was instantly furious.  

Were they really talking about her man like that? Did they think she wouldn’t fight back just because she wasn’t good at arguing?  

She stood up on one foot, pointed directly at the women mocking her, and lashed out.  

“You! Before calling others ugly, why don’t you take a good look in the mirror and see what kind of creature you are? Squinty eyes, a flat nose, and sausage lips—if you have a husband, he’ll definitely divorce you sooner or later. If you don’t have one, it’s probably because you scared all the men away with that ugly face of yours!”  

She then turned to another woman. “And you! Look at those bruises on your neck and around your eyes. You must get beaten by your man all the time—that’s why you assume all men are violent. Well, let me tell you, my man does have violent tendencies because if you keep spewing nonsense, he’ll beat you to death. In fact, I sincerely hope your husband does it first!”  

Finally, she set her sights on the last one. “And you! With your pig-like face, your daughter must be sneaking food from that state-owned restaurant to feed you, huh? You better watch out, because I’m going to report you! Let’s see if you can still act so smug after that.”  

Just moments ago, those three women had been chatting away, enjoying their gossip.  

But after Shen Jiaojiao’s fiery retaliation, they were completely speechless.  

She had hit the nail on the head. They had no way to refute her and didn’t even dare to try.  

One by one, they got up and slinked away, humiliated.  

As they left, one of them muttered under her breath: “So fierce… no wonder she married a country bumpkin.”  

Afraid that Shen Jiaojiao might claw at her, she took off running out of the hospital as fast as she could.  

The other onlookers, who had been eager to watch the drama unfold, quickly turned their heads and pretended to mind their own business.  

This young lady was too fierce—they didn’t dare mess with her.  

Shen Jiaojiao huffed in the direction the women had left, then sat back down in her chair, putting on an innocent and well-behaved expression.  

Not long after, Xu Mo returned.  

He held a box of medicine in his hand.  

For the first time ever, he reached out and ruffled Shen Jiaojiao’s hair.  

“Let’s go.” he said.  

“Okay.”  

Xu Mo bent down, picked her up again, and carried her out of the outpatient hall.  

After placing her on the bicycle, he noticed a vendor selling candied hawthorn skewers by the roadside.  

“Do you want one?” he asked.  

“I do.”  

“Wait here. I’ll go buy it.”  

Xu Mo propped up the bicycle’s kickstand and ran over to the vendor.  

In no time, he returned.  

In his hand was a large, bright red skewer of candied hawthorns.  

A thin layer of ice-like sugar glaze covered the fruit, making it look especially tempting.