Chapter 1

The sun was scorching hot in late June. As noon approached, the blazing sun threatened to melt shadows, shrinking them into tiny balls.

On the path leading to the village entrance, Jiang Fuying, carrying a backpack and several medicine packets, struggled to pull something out of the basket and pass it to the person next to her.

Tonghua took the candy she offered and squinted her eyes. "It's great down here in the county. We have everything... Sister Fuying, can you take me there next time?"

Jiang Fuying was about to answer when she saw a few children running towards her, laughing and playing. Seeing her from afar, they kept calling her Sister Jiang and started, "Sister Jiang, do you have any candy?"

She smiled helplessly and broke off some more candy from her hand. A few children took the candy, licked it, and then couldn't wait to ask, "Wedding candy, wedding candy!"

"What kind of wedding candy?"

Tonghua was quick to react and blurted out.

"Sister Jiang's wedding candy,"

the older child in the lead said immediately, "The groom has sent some gifts. Those Tiger Gang members were enjoying the cool breeze at the village entrance just now. They should be here soon, right?"

The children behind them nodded, laughing and joking, "Wedding candy! Let's eat some wedding candy—"

"The groom?"

Jiang Fuying was overwhelmed. She put the medicine bag in Tonghua's hand and hurried back to the village.

Before Tonghua could recover, she saw the children stuffing the candy in her mouth and staring at the piece in her hand.

"...Go away, get out of here!" She

dismissed them unhappily. Knowing this was a matter of urgency, she hurried after them.

Tonghua, sweating profusely, finally caught up with Fuying.

"Still, it's about that young master from the Zhang family?"

Tonghua panted, just in time to see Fuying stop the men carrying the boxes.

These were the village's idlers, constantly wandering around, stealing and harassing young women. Because of their good relationship, they even imitated the stories in the novels and formed a gang, and named it the "Tiger Gang".

The leader with his clothes unbuttoned and unruly was known to both of them. He was the so-called boss of the Tiger Gang, Qiu Er.

Before Tonghua could catch her breath, she heard the man say, "Oh, isn't this Madam Jiang! Your lover has come to deliver something to you, and you can't wait?" The people

behind her who were carrying boxes all started to joke and responded, "Of course. Brother Qiu, everything will be fine once the money is in place. Look at how magnificent this box is."

"Who asked you to come?"

The sun was shining brightly, and Jiang Fuying's face was flushed, mixed with sweat on her temples, but there was a hint of resentment in her eyes, and she was obviously very angry: "Speak."

"I'm talking to you in a nice tone, why are you so fierce?" Qiu Er was a little annoyed by her glare, "Mr. Zhang is kind-hearted. He asked our Tiger Gang to deliver something to you, and asked me to pass on a message to you: when is my dear lady willing to come in? He can't wait for this marriage--"

As soon as these words came out, the people behind her almost bent over with laughter, their faces full of teasing and mockery.

Tonghua was impatient, eager to roll up her sleeves and fight them. "What are you talking about? You're tarnishing my innocence in broad daylight! Madam Jiang and that Mr. Zhang don't even know each other, so why would they want to enter?"

Several people were arguing in the village, making quite a commotion. It was lunchtime, and the neighbors had flocked out to watch the fun.

Jiang Fuying didn't want to argue with them any further, simply saying, "Don't send the things back. Just send them back where they came from..."

"I'm not saying anything bad," Qiu Er said in a gruff voice. "Just marry Mr. Zhang and enjoy a life

of luxury." Jiang Fuying was interrupted before she could finish. Such a frivolous remark would make even the most mild-mannered frown.

"Or maybe you don't like the Zhang family," Qiu Er said, standing unsteadily, reaching out his hand, almost touching her cheek. "It's not that I don't love you..."

He leaned in closer, his nauseating scent mingling with his face, which hadn't been washed in a while.

"Let me give you a kiss, maybe I can help..."

With a "slap", the air around them inexplicably quieted down.

Jiang Fuying's chest was heaving violently, and the slap she had just put down still ached slightly, swelling and burning in the sun.

"Damn it..." Qiu Er cursed after being hit, "You're so shameless!"

He subconsciously raised his hand to slap back, but was glared at by Jiang Fuying's cold eyes, and inexplicably became a little timid. He put his raised hand down awkwardly and cursed a few times.

"A box like this, delivered so unclearly, what's its purpose? If there's anything to it, it's not your place as an outsider to speak," Jiang Fuying clenched her fingers, surrounded by many villagers, and her voice grew louder. "Go back and tell that young man, if he's really interested, he should send a matchmaker to discuss it with my mother according to the agenda. My family may not be wealthy, but we are honest people, and we can't do such private transactions." "

That's right," a neighboring woman said just after lunch. "What are they doing with such unclear information? And they asked you guys to deliver it..."

The Tiger Gang were a cancer in the village, often wandering into the county, a notorious reputation. If they could send it, then the so-called young man from the county must be no good.

"If they really want to send something, the Zhang family, a wealthy family, doesn't even have a few servants?"

"That's right, go back!"

With the first response, it was natural for Fuying, a girl she had watched grow up, to speak up for her.

Many people spoke up, and Qiu Er felt a little embarrassed. He had wanted to go back to get some reward money, but now he was blocked in the village and couldn't even enter Jiang Fuying's house.

He was even slapped!

Qiu Er didn't say anything, but a younger brother behind him couldn't help but said, "You can't say that. Who doesn't know the situation in your family? Mr. Zhang is kind-hearted. He said that if you marry him, he will take care of your mother's illness. It's a small matter."

Several people surrounded her with a rogue look, "Don't be ungrateful. Not everyone has this blessing."

Jiang Fuying tried her best to maintain her composure, "What, are you jealous?"

"If you are envious, just marry him yourself and don't disturb my peace," she suppressed her trembling, "Go back and tell Mr. Zhang as soon as possible, let him give up this idea, don't waste your energy."

"You don't understand good or bad words, do you? Do you know what the Zhang family is like? If you really make the Zhang family angry, be careful that you will lose your life..." As

soon as Qiu Er's voice came out, several onlookers shrank their heads and stood back in their own yards. It was not that they didn't want to help Fuying, but mainly because once they got involved with this kind of rogue, they would never be able to get rid of it.

Faintly, she could hear the sound of people pointing and talking around her. Jiang Fuying's blood seemed to have concentrated in her head, and she felt almost dizzy.

"—In broad daylight, let's see who dares to kill whom,"

a middle-aged man's deep voice rang out from the crowd. "Let's see if this knife of mine can cut off your rotten tongue first!"

Qiu Er's face changed. Seeing his father, whom Tonghua had summoned at some point, the memory of being chased and beaten flooded back, and a slight chill ran down his spine.

Jiang Fuying turned and whispered "Uncle Liu." The other party responded calmly, and her heart slowly settled. She gave Tonghua, who had returned, sweating profusely, a forced smile.

Uncle Liu held a butcher knife in hand, his body still reeking of blood, clearly having just been summoned by his daughter and yet to be dealt with.

Standing forward with his burly figure and protruding belly, he towered over the other thugs, his aura of being able to knock three men off their feet with one punch causing even the younger men following Qiu Er to buckle at the knees.

"Brother Qiu," one of them swallowed, "why don't we just forget about it today? It's just a delivery... not worth making such a fuss."

"...Yeah, it's just a delivery, what does it have to do with us?"

Qiu Er rolled his eyes, not wanting to admit he was scared. Finally finding an excuse, he gestured for them to put the things down, then immediately declared, "I'm leaving them here. Whoever wants them can take them! The Zhang family will blame us later, and so many people will have seen it. It was she who didn't want them."

The cold gleam from Uncle Liu's butcher knife made the men's hair stand on end. The memory of the beating they'd received when they harassed Tonghua Fuying was still fresh in their minds. They hurled a few harsh words at them, but then left without further ado.

Jiang

Fuying returned home and closed the courtyard door. Her mother's voice echoed from inside, "Aying, are you back?"

"I'm back," she shouted, her face devoid of a smile. Rubbing her head wearily, she added, "Mother, I'll go cook. I'll be back in a bit." She

closed the kitchen door, her heart finally calming down from its pounding. Jiang Fuying closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her face. Her crescent-shaped brows furrowed in a frown, a hint of annoyance evident.

Her mother had been ill, and she didn't want her to know about these troubles. She was lucky to have stopped them today. If she had been a little later, and her mother had heard all that foul language... she didn't know how it would have ended.

After a long delay, Jiang Fuying lit a fire. Acrid white smoke billowed from the scalding wok. The spatula stirred continuously, mixing with the crackling of the hot oil and the fragrant aroma that filled her nostrils.

It was the height of summer, and the kitchen fire was burning brightly, making the heat even more oppressive. The woman rolled up her sleeves, revealing a pale arm. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, revealing her fair and rosy face.

The smoke was thick, and her brows were slightly furrowed, but it couldn't hide her clear and beautiful face. She served the meal and called into the house, "Mother, the meal is ready."

She was hungry after a busy morning, and only when she sat down did she feel a sense of rest.

Both side dishes were filled with meat, and there was also steamed egg custard, making the meal very delicious. Jiang Fuying ate a bowl of rice with the egg custard, and the depression in her heart finally eased.

Seeing that her complexion had improved a little, her mother Luo Xujun tentatively said, "You came back a long time late today, but..."

"Tonghua went with me today. She wanted to see Chaizi, so she was delayed for a while." Fuying lowered her eyes and looked at the bowl of rice, her tone flat.

Luo Xujun breathed a sigh of relief, "Mother is afraid that those people will come to block you again."

Everyone in the village knew that the daughter of the Jiang family was born pretty since she was a child, and her beauty became more and more unconcealed as she grew older. There were always some idle hooligans in the village who came to disturb the family from time to time.

Since Jiang's father passed away, life has become increasingly difficult.

If it weren't for the close relationship with the neighbors and their help, I'm afraid life would be even more difficult.

As for this time…

Jiang Fuying's eyes softened, and she forced a smile. "Uncle Liu gave them a good beating last time, and he's been much more well-behaved lately. Don't worry too much, mother."

Luo Xujun looked young, but she looked tired, with drooping eyebrows. A plain hairpin hung in her hair, simple but neat.

She simply placed her hands on her daughter's and said softly, "Mother, I don't have any special abilities, I just want you to be well."

Jiang Fuying didn't answer, put away the dishes and chopsticks, and didn't even turn around. "Mother, go and rest. I'll bring the medicine when it's ready."

Not wanting to reveal her low mood in front of her mother, she pursed her lips and took the meal she had divided earlier and the freshly brewed medicine to the other room.

The Jiang family's courtyard was quite large, and the sun was high in the sky. Jiang Fuying raised her hand, blocking a small shadow from her eyes, and quickly pushed the door open to enter the side room.

The person in the room was obviously awake, and when he heard her coming, he opened his mouth, but still said nothing.

"You're awake."

Jiang Fuying glanced at him and placed the bowl and chopsticks on the small table. "Eat, I won't charge you any money."

The light in the side room was dim, and there was only a rustling sound. The person who was half lying on the couch slowly stood up, came out of the shadows, and groped forward. Jiang Fuying couldn't just stand by and watch, so she took a few steps forward to help him up.

As soon as she got closer, the faint and lingering fragrance of jasmine wrapped around her arm and went up, serving as the only guide in the lightless world. When they reached the table, the aroma of the food was mixed with the bitterness of medicine, and the faint jasmine scent was dissipated and could no longer be found.

The man picked up the bowl and chopsticks and thanked him.

The woman sat next to him without any preparation, "I went to the county to inquire this morning, but I didn't hear that anyone was missing."

"It's normal that you can't find out. Thank you for your hard work, Madam Jiang," the man nodded, "but this matter is not easy to make public..."

Fuying said "hmm" and said nothing more.

She was indeed tired, and it was in this dimly lit room that she could casually lower her face without having to worry about other people's expressions.

She picked up a cattail leaf to fan herself, and the hair hanging down by her cheek was blown slightly. She tucked it behind her ear and looked up at the person in front of her.

The man had sharp eyebrows and eyes, but because she couldn't see, there was a dull look in his eyes. His sword-like eyebrows should have had a fierce aura, but his eyes were weakened by his dim eyes, making him look much calmer. His face was handsome and his jaw was sharp, a color Fuying had never seen before.

But what was even more difficult to ignore was the cold temperament that even a coarse hemp cloth could not hide. He was injured but still stood tall. His shirt didn't fit him well, and his broad back was wrapped in old clothes, which was slightly tight.

The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his arms were tight and the lines were neat, tensing and relaxing with his movements. He ate slowly and leisurely, and it was obvious that he was well-educated and came from a wealthy family.

Anyway, he couldn't see it, and her unrestrained gaze slowly wandered over his body, and her gaze fell on the small mole that was not too eye-catching.

With such a strong forearm... he must be good at martial arts.

Fuying thought aimlessly.

"Madam Jiang is in a bad mood today."

Fuying's mind was suddenly brought back by this sentence, and she looked at him.

It was not a question, but a sentence of affirmation.

Fuying suddenly felt exposed, and subconsciously said: "No."

"Then no," the man did not entangle, drank the bitter medicine, and smelled the fragrance again, "If Madam Jiang encounters difficulties, I will do my best as long as I can help."