Chapter 60

At this moment, someone in the crowd echoed, "Yeah, this morning I saw Li Mancang carrying a large basket. I asked them where they were going, and they said they were going to buy groceries. Later, I realized that for such a big event like their son's wedding, they should have bought everything the day before. I clearly saw that the basket was heavy; Li Mancang could barely carry it."

But in Guo Lin's ears, this statement was not ridiculous. Instead, it elicited a gentle and subtle smile from him.

Another person chimed in, "There was something fishy about that. I didn't see Yong Ge all morning, and suddenly he appeared when they were leaving!"

"Why didn't you ask more questions then? Maybe you could have saved Yong Ge."

"I didn't think there was a person in the basket!"

"These two are heartless. They married their elder son to Sha Yang and their nephew to a fool. They planned it all cunningly!"

"Huipo matchmaker was involved in both marriages. They must have known everything!"

When the matchmaker Huipo realized she was caught, she tried to escape, but Sha Yang's sisters caught her. They searched her and took her money. Her hair was disheveled, and her makeup smeared. She cried and pleaded, "I'm really innocent! It was clearly written on the contract. How could I have known that Wu Guihua would change her mind midway? I admit I took half a tael of silver from her, but I thought it was just a thank-you gift…"

"Ugh! No one gives half a tael of silver for a thank-you gift. Fifty wen at most! I think you are an accomplice!" Sha's eldest sister spat and moved to attack with Sha's second sister.

Scared, matchmaker Huipo raised her hand to stop them and confessed, "I… I misspoke. I only realized something was wrong when Sha Yang left with the person. Wu Guihua gave me half a tael of silver! I swear I only took that, and I really didn't know before. If I lie again, let heaven strike me!"

"Oh, so she paid you hush money!"

"How could matchmaker Huipo notice something wrong, but the one carrying the person didn't?"

Li Changsheng blushed and muttered, "My parents did it for Yong Ge's good…"

"Do you even believe that yourself? Is marrying a fool better than marrying into our Sha family?" Sha Yang's mother almost laughed; this Li Changsheng usually looked quite honest, but turns out he's the son of Li Mancang and Wu Guihua!

"You are the fool, not me! My mother said, 'Family treasure is not a fool!'" Hong Jiabao became anxious at the word "fool" and ran up to kick Sha Yang's mother.

Sha Yang's mother didn't notice and fell to the ground. "Ouch!"

"Jiabao!" "Mother!"

Hong Jia and Sha's families became chaotic due to this sudden situation.

Cheng Duo also acted. He went up and lifted Li Changsheng, aiming at his stomach and kicked him, "You, who are so heartless, have no right to say it's for Yong Ge's good!"

"Changsheng—" Li Mancang and Wu Guihua panicked, both rushing to Li Changsheng. They saw blood at the corner of his mouth, and Wu Guihua screamed, "I will fight you!"

"You are not a good person either!" Cheng Duo kicked her back, and she fell onto Li Mancang. The two rolled into a ball.

Cheng Duo glanced at the miserable three people and suddenly laughed. He gestured with his chin for them to look to the side, "You have done so much for that white-eyed wolf, and Wu Guihua even wants to take responsibility for him. But look, you all got beaten for him, and he didn't even think of coming to help you."

Feng Ge stiffly shook his head, "No… I, I was scared just now…"

"Then come now and take the blame for your parents and brother."

"I'm not a man, I'm a ger!"

(T/N: Ger- males who can concieve children. I believe i have used to brother to denote them in one of the earlier chapters. It's one and the same thing.)

"So your parents and brother deserve to be beaten?" Cheng Duo sneered, and seeing Li Mancang and Wu Guihua's faces change, he sarcastically said, "No wonder you wanted to marry that white-eyed wolf to get rid of him. He is such a stupid and poisonous thing, and your family's destruction is just a matter of time… Look, the retribution has come."

Feng Ge nervously stepped back, "What, what do you want to do?"

Cheng Duo ignored him, turned around, and said something to Li San Ye. Li San Ye looked embarrassed. Cheng Duo didn't care and returned to Yong Ge, lifting him up, "Let's go back home."

Yong Ge sat on Cheng Duo's arm like a child and fidgeted uncomfortably, "You can put me down. I can walk by myself…"

Back home, to which home? Everyone including Yu Ge and Shanzi's was watching. How could Cheng Duo carry him publicly? Well, he actually quite enjoyed being carried by Cheng Duo.

Yong Ge remembered that he still had the excuse of being drugged and, blushing,

 He openly hugged Cheng Duo's neck. Then, under Yu Ge's teasing gaze, he asked hesitantly, "What did you tell uncle Li San just now?"

"Compensation, for your dowry."

"Oh…" Yong Ge thought it was about money and didn't think much about it. The dowry stuff was quite embarrassing.

After being quiet for a while, he saw Cheng Duo was already outside Sha's home and asked, "Can we just leave like this?"

"We've said everything that needed to be said; the rest is their business… Why, do you want to stay and watch the fun?"

"No!" Yong Ge quickly shook his head. He hadn't forgotten that he rode on the donkey cart to Hong Jia for marriage today, and Cheng Duo got mad and beat people from Hong Jia…

"Let's leave quickly."

"What are you afraid of? Even if more people come, I can still get you back." Cheng Duo teased.

"I… I don't have that many people who want to take me…"

"Still saying you don't? Sha Yang likes you, and the fool also likes you. If you really went with them, wouldn't I be at a loss?"

He raised a plump and beautiful daughter-in-law, and he couldn't let others benefit from it! If Yong Ge had heard this at another time, he would definitely feel anxious. But when Cheng Duo said it, he patted him lightly on the buttocks and spoke in a relaxed and playful tone. Yong Ge became scared and stammered, "S-Someone's coming."

"Where's someone? The entire village, and even the neighboring village, has gone to watch the commotion." Cheng Duo replied.

Though they left in a hurry, they were still noticed by many because Cheng Duo had been the center of attention. However, no one dared to stop them; neither the people from Sha's family nor Hong's family.

Contrary to them, the villagers were very interested and started gossiping after they left—

"When did Yong Ge get together with the hunter?"

"Aren't they always together? Ever since Yong Ge helped him plant vegetables and sold meat for him!"

"The hunter used his fiancée as an excuse to reject Feng Ge before, it seems he wasn't interested."

"Nonsense, if I were him, I'd be interested in Yong Ge too. Yong Ge looks good and works hard…" One young boy who said this was met with teasing gazes, and he blushed and stammered, "N-No, I was just giving an example."

The older women burst into laughter, "We know you were just giving an example, Little Qiang."

"Haha, Little Qiang is only fifteen, and he's already thinking about getting married?"

"It's a shame; even if Li Wang doesn't mind his age, he still can't compete with that hunter… Listen to Auntie, don't provoke the hunter. He's powerful; didn't you see that neither Sha's nor Hong's family dared to stop him?"

"Look at the injuries on the faces of those from Hong's family; they said the hunter did it."

"Wow, with so many of them, they couldn't defeat one hunter?"

"All those from Sha's family who went together confirmed it. It can't be false…"

…

Cheng Duo took Yong Ge back home and went straight into the bedroom. Without hesitation, he started taking off Yong Ge's red wedding clothes.

Yong Ge wanted to stop him, but he didn't dare and said, "Don't tear it, we have to return it."

Cheng Duo glanced at him. Return the clothes that his wife had worn? Not a chance!

Fortunately, the inner clothes were Yong Ge's, so Cheng Duo balled up the torn wedding clothes and threw them into the fire.

He returned to the bedroom and saw Yong Ge sitting on the bed, looking lost, with a thin blanket covering himself.

Cheng Duo noticed that Yong Ge's face was slightly pale, knowing he must be tired. He went over and helped him lie down, saying, "Rest for a while. Don't worry; as long as I'm here, no one can take you away."

"En…" Yong Ge believed those words and soon drifted off to sleep.

On the donkey cart, he had been tense the whole time. Now that he had slept, he felt even more exhausted. Cheng Duo waited for him to sleep and then went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for both of them. Yong Ge probably hadn't even had breakfast. It was already four or five in the afternoon, and he had only taken a few sips of water the whole day…

Cheng Duo decided to stew a pot of fish soup for Yong Ge. He had caught these small fish in the pond on the mountain, no longer than a finger. Cheng Duo lightly fried them in lard and then stewed them in water until the soup turned milky white. He added some salt and mountain pepper to season it and then called the sleeping beauty to wake up.

When Yong Ge woke up, he felt even more tired. He had been tense on the donkey cart the whole time, and now he felt drained.

Cheng Duo coaxed him, "Let's eat in bed. I'll feed you."

Yong Ge didn't want to be fussed over but didn't want to argue either, so he reluctantly agreed. He sat on the bed, and Cheng Duo fed him with a tray of food and fish soup.

Yong Ge felt touched by Cheng Duo's consideration but also embarrassed to be treated like this. He couldn't help saying, "I can eat by myself. You should eat too. Let's eat together."

Cheng Duo had planned on eating together, but when he heard that, he put a spoonful of food into Yong Ge's mouth and then ate some himself, "Sure, let's eat together."

Yong Ge blushed and couldn't find words to say. Of course, they had done more intimate things together; how could he dislike this…?

Cheng Duo smirked, "What? Do you dislike me?"

Yong Ge quickly shook his head, "No!"

Cheng Duo teased, "I'm just teasing you, silly boy. Come on, eat quickly; I already ate outside."

But this time, Yong Ge wouldn't accept it, "You're lying again; let's eat together…"

Meanwhile, the elders from Hong's family rushed over overnight. After listening to the situation, they dragged Li San Ye to mediate.

Hong's family no longer wanted Feng Ge; marrying someone so capricious and indecisive, plus he had water-like affection, was too much trouble. If they brought him into their family, they would be asking for trouble!

However, they had invited guests and lost face. They couldn't just let it go like this!

As for Sha's family, they had the same predicament. Going to Li Da Bo's house to propose was Sha Yang's idea, and now he lost face too. But they didn't want to admit Feng Ge either; after all, he was a man, and just bowing in front of the elders wouldn't make a difference since they hadn't entered the bridal chamber!

Sha Yang's mother had hesitated initially, but seeing her son's firm stance and considering that they could get the betrothal gifts back, she also supported her son's decision, "You're right. We can't have someone as troublesome as him in our family!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Ge felt devastated, "We already bowed to the heavens and the earth, it's done! I, Li Changfeng, am from the Sha family, alive or dead!"

(T/N: It seems he is quite confident…)

Sha Yang's face turned grim, "This is a fraudulent marriage; bowing to the heavens and the earth doesn't count!"

"You'll regret this!" Feng Ge said coldly, glancing at him and then rushing out.

He had sacrificed everything to marry Sha Yang, and now even his parents were doubting him. He couldn't let Sha Yang call off the marriage!

Nobody paid much attention to Feng Ge's words. Due to the late hour, Li San Ye could only promise to gather the clan elders the next day for discussion. He then arranged the Hong family members to stay with Li Mancang's family, while the rest were divided among the other families. Fortunately, it was summer, so they could manage for one night, and it would quickly pass.

However, nobody expected that on that very night, Feng Ge would hang himself at the entrance of the Sha family's house, wearing the red wedding attire. As most of the guests had not left, many people were sitting in the yard on a couple of stools, so when Feng Ge made a noise at the gate, they quickly heard it.

They managed to save Feng Ge in time, and luckily, he only suffered some minor injuries from the rope around his neck. But this scare shook the Sha family. In ancient times, they were superstitious, and if Feng Ge had succeeded in his attempt, they would be haunted by him in the future. Even the Sha family's relatives hurriedly advised Sha Yang and his parents to reluctantly accept the situation, as they didn't want to invite trouble upon themselves!