Chapter 11

Zhu Chang’an’s words successfully roused the fainted Zhao Tian back to consciousness, but it was of no use. Along with the man who claimed to be his "brother," they were all escorted onto a tractor, their faces ashen, and taken straight to the police station.
What kind of fool dares to start a fight in someone else’s village?
Sang Ran watched as the group boarded the tractor. Zhao Tian even kicked the so-called "brother," venting his anger over being betrayed onto him. The "brother," who had seemed fierce during the fight, now cowered like a quail in front of Zhao Tian, not daring to move an inch. She couldn’t help but feel like laughing.
So, the incident that ruined Zhu Chang’an’s life turned out to be nothing but a misunderstanding.
With the major issue resolved, the onlookers began to disperse. However, as they left, they cast peculiar glances at Sang Ran, looking back repeatedly as if reluctant to go.
The thrilling scene from earlier was still vivid in everyone’s minds.
The Sang family took a long moment to snap out of their daze. Grandma Sang moved her lips as if to speak, but recalling how fiercely Sang Ran had snapped that stick last time, she swallowed her words.
Sang Ran’s parents, however, were the least affected. In their fixed mindset, they still saw Sang Ran as the meek, obedient daughter from their memories, even if she was a bit stronger now, she was still the same.
So when they laid eyes on the brand-new black bicycle, their faces instantly lit up. They eagerly shuffled closer, and Mother Sang’s wrinkled face broke into a chrysanthemum-like smile, her attitude unusually fawning. "Chang’an, is this bicycle yours?"
Zhu Chang’an raised an eyebrow, his handsome face brimming with pride and showiness. "Yeah, I saved up every penny to buy this. If it weren’t for the bicycle coupon arriving just today, I’d have brought it over sooner. Sang Ran, aren’t I good to you?"
Sang Ran pressed her lips into a faint smile and was about to reply when Mother Sang cut in first. "Good, good! You’re such a thoughtful boy. With Sang Ran by your side, her father and I can rest easy."
Praise like this was rare for Zhu Chang’an, and he actually felt a bit shy in front of others. Clearing his throat lightly, his striking phoenix eyes looked expectantly at Sang Ran.
Sang Ran nodded. "Mm, it’s very nice."
Zhu Chang’an’s face flushed slightly, and he straightened his back even more, feeling as if he’d grown taller. His head spun dizzily.
The young men who had come with Zhu Chang’an curled their lips in disdain. One of them muttered, "Zhu Chang’an is all about saving face. Said he didn’t care, claimed it was just to play cards with us better. Look at him now, drained his savings. Where’s the money for cards?"
"Exactly!" another chimed in indignantly. "He laughed at me when I got married, and now look at him fawning over his wife, practically begging her to step on him!"
The last one summed it up: "Pathetic!"
"Yeah! Pathetic!"
"Achoo!" Zhu Chang’an sneezed as if cursed. Sang Ran noticed his reddened nose and the swelling on his face and said, "Hurry back and put some medicine on that. We’re getting married tomorrow, if you cause any more trouble, I won’t let you off!"
"Alright, alright." Rubbing his nose, Zhu Chang’an grinned foolishly at the concern on Sang Ran’s lovely face and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Sang Ran called after him.
Zhu Chang’an paused, puzzled. "What’s up?"
"Take the bicycle back with you." Sang Ran pointed at the new bike placed in front of her.
Sang Ran’s parents had been lingering nearby, unwilling to leave. After all, this was a bicycle worth over a hundred yuan! In the entire Zhu Village with dozens of households, only two families owned bicycles, one of them being the village chief!
Now their family was about to have one too. If they kept it, they wouldn’t have to worry about finding a wife for their second son.
Lost in their beautiful daydream, they were rubbing their hands in excitement. But hearing Sang Ran’s words stunned them. Mother Sang tugged at her urgently, her voice suddenly shrill. "What nonsense are you spouting, child? This is your bride price!"
Sang Ran broke free from her mother's grasp, frowning as she said, "The bride price has already been given. This isn't part of it!"
"No!" Mother Sang refused without a second thought.
Sang Ran watched coldly, let out a mocking laugh, and turned to Zhu Chang'an, who hadn't left yet. "Take the bicycle back with you."
Zhu Chang'an hesitated. "Wife, it's fine. This is for you."
Sang Ran curved her lips into a smile. "I know it's from you. Ride it over tomorrow to pick me up."
With her words, Zhu Chang'an immediately understood and nodded. As for his future in-laws, he wasn't even someone who listened to his own parents, let alone them. Besides, he wasn't marrying into their family, there was no need to be overly obedient.
Hearing their conversation, Sang Ran's parents' faces darkened like storm clouds. But Sang Ran ignored them, and Zhu Chang'an, being an unmarried son-in-law, still had some sense of propriety. Furious and resentful, Sang Ran's parents sighed bitterly, gritted their teeth, and left. Before going, Mother Sang shot Sang Ran a sharp glare.
It seemed she wouldn't have an easy time when she returned home.
Zhu Chang'an noticed and grew concerned. "Auntie is angry. Maybe you should take the bicycle back after all."
Truth be told, when he brought the bicycle over, he had anticipated this outcome. But since he was determined to give Sang Ran enough face, the bicycle wasn't a big deal. If he could earn one bicycle, he could surely earn another!
Meanwhile, Zhu Chang'an's older brothers, who had been swindled into hardship, suddenly felt a chill down their spines. "Achoo!"
But Sang Ran insisted, shaking her head. "No."

Su Ya had originally been at home sewing clothes for herself when she overheard villagers saying there had been a fight in Zhu Village, and it seemed to involve Sang Ran.
Though the specifics of events from her past life were hazy due to the passage of time, Su Ya still remembered a few vivid memories. She recalled that around this period, Zhu Chang'an would get into a fight and end up crippled, becoming a useless person. This incident might have been the root cause of his eventual death in prison later on.
Even though Su Ya had successfully married Song Jianguo, she still kept a covert eye on Sang Ran's affairs. So, upon hearing the news, she immediately found an excuse to leave and rushed all the way to Zhu Village.
As she ran, Su Ya wasn't sure what she was feeling. Part of her felt guilty, thinking that she had stolen Sang Ran's man, and now Sang Ran's own man was about to be crippled, especially since she heard they were getting married tomorrow, and the groom probably wouldn't even be able to show up.
Yet, there was also a faint sense of satisfaction.
If one were to talk about good family conditions, there were actually several in the surrounding brigades, not just Song Jianguo, though he was the most outstanding.
Su Ya and Sang Ran had once been very close friends, even closer than Sang Ran was with Sang Xiuxiu. But decades later, one ended up in the heavens while the other languished in the dirt. After Su Ya was reborn, her sole obsession became Song Jianguo. She wanted to reverse their positions.
Thus, the thought of Zhu Chang'an soon becoming crippled filled her with anticipation.
But she arrived a little too late.
By the time Su Ya got there, a tractor had already taken away the troublemakers, and the remaining crowd had dispersed in small groups. Only Sang Ran, her parents, and Zhu Chang'an remained at the center.
The moment she saw this scene, a wave of intense disappointment washed over Su Ya.
She stood at a distance, not too far, but not too close either. She could faintly hear what Sang Ran's parents were saying, but she couldn't make out the normal-volume conversation between Sang Ran and Zhu Chang'an.
Su Ya tightly clutched the hem of her clothes, her eyes fixed intently on Zhu Chang'an's perfectly normal legs, her teeth chattering with tension.
This isn’t right!
Why is it that when it comes to Sang Ran, Zhu Chang’an changes?!
Wait, maybe it wasn’t because of this fight.
Holding onto a sliver of hope, Su Ya tugged at the sleeve of an older man nearby and asked, "Uncle, was there some trouble here earlier? Was it serious?"
Since the incident was over, there was no harm in talking about it.
The man chuckled and said, "Oh, it was serious, alright. The guy even had a knife, scared me half to death. Luckily, that girl Sang Ran rushed over to protect her man and knocked the guy down. Otherwise, there would’ve been bloodshed here today."
Su Ya’s heart sank, the faint glimmer of relief barely noticeable amid the overwhelming disappointment.
So it really was because of this.
Sang Ran really is something else.
A pang of jealousy stirred within Su Ya. She clenched her fists tightly, then glanced one last time at the bicycle in Zhu Chang’an’s hands. A wave of bitterness surged through her, stinging her eyes, and she quickly turned and ran away.
Suddenly, she gasped sharply, hurriedly opening her hands to find that, in her emotional turmoil, her nails had dug so deeply into her palms that they left marks. The sudden movement sent a sharp pain shooting through her fingertips.
The pain twisted her face, and tears began to fall in quick succession.
By the time she returned to the Song family, Su Ya’s eyes were still red and swollen, clearly, she had been crying.
Song Yunyun, who had been secretly snacking, noticed this and hesitantly tugged at her mother’s sleeve, pointing it out. "Do you think sister-in-law was bullied?"
The mention of Su Ya immediately irritated Mother Song, but after a quick glance, she paused.
Could she really have been bullied?
Her suspicious gaze followed the despondent woman as she retreated into her room.
Of course, the kind of "bullying" Mother Song had in mind was different from the simple kind Yunyun meant.
Pondering the situation, Mother Song decided she needed to write a letter to her son.
After seeing Zhu Chang’an off, Sang Ran didn’t head back immediately. Instead, she took a stroll around the village.
Truth be told, when it came to marriage, she hadn’t felt much at first, it all seemed surreal. How had she suddenly ended up engaged?
It hadn’t even been two months since she transmigrated.
As for her feelings toward Zhu Chang’an, Sang Ran didn’t think they ran very deep. Mostly, she found him reasonably good-looking, and with the original host’s wishes in mind, she hadn’t resisted the marriage.
Besides, judging by Zhu Chang’an and the original host’s previous relationship, he was still at an age where he wasn’t particularly interested in women. Their marriage might as well have been child’s play.
But then, just moments ago, Sang Ran saw the bicycle.
And something in her heart stirred ever so slightly.
She had a fair understanding of Zhu Chang'an, he enjoyed playing cards, wasn't particularly skilled, and had his wins and losses, though losses were more common.
Under such circumstances, he had gone to great lengths to get her a bicycle, all to ensure she wouldn't lose face in the dowry compared to others.
This sincerity was particularly genuine.
It also made Sang Ran reconsider their relationship.
Sang Ran circled the village twice, sorting out her thoughts, before taking a deep breath and returning to the Sang household with a faint smile.
At that moment, the Sang family, with the wedding set for the next day, had decorated the house with a touch of festivity, though the celebrations hadn't officially begun yet. Only the immediate family was present.
Mother Sang, still upset by Sang Ran's apparent lack of loyalty to her natal family, had been sulking all day.
The men in the family didn't dare provoke her further and remained quiet. At noon, they ate whatever she prepared without making any demands.
Sang Ran returned just as they were having their meal.
Each of them held a bowl of noodles.
When Sang Ran entered the kitchen, she found the pot empty.
Mother Sang, holding the last bowl of noodles, remarked sarcastically, "Oh, so you still remember this is your home?"
Sang Ran had expected a fight but didn't anticipate this tactic. She chuckled, "Just because I didn't give you the bicycle, you're not even letting me have a meal? Mom, Dad, in your eyes, am I just a tool to be exchanged for money?"
Father Sang said sternly, "You know the family's situation. Now that you're marrying well, of course you should help your brothers! Is that wrong?"
"Where is it wrong?" Mother Sang retorted, "It's just that girls always side with outsiders. We raised you for eighteen years, and you can't even part with a bicycle, insisting Zhu Chang'an take it away. Since you're so devoted to your in-laws, then don't eat your natal family's food!"
As she spoke, Mother Sang tried to drag Sang Ran out but couldn't budge her.
Sang Ran let her grip her wrist but stood firm, unmoving, looking at her with a mocking smile as if watching a joke.
Mother Sang suddenly felt a surge of shame and anger, her face flushing with heat. Just as she was about to take action again, she recalled something she had overlooked earlier, the sight of her seemingly frail daughter kicking a tall man out.
She stared at Sang Ran in disbelief, and in that instant, she suddenly felt that this daughter was actually quite unfamiliar.
This realization lasted only a second or two. Before Mother Sang could react, a hoarse, trembling roar erupted: "You bastards! Who gave you permission to bully Sang Ran like this? Second Son! I raised you for nearly thirty years, and even after you started your own family, I raised your children for over a decade. Should you sell yourself to pay me back too?"