Chapter 8: That is certainly a bold thing to say!

The news about Ye Wan spread throughout the entire village!

Of course, everyone knew that Ye Wan’s husband was no ordinary man; otherwise, the team leader and the village chief wouldn’t have personally come to deliver the marriage certificate!

Some people were filled with regret.

If only they had tried to curry favor with him earlier.

Perhaps then, they could have gained some benefits.

They had seen the dowry: a bicycle, a radio, bolts of cloth!

And a small box—that was naturally a watch!

Truly the “three-turns and one-ring” set.

It was incredible!

The envy was palpable.

There was even a brand-new sewing machine!

They wished they could take a good look, even touch those things!

What a shame!

It was clear that Ye Wan’s fiancé truly valued and respected her.

Otherwise, how could there be such an elaborate betrothal gift?

Nowadays, most marriages only brought a dowry of twenty or thirty, nothing like these “three-turns and one-ring” treasures!

This clearly showed how much he cherished Ye Wan.

That bicycle alone was worth several hundred big bills.

The watch was a rare treasure!

And the sewing machine and radio surely cost a great deal.

For days, the whole village was abuzz with talk about Ye Wan’s fiancé.

Naturally, everyone was green with envy.

Ye Wan paid them no mind. In recent days, whenever she went out, she’d see many people lingering outside her home, eager to catch a glimpse of those items, but she simply ignored them.

After all, these people had spoken ill of her before. She had no desire to show off her possessions again. Besides, the news had already spread like wildfire on the very day of the wedding.

There was no way she would invite them in to touch and see.

Carrying a wooden basin filled with soap powder and dirty clothes, Ye Wan went to the river to wash.

By the riverbank, she found a quiet, large rock and began scrubbing the laundry.

Not far away, several others were washing clothes as well.

She deliberately chose a secluded corner to avoid company.

The main reason was that she found the chatter annoying.

If they were too close, they’d start asking questions, prying into her affairs, only to spread more gossip.

She sincerely disliked it.

But there was no help for it.

The women at the village entrance loved this pastime, and their news was often wildly exaggerated. No wonder the village was jokingly called the “village intelligence station.”

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Of course, Ye Wan intentionally avoided them!

Yet there were always one or two who loved to approach.

“Ye Wan, is your fiancé really a soldier?” a voice called from behind.

Ye Wan heard it and felt helpless.

See? Here they come again!

“Yes, didn’t the village chief and team leader say so?” Ye Wan replied.

She couldn't understand why they had to ask again.

So many people heard it that day.

Besides, if they didn’t believe it, why ask at all?

She was utterly speechless.

“That’s impressive! Without a word, you have a fiancé and you’re already married. That’s really something. Ye Wan, you’re so lucky. Your fiancé treats you well, it’s obvious he values you. Those betrothal gifts are the highest possible—‘three-turns and one-ring.’ You’re the most successful and prestigious girl in our village,” said Aunt Zhao.

She squatted nearby with a basin, washing clothes.

Next to her stood a rather skinny, dark girl—her daughter—holding a large basin of laundry, looking somewhat lost.

Ye Wan felt uncomfortable hearing those words.

She wouldn’t indulge others so easily!

Especially not people like that.

“Yeah, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Auntie means that it’s surprising someone like me, so fat, actually found a good family to marry into, right? I think being plump is better than being thin—it brings luck to the husband. No choice, my fiancé likes me this way!” Ye Wan answered bluntly.

Hmph!

These people were always slyly mocking her.

Did they think she had no temper?

How ridiculous!

“Hehe, Auntie didn’t mean that,” Aunt Zhao immediately backtracked, startled.

In her heart, she looked down on Ye Wan—a dark, fat village girl—but she couldn’t deny that Ye Wan had married well.

Her own daughter was no less, yet no one wanted her. Her daughter was already nineteen, a year older than Ye Wan.

She was in a panic.

Moreover, she had a son and hoped to marry off her daughter to save the dowry money for her son’s future bride.

Her daughter had a fine figure—slim and dark-skinned.

Ye Wan weighed over two hundred pounds and was also dark-skinned—though she had lost some weight recently and looked a bit fairer now, but still, she was plump.

So why was it that her daughter, who was better than Ye Wan, hadn’t found a family willing to spend money on her?

She felt deeply unfair about it.

Why could Ye Wan marry well, but her daughter couldn’t?

It was unjust!

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Thinking this, Aunt Zhao glared fiercely at the girl standing nearby.

Such a disappointment!

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and wash the clothes! Do I have to beg you?” Aunt Zhao snapped.

Ye Wan glanced sympathetically at the girl.

No choice.

That’s just how it was.

Girls who weren’t favored by their parents.

The preference for sons over daughters was too severe.

Fortunately, Ye Wan’s grandfather wasn’t like that; otherwise, she might never have existed.

In truth, the original Ye Wan was very fortunate.

She simply didn’t know how to appreciate it, or perhaps she just couldn’t see clearly.

Thankfully, Ye Wan had arrived.

Otherwise, the original Ye Wan would have continued to hurt her grandfather’s feelings, eventually causing the man who loved her most to die of sorrow.

The original story was just like that.

Later, she regretted it too late, helpless to change anything, and eventually died.

In any case, this story was simple and sorrowful.

Many things are only understood once lost.

People, too, only learn to cherish when it’s too late to hold on.

Ye Wan felt that she had come to make up for the original’s regrets.

Especially for the grandfather.

“Mom, I was wrong!” the girl apologized immediately, coming over to Ye Wan and starting to wash the laundry.

Ye Wan sighed helplessly.

“Ye Wan, look how good my girl is. Your fiancé treats you so well and values you. Could you ask him to find a match for my girl? We don’t have high demands—just like you, with the ‘three-turns and one-ring,’ and a bit of dowry. You know, my girl has a younger brother,” Aunt Zhao finally revealed her true purpose.

Ye Wan was stunned by this request.

That was quite bold!

She hadn’t dared to imagine such a thing.

Heh.

And “not high demands,” she thought, how laughable!

If that’s “not high,” what would “high” demands be? Cars? Western-style houses? Even more?

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