The young man replied naively, "No, I can't. I'm terrified of going into the water...hehehe."

The women nearby suddenly realized, "That's right, Erdanzi was drowned when he was a child, which is why he's still mentally challenged. He's terrified of water, so how could he possibly go in to save someone?"

Aunt Hua's face looked very unpleasant.

Mrs. Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, her face beaming with joy. "Little Youran, you really are our lucky star. Now that everything is clear, go home quickly."

Little Youran, with her short legs, tugged along, holding her brother's hand, and ran off after Zhou Shi and Yun Manyan. Yu Shi also picked up Yun Manyin and left.

Aunt Hua pointed at their retreating figures and began to curse, "What kind of people are you! Do you think I care about you poor wretches?! If it weren't for my meager supply of rice back then, more than a dozen of you would have starved to death! Even if your two daughters find suitors, their families are bottomless pits; whoever marries them is doomed!"

The women standing nearby couldn't stand it anymore, so they all shook their heads and began to leave, gradually dispersing.

This feisty woman is best avoided.

Aunt Hua turned around and pinched Erdan's ear hard, scolding, "You troublesome brat! I created such a good opportunity for you, how come you don't know how to seize it? You dare to spout nonsense about the truth... Do you want to drive me to my death before you're satisfied..."

The silly son was used to being beaten and scolded, so he didn't fight back and just let his mother hit him.

Aunt Hua slapped and scolded her son for a while before she calmed down. After everyone had left, she angrily dragged her son home.

Unexpectedly, right next to the gap in the curb where Yun Manyin had just slipped, Erdanzi felt itchy all over for some reason, so he moved his arm and swung it at Aunt Hua's face.

Aunt Hua instinctively dodged, her body tilted towards the river, her foot twisted, and she slid down the curb.

With a "plop," icy water poured into her ears and nose from all directions.

She bobbed up and down, waving her hands, trying to ask her son for help, but when she saw his terrified expression as he backed away, she remembered that... her son... really couldn't swim.

However, when Silly Erdan saw his mother fall, he retreated in terror while babbling incoherently.

The shouts drew the women who had left back.

A group of people came running back to watch the excitement.

To everyone's surprise, they heard another "splash" from the opposite bank, and a figure jumped into the river.

Aunt Hua was overjoyed at first, thinking that someone had come to rescue her.

Then, when she opened her eyes wide and saw who it was, she was so frightened she almost fainted.

She watched in horror as the man swam towards her, frantically pounding the water and shaking her head, trying to say, "No! Don't come any closer!"

But as soon as he opened his mouth, icy water rushed into it, so he had to shut up and mumbled "no."

However, in this critical moment, how could that person understand her mumbled rejection?

He carried her ashore with a mixture of resistance and reluctance.

Then an auntie laughed and said, "Oh dear, what a stroke of luck! She tried to take advantage of him by pretending to be savior, but now someone else has taken advantage of her instead!"

"Aunt Hua, how does it feel to be rescued by a man?"

"Hey, who was it that just said, 'Once you've had physical intimacy, who else would you marry if not him?'"

"Hahaha, Aunt Hua, just give in to this cripple!"

Aunt Hua almost fainted upon hearing this.

She remained a widow for over a decade, raising her two sons with great difficulty. Her only wish was to find two capable wives for her sons, and she never imagined that she would remarry.

It's even more impossible for her to marry that crippled old bachelor in the village!

The cripple was originally going to leave after saving the person, but upon hearing what the onlookers were saying, his eyes lit up. He turned around, limped over, and, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, asked, "Can I marry you?"

Aunt Hua was so overwhelmed by his breath that she held her breath, her vision went black, and she fainted.

The women nearby egged him on, saying, "Crippled man, she's fainted! Why don't you carry your future wife back inside? We can all testify that since you've had physical intimacy with her, she can only marry you!"

The lame man in his forties then revealed his large, yellow teeth even more clearly as he turned and picked up Aunt Hua in his arms.

...

Back at the old house, Zhou and Guo had each given their daughters a hot bath and cooked a bowl of hot ginger soup when they heard about Aunt Hua's ordeal. They couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

Zhou was secretly worried because she didn't know who the person who had saved her daughter was.

His daughter's reputation has indeed been damaged.

But deep down, I am very grateful to Xiao Youran.

If she hadn't exposed Aunt Hua's scheme, her beautiful daughter would have married that fool... and she would have ended up with such a troublesome in-law!

Just thinking about it makes me shudder.

Yun Manyan sipped her ginger soup, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Mother, my little cousin said that Aunt Hua slandered her and said she would be in big trouble. Could it be... that she was right?"

Zhou patted her head and said, "Little Youran is really a lucky girl. If it weren't for her, we would probably have gone hungry these past few days. If she is truly a blessing from God, then those who oppose her deserve to suffer great misfortune. In the future, you should remind your younger siblings to protect your little cousin."

Yun Manyan looked worried. "Mother... what if that person shows up in a couple of days... what should we do?"

Zhou comforted her, "The person who saved you was able to leave quietly, probably for the sake of your reputation. It's definitely not one of those scoundrels like Aunt Hua. They shouldn't show their face."

She has been interacting with the villagers these days and has learned a lot of swear words.

Yun Manyan sighed deeply and said with worry, "Mother, I will be of marriageable age next year. Does that mean... I really have to stay in this Sanyang Village forever?"

Zhou took a deep breath. "I was worried too. But now that my cousin Su is here, I've been thinking these past few days that if all else fails, I'll let you go back to Dingzhou with her and her two children!"

Yun Manyan was shocked. "Mother! What did you say?!"

Zhou closed her eyes briefly. "With such a large family here, how can your younger brother support the household? We can't do farm work, and we have no means of making a living! If you go back to Dingzhou with your aunt, you might not be able to marry into a good family, but at least you'll be able to live a life free from worries about food and clothing."

Yun Manyan shook her head. "No, Mother, I don't want to leave you and my brother! My brother and father are still suffering in Ningguta, and you are suffering in Sanyang Village. How can I leave you to go to Dingzhou to enjoy a better life on my own?"

Zhou burst into tears, "I don't know about your father and brother..."

The mother and daughter immediately embraced and wept bitterly, filled with uncertainty about the future.

...