Chapter 5: I Truly Married Him, Without Regret

She wore a red dress, tailored just right, buttoned up to the neck with intricate Panjin knot buttons. Her jet-black hair was neatly pinned up, revealing a full forehead and delicate features.

Her lips moved slightly, curving into a charming smile.

“Are you breaking off the engagement just because I can’t bear children?” she asked straightforwardly, unashamed to speak so openly on the matter as a young woman.

Wen Zongfu was completely thrown off, stunned into silence for a long moment. When he finally came to his senses, he realized he had been staring at her lips the whole time, not even registering her words.

“Well, uh...” He stood up and suddenly noticed that he was much taller than her. The young lady who had been looking down on him before was now only as tall as his chin.

Rising to his feet, he felt even more acutely that she was petite. To speak of breaking off the engagement right in front of the bride on the wedding day was truly uncivilized.

Wen Zongfu, despite his eloquence, didn’t know how to respond. Jiang Mi, however, lifted her eyes to look at the tall man.

It was her first time seeing him. He was tall, with thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, and a close-cropped haircut. His handsome face bore an unmistakable streak of rebelliousness—someone not to be trifled with.

She furrowed her brows slightly, not entirely pleased. She had hoped to marry a gentler man.

But to break off the engagement now... Jiang Mi must be unwilling to let her family become the laughingstock of the neighborhood. After a moment’s thought, she pursed her lips and asked, “Do you like someone else?”

“No,” he replied quickly.

“If you don’t like anyone else, then let’s get married. I don’t care if you can have children or not. As long as you have a good temper in the years ahead, that will be enough.”

“All right.”

Wen Zongfu answered instinctively. Wait—what was going on?

Marriage.

His face suddenly flushed. “We’re really getting married?”

Jiang Mi simply gave him a sharp look. “Are you even a man? If you don’t mean it, why say it?”

“Marry, marry, marry.” Wen Zongfu felt a rush of warmth at her lackluster glare. It was just marriage—who wasn’t brave enough to marry?

The three members of the Jiang family looked on in disbelief at the sudden turn of events, until Jiang’s mother anxiously pulled at Jiang Mi and asked, “Are you really sure? If you regret it now, there’s still time to back out.”

Jiang Mi clasped her mother’s hand firmly and said seriously, “Mom, I’m really marrying him. No regrets.”

Her firm words warmed Wen Zongfu’s ears. Could it be she had fallen for him at first sight? That she was determined to marry him?

If so... then he might as well take her home. Otherwise, the poor girl’s pride might shatter and cause even more trouble.

Within moments, Wen Zongfu led Jiang Mi out the door.

“Third Brother, so-so-so...” The attendant, who had been instructed by Third Brother to ensure the engagement was broken off, was left dumbfounded.

“Enough of that—go quickly and hand out some red envelopes to the children.” Wen Zongfu gave his shoulder a nudge.

“What? Right away?”

The festive sounds of firecrackers and drums burst forth once more.

Jiang Mi was led to a small car. Her eyes slightly reddened, she embraced the elderly Jiang couple, then her eldest brother, whose eyes were also moist.

Once seated in the back of the car, Wen Zongfu casually glanced at her faintly flushed eyes.

“Why are you crying? If you want to come back, you can come back anytime,” he said. He wasn’t about to chain her down at home.

Though Jiang Mi appeared composed, she hardly knew him at all. She tightened her lips but said nothing.

Seeing her ignore him, Wen Zongfu assumed she was just shy.

Through the car window, Jiang Mi soon spotted the bride Jiang Caiyuan sitting in a tricycle on the opposite side of the road.

For some reason, Jiang Caiyuan looked toward her at the same moment.

Their eyes met. Jiang Caiyuan smiled faintly, a victorious smile.

So what if it was a small sedan? Though the tricycle she sat on smelled a bit from hauling and butchering pigs, if Jiang Mi married into the Wen family, she would be relegated to a cold bench, left a lonely wife, jumping into the fire pit.

But Jiang Caiyuan would marry into the Chen family and live in luxury!

Jiang Mi smiled subtly, lowering her gaze. Jiang Caiyuan, are you really sure the choice you’ve made now is the right one?

Whether life is good or bad, it’s made by the person living it.