Chapter 1: Sent to the Lu Family

“Er Ya, ^[1]The FL’s Nickname you know the situation in our family. Your father is the pillar of our family. If anything happens to him, we can’t afford for him to be in trouble. Listen to your mother, just marry him.”

“I’ve heard that the eldest son of the Lu family in the mountains is educated, and even has the title of tongsheng (a scholar at the elementary level), so he must be a cultured and reasonable person. In another two months, you’ll be fourteen. While that’s not considered very old, after you go there, you can talk to him properly. Even if you wait two years before consummating the marriage, it won’t be an issue.”

“Moreover, your mother-in-law is a widow and has poor health. She’s probably not long for this world. Once she’s gone, you won’t have in-laws to serve. Good times are ahead.”

Zhao Chunhua looked at her daughter lying on the bed and, with a sincere tone, tried to persuade her.

Since Chu Yue woke up from her stupor, Zhao Chunhua had been chattering nonstop by her side, making Chu Yue want to slap her in the face.

But considering that she was the biological mother of this body, she held herself back.

The key issue was that she couldn’t win in a fight.

Once she laid a hand on her, she’d be the one getting hurt in the end.

It was just like earlier, when the original owner only wanted to escape the marriage. Before she could even leave the courtyard, her father had already knocked her down with a carrying pole ^[2]A carrying pole (also known as a shoulder pole or yoke) is a traditional tool used for carrying heavy loads, typically in rural or historical settings. It consists of a long, sturdy pole that is … Continue reading.

However, it was precisely because of this that she was given the opportunity to transmigrate.

The original owner, who shared her name and surname, was a hardworking and capable person with a gentle personality.

The reason she refused the marriage was mainly because of Wu Yong from the neighboring Wu family. They had grown up together as childhood friends. Although they weren’t at the point of secretly pledging to marry, Wu Yong had indeed taken good care of the original owner in the past.

Unfortunately, her father lost money gambling and stole pigs from the Lu family in the mountains to pay off his debts. Later, the Lu family’s eldest son traced the theft back to him and threatened to turn him in to the authorities. With no other option, her father begged him to spare him and promised to give Chu Yue as his wife.

After sorting through the memories in her mind, Chu Yue finally turned her gaze toward the incessantly talking Zhao Chunhua.

“You can stop now, I’ll marry!”

Seeing that Chu Yue was willing to marry, Zhao Shi ^[3]In classical Chinese, the character for  (Shi) is often used after a woman’s family name to denote her as a member of a particular family or clan. It is a formal or respectful way to refer … Continue reading

 immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her face blooming into a smile. She patted Chu Yue’s hand and said, “There, that’s all it takes. You rest for a bit, I’ll go pack your things.”

Chu Yue hadn’t expected Zhao Shi to prepare much for her, but she was surprised to find that Zhao Shi was even more unreasonable than she had imagined.

Apart from the set of patched-up clothes that she usually wore, Zhao Shi had even taken Chu Yue’s only worn-out winter coat.

That coat had been made from Zhao Shi’s old cotton jacket.

Perhaps, in their eyes, she was worth less than that pig.

Zhao Shi handed the bundle to Chu Yue, pretending to wipe away a tear.

“Er Ya, I heard that from our Niutou Village to the Lu family, you have to cross several mountain peaks. It’ll take at least half a day to get there. Later on, it won’t be easy to visit. Once you’re at your in-laws’, you need to be diligent and not ruin our family’s reputation. Xiao Tao is still young, and she’ll need to get married in the future. We can’t let her be delayed.”

Chu Yue was the second child in her family. She had an 18-year-old older brother who was lazy and had been spoiled, and because their family was poor, it was only this year that he was able to talk about marriage.

She also had a five-year-old younger sister, whom Chu Yue had practically raised herself. They were the closest.

Chu Yue tightened her grip on the bundle.

“I understand.”

After a moment, Zhao Shi added, “Don’t always think about coming back home. Coming by once for the holidays is enough, so I can see you.”

Chu Yue didn’t agree, but she didn’t oppose it either.

Her gaze was somewhat cold, as if she felt pity for the late original owner.

She had once worked tirelessly and endured everything, only to be met with her father’s silent violence and the exploitation of her parents. They even resorted to using her beloved younger sister to threaten her into obedience.

Seeing that Chu Yue didn’t speak, Zhao Chunhua assumed she was reluctant, but she didn’t mind.

She quickly grabbed Chu Yue’s arm and led her out of the house.

“Head of the family, Da Shan, you two should hurry and send Er Ya to the mountains. Otherwise, she’ll have to travel at night on the way back.”

With two strong men watching, the little girl surely wouldn’t run away.

“Coming.”

Chu Youqian and Chu Dashan heard the voice and came out of their respective rooms.

On the way, she didn’t try to escape the gaze of the two men following her. The year’s harvest hadn’t been good, and it hadn’t rained for nearly two months. Many farm families’ fields were cracked from the drought.

If this weather continued, in an ancient world where people relied on a few acres of land to make a living, a famine was inevitable.

Once a famine broke out, the world would descend into chaos.

As a weak thirteen-year-old girl traveling alone, there was no safety to be had.

It was better to go to the Lu family first and see how things were there.

If the Lu family was sincere, she would stay for now; if they were as harsh as her own family, she would have to reconsider her options.

Chu Dashan walked ahead, occasionally glancing at Chu Yue.

“Later, if things are better at your in-laws’, remember to help out your eldest brother. After all, you’re from our family. You can’t turn into an ungrateful wolf.”

Chu Youqian quickly picked up the conversation, “Dashan’s right. If you come across anything good, remember your maternal family. And if you’re bullied at your in-laws’, you’ll still need us to back you up.”

Chu Yue walked ahead, her expression growing colder.

“Rely on you for support? Are you sure you’re not just planning to hit me with another burden?”

Chu Youqian was momentarily stunned, his temper flaring up and wanting to slap her, but then he remembered they were about to reach the Lu family. If he slapped her and messed up her face, what would the Lu family think?

He definitely didn’t want to end up in jail.

Thinking this, he forced himself to calm down, dropping his hand and snorting coldly as he urged the two to quicken their pace.

Although the Lu family lived in the mountains, they weren’t the only household there. The small village where the Lu family resided was surrounded by mountains.

It was more inconvenient to go out from here than from other places, but because the family was poor, very few families managed to leave this village.

…

“In-laws, I’ve brought my daughter to you.”

Chu Youqian led the two of them to a house at the foot of the mountain at the village’s edge, stretching his neck and calling into the yard.

Hearing the voice, Yun Cuihe, who was busy preparing lunch in the kitchen, came out with her two sons.

“In-law is here!” Although her face was a little pale, her joy was evident. She quickly looked at her youngest son, “Xingping, quickly go open the door.”

Lu Xingping nodded and ran to the door to open the yard gate. His bright eyes briefly glanced over Chu Youqian and Chu Dashan before looking at the shrinking Chu Yue, revealing a row of small white teeth.

“Sister-in-law, come in.”