An Accidental Military Marriage

The sun set.

Members of the Zhang Family returned home from work one after another, some carrying hoes, others shouldering buckets of manure.

"Ma, Eldest Sister-in-law is back!"

Jin Yulan had just entered the gate carrying a shoulder pole when she heard her younger daughter’s words. She looked up toward the eldest son’s room.

Seeing the door wide open, she dropped the pole and strode over.

Jiang Qing heard the commotion and came out of the room, running right into Jin Yulan.

"Ma."

Jin Yulan’s face hardened as she began to berate her. "Didn’t I tell you to go and come back quickly? There’s so much work in the fields, and we didn’t ask you to do any of it. Does cooking a meal tire out Her Ladyship that much? You go back to your parents’ house and stay for days on end. Why don’t you just wait until we’re dead to come back?"

Jiang Qing’s eyes reddened with anger.

Never in her life had she been cursed at like this.

Even her own father, Jiang Dahai, always spoke to her politely. Who the hell did Jin Yulan think she was to order her around?

With so many mouths to feed in this large family, every meal required a whole pot of food. Three meals a day, plus washing the dishes and scrubbing the pot, not to mention washing the whole family’s stinking clothes—wasn’t that enough work?

Jiang Qing desperately wanted to just pack her bags and leave.

’Whoever wants to stay in this godforsaken place can have it!’

But that was just a thought. She knew she couldn’t actually just walk away.

She was here for Zhang Jia Ming, and Zhang Jia Ming was destined for great things.

A moment of impatience could ruin a grand plan.

Swallowing her humiliation, Jiang Qing explained to Jin Yulan, "My mom asked me to stay a couple more days. She said relatives and friends gave her zongzi and preserved eggs for the Dragon Boat Festival, and she wanted me to bring some back for you."

Hearing that she had brought things back from her parents’ home, Jin Yulan’s expression softened slightly.

Zhang Tiesheng walked over to smooth things over. "Xiao Qing, don’t mind your ma. She can be harsh with her words. You’ve been gone these past few days, and she’s been exhausted from working in the fields all day, then coming home to cook and do laundry. It’s only natural she’s a bit ill-tempered."

"Dad, Ma, I put the zongzi and preserved eggs in your room. Just put the dirty clothes in the bucket, and I’ll wash them in a bit. I’m going to start dinner now."

Once Jiang Qing was in the kitchen, Jin Yulan glanced around. Not seeing her second son or her two daughters, her expression changed, and she dashed into her own room.

"You three useless mutts! Lazier than pigs when it’s time to work, but faster than dogs when there’s food to grab! Get out, get out, get the hell out!"

Hearing the cursing from the main room, a cold smile touched Jiang Qing’s lips.

In the countryside, people were often hungry. Young men and growing girls, all at the age where their bodies were developing, would act like starving dogs at the mere mention of food.

Jin Yulan was a miser who wanted to hoard every good thing for herself.

If her brother-in-law and sisters-in-law ate the zongzi and preserved eggs, she’d probably be too angry to sleep.

She couldn’t wait for Jin Yulan to drop dead from anger.

...

During dinner, Zhang Tiesheng asked about getting the job arranged.

"I mentioned it to Uncle Jiang, but he said it would be difficult to arrange."

"Why would it be difficult? Jiaquan is educated, honest, and reliable. Xiao Qing, you should go back and have another good talk with your Uncle Jiang."

Seeing that Zhang Tiesheng wasn’t giving up, Jiang Qing decided to be blunt. "Dad, Jiang Moli and I have never gotten along, not since we were kids. On top of that, Jia Ming broke off their engagement. We should be grateful she isn’t telling Jia Ming’s superior to make his life difficult. There’s no way she’ll help get Jiaquan a job."

Jin Yulan did not like the sound of that. "If it weren’t for our Jia Ming, would that Jiang Moli have had the chance to be noticed by a leader? If you think about it, Jia Ming is practically the matchmaker between her and that leader! She ought to be giving Jia Ming a matchmaker’s gift."

But those words struck a nerve with Jiang Qing.

If she hadn’t stolen Zhang Jia Ming first, and then encouraged him to break off his engagement with Jiang Moli, Jiang Moli would never have met Lu Cheng.

...

After finishing all the washing and scrubbing, Jiang Qing went back to her room and lay down, so tired she didn’t want to lift a finger.

Staring through the window lattice at the pitch-black sky, she had no idea what time it was.

In the countryside, clocks were valuable. The only one was kept in Jin Yulan and Zhang Tiesheng’s room, and Jiang Qing didn’t have a watch of her own.

Jiang Moli didn’t have a watch before, either. But she had one now.

It was part of the betrothal gift from the Lu Family—a Shanghai brand ladies’ watch, which supposedly cost over a hundred yuan.

Jealousy sprouted in her heart like a patch of wild weeds.

"Xiao Qing."

Seeing Jin Yulan push open the door and enter, Jiang Qing couldn’t muster any good cheer. "Ma, it’s so late. Can we talk about it tomorrow?"

"Are you still mad at me? I just have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. I’m not educated like you are. You’re the cultured one, so don’t hold a grudge against me, alright?"

Since Jin Yulan was making a gesture of goodwill, Jiang Qing took the opportunity to de-escalate.

’Now isn’t the time to fall out with my in-laws.’

"Ma, what’s on your mind?"

Jin Yulan smiled, revealing two rows of yellowed teeth. "That’s more like it. A family shouldn’t hold grudges overnight."

"Xiao Qing, Jia Ming isn’t home, so Jiaquan’s future depends on you, his sister-in-law. How about this: you go back again tomorrow, bow your head and admit you were wrong to Moli, and ask her to forgive you."

Jiang Qing’s anger flared.

She would rather die than submit to Jiang Moli.

Sensing her reluctance, Jin Yulan warned her, "Don’t be so defiant. You two were sisters before, so a little squabbling was nothing. But now Moli is married to Jia Ming’s superior, and her father-in-law is a high-ranking official. She’s already walking all over you. Do you think you’ll gain anything by continuing to oppose her?"

"Even if it’s not for yourself, you have to think about Jia Ming. Back when he said he wanted to break off his engagement and marry you, your father-in-law was against it. I was the one who saw that you were sensible and understood the bigger picture, that you’d be a good and supportive wife. That’s why I agreed to this marriage. Don’t you dare disappoint me."

Jiang Qing snatched the small stool from the bed and viciously smashed it down on Jin Yulan’s head.

Jin Yulan let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell backward to the ground.

Jiang Qing leaped off the bed, straddled the woman’s waist, and, raising the stool again, continued to smash it down.

Once!

Twice!

Three times!

"’Understands the bigger picture!’ ’A supportive wife!’ FUCK YOU!"

She didn’t stop until Jin Yulan’s head was smashed to a pulp, like a shattered watermelon, its red and white contents splattering all over the floor. Only then did she stop, tilt her head back, and roar with laughter.

The scene above was merely a fantasy playing out in Jiang Qing’s mind.

Her thoughts snapped back to reality. Looking at Jin Yulan, whose mouth was still opening and closing in a nonstop lecture, she interrupted impatiently, "Ma, I get it. I’ll go in a couple of days."

"Don’t wait a couple of days. This is urgent. You’ll go back tomorrow."

"I just got back from my parents’ house today. If I go back again tomorrow, people will gossip. Besides, I can’t show up to apologize empty-handed. Ma, you’ll need to prepare two old hens, and we can add the canned fruit and malted milk extract my mom brought over. That should be about enough."

The items Jiang Qing listed made Jin Yulan’s heart ache with reluctance.

"Do we need that much?"

"Ma, you saw for yourself how extravagant the Lu Family was when they proposed. Jiang Moli might not even glance twice at a gift this small."

Remembering the betrothal gifts and fine things that had filled the entire courtyard, Jin Yulan’s heart sank. "...Then let’s talk about it again in a couple of days. I need to discuss it with your father."

’Asking for a favor but unwilling to spend a dime? Keep dreaming!’

After Jin Yulan left, Jiang Qing lay back down on the bed, her mood considerably improved.

She had found the secret to handling Jin Yulan: talk about money.

The Zhang Family was truly poor, and Jin Yulan was truly stingy.

Any talk of spending money was like taking a knife and carving a piece of flesh from Jin Yulan herself.

...

As soon as the Dragon Boat Festival was over, the three Ruan brothers—Ruan Fuguo, Ruan Fuqiang, and Ruan Fushun—showed up at Jiang Moli’s door, carrying all sorts of fruits.

"Moli, you see, the Dragon Boat Festival is over now. Isn’t it time to get started on arranging those jobs for your brothers?"