Chapter 2 Marrying for Luck

 

The dim and messy room was bare of furniture, not even a proper bed. The walls were made of compacted dirt, and beneath her was nothing more than a pile of dry straw. Xu Shuyue stared around, confused and bewildered.

She distinctly remembered dozing off at her desk in the office. The warm afternoon sun had been so comforting that she had fallen into a deep sleep. But when she opened her eyes, she found herself in this unfamiliar, dilapidated place.

Looking at the complete lack of modern amenities, Xu Shuyue’s first thought was that she must be dreaming. To confirm, she pinched her thigh hard. The sharp pain made her jolt.

It wasn’t a dream. This was real.

As she tried to make sense of what had happened, sudden flashes of unfamiliar memories appeared in her mind. They played like a reel of film, showing her someone else’s life.

After sitting quietly and sorting through the images, Xu Shuyue finally understood her situation.

She had transmigrated into a rural village in an unknown historical era. She was now a girl whose parents had died young, leaving her to live with an uncle and aunt who treated her like a servant.

For years, this girl had suffered hunger, beatings, and scolding, her body covered with scars. That very morning, she had been punished for waking up late and failing to prepare breakfast. Forced to kneel in the snow, she had fainted from the cold.

It was at that moment she transmigrated into this body.

As she was processing everything, the door to the woodshed creaked open. Xu Shuyue looked up to see a middle-aged couple entering. Their expressions softened with pity the moment they saw her.

“Oh, heavens,” the woman exclaimed. “Just look at this poor child, she’s nothing but skin and bones.” Madam Wei, the woman, quickly stepped forward and took Xu Shuyue’s hands in hers.

Still dazed, Xu Shuyue looked at the unfamiliar faces and asked cautiously, “Who… who are you?”

The woman patted the back of her hand gently. “Child, we’re from the Qi family in the west of the village. You can call me Aunt Wei. We’re here today to discuss something important with you.”

“Discuss what?” Xu Shuyue asked, even more confused.

Madam Wei hesitated, struggling to find the right words. But her husband, Qi Ansheng, spoke directly.

“We’d like you to marry our eldest son, Qi Siming. What do you think?”

“What?!” Xu Shuyue’s eyes widened in shock. She had just transmigrated, and now someone was asking her to become a bride?

Madam Wei quickly tried to explain, “Child, we won’t hide anything from you. Our eldest son has been away in the army for three years, and recently, we lost contact with him. We’re terribly worried. Today, we consulted a Daoist priest, who told us he’s facing great misfortune and needs to marry a girl with a bitter fate to ward off the bad luck. We thought of you because… well, we know you’ve had a hard life.”

Hearing this, Xu Shuyue finally understood. In this superstitious era, practices like “marriage to ward off bad luck” were common. But being told outright that she was “bitterly fated” and “unlucky” left her feeling uncomfortable.

Still, based on the memories she inherited, the priest wasn’t wrong. Her original host’s life had indeed been exceptionally tragic.

Seeing her deep in thought, Madam Wei softened her tone.

“Don’t worry, child. If you marry into our family, we’ll treat you like our own daughter. If our eldest son returns, you’ll be a loving couple. He’s a strong and upright man, someone you can rely on.”

Xu Shuyue thought carefully. From their words, it seemed like the man she would marry wasn’t even here—he had been sent into the army. If she agreed, she would essentially be marrying into the family without ever meeting him. There was no telling when, or if, he would return.

In other words, she would be marrying into a life of widowhood.

Most girls wouldn’t even consider such a proposal. But Xu Shuyue’s current situation was different. Living with her uncle’s family, she was beaten and scolded constantly and rarely had enough to eat.

At least in the Qi family, she wouldn’t have to worry about food or shelter. From their kind demeanor, the Qi couple seemed like decent, compassionate people. If marrying them meant gaining a new family and a better life, it wasn’t the worst option.

As Xu Shuyue was weighing her options, her aunt, Madam Chen, barged into the room.

“Brother Qi, Sister Qi, we’ve discussed it. Your family is a good match, so we agree to the marriage.”

Madam Wei’s face lit up with joy as she looked at Madam Chen, who was practically beaming.

Madam Chen turned to Xu Shuyue, who was sitting on the floor, and said, “You’re a lucky girl! To be chosen by the Qi family—your future will be full of blessings. Now hurry up and get ready. We’ll set the date and hold the wedding soon.”

Hearing this, Xu Shuyue felt a flicker of rebellion rise within her. Seeing Madam Chen so eager to marry her off made her want to resist out of spite.

“I… I don’t want to marry,” Xu Shuyue said suddenly.

Madam Chen’s expression darkened immediately. “Don’t want to marry? Girls are meant to marry! If you don’t marry into the Qi family, then you’ll marry that blind widower from the next village!”

Xu Shuyue was stunned. What kind of twisted logic is this?

Though shocked, she quickly reminded herself that this was a feudal era where marriages weren’t freely chosen.

Madam Wei stepped in to smooth things over. “Child, please consider it. This marriage isn’t just for us—it’s a chance to help our son. He needs you to ward off his misfortune.”

In truth, whether or not Xu Shuyue agreed didn’t matter. Madam Chen had already decided to sell her off, just as she had treated her as a burden all these years.

But Xu Shuyue wasn’t about to let herself be controlled so easily. She had no intention of repeating the original host’s fate of being used, abused, and then discarded like an object.

In the end, they planned to sell her off for a good price, lining their pockets with the profit.

Xu Shuyue couldn’t swallow this indignation.

“If you want me to marry, fine. But women have always brought dowries when they marry. Give me my dowry.” Xu Shuyue said bluntly, “If I don’t see a dowry, I’ll die before marrying into the Qi family!”

Madam Chen’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected Xu Shuyue, who had always been timid and allowed herself to be bullied, to suddenly change her attitude and dare to demand a dowry?

“You little brat, have you lost your mind?” Madam Chen rolled up her sleeves, ready to strike, cursing as she did, “Who runs this house, you or me? How dare you ask me for a dowry? Don’t forget, I’ve fed and raised you all these years, you ungrateful money-losing wretch!”

With that, Madam Chen grabbed Xu Shuyue by the hair, intending to hit her.

Xu Shuyue, after all, was to be married off to ward off bad luck for their own son. If something happened to her, how would they proceed? Madam Wei quickly stepped in to stop Madam Chen. “Stop! Stop! Let’s talk this out!”

Although Xu Shuyue was physically weak, she wasn’t the same pushover she had been before. Seizing the opportunity, she pushed Madam Chen away and questioned her, “You’ve raised me for free? Over the years, the money used in this household came from what my father and mother left behind before their accident. You’ve seized my family’s assets, and now you want to take my mother’s dowry too?”

Madam Wei and Qi Ansheng stood nearby, observing the confrontation. The neighbors in the village wouldn’t think well of them if this became widely known. Madam Chen’s expression shifted, and her eyes flickered nervously. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

“What could your dead father and mother have possibly left you? Don’t make things up!”

Xu Shuyue said coldly, “If I’m making it up, why don’t you bring out the land deeds and property documents to see?”

Madam Wei noticed the change in Madam Chen’s expression and realized that Xu Shuyue’s claims were likely true. She had long known that Xu Shuyue, an orphaned girl, had been mistreated by her relatives, but she hadn’t expected things to be this excessive. It was downright heartless.

However, asking Madam Chen to hand over the deeds and documents was out of the question. Madam Wei didn’t want to get involved in their family disputes and just wanted to leave with Xu Shuyue as soon as possible. She suggested, “How about this, Sister Xu? I think this girl has a point. Just give her the dowry left by her mother, and I’ll take her with me now. There’s no need to make a scene and give the neighbors something to gossip about.”

At this point, Madam Chen had no choice. She felt like she’d been forced into an unfair deal. Normally, Xu Shuyue was so meek, but now, with someone backing her up, her personality had completely changed. Instead of keeping her around to eat for free and endure her frustrations, it was better to send her away quickly.

With a sour expression, Madam Chen reluctantly removed a jade bracelet of a watery green hue from her wrist and handed it to Xu Shuyue. “Here, the family doesn’t have anything better to give you. This is all your dead mother left behind.”

Xu Shuyue accepted the bracelet without protest.

The Xu family had never been well-off, and the bracelet wasn’t worth much. But having something was better than nothing. At least it could be saved for emergencies, which gave Xu Shuyue some peace of mind.

Seeing Xu Shuyue compromise, Madam Wei quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling, she said, “Well then, we’ll take Shuyue back with us now. As for the bride price, I’ll have the matchmaker bring it over tomorrow.”

Madam Chen, still heartbroken over losing the bracelet, immediately perked up at the mention of the bride price. She broke into a smile and said, “Good, good. Brother Qi, Sister Qi, take your time on the way back.”

“Shuyue, when you get to the Qi family, you’d better behave, work hard, and not cause trouble.” Madam Chen’s words sounded caring on the surface, but in truth, they were a warning for Xu Shuyue to be obedient and not get sent back. She didn’t want to continue supporting this “money-losing wretch.”

Xu Shuyue ignored Madam Chen and followed closely behind Madam Wei. Madam Wei glanced at Xu Shuyue’s frail and skinny frame and couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. She took off her cloak and draped it over Xu Shuyue’s shoulders to shield her from the cold.

Madam Wei said gently, “Good child, from now on, live well with our family.”

She hadn’t expected Xu Shuyue to do much once she joined their household. As long as the marriage brought good fortune and her son remained safe, Madam Wei would be immensely grateful.

Xu Shuyue looked up, first at Madam Wei’s warm expression and then at Madam Chen, who couldn’t wait to get rid of her. She didn’t want to marry, but given her current situation, she had no choice. For now, she was at the mercy of others. The man she was marrying wasn’t even present, so she could only figure things out later.

She silently hoped that she wasn’t leaving one wolf’s den only to fall into a tiger’s lair.

The night sky was pitch black, and heavy snowflakes fell, blanketing the entire village in pure white. Xu Shuyue trudged through the thick snow, following behind Madam Wei and Qi Ansheng, step by step, back to the Qi household.

The Qi family had once been prosperous. With two strong sons in their prime, a few acres of farmland, and ancestral property, they were one of the wealthier families in the village.

The house had two courtyards, with fruit trees in the yard, livestock in the corner, and tall piles of firewood stacked by the entrance. The kitchen was adorned with hanging cured meats and various vegetables. Looking around, Xu Shuyue found the environment much better than the Xu household. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about starving here.

Inside the house, the kang bed was heated. As soon as they entered, Madam Wei arranged for Xu Shuyue to sit by the warm bed and brought over ointment to carefully apply to the bruises and welts on her body.

“What a sin… How could your family beat you so cruelly?” Madam Wei murmured as she applied the ointment, her heart aching for the girl.

Xu Shuyue’s frozen body gradually warmed, and her pale face finally regained a bit of color.

“Thank you, Aunt Wei.” Xu Shuyue, touched by Madam Wei’s kindness, felt a little embarrassed.

Madam Wei smiled and said, “What’s there to thank me for? Shuyue, from now on, you’re part of the Qi family. Don’t feel like an outsider.”

“Don’t worry, no one will bully you here.”

Qi Ansheng, who also pitied Xu Shuyue, added, “Shuyue, treat the Qi family as your home from now on. We’ll take care of you as if you were our own daughter.”

Xu Shuyue felt a warmth in her heart. She opened her mouth to call them “Father” and “Mother,” but the words didn’t come out. Instead, she lowered her head awkwardly.

Noticing her shyness, Madam Wei patted her hand and said, “Shuyue, get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll prepare for the wedding.”

Xu Shuyue was startled. “Tomorrow? That soon?”