C1 Part1

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Carrying a bamboo basket that full of wet clothes, Ping Zhaofu speeded up her pace to reach home as soon as possible.

Today, she had so much chores to do. She had a lot of clothes to wash and had prepare for lunch as well. After that, she must go to the fields to pick up some radish and sweet potatoes. If her actions were slow, she will be scolded by her mother-in-law.

As soon as Ping Zhaofu reached home, she quickly dried off the wet clothes on the bamboo poles, then hurriedly to the kitchen to start a fire in the stove and begin cooking.

After a while, Ping Guifu came home.

Ping Guifu is her husband, but the two of them have not consummated yet.

When she was three years old, Ping Zhaofu was sold into Ping family as child bride. At that time, her husband was not born. She was adopted in the hope that she would bring luck to Ping family and get a son, so her name was named “Zhao Fu” – means recruit husband.

But day by day had passed, there were no news about the mother’s belly. Soon, the mother-in-law who used to be gentle to her gradually changed. Mother was pressured by the grandmother and being said as useless wife. Turned around she would beat Ping Zhaofu for wasting her money to raise a useless beast.

No matter how harsh her in-laws were, she would think it was all because her fault and she silently endured it. Fortunately, when she was eight-years-old, her mother-in-law finally got herself pregnant and it was a baby boy. She finally had some hope to see some light of her life.

After Ping Guifu was born, she took care of him diligently. Mother Ping was planning to let them both to make a family when Ping Guifu reached sixteen. After all, Ping Zhaofu already twenty-four-years-old, Mother Ping afraid it was too late for her to get pregnant and no heir will be born. The Ping family had no money to buy second wife and Ping descent cannot be ended in this generation just like that.

In fact, Mother Ping had never been able to get this out back then. Grandmother had the same idea of buying a second wife for her son. However, Ping family only lived on a rented land. The economy wasn’t so good and they even borrowed the money to buy Ping Zhaofu as child bride. Which is why the family hated her before Ping Guifu was born.

“Is the lunch ready?” Ping Guifu, who had just returned home from the field, called out as soon as he entered the house.

“Just a little bit more.” Ping Zhaofu shouted towards the hall.

“Why so slow? I’m starving to death.” Ping Guifu sat down on the chair, poured himself a glass of water and drank it.

Ping Zhaofu smiled helplessly. This little husband who is eight years younger than her, not so much a husband, but more like a younger brother. She laughed at his wilful words. Whenever his words were overboard, she would usually give him a word or two.

When he was a young, Ping Guifu would listen to her obediently. He would act like a baby and treated her as a sister. As he grown up, he grew fatter and not only would talk back, but also liked to complaint to his parents. In the end, she would be scolded by the parents. Her status in family had becoming more and more insignificant like a servant.

“Almost ready.” Ping Zhaofu continue to accelerate her hand fanning at the fire. Sweat dripping down next to her eyelashes, she wiped it off with her hands and leaving soot stained on her small delicate face.

Father Ping came back right after she served some dishes on the table.

Grandmother passed away last year and now there are only four people left in this family.

Ping Guifu pulled his mother’s sleeve while his eyes peaked towards the kitchen direction.

“What is it?” Mother Ping glanced at her son. “Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m afraid good things will be taken away by others.”

“What are you afraid of? According to the Cha’s Family reputation, who would dare to marry him again? Even if you wait another ten days or more, nobody would fight for it.”

“But I’m afraid Yi’er can’t wait any longer. If her stomach seen by others, it will ruin her reputation.” Ping Guifu said eagerly.

“You still dare to speak!” Mother Ping twisted her son’s arm, her tone was angry but she smiled, “At such young age already caused so much trouble, this is making me crazy!”

“Mother, I think you are happy.” Ping Guifu mischievously looked at his mother. “You are afraid that there will be no continuance of Ping Family. But now you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“Still talk back!” Mother Ping raised her hand and pretended to beat her son. “I’ll kill you, the troublemaker.”

“Mother, you can’t bear it.” Ping Guifu rubbed his mother’s arm.

“Go away!” Mother Ping pushed her son away.

“Well, now is the big show…” Father Ping gave the wife and son a blank look.

The mother and son pushed back and forth, couldn’t help but laugh, even Father Ping joined in.

When Ping Zhaofu came out with the remaining dishes, she saw that the three of them were happily laughing together. She didn’t know what they were talking about and had such good time. She couldn’t help wondering, “What are you guys talking about? So happy?”

“Hmm…” Ping Guifu coughed and pushed his mother.

“What’s the rush?” Mother Ping said sternly, “Let’s talk about it after lunch.”

It wasn’t the first time that Ping Zhaofu felt being left out. She often felt that she was not part of the family. She guessed that it might be because of Ping Guifu and her had not gotten into a real relationship. Even though they grew up together in Ping family, but she still feels out of place because they treated her more like a servant.

Every time she was left out, she comforted herself; as long as she gets married, she will be the real Ping Family’s wife.

☆☆☆ ☆☆☆

After serving lunch to the three of Ping’s family, she only had the leftovers to eat…

And today, Ping family did not take nap in the room after their lunch. Mother Ping even asked her to get chair and sit down. It seemed like she had something to tell her.

Ping Zhaofu was inexplicably nervous.

“Zhaofu, do you know that there’s a rich man surnamed ‘Cha’ in Linhe City?

Ping Zhaofu nodded lightly.

The Cha family is famous not only because they are rich, but also because they nearly owned one-third of the properties in the city. There is also the fact that the owner, Cha Xiangye already married with two wives and they both died in half year ago.

No one knows the real reason. Even if the government thinks there’s a problem, but they would not do anything about it because of the good relationship with Cha family. The wives’ family members cried out and refused to accept the rejection of the appeal.

So rumours began to appear, saying that Cha Xiangye was abusive and the wives were tortured to death by him. After all, he is a smart, capable and ruthless man in the city. That is why Cha Industry continued to grow rapidly even after the death of Master Cha. He used this ruthlessness on his wives as well, not only without compassion but also using them as a punching bag whenever there is a problem.

There were even people who talked about them, often heard women crying from the Cha family in the middle of the night and would scare away the guards of the house.

“The rich man is looking for a wife, and he offered a very generous wage. It wasn’t just open to young girl and there is no need to give an equal dowry. I think you deserve a good life after working so hard for the family after so many years.” Mother Ping said with her smiling face but has no smile in her eyes.

Ping Zhaofu is a smart person, she understood what Mother Ping meant as soon as she heard it, but she didn’t want to believe it. Although she hasn’t married, but she is still Ping Guifu’s wife; Ping family’s daughter-in-law. How can she marry someone else…… moreover to the infamous Cha Xiangye, who killed his two wives!

Isn’t that the same as asking her to die?

“Mother, are you kidding?” Ping Zhaofu’s mouth was trembling, because she knew very well that her mother was serious and never joked. “I am Guifu’s wife, your daughter-in-law.”

“Not even consummate yet, so you’re not my daughter-in-law…..” Mother Ping turned her head away, showing a hint of impatience at the corner of her mouth.

“Yes.” Ping Guifu interjected. “I always treated Zhaofu as a sister.”

But you never called me ‘sister’ since you were little….

Ping Zhaofu begged eagerly, “Mother, how can a wife has two husbands; daughter can’t……”

“I never recognized you as my daughter-in-law.” Mother Ping became cold, the repeated old tune that she had not been heard for a long time. “I adopted you at the beginning and spent so much on money on you. As the result, you couldn’t even give me a grandson. I have suffered so much for nothing. Who would want such a loser?”

Ping Zhaofu struggled to the end, trying to change her fate, “But you still gave birth to Guifu…..”

Mother Ping interrupted her, “Look how nice I am to you now… I’ve suffered so much for you, but I still want to help you to find a wealthy family and so that you can enjoy glory and prosperity. What’s your right to appose such a good marriage?”

Ping Zhaofu’s face became paler, “But that man…..”

“Don’t need to talk more to her.” Father Ping said impatiently, “Do we need her permission to sell her?”

Father Ping’s word awakened the dreamer.

“That’s right.” Mother Ping glared at Ping Zhaofu, “In the coming months, you will be married as my adopted daughter of the Ping family. I’ve already agreed with them and I can’t go back…”

“Mother……..” Tears drenched and Ping Zhaofu’s knees trembled and she could no longer stand.

She knelt down and begged.

“Father, Mother, please…….., I will be more obedient and work harder in the future. Please…… I don’t want to marry Cha Xiangye.”

“It’s already decided, and it’s useless to speak anything now.” Father Ping stood up. “Who do you think we think are? You think we can break the promise of the marriage with Cha family?”

“Awmm… I’m sleepy…” Mother Ping yawned, “I’ll take a nap first.”

“I’m sleepy too.”

Yawning is contagious. Three of them raised their hands, yawned and walked into the room. No one pull Ping Zhaofu up from the ground.

Looking at the three figures decisively, Ping Zhaofu finally realized that she had been busy for Ping family for past twenty years, doing her utmost to be the best in-laws, and serving her little husband…. But in the end, she still got abandoned easily.

Entering Cha family, will she still alive?

“Mother…….” before Mother Ping closed the door, she pushed the door and rushed in. She knelt down and cried bitterly, “Please, don’t let me marry………”

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