Chapter 6 : I have mysophobia, so I declined!

Jiang Li’s mind buzzed. She had been 23 years old before she traveled through time, and now she was supposed to become a mother just like that?

“If you’re willing, he’ll come to the village to see you tomorrow.”  

“Xiaolan, forget it.”  

Jiang Li declined, not because she was arrogant or thought too highly of herself, but because she was a mysophobia.  

Zhuang Guoliang would eventually have to work on a pig farm every day. Just imagining that made her lose her appetite.  

Seeing Jiang Li’s refusal, Li Chunlan sighed, then nodded. “I get it. I wouldn’t want to be a stepmother either if I were you.”  

“But Lizi, families who can afford a 200-yuan betrothal gift are rare. If you keep hesitating, aren’t you wasting your youth?”  

“Xiaolan, thank you for thinking so much for me. If you and Aunt hadn’t helped me secretly over the years, I don’t know how I would’ve survived.”  

Jiang Li clasped Chunlan’s hand in gratitude. Li Chunlan pinched her cheek and scolded playfully, “What nonsense! Aunt Shuzhen was so kind to me.  

“And we grew up together. In my heart, you’re like a sister.”  

In the Jiang household, the atmosphere was tense. Nobody cared about Jiang Li.  

She walked back to the woodshed, locked the door, and pulled out a bun hidden in her pocket. Taking a small bite, she glanced up. Through the sparse roof, the stars twinkled, and the moon shine brightly.  

She knew she couldn’t stay with the Jiang family any longer. Without a job, she’d have no choice but to earn work points in the fields.  

But she couldn’t endure farm work. Should she really change her life by marrying someone?  

No!  

If she had to marry, it definitely wouldn’t be Zhuang Guoliang.  

His family was far too complicated. He had three brothers and one sister. All three brothers were married, and each had at least two children. His widowed mother was strong-willed and controlled the household.  

More than twenty people lived together under one roof, leading to frequent disputes. Jiang Li didn’t want to get involved with such a family.  

If she couldn’t marry, then she needed to find a reliable job.  

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Jiang Li drifted off to sleep.  

—

The next morning, she was jolted awake by loud noises.  

Ignoring the commotion, she turned over to sleep again. But the noise only grew louder. Eventually, Jiang Li got up, her stomach growling. She opened the door and headed to the kitchen.  

Strangely, the Jiang family hadn’t left for the fields before dawn as they usually did.  

Jiang Li paid no mind, pulling two still-warm eggs from the chicken coop to boil.  

From the east room, Wang Juhua’s muffled sobs could be heard. “Hongmei, how could you? You wretched girl, how could you be so cruel? If you die, how am I supposed to live? I promise you, I won’t force you to marry anymore, alright?”  

Jiang Hongmei’s voice was hoarse and weak. “Mom, let Jiang Li marry instead.”  

In the room, Old Mrs. Zhou was fuming. “Ridiculous! Such a good marriage should never go to her!”  

Wang Juhua wiped her tears, her voice trembling. “Yes, Hongmei. If you don’t want to marry Qi Shaoqiang, then we won’t force it. You can meet someone else. But why should Jiang Li marry into a good life?”  

Jiang Changyi, smoking his pipe in silence, suddenly spoke. “Let Jiang Li marry him!”  

“Boss!”  

“Changyi!”  

“Rather than letting outsiders benefit, it’s better to give this marriage to Jiang Li. After all, we’re her family. We raised her after her parents died.  

“If she enjoys her life but doesn’t help us in return, the whole village would mock her!”  

“And Jiang Li is soft-hearted. She doesn’t hold grudges. No matter how we’ve treated her, she still sees us as family.  

“Besides, if she marries into the city, she’ll still rely on her natal family for support. She wouldn’t dare treat us poorly.”  

His reasoning seemed sound. Wang Juhua and Old Mrs. Zhou hesitated but nodded.  

In her heart, Old Mrs. Zhou thought, ‘The betrothal gift can’t be less than 300 yuan.’  

With that money, she could properly nourish her eldest grandson, Tianci, who was in middle school and still growing.  

“Alright, let’s head to the fields!” Jiang Changyi urged Wang Juhua. “If we don’t work, we’ll have nothing left by year-end!”  

—

Hiding in the woodshed, Jiang Li overheard the conversation while chewing on a stolen plum.  

When the family emerged, she hid.  

Her escape wasn’t unnoticed, though. Outside, Wang Juhua shrieked, “Who the hell stole all the plums from our tree?!”  

Jiang Changyi stopped her from retaliating. “Calm down. Even if Jiang Li ate them, let her be for now. She must remember our kindness when she gets married.”  

—

When Jiang Changyi approached the woodshed, he knocked and called, “Lizi, your aunt and I are off to the fields. If you’re still not feeling well, ask your grandma to make you something to eat.”  

Jiang Li opened the door, coughing lightly. Her pale face looked weak.  

“Uncle, I’m still dizzy from yesterday. The barefoot doctor said I’m malnourished and need nourishing.”  

Though his expression soured momentarily, Jiang Changyi forced a smile. “Alright. Tell your grandma to cook a chicken for you.”  

Old Mrs. Zhou nearly exploded in anger but held her tongue under her son’s glare.  

That day, Mrs. Zhou grudgingly handled all the household chores, cursing under her breath the entire time.