The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 3 Why are you cursing me again?

Over the years, Yu Tingwan had worked hard without complaint, even swallowing her grievances, for fear of being kicked out of the house. She had never been so vocal before.

Having grown accustomed to her subservience, Wang's anger flared: "You never tell the truth, you've really become quite the character. Do you expect me to serve you?"

Yu Tingwan pondered for a moment: "That works too."

Wang was so angry that she trembled all over. She turned to Aunt Wu next to her and complained: "Everyone outside is saying that I'm torturing this niece to death every day. But Aunt, look at her! She's so arrogant! She won't even do the easiest work."

"I don't know which beast spread this rumor, ruining my reputation!"

Aunt Wu lives next door; how could she not know about the Hu family's messy affairs? If it weren't for Hu Dazhu protecting his niece, Yu Tingwan wouldn't be alive today.

This Wang family is not one to be trifled with!
Hu Dazhu wasn't home, and she was torturing her niece to death!

She had no intention of getting involved in the Hu family's affairs, so she quickly made a vague excuse and left.

Yu Tingwan was afraid of the cold, so she pulled her patched and tattered cotton coat tighter around herself: "The Hu family gave me a place to stay, just like my aunt said, I should repay them by serving them like a cow or a horse for the rest of my life."

As soon as Ms. Xu composed herself and stepped out, she had a bad feeling when she saw Yu Tingwan's gentle gaze.

"But my sister-in-law felt sorry for me and was afraid that my body couldn't handle it, so she insisted on doing the work for me."

Ms. Xu: ?

Madam Wang frowned: "How can this be?"

Little Xu's belly is carrying her precious grandson!

Yu Tingwan: "My sister-in-law takes advantage of her pregnancy to be arrogant and provocative towards me all day long. She also said that she would reflect on her actions."

Ms. Xu: ? ? ?

Does she dare say Yu Tingwan is talking nonsense?
No, she dared not.

Her smile was stiff: "Yes, it's my fault."

Her daughter-in-law was a master of deceit and trickery, Wang exclaimed in astonishment, "This...this shouldn't be happening."

"That's what my aunt said."

Yu Tingwan chuckled: "Why not? Can't you be sensible this once, sister-in-law?"

The walls in the countryside were made of stone and loess, and the house she lived in was low and cramped, with old windows that could be shaken by the cold wind.

Yu Tingwan returned to her room, the smile on her face gradually fading away.

Her head was throbbing with pain, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw her tragic end.

Since falling into the water last year and injuring her forehead, she has been seeing certain images in her mind inadvertently.

It is trivial and incomplete.

But these are all things that will happen in the future, and they must have been experienced in a past life.

Yu Tingwan slowly lowered her eyes, feeling cold all over and her bones trembling.

The Hu family cannot be allowed to stay.

But where could she go?
Xilin Village is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the only accessible road has been blocked.

Even outside the village, how often do bandits forcibly seize girls?
Why did she only realize that her aunt would harm her after her uncle left?

Panic won't solve anything. Yu Tingwan tried to calm down, but all that remained in her heart was emptiness and endless confusion.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she composed herself, went to a corner, and left with the clothes she had changed out of the night before.

Ms. Xu, who was quite disapproving, mixed the chicken feed, glanced at it casually, and refused to say anything.

But Yu Tingwan stopped in front of her, and her gaze towards Xiao Xu Shi held an indescribable meaning.

Little Xu felt uneasy under her gaze: "What are you looking at!"

Yu Tingwan blinked and spoke clearly: "Sister-in-law looks a bit unlucky."

Ms. Xu: ? ? ?

Did you deliberately come over to curse me?

Are you crazy?!
Why are you cursing me again?
She was resentful and wished she could scratch Yu Tingwan's face.

Just then, Wang, realizing something was wrong, chased after him in a fit of rage: "Which heartless bastard broke the bowl?"

Yu Tingwan answered quickly: "It's my sister-in-law."

Xiao Xu's breathing paused.

She even swayed, and was supported by the person who started it.

Yu Tingwan: "Why are you shaking, sister-in-law?" She didn't forget to comfort her, who was terrified: "Sister-in-law is pregnant now, so what if you break a bowl? As long as you're happy, even if you smash the whole house, your aunt will still have to accept it."

Wang's face darkened.

What is this nonsense!

The bowls are free!
Does she really expect her to fawn over Madam Xu?

Fearing that Wang would blame her, Xiao Xu hurriedly fled to the backyard with the chicken feed.

She couldn't help but curse angrily, "That little bitch was definitely up to no good, she'd better not fall into my hands!"

"He was still quite easy to manage before, but I don't know what medicine he took these past few days."

With a soft "smack," a bird flapped its wings above her head and flew over her. Little Xu looked up and something hit the corner of her mouth.

She reached out to touch it and touched bird droppings.

Wang picked up the thin bamboo stick used to whip people and strode over to teach her a lesson.

"What a terrible thing! You fool..."

Little Xu wiped the stickiness from the corner of her mouth, her face contorted with disgust. She could no longer care about anything else, trembling as she cried out, "Mother! That little slut has been behaving strangely ever since she fell into the water!"

Every time you say she's unlucky, she really does have bad luck!!
Last time I said she was unlucky, she suddenly developed a dense rash of red bumps all over her body, which itched for half a month.

The last time someone said she was unlucky was when Dalang got drunk and slapped her.

I'm traumatized!

The strange Yu Tingwan walked along the village road, not in a hurry to go to the river to wash.

She couldn't leave, so she had to find a way to stall Liu the matchmaker.

There were two willow trees outside Liu's house, making her easy to spot. She had a silver tongue; she could talk the dead back to life. People from all around wanted her to be their matchmaker.

She was heavily made up, and unlike the gaunt figures of country women, she was remarkably plump. Her eyes and brows radiated joy and springtime happiness.

She was just worrying about how to explain things to the local gentry, Mr. Dong, when Mrs. Wang came to her door.

The gentry, Dong, was old but notoriously lecherous. After outliving his first wife, he turned to Dong, specifically requesting beautiful, unmarried girls.

This makes things difficult.

Families were reluctant to let their beautiful daughters marry old men and suffer. Those willing to marry into the Dong family were also rejected by the Dong gentry, who complained that the girls weren't pretty enough.

If it weren't for the high matchmaking fee offered by the Dong family, she would have turned against them long ago.

There's no need to worry now.

The local gentry will definitely like Yu Tingwan's face!
Matchmaker Liu walked with a brisk pace, eager to finalize the marriage as soon as possible.

On the only way to the Dong family's house, someone had been waiting for a long time.

Under the light, the woman's long, thick, curled eyelashes, rosy lips, and porcelain-like skin were translucent and delicate...

Such beauty caught the eye of Matchmaker Liu, who quickly stepped forward to examine her.

"Oh my, isn't this my stepmother? She's grown up beautifully."

Yu Tingwan stared at her intently, then suddenly smiled.

"Auntie is here."

"I've kept you waiting for a long time."

Matchmaker Liu was slightly taken aback: "You're looking for me?"

She didn't think much of it: "But your aunt sent you to deliver a message?"

"Is Auntie still going to the Dong family's house?"

"Of course, I..."

Matchmaker Liu paused, astonished: "How did you know I was going to the Dong family?"

She asked tentatively, "Did your aunt tell you?"

Yu Tingwan's eyes were devoid of emotion.

"say what?"

"She repeatedly told me that there was only one condition: as long as someone was willing to offer a dowry of twenty taels, they could take me away, no matter if they were a human or a ghost?"

She spoke without any mercy: "Or are you saying that she's in cahoots with you, that you're cut from the same cloth?"

(End of this chapter)