Transmigrated into a fat wife, farming, raising children, and picking up husbands

The old man was so frightened by her fierce appearance that he kept backing away, eventually hiding behind the girl.

The girl stumbled slightly after being pulled by him, but finally managed to lift her head.

Lin Xiuer's gaze fell on her face, and she paused for a moment.

The girl looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. She was thin and small with a sallow complexion, clearly someone who hadn't had enough to eat for years.

Her features were indeed quite delicate, with thin eyebrows and eyes, a small nose, and lips that were pressed together until they were almost white.

But now her face was covered in tears, her eyes were as red as a rabbit's, and teardrops still clung to her eyelashes, glistening in the setting sun.

That made her look even more pitiful.

Looking at that face, at that face covered in tears, Lin Xiuer felt a buzzing in her head, her blood rushing to her head, and her temples throbbing.

"I... Husband, let me go! I'll beat that old bastard to death today!"

She broke free from Ping An's hand and pointed at the old man hiding behind the girl, cursing him loudly.

The old man, of course, dared not come out. He used the thin, small girl as a shield, peeking out with half his face to look at Lin Xiuer.

"You, you crazy woman, stay away from me! Let me tell you, this is between me and the matchmaker, it's none of your business. Mind your own business!"

"Mind your own business?!" Lin Xiuer pointed at her own nose, so angry she could barely speak. "Meddling? Let me tell you, I'm going to meddle in this mess today!"

She pointed at the old man, her fingers trembling: "You filthy wretch! You pushed your own daughter into a fire pit, and you still have the nerve to hide behind her? Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"

"Your daughter is your own flesh and blood, not some livestock you bought! Fourteen years old! She's only fourteen! And you're selling her."

"Don't you know what a brothel is? You let those men defile her, is that something a human being would do? Why don't you just sell yourself?"

"Sell them to the docks to carry heavy loads! Sell them to the latrines to scoop out manure! Whatever they earn is theirs, drink themselves to death if you want, but don't ruin your daughter's life!"

The crowd around them buzzed with discussion; some shook their heads, others sighed.

"Who is this fat woman? What business is it of hers?"

"But that old man is ruthless enough to sell his own daughter to a place like that..."

"Sigh, there are so many people like this who sell their children when they're drunk. They sell them when they're drunk, regret it when they sober up, and then sell them again a couple of days later when their drinking urge kicks in. Who can control them all?"

The old man's face turned pale and then red as she scolded him, but he didn't dare to come out from behind his daughter, so he could only stubbornly stick out his tongue.

"What's wrong with me selling my own daughter? I raised her all these years, she ate my food and drank my water, what's wrong with exchanging her for some money now? It's only right!"

"Bullshit!" Lin Xiuer retorted with a single curse. "You'll support her? What will you use to support her?"

"Where did you get all that money for alcohol? Did you sell this and that? I think you're the one who's really into keeping a wine jar! You scum, you're just wasting food!"

The old man's face turned a deep purplish-red, his lips trembling as he tried to retort, but when he met Lin Xiuer's fiery eyes, he chickened out.

She could only mutter, "You...you're just a woman, why are you meddling in everything..."

"I'm meddling? Let me tell you, I've encountered this situation today, and I'm going to see it through to the end!" Lin Xiuer took a step forward, but Ping An quickly pulled her back.

Ping An gripped her wrist, afraid she would act impulsively. He knew she was angry and needed to let her vent.

"Get out of that girl's sight! Hiding behind a girl, are you even a man? Are those two things in your pants just for show?"

Some people around couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The old man's face turned green from the scolding, but Lin Xiuer's eyes looked like she wanted to devour him, so he didn't dare to come out.

Lin Xiuer's chest heaved violently as she stared at the old man, wishing she could rush up and deliver two more punches.

But she knew it in her heart.

You might beat him into submission today, but what about tomorrow? The day after? What if he gets drunk again in a few days and tries to sell his daughter anyway?

How long will a beating last? Can she keep an eye on her every day?

The old man was determined to sell his daughter. If he couldn't sell her to this matchmaker, he'd find the next one. There were plenty of matchmakers in this city.

Seeing the old man being beaten, the matchmaker and the thugs weren't in a hurry to leave. They stood by with their arms crossed, watching the spectacle.

The matchmaker still had a smile on her face, looking like she was watching a good show.

The girl stood there, head down, shoulders shaking, face covered in tears, eyes red and swollen as she looked at Lin Xiuer, "It's no use... Sister..."

"You beat him up today, but he'll still sell me out in a few days."

The girl's voice was very soft, as soft as a falling leaf, without any ups and downs, as if she had already resigned herself to her fate.

She lowered her eyes, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

Lin Xiuer's heart tightened upon hearing this.

"My mother was beaten to death by him when he was drunk, my younger brother was sold off somewhere, and my older sister was sold to an old man in the neighboring village to be his second wife..."

She paused, then sniffed.

"Today, it's finally my turn."

Lin Xiuer clenched her fists.

The girl looked up at her, and a smile actually appeared on her lips.

But that smile was uglier than a cry, making one's heart ache.

"I'm fine," she said, shaking her head, her voice growing softer and softer.

"It doesn't matter where I'm sold to. Anyway, with a father like that, I'll never have a chance to get married in this lifetime."

"If he can't sell me today, maybe tomorrow he'll sell me to some lazy bum in the village... I..."

She didn't finish speaking.

But Lin Xiuer understood.

Sold to a lazy man in the village, that kind of life was no better than being sold to be a maid or even to a brothel.

It might be worse.

The more Lin Xiuer listened, the more bitter she felt.

She was all too familiar with that feeling.

Helpless, desperate, with no end in sight.

Just like the day she first transmigrated, when she opened her eyes and found herself transformed into another person, burdened with debt, and with a group of thugs trying to capture her son.

At that time, she also felt that her life was over.

But she didn't give up. She went up the mountain to collect herbs and wild vegetables, and even found Ping An. Together, they made it through step by step.

But what about this girl? She's only fourteen years old, why should she accept her fate?

Lin Xiuer took a deep breath.

She grabbed the girl's hand and held it in her own. The hand was ice-cold, so thin it was all bone.

"Little sister." She stared at the tear-streaked face and said softly, "Why don't you come with me?"

The girl froze, looked up, and stared blankly at her.

"At my sister's house, although you'll have to do chores, I promise I won't hit you, scold you, starve you, or sell you."

Something flickered in the girl's eyes.

The old man's cloudy eyes lit up when he heard there was hope. He fearlessly took two steps forward and held up three fingers to Lin Xiuer.

"Three taels! Just three taels, and this girl is yours!"