No Love

Kyushu Spiritual Realm, Guazhou in the south.

Qianshanling County.

Qianshan calendar, June 6th, the 2026th year of the Chu Yuan Dynasty.

Today is a big day in Qianshanling County - the day when the Lord of Qianshan Mountain chooses a wife.

It only happens once every ten years.

All children of appropriate age in all households in Qianshanling County can participate.

Annan Village is one of the small villages among the many villages in Qianshanling County.

Lin Qi is an orphan whose parents died when he was young and he lives with his elderly grandmother.

Fifteen years old this year.

Due to years of hard work, he was dark and thin, and looked only eleven or twelve years old.

The family has five mu of thin land and fifteen mu of mountain farmland.

Life is not rich, but it is good.

Lin A'm is a kind old man. Although he is old, he is still in good health.

In order to save money on hiring permanent workers, the grandfather and grandson worked hard on their own. Whenever the rice was harvested, they would hire temporary workers to help.

Or there are migrant workers coming from far away, the price is low, and some even just need food and accommodation.

A Miao is one of the migrant workers who came here to escape the flood in Xinzhou County this year.

Because she was a girl, many families were unwilling to take her in.

Seeing her appearance, Lin Amu took her in. First, A Miao was really pitiful. A girl, without anyone to rely on, if she continued like this, she would be bullied.

Secondly, judging from the woman's appearance, Lin Qi is already fifteen years old, which is the age for getting married and starting a family.

Just because my parents are not around, I can't go any higher or lower and have to stay here.

I am old and my family is in urgent need of a woman to take care of the housework.

Many girls in Qianshanling County would never get married. Their families would sign them up for the annual Qianshan Mountain Lord's wife selection.

The families of the girls who participate in the selection for the wife of the Lord of Qianshan Mountain will receive a generous reward - one hundred taels of silver.

That is a sum of money that many families cannot earn in more than ten years.

Who wouldn’t be jealous?

As for the chosen woman, there is only one ending: she will be sent to Shenjun Ridge in Qianshanling County on the night of June 18th.

Along with Madam Qianshan came the girls who were chosen to be maids.

This is the secret of Qianshanling County.

A Miao was an outsider, so naturally she didn't know.

"Sister Miao, she's working again."

He Xintong is Lin Qi's neighbor and is about the same age as Lin Qi.

At the age of youth, he has special feelings for Lin Qi.

"Ah, Miss He, A Miao is not worthy of being called sister. Just call me A Miao."

Ah Miao smiled, revealing two dimples, and hung the clothes in her hands on the bamboo pole. Her hands were covered with calluses.

"How can that be possible?"

He Xintong's eyes flickered. She glanced at A Miao, then at the clothes hanging in the yard.

She felt very uncomfortable.

She didn't want to be the wife of a mountain master, she wanted to... get married.

But……,

"Sister Miao."

He Xintong looked at A Miao in front of her and thought of a way to replace Li Jiang with a peach.

"I'm thirsty, can you bring me a bowl of water?"

"Hey, it's no big deal. Wait."

Ah Miao walked into the yard cheerfully, came to the large vat of water, picked up the ladle and scooped a ladle of water, and then happily brought it to He Xintong.

"Drink it. If it's not enough, there's more. There's plenty."

He Xintong smiled, picked up the ladle and started drinking.

After drinking the water, he wiped his mouth with his hand and said, "Thank you, Sister Miao."

A-Miao took the water scoop and smiled, "I told you not to be so polite. Just call me A-Miao."

A Miao turned around to deliver the water scoop. He Xintong quickly took out a pill, a hint of viciousness flashed in her eyes, and quickly stuffed it into her mouth.

"Ah Miao, who's here?"

Lin Am was hunched over, carrying a small bamboo basket filled with wild vegetables. Seeing a young woman in the family, she couldn't help but ask questions.

"Aunt Lin, I'm He Xintong. We're neighbors!"

He Xintong rushed to speak.

"He Xintong?"

Lin Amu's wrinkled face showed a trace of uneasiness, but he couldn't tell why.

"Isn't today the day to choose the wife of the mountain owner? Why are you coming to my house? I don't have any girls at home."

A sly look flashed across He Xintong's eyes. "Lin Am, it's all over. I was selected. Isn't this the time to come back and say goodbye to my family?"

Lin Amu looked disgusted and said, "Say goodbye to your family, why are you coming to my house? Go, go, go quickly."

"Okay, I'll go."

He Xintong looked at A Miao in the kitchen and shouted, "Sister A Miao, I'm leaving."

"Oh, no thanks, come and play when you have time!"

A Miao greeted her through the dark window.

"A Miao, you just arrived and don't know the situation here."

Aunt Lin hunched over and walked to the window sill. She took out some wild vegetables to dry in the sun while educating A Miao.

"Although you are a foreigner, you are still a teenage girl. How can you trust the people here so easily?"

"Girls like them all wish someone else would be elected as the mountain master's wife for them..."

A Miao smiled innocently and did not refute. She knew that Lin Amu was doing it for her own good.

I also know the legend of Qianshanling County, but this legend is a bit mysterious.

I didn't really take it to heart.

After all, she knew He Xintong, who was Lin Qi's neighbor.

She looks like the girl next door, what bad intentions could she have?

……

An hour later, a group of He family members, young and old, surrounded Lin Qi's house aggressively.

The shouting and cursing attracted the villagers to watch.

It turned out that He Xintong suffered from unbearable abdominal pain after returning home, so she asked a doctor to see her. The doctor said that she was poisoned!

After asking, I found out that he drank the water that A Miao brought!

It's worth it!

Seeing the 100 taels of silver that they had earned just flew away! How could the He family let it go?

Lin Qi was invited back home by the elders of the clan.

Aunt Lin hunched over, looking at the aggressive He family, and then at A Miao who was frightened and at a loss.

She knew the child was innocent.

But she didn't want to be implicated.

She didn't want to pay the hundred taels of silver.

There is only one way, agree to all the demands of the He family!

"Ah Miao, don't be afraid."

When Lin Qi returned home, he saw the trembling A Miao and hugged her in his arms. He turned his head to look at the group of people with bad intentions and said loudly,

"A Miao is already mine. Don't even think about letting her become the mountain master's wife!"

"Then just pay me back."

He Xintong's father, He Laoba, stood up and said that for him, girls would be sold for money when they grew up, and it would make no difference to whom they were sold.

"My daughter was elected as the wife of the mountain master, and the county master will give my family a hundred taels of silver as a betrothal gift. Today, she was poisoned because she drank the water that A Miao brought. She can't go to the county master's house if she is poisoned. My hundred taels of silver are wasted! Lin Qi, tell me, do you want to give the money, or let this girl replace Xintong to be the wife of the mountain master?"

"I'll give you money!"

Lin Qi had lived in Qianshanling County since he was a child, so he naturally knew that being the wife of the mountain master was not an easy job. No one who went there came back.

Either they were eaten by wild beasts, or they starved to death in the mountains.

A Miao has suffered enough, we can’t let her suffer any more.

"Em, take out the money box."

Aunt Lin hunched over, looked up at Lin Qi, and the trembling A Miao in Lin Qi's arms. She shook her head.

"Ah Miao, this is your own business, don't implicate us Ah Qi."

"slim Shady!"

Lin Qi didn't expect Lin Amu to say such a thing. He just hugged A Miao.

"We kneel down for you!"

Lin Qi knelt down holding A Miao.

"Please, Eminem, give me the money."

Lin Amu walked over hunched over, looking at the two children, her heart bleeding, she felt sorry for A Miao and wanted to help her. However, all this was only based on not harming her interests.

The current situation was clearly beyond her ability to bear.

"A Miao, you have wandered here, without anyone to rely on, and we, the grandparents and grandchildren, have taken you in out of kindness. We provide you with food and shelter, and we don't ask you to repay us. We just ask you not to drag us down with you."

"slim Shady!"

Lin Qi knew that she was refusing to save A Miao!

The He family gathered in the yard and watched with laughter. Even if Ah Miao hadn't brought water to He Xintong, Lin Qi would have been kicked out sooner or later.

His family's mountain fields and thin fields are adjacent to his own. If they are all taken into the He family, it will be a considerable income.

Today, let’s get this woman away first, and then deal with the others slowly.

"Seventh Brother, I'll go."

A Miao said crying.

"I won't let you go!"

Lin Qi stood up, his eyes cold, and looked at the hunched Am, and said in a cold tone,

"Emu, I say it again, take out the money!"

Lin Amu shook her head, "Ah Qi, listen to Amu and let them take A Miao away!"

"No!"

Lin Qi dragged Ah Miao away from the crowd and broke into Ah Mu's room. Ah Miao looked at him tremblingly. She said in a trembling voice: "Brother Qi, how about I go?"

"No, I will protect you."

Lin Qi searched for a while, took out Am's key, opened Am's old cabinet, and rummaged in the cabinet for a long time before finding more than ten taels of silver.

A Miao watched silently the whole time without saying a word.

Lin Qi looked at the silver and cried. He knew it was too much of a difference.

"Seventh brother, don't cry, that's enough."

Ah Miao hugged Lin Qi tremblingly. This man was not tall, handsome, or considerate. However, he was willing to do this at this moment, which was his best effort.

"Not enough. Too much!"

Lin Qi cried.

There is not enough money, A-Miao...

"Crying!"

He Lao Ba and his group rushed in, some snatched the silver from Lin Qi's hand, and some dragged the crying A Miao. The room was in chaos!

"Amiao!"

Lin Qi rushed out to grab A Miao regardless of the He family's attempts to stop him, and was beaten up by the onlookers from the He family.

"Don't hit Brother Qi, I'll go with you!"

A Miao screamed heartbreakingly.

But no one cared about her cries.

"Don't hit my grandson."

Lin Amu stumbled towards Lin Qi, but was pushed and bumped by several burly village women, causing her to stumble several times...

"Amiao!"

Lin Qi rushed out desperately, but was hit on the head by the big bowl in the hand of He Yuntang who was eating.

"What do you want to do, you little bastard? If you move forward, I'll kill you!"

Several men from the He family rushed over and pinned him to the ground.

"Lin Qi, we have no choice. For the sake of our neighbors, we don't want to take things to the extreme."

He Laoba walked over, stepped on Lin Qi's face and twisted it hard.

Lin Qi's face was covered with blood foam on the ground.

"Don't be reluctant to let go of a wild girl from outside."

"Lin Qi, stop chasing him. Uncle He won't kill us, our neighbors."

People from neighboring families in the village also came.

Someone pulled Lin Qi out from under He Lao Ba's feet, and someone pushed the He family.

"What's going on? Is there no one in our Lin family bullying us?"

"Fuck you, why are you here? If you can't give me an answer, let's go see the official!"

……

A Miao was still taken away by the He family.

Lin Qi's family's silver was also taken away.

Lin Amu fell ill because of this incident.

A Miao was sent to the county master's house.

He Xintong also could not escape the fate of becoming a candidate for Madam Qianshan.

He Laoba thus earned an extra 100 taels of silver.

The county lord of Qianshanling County is a middle-aged man with a handsome face.

He had a look of pity for these mountain masters' wives, but also a look of helplessness.

He is not a god and has no power to change these things. He can only continue this bad habit.

All he could do was to provide them with good food, shelter and clothing while they were here. He couldn't help with anything else.

The matter of Qianshanling County selecting a wife for the Lord of Qianshan Mountain is not only absurd, but also cruel. Young girls as beautiful as flowers are sent to the desolate mountains in such a confused manner!

Not to mention any evil mountain master, even if there is nothing, the wild beasts can eat them!

He knew that this was a cruel and bad habit, but he had no power to change it.

So, he could only do what he could.

"Qian Shiqi, go and take a look at those...mountain master's wives."

The county master sighed and told his attendants,

"Just stay here, you poor people. Don't let them suffer in our hands."

Qian Shiqi agreed and did not leave, but looked at the county master thoughtfully. His expression was as if he had something important to report.

"Seventeen, there is nothing you can't say to me."

The county master pinched his brows. He was just a scholar and didn't believe in supernatural powers.

However, this Qianshanling County was really strange. Ten years ago, his predecessor postponed the selection of Qianshan Lady by one day.

That year, there was a peach blossom flood in Qianshanling County in the spring, heavy rains lasted for three months in the summer, and just as autumn began, a plague struck.

The county lord died in that plague!

terrible,

too frightening.

It cannot be changed by human power!

"We came here together as master and servant. If you are also keeping your heart away from me, who else in this huge Qianshanling County can be my confidant?"

Qian Shiqi thought for a moment and said, "Master, my master told me yesterday that if...if any of these women are pretty, we should keep them."

County Lord: "..." Isn't this some kind of weird thing?!

"Alas, Master, the mountain master's wife must be sent off, but the people above must also be sent off."

Qian Shiqi saw that the county master didn't understand what the master meant, so he hurriedly explained.

"Madam Qianshan is for the mountain god. The beauties of the upper class are for the priests coming from above. They are all gifts."

The county master's face darkened and he said coldly:

"It is against the will of heaven for a mountain god to demand his wife! As a local god, it is his duty to protect the people. But he demands a hundred girls every ten years. He is not a mountain god, but a mountain demon!"

"Master, keep your voice down!"

Qian Shiqi knelt down in fear.

"Master, please, your term of office will end soon. As long as there are no major natural or man-made disasters during your term, why do you care so much, Master?"

"When you are an official, you should benefit the people!"

The county master sighed.

Bow your head dejectedly,

"I am not a competent official, and I am unworthy of being the sky over the people's heads."

"Master, that thing up there..." Qian Shiqi looked at the county master and said in a low voice.

"No delivery."

The county master gritted his teeth and said,

"It's already hard enough for them to be chosen as Qianshan Madams, so don't add to their suffering!"