Chapter 2: Fake Marriage for Protecting Her
Translator: Flying Lines
How could Geng Zhishan alone be able to outdebate so many people, let alone a number of women who had a smooth tongue?

Xie Mengxuan had been hearing all these dialogues inside the room. She was filled with indignation. In her fifteen years of life, it was the first time that she had been thought of as a married woman. Even worse, a peasant woman.

Clenching her teeth, Xie Mengxuan wanted to get up, only to find her injured leg in extreme pain. She had been in an unconscious state and not aware of her physical condition until now she came to her mind. Her face paled visibly under intense pain.

People outside were still in a bustle and made up more and more ridiculous stories about her. Some thought that she was the reincarnation of a fairy fox. As well she was said to confuse the masses. Without putting a stop to all those rumors, she was highly likely to be an evil spirit.

The man who was guarding the door seemed to be awkward in speech and failed to utter a single word against others’ ironical remarks.

“Why is it so noisy outside?” Xie Mengxuan said loud after taking a deep breath.

Her voice was clear, just like a nightingale hailing the spring. Geng Zhishan’s face thus lighted up. However, before he showed his care, the village head’s wife interrupted, “Girl, since you are awake, we have to discuss some matter with you. It was the one in our village who saved your life. Do you owe a debt of gratitude to us?”

Xie Mengxuan thought to herself that this woman was indeed double-faced, who pretended to be polite now facing her after those rude remarks behind her back.

However, she responded with a smile, “Sure, I will always be grateful to the deep favor of my savior for saving my life.”

“Well, it can be seen that you are a girl who knows what gratefulness is. Our village tends to be cut off from the outside world and not involved in anything. We saved your life based on the principle that Heaven’s care patronizes every living thing. Nevertheless, since you came, we have been leading an unsteady life. Could you make our life calm again out of kindness?” said the woman who was also named Aunt Cui.

“Aunt Cui, my wife has just come back to life and figures out nothing. It is unfair to attribute to her everything bad that recently occurred in our village.” Geng Zhishan explained anxiously.

Before Aunt Cui opened her mouth, there came Xie Mengxuan’s words from the room, “Farmers are the simplest and plainest. I believe that if there is any other solution, you will not make things clear to me at this time.”

Her speech rate was just right, not too fast or too slow, which calmed down those people outside the room. Aunt Cui frowned and pushed Geng Zhishan away. She said loud with her neck stretched, “It is good of you to be understanding. When will you set off? How about asking some little girls in our village to help you pack since they have nothing else to do?”

Xie Mengxuan moved slowly and managed to sit on the bed, regardless of the dust on the ground. She took a deep breath, endured the pain and responded with smile coloring her tone, “I should have left here, but concerning my injured leg, even if you send me away, I can only climb on the ground. With no one attending to me, it’s just a matter of time for me to die. At that time, who will be responsible for the debt of my life in front of the King of Hell?”

Her voice was gentle and soft, while what her words meant made others change face. Geng Zhishan seemed to have no choice but to lower his head, but behind his half-closed eyelid there was a flash of smile.

He thought that this girl would never make herself suffer a loss.

Aunt Cui had received education in the village. What Xie Mengxuan meant was quite clear. She changed her face and said angrily with an arm on the hip, “You! How dare you speak in this way? Is it wrong of us to save your life? Don’t beat around the bush. To be frank, what you mean is that if you die outside, the debt will be owed to us, right?”

While she was in the growing anger, Xie Mengxuan wore a smile. She glanced at the hairpins, Bu Yao (literally means step shake, referring to hair ornaments with a pendant that’ll shake as one walks), earrings and so on placed at the bedside, and squinted, “Don’t worry. I just mentioned it by the way. After listening to your dialogues for a while, I figure out that my arrival has caused some loss to your village in livestock and money through which the farmers make a living. It’s my fault. I have some jewelry which is worth some money. Why not accept these and go to estimate the price? It can be counted as the money I pay to you. Please allow me to have a rest. I will leave when I’m able to walk.”

“Nobody knows whether your jewelry is valuable or not. It is likely that all your things cannot outweigh a pig in price. You’d better leave here as early as possible! Otherwise, we will drive you away!”

When she offered to provide her jewelry, Aunt Cui didn’t say anything but turned her head to observe her husband and others in the village. Everyone hesitated and thought it was not bad to claim compensation as every family had loss.

However, they were not sure. Turning her eyes, Aunt Cui chimed in: “Yes! If your things are not valuable at all, we lose both the money and time.”

In fact, till present, they were still not sure if to accept the offer. They only wanted to get more money. When Geng Zhishan brought her back, according to those onlookers, it was obvious that her clothes and hair accessories were not cheap.

“Whether my jewelries are good or not, you could accept them and have a good look later,” Xie Mengxuan thought for a while and finally recalled the man’s name and said loud, “Come in, Geng Zhishan.”

“Ok, I’m coming, darling.” Geng Zhishan responded so naturally that Xie Mengxuan couldn’t help frowning, but she didn’t say anything.

Geng Zhishan pushed the door and came in, only to find her sitting on the ground in an embarrassed way. He quickly walked straight to her and gently lifted her up onto the bed.

“Here is a bracelet, a Bu Yao, a pair of hairpins, two pearl ornaments, and the pair of earrings. Please ask a reliable person to find a pawn shop to estimate the price. It will also buy me several days for rest.” Xie Mengxuan took off the bracelet on her wrist and put it together with the hairpins and Bu Yao. She pointed at the things and looked at Geng Zhishan.

Geng Zhishan went forward, but Xie Mengxuan was shocked by his appearance. As the man bent down to pick up things, she reached out and grabbed the man’s hand, staring at his face.

“Darling, what’s wrong? If you have something to tell me, leave it till they leave.” Geng Zhishan said with no understanding of Xie Mengxuan’s mood. He pulled her hand off, took the things and went outside.

Xie Mengxuan whispered with her lips shuddering, “No, not him. It is impossible for him to be still alive.”

As the voice fell, she sat down on the bed with her eyes looking down when the noise outside called her thoughts back.

“How can these just a handful of things be valuable?”

“Right! It doesn’t look good, which may be cheaper than my chicken.”

Among all these disparaging words, suddenly a positive voice came out. “Hey, I have seen that Bu Yao, which is worth dozens of tales of silver. And that bracelet, it is those noble ladies in the capital city who are able to wear it, which is said to be worth a lot.”