Chapter 17 – Husband Came to Get You

So, Ruan Jiaojiao never actually went into town. She just wandered around a little ways outside the village.

The winter scenery in nature was breathtaking—snow everywhere, the sky a clear blue, no trace of smog.

But as she walked, something felt off. Up ahead, in the withered grass, it looked like a “coordinate grid with only the first and second quadrants.”

Good heavens. She never expected her luck to be this “good”—to stumble upon a pair of wild lovebirds in this freezing wilderness. Looking closer, the pair actually looked familiar.

Damn! Weren’t those her cousin Ruan Xiaodie and that scrawny dog Huo Yunshu? These two were moving along pretty fast!

Ruan Jiaojiao nearly fainted from the shock. Who would’ve thought two educated youths sent down to the countryside would be doing that outdoors? Didn’t their butts freeze on the snow?

And Huo Yunshu, that weakling, finished quickly, then hugged Ruan Xiaodie and said:

“Xiaodie, you’re a thousand, ten thousand times better than your cousin! Let’s not tell anyone about us yet. Right now I have nothing—only dead weight for you. But once I make something of myself, I’ll marry you fair and square!”

Ruan Jiaojiao: “……” And what did this have to do with her?

Truly a case of sitting at home, yet getting hit by falling pots from the sky!

She paused, ready to leave, but then she heard Ruan Xiaodie continue:

“Mm, I keep thinking Cousin still likes you. Let me tell you, my cousin’s family is loaded. You should trick her first, take her family’s money, then dump her.”

“They don’t even have a son, just her. Leaving the money to her is a total waste… What do you think?”

Huo Yunshu smacked a loud kiss on her cheek and said excitedly:

“You’re such a clever flower! Don’t worry! I’ll play nice with Ruan Jiaojiao, pretend to be close, but in my heart, you’re my one true love! Just… this way you’ll have to suffer some grievances.”

“It’s not a grievance at all! As long as I’m with you, I’ll do anything! Besides… sneaking around behind Cousin’s back… is kind of thrilling…”

“Xiaodie, you really know how to—”

“Yunshu…”

“Mua, mua, mua, mua—”

Ruan Jiaojiao: “……”

The “car doors” were welded shut—no escape. Dear heavens, could the “male lead and female lead” sink any lower?

Were they using “pretend wisdom” to cover up the fact that they had no moral compass?

Ruan Jiaojiao got too caught up watching. Without realizing, she slipped from a little slope and went rolling down, down, down…

She nearly cursed out loud, but forced herself to hold back.

If Huo Yunshu and Ruan Xiaodie discovered her, they might “silence” her. With how shameless they were, killing her to keep the secret wouldn’t be unthinkable.

So she endured the pain, waited until the two finished their little tryst and headed back to Shanjiao Village. By then, her ankle had swollen badly.

Night fell. Ruan Jiaojiao couldn’t move anymore. She was cold, hungry, and desperately missed having a phone.

With a phone, she could’ve called Fu Ting. With a phone, she would’ve had some light.

But she’d told Fu Ting she was going into town. So if he went looking, he’d search the town—not here.

Coming here was the worst decision since she crossed into this world. Tonight was destined to be her hardest night.

This was barren land, in the dead of winter. No one would come. She didn’t dare climb—under all the snow she couldn’t see the ground, and one misstep could drop her into a pit.

At night, wolves prowled. Even worse.

Frustration upon frustration.

Her eyes reddened, not from anger at others, but at herself.

She cried until she fell asleep, and dreamed she was a little girl again—her dad carrying her, tired from play, back to bed.

Clinging to his neck, she cried, “Daddy, why are you only coming now?”

And then, in her dream, “Daddy” said:

“It’s all my fault, I came late. But hearing Jiaojiao call me daddy… makes me happy.”

Ruan Jiaojiao: “……!!”

She snapped her eyes open—she wasn’t lying in the snow at all, but on Fu Ting’s back!

Dawn was breaking. Snow was falling again, flakes landing on both of them. Her hot tears dripped into Fu Ting’s hair, already stiff with frost.

“Brother Ting… why are you here… what about the kids…”

“Don’t worry, Dabao and Xiaobao are waiting at home. I saw you hadn’t returned, so I came looking.”

He said it lightly, but Ruan Jiaojiao saw his cracked lips, the snow coating his lashes, the shoes worn through from running. He’d searched for her all night without sleep!

From Shanjiao Village to the town was twenty li both ways. He didn’t even know where she had gone.

So he ran everywhere, afraid that if he were one step late, his Jiaojiao might meet with disaster. With so many bachelors around, he especially feared something happening to his pretty young wife.

“…How did you even find me?”

Clinging to him, she was still cold and limping, but her heart felt warm.

Aside from one’s parents, finding someone who treats you as more important than life itself is rare.

“I followed your footprints. Jiaojiao’s feet are small—I recognized them.”

But there were plenty of small-footed women in the village. Yet Fu Ting remembered exactly what her feet and shoes looked like!

“Brother Ting, my husband, my man… my Brother Ting…”

Her head buried against his shoulder, she sobbed quietly.

Fu Ting’s steps faltered. “Jiaojiao, don’t cry. When you cry, it hurts me to death.”

She cried even harder, tears streaming nonstop.

To comfort her, he said, “Don’t cry, don’t worry about your husband. I’m fine. And it’s not the first time I’ve come out looking for you—I’m used to it.”

In the past, the original Jiaojiao often sneaked out to find Huo Yunshu, ignoring the kids. Every time, he stood her up. Every time, Fu Ting had to search for her.

But the original never pitied Fu Ting.

Such a good man—she hadn’t cherished him. She must’ve been blind! Ruan Jiaojiao clung tightly to this man, the one who had appeared countless times in her dreams, who had already stolen her heart…

And she cried harder, uncontrollably.

Fu Ting: “……” His Jiaojiao was wonderful in every way, except she cried too easily. Once she started, there was no stopping her. Where did she get all that water?

He had no choice but to scare her a little, patting her on the butt:

“Jiaojiao, if you keep crying, I’ll just have to ‘bully’ you right here in the snow.”

Ruan Jiaojiao: “……” In the snow?

Oh my god.

Now she wanted to cry even harder—what should she do?