Chapter 39 : Aunt Qi

After Jiang Li was escorted out, the wedding party began moving the dowry items one by one. There were three cotton quilts, two thin as paper and one particularly thick with a festive pattern. The entire quilt set had been collected by Aunt Jingui. Originally, it was intended as a dowry for Li Chunlan, but since Jiang Li was getting married first, it was given to her instead.  

Jiang Li then instructed the movers to carry out the large wardrobe, desk, washstand, kettle, and other miscellaneous items from her room, leaving nothing behind for Jiang Changyi and Wang Juhua to benefit from.  

Zhu Xia’s eyes reddened with envy as she stared at the quilt cover. It looked all too familiar, when she first got married, she had wanted it, but her mother-in-law had kept it hidden and refused to let her use it, only to give it to Jiang Li now.  

She tugged on Li Jinbu’s arm and whispered angrily, “What does your mother mean by this? Giving away the household belongings to an outsider instead of saving them for her eldest grandson? Doesn’t she know how to distinguish between family and outsiders?”  

Li Jinbu, who had been hearing whispers about Jiang Li selling the house to their family at a low price, was grateful to Jiang Li. He grew impatient and replied curtly, “Today is my sister’s big day. Don’t force me to make a scene and hit you here!”  

Li Jinbu rarely raised his voice, so Zhu Xia was shocked and furious. “What do you mean? We haven’t even divided the family property yet, and everything in this house belongs to all of us. She has no right to give it away! And I’m pregnant with your child, this is how you treat me?”  

Her voice became increasingly aggrieved as she worked herself into a frenzy. After all these years, her husband had never spoken harshly to her, until now, and all for Jiang Li!  

Li Jinbu frowned and warned coldly, “If you dare to cause trouble here and embarrass our family, you’ll go back to your parents’ home.”  

Stunned, Zhu Xia froze in place. Was he serious? Reflecting on her marriage, despite her frequent complaints, she had lived a comfortable life with a capable mother-in-law, a gentle husband, and a helpful sister-in-law. If she truly divorced and returned to her parents, could she ever find such a good family again?  

Losing her resolve, Zhu Xia clutched her stomach, groaned dramatically, grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table, and slinked away, muttering to herself, “Might as well eat what the little vixen left behind.”  

Meanwhile, Jiang Changyi had been preparing to “accept” some of the wedding gifts, already planning to move the items into the vacant east wing of the house for his son Tianci when he married. He imagined the room would be spacious enough for Tianci and his future child.  

However, as he approached the gifts, a distant cousin of the Qi family blocked his way. “The bride said these betrothal gifts shouldn’t even be unloaded here, they’re going straight to Bailutang.”  

Another cousin, quicker to catch on, smirked with disdain. It was obvious that Jiang Changyi had assumed the gifts were his to claim and had made arrangements without consulting anyone.  

“Nonsense!” Jiang Changyi fumed. “Go ask Jiang Li! These are betrothal gifts, they belong to the bride’s family, not the groom’s.”  

But his argument fell on deaf ears. The cousins closed ranks, guarding the gifts. “Uncle, have some shame. She’s your niece, not your daughter. If anyone has the right to these gifts, it’s her parents, not you.”  

The group, consisting of several tall, strong men, stood firmly around the items, leaving Jiang Changyi unable to so much as touch a bicycle wheel. Frustrated, he rushed inside to drag Wang Juhua out.  

Wang Juhua, ever the complainer, immediately lay down in front of the ox cart. “If you don’t leave the betrothal gifts here, there will be no wedding!”  

When someone tried to move her, she shrieked dramatically, flailing and accusing them, “You pervert! Where are you touching? You rascal!”  

“Oh my God, come and take a look at this ungrateful bastard.” 

“Now that you’re married, you don’t care about your family’s life or death. You’re heartless!”   

The men standing around exchanged uncertain glances before one of them said, “Go ahead, she’s just a woman.”  

“If we don’t do something, are we just going to let her make a scene?”  

Then a voice roared from the crowd, “You shameless old hag, spewing nonsense and ruining my nephew’s wedding. I’m going to rip that foul mouth of yours to clean off!”  

A stout, round-faced old woman burst through the crowd. Without hesitation, she grabbed Wang Juhua by the collar and dragged her aside. With both hands, she yanked Wang Juhua’s lips up and down, slapping her face over ten times with loud, resounding smacks.  

Wang Juhua’s face turned blotchy blue and red, her mouth drooled, and she was left completely speechless.  

Seeing this old woman’s dominating display of “eighteen martial arts,” all the men from the Qi family stiffened. One by one, they respectfully addressed her, “Aunt.”  

“Great Aunt.”  

The woman, Qi Shengnan, the eldest aunt of the Qi family, waved dismissively, her face still brimming with anger. “A shrew like this scared off a bunch of grown men like you? You’re all hopeless!  

“Never mind! Just make sure to guard the bride’s belongings. If even one thing goes missing, I won’t forgive you!”  

All the Qi family men straightened up nervously and responded in unison, “Yes, ma’am!”  

Meanwhile, Jiang Changyi, his arms restrained by two men, was trembling violently. His legs shook as if they’d give out any second. One glance at Wang Juhua wailing on the ground and another at the old woman glaring daggers at him convinced him to retreat. Without another word, he scurried back inside like a frightened turtle.  

Through the crowd, Jiang Li caught sight of Wang Juhua getting her comeuppance. She leaned closer to Qi Shaoqiang and whispered, “Did you plan this?”  

Qi Shaoqiang grinned. “Of course, just in case!  

“That old lady is the most senior figure in our village, and she’s famous for being a force to reckon with. She’s never lost a fight. My grandmother personally went to invite her.”  

Jiang Li chuckled softly. “I see. I’ll make sure to thank her properly later.”  

Meanwhile, Jiang Hongmei was sulking inside, anxiously waiting for Zhuang Guoliang, who was supposed to pick her up. To her dismay, Qi Shaoqiang and his grand entourage arrived first to take Jiang Li.  

A procession of people arrived with brand-new bicycles, carts laden with dowry gifts, top-quality wedding candies, and cigarettes. The entire ceremony was lavish and joyful.  

The villagers, delighted by the festive atmosphere, showered compliments as if they were free, remarking on the groom’s generosity, the perfect match between bride and groom, and Jiang Li’s luck.  

Jiang Hongmei bit her lip in envy as she peeked through the window, her heart ablaze with jealousy. But she consoled herself, thinking, ‘Zhuang Guoliang has money, so surely my wedding ceremony will be just as grand!’  

Just then, someone exclaimed, “Hey, the banker’s here!”  

Jiang Hongmei perked up, adjusted her clothes, and strutted outside, brimming with anticipation.  

But when she looked, the grand procession she imagined was nowhere to be seen. In the middle of the courtyard stood Zhuang Guoliang, alone.  

As she pressed for answers, she discovered to her utter embarrassment that he had walked there on foot.

Zhuang Guoliang wore shabby clothes and had a sour, sullen expression. He didn’t look like a groom coming to fetch his bride but rather a mourner attending a funeral.