Chapter 14: This Isn't Even Like Marrying Off a Daughter

In her previous life, Hua Qiuli’s academic performance was average. After graduating from high school, she went to the big city to work like others in the village. Her life was ordinary, her path was average—not as bitter as her eldest sister’s, nor as unfortunate as her second sister, Hua Xiali’s. Therefore, Hua Xiali did not intend to interfere in her life; after all, that kind of ordinary life and mundane existence was a happiness that Hua Xiali had been unable to attain in her previous life.

The fourth uncle nodded, "Alright, then be careful on the road. If anything happens, just call the village."

"Okay." Hua Xiali nodded with a smile, then picked up a piece of soft, braised potato. Suddenly, it was as if a lamp had been lit in her mind.

She knew what would be more acceptable to everyone than bamboo shoots.

This time, Hua Xiali hadn't brought anything home, so she didn't ask her fourth uncle to take her to the roadside to catch a ride. After boarding the second bus, Hua Xiali said to the driver, "Once we enter the countryside, could you please stop at the blacksmith's place?"

The driver ran this route regularly and naturally knew where the blacksmith’s house was. It was right by the side of the road, so a quick tap on the brakes was all it took—very convenient.

That’s how transport worked in the countryside; there were no fixed stops, just stopping here and there as needed.

When the bus was nearing the blacksmith’s, Hua Xiali stood up, steadied herself by holding onto the seats, and made her way to the door. As soon as it opened, she quickly hopped off.

Once off the bus, she headed straight for the blacksmith’s house.

"You must be Hua Tiefeng’s daughter, right?" As soon as she stepped into the yard, a middle-aged man walked out.

Hua Xiali nodded. "Yes, my father is Hua Tiefeng."

Her father had previously worked in the coal mines and earned good money, but then that incident happened, and he had nearly lost his life. He had long since become a topic of gossip over tea and dinner. Bad news travels fast, so it wasn't surprising that people knew him.

"What can I do for you?" the middle-aged man asked.

"I’d like to trouble you to forge something for me," Hua Xiali said.

The man replied, "Come take a look in the warehouse to see if we have it. If not, tell me what it looks like, and I’ll forge it for you."

"Okay."

Hua Xiali followed him into the warehouse in the yard. It was filled with iron products—pots, shovels, and more—but there was no sign of the teppanyaki griddle she wanted, the kind used for iron-plate squid at night markets.

This griddle wasn't just for squid; it could also be used for fried rice, fried noodles, pancakes, and the like. You could say that with this griddle, one could set up a street stall.

"Don't you see what you're looking for?" the man asked.

Hua Xiali shook her head.

The man brought over paper and a pen. "Draw what you want, and I’ll see if I can make it."

Hua Xiali took the pen and paper and drew the teppanyaki griddle and the stove underneath. She explained it to the man, fearing he might misunderstand and make it wrong. She didn't dare use a gas canister, so she didn't want that style; she wanted a standard one that could burn firewood and coal.

Besides, in her previous life, the barbecue stalls at the night market used coal, and no one forbade it. Furthermore, coal was much safer than a gas canister.

If a gas canister caught fire or exploded, the impact would affect a huge area.

Additionally, Hua Xiali drew a specialized spatula for the griddle. The blacksmith agreed to make it first; if he could pull it off, she would pay him, and if he couldn't, he wouldn't charge her.

With everything settled, Hua Xiali headed home in high spirits.

The blacksmith’s house wasn't far. If she had a bicycle, she could reach it in no time, but on foot, it took about half an hour.

In April, the temperature was low in the mornings and evenings, but quite high during the day. After walking for a while, Hua Xiali felt stifled by the heat, so she took off her coat and wore only the sweater underneath.

The sweater had been bought three years ago when her family’s situation was still decent. After wearing it for so many years, it was not only pilled from washing but had also shrunk, clinging tightly to her frame and highlighting her figure in a way that felt quite embarrassing. She quickly draped her coat over her shoulders, tying the sleeves together around her neck to keep it from sliding off her back.

Hua Xiali had been in a good mood, but as she reached her row of houses and heard a noisy commotion coming from her front door, she quickly took out her medicated patch and applied it to her eyes before walking briskly toward her home.

She saw Wang Liang’s entire family causing a scene at her door. Their gist was that Hua Xiali wasn't worth the bride price, and as long as her family apologized to the Wangs, the Wangs would stop holding them responsible and would be willing to accept Hua Xiali again—but they could forget about the three hundred yuan bride price.

Hua Xiali sneered inwardly and turned to run back the way she came. Panting, she reached the brigade office and leaned against the doorframe. "Secretary Huo, someone is causing trouble at our house. Please, Secretary Huo, help us..."

In her previous life, she had learned one truth: you cannot be a coward, and you cannot just endure. If you can't solve a problem, you report it to the superiors, or the superiors' superiors; there will always be someone who can handle it.

In her past life, when Wang Liang brought his pregnant mistress home to divorce her, wanting to leave her with nothing and kick her out, she had sued them in court and reported them to the police, eventually getting the compensation she deserved.

If she had chosen to endure, she would have had nothing.

Huo Beixi capped his fountain pen and looked up at Hua Xiali, his expression calm and unruffled. "What happened?"

"The Wang family from the Wangzhuang production team is trying to take me away by force. Please, Secretary Huo, save me," Hua Xiali said, feigning panic.

Huo Beixi stood up and walked over. "I’ll go with you to take a look."

"Thank you, Secretary Huo." Hua Xiali finished speaking in a rush. Seeing that Huo Beixi had already walked a few steps away, she quickly ran into the office, picked up the phone, and dialed the local police station. The station had a vehicle and could be there in ten minutes. Even if they couldn't convict the Wang family, it would serve as a deterrent so they wouldn't dare come to cause trouble again—otherwise, they would see what happens when they were pushed too far.

After making the call, Hua Xiali hurried out of the office. Huo Beixi was already far ahead, and she had to run to catch up, but she couldn't keep pace with him.

When Huo Beixi arrived at Hua Xiali’s house and saw the chaotic scene and the crowd of onlookers, his face darkened instantly—"cold as frost" would be an understatement.

"What are you doing?" Huo Beixi strode over to Zhang Yongfeng, his sharp, dark eyes sweeping across the faces of the Wang family members. "You people from Wangzhuang aren't working in the fields; what are you doing here in Huazhuang?"

As soon as the Wang family saw Secretary Huo, they all lost their momentum and dared not make a scene. Only Wang Liang’s married eldest sister held her head high. "The Hua family is marrying off a daughter and demanding a five-thousand-yuan bride price, plus a big color TV and a refrigerator! This isn't marrying off a daughter; this is clearly selling one!"