The Lady Butcher and the Delicate Bride - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Mu Dingxiang followed submissively behind Mu Mother as she stepped out of the room and into the main hall.

Widower Zhang was dressed in head-to-toe red. Paired with his dark, swarthy skin, he looked like a giant macaque; the sight of him was truly nauseating. Upon seeing her come out, the man immediately beamed with joy, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth that made one want to retreat ten paces.

When he saw her dressed in plain white, his brow knitted into a tight knot, looking as if a massive lump had grown between his eyebrows. His expression shifted subtly, taking on a somber, brooding quality like the calm before a mountain storm.

However, since Mu Dingxiang did not yet belong to him, it wasn’t his place to start dictating terms. Widower Zhang frowned and cast a glance at Matchmaker Wang.

Matchmaker Wang, being a shrewd operator, understood his meaning instantly. She pulled Mu Mother aside and said, “Didn’t I tell you yesterday to prepare red clothes for her? Why did she come out in white? Anyone who didn’t know better would think…”

Mu Mother didn’t dare say that the bridal clothes had been shredded by Mu Dingxiang, so she quickly faked an excuse: “How could that be? It’s just that they got soiled when she came back yesterday and couldn’t be worn.”

Although Matchmaker Wang was displeased, she couldn’t say much. She walked over to Widower Zhang and whispered a few words; the man’s expression softened slightly, and he looked up toward Mu Dingxiang with a smile.

Mu Dingxiang rubbed the goosebumps rising on her arms, a chill running down her spine.

Just as Matchmaker Wang was discussing a simple ceremony to get things over with, Mu Dingxiang raised her voice: “Who in this house is getting married today? It’s so festive.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone present froze.

Mu Mother regained her senses, grabbed Mu Dingxiang’s wrist, and jerked her back. She gripped her hand so tightly that her nails sank into the flesh of the girl’s hand, and she warned her through gritted teeth not to speak nonsense.

Mu Dingxiang shoved her away. Although she was thin and weak, she had the advantage of youth; Mu Mother, a shriveled middle-aged woman, was pushed back two or three steps.

Matchmaker Wang naturally saw what was happening. After all, with the girl being so young and fair, who would be willing to marry a forty-something old man with such a terrible reputation? But since she earned her living this way, she had to do what needed to be done. Besides, the parents had already settled everything; she was just here to go through the motions.

“Oh, Sanya, have you slept yourself into a daze? You don’t even remember today is your wedding day? The girl is truly pretty; come over and let your future husband have a look.”

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Old Man Mu sat by the door, puffing on his tobacco without a word. Only Matchmaker Wang’s “festive” voice sounded jarringly out of place in the dilapidated house.

“Sanya, don’t blame your husband for not throwing you a grand, bustling celebration. You know Zhang the Second’s situation; you must be understanding that everything is kept simple. Those previous ones didn’t have the fortune to walk with him to the end—it must have been a lack of destiny. To my eyes, you are a perfect match of talent and beauty. This time is surely a blessed union. This old woman can’t wait to drink the wedding wine.”

It had to be said that Matchmaker Wang’s ability to lie through her teeth had reached a level of perfection; she could truly call black white.

“After all this talk, it turns out the person getting married is me? How come no one came to discuss it with me? If I hadn’t known and had gone out to the fields early as usual, wouldn’t you all have come for nothing?” Mu Dingxiang sneered. “Or is it that whenever Auntie brings people over, whoever she catches is the one who gets married?”

The Mu couple knew that their third daughter wasn’t as obedient as the first two, but her being so sharp-tongued now was somewhat unexpected.

Hearing this, Matchmaker Wang squeezed out another smile: “I had your mother buy the bridal clothes last night. Since you saw them, you surely knew about the wedding. Sanya, it’s not that Auntie wants to lecture you, but Zhang the Second has nothing wrong with him. He doesn’t drink or gamble, he’s honest and hardworking, and he knows how to cherish a wife. Plus, your houses are so close; if he ever dares to treat you poorly, you can just come back and tell your parents. Brother Mu loves his daughter so much, he certainly wouldn’t let him off. What do you have to worry about?”

Listening to Matchmaker Wang’s praise, Mu Dingxiang felt a bitterness in her throat. Not a single word of that was true; she truly didn’t know how this old woman could shamelessly spout such upside-down lies.

“I don’t agree,” Mu Dingxiang said decisively, her eyes darting toward the door. Only she knew the desperation in her heart.

“You wretched girl—” Mu Mother had been furious from the moment she first spoke. If Matchmaker Wang hadn’t held her back, she would have stepped up to slap her. Now, hearing her refuse outright, her rage boiled over. They had already led the young yellow ox home yesterday, and Widower Zhang’s pockets were bulging—surely with those five taels of silver. Those five taels were enough for Eldest’s allowance for five months; there was no way they could return them.

With a distorted face, she barked, “Since ancient times, which daughter’s marriage isn’t decided by her parents? There’s an old saying: ‘The command of parents and the words of matchmakers.’ Do you have any say in this?”

“Selling a daughter is selling a daughter, don’t make it sound so pleasant. If I don’t agree, are you going to do to me what you did to Second Sister—beat me into an idiot and send me to Widower Zhang’s house?” Mu Dingxiang didn’t mind bringing up the matter of Mu Baizhi at all.

For years, the matter of Mu Baizhi had been the reason the Mu couple was despised by outsiders and whispered about. Yet Mu Mother didn’t think it was her fault; she felt Mu Baizhi was ungrateful for her blessings and insisted on running away, making things difficult for her parents and causing them to be ridiculed. To her, she was a disloyal and unfilial daughter. If she was an idiot, she was an idiot; at least she had been exchanged for five taels. A few years ago, five taels was worth a lot, and the couple had been happy for a while, though that joy was eventually soured by the village gossip.

Now that the matter had been brought up by the third daughter in front of guests, she felt she was losing face. She hurried toward Mu Dingxiang with small steps, intending to twist her ear as a lesson.

Mu Dingxiang was very alert. As soon as the woman approached, she slipped aside, and the two of them began a chase around the room.

Old Man Mu, watching this scene, felt a headache coming on. He stood up and shouted for them to stop. But no one listened to him now. Mu Dingxiang felt nothing but bone-deep hatred for the couple and naturally ignored his barking. Mu Mother was intent on punishing this stubborn girl who “wouldn’t cry until she saw the coffin,” and treated everything else as wind passing her ears.

This farce was embarrassing to witness, but the other two present were no saints; everyone understood the true nature of this marriage. So, the remaining three looked at each other, lunged forward together, and caught the fleeing Mu Dingxiang.

Widower Zhang even pinned her by the neck, pinning her firmly to the ground. Looking at Mu Dingxiang’s small, struggling body, a flash of madness and excitement leaked from his eyes.

Mu Dingxiang hadn’t expected these people to join forces to subdue her in broad daylight. Panic seized her. Am I truly going to end up like Second Sister? Thinking of Mu Baizhi’s vacant, listless eyes and the dense scars on her body, Mu Dingxiang fell into despair.

If she had to live like that, she would rather die now.

Just as she slightly parted her teeth, intending to take the next step, a cold, clear voice came from the doorway: “What are you all doing?”

The voice carried a hidden fury.

The four people pinning Mu Dingxiang to the floor were startled by the unfamiliar voice. They looked up toward the door.

The village’s female butcher stood at the entrance, her expression extremely grim. Though she was from the same village, she rarely interacted with other villagers and was usually a woman of few words. Moreover, it was rumored she had been a soldier and had killed many people; she looked quite fearsome, and ordinary people wouldn’t provoke her for no reason.

But why would this person suddenly appear at the Mu house and witness this scene? All four felt embarrassed and ashamed, while also feeling deeply dissatisfied with her sudden intrusion.

Pinned to the ground, Mu Dingxiang couldn’t see Chu Yu, but she heard her voice. Her entire body relaxed instantly, and she slumped onto the floor.

“The child is being disobedient, we’re just setting her straight. This is our Mu family’s private business; outsiders need not trouble themselves,” Old Man Mu said, immediately issuing an order to leave.

“What, I’m not welcome? I can leave, but—” Chu Yu said slowly, “I am taking her with me.”

“By what right? She is a daughter of my Mu family, why would she go with you?” Old Man Mu no longer cared about appearances.

Hearing this, Chu Yu finally brought in a pile of items she had been carrying: “I have come to propose today; naturally, I am taking her with me.”

As soon as the words fell, all four thought they had misheard. There had been rumors in the village that Chu Yu liked women, but everyone had treated it as a joke. Hearing her say this now—could it be true?

Matchmaker Wang was the first to react. Since she had taken Widower Zhang’s money, she said without thinking: “A proposal is a matter of ‘first come, first served.’ Besides, the parents have already agreed. If Butcher Chu has a girl she likes, she should come to the door earlier next time.”

“How much earlier? When the rooster crows, like Widower Zhang?” Chu Yu’s eyes were full of mockery. After speaking, she walked straight to the four and brushed their hands away one by one.

Widower Zhang, stung by her mockery, felt a surge of resentment and increased his strength, pressing Mu Dingxiang’s face hard into the floor.

Seeing the girl’s reddened cheek being rubbed against the ground, Chu Yu’s eyes turned murderous. She reached out and gripped Widower Zhang’s right hand tightly, squeezing with force. Widower Zhang’s face turned pale instantly from the pain, and large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He felt that if he didn’t let go, his hand bones would be crushed in the next instant. He had no choice but to release her, full of hatred.

Only then did Chu Yu let go and help Mu Dingxiang up from the ground. “What, you want to sell your daughter and you can’t even find a decent family?”

Old Man Mu’s face turned leaden. “Parents finding a good home for their daughter—how can that be called selling her?”

“To live to such an age and still not understand the difference between marrying off a daughter and selling one—you’ve truly lived all these years in vain.” Chu Yu reached out to loosen Mu Dingxiang’s jaw, her own head breaking into a cold sweat. Any later, and the girl would have bitten her tongue to kill herself.

She sneered: “Can’t you see your daughter would rather die than marry him?”

“My daughter was born from me; I’ll sell her if I want. What does it have to do with you?” Seeing Chu Yu’s arrival, Mu Mother sensed things were going south. She disliked her intensely and wanted to drive her out early.

“Under the current laws of the Great Zhou, human trafficking is a major crime. Do you want me to report this to the authorities?” Chu Yu sneered.

“Stop talking nonsense! Don’t think you can trick us with words just because we don’t know the law.”

Among the group, Widower Zhang was the most furious. Seeing his fair and tender little wife about to be his, only for a “Cheng Yaojin” to spoil it halfway through, his eyes dripped with jealousy and hatred.

“What, you don’t understand and yet you act like you’re in the right? Don’t think you can do as you please just because you don’t know the laws of the Great Zhou,” Chu Yu said pointedly. “The net of heaven has a large mesh, but nothing escapes it.”

Widower Zhang’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly recovered his composure, saying gloomily, “Chu Yu, don’t go slandering people—”

However, before his words could finish, a clear and authoritative voice came from the doorway: “Is Zhang Quan of Furong Village inside? I am Yuan Fenghua, the head bailiff of this county. Zhang Quan is suspected in a murder case. Come out immediately and follow us to the yamen.”

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