Chapter 2: The Failed Bride Swap

Xiang Lianhua came running from a distance. Before even reaching the house, she could already hear the commotion inside, and there was quite a crowd gathered at the entrance — especially eye-catching was the bridal sedan chair. A bad feeling immediately crept over her.

In a panic, she tugged at her clothes and rushed over, only to see Xiang He, who was supposed to be the bride, standing beside the matchmaker holding a money pouch. Both of them had their eyes fixed on her!

Their gazes met as Xiang Lianhua’s eyes darted around.

Xiang He gave her a slight smile. “What do you think? I’d say her figure looks pretty good. Look at me — all skin and bones, like a bean sprout — certainly not to Master Xu’s taste. Whether you want the money or the girl, that’s your decision.”

The matchmaker really gave Xiang Lianhua a good once-over from head to toe. She lightly fanned herself, her brows furrowing. “Hmm… I’ll have to take a closer look…”

Something jolted in Xiang Lianhua’s heart. An odd feeling stirred inside her, and she reflexively glared back. From the side, her mother’s voice drew her attention. She quickly went over to help up Mrs. Yu. “Mother, what’s going on? Why is she back?”

Mrs. Yu shoved her roughly. “Go snatch the silver back, now!”

Grandma always guarded that money like her life — how did that wretched girl get her hands on it?

Xiang Lianhua didn’t hesitate much. She rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward. “He girl, you’re already married off. What are you doing back? Hurry and give the silver back to Grandma.”

Faced with Xiang Lianhua’s righteous tone, Xiang He didn’t take her seriously at all. She and the matchmaker simply kept their eyes fixed on Xiang Lianhua’s wrist.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” the matchmaker scrutinized her face with sharp eyes. “Not worth it. I’d rather take the silver. Judging from your attitude, girl, I wouldn’t be able to take you back anyway — waste of effort.”

“Right? Neither choice is a good bargain. Madam, you’d best be on your way.”

As the two of them spoke, the bystanders were left confused, unable to follow the conversation. But one sentence was crystal clear to Mrs. Shi of the Xiang family.

“No one’s allowed to take my silver!”

Mrs. Shi flew into a frenzy and charged forward. The matchmaker quickly stepped aside — she had no intention of getting hurt — and simply watched how Xiang He handled this mad old woman.

Just at noon, this girl had still been soft and timid. Yet now, she was standing her ground with strength that surpassed everyone present. Could it be she was truly forced to the edge?

The people outside the door were now fully entertained. She’d only been gone for less than half an hour, but the He girl who returned was completely different — daring to go against her grandmother, even flirting like this…

Xiang He jumped back onto the bed, raising the money pouch high as she looked down at them from above. “Old woman, I just discussed it with the matchmaker. She doesn’t want me. So how about letting Second Sister marry in my place? We’re about the same age. If she’s willing to go, you’ll still get to keep your money pouch.”

“No!”

Several voices shouted in unison as two more members of the Xiang family returned — one was the family patriarch, the other was Xiang He’s uncle, Xiang Lianhua’s father.

Her grandfather held a hoe in his hand, slamming it against the ground as he glared at her angrily. “He girl! What are you doing?! Get down!”

But Xiang He remained unfazed. Mrs. Su and her two children had somehow arrived by her side, eyes full of worry. “He girl, come down first…”

“Don’t worry, Mother. If things get ugly, just make sure to stay out of the way.”

Mrs. Shi, standing below, was already furious. With her mind on the silver, the sight of Mrs. Su crying sent her temper flaring. Her face twisted with rage as she lunged forward, trying to strangle Mrs. Su.
“You worthless woman gave birth to this money-losing wretch! Give me back my silver!”

But before her hands could even touch Mrs. Su, a foot flew out from the side, striking her arm with precision and sending her tumbling to the ground.

Before everyone’s eyes, her heavy body landed with a thud and even bounced a little — it looked like the ground nearly cracked under her weight.

The two children had already moved Mrs. Su a safe distance away, making sure she wouldn’t get hurt again.

Mrs. Shi had never expected Xiang He to actually kick her — and with so many people watching! Rage and humiliation flooded her face. She slapped her thighs and began to wail. “Oh, Heaven above! My granddaughter is bullying her own grandmother! This unfilial brat even dares steal my silver! What’s she gonna use it for, huh?! Oh, Heavens!~~~”

Grandfather’s fury boiled over. “He girl!”

But faced with his meager anger, Xiang He only smiled calmly. “Grandpa’s back. We were just talking about letting Second Sister go get married in my place~ But it turns out the matchmaker doesn’t want her either — she only wants the silver. So, what now?”

Xiang Lianhua’s face turned several shades darker. “I’m not marrying him!”

Mrs. Yu, who was being supported by her, quickly pulled her behind. “You wretched girl, don’t even think about ruining my Lianhua!”

“Oh? When it was me getting married, you talked about endless riches and glory. But now that it’s her, suddenly it’s called ‘ruining her’? You people sure are something.”

Who didn’t know what kind of man Master Xu was? Any girl who entered his household rarely came out whole. Whether she survived was already uncertain — how could anyone talk about enjoying wealth and luxury?

Xiang He raised her left hand and glanced at the wound wrapped in her clothes. When the original body died, the despair was overwhelming, even her soul was filled with sorrow, begging her not to spare this family. Since she had taken on this body, Xiang He would not let this family live in peace.

The wound still throbbed faintly, and an unseen cold aura spread out, unnoticed by her. The people around her fell silent, and when she looked up, her face was adorned with a gentle smile.

“Matchmaker, they won’t agree to switch brides. What should we do now?”

The matchmaker stretched out her hand. “Then give the money back. It’s so late now, I need to return quickly to report to Master Xu.”

“No!”

Mrs. Shi, who had been lamenting about her granddaughter’s unfilial behavior just moments ago, suddenly sprang up and ran straight toward Xiang He. Her legs, which had seemed frail when she was crying earlier, now moved quickly with surprising agility.

Seeing Mrs. Shi coming at such speed, Mrs. Su didn’t care about the aching pain in her legs. She rushed forward and stood in front of Xiang He, opening her arms to protect her.

The sudden embrace caught Xiang He off guard for a moment. The old woman, quick as ever, crashed into the two of them. Xiang He sat back on the edge of the bed, and Mrs. Su’s back took a heavy blow. She gritted her teeth, suppressing the pain, but still kept her arms around Xiang He.

“Mother!”

Xiang Yang, her younger brother, rushed over and shielded Mrs. Su with his body, his eyes red and his neck strained with anger. “Don’t bully Mother and Sister!”

Mrs. Shi, seeing him approach, didn’t care. With gritted teeth, she gathered all her strength and raised her fist toward Xiang Yang. In a split second, Xiang He pushed both of them aside, raised her foot, and kicked Mrs. Shi in the stomach.

“Ow!!!”

Mrs. Shi fell to the ground with a loud cry, clutching her stomach and rolling in pain.

Everyone outside and within the family was startled. Her grandfather was enraged, brandishing the hoe as he approached, shouting loudly. “What are you doing, girl?! Are you out of your mind?!”

Xiang He had lost her patience. She reached out the money pouch toward the matchmaker. “Are we switching or not?”

Mrs. Shi, now truly desperate, didn’t care about the pain and tried to get up. “Switch! Let Lianhua go! Give me back my silver!”

Her eyes were fixed solely on the silver. Mrs. Yu and her uncle would not agree, trying to keep Xiang Lianhua behind them. “Mother, you’re being foolish! The Xu family is a one-way house! How can you let Lianhua go to her death?”

The matchmaker, observing their reactions, rolled her eyes dramatically. She reached out and took the silver into her hands, glancing at Xiang He helplessly. “You want to switch? I don’t even want her! A used-up woman, Master Xu wouldn’t care for her.”

Her sarcastic words reached everyone’s ears, and all their faces showed shock. Her uncle’s heart jolted. “Used-up woman… what does that mean…?”

“Don’t understand?” The matchmaker fanned herself as she walked toward the door. “It means a girl who has lost her virginity. She’s no longer a fresh, untouched girl.”