Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Lin Qing never imagined that one day she would encounter the likes of a forced marriage.

The door latch at Zhou Fusheng’s home was flimsy, and it broke after only a few shoves from the people outside. A dozen or so people stormed in, a mix of men and women, mostly young and able-bodied, interspersed with a few older individuals who appeared to be the ringleaders.

Sure enough, one middle-aged woman stepped forward. "Zhou Fusheng, look at your leg. If you were a normal man, it would be one thing, but you’re a cripple. It’s only because the Qian family’s daughter has taken a fancy to your face that she doesn't mind your infirmity. It’s just asking you to marry into their family—don't get so high and mighty! Bah!"

Beside the woman was an old man with a white beard, dressed in respectable clothing—unlike the others, whose garments were more or less patched. He spoke to Zhou Fusheng in a tone of earnest advice: "Fusheng, back then, when Old Li brought you back, it was our Little Fish Village that didn't cast you aside. You’re a cripple and can’t work the fields; it’s our village that has been supporting you. Asking you to marry into the Qian family is for your own good."

The woman picked up where the old man left off, "Exactly. The Qian family is wealthy, and their daughter was raised in luxury—her skin is fair and delicate. You can’t expect Little Fish Village to support you for the rest of your life. If you marry into the Qian family, they will cover all your food expenses from now on."

As the old man and the woman took turns lecturing, Lin Qing felt as though her ears were growing calluses. She cast a sidelong glance at Zhou Fusheng.

Zhou Fusheng pointed to the woman and said, "That woman is surnamed Zhou. She used to be a scullery maid for the Qian family, but she was recently promoted to a managing servant." He then pointed to the old man. "Most of the people in Little Fish Village are surnamed Zhou. He is an uncle-grandfather of the Zhou clan."

Lin Qing asked, "And what is the story with this Qian family?"

"The Qian family are the major landlords in the village. The Qian patriarch’s sister is the wife of the county magistrate. They have an only daughter named Qian Xue’e. I don’t know when she laid eyes on me, but she insisted I marry into their family. I have refused many times, and eventually, it turned into... forced marriage."

Zhou Fusheng lowered his head in helplessness. "I was afraid they would try to take me by force, and since my legs aren't good, I set those traps in the courtyard."

Lin Qing was stunned, feeling quite a bit of sympathy for Zhou Fusheng. The poor fellow truly was in a sorry state.

The woman, known as Zhou Dahu, looked at Lin Qing with an arrogant tilt of her head. "Whose family are you from? Why are you staying with our Fusheng?"

Zhou Fusheng replied, "He is my distant cousin who came here to seek shelter with me."

"I must say, your cousin has quite a decent look. So soft and delicate, just like a young girl, though a bit too thin. One look and you can tell he isn't built for hard labor." After expressing her disdain, Zhou Dahu’s eyes darted around. "This cousin of yours isn't married yet, is he? There are plenty of pretty girls in our village. How about I introduce one to you?"

Lin Qing: "..." Was she being dragged into this mess?

She clapped her hands together, her eyes bright as she stared at Zhou Dahu. "Auntie, you are truly kind. To be honest, I may look small, but I am actually in my twenties. I really haven't been able to find a wife. With your help, I’m sure I’ll soon be enjoying the comforts of a home and family."

Zhou Dahu felt much more satisfied and didn't forget to give Zhou Fusheng a triumphant look. *See? Your cousin is much more sensible than you.*

Lin Qing scratched her head with a shy expression. "It’s just that I have a hobby of doing big things—you know, the kind that leads to one's entire clan being wiped out. So, I don't have any other requirements, I just want to find someone with a large clan. That way, when we all end up in the underworld, we can keep each other company. A family should always be kept together and complete, after all."

Zhou Dahu: "..."

The Zhou clan uncle-grandfather: "..."

The sturdy young men behind them all shivered in unison, thinking to themselves: *Who the hell wants to be "complete" with you!*

However, with the uncle-grandfather present, it wasn't their place to speak.

The uncle-grandfather cleared his throat and said to Zhou Fusheng, "Let's get back to the matter of your marriage. The Qian family has promised that once you marry into their house, they will waive twenty percent of the rent for our village’s tenant farmers for the next three years."

Lin Qing finally understood. No wonder Little Fish Village was so earnest about forcing Zhou Fusheng to marry; it turned out to be tied to their personal interests.

***

Zhou Fusheng stepped forward, cupped his hands to the crowd, and said, "When my master brought me back to Little Fish Village, although I could not labor due to my disability, I learned the art of medicine. I have never charged a single copper for treating any villager, and I have given away herbs whenever I could. It was for this reason that the village head provided me with a portion of grain from the communal stores. I have never wronged any of you, so why do you press me so hard?"

These words made the members of the Zhou clan feel somewhat uneasy. But at the thought of the twenty percent reduction in rent, the uncle-grandfather hardened his heart. "The village head has already spoken—what happened in the past no longer counts. If you want to stay in Little Fish Village, you must follow our rules. If you don't want to stay, you are free to leave."

Zhou Fusheng was almost angry enough to laugh. He *wanted* to leave, but to travel, one needed both a household registration and a travel permit. Permits had to be obtained from the yamen, and since the Qian patriarch’s sister was the magistrate’s wife, how could they possibly grant him one?

Without a permit, he would be a "black household" (an unregistered citizen). If caught by a reasonable official, he would be deported at best; if caught by an unreasonable one, he would be pressed into military service.

The implied message was clear: whether he wanted to or not, he had no choice.

Zhou Fusheng was so angry his face turned red. He said to Lin Qing, "I have embarrassed you."

Lin Qing waved her hand dismissively. She was getting a free show, and compared to the intricate schemes of the capital, this crude drama of forcing a man into marriage was rather interesting.

Business still had to be taken care of. She kindly pointed toward the door and asked, "Are you going to crawl out yourselves, or should I help you crawl?"

The uncle-grandfather said, "Since that’s how it is, don't blame us. We are doing this for your own good. Going to the Qian family is for your benefit."

The young men behind him pulled out ropes, clearly having prepared to bind him by force, and they had even pushed a flatbed cart to the scene.

Two burly men rushed toward Zhou Fusheng first, intending to pin him down.

Zhou Fusheng was wheezing with rage, but Lin Qing pulled him behind her, flew into the air, and kicked one of the men away. She then raised her hand and grabbed the wrist of the other man.

The man was used to farm work, broad-shouldered and thick-limbed; one of his arms was thicker than Lin Qing’s waist.

Yet, no matter how much strength he exerted, the hand gripping his wrist remained as steady as Mount Tai.

The man grew vicious and raised his foot to kick, but Lin Qing’s movements were faster. With a *bang*, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and his entire body was sent flying backward, soaring right over the courtyard wall.

This kick left the members of the Zhou clan stunned. Looking at her frame and height, they couldn't fathom how much strength it took to kick a two-hundred-pound man out of the courtyard.

Zhou Dahu shivered even harder; recalling Lin Qing’s earlier words, her knees were knocking together.

Lin Qing surveyed their terrified expressions and curled her lips. "Well? Are you staying here because you want me to marry into one of your families? Whose daughter is it? Does she have a head? Is it enough to hang on the city gate?"

With that one sentence, everyone ran as if chased by ghosts.

The small courtyard returned to silence. Zhou Fusheng found a piece of firewood to replace the door latch and locked the gate.

Zhou Fusheng let out a long breath. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lin Qing put the things that had been kicked over back in their places. "But this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. I can help you solve the issue with the magistrate, but after that, I’m afraid you won't be able to stay in Little Fish Village."

"I thought that if I just hid here, I could live a peaceful life." Zhou Fusheng shook his head with a bitter smile. "It was my own naivety. People like us have become monsters; no matter how we disguise ourselves, we are only monsters."

"Lin Qing, I want to return to the Dark Division. Can I still go back?"

The peach-blossom eyes that should have been shining with life were now filled with nothing but confusion.

***

Lin Qing remained silent for a moment before saying, "According to the rules of the Dark Division, agents who have suffered physical harm in the line of duty are placed as informants all over the world. I will find you a sufficiently remote location, and the Division will arrange a job for you that is enough to support yourself. If there are no major events, you will live there just like a normal person."

But there was no absolute guarantee. If something were to happen in that region, the informant would be activated, and the consequences were unpredictable.

Zhou Fusheng suddenly stared at her, his pupils reflecting only her face.

"If your luck is bad, you die in some mission; if your luck is good..." Lin Qing smiled. "You live until you retire, find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, build a large estate, and spend your days wandering the hills and playing with birds."

"You..." Zhou Fusheng paused. "Do you not want to leave?"

"Leave? Go where?" Lin Qing looked up at the sky and let out a mocking, derisive laugh. "The power I hold in my hands is something many people spend their entire lives unable to reach. Why would I run?"

"That’s true..." Zhou Fusheng lowered his head, hiding the light in his eyes.

Lin Qing said, "Rather than discussing my affairs, let’s go to the Qian family now. Let’s get this over with quickly; I have other things to attend to and cannot stay here too long."

To solve the problem at the root, the Qian family could not be avoided.

"Going there is for the best." Zhou Fusheng seemed to have made up his mind, leaning on his crutch as he led the way.

The Qian family lived on the south side of the village, their estate exceptionally grand. Judging by the look of it, it had at least four courtyards.

The Qian family’s steward was pot-bellied. He glanced at Zhou Fusheng sideways and gave a disdainful hum. "Zhou the Cripple, have you finally thought it through?"

Zhou Fusheng was neither humble nor arrogant. "I want to see the master of the Qian family."

Steward Qian didn't take Zhou Fusheng seriously at all. "You’re just a mud-legged peasant; do you really think you’re worthy? If you obediently act as a plaything for our eldest young lady, there might be some benefits for you. But if you insist on refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, you’d better weigh who really has the final say here in Sainan County."

Zhou Fusheng said, "Whether I agree or not, we must at least speak face-to-face."

Steward Qian shot him a sidelong glance, though he didn't block him this time. He frowned and squinted at Lin Qing. "Who is this?"

Zhou Fusheng replied, "My cousin."

Steward Qian grunted and led the way.

Zhou Fusheng noticed Lin Qing looking dazed and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Lin Qing came back to her senses and explained, "Nothing. It’s just my first time being blocked at a door by a lackey, so I find it quite novel."

She had just been wondering if she should follow the tropes in the novels she used to read—smash the lackey’s head in, then have the small ones bring the big ones, and the big ones bring the old ones, just like that.

As it turned out, she had overthought it. By the time she snapped out of it, they had already been let through the gates of the Qian estate.