"Hey Xia, what brings you back? Did you need something?"

Shirai Masaharu was not asleep at all.

I was startled awake by the knocking.

"There really is something, and it concerns your Xiaoxue. Her marriage is probably..."

The phrase "beating around the bush" is completely absent from Yan Xia's vocabulary.

The words had barely left his mouth.

The village head immediately stood up.

"What happened? What happened to my Xiaoxue? Could it be that the He family wants to break off the engagement? Has she been snatched away by some girl? This is outrageous! Everyone in the village knows that my Xiaoxue is getting married and is already engaged. If they break off the engagement, how can my Xiaoxue ever face anyone again? No, I have to go find them!"

"Bai Lizheng, don't get agitated, it's not that he wants to break off the engagement."

Yan Xia saw him jumping up and down excitedly.

Explain quickly.

"What? Then tell me what happened? What's wrong with my Xiaoxue's marriage?"

The village head was dumbfounded.

So Yan was just teasing him.

“Last night, I saw your future son-in-law with a girl in town. That girl is almost three months pregnant. I've met that He family lad before, so I kept an eye on him and eavesdropped outside the alley. They said that after marrying Xiaoxue, he'll immediately take a concubine. How can that be good? Before the marriage is even over, he's already having a child that can't be shown to anyone. Village head, I advise you to think carefully about this marriage. The He family is no good.”

Yan Xia knew that Bai Lizheng doted on his youngest daughter.

If she marries into that family and lives a miserable life, even the village head might not have a peaceful life.

"How could this happen? Damn it—"

Bai Lizheng let out a loud shout.

The other members of the Bai family were so frightened that they quickly ran over from the backyard.

They are weeding.

"Father, what's wrong?"

"Honey, what's going on?"

"Grandpa, what are you calling out for?"

“............”

The group all looked at him.

"Grab your weapons and head to town! Call off the engagement!"

The village head was so angry he was fuming.

"Dad? Why break off the engagement? What are you trying to do?"

Bai Ruixue went to chat with her best friend in the village early in the morning. As soon as she returned, she heard her father shouting that he wanted to break off the engagement.

In his haste, he even dropped the wildflowers he had just picked.

I originally planned to put this bunch of wildflowers in a wooden jar in the house as decoration.

This way, the bridal chamber will look nicer on the wedding day.

"Don't worry about this. The marriage with the He family is off. It must be called off. Xiaoxue, don't worry, Dad will find you a better family. He Tian is no good."

Bai Lizheng did not want to tell his daughter about this.

So as not to upset her.

“I won’t back out, why should I back out, Dad? I’m already engaged, how am I supposed to live if you break off the engagement?”

Bai Ruixue grabbed the village head's sleeve.

I'd rather die than let go.

"Why can't you live? Does your family lack food or drink? After the engagement is broken off, I'll find you a good family. We don't need them to be rich, they just need to be good people who can't do anything immoral!"

Bai Lizheng pulled the clothes from his daughter's hands and quickly walked to the woodshed to pick out the sharpest wood-chopping knife.

"Grab your weapons, you son of a bitch! This engagement has to be called off! Xia, could you please take us to town?"

Bai Li was looking at Yan Xia.

"It's possible, but with you carrying machetes and weapons, you probably won't be able to get into the city. If you want to break off the engagement, talk it out properly and reason with people. If you accidentally injure someone, it's not worth it. The town is strict, and if you resort to violence, you might end up in jail."

Yan Xia's carriage never needed to be checked when leaving or returning to the city.

Although it's possible to bring them in.

But if something goes wrong, she has to take responsibility.

"Dad, what exactly do you want? Your daughter is already nineteen, and we've finally found a good family. Are you going to make your daughter an old maid for the rest of her life? What's wrong with Brother Xiaotian? He's so good, and Aunt Song is so good too. Why can't I marry into the He family? I'm going to get married! If you break off the engagement, I'll... I'll not live anymore!"

When Bai Ruixue saw that her father was serious, she panicked. Because she was too close to the kitchen, she rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and pointed it at her own neck.

The Bai family members were so frightened that some screamed and others made a racket.

"Village head, just tell her."

Yan Xia advised.

"Why........"

Bai Lizheng put down his wood-chopping knife, squatted on the ground, and sighed.

"That He family brat is no good. He's having an affair with a woman who's almost three months pregnant. He's even said he'd take her as a concubine if he married you. You're not even married yet, and he already has a bastard child. How can you expect anything good from marrying him? Xiaoxue, I'm only doing this for your own good. I didn't want to tell you, but now that you know, put down your knife! Before the wedding, let's all call it off today. You stay home and look after the house. Once things calm down, I'll find you a good family. Don't ever be tempted by a rich man's wealth; those rich kids are really promiscuous!"

After Bai Lizheng finished speaking.

There was a loud 'bang'.

The kitchen knife fell from Bai Ruixue's hand.

She swayed a couple of times, then collapsed to the ground, her eyes glazed over.

He muttered to himself, "How could this be? It's impossible, how could Brother Xiaotian have a child..."

"Father—did you see it with your own eyes?"

Her expression was somewhat manic.

He crawled to Bai Lizheng's side using both hands and feet, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"It wasn't me who saw it with my own eyes, it was your Aunt Yan who told me. She saw the He family's son embracing a girl in an alley in town, being all lovey-dovey..."

"Since you didn't see it with your own eyes, Father, what makes you think Brother Xiaotian is going to take a concubine? Maybe someone is interested in Brother Xiaotian's literary talent and wants to marry their daughter to him. Heh, Father, you're naive, but I'm not. That guy already has two daughters waiting to be married. What's the use of making so much money? He's just a greedy merchant reeking of money! Can he compare to my Brother Xiaotian? When he passes the imperial examination next year, I'll be a scholar's wife! Father, don't be fooled!"

“She was there that day, she heard everything about Xiaotian’s family’s circumstances, she definitely made this up!”

Bai Ruixue's eyes were fierce as she glared at Yan Xia, her index finger pointing at Yan Xia's face.

"Smack—"

Before Yan Xia could speak...

The sound of a slap echoed throughout the Bai family's courtyard.

"Dad—you hit me?"

Bai Ruixue covered her right cheek in disbelief, tears streaming down her face.

She has never been hit since she was a child.

Compared to the poor girls in the village, she was always superior because she knew that her parents loved her the most, and not only her parents, but also her brother and sister-in-law doted on her.

Normally, you wouldn't even hear a harsh word from them.

Unlike her girlfriends.

They got married at only fourteen or fifteen, and they were always hungry, cold, and beaten. Luckily, they married men from the same village.

When I'm bored, I can hang out with them.

Occasionally, I'll gloat about how happy I am.

But just now, her father actually hit her?