Chapter 5: If You’re Going to Marry, Marry Me—Anyone But Him

“Dear niece, this marriage was first discussed between our two families. We can’t let someone else snatch it away!” Granny Du Yun, fretting over the two hundred yuan bride price slipping from her grasp, clung tightly to Aunt Dong’s hand, her anxiety plain on her face.

Aunt Dong glanced at Granny Du Yun’s distress, then at the bare, impoverished state of the Du household. She inwardly sneered. If not for Du Yun’s good looks, no one would dare marry into such poverty. If it weren’t for Dong Yuejin’s interest in Du Yun, who would want a daughter married off here? The groom’s family would be stripped bare.

She looked at Du Yun’s delicate, palm-sized face, those large, bright eyes, her tall and graceful figure—no wonder the Dong family’s boy was so taken with her. Moreover, Du Yun had finished middle school and, rumor had it, missed university entrance by just one point. She was smart as well as beautiful. The family’s poverty was a trifle compared to these advantages. Most importantly, the girl was honest and obedient—a perfect choice for a daughter-in-law.

Truth be told, the Dong family was wealthy. If Dong Yuejin favored her own niece, Aunt Dong would have liked to marry her off to them herself.

“Auntie, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no one will steal this marriage away! When I arrived, the Dong family said that if you agree, we can visit your home in the next couple of days to formalize the arrangement!” Aunt Dong, seeing Granny Du Yun so flustered, knew the marriage was all but settled. She felt a secret satisfaction, though outwardly she offered comfort.

“Really? We could settle it in the next two days?” Granny Du Yun’s eyes lit up. She had only considered the match for the Dong family’s wealth, but now, with someone else vying for Du Yun’s hand, her enthusiasm grew. She was about to agree.

“It’s true, it’s true. If you accept, we can formalize the betrothal and exchange gifts as soon as tomorrow. Yuejin, why don’t you say something?” Aunt Dong, seeing Granny Du Yun so pleased, relaxed as well. Yet, a sudden twinge of guilt made her recall the sharp look Du Yun had just given her. It unsettled her.

Though many families were eager for a good daughter-in-law, she was acting as the go-between for the sake of the Dong family’s generous matchmaker’s fee. She wondered if she might have overreached. Shivering, Aunt Dong suppressed her anxiety, ready to stoke Granny Du Yun’s hopes further and seal the deal on the spot.

“That’s right. As long as Du Yun agrees, we can exchange the bride price today!” Dong Yuejin stared intently at Du Yun. At fifteen, she was slim and beautiful, her temperament gentle—a girl both pleasing to the eye and easy to control. Dong Yuejin’s heart itched with desire.

“Grandma!” The situation startled Du Yun so much she froze. A few more words and her marriage would be set—today, even! What was she to do? Her mind was a jumble, tears welling in her eyes as she looked helplessly at her grandmother.

“Yun, Grandma only wants what’s best for you. Look at the Dong family’s circumstances. If you marry in, you’ll be well-fed and well-clothed. Life won’t be as hard as it is at home.” Granny Du Yun, seeing her granddaughter’s pitiful face, felt a pang in her heart. Dong Yuejin’s leering gaze unsettled her. He did not seem a good man.

But what choice did she have? Their family’s situation was too dire… Granny Du Yun’s softened heart hardened once more, her expression growing resolute.

“Grandma, you love me most. I don’t want to marry…” Seeing her grandmother’s determination, Du Yun felt as though her future had been plunged into darkness. In this unfamiliar world, with no way to support herself and injured to boot, she didn’t even have the confidence to run away from this marriage.

The sorrow overwhelmed her. Tears gushed forth, and Granny Du Yun’s heart ached at the sight. The generous bride price would ease many household troubles, but she could not bear to sell her granddaughter for the sake of her grandson. That was a line she could not cross.

“All right, all right, we’ll keep looking…” Seeing her granddaughter’s tears, Granny Du Yun’s heart melted. She agreed at once.

“Aunt Du, you must think this through! Ask around the whole village—who else can offer a two-hundred-yuan bride price for a daughter-in-law? And the three great items—wristwatch, bicycle, and radio! What an honor that would be!” Aunt Dong, realizing the match might slip away, grew frantic and redoubled her efforts, clutching Granny Du Yun’s arm.

Granny Du Yun hesitated again at the mention of such a generous bride price.

“Grandma, no matter how much or how fine the gifts, they all belong to the Dong family. What’s that to us?” Du Yun quickly intercepted Aunt Dong’s hand, afraid that poverty might sway her grandmother’s resolve.

“How is it not? The money comes to the Du family. How much you send back is up to you—even if you take nothing, it’s still your decision!” Aunt Dong, sensing hope, pressed on.

“You marry him, then! Our family does not sell daughters!” Du Yun felt as though her heart had been struck. Her voice was hoarse as she shouted, tears pouring down her face.

“Du Yun is right. However poor we are, the Du family does not sell daughters!” Granny Du Yun was a proud woman. If not, she would not have gone hungry to pay off the old family debts. The phrase ‘selling a daughter’ made her head buzz. She had thought of marrying Du Yun to the Dong family for a bit of money, but never of selling her. Seeing Du Yun’s resistance, she knew she had to reconsider.

Aunt Dong was taken aback by Du Yun’s outburst. Realizing she would not gain anything today, she offered Granny Du Yun an awkward smile. Before she could speak, Dong Yuejin, his face dark as thunder, dragged her out of the Du house.

Aunt Dong bowed and scraped, placating the furious Dong Yuejin, all the while cursing the Du family under her breath. Only after sending him off did she straighten, wiping sweat from her brow.

She spat on the ground. “Little brat, if you weren’t worth a good price, I wouldn’t put up with this. Just wait—after you’re married, you’ll know suffering!”