Chapter 4: She’s a Bit Fierce
"This one, this one’s great!"
After rummaging around for ages, Jiang Dahai finally found a dress that, in his opinion, would be sure to please a man.
It was made of a light green, large-plaid fabric with a white round collar and short, puffed sleeves. The collar, cuffs, and hem were trimmed with white lace, and a white leather belt cinched the waist. It was both elegant and gentle.
Jiang Moli didn’t care. After all, she was just going through the motions.
After she changed into the dress, Jiang Dahai then took out the heirlooms of his late wife, Ruan Rou—Jiang Moli’s biological mother.
A pair of pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.
She had secretly tried on the jewelry as a child, and Jiang Dahai had given her a harsh beating for it. After that, she never dared to touch them again.
But today, Jiang Dahai was actually willing to take them out for Jiang Moli to wear.
Clearly, Jiang Dahai was incredibly hopeful and determined to marry Jiang Moli off.
After Jiang Dahai left for work, Jiang Moli also changed her shoes and got ready to leave.
"Sis, I haven’t seen my brother-in-law in a long time. Let me go with you."
Jiang Moli didn’t correct Jiang Peng’s term of address.
’Besides, if Zhang Jia Ming marries Jiang Qing, he’d still be their brother-in-law in name.’
Jiang Moli left the house with Jiang Peng.
’Say what you will about Moli, but she’s truly beautiful,’ Li Hongying mused to herself. ’From the back, she looks exactly like her mother did when she was young. No wonder Jiang Dahai dotes on her like a priceless treasure.’
Jiang Qing also watched Jiang Moli’s departing figure and sneered inwardly. ’Jiang Dahai is so clever, he’s outsmarted himself.’
’In a working-class family like theirs, being pretty doesn’t put food on the table.’
’That dress alone cost Jiang Dahai a month’s salary. Add in the jewelry and leather shoes, and the whole outfit is worth more than half a year of Zhang Jia Ming’s military stipend.’
’Who would dare marry a woman with such bourgeois tastes?’
...
From the moment Jiang Moli stepped out of her house, she drew the attention of all the neighbors.
In stark contrast to her notoriously bad reputation was her breathtakingly beautiful face.
In the entire residential compound for the machinery factory, you couldn’t find a girl prettier than Jiang Moli.
The light green dress made her skin look as fair and clear as snow. The cinched waist accentuated her figure, making it look so slim you could wrap a single hand around it. Two glossy braids rested on her shoulders, their ends tied with silk ribbons into large pink bows.
With almond eyes and rosy cheeks, she was so charmingly radiant that it was impossible to look away.
Despite being stared at, Jiang Moli showed no shyness and greeted everyone she passed.
"Sister Zhu, looks like you’ve been eating well lately. I see your waistband is getting tight."
Sister Zhu shot her a massive eye-roll, tugged at the hem of her shirt, and walked away.
’Disgust Value +1. 10,000 yuan credited to your account.’
"Uncle Liu, your fly is down, hahaha!"
Uncle Liu looked down, then hastily turned his back to button his fly.
’Disgust Value +1. 10,000 yuan credited to your account.’
"Hey, Granny Zhang, is this your grandson who just had his one-month celebration? Tsk, he’s so dark and scrawny, like a little monkey."
Her lips were as plump and red as cherries, yet how could such hateful words come out of them?
As Jiang Moli continued on her way, she collected a trail of eye-rolls, and her Disgust Value skyrocketed.
"Pah, little vixen. Who knows where she’s off to run wild this time."
Wang Lianhua spat contemptuously at Jiang Moli’s back.
Tian Guihua, who was passing by with her grandson, overheard and chimed in, "What did she ever do to you? Why say something so nasty?"
"Hmph. I was nice enough to try and set her up with my own nephew, but she was all picky and looked down on him..."
At the first whiff of gossip, the grannies and aunties all gathered around.
"...Going on about how he had to have a house, a car, and money, not a thing missing. And after they got married, she wanted eighty to a hundred yuan a month just for pocket money! Pah! Who does she think she is, a hen that lays golden eggs? Is that thing between her legs rimmed with gold or something?"
The crude words made everyone roar with laughter.
’Disgust Value +5. 50,000 yuan credited to your account.’
’Hm?’
’Could this be the legendary "pie falling from the sky"?’
The system, not understanding, asked, ’Host, how did you do that? You acquired Disgust Value without doing a thing!’
Jiang Moli stroked her cheek. "Well, I suppose it’s probably, maybe, most likely this face. It’s so beautiful it offends both gods and mortals, don’t you think?"
The Scorn System: ’...’
’Whether she was truly that beautiful was debatable, but she was definitely shameless enough.’
Even Jiang Peng, her own brother, couldn’t stand Jiang Moli’s venomous tongue anymore. "Sis, maybe you should talk less when we’re out from now on. I’m afraid you’ll get beaten up."
"Isn’t that what you’re here for? If someone lays a hand on me, you’re supposed to be the first to step up and take the heat for me, right? Otherwise, what’s the point of bringing you along?"
Jiang Peng: "..."
’If you weren’t my own sister, I’d probably hit you myself.’
...
「At the main entrance of People’s Park.」
Zhang Jia Ming and Lu Cheng stood side by side. Their towering heights and exceptional military bearing made them stand out from the crowd, drawing the gazes of many passersby.
Especially Lu Cheng.
At six-foot-two, with sharp brows, piercing eyes, and a cold, stern expression, he was exceptionally tall. He wore an olive-green military dress shirt, dark trousers, and military-issue leather shoes. His imposing and handsome appearance made the hearts of passing young women flutter and their cheeks flush.
Zhang Jia Ming wasn’t bad-looking either, actually.
At five-foot-nine, he had thick brows, large eyes, and a classic square jaw.
On his own, he was quite a handsome man, but next to the tall and commanding Lu Cheng, he somehow faded into the background.
Lu Cheng checked his watch for the nth time, his stern face tight with impatience. "Did you clearly state the time when you called her? It’s almost 10:30."
Zhang Jia Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I told her 10 o’clock. I even said it twice."
"Good, you should break it off. Someone with no concept of time... If she were one of my soldiers, I’d drill her into submission!"
Zhang Jia Ming reminded him nervously, "Sir, she’s... a bit fierce."
He was trying to tell Lu Cheng to be a bit more polite when they met her, so as not to set Jiang Moli off.
Lu Cheng was unconcerned. "How fierce can a woman be? Is she going to ascend to the heavens?"
Zhang Jia Ming hadn’t actually seen Jiang Moli in seven or eight years, but he was still terrified of her down to his bones.
When they were kids, he accidentally hit Jiang Moli with his slingshot, and she immediately cracked his head open with a brick.
It wasn’t just him; Jiang Moli had bullied nearly every kid their age in the village.
Even the village dogs would get a kick from her if they passed by.
In his entire life, he had never met a more shrewish and ferocious woman than Jiang Moli.
This was also the reason why he had insisted on dragging Lu Cheng along with him to call off the engagement.
Just as he was feeling uneasy, Zhang Jia Ming saw Jiang Peng.
Though he hadn’t seen him in years, Jiang Peng’s face was much the same. He had shot up in height, however, and now looked burly and strong—clearly not someone to mess with.
Walking with Jiang Peng was a girl in a red dress.
She had short, chin-length hair, and while she was tall, she was also a bit brawny and dark-skinned.
’Jiang Moli was so pretty as a child. How did she turn out like this?’
’Considering how fierce and aggressive Jiang Moli is, and now with her overprotective brother at her side... if I bring up the engagement, won’t the two of them beat me to a pulp?’
’Of course, I deserve a beating for falling for someone else, but getting thrashed in public is just too humiliating.’
"Oh, Sir, my stomach! I have to go to the restroom. They’re over there, could you just deal with them for a bit for me..."
Before Lu Cheng could react, Zhang Jia Ming clutched his stomach and ran off.
"You son of a bitch, you deserter!"
Lu Cheng cursed and turned to look in the direction Zhang Jia Ming had pointed.
The moment he looked over, the girl in the red dress walked off in another direction, revealing Jiang Moli, who was half a head shorter, standing behind her.