A delicate beauty takes a place in a marriage, while a cold, rough man seduces her every night.

Chen Xiaomeng walked towards her uncle's house, looking dejected.

Passing by the village store, many villagers who had finished their dinner and were out for a stroll were chatting and laughing together.

Someone with sharp eyes recognized her and called out, "Hey, aren't you Xiaomeng, Xiuying's daughter?"

"Hmm." Chen Xiaomeng lowered her eyes, her voice listless and lacking any spirit.

The night was chilly, so the group gathered a pile of firewood and lit a small fire to warm their hands.

Some people sat on the fallen, thick tree stumps, some carried small stools, and some simply squatted on the spot.

The flickering firelight tore through the heavy night, illuminating this noisy and warm little corner.

"Come sit down and warm yourself by the fire," someone warmly invited, making room for a tree stump.

Chen Xiaomeng sat down silently, listening absentmindedly to the idle chatter of those around her.

A short, plump middle-aged woman raised her voice and asked, "Do you know who's the wealthiest person in our village right now?"

People around turned around curiously and asked, "Who is it?"

The other party feigned mystery and waved their hand, saying, "Guess."

Someone chimed in, "That must be Xiaomeng's uncle, Chen Liang. His house has a washing machine and a bicycle, and he always wears the latest city clothes. He looks very well-off!"

Another person shook his head and retorted: "If you ask me, it should be Liu Erjin from the west end of the village. His family has a big tractor, and his large orchards bear fruit every year. He must have saved up quite a bit of money."

The short, plump woman shook her head upon hearing this and lowered her voice, saying, "What you see is only the surface. You'd never guess who's truly wealthy in the village now."

The onlookers, intrigued, urged, "Stop keeping us in suspense! Tell us who it is!"

"It's Xiao Jingye, the hunter from our village!" the woman revealed the answer. "He not only has a motorcycle, but also a big van. His business selling mountain products is booming. He opened a factory in the city, and business is booming. He can earn tens of thousands a year."

"Really?" someone exclaimed in surprise.

"Absolutely true! They have a color TV, a washing machine, everything you could want. Haven't you seen it? My uncle works at their factory in the city. They're the richest family; they're just low-key and never show off."

Chen Xiaomeng sat to the side, her eyes widening suddenly as she listened, her heart filled with turmoil.

Can you earn tens of thousands a year?

Jiang Runsheng's annual salary was at most two or three thousand yuan, while Xiao Jingye's income was dozens of times more.

At this point, another villager chimed in: "I heard from my eldest daughter that Teacher Qiao's clothes are all high-end items bought from the big supply and marketing cooperative in the city. The necklace around her neck, the shoes on her feet—just one of those things could cost us a year or two of hard work. And that silly little sister's plump figure is all thanks to her brother's money. You all think she's poor!"

Chen Xiaomeng's brows furrowed tightly, and the muscles in her cheeks trembled uncontrollably.

In her past life, when she gambled and asked him for money, he wouldn't give her a single penny. Yet in this life, he's so generous to Qiao Qingyan.

Recalling the sounds she had just heard of the two making love, and the man's passionate breathing, Chen Xiaomeng became even more puzzled.

Doesn't he have a woman he likes hidden in his heart?

In their past life, after they got married, he never touched her. Later, she couldn't stand the loneliness and slept with another man. When Xiao Jingye found out about this, he felt no jealousy or anger whatsoever.

One day, Chen Xiaomeng found a pretty hair tie under his pillow.

Pure white with a lace trim, a delicate and elegant design.

That hair tie isn't hers.

It was only after that that she discovered that Xiao Jingye had a woman hidden in his heart.

Could it be...?!

Chen Xiaomeng was jolted awake and suddenly stood up from the tree stump.

Could it be that the person he has been longing for all these years is Qiao Qingyan?

Fragments of images from his past life rushed into his mind, and all the doubts instantly came together.

In her past life, when she went back to her parents' home and asked him to accompany her, Xiao Jingye refused every time. But as long as she mentioned that Qingyan and Runsheng were also going back, he would definitely go with them.

Once, while she and Qiao Qingyan were busy in the kitchen, she secretly sabotaged Qiao Qingyan by deliberately scalding her with hot oil. Xiao Jingye heard the noise and rushed into the kitchen before Jiang Runsheng could, grabbing Qiao Qingyan's wrist and pressing it into the cold water tank.

Now that Chen Xiaomeng thinks back carefully, what else could it be but heartache in Xiao Jingye's eyes?

At the time, she couldn't stand Qiao Qingyan living a good life with Jiang Runsheng, so she found a thug to try and defile her. Later, she failed and heard that Qiao Qingyan was so scared that she cried, while the thug was beaten up and lost sight in one eye.

Jiang Runsheng never fights with people, but now that he thinks about it carefully, it's very likely that Xiao Jingye was behind this.

Qiao Qingyan had been unwell for a while, and when she heard that he had dug up some mountain products, she came to his house to ask him to buy some ginseng and astragalus to help her recover.

Chen Xiaomeng originally wanted him to take the opportunity to ask for more money, since Jiang Runsheng and his group had plenty of money. Unexpectedly, he didn't take a single penny and even gave her the best items.

Especially after he fell from the mountain and became disabled in both legs, Qiao Qingyan often visited him and gently encouraged him to cheer up.

Upon learning that Zeng Yumei was overwhelmed with work, she took the initiative to bring Xiao Duoduo, who had intellectual disabilities, back to her home to care for her and help the Xiao family with their burdens.

Every time Xiao Jingye looked at Qiao Qingyan, his thick, dark eyes revealed undisguised admiration and an unbearable sense of inferiority.

Wow, it's full of details when you think about it.

Chen Xiaomeng's face was ashen, and she clenched her fingers tightly.

In his past life, Xiao Jingye wasn't incapable; he simply didn't want to touch her at all!

The one who was truly in poor health was Jiang Runsheng, but Qiao Qingyan was too good at pretending, making everyone believe that she and her husband had a harmonious marriage and a happy life.

She was completely deceived by Qiao Qingyan from beginning to end.

A surge of anger rushed to her head, a fire burned in her chest, and all she could think about was the desire for revenge and a burning rage.

If Qiao Qingyan hadn't created the illusion of a harmonious relationship with Jiang Runsheng in her past life, why would she have chosen to marry that useless man, Jiang Runsheng, in this life?

As night fell, the crowd dispersed, and everyone went home after their chat.

Filled with resentment and bitterness, Chen Xiaomeng dragged her heavy steps slowly toward her uncle's house.

-

The 18th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Before Fang Zhijie and Chun Ya got married, Xiao Jingye once told him:

"The wedding must be a big, grand affair. You only get married once in your life, so don't let yourself regret it."

Fang Zhijie had saved up some money by doing business selling mountain products with Xiao Jingye, so the wedding was naturally arranged in a meticulous and grand manner in every aspect.

With many relatives and friends from the Fang family, the event was well-organized, and the courtyard was bustling with activity, decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

Qingyan and Xiao Jingye were busy helping out.

Xiao Jingye and a group of men moved the banquet tables and chairs and discussed the various procedures for welcoming the bride and starting the banquet.

Qiao Qingyan stayed at Chun Ya's parents' home to help the bride with her hair and makeup.

Red silk ribbons were tied to the eaves of the mud-brick houses, and large red paper-cut window decorations were pasted on the windows. The doorway was crowded with villagers watching the excitement.

Chun Ya sat in front of the bronze mirror, dressed in a bright red suit skirt, with a white satin bow-tie shirt underneath, a silk flower pinned to her left breast, a thin white pearl belt around her waist, and a pair of low-heeled red leather shoes. She looked dignified and eye-catching.

Qingyan was doing her hair up, all her black hair was gathered back, and the side of the bun was decorated with red and white flower hair accessories, which were exquisite and gentle.

"Look at our bride, she's so beautiful!"

"Chun Ya looks like a fairy today, even I almost didn't recognize her."

The neighbors stood by the door, smiling and peering into the house, showering it with praise.

Chun Ya felt embarrassed by everyone's praise, looked up at Qing Yan beside her, and said:

"It's all thanks to Qingyan. She accompanied me to pick out the clothes, and she did my makeup too."

Qingyan helped her put the last little bun in her hair, and said with her hand on her shoulder, "Okay, when Zhijie sees this, his eyes will definitely be wide open."

Chun Ya's ears turned bright red, and she lowered her head, too shy to speak.

The two families lived not far apart, and the elders originally intended to pick up the bride by bicycle.

However, Xiao Jingye suggested that Zhijie pick him up by car for a more prestigious appearance.

Together they tidied up the van, tied red ribbons to the rearview mirrors, and laid out a red carpet inside for Zhijie's wedding.

The car stopped at the entrance of the Fang family compound, and Chun Ya looked out the car window at Fang Zhijie outside the gate.

He wore a brown plaid suit jacket, paired with khaki wide-leg trousers, a red and white striped tie tied diagonally, and shiny black leather shoes. He stood tall and straight, with a hearty smile in his eyes.

As soon as we got off the bus, people on both sides held firework tubes and sprayed out a dazzling rain of petals, which fell all over the sky.

Chun Ya pursed her lips, looking shyly at the man in front of her, who was also looking at her with a silly grin.