Chapter 2 I chose you because you're a bit dim-witted, you know...

Looking towards the backs of Liu Jiaoshun and the other person, the direction was towards the village chief's house.

The once quiet surroundings became hot again after Brother Eagle, the Demon God, left.

Widow Qian was quite affectionate; she hurriedly went to help Tie Niu, her eyes full of worry and heartache.

They're lovers, aren't they? Liu Jiao clicked her tongue in disbelief, suddenly realizing she was a terrible person who broke up other people's relationships.

Liu Jiao also joined in.

Tie Niu was being helped up, clutching his injured leg.

She stood straight in front of Tie Niu, and said with an innocent look:

"I don't know if I'm big or small, but compared to that big guy, you're really small."

Upon hearing this, both Tie Niu and Widow Qian were stunned, seemingly never expecting to be compared in size.

After a long while, Tie Niu, his face flushed, said angrily:

"Shameless!"

He never wanted to relive the feeling of being crushed on the ground again!

Tie Niu was a proud and arrogant man who was obsessed with saving face.

Tie Niu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. Then, he coldly snorted:

"Fine, I won't argue with an ignorant country bumpkin like you."

"If you apologize, I might give you some face in the future because of your father, and I'm still willing to marry you."

Tie Niu regained his confident demeanor.

He thought he had Liu Jiao's family under control, especially Liu Jiao's father, and believed that Liu Jiao would definitely be afraid of her father.

Not to mention being jilted by her fiancé, Liu Jiao will definitely be forced by her father to go to his house to apologize!

He was looking up at her, waiting for her to apologize, but Liu Jiao didn't reply for a long time.

When Widow Qian cautiously opened her eyes to look, she discovered that Liu Jiao had already run off with the wine and meat.

tractor:"……"

Ugh! This stupid country bumpkin!!

*

The moon is bright and the stars are few; in front of a dilapidated house with one or two households.

One is Liu Jiao's family, and the other is the village chief's family.

Fearing that Tie Niu would come and steal the wine and meat, Liu Jiao held on tightly and ran. Only when she was sure she couldn't catch up did she slow down.

My father really doesn't know the value of firewood, rice, oil, and salt when he's not in charge of the household. He's sending cattle, wine, and meat as gifts.

We still have to rely on her, sigh.

Also, has Tie Niu gone mad?

He said he'd reluctantly marry her if she apologized?

Haha, it's his family who needs a cow and asks her family for one, not the other way around.

The main reason Liu Jiao chose to get engaged to Tie Niu was because Tie Niu was a local.

Back then, Dad excitedly said, "As long as you marry a local man, the villagers will completely accept us! Life will be peaceful and happy!"

But the problem was that Tie Niu already had a girlfriend. Logically speaking, if he had a girlfriend, he could have just found a local. But his father only cared that his family was poor and easy to manipulate, and he didn't care about looks. Liu Jiao was ugly, so it didn't matter.

Well, he doesn't care about looks, but as he just said, he cares about figure and loves widows!

To ensure Liu Jiao's marriage to Tie Niu, her father, taking advantage of the upcoming spring plowing season, seized the opportunity presented by the fact that only his family in the village had chickens and spare cattle. He exploited Tie Niu's urgent need to plow the fields after his old yellow ox died, and offered his own ox as Liu Jiao's dowry, saying that marrying Liu Jiao would guarantee him an ox.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to lend it.

He forced Tie Niu to marry her.

Tie Niu began to resist fiercely, saying that they were forcing him and that they were trying to break up lovers!

Ah...in the end, of course, he didn't die, so he agreed.

What a humiliation this must be for a fragile little man!

So Tie Niu was always reluctant, but he took things from Liu Jiao's house along the way.

Unexpectedly, he chose to accept the gifts and abandon Widow Qian, but he was still restless and maintained a lingering relationship with her.

You chose the bull and abandoned the person, yet you blame others for breaking you up?

We want both.

What a useless coward, all he can do is give birth to a couple of babies to save his dog's life.

Liu Jiao is a person who dares to love and hate. She doesn't hold grudges over small things and is very forgiving, but once her bottom line is crossed, she cuts ties decisively and immediately.

Today's incident should serve as a wake-up call. She doesn't want to suffer like this forever, enduring her husband's intimacy with other women and his resentment towards her.

That would be a wasted life, she'd be miserable every day, why should she suffer?

It's better not to.

You should try to salvage the situation while you still can.

Tie Niu's statement is true, and Dad is stubborn.

I used to think I could drink three jin of baijiu in one go, but half a bottle made me feel refreshed, one bottle made me vomit and have diarrhea, two bottles made me suffer from severe cramps, and three bottles left me bedridden.

From then on, he couldn't drink alcohol, which left him with a chronic illness. Only then did his father calm down and realize his mistake.

Once a marriage is arranged by one's father, it's hard to back out.

But if Liu Jiao wants to, she can definitely withdraw.

Doesn't Dad always say that children are all a debt?

Since she's the creditor, she naturally has the upper hand!

No matter how many obstacles there are, Liu Jiao will definitely break off the engagement.

After a moment's thought, Liu Jiao had already devised a plan for how to annul the engagement.

The benefits must be recouped first.

But we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Night has fallen, so the best things to do are to go to sleep and hide the wine and meat at home.

She has to get away from her parents, and if they find out, she'll be punished.

On a whim, she bent down and slipped through the thatched roof, looking left and right, thinking no one was around, before sneaking into the house through the dog hole.

"What are you doing!"

Just as he parted the weeds covering the dog hole, he was stopped by a woman's voice.

Liu Jiao's body trembled, and the wine and meat in her hands were exposed.

Alright, I can't crawl through the dog hole anymore, or I'll definitely get reported to my parents.

Liu Jiao clicked her tongue in regret and turned around to take a look.

The one who spoke was a pretty girl with her head held high and arms crossed, scanning Liu Jiao up and down.

It was Xiulian, who often bullied Liu Jiao, and behind her was her follower named Yinxing, the one who cut her braids.

Liu Jiao answered Xiulian's question honestly and politely: "Crawling through a dog hole!"

Xiulian and Yinxing both choked. Before Xiulian could speak, Yinxing spotted the wine and meat Liu Jiao had brought, "You stupid barbarian! Stop with the dog hole nonsense, tell me where you got this wine and meat!"

She counted the amount of meat and wine, then realized, "Five pieces of cured meat, three bottles of wine... Is this the gift your father gave to Tie Niu at noon?"

Yinxing overheard Liu Jiao cutting her braid and remembered that Liu Jiao's father had mentioned giving Tie Niu a gift, which included these five and three items.

Ginkgo feigned surprise: "So the gift was returned?"

Xiulian, who had been silent all along, seemed to have heard something amusing and burst out laughing: "I knew they wouldn't be interested in you."

"Brother Tie Niu is a strong and healthy young man, but you barbarian are so ugly that they would make people throw up their dinner from the night before. I knew it, you deserve to be disliked, it's laughable!"

Xiulian giggled, clearly overjoyed to hear Liu Jiao's humiliation.

Xiulian: "That's the truth, you're not angry, are you?"

Liu Jiao wasn't upset at all; in fact, she was a little confused.

So what if she's ugly? If you don't want her, you don't want her. She's not going to die, and she won't lose any of her flesh. Only those who say she's ugly are busy mocking her and trying to break off the engagement.

She was still very young and innocent, her heart had not yet awakened to love, and she had no sense of shame at all. She only asked, "What are you doing at my house?"

Xiulian rolled her eyes: "Who's coming to your house?"

She pointed to the left half of Liu Jiao's house: "Your house has two households in one room. I'm here to the village chief's house on the left side of your house!"

Yinxing looked at her with disdain: "Every household in the village has to send a representative, saying that a newcomer has arrived. I reckon it's to arrange accommodation, you can't be unaware of that, right?"

Liu Jiao spent the whole day in the chicken coop, making quite a racket, so I really don't know.

Fortunately, when Xiulian and Yinxing saw that they couldn't get any more humiliation from Liu Jiao, they turned their heads and went to the village chief's house, without bothering her anymore.

But just because she doesn't cause trouble doesn't mean she doesn't cause trouble at all!

A mischievous glint flashed in Liu Jiao's grape-like eyes. She quickly slipped through the dog hole to the nearest storage room, where pots, pans, and winter/summer bedding were kept. She pushed the wine and meat into the lower shelf of the blue cabinet in the storage room; the upper shelf held the pots, pans, and other utensils used more often during the New Year.

It's very secluded; the storage room is spacious and uninhabited, her little world. Her parents never go in, so Liu Jiao feels very at ease.

After hiding it, she unwrapped the rotten eggs she had prepared earlier from the cloth bag and quietly waited on the path the ginkgo trees were sure to take. Thinking that the rotten eggs might bring her bad luck and end up in her hands again like they did in the morning, she first broke the eggshells open in her hand.

As Ginkgo passed by, he splashed the egg mixture onto her head.

With a scream, Liu Jiao suddenly laughed.

They've already come to her; how can she not retaliate?

I happily went home and was finally able to get a good night's sleep.

Unexpectedly, they encountered the village chief who was watching over them.

He squatted at Liu Jiao's door, thinking of asking her family to send a representative to welcome the newlyweds to the village.

Seeing Liu Jiao close the door, he caught her just in time, grabbed her by the back of her collar, and dragged her over like a chick.

"Little Jiaojiao, where are you running to!"

Liu Jiao: "..."

She just wanted to take a nap!

*

The moon rises at the beginning of the month. Its light falls on the village chief's courtyard, illuminating the large group of villagers dressed in simple clothes, their shadows crisscrossing.

Liu Jiao was pulled by the village chief to the front row of onlookers.

She yawned and looked ahead listlessly—

His eyes widened instantly, and they almost popped out of their sockets!

Before them, a handsome young man dressed in black with white feathers was busily working at a chair, while behind him, a stunningly beautiful girl waited for him to finish polishing it. The young man was incredibly meticulous, almost obsessively so, wiping the chair again and again: the headrest, the upper hind legs, the backrest, the connecting rods, the headband, the gooseneck, the apron…

First, take out cloth, vinegar paste, soap, a small box, and a cushion from the seemingly all-encompassing bamboo-patterned embroidered bag.

Wipe it with vinegar paste.

I took a soapberry and wiped the chair body again.

Then, she took out a soft roll of fabric from the small box, carefully absorbed the remaining water droplets, and finally placed the cloud-shaped embroidered cushion squarely on the backrest.

Perhaps it was because he was so handsome, with a tall and shapely figure, that one couldn't help but want to call him pleasing to the eye.

The girl behind him had just sat down.

The boy stood behind her. Because it was drizzling, he was holding an umbrella for the girl who was sitting down.

These two people are the otherworldly man and woman we just met, Brother Eagle and Fairy.

Liu Jiao was dumbfounded by this action.

Is it really that detailed?

Rich people are just different, huh?

The whispers among the villagers grew louder and louder.

Liu Jiao wasn't the only one surprised; Xiu Lian was another example.

However, her surprise was different from Liu Jiao's; she was surprised by the two people's appearance and clothing.

A face that could launch a thousand ships, adorned with heavy lotus silk.

It's just too outstanding.

It's probably one of the best in the entire Jiangnan region, a world apart from that desolate, barren village.

The chattering was like beans being scattered, when the village chief, seeing that the time was right, coughed lightly, and the surroundings quieted down.

"These two young masters and ladies are from out of town, so we need to find a family to stay with for a while."

There was a moment of silence.

Even if these two are exceptionally good-looking, neither of them wants another person in their family.

But the next moment, Brother Eagle suddenly took off the money bag from his waist and casually flicked it with his calloused fingers, picking out about an ounce of silver: "If you can stay here, I will not mistreat my fellow villagers."

Those in the front row could see it, but Liu Jiao only saw gleaming white and golden silver coins. She had only ever seen so many yellow and white colors in porridge made from a mixture of rice and millet.

With a single glance, Brother Eagle ruthlessly withdrew it.

Brother Eagle's words were brief:

"Room fee for one month: two strings of cash."

Currently, one tael of silver is equal to two strings of cash.

You should know that in the county, a good room costs only nine coins per person and eighteen coins for two people. Normally, it costs no more than five hundred and forty coins a month.

Two strings of cash equals two thousand coins.

It costs four times more than the best restaurants.

They are wealthy and powerful.

These words immediately stirred up a commotion, with those who had been eyeing the idea eager to try it out.

Before the village chief even stated his requirements, a large number of hands shot up.

The village chief quickly added, "This young master doesn't want any unmarried, able-bodied men in his family."

Half of the hands were raised.

It's obvious that Brother Eagle was protecting the fairy who was sitting there.

Many of the remaining people who raised their hands were women with daughters of marriageable age.

Seeing that Brother Ying was extremely handsome and had a commanding presence.

What if, what if he falls for one of the daughters?

The scene then shifts to Brother Eagle and the Fairy choosing a place to live among the people.

The people who raised their hands became more and more excited and surged forward. Liu Jiao, who was in the first row, was suddenly hit hard on the shoulder and fell several steps.

Turning around, I saw Xiulian.

Liu Jiao frowned, not one to tolerate it, and stomped her foot back.

Xiulian winced in pain and was furious. She glared at her, but because she had important business to attend to, she couldn't lash out, fearing she would leave a bad impression on the young man.

She also developed feelings for the ethereal young man.

He could only raise his hand and yell, "Get out of my way and don't even think that the young master will take a liking to you, you ugly barbarian!"

Liu Jiao's family has no unmarried able-bodied men, and she is their only daughter, so she has a great chance.

This time, Liu Jiao was actually obedient and made way for him, clearly not wanting to get involved in the conflict.

Suddenly, his hand was restrained by a strong arm.

"What are you doing, you silly boy! All these girls are scrambling to go, are you stupid and not going?!"

The speaker was a plump middle-aged woman wearing a headscarf.

"Auntie, thank you for your kindness, but I'd like to decline. I don't have that intention..." Liu Jiao still tried to run away.

The person who stopped her was Aunt Zhang, the village chief's sister-in-law. They weren't close, but she was kind-hearted.

She pursed her lips, sighed, and shook her head: "Forget it, you're hopeless..."

"Wouldn't it be better to argue? No wonder everyone says you're stupid!"

He then went to watch the commotion and forgot about Liu Jiao as soon as he turned his back on her.

Liu Jiao chuckled as she shrank back.

Let's not even mention that they would never choose her.

Although the money was plentiful, Brother Eagle also had a lot of problems.

Just look at how meticulously Brother Eagle wipes the fairy's stool... and then think about how crudely I used a chicken manure shovel to precisely strike her.

She is simply incompetent.

Aunt Zhang said she was silly, and she still didn't quite understand why she had to go over to greet the "godfather".

No sooner had this question crossed her mind than she overheard Xiulian and Yinxing whispering:

"Did you see him wiping the chair just now? He's so meticulous! He's so considerate!"

Ginkgo, who had just washed off the rotten egg liquid, flattered: "That's right, there aren't many men who know how to take care of people anymore. After you get married, Sister Xiulian, you'll be so lucky. You'll be pampered like a young lady! As for Liu Jiao, she'll just have to waste her whole life in the village, haha!"

Xiulian smiled shyly.

Liu Jiao: "..."

She slipped to the gate, beaming with joy, and was about to leave discreetly when—

"Let's choose her."

A cold, emotionless male voice came straight at Liu Jiao.

What?

In a few breaths, Liu Jiao's neck was suddenly grabbed by a pair of hot and unfamiliar large hands, the calloused skin lightly scraping against the back of her neck.

Then, with her back to the villagers, she was lifted up by a tremendous force and turned straight back to face the scene.

Her stunned black eyes clearly reflected the envy and shock on everyone's faces, all revealing their bewilderment at why she had been chosen...

Immediately, she met Xiulian's even more resentful gaze.

Liu Jiao instantly regained her senses and shuddered.

She trembled as she looked at Eagle, who was holding her by the collar, and said with a sorrowful expression, "Eagle, I'm stupid and cowardly, and I'm not even pleasing to the eye... The worst part is, I don't want you to choose me! Why would you choose me!"

But as she grieved, a thought suddenly struck Liu Jiao, and her sorrow turned to joy: "Could it be... that I have some extraordinary talent?"

Seeing her thoughts drifting further and further away, Brother Eagle could no longer bear it and loosened her collar, wiping his fingers with disgust, his cold tone shattering Liu Jiao's fantasy:

I know your flaws.

"You're chosen because you're a bit dim-witted, understand?"

Liu Jiao: "..."

She wanted to refuse, but Brother Eagle coldly tossed two taels of silver, which landed precisely in her arms.

Just as Liu Jiao was about to refuse and remind him that he had given her an extra ounce, Brother Ying didn't even glance at her, leaving her with only his back.

The moonlight shone like a ribbon, highlighting the long sword and the strong waist; his voice was cold and stern.

"If you're giving me extra money, please shut up."

Liu Jiao stared at the sword that seemed to be ready to be drawn and kill her if she refused, holding the heavy money in her hands, unable to utter a word of refusal.

As the crowd dispersed, the young man in black, with his ears open, noticed a voice: "That barbarian's move of using stillness to create movement is truly impressive. Sure enough, she was chosen."

Using stillness as a means of movement?

Doubts were planted in the boy's heart.

*

"What! Oh dear, I should have known better than to call Xiao Jiaojiao over!"

Brother Eagle and Fairy went to move their luggage. They won't be staying at Liu Jiao's house tonight; this is their last peaceful night's sleep.

Liu Jiao changed into her undergarments and was about to go for a bath when she unexpectedly heard the village chief's exclamation.

Was she mentioned?

Liu Jiao paused, then honestly pressed her ear to the door to eavesdrop.

Father and Uncle Village Chief seem to be discussing Brother Eagle's move-in.

Father's voice was deep and somber: "Keep your voice down. Do you know why I sound so heavy-hearted?"

"This kid's identity is extraordinary. According to my investigation, don't let his young age fool you; he's the court's number one henchman, Sang Ji, who specializes in shady killings for the court! He's currently under the princess's command and is the leader of the Second Prince's faction. Legend has it that his sword has taken countless lives, and he even uses human skulls to sharpen his sword... He's no exaggeration to call himself the successor to Yama!"

Liu Jiao gasped, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.

She's practically delivered a killing machine into her family!

On second thought, it's just a rumor. After all, how could one person possibly kill thousands of people...

The village chief picked up his teacup and took a sip to calm his nerves: "That young master Ji is truly barbaric! But that name sounds so familiar..."

Father: "Heh, but his demeanor is not barbaric at all! His parents are unknown, and it is said that they are both dead, but I speculate that his temperament is probably the result of specialized training by a large family, and it is inseparable from the Sang family, the number one family in Huajing."

The breath that Liu Jiao had just caught came rushing back up again.

A powerful family like that, we can't afford to mess with them!

But she tried to tell herself that she should just listen to her father's words and that the village chief's words were more credible.

Besides, it's just my father's speculation, so it can't be taken seriously.

Just as she managed a forced, reassuring smile and decided to leave, no longer wanting to listen to her father's nonsense—

The village chief, who was drinking tea, suddenly slammed his teacup on the table. The lid made a loud thud, just like a kettle, which startled Liu Jiao, and she stopped in her tracks.

Village Chief Uncle:

"I remember everything now! Sang Ji, that ultimate weapon! Do you remember the thing he did that shocked the entire Huai Meng Kingdom?"

"Back then, the princess was captured by the enemy. The enemy was strong and we were weak. The hope was so slim that even the royal family gave up and refused to send troops to rescue her. It was Sang Ji who, with unwavering loyalty and courage, single-handedly and with only his sword, wiped out the elite enemy camp, leaving no survivors, and rescued the princess. From then on, he established his position as the court's number one henchman, solidified his reputation as a weapon of mass destruction, and shocked the entire nation!"

One man, for the sake of the princess... slaughtered an entire army camp... leaving no one alive.

Holy crap, they're such killers!

He doesn't care about anyone but the princess!

Liu Jiao's pupils were dilated, and she felt dizzy.

The village chief already said so.

I had no choice but to believe it.

Brother Eagle, no, Sang Ji.

She looks like a cold and ruthless demon!

We need to be careful! What if he gets angry and tries to chop her up?

What exactly is this kind of person doing in Grass Village?

The candlelight flickered, and the conversation inside continued.

Village Chief Uncle: "I really regret it! I thought this person offered a lot of money, and since Jiaojiao is about to marry Tieniu, I wanted to save up some dowry for her. I thought you could protect her even if things got dangerous. I never imagined it would be this dangerous!"

Father comforted him, "It's alright, it's alright. He looks like he escaped. He definitely won't dare to make any rash moves."

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it. Let him stay here with us so we can keep an eye on things together."

Father suddenly fell silent, but the footsteps grew closer.

The door clicked open, and a sudden noise came from inside.

Liu Jiao, who was eavesdropping, quickly hid to the right of the cabinet next to the door and used a wooden board to cover herself.

She was startled and became very nervous.

Father didn't notice her, but only invited Uncle Village Chief:

"I just asked my wife to check if the storage room is habitable. Let's go and tidy up the house together!"

Wait! A storage room?!

Wait...wait!

Alarm bells rang in Liu Jiao's mind!

Wine and meat! Wine and meat that we snatched back from Tie Niu!

She's hiding in the storage room!

A note from the author:

----------------------