When Jin Duobao saw Zheng Quchi, he remembered the boasts he had made to her before, and his face turned pale and then red.
"Who do you want to ask? Is it also Liu Fengmian?"
Zheng Quchi dared not ask him. She could tell that this guy was poor but ambitious, and not someone that ordinary girls could easily associate with.
Her target was clear: the scarred man with a dark complexion at the back of the crowd.
"I want to ask Big Brother... what's up?"
That should be the name.
According to the information provided, he is 21 years old, single, and works as a stonemason. He injured his shoulder blade a few years ago when he was hit by a falling rock and has been recuperating at home for the past few years, resulting in a negative income.
Very good. He is poor and injured, and although he has a small, dilapidated house, there is no one at home. He is a suitable candidate to be a son-in-law.
The scarred man looked up, his gaze sweeping over Zheng Quchi. He wasn't entirely satisfied, but he could barely accept it.
After all, given his circumstances.
"Can."
No matter what she asked, Da Niu decided to go along with her. After being widowed for so many years, he had always longed for a life with a wife, children, and a warm bed.
Seeing his enthusiasm, Zheng Quchi suddenly felt more confident: "Can you accept marrying into my family?"
"ha?"
At this moment, Da Niu's expression was exactly the same as when Jin Duobao was stumped by Liu Fengmian's question.
Absurd, astonishing, are you out of your mind?
Judging from his guess that he didn't understand the joy of living off a man, Zheng Quchi decided to explain to him in detail: "Your arm can't do heavy work now, so I will take on the labor in the house from now on. I am strong and can work to support you, as long as you accept marrying into the family."
Da Niu's face flushed red. When he noticed the strange looks and people covering their mouths and chuckling from those around him, he suddenly felt that he could endure being single for another ten years!
"Impossible! Besides, what could a woman like you possibly do?"
After a moment's thought, Zheng Quchi finished speaking without taking a breath: "I can mine, cut down trees, build houses, and dig canals. I can also fish, build dams, build bridges, and build ships. If that's not enough, I can learn other skills as well."
For a moment, it seemed as if the air had been sucked out, and everyone stared blankly at her.
Yuwen Sheng was initially quite disinterested in the wedding procession, but as he listened to the last few words, he couldn't help but be drawn to the forceful and resounding speech beside him and glanced over.
He raised an eyebrow, his eyes, hidden behind the veil, fixed on her.
Heh, this little thing is quite uniquely black.
And look closely at this... a blurry black face appeared in Yuwen Sheng's mind.
Oh~ He seems to have no recollection of what Sang Xuanqing's features look like, only that he was also strikingly dark-skinned, just like this woman.
Are all people with dark skin this funny?
Although Da Niu was poor, he couldn't stand the insult. He angrily pointed at Da Niu and said, "If you're so capable, why don't you join that blind man? They're all idiots who are good for nothing."
A pair of oddballs.
Zheng Quchi choked.
Her problem probably wasn't as fatal as Liu Fengmian's.
She had clearly inquired on the way and found that people in Fuxian County were quite accepting of the practice of marrying into another family, with countless exemplary cases in the countryside. How could she be considered a fool in this case?
The militiamen, gripping their wooden guns, stepped forward and coldly shouted, "Alright, all of you step back. We're about to start selecting men."
Those who had come to watch the spectacle and laugh dared not disobey the local soldiers and immediately returned to their original positions.
Those who came to choose wives this time have basically all made up their minds.
The village official distributes a double happiness slip to each man. If a man takes a fancy to someone, he gives the slip to that person. If the other person accepts the slip, the engagement is considered successful.
For a time, some chose to remain still, while others couldn't wait.
As one qualified woman after another was selected, those who remained but had shortcomings became increasingly anxious.
Thinking about the harsh criticism she would face from her family for returning empty-handed, and the unmarried tax she couldn't afford... a woman with a birthmark on her face suddenly knelt down.
“I can give up everything, even be a concubine, and go back with whoever is willing to marry me.”
Working so hard?
Zheng Quchi turned his head to look.
At this moment, Da Niu, who had been "chosen" by Zheng Quchi, hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and presented the "囍" character: "If you don't mind, marry me."
The woman was overjoyed and quickly accepted the gift with both hands, nodding, "Thank you, I'm willing."
Zheng Quchi's face turned green when he saw the newly formed couple.
Jin Duobao nudged Zheng Quchi with his elbow and said gloatingly, "Little Blackie, the one you had your eye on has become someone else's."
She never imagined that a blind date could turn into such a fierce competition among them.
The thirty-odd single men had all been chosen, leaving only two or three unattractive but physically challenged men who remained.
The situation is basically the same for the woman.
As for those who were left behind, Zheng Quchi went from being full of confidence at the beginning to doubting himself at the end, and the process was just like going through a blind date.
She felt that apart from her dark spots, she wasn't ugly at all. She even plucked her eyebrows and washed her face clean, so why didn't anyone choose her?
She was completely unaware that her theory of marrying into a family had scared away all the men.
Jin Duobao, who had long been considered a woman with difficulty finding a husband, glared resentfully at Liu Fengmian, who had never been picky about his partner: "What's with this blind bastard's arrogance? If he doesn't marry me, he can just wait to be caught and thrown in jail for not being able to pay the premarital tax."
Zheng Quchi looked across at the other side. Compared to those dark, ugly, and crippled men, Liu Fengmian alone created a completely different scene.
She used to think that a man's appearance was not important, because being handsome can't put food on the table; what was more important was his ability to make money.
But now she has to apologize for her past rashness.
When someone is so good-looking, it's actually a remarkable ability that makes people willingly pay for their face.
Such an outstanding person is looked down upon and disliked because of his blindness and poverty. He stands there quietly with his cane, seemingly unconcerned, but he must be suffering greatly inside.
It wasn't because no outstanding woman could see through his blind and poor exterior and appreciate his fragile and broken heart, but because if he couldn't get married this time, he would have to pay such a huge sum of tax.
That's terrible.
Because she is facing the same torment.
Her last hope of fighting for a better future was shattered in the fierce competition just now; her family simply couldn't pay their taxes...
Perhaps out of a sense of shared misfortune, or perhaps because he had no other choice, Zheng Quchi's previous concerns and struggles all became less significant at this moment.
She thought, he had only met Sang Xuanqing once in private, and he couldn't see it anyway... As long as he didn't recognize that Sang Xuanqing and Zheng Quchi were actually the same person, then there wouldn't be any problem, right?
More importantly, his conditions were simply too tempting. She had never seen anyone more suitable to be a son-in-law. He was also chaste, so she didn't have to worry about him having any designs on her if she married him.
Just as she was weighing the pros and cons, she caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. He was walking towards a woman who was sobbing, leaning on his cane.
Zheng Quchi's pupils constricted upon seeing this, and his body reacted even faster than his mind—
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