Chapter 13 Jin Zijin

The only good thing is that she no longer has to worry about not seeing the light; well, maybe she can even see the stars at night.

Late September was already getting cold, and in a couple of days it would be October (September refers to the lunar calendar; all months in this book are calculated according to the lunar calendar). It would snow if it got any colder. This thatched house was drafty, and her health couldn’t withstand it; she couldn’t stay here any longer.

This was Gu Youyou’s first decision after observing the house.

It was very noisy outside. The villagers of Lotus Village were all drinking outside, and Jin Zijing was also outside.
Every now and then, you could hear him talking and clinking glasses with the villagers. Of course, most of those voices were mocking. Some even bet quietly that his new wife wouldn’t live past the New Year.

Even more outrageous, some said she wouldn’t survive their wedding night.

Those nearby, hearing the talk of her not surviving the wedding night, couldn’t help but object.

“That’s not necessarily true. We all saw the bride this morning; she looked like a ghost. Even if Hunter Jin is brave, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to do it!”
This remark successfully amused the people around, and their laughter was quite loud, attracting everyone’s attention.

“Wang Hai, what are you laughing at? It’s not like you’re getting married,” an old woman teased.

“Old Liu, what’s it to you if I laugh? If I were marrying this woman, I would…” He suddenly stopped because Old Master Gu was glaring at him angrily, and even Jin Zijing’s expression wasn’t good.
They usually joked about this in private; it was someone else’s happy day, and they could joke about it later as they pleased, but they couldn’t cause trouble in front of everyone, or people would gossip about them.

He quickly changed his tune, saying, “How could I dare? Even if I were willing, my wife wouldn’t be.”
The people around him burst into laughter, someone teasing, “Wang Hai, your life is over! Your wife has you completely under her thumb.”

Another burst of laughter followed. If Gu Youyou hadn’t had such sharp ears, she would have thought it was a joyous occasion, with all the guests so happy.

Since gaining this extraordinary hearing, her inner strength had grown day by day. She treated these slanderous words as mere stories. Given her situation, even if she didn’t marry, people would talk her to death; if she did marry, it would be even more impossible to stop the gossip. Who knows how long they would
continue to mock her? They were just strangers who had only heard her voice but never seen her. As long as they didn’t say it to her face, what did it matter to her? Jin Zijing was a formidable man, quite dignified. His voice was sometimes warm and gentle like the sun, sometimes deep and magnetic, his speech refined and generous. It was hard to associate such a voice and demeanor with a rough, poor hunter who couldn’t find a wife.
He handled the ridicule with ease, neither losing out nor offending anyone verbally—a feat few could accomplish.

Gu Youyou couldn’t help but wonder, was this really a poor hunter?

The guests had all left, and night gradually fell on Lotus Village.

She heard the man outside efficiently clearing away the dishes. Soon, Jin Zijin went to the river to fetch water, washed the dishes, and neatly stacked them. These were all borrowed from the villagers; he would have to return them all another day.
By the time he finished, it was completely dark.

Gu Youyou couldn’t help but feel nervous and afraid. She hadn’t frightened Jin Zijin during the day, so she certainly wouldn’t be able to scare him at night.

Could it be that, as those old women said, he was just a young man in his prime, marrying her only to satisfy his physical needs?