Chapter 17: A Deep Dislike

There used to be an old blind man in the village, but he has passed away now. Back then, he had read Jiang Qian’s fortune and said that her destiny was good, that she was born to enjoy a life of comfort and ease.

This statement made everyone envious and resentful. If Jiang Qian wasn’t so lucky, how could she have lived such a carefree life, never having to work the fields from childhood to adulthood?

For them, even the hope of attending a literacy class was a luxury. Their families would say, “What’s the use of a girl learning to read and write? Instead of wasting time on that, it’s better to help out more around the house!”

But Jiang Qian went on to attend high school in the county town without hesitation!

 That was something they could never even dream of, something that made them both envious and resentful.

Because of this, Jiang Qian had few friends or companions in the village, while Jiang Yue was quite popular and had many close friends.

This, too, was a form of isolation.

However, whether it was the Jiang Qian who hadn’t yet fully returned to her true self, or the Jiang Qian who had already done so, she was completely indifferent to it all.

She had a warm family; what did she need friends for? Besides, it was true that she simply couldn’t relate to them.

Because of Jiang Qian’s indifference and lack of effort to ingratiate herself, the villagers grew even more isolated and distant from her.

 Later, Jiang Qian graduated from high school just as the college entrance exams were canceled. The envious and jealous girls, who had been waiting for her to fail, were secretly gleeful. Now, they thought, she wouldn’t be able to take the university exams, and all that studying would have been for nothing. She would end up just like them, working the fields.

But then, unexpectedly, Jiang Qian used her own skills to land a job as a teacher at the town’s primary school, securing herself a stable job with a guaranteed income.

It seemed like fate was truly favoring her—everything handed to her on a silver platter!

And just like that, those who had been waiting to laugh at her had nothing to say.

Now, it was even more unbelievable. She had gotten herself engaged to a young military officer, a Commander no less, and to top it off, everyone had seen Han Shiguo’s handsome looks and strong build. How could anyone not praise him?

The older women in the village were absolutely smitten with such a potential son-in-law. He was the kind of ideal match they could only dream of, a golden opportunity that was out of their reach.

 It’s the same old story—everything good was given to Jiang Qian by fate.

Now, when anyone talks about the little daughter of the head of the Jiang family, they can’t help but praise her good fortune, right?

When the girls in the village came to the supply and marketing cooperative and saw Jiang Yue, they couldn’t help but gossip.

Jiang Yue pulled at the corners of her mouth, her eyes filled with disdain. What was so special about Jiang Qian’s “good fortune”? She had simply picked up the man Jiang Yue didn’t want!

But if rumors started spreading about two women fighting over one man, Jiang Yue knew she would be in trouble herself.

 So, Jiang Yue didn’t mention anything about the change of marriage partners. She simply said, “I’ve thought it over. The treatment for soldiers is good, but you have to be able to endure it. I was really scared over the past three years. Now that I have this job, I can’t afford to leave. No one at home can take over the work. My sister-in-law has no education, and the family depends on me. As for this marriage, since Jiang Qian is willing, then let her have it.”

One of the girls in the village said, “Don’t regret it! I saw that military officer from the Han family today. He looks incredibly strong and handsome!”

It truly made people envious and jealous. How could Jiang Qian have such good luck?

Although Jiang Yue hadn’t seen Han Shiguo’s appearance herself, she had already anticipated it. In the books, Han Shiguo was someone who could rival the male protagonist, and he stood beside him without losing a bit of grandeur.

 The two of them were equally skilled in the military camp, often competing for the top spot in assessments.

Sometimes Han Shiguo would take the top spot, and sometimes the male lead would. In the camp, Han Shiguo was the only one who could compete with the male lead at this level. He was truly outstanding.

But as a supporting character, Han Shiguo was just there to highlight the male lead, a mere foil for the protagonist.

 The male lead lived a happy and fulfilling life, but no matter how great or capable he was, it didn’t matter. He still ended up in a complete mess.

Jiang Yue smiled and said, “What’s there to regret? I can only say it wasn’t meant to be for me. I’ve come to terms with it.”

In her heart, she sneered. Regret? How could she possibly regret it!

Right now, Jiang Qian was smiling and happy, but in the future, she would be a widow, and Jiang Yue would be there to wipe away her tears!

As soon as Jiang Yue got off work, she immediately rushed to tell Wang Hesong the good news about Jiang Qian’s matchmaking with Han Shiguo.

 During work hours, she couldn’t find the time, but after work, she always made sure to meet him.

Jiang Yue knew that to secure Wang Hesong as her future path to becoming the head of the town, she would have to use some subtle tactics.

Wang Hesong was momentarily stunned when he heard this, “So soon?”

“Of course.” Jiang Yue had been quite pleased, but upon hearing his tone, she couldn’t help but glance at him. “My aunt was originally aiming to marry into a good family, and now Han Shiguo is an officer with such good conditions. How could my aunt let go of him? I just heard that both families are quite satisfied, and I expect Jiang Qian will be married off soon!”

The implication was clear: I gave up that excellent match for you!

“That’s quick, just after one meeting, don’t you think it’s a bit rushed?” Wang Hesong didn’t pick up on the deeper meaning and asked.

 Jiang Yue said, “It is a bit quick, but Han Shiguo can’t afford to waste time. He doesn’t have many days off, so if the two of them hit it off, of course they would get married!”

Wang Hesong fell silent. He felt that Jiang Qian was rushing into marriage so quickly because she wanted to make him jealous.

She must be furious at him for letting her down, and now she was eager to marry off to anyone as quickly as possible.

He needed to find an opportunity to advise her against rushing into marriage so recklessly just to spite him.

Seeing his listless expression, Jiang Yue became a bit irritated. But since she hadn’t married yet, she had to suppress her anger. Still, she couldn’t help but complain, “Hesong, do you think your mother doesn’t like me? She used to send eggs, milk tarts, and cookies to Jiang Qian all the time, but when it comes to me, she hasn’t even come to see me once. And I’m even  carrying your family’s grandchild!”

Wang Hesong replied, “My mom is so angry about our situation that she’s lying in bed. She doesn’t have the time to come see you. Besides, you’re not the same as Jiang Qian. My mom took one look at her and liked her immediately.”

What he didn’t say was that his mother despised Jiang Yue for being pregnant before marriage and had even suggested paying her to get an abortion, all while pushing for him to marry Jiang Qian.

Because Jiang Qian was the kind of proper, well-mannered young woman that his mother truly liked.

Teachers, preschool teachers, and nurses—those were the three professions most beloved by Chinese elders.

And Jiang Qian just happened to be a teacher.

 Of course, the job was just one factor. The more important reason was that Old Lady Wang liked Jiang Qian’s character and temperament. The girl was gentle and kind, with a polite way of speaking and a personality as soft as water. The more Old Lady Wang got to know her, the more she liked her.

So, she truly felt reluctant to let her go.

But now that things had changed, and with someone who didn’t know how to conduct herself—having gotten pregnant before marriage and even flirted with a man—Old Lady Wang genuinely disliked her!

She hadn’t come to scold Jiang Yue for her lack of shame, simply out of consideration for her son’s reputation and work, and out of concern for the child in her belly. But sending food to her? No way!

But of course, Wang Hesong would never say these things directly.