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Since she had crossed over and her soul had become whole, her body gradually started getting healthier.
Although it all felt a bit fantastical, Jiang Qian wasn’t the type to obsess over every detail. As long as her body was healthy, that was enough for her.
She liked the feeling of being healthy.
While chatting with a few talkative students along the way, Jiang Qian suddenly noticed a man. With just one glance, she could tell that he was a soldier.
He stood straight and tall, with a physique that was strong and imposing. His height was around 1.85 meters—outstanding even by future standards, and in this era, he was truly a standout in the crowd.
The key detail was the soldier’s rugged, masculine face. His eyebrows were long and sharp, his nose high and straight, and he exuded the agile, fierce aura of a black panther in the wild.
This man was healthy, powerful, and brave.
When the children called out, “Teacher Jiang,” he glanced in her direction, and their eyes met.
The man’s gaze was sharp yet pure, and when his eyes met hers, Jiang Qian’s heart skipped a beat.
No doubt about it—there was no deeper meaning here. It was just a natural reaction from seeing an incredibly handsome man, one that any woman could understand!
After all, she wasn’t a nun—she was a young woman with real emotions and desires.
This man was truly the crème de la crème!
With all the handsome actors Jiang Qian had seen in her past life’s movies and TV shows, she could confidently say that this man’s looks and physique were absolutely top-tier.
She just wondered which lucky woman had managed to snag a man like him.
Jiang Qian had these thoughts but didn’t look at the man again. His age clearly indicated he wasn’t young anymore, and in this era where early marriage and childbirth were the norm, he might already be the father of several children.
No matter how handsome a man was, if he was married, she had no interest. This was a matter of principles and morality.
At the Jiang Household:
The air was tense, as if a storm was brewing.
Zhou Guiyun frowned at the matchmaker. “Matchmaker Zhang, if you have something to say, just say it directly. You’re beating around the bush, and I don’t understand what you mean!”
Hearing that, Matchmaker Zhang steeled herself and said, “Sister Guiyun, I won’t beat around the bush anymore. I’m here to inform you that the Wang family from the town has decided to call off the engagement!”
Jiang Qian had just arrived home, and before even stepping through the door, she overheard the conversation from the courtyard.
She didn’t need to go inside to know that the woman speaking was the famous Matchmaker Zhang, known throughout the villages for miles around.
Jiang Qian stopped in her tracks and stayed outside, listening.
Before her mother, Zhou Guiyun, could respond, her sister-in-law, Zhao Aiying, was the first to explode in anger. “Matchmaker Zhang, what do you mean by that? What do you mean the Wang family is calling off the engagement?”
Her second sister-in-law, Zhao Aifeng, also glared angrily at Matchmaker Zhang, saying, “Matchmaker Zhang, if you don’t make things clear today, you won’t be walking out of the Jiang family’s door!”
Matchmaker Zhang knew this was not going to be an easy task, but hearing the fierce words from the two tough daughters-in-law of the Jiang family, her face twitched nervously.
Outside, Jiang Qian couldn’t help but smile when she heard the words of her elder and second sisters-in-law.
Her eldest and second sisters-in-law, Zhao Aiying and Zhao Aifeng, were cousins from Zhao Family Village. Back when Jiang Qian’s mother was arranging her eldest brother’s marriage to Zhao Aiying, she had also taken a liking to Zhao Aifeng. So, she arranged both marriages at the same time—one for the eldest son and one for the second son.
Now, of course, both were already married into the Jiang family.
Though Jiang Qian’s father, Captain Jiang, remained silent, smoking with a stern expression, he still stepped out to keep watch, as this was about his daughter’s marriage, and he didn’t want anyone overhearing their family matters.
As soon as Captain Jiang stepped outside, he spotted his youngest daughter, Jiang Qian.
Jiang Qian made a “shh” gesture, signaling her father to stay quiet. Jiang Qian’s father understood, silently nodding and letting his daughter continue eavesdropping.
With Jiang Qian’s father now keeping watch outside, her mother, Zhou Guiyun, finally spoke up.
“To be honest, we were never that pleased with the Wang family to begin with. We did our research—there are six sisters-in-law in that family, none of whom are easy to deal with. It was only because you said Old Lady Wang was especially fond of Qian Qian, and they offered a substantial dowry, that you made two or three trips to convince us. Out of respect for you, we reluctantly agreed in the end. But now you’re saying the Wang family has gone back on their word? Are they trying to make fools out of the Jiang family? They should ask around—we’re not the kind of family anyone can bully!”
Jiang Qian’s father was the captain of Wuxing Brigade, and her mother, Zhou Guiyun, was once a well-known iron-willed woman. Together, they raised four sons as fierce as wolves, and their daughter, Jiang Qian.
In the entire Wuxing Brigade and the surrounding villages within a ten-mile radius, who would dare mess with them? The marriage proposal had been arranged by the Wang family, and now they wanted to call it off. Such a humiliating situation—there was no way Zhou Guiyun would let it slide. If word got out, wouldn’t her family become the laughingstock of the area?
In the courtyard, Zhang the Matchmaker, who had a distinctive mole on the right side of her face, was now surrounded by the trio of Zhou Guiyun and her two fierce daughters-in-law. If she didn’t give a satisfactory explanation, there was no way she’d be leaving the Jiang household unscathed.
Zhang the Matchmaker inwardly cursed the Wang family. This whole marriage arrangement had been their idea in the first place. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day of the match meeting, but then the Wang family boy had come to her out of the blue, saying they weren’t interested anymore and calling the whole thing off!
Zhang the Matchmaker was furious. She had even gone to confront Old Lady Wang, but all she got in return were sighs and resignation. Old Lady Wang had even suggested that Zhang help propose a match for another family branch instead, which infuriated her even more. She stormed out of their house, fuming.
However, as the matchmaker, she had no choice but to visit the Jiang family to deliver the message. Now, standing here in front of them, facing their wrath, Zhang knew this was exactly the reception she had expected.
Zhang the Matchmaker quickly tried to explain, “I know, I know, this is all the Wang family’s fault. But, as the saying goes, ‘it takes two hands to clap!'”
“What do you mean by that?” Zhao Aiying, the eldest sister-in-law, immediately grabbed a broom, ready to swing.
“Are you trying to throw this pile of filth on our little sister?” Zhao Aifeng, the second sister-in-law, picked up a stick, glaring fiercely. “Our little sister is honest and well-behaved. Go ask around in the surrounding villages if you can find anyone as good as her, and you dare to slander her?”
Even Jiang Qian’s mother, Zhou Guiyun, stared daggers at Zhang. “Zhang Matchmaker, if you don’t make yourself clear today, you’d better call your sons to come carry you out of here!”
Zhang finally realized her words had been misunderstood and quickly corrected herself, “No, no! That’s not what I meant! When I said ‘it takes two hands to clap,’ I wasn’t blaming your Jiang Qian at all. It’s just that Wang Hesong has set his eyes on Jiang Yue, her cousin! Jiang Yue and Wang Hesong have gotten together!”
Jiang Qian’s father, sitting just outside, frowned deeply, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at his daughter.
Jiang Qian was momentarily taken aback, but then she softly reassured her father, “Don’t worry about me, Father. It’s nothing serious.”
Her father, spoke in a low voice, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your cousin gives you an explanation for this.”
Jiang Qian smiled, knowing her father deeply cared for her. However, she had no fond feelings for her cousin Jiang Yue, who had always been envious of their family’s better situation and had often made subtle jabs at her. Still, she was puzzled. Jiang Yue already had a marriage arranged with the Han family, who lived some ten miles away.