"You're all such spineless wretches, can't stand a day without serving someone?"
"What's so great about her? You're all day fetching and carrying for her, even cleaning up after her!"
"Your brother is her man, he got benefits from her, so it's understandable he serves her. What about you? Is she your mother? Put it down, and from now on, let him handle it himself!"
Fangfang, being scolded, had no choice but to place the basin by the door.
Zhan Jingchun heard Mama Peng's curses clearly and snorted inwardly.
I won't dump it. If I have to, I'll just do it in the room. If you can't stand it, then bear with it. I don't care anyway! It's not like I wanted to marry into your family. If you don't like it, let me leave!
That night, Zhan Jingchun held back from using the toilet.
The next day, although there was still no breakfast and no water, she couldn't hold it much longer, and she needed to change her sanitary pad.
She had thought of taking care of it in the room, but she had to stay there 24 hours a day. Soiling it wouldn't do her any good, and she really couldn't bring herself to do it. She could only go and knock on the door again.
"I need to use the toilet, open the door!"
Mama Peng sauntered over, her tone laced with sarcasm.
"Who are you talking to? No name, no surname. Am I your housekeeper?"
Zhan Jingchun didn't want to call her mother, she couldn't bring herself to.
"You're not opening it, are you? You're not giving me food, are you? Then I'll starve. If my body fails later and you can't have children, don't blame me!"
"You!"
"I know, worst case scenario, you'll just save up money again to find another wife for Peng Fei. Fine, you have money, then just wait for her to call you mother!"
Mama Peng was momentarily stumped by her words. Considering the money and the future grandson, she reluctantly opened the door.
Zhan Jingchun braced herself and went to the yard to use the toilet, then returned to wash her hands.
Mama Peng stood opposite her, watching her.
"If you want to eat, you can. From today onwards, you'll cook for yourself. Peng Fei is not home, and all the farm work is mine alone. If you don't go to the fields early, you'll work yourself to death, and it still won't be finished. You lie around at home all day, you should have had enough. I'm not asking you to do a great job, but at least I can have a hot meal when I come back."
It wasn't that Zhan Jingchun didn't want to cook, it was just that she had never been in the kitchen before in her life.
Especially not a kitchen that required starting a fire.
"Hmph, if you're not afraid I'll set your house on fire, then I'll do it."
Mama Peng was speechless again.
As the mother and daughter-in-law were arguing in the room, Aunt Wang from next door came to borrow something.
Mama Peng turned to get it for her from inside the room, and the two women took the opportunity to complain to each other inside.
Mama Peng recounted Zhan Jingchun's behavior since she arrived to Aunt Wang, then cried about her miserable fate.
"Spent so much money, and found a jinx who turns the house upside down every day. It's a disaster!"
Although Aunt Wang hadn't been under their bed, she had heard quite a bit from village gossip.
Knowing that Zhan Jingchun not only couldn't be kept but also expected to be served hand and foot at home, she felt it was unfair to Mama Peng.
"Looking at her appearance, you can tell she's not the type to settle down. To be honest, you shouldn't have bought someone like that in the first place!"
"Your Peng Fei is such a good young man. Who in our village wouldn't praise him for being spirited? Tsk tsk, it's a pity he married her."
With Aunt Wang's support, Mama Peng became even more animated.
"Exactly! Alas, what kind of fate is this? Living with someone like this, won't the family be dragged down? I married her without even checking our compatibility, I've failed my son!"
Seeing her say that, Aunt Wang's eyes lit up.
"I say, Auntie Peng, why are you so simple-minded? If such a woman doesn't want to live properly, can't we just not have her anymore?"
"Anyway, there are no children yet, and Peng Fei is still young. You're capable, we can find someone else. Find someone steady and capable, and life will still be prosperous, right? Why worry about her every day?"
Did she think Mama Peng had never considered this?
But she lacked the financial means.
If she had the money, she would definitely find a replacement for Peng Fei.
Aunt Wang gave her more advice.
"Even if you find someone new for Peng Fei, you have to send her away first, right? Have you thought about where to send her?"
Send her away?
Mama Peng's eyes suddenly cleared: "Auntie, you mean?"
Aunt Wang said, "I actually have a suitable candidate to tell you about. My nephew's wife from my maiden family gave birth to her second child not long ago. When I went back to give gifts, I heard that Old Li, the pig butcher from my maiden village, his wife passed away before the new year, and he's looking for a wife now."
"Old Li, with his pig butchering skills, bought a house in town a few years ago, and later opened a butcher shop in town. His life is so prosperous! He's now a famous rich man in my maiden village!"
"Someone as capable as him, with his wife gone, can't possibly be single. He wants to find a young and beautiful woman to accompany him. His children are grown up and don't expect his young wife to have more children. I think this jinx would be quite suitable for him."
Mama Peng never expected such a turn of events to be so close at hand, with such a suitable candidate waiting.
She immediately begged Aunt Wang to not work that afternoon and to go to Old Li's house for her, to talk things over. She assured her that she would be rewarded handsomely in the future.
Aunt Wang was as good as her word. She went to Old Li's place that afternoon and praised Zhan Jingchun's beauty to the skies.
Old Li was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately followed her to Mama Peng's house.
Everyone winked and nudged each other, peeking through the cracks in the door to observe Zhan Jingchun. Old Li was very satisfied.
He was willing to take her, but not at the original price.
Eighteen thousand yuan, that would do. He would come to pick her up tomorrow.
Although they lost a few thousand yuan, being able to get rid of this jinx and getting money for a dowry was considered worth it.
Mama Peng was overjoyed and immediately agreed.
Old Li said he would arrange a car to pick her up tomorrow and bring the money, and he also gave Aunt Wang a hundred yuan for her trouble. Everyone was happy.
That evening, Peng Fei, for the first time in a long time, brought the unfinished half chicken to be cooked and personally served it to Zhan Jingchun.
He also found a set of clothes his daughter used to wear at home and wanted her to change into.
"Daughter, you always say you're from the big city and don't like staying in our village. If you're unhappy, I won't force you to stay. You and Peng Fei are not destined, alas."
"I had someone calculate it today. Your horoscopes clash. If this continues, one of you will eventually end up in bed. You're still young, and I don't want anything to happen to you. So, I've asked a master for a solution to resolve this."
"The master said there is a man named Li in our town who owns a prosperous business. He doesn't mind that you're divorced, so I've agreed for you."
"From now on, you'll be his woman. Follow him, live in a good house, eat good food..."
Zhan Jingchun's hair stood on end.
What did she mean?
This was definitely not Peng Fei's intention!
While Peng Fei was away, this woman was actually going to sell her off?
This was even possible?!
"Oh, don't look at me like that, it's creepy."
"This is a good thing, don't be ungrateful. How many pure young girls in the surrounding villages want to marry, and they're not even wanted. It's only you."
"I've already agreed. Tomorrow, you'll be his woman. I don't want you to leave too disgracefully, so wash yourself properly, change your clothes, and leave with dignity."