Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Forced Marriage

Chen Jianghe fumbled to put on his clothes as he said, “Anyway, there’s no way I’m marrying you. Just give up on that idea!”

In the darkness, Xu Meiling was silent for a few seconds. When she spoke again, her voice had turned much colder. “You really won’t marry me?”

“I won’t!”

“Fine, then you’d better get ready to go to jail and do hard labor! Oh, and I almost forgot—hooliganism can even get you shot!” If she couldn’t have him, then she might as well destroy him.

Xu Meiling had already done everything she could to try to be with Chen Jianghe. Since he still refused, then they could both go down together!

In the darkness, Chen Jianghe shivered. He didn’t know if it was from the cold or from fear. Women really could be vicious—one moment she was saying she liked him, the next she was threatening to have him shot!

“You’re threatening me? Don’t forget, if this gets out, you’ll be the one accused of sleeping around! Your reputation will be ruined for the rest of your life.” Chen Jianghe gritted his teeth.

Xu Meiling didn’t answer directly. Instead, she looked toward the light outside. “What do you think would happen if I screamed right now?

When everyone comes running, I’ll just say you got drunk and forced yourself on me. By this time next year, the grass on your grave will be taller than a man.”

“You wouldn’t dare! Xu Meiling, you crazy woman! If you ruin me, you won’t get away unscathed either!” Chen Jianghe hadn’t expected Xu Meiling to be this crazy—if she couldn’t have him, she’d destroy him, not even caring about her own reputation.

But what he didn’t know was that Xu Meiling was at the end of her rope too. She was gambling—gambling that Chen Jianghe would give in first.

If it really came down to burning all bridges, she wouldn’t dare go that far either.

“I am crazy! Chen Jianghe, if you don’t agree to marry me today, tomorrow morning your underwear will be hanging on my front gate, and I’ll tell the whole village you forced yourself on me.”

Xu Meiling had already prepared—she’d hidden his underwear earlier.

Chen Jianghe reached down and realized that in his hurry, he’d pulled on his pants without even putting on his underwear.

He cursed her under his breath, but on the surface, he could only try to placate her. “Give it back first! Fine, I’ll marry you, okay?” He’d coax her into giving back his underwear first, then figure out what to do.

“Just saying it isn’t enough. You have to come to my house right now and propose to my parents in person.”

Both of them knew what the other was thinking, each trying to outmaneuver the other.

It was getting later and later. Chen Jianghe was sweating with anxiety. At the educated youth dorm, Zhu Chunlin, his roommate, noticed he hadn’t come back and was out searching for him with a flashlight.

He was getting closer and closer.

This, unintentionally, gave Xu Meiling the upper hand.

“Fine! I agree! Isn’t that enough? Hurry up and get dressed!” Chen Jianghe was both angry and anxious.

Only then did Xu Meiling slowly get dressed. She pointed toward her house. “I’ll go home first. You have fifteen minutes to come and propose to my parents. If you don’t…”

“All right, just go! I got it!” Chen Jianghe impatiently pushed her away.

Xu Meiling took a shortcut home, while Chen Jianghe quickly tidied up the scene, grabbed the empty wine bottle, and pretended to stagger home drunk.

He “ran into” Zhu Chunlin on the way, and the two returned to the dorm together.

Back in his room, Chen Jianghe grew more and more anxious the more he thought about it. With how crazy Xu Meiling was, if he didn’t go, she really might…

His mind was in turmoil. Should he go or not?

He wasn’t really afraid of Xu Mingshan, but a powerful outsider couldn’t compete with a local big shot. He still needed Xu Mingshan’s help for many things.

He was a city youth, being forced to marry a country girl—an ugly, fat country girl at that. He didn’t want to; every fiber of his being resisted.

He agonized on his bed for half an hour before finally getting up.

He opened his cabinet and took out a box of malted milk and two hundred yuan—everything he had.

He planned to reason with Xu Mingshan, appeal to his emotions, and offer a generous sum in hopes they’d drop the matter and let him buy his way out of trouble.

If they absolutely refused… well, there was nothing he could do. But he would never treat Xu Meiling as his wife!

He had just knocked twice when the door swung open.

Xu Meiling had been waiting by the door the whole time.

When she got home, she found the house in an uproar. She’d simply said, “Mom, Dad, get ready—Brother Jianghe will be here soon to propose.”

That stunned the whole family into silence, stopping their argument in its tracks.

Everyone reacted differently when they learned she and Chen Jianghe had “done the deed.”

Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang thought it was a good match—Chen Jianghe’s family was well-off, and their daughter would be half a city person in the future.

It was a bit disgraceful to force things like this, but who would ever know?

Xu Huaiyu never imagined his ugly, awkward sister would actually land a “swan.” He quickly decided this was a great idea.

Lin Xiaomeng thought to herself, “Chen Jianghe always acts so proud, but he’s not above this kind of thing when he’s desperate. He must be starving!”

Only Xu Huaizhi was against it. He thought the two were completely incompatible, and that Meiling was courting disaster. Forcing someone into marriage like this would only breed resentment and end badly.

“Meiling, Chen Jianghe isn’t a good man. You should find an honest, dependable fellow and live a good life,” he advised.

But Xu Meiling wouldn’t listen—she was furious.

“Big brother, what’s that supposed to mean? You can marry an educated youth, but I can’t? Am I only good enough for some peasant?” Xu Meiling was so angry her cheeks quivered.

“That’s not what I mean. At least your sister-in-law and I like each other. But you and Chen Jianghe…

Meiling, a melon forced off the vine won’t be sweet. If you force him like this, how can you ever be happy?” Xu Huaizhi spoke from experience—he knew marriage was no joke.

“I don’t care! I’m marrying Chen Jianghe no matter what!” Xu Meiling was stubborn to the core.

Liu Guifang and Xu Mingshan were already angry with their eldest son. Seeing him try to ruin their daughter’s good marriage made them furious.

They scolded him, “What’s wrong with you? This is a great match! Your sister has already given him her most precious thing—who else could she marry now?”

There was a huge generational gap—no matter how Xu Huaizhi explained, he was wrong.

In the end, Lin Xiaomeng just dragged Xu Huaizhi back to their room. No point saying more—her sister-in-law wouldn’t listen and would only think she was being jealous and trying to sabotage her.

Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang didn’t care about happiness or not. Marriage was all about eating well, having enough to wear, and a roof over your head. Chen Jianghe’s family was well-off, he was good-looking, and he was an educated city youth—what more could they want?

So the whole family waited in the main room for their future son-in-law to come and propose.

But they ended up waiting for over an hour.

Xu Meiling went from confident to increasingly anxious, waiting by the door, afraid to miss the slightest sound.

Finally, someone knocked. She rushed to open the door.

There stood Chen Jianghe, scowling, his face full of disgust.

“Jianghe, you didn’t have to bring a gift,” Xu Meiling said as she snatched the box of malted milk from his hands.

Chen Jianghe quickly stepped back, putting distance between them."

"Chapter 61: The Marriage