Chapter 3: Rejection

Jiang Liyun vividly remembers that on the second day of meeting Xie Zugen, her sister told her about a marriage proposal, urging her to marry the widowed Zhou Dafei.

So… Last night was the first time she met Xie Zugen.

They are not from the same village, and Xie Zugen is six years older than her.

Before yesterday, she had heard her brother mention Xie Zugen and his father, but she didn’t know Xie Zugen personally.

She got to know Xie Zugen yesterday evening when she went to their village to watch a movie.

In rural areas, people usually hesitate to buy movie tickets to go to town, but they still manage to watch movies. Occasionally, a projectionist comes to the countryside, selects a location, and shows movies to the villagers. Once the word spreads about a movie screening, people from nearby villages also join in.

During the day, she works at the sofa factory. Her colleague told her that the neighboring village would be screening a movie she hadn’t seen, “Heroes Emerge in Youth Since Ancient Times.” Since the sofa factory had a day off the next day, she decided to go.

Upon arrival, she found the place crowded and couldn’t find a good seat. Just when she was about to stand back and watch from afar, a colleague pulled her to a spot reserved by the Xie family and introduced her to Xie Zugen.

Having worked for four years and managed many things at home, she realized her colleague subtly wanted her to get to know Xie Zugen.

Without hesitation, she chatted with Xie Zugen. They got along well, and Xie’s family background intrigued her. The next day, when her sister introduced Zhou Dafei, she promptly declined.

Later, Xie Zugen faced gambling losses, and her sister mentioned Zhou Dafei more than once, regretting that she didn’t choose him back then.

Indeed, if she had chosen Zhou Dafei, she could have enjoyed a comfortable life without doing much.

The fertilizer factory later became private, and Zhou Dafei happened to excel in sales, earning a substantial income through commissions and acquiring shares in the fertilizer factory.

During her difficult times, Zhou Dafei flourished. By the time she started an online store, the fertilizer factory was struggling, but the shareholders profited by selling the land it occupied.

Afterwards, Zhou Dafei invested in the real estate development on the site of the fertilizer factory.

In her memory, Zhou Dafei wasn’t a tycoon, but he had always been one of the wealthier individuals in their town.

“He’s thirty-three this year. Although a bit older, he looks young. Both his parents are workers; his father is still employed, and his mother is retired, receiving a pension higher than your salary.” Jiang Liping enthusiastically shared, genuinely considering Zhou Dafei as having good prospects.

“He’s this old; he probably has children, right?” Jiang’s mother cautiously asked, leaning in to listen to her daughters’ conversation.

Jiang Liping explained, “His previous wife gave birth to a son who’s around five or six years old, already attending kindergarten. His mother takes care of the child. After Liyun marries him, she won’t have to worry about the kid.”

“Having a child…” Jiang’s mother frowned.

Jiang Liyun stated, “Sis, I won’t become a stepmother.” In her previous life, she rejected her sister for the same reason, and this life was no different.

In their village, there’s a saying, “If you killed an entire family in your past life, you’ll be a stepmother in this life.” It reflects the challenges of being a stepmother.

For instance, if a biological mom makes a dish a child doesn’t like, it’s acceptable. But if a stepmother makes the same dish, it’s considered mistreatment—intentionally preparing something the child dislikes.

Of course, there are cases of stepmothers mistreating stepchildren. Jiang Liyun couldn’t handle that role and didn’t want to marry someone only to face criticism.

Moreover, even if Zhou Dafei can make money, so what? In her previous life, she ended up with much more wealth than Zhou Dafei. She saw no need to marry him solely for financial reasons.

Relying on oneself is better than relying on others. Besides, she already has Feng Yi.

“You don’t have to worry about that child. What kind of stepmother would you be? After marriage, as long as you keep the man in check and have another child, what about the previous one? With such a great opportunity, if I weren’t already married, I’d grab it myself!” Jiang Liping expressed her frustration. “Liyun, marrying into the town means you won’t have to do farm work anymore!”

Jiang Liyun sighed quietly.

Her sister, Jiang Liping, was skilled at avoiding work and often delegated household chores to her. Initially, she didn’t like her sister for it.

However, she had long stopped caring about that.

Her sister shared the same desire to lead a better life, considering their chaotic past. After graduating from junior high, Jiang Liping set her sights on marrying into the town.

Their home wasn’t far from the town—less than an hour’s walk. The town, traversed by the Grand Canal, was a substantial one even during the Republic of China era. Today, it houses several factories, including the fertilizer factory.

In the 1960s and 1970s, for those living in rural areas like them, obtaining meat was challenging. They often relied on sweet potatoes as a staple food.

Sweet potatoes didn’t provide lasting satiety, leaving her hungry shortly after eating.

Town residents, however, had food and meat coupons, ensuring they could enjoy meat a few times each month.

During the 1980s, despite significant changes in big cities, life for rural people remained relatively unchanged. Even then, many dreamed of marrying into town life.

Yet, town residents, seemingly flawless, were reluctant to marry rural girls, especially from impoverished families like hers. Her sister had experienced a failed romance before.

In short, her sister, despite being attractive and having completed junior high, ended up marrying a man with some intellectual challenges. He could manage his daily life and communicate with others, but he appeared somewhat dull. With five years of schooling, he could only write his own name, and basic arithmetic required finger counting.

For a while, she didn’t see much wrong with her sister marrying such a man. After all, he was obedient and willing to do whatever her sister instructed. He also had a stable job sweeping floors at the fertilizer factory. In her eyes, her sister could lead a comfortable life after marrying him.

Back then, she lacked foresight, only seeing what was in front of her. It was because of this that she didn’t mind Xie Zugen’s ugliness and numerous flaws.

She just wanted to live a good life.

But the world changed too quickly.

The life she and her sister dreamed of, one where they could eat meat without doing farm work, became achievable for most people over time. Entering into an unsuitable marriage for the sake of that lifestyle no longer seemed worthwhile.

In fact, such a marriage might burden them.

If she hadn’t married Xie Zugen initially and had married Feng Yi directly, whether working with Feng Yi or setting up a stall with him, she could have achieved prosperity much earlier.

Her sister would have experienced the same.

In her previous life, after her sister married her brother-in-law, the first few years were happy. They could occasionally eat meat, wear new clothes, and live a lifestyle far superior to others in the village.

However, a few years later, her sister gave birth to a son—a child just like her brother-in-law!

This child didn’t start speaking until he turned two, and when he started school, more problems arose.

In the first grade, the teacher took him for an IQ test, revealing an intellectual disability. After that, the child faced occasional bullying and harassment at school.

Her brother-in-law knew nothing, and her sister’s in-laws, born before the founding of the country, lacked education and literacy. Her sister had to shoulder the entire family’s responsibilities.

At home, her sister liked to delegate tasks to others. However, after getting married, she had to handle everything herself.

The child had a particularly good appetite and loved to eat. Indulged by her sister and in-laws in childhood, the child became overweight. By the time her sister wanted to control the child’s weight, it was too late.

When the child was hungry, he would rummage through cabinets, even stealing from neighbors…

Eventually, her sister’s son, who was over six feet tall, weighed over three hundred pounds. Being so obese made everything inconvenient for him, even needing her sister’s help to clean himself after using the toilet.

Coupled with elderly in-laws and a husband only capable of simple tasks, her sister deeply regretted her situation.

Introducing her unmarried, twenty-year-old sister to a thirty-year-old widower with a child, who was just an ordinary worker at the time, might seem like her sister harbored resentment.

But Jiang Liyun knew that Jiang Liping, willing to marry her intellectually challenged brother-in-law, truly thought highly of Zhou Dafei.

Ultimately, it was because their family was too poor.

While her sister had many flaws, during the most difficult years when she was paralyzed, her sister came to help. During that time, her sister also found work at a fertilizer plant. On holidays when the plant was closed, she would bring her son to her sister’s shop and help with making dumplings and buns.

“I agree that Zhou Dafei seems decent, but I don’t want to be a stepmother, and I don’t like older men,” Jiang Liyun said.

“Liyun, if you miss this opportunity, you won’t find another shop like this in the village!” Jiang Liping continued to persuade Jiang Liyun.

Jiang Liyun changed the subject to “Sis, have you and your husband registered your marriage?” She remembered that her sister and brother-in-law didn’t initially have a formal marriage certificate.

Her brother-in-law was a bit slow, and his parents had planned for their son early on, choosing her sister as the daughter-in-law. However, at that time, her brother-in-law was not yet twenty-two, the legal age for marriage registration. So, they initially had a wedding banquet without the official paperwork.

Considering the current societal trend of marrying late and having children late, advocating for women to give birth after the age of twenty-two, and the general age of childbirth in the town being around twenty-four or twenty-five… Her sister in the previous life gave birth even later than her.

Jiang Liping didn’t expect Jiang Liyun to suddenly bring up this topic. “Not yet; your brother-in-law isn’t old enough.”

Jiang Liyun advised, “Sis, maybe you shouldn’t register your marriage.”

“What are you talking about?” Jiang Liping was dissatisfied.

Jiang Liyun continued, “Sis, I read in the newspaper a few days ago. It discussed many aspects of eugenics, mentioning not only the dangers of close relatives marrying but also the inheritance of many health issues. If you have a child similar to your brother-in-law, what will you do in the future?”

From what she knew, her sister’s in-laws were actually close relatives who had married each other.

Initially unaware of this, Jiang Liyun only learned about it when her sister’s child faced issues. Her sister had eventually shared the truth with her.

At first, Jiang Liping thought her sister didn’t like the match she had suggested, leading to the advice against marriage registration. However, in the end, Jiang Liyun’s concern was for the future child.

Jiang Liping felt a pang in her heart but replied, “No, it won’t happen. I’m so clever; I won’t have a foolish child.”

Her in-laws had chosen her, offering many benefits and the hope of having an intelligent and clever grandchild.

“Sis, many illnesses can be hereditary. It’s best to have your husband undergo a check-up,” Jiang Liyun reminded him once again.

Jiang Liping became a bit irritated. “Enough already. If you don’t like Zhou Dafei, he might not like you either! I won’t talk to you about this!”

Afterwards, she turned to her other and said, “Mom,, fetch me some sweet potatoes.”

Before her mother could respond, Jiang Liyun interjected, “We don’t have any at home. If you want some, go dig them up in the field yourself.”

Grumbling, Jiang Liping reluctantly grabbed a small shovel from the corner of the house. As she held it, she hesitated for a moment, then said to her mother, “Mom, get me a pair of pants and some shoes. I’ll change and then go to the field.”