After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 9

As he pondered this, he walked toward the thorny path.

Upon arriving at the location, he looked at the sprawling branches and, without hesitation, took out the machete he carried with him from his basket. With his large, calloused hands, he grabbed the most obstructive clumps of trunks, forcefully bending and prying them apart. Then, he used his feet to break off and clear away any loose branches.

He worked with focused patience, as if completing an extremely important task. The rough thorns scratched his arms, leaving a few shallow white marks, but he didn’t care at all.

He stopped when the path became much wider and easier to walk on. He looked at his “achievements” and made sure that Lin Sang would have a much smoother journey here next time. Only then did he turn around and plunge back into the depths of the dense forest, as if a weight had been lifted from his mind.

Whether it was Lin Sang who brought him good luck or not, today’s harvest was exceptionally abundant. Without much effort, he caught two plump rabbits with a trap and shot a pheasant flapping its wings with an arrow.

Just as he was preparing to descend the mountain with his spoils, a slight noise caught his attention.

He crept silently over, parted the bushes, and discovered a wild goat munching on tender leaves! This was a rare and excellent prey! Wild goat meat is firm and delicious, and is highly sought after by some restaurants and wealthy families in town, fetching a much higher price than ordinary wild game.

Zhou Han held his breath, nocked the arrow, and drew the bow, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s.

With a “whoosh,” the arrow pierced the wild goat’s neck with pinpoint accuracy. The goat struggled a few times before collapsing to the ground. Zhou Han stepped forward, looking at the sizable prey, and estimated in his mind that this goat alone could fetch at least a tael of silver, enough for him and his mother to eat for quite some time.

He deftly tied up the goat, then hoisted it, along with the pheasants and rabbits, onto his shoulder. His steady, powerful strides revealed his good mood.

———

On the other side, Lin Sang was walking home with a nearly overflowing basket on her back, encountering many villagers returning from the fields along the way.

“Sang girl, you’ve gone into the mountains again? Wow, you’ve got quite a haul this time!”

“Lin Sang, your basket is really heavy. Let me help you out.”

“No need, no need, Aunt Li, I can carry it, I’m used to it,” Lin Sang said with a smile, her steps still steady.

Watching her effortlessly carry that huge basket on her back, her figure gradually disappearing into the distance, the villagers who remained couldn’t help but marvel.

“Incredible! This eldest daughter of the Lin family is more capable than most boys!”

“Who says otherwise? Look at her, one trip is equivalent to three or four trips for other women! Her strength and diligence are truly enviable…”

People whispered among themselves, their words filled with admiration and envy.

This lively scene happened to fall into the eyes of Zhang Xiucai, who had secretly slipped into the village to meet Lin Jiao’er in secret. He hid in the corner and watched Lin Sang carrying a basket that weighed as much as a half-grown boy, chatting and laughing with the villagers without changing his expression. He was immediately filled with an indescribable chill and fear.

He subconsciously shrank his rather thin shoulders, his mind uncontrollably imagining: if he hadn’t broken off the engagement and had married such a strong woman, how could he, a scholar with no strength to even kill a chicken, possibly be a match for her in the future? He probably wouldn’t even have the strength to fight back!

Thinking of his gentle and delicate Lin Jiao’er, who couldn’t even lift a bucket of water, Zhang Xiucai felt that his choice was absolutely right.

Afraid of being seen by Lin Sang and then “bothering” him again, he quickly lowered his head and, like a frightened rabbit, scurried away along the wall, eager to see his “delicate flower” who needed to be cared for.

———

Lin Sang returned home, had just unloaded her heavy basket, and hadn’t even had a chance to drink some water and rest when a clear, urgent voice came from outside the courtyard gate: “Sang Sang! Sang Sang, are you home?”

Before the words were finished, a girl with a round face and wearing a light yellow dress rushed in. She was Chen Xiaoman, the youngest daughter of the Chen family, the carpenter in the village.

She is a year younger than Lin Sang. The two grew up together, digging for wild vegetables and embroidering together (although Lin Sang is not very good at it). They are best friends who can talk about anything. A few days ago, she went with her mother to visit her uncle in another town and just returned today.

“Xiaoman? You’re back!” Lin Sang greeted her friend with a genuine smile.

Chen Xiaoman grabbed Lin Sang’s hand, looked her up and down, her eyes a little red: “I’ve only been gone a few days, how has everything changed! I’ve heard all the gossip in the village! That Zhang Mingyuan is such a hypocrite! And that Lin Jiao’er, she’s so shameless! How could they bully you like that! I’m so angry!” She was straightforward and felt extremely aggrieved for her friend.

Lin Sang felt a warmth in her heart, pulled her to sit down, and comforted her in return: “Okay, it’s not worth getting angry over that kind of person. I’m fine now, really.” Her tone was calm, and her eyes were clear. “After this incident, I’ve seen through the true nature of that scholar Zhang. He’s easily swayed, can’t distinguish right from wrong, and only cares about appearances. Even if you marry a man like that, you might not be able to rely on him in the future. Breaking off with him now is a good thing.”

Looking at her like this, Chen Xiaoman felt both sorry for her and admired her: “Only you can be so open-minded! If it were me, I would have scratched Lin Jiao’er’s face to pieces!” She paused, then lowered her voice, “But Sangsang, I heard… a couple of days ago, Zhou Han’s mother came to your house to propose marriage?”

Lin Sang nodded, making no attempt to hide anything.

Chen Xiaoman’s eyes widened: “You…you didn’t agree, did you? Although that Zhang Xiucai is a scumbag, that Zhou Han…his reputation is too scary! And his appearance…I saw a scar on his brow bone from afar before, and he looked very fierce.”

Lin Sang smiled but did not answer directly. She simply said, “Reputation is not always true, and a person’s appearance cannot determine their true nature.”

Hearing Lin Sang’s words, Chen Xiaoman sensed something was wrong: “Sang Sang, you…you don’t actually like him, do you?”

Lin Sang tapped her head: “I don’t even know him well, how can I be so hasty? You shouldn’t overthink things.”

Lin Xiaoman stuck out her tongue: “I was just worried about you. Okay, okay, let’s not talk about that anymore. I want to tell you something…”

The two girls huddled together, chatting about the latest happenings in the village: whose daughter got engaged, whose mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were having conflicts, and the flower patterns brought by the new peddler who came to town.

Looking at the basket full of mountain produce at Lin Sang’s feet, Chen Xiaoman was both worried and impressed: “You’re just too strong-willed. Running into the mountains like this all the time is so dangerous. But you’re really capable. You won’t find another girl as capable as you in our village! Some people are just blind and mistake a pearl for a fish eye!”

Lin Sang was amused by her. With the support of her family and the sincerity of her friends, she walked her path with even greater determination.