Chapter 40 : Fight

The people around him were clamoring for wedding candies. Zhuang Guoliang let out an impatient sound, and when he saw Jiang Hongmei stepping out shyly, he urged her, “Let’s go! Hurry up! My family is waiting for you!”  

Jiang Hongmei felt her heart sink as if it had fallen into an icy abyss. Her voice involuntarily became sharp. “Zhuang Guoliang, is this how you show up?”  

“Today is our wedding day! Why are you making me walk?”  

Zhuang Guoliang sneered. “Should I hire a sedan chair with eight bearers to carry you?”  

“Jiang Hongmei, let me make one thing clear. You came to me asking to marry me, not the other way around. You’d better remember that. Once you’re in my house, you must behave yourself, do the laundry, cook, take care of the children, and serve my mother or you’ll face the consequences!”  

With that, he turned and left, leaving Jiang Hongmei standing dumbfounded in the courtyard, her heart shattered into pieces.  

Awkwardly, she tugged at her red wedding outfit. The vivid color felt harsh and glaring, like fresh blood.  

Zhuang Guoliang had only walked a few steps when he noticed Jiang Li perched happily on the back of a bicycle. She was beaming like a flower, holding a colorful bouquet of wildflowers in one hand.  

Her other hand rested lightly on Qi Shaoqiang’s waist. Her red dress fluttered in the wind, and she looked utterly radiant.  

Qi Shaoqiang kept glancing back at her with an unmistakable smile on his face.  

“Guoliang, wait for me!”  

Jiang Hongmei caught up with him, panting, holding a bundle of old clothes in her arms. She stepped closer to Zhuang Guoliang, exhaling heavily.  

Zhuang Guoliang frowned in disgust, and his expression darkened as he took in Jiang Hongmei’s appearance.  

The same red dress that made Jiang Li look elegant and charming only appeared cheap and ill-fitting on Jiang Hongmei.  

Her dark, oily skin, flat face, and rolling eyes all filled him with revulsion.  

Noticing him staring at Jiang Li, Jiang Hongmei snapped, “Why are you staring at that vixen? Are you still thinking about her?”  

Zhuang Guoliang shot her a cold look. “So what if I am? If you hadn’t shamelessly climbed into my bed, I would’ve married Jiang Li long ago.”  

Jiang Hongmei’s taut emotions, pent up all day, finally snapped. She screamed, hurling the bundle of clothes at Zhuang Guoliang’s face before lunging at him in a fit of rage.  

But Zhuang Guoliang caught her wrist, pushed her away, and sent her sprawling to the ground.  

Looking down at her, he sneered. “In both looks and character, how can you compare to Jiang Li? Even in terms of dowry, you can’t compete. Why should I like you?”  

Jiang Hongmei’s palms and knees scraped against the ground, the pain sharp but insignificant compared to her heartbreak. Zhuang Guoliang’s words shattered the last of her sanity.  

“Zhuang Guoliang, don’t act righteous! That night, if you didn’t want it, could I, as a woman, have forced you? You took my body, married me, and yet still think about Jiang Li. But let me tell you, Jiang Li is already married, and she doesn’t care about you!”  

Zhuang Guoliang’s face twisted with rage. Her words struck a nerve, one he refused to acknowledge.  

“I’ve got nothing to say to a woman like you. If you want to get married, then marry. If not, leave!”  

Jiang Hongmei staggered to her feet, picked up her bundle, and shook off the dust.  

Why shouldn’t she get married?

Just for the sake of Zhuang Guoliang’s future wealth and status, Jiang Hongmei resolved to cling to him tightly.  

—  

In the Bailutang Brigade, the Qi household bustled with activity. Qi Shaoqiang’s mother, Chen Xianyun, was all smiles as she directed the cook. “Save a few dishes for my daughter-in-law. She’s a newlywed with a delicate nature, and she might feel too shy to come out and eat.”  

“Got it!”  

Next door, Zhao Xiangyu sneered at the Qi family. “Who does that old woman Chen Xianyun think she’s fooling with such a big display? Sooner or later, her son will lose his job at the factory. He’s nothing but a useless good-for-nothing! And that daughter-in-law? She’s just someone my son didn’t want, a second-hand reject. ”  

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiangyu’s second daughter-in-law sniffed the tempting aroma wafting from the Qi household and couldn’t help swallowing her envy along with her saliva. She instantly recognized the smell of cooking lard.  

Standing on tiptoe, she tried to sneak a peek at the Qi family’s banquet table, but the meal hadn’t started yet.  

The Qi family had set up a temporary stove, and a massive pan filled with boiling slices of fatty meat simmered over the flames. The rich aroma of stewed cabbage drifted far and wide.  

“Mom, I’ll go to the kitchen to see how sister-in-law is cooking,” the second daughter-in-law said.  

Zhao Xiangyu saw through her intentions immediately. “You glutton! You’re lazy when it comes to work, and nothing’s ever good enough for you. Don’t think I don’t know you’re planning to sneak a bite! Forget it. Go clean the table and put the pickles out!”  

But Cheng Yanyan, Zhao Xiangyu’s daughter-in-law, rolled her eyes and clutched her belly dramatically. “Mom, my stomach feels a bit off. I need to use the bathroom.”  

Before Zhao Xiangyu could stop her, Cheng Yanyan slipped away. Work? Not a chance. With so many people in the family, why should she lift a finger?  

—  

The sound of firecrackers echoed through the air. Amid the white smoke, Qi Shaoqiang’s bicycle came to a smooth stop on the blue brick floor of their yard. Jiang Li gracefully dismounted, her feet landing firmly on the ground.  

The Qi family yard was set with five large banquet tables. As a prominent family in Bailutang, they had many relatives, and every seat was filled.  

The moment Jiang Li arrived, the crowd rose to their feet, eager to catch a glimpse of the bride. Gasps of admiration and praise filled the air.  

“What a beauty! She’s like a flower,” one elderly woman exclaimed, repeatedly touching Jiang Li’s hand before passing her along to the next relative.  

“She’s educated too, a high school graduate! Maybe she can help my little one pick up some culture and get into middle school someday…”  

Jiang Li blushed at the flood of compliments. Chen Xianyun shielded her daughter-in-law from eager hands. “Alright, alright. Shaoqiang, take your wife to the new house to rest.”  

The couple bowed in front of the leader’s portrait, lit firecrackers, and completed the wedding ceremony.  

Qi Shaoqiang was soon surrounded by relatives urging him to drink. Before being pulled away, he leaned toward Jiang Li and said, “Lizi, eat if you’re hungry. Don’t feel shy. There’s food set aside for you in the kitchen, I’ll have someone bring it to your room. Eat whatever you like, and if there’s something you don’t want, just leave it. I’ll handle it later. If you need to freshen up, there’s water in the kettle. The washbasin and towel are brand new, I bought them from the supply cooperative, so feel free to use them.”  

He repeated his instructions, his tone gentle and full of care. As he looked at Jiang Li sitting quietly, his heart melted.  

‘I can’t believe I married such a wonderful wife. It feels like a dream!’  

Jiang Li nodded softly and retired to the east wing of the Qi family home. She let out a deep breath of relief.  

The new house had two connected rooms, both clean and bright. The windows were made of glass, the floor was laid with blue bricks, and the newly built cabinets and desks were adorned with the word double happiness.  

The room was bathed in a sea of red, radiating joy and celebration.