Chapter 2: Going to be sold to the Brothel

Hearing this sharp and unpleasant voice, Qiao Xiaomai’s eyes flashed with disgust. The person who had arrived was her aunt, Zhu Cuiying, who was notoriously greedy and unscrupulous.

Upon hearing the knock at the door, Qiao Changshun, ignoring Qiao Xiaomai, hobbled toward the entrance.

Seeing this, Qiao Xiaomai furrowed her delicate eyebrows even more, staying still at her spot.

The courtyard gate swung open, and Qiao Changshun’s mother from the Sun family walked in, followed by his elder sister-in-law, Zhu Cuiying.

As soon as Zhu Cuiying entered the courtyard, she yelled out loud, “Changsun, did that wicked mother of yours really run away with a rogue?”

Sun’s narrow eyes glared at Qiao Changshun, cursing, “I told you long ago that woman was up to no good. Look now, she has crippled you and run off with a wild man, not only ruining your reputation but also disgracing our entire Qiao family!”

“That meddling woman deserves a miserable fate. The Spring Tax is almost due, and your family has neither silver nor land. She just carefreely left, and all those times I advised you to divorce her, you would not listen. Let’s see what you’re going to do now!”

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She pointed an accusing finger at Qiao Changshun, her voice was drowned in the spit that flew out.

Qiao Changshun looked down, only rubbing his large hands, silent, with the wrinkles on his face deepening.

In truth, there were still over two months left before the spring tax was due. However, his family was so poor that not even a copper coin could be found, and both the granary and the cellar were so empty that not even a mouse would visit. How could he muster up the tax money, or even the grains, in two months?

This…

This is like pushing someone onto a path of death!

Zhu Cuiying was assessing the three large rooms, her face filled with unconcealed greed, which, when combined with her pockmarked complexion and ugly features, made her look even more hideous.

Having finished sizing up the place, she turned to Qiao Changshun, her words imbued with a tone of delight at his misfortune.

“We thought of marrying Xiaomai off to the third son of the Jiang family in exchange for some dowry to use as tax money. But now that Zhuang Luhe has run off with a rogue, with such a mother, even if Jiang’s third son is a fool, old Jiang would never agree to Xiaomai’s marriage!”

The Jiang family were the village butchers, they slaughtered pigs daily to sell in the town. They were the wealthiest in the village second only to the Village Chief’s family, and even owned a small courtyard in town.

Jiang’s third son, Jiang Zhuangzhuang, was mentally challenged, having the mental age of a six or seven-year-old, and was often violent.

Yet, even so, there were girls in the village who wanted to marry him simply because the Jiang family was well-off and meals there always included meat.

However, Jiang Zhuangzhuang fancied Qiao Xiaomai.

What he appreciated was not Qiao Xiaomai’s physical appearance but her cooking skills. Zhuang Luhe was famous in the village for her culinary skills, and she was the go-to person whenever there were events, whether happy or sorrowful.

Having learned from Zhuang Luhe since a young age, Qiao Xiaomai had also developed excellent cooking skills. Jiang Zhuangzhuang once had a taste of her pork dish and was taken. Since then, he has wanted to marry her.

But both Zhuang Luhe and Qiao Xiaomai disagreed. They would rather live in poverty than marry a mentally challenged man.

But now…

Now that Zhuang Luhe has run off with a rogue, even if Qiao Xiaomai were willing to marry Jiang Zhuangzhuang, the Jiang family would disagree.

On hearing Zhu Cuiying’s words, Qiao Changsun was taken aback, his back more hunched.

Qiao Xiaomai was already fifteen years old and it was time to start discussing marriage. This scandal would make it hard for Qiao Xiaomai to find a suitor in the future.

“The way I see it, you don’t need to worry as much. If the Jiang family doesn’t want Xiaomai, you could sell her to a wealthy family in the town, they are always looking for maids,” spoke out Zhu Cuiying again, her eyes now fixated on Qiao Xiaomai with unconcealed loathing.

“Sell, you say? Which wealthy family would want a girl of her age, except for a brothel?” spoke Mrs. Sun, her words even more venomous than Zhu Cuiying’s.

Upon hearing these words, Qiao Changsun finally looked at Mrs. Sun, shaking with rage. “Mother, you are Xiaomai’s biological grandmother. How could you curse her so cruelly?!”