Chapter 2: Coming to Settle Accounts

Liu Wenxiu was chatting with relatives when she caught sight of her second son coming out of the room. She quickly stepped forward with concern.

“How is she? Is Xuanxuan feeling any better?”

This morning during the bridal procession, the bride’s Mom had said her daughter wasn’t feeling well. Even the wedding ceremony had to be completed with the help of the bridesmaid supporting her.

Just now, after her son finished serving drinks, she told him to go check on his wife. She hadn’t expected him to come back out so quickly.

“It’s fine, Mom. She’s lively and full of energy.”
She even had the strength to bite him. Glancing at the teeth marks on the back of his hand, he couldn’t help but chuckle—her teeth were quite sharp.

Seeing the smile at the corner of his lips, Liu Wenxiu felt more certain than ever that this marriage had been a good match. Look at him—married just today and already so happy. A grandson might not be far off.

She urged him to work harder at it, then happily returned to chat with the relatives.

Huo Tingwu: Why is everyone acting so strange?

He shook his head. Best to hurry and fetch some water for the delicate little crybaby inside—if he delayed, she might start sobbing again.

Carrying the bowl back into the room, just as expected, he was greeted with a complaint.

“You’re so slow!” Ye Tao dared not swallow the water and had been waiting to rinse her mouth. But this man had taken his time returning—she was convinced he’d done it on purpose.

Her eyes were full of reproach, and Huo Tingwu instinctively explained, “The water was too hot. I let it cool a little.”

Ye Tao pouted but reluctantly believed him. “Fine.”

When she took a sip, the water was indeed warm and not scalding. So he hadn’t lied. Reluctantly, she decided to treat him a bit better.

“Mmm-mmm-mmm.” With her mouth full of water, she gestured frantically—where should she spit it out?

“On the ground,” Huo Tingwu replied.

In the countryside, the floors were just packed earth. Tea or water was often poured straight onto the ground, and it would seep away soon enough. Didn’t the Ye family do the same? Why did she look like she’d never heard of such a thing?

Well, if spitting on the ground was acceptable, she’d do just that. But Ye Tao still chose a corner, somewhere less noticeable.

“Give me your hand,” Huo Tingwu said, holding medicine to treat her palm.

The moment he saw her hand, his brows arched. “You sure you want ointment for this?”

“Of course I do,” Ye Tao said firmly. Seeing him unmoving, she added, “Don’t tell me you can’t bear to waste a bit of medicine?”

The corner of his mouth twitched. He wasn’t that stingy. But fearing she’d make another outrageous remark, he quickly applied the ointment.

The pebble that hurt her hand was tiny, barely worth noting. Her skin wasn’t even broken, just a little red. But as his eyes lingered, he noticed the calluses on her palm. That strange feeling rose in him again.

Wasn’t Ye Xuan supposed to be pampered and sheltered at home, rarely working in the fields? Yet the calluses on this girl’s hands looked like they’d formed over at least two or three years.

He quietly kept that thought to himself.

Later, he pulled his Mom aside. “Xuanxuan says she has a headache and can’t change clothes by herself. Could you help her?”

Liu Wenxiu assumed her son was simply embarrassed in broad daylight and thought nothing of it.

Huo Tingwu followed silently behind, stopping at the doorway and listening from the window.

The moment Liu Wenxiu entered and saw who was sitting on the bed, she froze. “This… what’s going on?”

“What is it, Mom?” Huo Tingwu called from outside.

Her mind went blank. She quickly told him to come in and pointed at the person on the bed. “Wasn’t the bride Ye Xuan? Why is Ye Tao here?!”

Ye Tao had known the moment Liu Wenxiu walked in that her cover would be blown—she just hadn’t expected it so soon. Well, so be it. At least she wouldn’t have to waste energy making up excuses.

“Taotao, tell me what’s going on,” Liu Wenxiu urged.

She had practically watched the girl grow up. Though Ye Tao’s life hadn’t been easy, the family had arranged for Ye Xuan to marry in. What kind of nonsense was it for Ye Tao to be in her place?

Taking advantage of a moment’s distraction, Ye Tao pinched her own arm hard, forcing tears to well up instantly.

“Auntie, I don’t know either. I just remember drinking a bowl of malted milk this morning. I felt a little dizzy, thought I had a cold. Next thing I knew, I woke up here.”

Ye Tao had always been an honest, simple girl. Liu Wenxiu never doubted her words.

But with all the guests outside, it was already too late to regret anything. The one who entered through the wedding procession was Ye Tao, the one who bowed at the ceremony was Ye Tao—the Huo family’s daughter-in-law could only be Ye Tao.

Still, Liu Wenxiu couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Things had been perfectly fine yesterday—she’d even chatted with Ye Xuan herself, and the girl hadn’t seemed unusual at all.

But reality was staring her in the face. A little thought was enough to guess the Ye family’s scheme. She just hadn’t expected that the blushing, shy Ye Xuan who seemed so eager to marry in yesterday would vanish without a trace today, leaving her sister behind to take her place.

Of course she was disappointed. But she forced herself to keep up appearances—there were still guests outside, and she couldn’t let the family be humiliated.

Watching Liu Wenxiu leave, Ye Tao realized both Mom and son seemed strangely calm about the switch. She asked, “You’re not angry?”

Huo Tingwu sat down. “Of course I’m angry. But what can we do now? This is exactly what your family planned—making us swallow this loss in silence.”

His tone carried obvious sarcasm, which made Ye Tao bristle.

“What do you mean, your family? I’m a victim too! This had nothing to do with me, yet they shoved me around like a pawn. I think I’m the one who deserves pity.”

Her voice wavered, tinged with the sound of tears.

Huo Tingwu grew tense, as if facing an enemy. Seeing her lower her head, he thought she was crying and quickly explained, “I didn’t mean you. I know this isn’t your fault.”

Eyes red, Ye Tao shot back, “Of course it’s not my fault! I was sleeping soundly when they drugged me and dragged me here to marry a complete stranger. I’m the one suffering in silence!”

“Besides, weren’t you supposed to marry Ye Xuan? Don’t tell me you don’t even know what she looks like?” Even if two people barely knew each other, surely they’d at least met once?

She wasn’t wrong.

Just yesterday, Huo Tingwu had only just returned from the army when his Mom told him about this childhood betrothal.

His first reaction was to cancel it.

Marriage had never been on his mind. He was a soldier, always in danger. If something happened to him, it would be unfair to tie down some poor girl. Better not to marry at all.

But when his Mom heard this, she burst into tears, crying that she didn’t want to live. She even grabbed a rope and tried to hang herself from the beam. The family couldn’t restrain her.

Helpless, he had no choice but to agree. Engagement yesterday, wedding today—there wasn’t a faster marriage in the entire Tongxiang brigade.

He had only exchanged greetings with Ye Xuan once through a window, both of them curt and uninterested. Altogether, they hadn’t said more than three sentences.

Ye Tao was dumbfounded. This “flash marriage” was faster than lightning—more daring than modern city folk.

Back at the banquet, Liu Wenxiu had lost all her earlier cheer. Thankfully, the guests soon left.

She immediately pulled her husband aside and told him everything.

Huo Xiaolin exploded with anger. He gathered the family together, determined to storm over to the Ye household and demand justice.

“Dad, Mom, I’m going with you,” Ye Tao said, stepping out with Huo Tingwu when she heard the commotion.

Huo Xiaolin waved his hand. “Then let’s all go together!”