She was sad, sad for no apparent reason, just sad, as if she'd lost something forever. Her head felt heavy, filled with so many things that didn't belong to her. She had a premonition: she might have traveled through time. Weren't those names the same period novel she'd snuck a peek at during anatomy theory class? It was about a woman who rose to prominence by stepping on someone else to pick up a sent-down youth. And she had transmigrated into the book's 18th-tier supporting actress, Tao Xiaoxi? Why? Just because they had the same name? Her mother had recommended the book to her... But she didn't have time to investigate before she felt tears streaming down her face.
Why was she so sad? It was even more devastating than her own death. In her previous life, she'd been a "gynecologist" descended from a line of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Though she hadn't even graduated yet, she was already renowned within a ten-mile radius. Everyone knew the Tao family's ancestral skill in treating women's illnesses was passed down to daughters, not sons. So, women flocked to her door seeking treatment. As soon as she graduated, she could return home and inherit the family fortune. Now, seeing such a promising future shattered, she'd been dealt a horrible hand. What did she have now? A crying daughter, an in-law and husband who treated her like dirt, and a dispensable older brother. With her parents dead, she had no one to rely on.
Even more detestable is the world of this book, where men are superior to women. If a woman gives birth to a boy, it's fine, but if she doesn't, it's a heinous crime, bringing shame upon her entire family. Furthermore, they believe that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, so the women of Mantou Village aren't expected to pursue careers. They stay home, never leaving the mountains, either at home giving birth or on the road. Oh, Tao Xiaoxi, pampered from birth, a living hell, now she's expected to come here to take care of her husband, raise children, and serve her in-laws, all while being submissive? She claims she's never endured such humiliation before!
Tao Xiaoxi called out to her mother in her heart, thinking why did you show me this thing? If it was a domineering president doting on his wife, it would be fine, but this is nothing. Even going through the tribulation should not be this miserable.
Her tears, half for the peak of life that was about to be achieved but was wasted, and half for the helpless and miserable current situation, just flowed out continuously, and her eyes stubbornly refused to open.
The towel Li Nanshan held was completely soaked. What kind of sad dream had she had that caused her tears to remain unwiped? Inexplicably, his heart clenched, and his brow furrowed unconsciously.
In the main hall outside the door, the dim kerosene lamp made the room even more gloomy. Mrs. Li had calmed down from her extreme sorrow and joy, and from time to time she glanced at the man in charge and the matchmaker from the Qing family sitting to the west. The matchmaker from the Qing family was no ordinary matchmaker. She specialized in arranging marriages for young people who had passed away. At this moment, her face was full of sorrow. Obviously, she had not expected things to develop like this.
To the east, Old Man Li smoked his pipe, his brow furrowed. His son Nanshan's survival was a matter of great joy. He had become a glorious coal miner at such a young age, a feat the Li family hadn't experienced in years. They had planned to marry him off by the end of the year, but he had been buried in the mine while saving a fellow worker and was hastily declared dead on the spot. Heartbroken to see her son go alone, his mother couldn't bear it. She had finally persuaded him to accept this custom, long since lost in Mantou Village, so that he would have a companion there. But she had no idea it would turn out to be such a travesty.
Who would have thought that Sun Wangcai's wife Tao Xiaoxi, who had attempted suicide by jumping into the river, would come back to life? Even storytellers wouldn't dare to make up this story.
"Have you called anyone?" Old man Li asked, tapping the ashes in his hand.
The matchmaker of the Qing family was startled and quickly said, "He went to call her. My son went to call her."
Old man Li fell into silence again, puffing on his pipe as if he wanted to swallow the pipe into his stomach.
"Why haven't you come yet--" As soon as he finished speaking, a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old stumbled in from the door. It was Xiaohai, the son of the matchmaker of the Qing family.
"What's going on? Where is the person?" The matchmaker from the Qing family immediately stood up and asked, then looked outside the door.
The Qing child patted his chest. He had just run too fast and had a stitch in the side. Now he was out of breath and spoke intermittently, "They said that this woman is already yours. They don't care about her anyway, just let you do whatever you want with her."
"What the hell is this bullshit!" Old man Li jumped up and down, his voice breaking through the roof. It was no use even though Mrs. Li tried to signal him to speak more quietly.
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