[Host, wake up now, Sheng Zexi's matchmaker is here. If you don't wake up, she'll leave, and how will you marry Sheng Zexi and have children with him?]
Gu Jia Ning felt intensely cold, as though she had fallen into an ice pit, even her soul was trembling.
Her head throbbed painfully, and the lengthy and tragic memories of her past life kept flooding in.
Fell for a scumbag, got used, missed the sincere person, infertility, family destroyed, died in a fire.
Hatred and remorse surged, yet her eyelids felt heavy, as if weighted down with lead; she wanted to open her eyes but couldn't.
There was an anxious mechanical voice in her head urging her to wake up, surrounded by all sorts of noisy sounds and chatter.
"Little sister, wake up, if you wake up, don't mention work, anything you want, I'll agree to it."
"Why did the Old Gu Family's girl jump into the river? In this freezing winter, she won't drown, but she'll freeze to death—it's sinful."
"What else could it be for? It's definitely because of Wen Zhiqing. Who in Huaihua Village doesn't know how much trouble Gu Jia Ning caused for Wen Zhiqing?"
At that moment, a woman with a red flower on her head, holding a red handkerchief, dressed like a matchmaker, squeezed in.
She first glanced at the unconscious Gu Jia Ning, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Sis, it seems you know the inside story. Tell me about it."
The aunt who had been speaking loudly saw the unfamiliar elder sister dressed as a matchmaker and immediately realized something.
Upon seeing the expectant expressions of the people around, she felt smug, "Of course I know—I live right next door to the Old Gu Family."
She lowered her voice slightly, "Yesterday, Gu Family's eldest son got a job at the steel plant, and Gu Jia Ning wanted him to give the job to Wen Zhiqing, but her sister-in-law disagreed, and that's why Gu Jia Ning jumped into the river."
"Oh, so that's what happened."
"The Old Gu Family has always favored Gu Jia Ning. Look at the heartbroken and guilty Gu Family's eldest son—when Gu Jia Ning wakes up, he's sure to give up the job."
"So, Gu Jia Ning likes that Wen Zhiqing?" the matchmaker asked.
"Of course she does. Who doesn't know about this in Huaihua Village?"
The matchmaker didn't ask further, recalling her purpose today and sighed.
This beautiful flower already has a caretaker—this matter can't be done.
Just as she turned to leave, a cold hand suddenly clutched tightly at her calf, startling her.
She turned around and saw that at some point, the previously unconscious Gu Jia Ning had already opened her eyes.
"Little sister, you're awake!"
"Finally awake, this is great!"
The matchmaker looked at the girl, soaking wet, wrapped in her elder brother's cotton jacket, with tousled hair and a pale face—so disheveled, yet stunningly beautiful, with an oval face, willow eyebrows, almond eyes—delicate and charming, and those damp almond eyes looked pitiful at first glance.
Honestly, she had introduced many marriages and seen many city girls, but never one so pretty.
No wonder Sheng Zexi, clearly an officer from the Northwest Military Region, would come all this way to find her to mediate.
With such a pretty girl, which guy wouldn't be moved?
The matchmaker looked up to see the girl with eyes full of stubbornness.
"Is it Sheng Zexi who sent you to my house?" The girl's voice was weak but sweet and soft like honey.
"Does he intend to court me?"
After speaking, she took a big breath, it seemed those two sentences had exhausted all her strength.
"Yes." The matchmaker nodded, surprised at how the girl knew Officer Sheng had sent her to arrange the marriage.
"If that's the case, I agree."
"Little sister, at this point who cares about courting, big brother is taking you home." Gu Yunting carried her horizontally, squeezed through the crowd, and jogged home.
His refined face was taut, his mouth murmuring frantically, comforting Gu Jia Ning.
"Little sister, let's go home first, bathe and change clothes, everything can be discussed."
"As long as you don't do anything stupid, big brother can give up the job."
"You can give it to Wen Zhiqing, Zhang Zhiqing, or anyone else."
"…"
Gu Yunting's hurried panic and concern were fully seen by Gu Jia Ning, silent tears fell. In her past life, after she jumped into the river, big brother compromised and gave the job to Wen Zhqing, which later became the source of arguments between him and sister-in-law. From then on, big brother's fortune seemed lost, the smart and business-minded big brother failed at everything and lived an unremarkable life, becoming a resentful couple with sister-in-law.
Halfway home, they met other members of the Gu Family coming hurriedly from the fields, village office, and home.
"Quick, take her home."
Once home, the female head Yao Chunhua forced herself to remain calm, opened Gu Jia Ning's closet, took out clothes and a towel, while saying, "Eldest, put Ning girl on her bed, I'll change her clothes, you go boil hot water, later she needs a bath."
Old Gu glanced at his drenched, disheveled, yet conscious daughter, turned and quickly walked out, "I'll go get Old Zhang."
Old Zhang, Huaihua Village doctor, those rescued from drowning are prone to high fever.
Sister-in-law Yang Manman gazed at her pale-faced, wet-haired, fragile little sister-in-law, aware of her river-jumping intention, but couldn't shake off her conscience and stomped her foot, "Mom, I'll go brew ginger tea to warm her up."
Second brother Gu Yunan grabbed the hen meant to be slaughtered in a few days from the chicken coop.
Third brother Gu Yunzhou glanced at the closed room door and unable to help, turned to leave, fist clenched, knowing little sister's river jump was surely influenced by that Wen Zhiqing—he's got to teach that guy a lesson.
Gu Jia Ning was pressed by her mother to change out of her wet clothes, wiped dry, dressed dryly, and drank the ginger tea brought by her sister-in-law.
"In winter like this, that river water is lethal, only a silly girl like you would jump."
"Quickly drink up the ginger tea to dispel the chill. When the hot water is ready, take a hot bath. Second brother slaughtered the chicken, later drink some chicken soup. The old man should hurry up getting Old Zhang here." Yao Chunhua's rough hand felt Gu Jia Ning's forehead, "Just worried about a high fever."
"Here, here." Apparently hearing the wife's urgency, Old Gu led Old Zhang hurriedly inside.
Old Zhang checked Gu Jia Ning's pulse and prescribed several doses of herbal medicine before leaving.
Yang Manman said, "I'll go cook the medicine."
Eldest brother carried a bucket of hot water inside, pulled out the big wooden tub, poured it in, added some cold water, "Take a hot bath first."
Once Gu Jia Ning finished bathing and was wrapped in a quilt by her mother, second brother Gu Yunan brought in a steaming bowl of chicken soup.
The rising steam from the chicken soup blurred Gu Jia Ning's eyes, remembering this moment, second sister-in-law was in postpartum confinement, the chicken was supposed to be saved for her, but now...
Gu Jia Ning raised her gaze, watching her anxious, worried family who showed no blame towards her and at that moment, the repressed emotions from past and current lives surged like a tide, she hugged her mother tightly, crying out loudly, "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry, I was wrong, it's all my fault..."