Chapter 4: She is a bit fierce

“This one, this one is good!”

After rummaging for a long time, Jiang Dahai finally found one—a floral print dress that, in his eyes and aesthetic taste, would appeal to a man.

The fabric was a light green with a coarse check pattern, featuring a white round collar and short lantern-style puffed sleeves. The collar, cuffs, and hem were all trimmed with white lace, and a white leather belt was cinched at the waist, making it look both elegant and gentle.

Jiang Moli didn't care; it was all just for show anyway.

Once she had changed into the dress, Jiang Dahai brought out the belongings of his late wife, Ruan Rou—Jiang Moli's biological mother.

A pair of pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.

The original owner of this body had once secretly worn these pieces as a child and had been severely scolded by Jiang Dahai for it, never daring to touch them again since.

Today, however, Jiang Dahai was willing to proactively offer them to Jiang Moli.

It was evident that Jiang Dahai held immense expectations and determination regarding the matter of marrying Jiang Moli off.

After Jiang Dahai left for work, Jiang Moli changed her shoes and prepared to head out.

"Sis, I haven't seen brother-in-law in ages. Can I go with you?"

Jiang Moli didn't bother correcting Jiang Peng's way of addressing her.

Since Zhang Jiaming had married Jiang Qing, he was technically her and Jiang Peng's brother-in-law as well.

Jiang Moli headed out with Jiang Peng in tow.

"I won't say anything else about Moli, but she really is beautiful. Looking at her from behind, she looks exactly like her mother did when she was young."

No wonder Jiang Dahai pampered this daughter like a precious pearl.

Li Hongying mused inwardly.

Jiang Qing also stared at Jiang Moli's retreating figure, mocking Jiang Dahai in her heart for being "too clever for his own good."

In a working-class family like theirs, beauty couldn't put food on the table.

That single dress Jiang Moli was wearing had cost Jiang Dahai a month's salary. Combined with the jewelry and leather shoes, this entire outfit cost more than half a year of Zhang Jiaming's allowance.

Who would dare marry a woman with such capitalist pretensions?

...

From the moment she stepped out of the house, Jiang Moli attracted the gazes of the neighbors.

In stark contrast to her notorious bad reputation was her breathtakingly beautiful face.

In the entire machinery factory residential compound, one could not find a girl more beautiful than Jiang Moli.

The light blue dress made her skin look snowy and translucent. The cinched waist design emphasized her slender figure, and two glossy braids hung over her shoulders, tied at the ends with large pink ribbons shaped like butterflies.

With almond eyes and rosy cheeks, she was charming and radiant—so beautiful it was hard to look away.

Even being stared at, Jiang Moli didn't show any bashfulness; instead, she greeted everyone one by one.

"Second Sister Zhu, the food at your house must be good lately; look how much your waist has slimmed down!"

Second Sister Zhu rolled her eyes at her and walked away, tugging at her hem.

『Disdain Value +1, 10,000 yuan credited.』

"Uncle Liu, you forgot to button your fly, hahaha!"

Uncle Liu looked down, hurriedly turned around, and pulled his fly shut.

『Disdain Value +1, 10,000 yuan credited.』

"Oh, Auntie Zhang, is this your grandson who just turned a month old? Tsk, he's so dark and thin, he looks just like a little monkey."

Her lips were as red and plump as cherries, but why did the words coming out of them have to be so obnoxious?

As Jiang Moli walked along, she collected eye-rolls, and her Disdain Value rose steadily.

"Bah, that little vixen, who knows where she's running off to wilding again."

Wang Lianhua spat disdainfully at Jiang Moli's back.

Tian Guihua, walking by while holding her grandson, heard this and stepped forward to intervene: "What did that girl ever do to you? Why are you speaking so harshly?"

"Hmph, I was being kind by acting as a matchmaker and introducing my nephew from my maiden home to her, but she was so picky and looked down on him..."

Hearing there was gossip, the neighborhood aunties swarmed around.

"...Saying that a house, a car, and cash are all equally indispensable, and that she needs a hundred or so yuan in pocket money every month after marriage. Bah! Does she think she's a hen that lays golden eggs? Is her lady parts plated in gold or something?"

The vulgar words drew bursts of laughter from the crowd.

『Disdain Value +5, 50,000 yuan credited.』

*Hmm?*

Was this the legendary "pie falling from the sky"?

The System, not understanding, asked: 『Host, how did you do it? You gained Disdain Value without doing anything.』

Jiang Moli touched her face. "It's probably, maybe, perhaps, this face—it's just too beautiful for the gods to tolerate, right?"

The "Most Hated Woman in the World": 『...』

It was hard to say if she was beautiful enough, but her skin was certainly thick enough.

Even her biological brother, Jiang Peng, couldn't stand her poisonous tongue. "Sis, you should talk less when you're out. I'm afraid you'll get beaten up."

"Don't you have me? If someone tries to lay a hand on me, won't you be the first to step up and take the brunt of it? Otherwise, what use am I having you around for?"

Jiang Peng: "..."

*If you weren't my biological sister, I'd want to hit you too.*

...

At the entrance of the People's Park.

Zhang Jiaming and Lu Cheng stood side by side. Their towering heights and extraordinary military bearing attracted the attention of many passersby.

Especially Lu Cheng.

Standing at 1.88 meters tall, with sharp brows and bright eyes and a cold, stern expression, he wore an olive-green military shirt, dark trousers, and leather military boots. His majestic and handsome image made the passing young women's hearts flutter.

Zhang Jiaming wasn't bad either.

At 1.75 meters, with thick brows, large eyes, and a standard square face, he was quite a handsome man on his own. However, standing next to the tall and domineering Lu Cheng, he was inexplicably unremarkable.

Lu Cheng checked his watch for the Nth time, his cold face suppressing impatience. "Did you make the time clear with the woman over the phone? It's almost 10:30."

Zhang Jiaming wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I said 10:00. I even said it twice."

"It's good that this engagement is being called off. Someone with such a poor sense of time—if she were a soldier under my command, I'd have to train her until she was submissive!"

Zhang Jiaming reminded him nervously, "Leader, she's a bit fierce."

He meant that Lu Cheng should be polite when they met her, lest he provoke Jiang Moli.

Lu Cheng was dismissive. "How fierce can a woman be? Can she fly to the heavens?"

Zhang Jiaming actually hadn't seen Jiang Moli in seven or eight years, but he was still terrified of her from the bottom of his heart.

When they were kids, he had accidentally hit her with a slingshot, and Jiang Moli had responded by cracking his head open with a brick.

It wasn't just him; almost every child of a similar age in the village had been bullied by Jiang Moli. Even the village dogs would get a kick from her if they passed by.

In his entire life, he had never met a woman more willful and fierce than Jiang Moli.

This was exactly why he had insisted on dragging Lu Cheng along to help him break off the engagement.

While he was feeling anxious, Zhang Jiaming spotted Jiang Peng.

After several years, Jiang Peng's face hadn't changed much, but he had grown significantly taller—burly and sturdy, looking like someone who wasn't to be trifled with.

Walking with Jiang Peng was a girl in a red dress.

She had ear-length short hair and was quite tall, though a bit stocky and dark-skinned.

Jiang Moli had been quite pretty as a child; how did she end up looking like this as an adult?

Thinking of Jiang Moli's fierce and shrewish nature, and the protective Jiang Peng by her side, if he brought up the breakup now, wouldn't the siblings beat him senseless?

Of course, he deserved a beating for his change of heart, but getting beaten in public was too humiliating.

"Oh, Leader, my stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom. Where are they? Please help me handle them for a moment..."

Before Lu Cheng could react, Zhang Jiaming clutched his stomach and ran off.

"You son of a bitch, you deserter!"

Lu Cheng cursed, then turned to look in the direction Zhang Jiaming had pointed.

The moment he looked, the girl in the red dress walked in a different direction, revealing Jiang Moli, who was half a head shorter behind her.

(End of Chapter)