Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Let’s See Whether She Wants the Money or Her Dignity When Fang Yao heard him say the words **“I will always remain loyal,”** the memories of the schemes and betrayals she had suffered in her previous life struck a deep chord within her. But she knew that it wouldn’t be long before Xu Qingzhou became disabled. She pursed her lips, turned her face toward him, and met his deep gaze. “Do you know what the biggest lesson I learned tonight is? Instead of believing a man’s worthless promises, I’d rather believe a sow can climb a tree!” Xu Qingzhou, however, looked at her with unwavering determination. His pale pink lips curved into a sly smile beneath the moonlight. “Your family carefully chose our Xu family for you. Among all the nearby villages, you won’t find another family with better conditions than ours. Since you don’t believe anything men say anyway, why not marry me? At least I can be your long-term meal ticket. From now on, I’ll let you manage all the money I earn.” Fang Yao clenched her hands. A long-term meal ticket was indeed tempting! In her previous life, she hadn’t interacted much with Xu Qingzhou. She only knew that after he became disabled, he and Li Xuemiao would have small arguments every other day and huge fights every few days. When things got serious, they would even come to blows, smashing the windows of their home until the whole house was full of drafts. Fang Yao had lost count of how many times she had helped repair them. Clearly, his temper wasn’t good. He was domineering, strong-willed, and never willing to let anyone have the last word. “I don’t think our personalities are suitable for each other. You heard what the neighbors said just now. They all think I’m fierce. Who knows? One day I might even get into a fight with you.” Fang Yao still had her reservations. Xu Qingzhou let out a low laugh. The sound lingered deep in his chest, and the amusement in his dark eyes seemed to grow even stronger. “Don’t worry. I don’t have a habit of hitting women. I already know what kind of temper you have. I won’t provoke you.” Fang Yao seriously wondered whether the man standing in front of her had also been reborn. He was so different from the Xu Qingzhou she remembered. Of course, it was also possible that the difference came from the fact that his legs were still healthy. He hadn’t yet become as gloomy and bitter as he had been in her previous life. “Marriage is something that lasts a lifetime. Let me think about it some more.” Fang Yao still refused to give him an answer. Xu Qingzhou simply replied, “Fine.” He got up and took another set of military bedding from the cabinet. He spread it out on the floor before turning to her. “My mother’s room is too small. You can sleep here tonight. I’ll give you the bed and make do on the floor.” Fang Yao watched him casually lie down on the floor. Her eyes drifted toward the window as she listened to the howling wind outside. Winter nights in the north could easily drop to below -10°C. Even with the stove burning inside, the floor was damp and cold. Sleeping on it for an entire night would definitely make someone sick! “You’re really going to sleep on the floor? If you get sick, don’t blame me!” Xu Qingzhou glanced sideways at her, the corners of his lips curling into a matching smile. “Where else can I sleep? Unless you’re willing to share a bed with me?” Fang Yao immediately blew out the lamp. She had never paid much attention to Xu Qingzhou before. But today, she discovered that his eyes seemed to have electricity in them. The moment he found an opening, he knew exactly how to tease and charm a woman! That night, Fang Yao lay in bed but couldn’t fall asleep. Whenever Xu Qingzhou made even the slightest movement on the floor, she immediately opened her eyes, holding her breath in wary alertness. Xu Qingzhou got up twice during the night to add fuel to the stove, making sure the fire burned brightly. But during the second half of the night, his breathing still became slightly nasal. At last, dawn slowly arrived. The wall clock struck four times. Xu Qingzhou sat up on the stool, and Fang Yao sat up as well. “It’s morning. I’m going home.” Xu Qingzhou didn’t say anything. He merely let out a soft sigh while sitting on the stool. Fang Yao walked to the door and opened it. Outside, heavy snow had fallen throughout the night, covering the entire courtyard in a thick blanket of white. Behind her, the man gave two deep, muffled coughs. After a moment of hesitation, Fang Yao closed the door again. Xu Qingzhou lit the kerosene lamp. He shook the match in his hand, and the flame illuminated his handsome, well-defined profile, casting a faint layer of cool gray over his features. “Weren’t you leaving?” “Xu Qingzhou.” Fang Yao called his name. Xu Qingzhou turned around and looked at her. The moment she had opened the door, she had stared at the vast snow-covered ground outside. Along with the cold that had seeped into her hands and feet, she had also seemed to see the uncertain road ahead of her. She had already entered the Xu family home. News of the bridal-chamber mix-up would soon spread throughout the village. Even if she returned to her parents’ home, the gossip would drown her. Xu Qingzhou had been right last night. Among the nearby villages, she couldn’t find a better marriage prospect than him. Since she would have to spend her life with someone anyway, she might as well choose a reliable meal ticket. Perhaps she could even find a way to prevent the accident that would leave him disabled. Besides, if she wanted revenge, she had to stay in the Xu family. “Are you really willing to marry me? You won’t regret it?” Xu Qingzhou was probably speechless from all her back-and-forth. He turned his head and rolled his eyes at her before getting up and walking toward the bed. “I already told you. It’s up to you. As long as you don’t regret it.” After saying that, he pulled back the quilt and lay down. He had been cold and exhausted all night, so it didn’t take long before his breathing became steady. This time, Fang Yao went over to the stove and added another handful of firewood. The glow seeping through the stove lid illuminated her eyes, making them flicker between light and shadow. She crouched there for a long time, waiting until her body was completely warm. Then she walked to Wang Hua’s door and knocked. Wang Hua was afraid Fang Yao would refuse the marriage swap and had apparently spent the entire night awake as well. Her eyes were bloodshot as she welcomed Fang Yao inside. Fang Yao remained standing at the doorway. “When will Grandma get up? I’ve made my decision. I’m willing to marry Xu Qingzhou, but I have conditions.” The moment Wang Hua heard that she had agreed, she didn’t even ask what the conditions were. She quickly put on her padded jacket and took Fang Yao to see Old Madam Xu. When Old Madam Xu heard that Fang Yao had agreed to the marriage swap, she nodded excitedly. “Girl, no matter what conditions you have, as long as our Xu family can do it, we’ll agree!” Fang Yao didn’t hold back. “Li Xuemiao is the village Party secretary’s daughter. Xu Qingzhou’s betrothal gifts for her were twice as much as what he gave me. Since the marriages have now been switched, the betrothal gifts and all the expenses spent preparing for the wedding should be switched as well.” Old Madam Xu nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, of course! Since you’re marrying Qingzhou, those things should belong to you!” “There’s more…” Fang Yao stopped Old Madam Xu, who was about to make arrangements, and continued. “Xu Manjiang slept with the wrong woman on his wedding night, and now everyone knows about it. If Qingzhou and I get married, we’ll basically be cleaning up their mess. We’ll have to endure people’s gossip because of him from now on.” She looked directly at Old Madam Xu. “Whether you look at it emotionally or logically, he should compensate us. One thousand yuan. Five hundred for me and five hundred for Xu Qingzhou.” After all, Xu Qingzhou had promised to let her manage the household finances. Fang Yao deliberately asked for five hundred each so the Xu family could pay them without feeling as though everything had been taken from them. Even so, Old Madam Xu’s face twisted as though she were severely constipated. She gripped her cane tightly and sighed. “You’re right, that’s only fair. But the betrothal gifts Manjiang gave you were borrowed from his maternal uncle. Even if he agrees to compensate you, I’m afraid he won’t be able to come up with that much money.” Fang Yao knew the situation better than anyone. Xu Manjiang’s family consisted of three farmers. They spent the entire year earning work points, and their financial situation was far worse than Xu Qingzhou’s. Xu Manjiang’s real support was his maternal uncle, who lived elsewhere and had made some money through small-scale trading. When he learned that his nephew was getting married, he had handed over 2,000 yuan without hesitation. One thousand had been given to Fang Yao as her betrothal gift. The other thousand was still in Wang Cuilian’s hands. Now it was simply a matter of seeing whether she valued **her money or her pride** more. “I believe where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Fang Yao looked at Old Madam Xu calmly. “Grandma, if I refuse to marry Xu Qingzhou, I can pack my things and go straight back to my parents’ home. And what happened last night can’t simply be forgotten either. Don’t you agree?” (End0