Translator: 549690339
At that time, Zhu Qiujie was still young, only twelve years old. Back then, the Xiao Family’s third son had not yet fallen ill, the fourth son had not yet become paralyzed, and even Xiao Yishan’s face had not yet been scratched by bear blind. Yishan was fifteen, actually quite good at hunting. It was originally arranged with the Zhu Family that Zhu Qiujie would live in the Xiao Family for a few years and then marry one of the Xiao Family’s brothers, even changing her surname to Xiao. If the eldest son’s face had not been disfigured and the third and fourth sons hadn’t been ill, the Xiao Family would have been a suitable match. Zhu Qiujie stayed with the Xiao Family for three months, and at the time, Ministry Councillor Li’s family in the town happened to be hiring maids, so she went to work as a maid.”
Aunt Wang hurried over and chimed in when she heard everyone talking about this, “I’ve heard about what happened later too. After Zhu Qiujie went to work as a maid for Ministry Councillor Li’s family, she saw the luxurious life of the wealthy outside the village and refused to return to the village. After becoming a maid, she took some time off to visit the Xiao Family and declared that she was unwilling to be their wife. Later, I heard that she married a carpenter who worked for Ministry Councillor Li’s family.”
Wang Adou was puzzled, “But didn’t you say Xiao Qiujie liked living the luxurious life? Why did she marry a carpenter?”
“Could a mere maid like her marry a young master? Which young master would marry a servant? That carpenter’s family is from the city, and I heard they have some assets. The Xiao Family was not wealthy at the time, just an ordinary village family, and couldn’t compare to the carpenter’s family from the city.”
“No wonder,” agreed a villager. “Xiao Qiujie has good taste and luck. It’s a good thing she married a carpenter back then. Otherwise, the Xiao Family’s three brothers ended up disfigured or disabled… Their lives would have been miserable.”
“Right… Xiao Qiujie is really lucky. As a poor maid, she actually married into the city…” a sour little wife said.
Someone joked, “Are you saying you want to marry into the city too?”
“If I could marry into the city and live a luxurious life, do you think I wouldn’t want that? It’s just that I don’t have that kind of fate…”
Everyone began to laugh.
A sympathizing person glanced at the scar on Xiao Yishan’s left face. “Speaking of it, Su Qingyue is the third woman tor the Xiao Family. Xiao Qiujie couldn’t be retained as the first one, and the second one caused Yishan a lifetime of trouble…”
“As for this third woman, she is seeking death and wanting to die, unwilling to be the wife of the Xiao Family, and would rather jump into the river. I’m afraid she won’t stay in the end, either…” someone pitied the Xiao Family. “Fortunately, Su Qingyue didn’t die. Old Lady Liu was willing to pay seventeen taels of silver for her. If she died, wouldn’t that be seventeen wasted taels for the Xiao Family…”
“That’s why you see how anxious Dashan is. For such an ugly mute, he will definitely not like her. I guess he’s worrying that his family’s seventeen taels of silver would have been spent in vain…”
Su Qingyue only saw the villagers on the shore moving their mouths, and she couldn’t hear what they were saying as she choked on the filthy water.
Xiao Yishan had long gotten used to everyone gossiping about the Xiao Family. He ignored their comments and gently patted Su Qingyue’s back with his thick palm. “Wife, are you feeling any better? Did you cough up the water you choked
Su Qingyue’s eyes were blurred with tears from the choking, and her entire body was soaked. The smelly, dirty clothes stuck to her skin, and her hair, which looked like both a lump and a strip, hung down her back, reminding her of the even more disgusting filth in her hair.
Unable to bear it any longer, she shoved him and tried to escape Xiao Yishan’s embrace. “Let me go…. I want to take a bath!”