Chapter 01 - Finding a Woman, Marriage Celebration
Wang's second son has been bedridden for several months, unable to get up. The illness has been dragging on for a long time without improvement. Recently, he has been in a deep sleep as if on the brink of death.
Wang's mother, Cui Zhi, panicked. People in the countryside are superstitious, so she quickly invited the most renowned "Master Wang" from the village to come and check if they have offended the gods.
After all, how could a young man like Wang Yanzhou, who was once healthy and strong, end up bedridden and seemingly on the verge of death just because of a common cold?!
"Master Wang" examined Wang Yanzhou's birth chart and frowned, revealing a deep sense of resentment. This frightened Wang's mother.
"Master, is there something wrong with my son?"
"Your son's name is a big problem. His birth chart is inherently weak and prone to losing his soul. Naming him 'Yanzhou' only pushes his vitality further away."
Wang's mother thought about how her youngest son, who had always been healthy, seemed to have become more prone to illness as he grew older. She was convinced to a large extent. "Master, what should we do then? Could changing his name lead to a recovery?"
"No, no. He has had this name for so many years, what good would it do to change it?" He calculated on a piece of paper, leaving an eight-character phrase, "Find a woman with these eight characters and get married to bring joy."
Wang's mother felt as if she had found a treasure and quickly kept the paper. She was determined to find this woman and save her son, even if it meant spending all her wealth.
As Master Wang was about to leave, she hurriedly handed him a red envelope she had prepared. Master Wang felt the thickness and was satisfied, adding one more sentence, "They must get married within a week, or else... it will be dangerous."
With that, he turned and left, his robes fluttering.
"A week, just one week." Such a short time, it was truly urgent. Wang's mother burst into loud sobs, "My poor child."
The Wang family's financial situation was decent. They were fortunate that their eldest son was serving in the military and often sent money home to support them.
The youngest son was also promising, studying well, and on the verge of leaving this poverty-stricken place to attend university. But now he was lying in bed. It was difficult for him to even wake up, let alone study.
During this time, Wang's mother had no time to tend to the fields. Her whole focus was on her youngest son. She was so anxious that blisters formed on the corners of her mouth. The eldest son was also out of contact. There was no one to discuss with. After all, she was a widow raising two sons alone.
To save her youngest son, she had spent a considerable amount of money. Now that she had obtained a life-saving solution, she was determined to find it by any means necessary.
Fortunately, in the neighboring Li family village, there was a girl whose birth chart matched the eight characters. The girl was also pitiful, having lost her mother at a young age. Her stepmother abused and scolded her, and her father's poor health deteriorated. Her father passed away two years ago.
Now all the family's money was in the stepmother's hands. The poor girl was burdened with household chores and endured constant humiliation. Her half-brother, born to a different mother, not only kept his distance from her but also treated her like a servant.
When the marriage proposal came, the stepmother's mind started spinning. She heard that this marriage was urgent and a matter of life and death. The greed in her eyes could scare anyone. She demanded a dowry of 800 yuan.
It's worth noting that in this rural area, even getting a dowry of 300 yuan is considered wealthy.
The conditions in the Wang family are decent, but they have already spent quite a bit of money on their youngest son's illness. Now, they have to bear the burden of the betrothal gifts. Isn't this just adding insult to injury?
Wang's mother, Cui Zhi, reluctantly agreed to it for the sake of her son's life. However, she couldn't reach her eldest son to access his savings. What should she do? She had to scrape together money from everywhere, even if it meant selling everything they had.
Fortunately, Wang's mother was known for her kindness, and their relatives and neighbors were on good terms. The most important thing was that their eldest son had a promising career in the military and could earn money. The Wang family would be able to pay it all back without any worries!
With all these factors in place, everything was settled within three days. The bride would be carried home in a simple cart the following day.
Although I call it a cart, who has the time and energy to worry about such extravagance these days? Just being able to have enough to eat is already good enough. Even a cart pulled by oxen would bring a sense of pride to their faces.
Li Shulan, the unfortunate girl, was the one chosen for the marriage. She was a poor bride-to-be. Her grandfather, who was an educated man, gave her such a unique name.
Among the longing eyes of her brothers, she stood out as a remarkable girl. Unfortunately, her luck was not on her side.
If any other girl were asked to marry a man on the verge of death, they would surely cry and protest. But she wasn't afraid, she actually felt relieved.
She longed to escape from this dreadful prison. She wished she could climb onto the cart right now and be by the side of that dying man.
She didn't mind doing household chores and enduring insults. It was just that the stepbrother brought in by her stepmother, who constantly played with cats and dogs, gave her a chilling feeling with his snake-like gaze.
Li Shulan developed late and had been subjected to abuse for years, which naturally stunted her growth. She used to have an inconspicuous appearance, like a sprout. But now, her curves were starting to emerge in her chest and hips.
She had a beautiful face, which naturally drew attention. That stepbrother had been creeping closer to her during this time, making her hair stand on end.
And here he comes again, knocking on the door.
She hid in the corner, blocking the door with a stool, but she knew it was futile. The person outside kept knocking louder and louder, "Sis, open the door. Open it quickly, damn it!"
Lin Qiang, her stepbrother, still carried their biological father's surname. In fact, he used to carry it before. It's just that Li Shulan's father passed away, and her stepmother inherited the property. This Lin Qiang, like a fly attracted to excrement, stuck to the Li family.
Her stepmother was fierce, and no one could control her, so naturally Lin Qiang settled in without any objections. In the past, he would harass Shulan, and the stepmother would pretend not to see it. After all, Lin Qiang, this useless guy, couldn't marry a wife. Shulan, this girl, was obedient and hardworking, having been suppressed by her stepmother since childhood. It wouldn't be a loss for her to become his wife.
They even saved on the betrothal gifts.
But now, it's different. This betrothal gift is worth thousands of dollars, and there can't be any mishaps.
"Qiangzi, get your ass over here!" Her stepmother yelled at him, her voice sharp. "You damn thing, don't go near her these days. Do you hear me?"
Lin Qiang cursed a few times, then went out to find the widow in the village to fool around with. "Damn it, I'll f*ck that little bitch sooner or later."
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