Refusing to marry a widower, I went on a crazy spree of sending my children to the army.

Qiao Manman was right. Zhao Zhaodi, who accidentally fell into the pit and sprained her ankle, was indeed cursing herself.

"Damn you, Qiao Manman! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be suffering like this! And Qin Youbin, you're blind!"

Zhao Zhaodi sobbed, and after a moment she raised her red eyes, looked at the starry sky, and curled up.

Ouch~

A wolf's howl rang out, and Zhao Zhaodi's hatred intensified: "You surnamed Qiao, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a faint voice called out from afar: "Zhao family girl!"

Zhao Zhaodi opened her mouth as if to shout, "I'm here!"

But just as he was about to speak, he remembered the wolves nearby and awkwardly shut his mouth.

She hoped in her heart that the brigade leader would find her soon. It was the middle of the night, and it was strangely cold in the mountains.

Remembering something, he picked up the object at his feet and hid it in his bosom.

His gaze suddenly hardened, and he gave a strange smile in the direction the shooting star had streaked across the sky.

"Qin Youbin, you will regret this, you definitely will!"

***

Qiao Manman only found out on the second day at work that the team leader had searched for people for most of the night before discovering that Zhao Zhaodi was only a mile or two away from everyone.

The mountains were quiet at night, and if Zhao Zhaodi had just shouted once, they wouldn't have been up until almost dawn.

But that brat just wouldn't open her mouth. They wandered around for ages, all ready to leave, before she finally made a faint sound.

When asked why she was pretending to be dead, Zhao Zhaodi cried and said she was afraid of wolves.

But the wolf was a hundred and eight thousand miles away from this mountain, and by the time it came, it was almost dawn.

A child who grew up in the countryside can't even tell the distance of a sound? Is that reasonable?

Of course, he was just asking. Dawn was approaching, his head was spinning, and his legs were wobbling.

They took the person back to Old Zhao's house and gave the group that came out to search for the person a two-hour break.

A group of people went home to rest, and only went back to work when the sun was high in the sky.

Wang Defa was a little confused, but he still came to the drying ground and found Qin Erhua and had a long talk with her.

"If you didn't like them, you didn't like them. Why are you belittling them?"

Zhao Di has never cheated or slacked off at work. In my eyes, she's just a good girl!

Right? We have to get to the point!

Qin Erhua retorted, "It wasn't me who made her go up the mountain. She cheated our Qin family out of a hundred yuan in betrothal gifts, and she still thinks she's right?"

"Did you give it?"

"They didn't give it to me!"

"If they don't give it, we can still discuss marriage, and then we can negotiate the price."

If you think she's asking for too much, just look for another one. Why say such harsh things!

Qin Erhua said guiltily, "I... I was just angry!"

Wang Defa ignored her excuses and fined her two days' worth of work points as compensation to the commune members who went up the mountain to look for her.

The Zhao family also got a beating.

"Your own daughter is missing and you don't even bother to go look for her? Are you planning to let wolves eat Zhao Di?"

"Captain, what are you saying? We're at home taking care of the kids, we don't have time to deal with that brat!"

"Speak like a human being!" The captain laughed in anger: "I think your family really doesn't do anything human!"

In our Qingshan production brigade, when a daughter gets married, every family asks for a hundred yuan as a bride price. You guys are shameless; the production team can barely contain you!

I didn't waste any more words with them. I deducted two days' worth of work points as compensation for those who worked last night.

We can't let people feel disheartened.

After a moment of stunned silence, Old Man Zhao ignored everyone's attempts to stop him, stormed home, grabbed a broom, and beat Zhao Zhaodi.

They beat someone until their face was bruised and swollen, and they still weren't satisfied.

Zhao Zhaodi was also stubborn, baring her teeth and crying: "Hit me, hit me, just kill me."

"If you kill me, then no one will be able to pay for my brother's betrothal gifts!"

Old Man Zhao thought about it and realized it made sense, and his anger gradually subsided.

Looking at her bruised and battered daughter, she coldly uttered "bad luck" and went back to work.

They didn't even call the team doctor to come and take a look.

On the drying ground, Ma Qiuhua sighed, "That Zhao girl is a pitiful person!"

Taking care of the whole family, they still don't get a proper meal.

Qiao Manman rolled her eyes: "Auntie, do you think I'm pitiful or not?"

Ma Qiuhua was caught off guard, and forced a smile as she tried to smooth things over: "You've already made it out of the woods, haven't you? You're more capable than her!"

Qiao Manman chuckled and tossed a basket of wheat into the air.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and the broken wheat husks, awns, and straws, along with dust, all rushed towards Ma Qiuhua's face.

She was so frightened that she immediately closed her eyes.

The wind ruffled Ma Qiuhua's hair and the corners of her clothes, and Qiao Manman quickly put down the winnowing basket and came over to help her tidy up.

She said apologetically, "Aunt Qiuhua, I'm so sorry, I didn't expect the wind to come at that time."

What could Ma Qiuhua say? She couldn't say anything. She couldn't very well blame Qiao Manman for the wind.

With a forced smile, he said, "You're quite good at seizing opportunities!"

I didn't take it to heart.

***

On the other side, Qin Youbin went back and thought about it all night, and decided that he still couldn't let Qiao Manman go.

So he ran to his mother's room that very night and cried, "Mother, I think it's a girl, but she thinks I'm too poor and won't marry me!"

Qin Youbin's mother has been paralyzed in bed for more than two years. No one cleans her up, and the house smells of feces and urine.

Qin Youbin's father usually disliked his wife for being a burden and never stepped into this shack.

Qin Youbin would come over every few days to keep his mother company and talk to her, but his main purpose was to ask for money.

Seeing her son crying so sadly, Qin Lianqiao became furious and asked through gritted teeth, "Who dares to disrespect my son like this!"

What era are we living in? How dare she be a snob and a gold digger? I'll tear her mouth apart!

"My son, don't be afraid. Push me to her factory, and I'll ask her boss how she manages her subordinates!"

Qin Youbin felt guilty for a moment, then continued to smear Qiao Manman: "She doesn't have a job; she's a member of the production team."

Her family is short-sighted; they insist on a dowry of 100 yuan before they'll commit to marriage.

"Even a village girl is being picked and chosen. Who gave her the audacity?"

"My son, that girl isn't good enough for you. I'll have your sister introduce you to someone better!"

Seeing that his mother was getting more and more off-topic, Qin Youbin quickly grabbed her hand and said in a coquettish tone, "Mom, that girl is so beautiful, she's the most beautiful in their production team!"

They even have a high school diploma, and I heard they can earn money by submitting articles to newspapers.

Mother, wouldn't it make our Qin family so proud to marry someone like that?

Although the bride price is a bit expensive, how the bride is treated after she marries into the family is entirely up to us.

Second Sister Hua also agreed that I should meet the other party, saying that if our Qin family marries her, it's a sure win!

Qin Lianqiao was tempted by what she heard. After hesitating for a moment, she shakily raised her head.

Qin Youbin quickly pulled out her pillow and took out a handkerchief from it.

"Ptooey!" Qin Youbin spat on his fingers and quickly smeared the ten-yuan note inside his handkerchief.

In just a few seconds, he counted out a stack of items: "Mom, I'm going back now. I have to go to work tomorrow."

Don't worry, I'll soon be able to give you a grandson!

Qin Lianqiao chuckled: "Good, good, I'm relieved that you're so promising."

Go back to your room and sleep. Don't let your father know that your mother still has money here!

Qin Youbin nodded hurriedly, thinking to himself that he would never go out and spread rumors.

Otherwise, we'd have to give half to the other party. That's such a bad deal!