When Jiang Yu woke up, it was already evening. The sun had set behind the western mountains, and the afterglow was gradually fading. She instinctively rubbed her eyes and found herself lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the inner room, bound hand and foot. She tried to scream, only to find that her mouth was stuffed full of rags.
The tattered rag was something Jiang Dalong had found somewhere; it was not only pitch black but also had a foul odor. The smell was indescribable, hitting her right in the head, and she couldn't vomit no matter how much she gagged.
A candle was lit on the table next to her. By the candlelight, Jiang Yu saw that her original clothes had been replaced with a cheap, bright red wedding dress. The loose threads and worn-out fabric showed that it had been worn countless times.
Outside, the lights were on, and the bustling noise was extremely lively, as if most of the village had come.
"Old Jiang, you're so lucky. Both your daughters are married so well. I heard that your eldest daughter from Shenjiazhuang is doing business in the city, and her husband is doing very well in the army. Whether she goes into business or politics, she has a bright future ahead of her."
The speaker was the village chief, one of the witnesses who testified for Jiang Chun last time about severing her father-daughter relationship. He still had gray hair, a hunched back, and a friendly smile.
Hearing that Jiang Yu had put aside past grievances and specially returned to her parents' home to see her younger sister off at her wedding, Jiang Chun even stewed chicken for her. This meant the previous conflict was no longer relevant, which was a good thing.
Seeing the village chief take the lead in praising, the others echoed:
"Xiaoyu has been an obedient child since she was little. She's good at everything, from housework to farm work. As for Mei'er, I thought she was just throwing a tantrum and wouldn't agree to the marriage you proposed. But I didn't expect her to be so obedient too."
The person who said this had ulterior motives. He knew that Jiang Chun was dishonest, having twice arranged to sell her daughter for money. Jiang Yu's situation was better; although her in-laws were poor, at least the man was normal, tall, and handsome, and they managed to get by.
But Jiang Meier is different. Her son-in-law's family is wealthy, but he's mentally challenged. She's heard he's prone to getting lost, and who knows if he'll become violent when he has an episode. Life without hope is the hardest to endure.
"By the way, didn't I hear Jiang Yu came back this afternoon? Why haven't I seen her?"
Some villagers came to support her because they knew Jiang Yu would be home at noon, and they wanted to take the opportunity to build a relationship so they could ask her for help in the future. That's why most of them took the opportunity to praise her to the skies.
I've been praising him for a while now, but I haven't seen him in person yet.
Inside the house, Jiang Yu heard the commotion outside and finally understood. So the old man had tricked her into coming back so he could make her marry in Jiang Meier's place?
That's absurd! Aren't they worried about the consequences of being exposed?
"Woo~ woo~"
Jiang Yu shouted desperately with a rag stuffed in her mouth, but her voice was too soft, and with a wall separating them, no one could hear her.
"She went home to take care of her child. The child is still young and can't be separated from his mother, so he cried and begged Xiaoyu to go back. As a mother, I understand that I have no choice but to go."
After downing a glass of wine, Jiang Chun spoke slowly and deliberately. The lies flowed effortlessly from his lips, he remained calm and composed, and there was no flaw in his story.
Everyone chatted and laughed, and the topic was quickly moved on.
In her desperation, Jiang Yu knocked over the candles on the table. She thought that by making a commotion, even if the house burned down, people would know that she was inside.
"Oh dear, Lao Chun, your house is on fire."
After a few rounds of drinks, someone saw sparks coming from the window and anxiously patted Jiang Chun on the shoulder, calling out. Luckily, his voice was soft, and not many people heard him.
"What? It's just sparks, clearly burning paper. People burn paper to worship ancestors at weddings, have you forgotten this custom?"
Jiang Chun appeared calm on the surface, but his hands were actually trembling with nervousness. He was worried that Jiang Yu had burned the house down.
"It should be almost done burning by now. I'll go inside and check on it. You guys enjoy your drinks."
The old man staggered into the house, pushed open the door, quickly scooped a ladle of water from the water vat, and poured it onto the fire. Seeing the quilt charred black, he pointed at Jiang Yu and muttered curses under his breath:
"You little bastard, are you trying to burn down my house?"
"Woo~ woo~"
Jiang Yu couldn't stop talking, her eyes blazing with murderous intent, gesturing for him to remove the rag. Jiang Chun understood her meaning and smiled:
"Want to ask for help? Forget about it. Let me tell you, you're partly responsible that that slut Jiang Meier isn't coming back. The carpenter's family needs someone now, so you'll have to marry into that family in her place and become the idiot's wife."
Anyway, their family only married her because they wanted children. After you go there and have two or three kids, go back to Shenjiazhuang. Then tell that guy in the army that you went to see Jiang Meier. If he dares to investigate, just get a divorce.”
When Jiang Chun first came up with this plan, he had some reservations about Shen Ying. But then he thought that if Jiang Yu married into the family, he wouldn't give out the carpenter's address, and no matter how capable that kid was, he wouldn't be able to find it.
The old man completely ignored Jiang Yu's hostile gaze. He looked around, pulled out a bundle of rope from under the bed, and with great effort tied her to the water vat.
During this time, Jiang Yu struggled desperately, but her hands and feet were bound, and she could only let Jiang Chun do as she pleased.
"You just stay put. Once the carpenter's carriage arrives and you get on, everything will be over."
After the old man finished speaking, he went out to greet the guests without looking back. During this time, Jiang Dalong, unlike his usual boisterous self, sat obediently in the corner, gnawing on meat.
He wasn't acting out of guilt, but rather out of fear that he might have let something slip and ruined his father's plan. If the TV was gone, how would they watch the monkeys?
Helpless, Jiang Yu could only wait for the sun to completely set so the man would realize something was wrong and come to her rescue. She was also relieved that he had come alone; otherwise, if they had both been drugged, things would have been truly troublesome.
......
Shenjiazhuang: Shen Ying waited and waited at home, but Jiang Yu didn't return. Moreover, his right eye kept twitching, and he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
After the workers finished their work, Shen Wan picked up Shen Suisui and told the family to make sure the door was locked. She then grabbed her coat and headed towards Jiang Village.
Along the way, he practically jogged, asking everyone he met if they had seen Jiang Yu.
"Jiang Yu? Didn't she go home with her father to prepare for her wedding?"
On the way to Jiang Chun's house, we encountered people attending a banquet. When asked about it, they looked puzzled.
Didn't Jiang Meier run away from home? Then why is Jiang Yu going to help prepare for the wedding? Besides, she's never gotten along with that wicked woman, so she can't be bothered with this kind of thing.
As I pondered this, a bad thought surfaced in my mind.
Could that old man be trying to lure Jiang Yu home so she can marry in Jiang Meier's place? If that's the case, things will be really bad.
Shen Ying's mind was quick, and his pace quickened. He went from jogging to running and soon arrived at Jiang Chun's house.
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