Translator: 549690339
At that time, Zhu Qiujie was still young, only twelve years old. Back then, the Xiao Familyâs third son had not yet fallen ill, the fourth son had not yet become paralyzed, and even Xiao Yishanâs 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 Familyâs brothers, even changing her surname to Xiao. If the eldest sonâs face had not been disfigured and the third and fourth sons hadnât 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 Liâs family in the town happened to be hiring maids, so she went to work as a maid.â
Aunt Wang hurried over and chimed in when she heard everyone talking about this, âIâve heard about what happened later too. After Zhu Qiujie went to work as a maid for Ministry Councillor Liâs 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 Liâs family.â
Wang Adou was puzzled, âBut didnât you say Xiao Qiujie liked living the luxurious life? Why did she marry a carpenter?â
âCould a mere maid like her marry a young master? Which young master would marry a servant? That carpenterâs 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 couldnât compare to the carpenterâs family from the city.â
âNo wonder,â agreed a villager. âXiao Qiujie has good taste and luck. Itâs a good thing she married a carpenter back then. Otherwise, the Xiao Familyâs three brothers ended up disfigured or disabled⦠Their lives would have been miserable.â
âRight⦠Xiao Qiujie is really lucky. As a poor maid, she actually married into the cityâ¦â a sour little wife said.
Someone joked, âAre you saying you want to marry into the city too?â
âIf I could marry into the city and live a luxurious life, do you think I wouldnât want that? Itâs just that I donât have that kind of fateâ¦â
Everyone began to laugh.
A sympathizing person glanced at the scar on Xiao Yishanâs left face. âSpeaking of it, Su Qingyue is the third woman tor the Xiao Family. Xiao Qiujie couldnât be retained as the first one, and the second one caused Yishan a lifetime of troubleâ¦â
âAs 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. Iâm afraid she wonât stay in the end, eitherâ¦â someone pitied the Xiao Family. âFortunately, Su Qingyue didnât die. Old Lady Liu was willing to pay seventeen taels of silver for her. If she died, wouldnât that be seventeen wasted taels for the Xiao Familyâ¦â
âThatâs why you see how anxious Dashan is. For such an ugly mute, he will definitely not like her. I guess heâs worrying that his familyâs seventeen taels of silver would have been spent in vainâ¦â
Su Qingyue only saw the villagers on the shore moving their mouths, and she couldnât 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 Qingyueâs back with his thick palm. âWife, are you feeling any better? Did you cough up the water you choked
Su Qingyueâs 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 Yishanâs embrace. âLet me goâ¦. I want to take a bath!â