Chapter 3: The Bastard's Big Belly
"Sister, sister, there's a really impressive jeep at our doorstep!" Jiang Yaozu trotted into the house.
"Big jeep?" Jiang Xueqin put down the basket in her hand and looked out the window.
Jiang Yaozu sniffed and gestured, "Yes, it's the big green jeep that only soldiers can drive. I saw it once when Damin came back to visit his family."
Jiang Xueqian frowned slightly: "Could it be that Brother Damin is back?"
"Brother Damin came back once half a year ago." Jiang Yaozu said, "Could it be that your blind date is here?"
Jiang Xueqin is eighteen years old this year, which is considered an older girl in the village. It is considered late for her to go on a blind date now.
Jiang Aiguo and Huang Xiufen worried a lot about her marriage.
However, the Jiang family does not have a good reputation in Xiaohe Village. Jiang Aiguo is a drinker, whore and gambler, while Huang Xiufen is lazy and gluttonous. The couple is hated by everyone.
When Jiang Aiguo's first wife was pregnant, he had an affair with Huang Xiufen. As soon as his first wife left, Jiang Aiguo welcomed Huang Xiufen into his family.
Therefore, Jiang Xueqin and Jiang Yaozu, the twin boy and girl, are only less than one year younger than Jiang Xueyi.
Jiang Yaozu is a boy, so as long as he pays the bride price, he doesn’t have to worry about not being able to get married.
Jiang Xueqin is in a difficult situation. With such a morally corrupt mother, few people dare to propose marriage to her.
Fortunately, Huang Xiufen asked her brother who was a worker in the city to introduce a good marriage for Jiang Xueqin. It was heard that the man was a soldier and had a good family background.
Jiang Xueqian eagerly awaited a man's arrival every day for a blind date. Now, Jiang Yaozu said that the big jeep might have been driven by her blind date...
Jiang Xueqian blushed and said coquettishly, "What are you talking about?"
"I won't talk to you anymore. I'll go talk to our parents." Jiang Yaozu ran into the main room. "Dad, Mom, there's a big jeep!"
Huang Xiufen was sweeping the floor in the house at this time. In the past, her stepdaughter took care of the housework at home, so she didn't have to do anything. Every day she just had to cross her legs, eat melon seeds, and direct Jiang Xueyi to do the work.
But a while ago, Jiang Xueyi suddenly disappeared. Jiang Aiguo originally wanted to go look for her, but she persuaded him with a few words. She had long been annoyed with that dead girl who ate free meals at home.
She thought that now that the annoying person was gone, her life would be much more comfortable, but she didn't expect that once Jiang Xueyi left, all the housework would fall on her. Jiang Xueqin was okay because she could help her share some of the burden, but Jiang Yaozu had long been spoiled by her.
She was reluctant to let her precious son work, so she had to do the housework alone, which made her back ache from exhaustion.
Hearing Jiang Yaozu's shout, she had to hold her waist and force a smile: "Yaozu, what big jeep?"
Jiang Yaozu was very excited, dancing with joy as he said, "There's a big jeep parked at the gate of our yard. Could it be my second sister's blind date?"
Although Jiang Yaozu was spoiled and lazy, he was not a fool. What's more, Huang Xiufen often kept telling him that Jiang Xueyi would be used to marry him in exchange for a high bride price. It was only then that Jiang Xueqin, his biological sister, married well, and he, as her younger brother, would enjoy the blessing.
After hearing this so many times, Jiang Yaozu also knew that he could only live a good life if his sisters married well.
So, how could he not be happy when he saw the big jeep? This would mean a good life for him in the future.
"Oh, it must be Mingwei." When Huang Xiufen heard this, her waist and legs no longer felt sore. She wiped her hands on her apron and went out to greet him with a smile on her face.
As soon as I went out, I saw He Chengze helping Jiang Xueyi get out of the car.
Huang Xiufen's smile froze and she screamed, "Why is it you?"
Jiang Xueyi's eyes flashed with a subtle hint of sarcasm: "Aunt Huang."
He Chengze heard that Huang Xiufen's tone was wrong, knocked on the car window, and said to the driver: "Drive the car further away and don't block the villagers' way."
As soon as the jeep drove away, Huang Xiufen started making a big fuss, hoping to attract everyone around her: "You damn girl, you are pregnant with some bastard's child. I think your belly is already four or five months pregnant. Do you have any shame?"
Hearing this string of "wild man", "bastard", and "shameless", He Chengze's face darkened and he said, "If you have anything to say, let's talk inside."
Huang Xiufen was about to yell at him, "Who do you think you are?" when He Chengze's hawk-like gaze swept over her, and a chill ran from her tailbone to the back of her neck.
The man was wearing a dark green camouflage uniform, and every inch of his muscles were stretched like a bowstring under the uniform, ready to be released. The epaulettes shone coldly in the sunlight, and a solemn aura lingered around him. Even the shadow cast by the brim of his hat carried unquestionable majesty.
Huang Xiufen opened her mouth but was speechless.
He Chengze retracted his gaze and handed his hand to Jiang Xueyi: "I'll help you in."
Jiang Xueyi held his hand. Her palm was broad and dry, with a sense of warmth, and she felt even more favorable towards this man.
In the main room, at a square table, Jiang Xueyi and He Chengze sat in a row, and the four members of the Jiang family sat opposite them. The two sides were clearly separated, which seemed like a trial between three judges.
Jiang Aiguo looked at He Chengze quietly, and kept wondering in his heart.
His daughter came back with a man, and she was pregnant. Logically, he should have been jumping up and down and cursing, but the man in front of him was dressed in a military uniform and his aura should not be underestimated... He really didn't dare to speak and could only look at him secretly.
The more I looked at him, the more familiar he looked.
Jiang Aiguo pointed at He Chengze and exclaimed, "You, aren't you the leader of Damin?"
He Chengze nodded his chin slightly as a sign of acknowledgement.
A look of joy flashed across Jiang Aiguo's face. He still remembered the scene when the two of them returned to the village.
Jiang Daming was a poor boy. When he went to join the army, he only took a set of clothes with him. But when he returned to the village, he was carrying a package half a person's height. The package contained various canned fruits, canned meats and White Rabbit milk candies, all of which were rare items.
He also quietly pulled Jiang Daming aside and asked him if being a soldier was very profitable.
If that were the case, his son Yaozu could also join the army.
Jiang Daming touched the back of his head and told him with a simple and honest face that the army provided food, accommodation and everything, and he didn't spend much money throughout the year. Some of these canned foods and candies were given to him by his comrades who knew he was going back home to visit his relatives, and some were bought by him on the way back.
Jiang Daming also secretly told him that he was just a soldier in the army and his salary was not high.
As he said this, he secretly glanced at He Chengze.
Jiang Aiguo understood what he meant. Jiang Daming, a small soldier, could be so wealthy, let alone He Chengze, who was his leader.
After observing him later, I found that He Chengze not only had a good temperament, but also was good at making money. When a little kid in the village asked him for candy, he gave him a dollar without blinking an eye.
That's one dollar, enough to buy ten kilograms of white rice.
However, although he was observing, he didn't dare to have any interaction with He Chengze. Just a glance at this man made his legs tremble in his trouser legs.
But now it’s different—
Jiang Aiguo looked at He Chengze, then at Jiang Xueyi, and finally fixed his gaze on her belly. His old face, wrinkled like tree bark, showed a fox-like smile: "The child in my daughter's belly is yours, right?"
He Chengze was silent for a while, then nodded slowly.
Huang Xiufen and Jiang Yaozu looked at each other and saw expressions of surprise and doubt on each other's faces.
"Ah!" Jiang Xueqian exclaimed, "Sister, you are too shameless."
Huang Xiufen sneered, "No wonder they say 'Five things not to marry'. This girl whose mother died young is just not a good person. She's pregnant before we even get married. If it were me, I would have hit my head and died a long time ago."
Jiang Xueyi raised the corner of her mouth and said, "That's better than some questionable woman hooking up with a married man." She looked at Jiang Aiguo and said, "Oh, Dad, I remember Yaozu and Xueqian are only half a year younger than me. Is that true?"
Jiang Aiguo's face changed.
Huang Xiufen even cursed: "You little bitch!"
"That's enough." He Chengze couldn't bear to listen any longer and interrupted her with a cold face, "I will marry her."
Even though she had already received a promise from He Chengze, Jiang Xueyi couldn't help but feel touched when she heard him repeat it again.
She looked up at him and happened to meet his bright and deep eyes. His eyes were like the first rays of the sun on the snowy plains of the northern border, clear without a trace of haze, open and bright, making people... involuntarily want to believe him.
Jiang Aiguo narrowed his eyes and rubbed the thumb and index finger of his right hand under the table. "How much do you plan to give as a betrothal gift?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly added, "These days, if you don't give a hundred yuan... no, two hundred yuan as a betrothal gift to a wife, people will laugh at you. Besides, Xueyi is a twin, so you have to give double the betrothal gift. Just give... four hundred yuan."
He Chengze sat upright on the dirty wooden bench in the Jiang family's house, his back stretched into a straight line under his camouflage uniform.
He never expected that when Jiang Aiguo found out that Jiang Xueyi was pregnant, the first thing he did was not to blame him, but to demand a sky-high bride price.
His mouth was also straightened: "One hundred yuan."
Jiang Aiguo frowned and said with a sigh, "One hundred yuan won't do. You need to add a little more, at least two hundred yuan. Xueyi's brother still needs to get married."
"Then don't give me a penny." Jiang Xueyi chuckled. "I don't care about my reputation anyway. I'll just walk around the village with my big belly and see which girl is willing to marry Jiang Yaozu."
After all, she had survived the apocalypse for ten years. Chastity and worldly views were nothing to her.
Huang Xiufen rolled her eyes and said, "Our Yaozu is a boy. As long as we pay the betrothal gift, we don't have to worry about not being able to find a wife."
"Oh, what about Jiang Xueqin? It's time for her to find a husband, right?" Jiang Xueyi's eyes moved, and there was a hint of threat in her tone.
"You!" Huang Xiufen was so angry that her teeth were itching. This really hit her sore spot.
She had finally found a good marriage for Jiang Xueqin, and the man was going to come to see her in the next two days. She couldn't let Jiang Xueyi, this little bitch, ruin it.
Damn, this little bastard doesn't know something, does he?
Thinking of this, Huang Xiufen glared at Jiang Xueyi fiercely.
Jiang Xueyi was not afraid at all, but looked at her with a smile.
Huang Xiufen was a little timid, and quietly pulled the corner of Jiang Aiguo's clothes from behind.
Let He Chengze talk to them about the next thing.
Jiang Xueyi held her waist and went back to the house to pack her luggage.
Ever since Huang Xiufen came in, the original owner was driven to live in the woodshed. Her room was a small compartment separated from the kitchen. Not only was it small, but it was also smoky when she cooked. The quilt had a pungent smell of smoke, and over time, a thick layer of dust accumulated on it.
She didn't plan to bring quilts, pillows, etc., but just packed a few pieces of underwear and some of the original owner's mother's belongings.
The most important thing is the household registration book. With this and the letter of introduction, she can stay away from this disgusting family.
If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have to come back again.
The original owner's consciousness seemed to still remain in this body. When Jiang Xueyi was packing her luggage, she could clearly feel an emotion that did not belong to her.
She covered her chest and closed her eyes. She seemed to see a helpless little girl working day and night in the Jiang family, being bullied, beaten and scolded...
She whispered softly, I will use your body to live well and live a happy life.
After a long time, it felt like something was being pulled out of my body.
When Jiang Xueyi opened her eyes again, He Chengze was standing in front of her: "It's time to eat."
"Yeah." Jiang Xueyi responded softly, held his hand and stood up.
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