Chapter 8: My God, She’s Actually This Beautiful?!

Pei Qingyuan had also taken a bath and changed into his new clothes.

As they walked down the street, their turning-head rate was off the charts.

“That young lady is really pretty.”

“Are they siblings? They kind of look alike.”

“Siblings? I thought they were a married couple!”

…

Several young men followed them, clearly wanting to approach Sheng Chunxiang.

Pei Qingyuan’s smile vanished.

He suddenly turned around, exuding a chilling aura.

“We’re not siblings—she’s my fiancée. We’re getting married tomorrow. If you know what’s good for you, get lost!”

Like flies swarming around the scent of honey—did they even check if they were worthy first?

Sigh…

With a wife who was both beautiful and powerful, he really had to guard her well.

The young men turned pale and scrambled away in fear.

Sheng Chunxiang ignored everything else and headed straight to the post office, dialing the phone number of the Xiba Village brigade office.

Brigade leader Zhang Weiguo picked up the phone, and when he heard that it was Sheng Chunxiang calling, he thought he had misheard.

This girl had left for the capital three years ago and had never returned. Not only had she never called, but she hadn’t even sent a single letter.

The Sheng family had assumed she had died out there.

“Brigade leader, it’s me, Sheng Chunxiang. I’m not dead, and I’m doing quite well. Please call my parents to the phone.”

Sheng Chunxiang knew exactly what he was thinking. The book had mentioned in passing that the villagers resented her, believing that she was enjoying a luxurious life in the city and had selfishly abandoned her family.

Heh.

No one would have guessed that the honest and hardworking Sheng family had scraped together enough money for her travel expenses, not to give their daughter a better life, but to send her off to be someone else’s servant.

“Chunxiang, your parents are out working in the fields. This call is expensive—more than a yuan per minute. If you have something to say, just tell me, and I’ll pass along the message.” Zhang Weiguo refused.

Given the Sheng family’s current situation, he was avoiding them as much as possible—he didn’t want to get involved.

Sheng Chunxiang insisted, “Brigade leader, I have money. I can wait an hour if I have to. Sometimes, the more you know, the more dangerous it is. Brigade leader, I’m saying this for your own good.”

Her instincts told her that something must have happened to the Sheng family.

But as a mere cannon fodder character, the book barely mentioned her family at all.

All it had said was that her ancestors for eighteen generations had been poor farmers, and they had always been honest and simple.

Zhang Weiguo was shocked.

What a bold statement.

An hour-long call? That would cost as much as a rural family’s annual income!

Had Sheng Chunxiang really struck it rich?!

Too bad for the Sheng family, though. It looked like they wouldn’t last long enough to enjoy any good fortune.

“Sigh… Chunxiang, I’ll be honest with you. Your parents and your uncle’s family have a serious conflict going on. Things have gotten really bad, and they won’t be able to come to the phone.”

“If you really have the ability, you should come back and see for yourself. The sooner, the better. If you wait too long… it might be too late.”

Without saying more, Zhang Weiguo hung up.

That was all he could do for them. The Sheng family was simply too honest.

Hearing the dial tone, Sheng Chunxiang narrowed her eyes.

So something had happened.

Pei Qingyuan paid the phone bill—three yuan and fifty cents. At a rate of one yuan and fifty cents per minute, that two-minute call had cost as much as a full meal, and a meaty one at that.

But he didn’t mind. He was happy to spend money on his wife.

“Xiangxiang, what’s wrong?”

Seeing her face pale, Pei Qingyuan quickly asked.

Sheng Chunxiang turned and started walking back. “Let’s go back to the courtyard and pack. I’m taking the midnight train—I need to return to my family!”

The original owner of this body had died without ever knowing how terribly her family had been mistreated.

And her family had no idea that their daughter had suffered just as much.

A whole family of unlucky souls!

She had to go back and set things right.

Pei Qingyuan followed without hesitation. “I’m going with you!”

He hadn’t contacted his grandfather’s side of the family in years since his mother’s passing. But for his wife, he was willing to put everything aside.

Sheng Chunxiang had no idea about that.

She could handle this alone.

But if Pei Qingyuan wanted to come along, well, he could use the experience. Let him see things for himself—maybe then he’d stop acting like he was really going to marry her.

When the two of them arrived at the courtyard, everyone inside stared in shock.

“Is that… Sheng Chunxiang?”

“Oh my god, she turned out to be so beautiful?!”

“They say clothes make the person, and a saddle makes the horse. This is like a complete transformation!”

…

Sheng Chunxiang heard them but felt nothing inside.

The original owner of this body had been so heavily manipulated that she saw her own beauty as something shameful.

But so what?

She hadn’t committed any crimes. There was nothing to be ashamed of.

Pei Qingyuan straightened his back, his face full of pride.

That’s my wife, of course she’s beautiful!

By now, the entrance of the Pei family courtyard was crowded with people.

The neighborhood committee director, Zhao Haitang, had been waiting for half an hour, standing in the courtyard as the gossip spread like wildfire. People from several nearby courtyards had come to watch the show.

“Qingyuan, you came back just in time. Bring out that marriage certificate,” Director Zhao said with a smile when he spotted Pei Qingyuan.

The two had left in a hurry earlier, taking the marriage certificate with them.

If he had that crucial piece of evidence, Zhao Haitang would have already taken Zhao Guihua away.

Pei Qingyuan turned to Sheng Chunxiang. “Xiangxiang.”

Something this important, of course his wife would be the one keeping it safe.

Everyone turned their gaze to the young woman standing beside Pei Qingyuan. Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“Who is she?!”

“Sheng Chunxiang! No way, how could this be Sheng Chunxiang? She never looked like this!”

“She’s stunning! Even if you put Zhao Qingya and Qian Meili together, they wouldn’t compare!”

…

The crowd was completely stunned.

The old Sheng Chunxiang had always worn tattered clothes, kept her bangs thick enough to cover half her face, and never dared to make eye contact with anyone. She spoke in such a whispery voice that no one even knew what she really looked like.

Now, she had completely changed. Her hair was neatly braided, she wore new clothes, and her face was fully visible. And just like that, she was so beautiful that people couldn’t look away.

Lü Bichi glared at Sheng Chunxiang, her teeth grinding in resentment.

How could she be this beautiful?

No matter how she looked at it, Sheng Chunxiang was a thousand times more attractive than she was.

Her aunt had comforted her earlier, saying there was nothing to worry about—Pei Qingyuan only liked girls like her.

But now, she knew she had no chance at all.

Zhao Guihua and Zhao Qingya had also seen her, their faces twisted with jealousy.

That little wench!

Why did she have to change like this all of a sudden?!

Clearly, she was doing this just to seduce Pei Qingyuan!

Since Li Jianguo was going to marry Qian Meili, she had lost her previous opportunity—so now she was trying to steal another man!

Pei Qingyuan was a playboy from the courtyard—wealthy and a big spender!

And that was exactly the kind of man Sheng Chunxiang needed—to buy, buy, buy for her.

“Bah! Seductive vixen!”

Zhao Qingya couldn’t hold back and spat out an insult.

In the dead silence, her words rang out especially loud.

Sheng Chunxiang had just handed the marriage certificate to Zhao Haitang when she heard it clearly.

She turned to Zhao Qingya. “You called me a seductive vixen.”

It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

She had absolute confidence in herself. Her hearing was fine—there was no way she misheard.

Zhao Qingya hadn’t been home in the morning, so she missed Sheng Chunxiang’s spectacular showdown.

She raised her chin defiantly and said aggressively, “Isn’t that what you are?”

“Everyone knows what kind of person you used to be. You were nothing more than a little servant girl in the Li family.

And now, you’ve suddenly changed so much—just to seduce Pei Qingyuan!”

“And you’re so cruel, running to the neighborhood committee to report my mother!

Do you really think that by doing this, Pei Qingyuan will marry you?

You’re just a country bumpkin! Dream on!”

She liked Pei Qingyuan too—he was handsome and rich.

Even before Zhao Guihua married into the family, she’d already taken a liking to him. After all, they weren’t blood-related.

But Pei Qingyuan, that spoiled playboy, was blind. He never even looked at her.

Losing to someone else—she could accept that.

But losing to a mere servant girl? She refused to accept it!

Sheng Chunxiang locked eyes with Zhao Qingya. “You’re sure? No takebacks?”

Pei Qingyuan had heard this phrase before—Li Jianning had said it once. And then…

He instinctively took a few steps back, giving his wife room to fight.

Zhao Guihua also sensed something was wrong. She quickly stepped in front of her daughter. “Chunxiang, Qingya is young and doesn’t know better. She just misspoke, don’t take it to heart.”

Then she desperately signaled to her daughter with her eyes. “Qingya, hurry up and apologize to Chunxiang! She’s not like that—it’s all just a misunderstanding.”

But Zhao Qingya pushed her mother away and blurted out, “No way! Why should I apologize to a lowly servant girl, a lapdog?”

“Sheng Chunxiang, you’re just a shameless lapdog! Li Jianning didn’t want you, so now you’re clinging to Pei Qingyuan! You’re disgusting!”

Why was everyone so afraid of Sheng Chunxiang?

Even if she changed her clothes and hairstyle, her cowardly heart hadn’t changed! Zhao Qingya wasn’t afraid of her!