Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Chapter 002 This is Trying to Kill Me

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For a time, the bustling village women grouped in twos and threes into a semicircle, mostly with odd expressions on their faces, peering at the young man and woman still entangled in each other's arms, some asking anxiously with closeness.

"Goodness gracious, San Ni, what has happened to you? Don't scare your Aunt like that! Why on earth did you think of jumping into the water?"

"Exactly, such a well-behaved little girl, why did she suddenly jump into the water?"

"I just heard yesterday that the Zhi Country had arranged a marriage for San Ni, could it be that..."

This was the speculation of the well-informed women, instantly hitting the nail on the head.

"What a sin..."

The lake in the center of the village wasn't far from the Zhang Family, and before the village women could come to any conclusions about a prospective marriage or suicide by jumping into the water, even as Zhang Shan Ni [Yan Jinsu] still felt her head heavy with confusion, she suddenly heard sharp and hurried curses getting louder as they approached.

Lin Zhaodi cursed all the way, pushing through the village women circled in the center, and upon seeing that Zhang Shan Ni was unharmed and not dead, a wave of relief washed over her heart, immediately followed by a burst of scolding:

"Look at you, you rascal! What were you jumping into the water for? Do you want to be the death of me?!"

Upon hearing her little daughter had jumped into the water, Lin Zhaodi had rushed over in a panic. Seeing San Ni shamelessly clinging to a grown man, she rushed forward to pull them apart, "You shameless wretch, let go at once!"

"No, go away, you're not my mother!" Yan Jinsu shouted hoarsely, pretending to be scared as she burrowed into the young man's embrace. Seeing the olive-colored garment before her eyes, she had no other thoughts but instinctively felt she could trust the young man she was clinging to.

In the ten minutes or so since Yan Jinsu had come ashore, she had roughly come to understand the state of the body she was in, and now she clung tighter to the big man in her arms, her only thought being to get through this ordeal. Thus, with her eyes closed and her face pale and colorless with terror, she cried out:

"Woo, please, save me!"

Having screamed, Yan Jinsu tightened her grip around the neck she was holding onto even more, glaring at Lin Zhaodi with resentful eyes, she yelled back:

"Get away from me, you're not my mother, you don't deserve to be one! What kind of real mother could be so cruel, to force her daughter to marry an old man who is not only hunchbacked but also a slob? Whoo, what kind of cruel birth parents are these? I'd rather die clean than be forced to marry!"

"Wow~~" The simple villagers surrounding them immediately understood and expressed their shock.

"I also heard people from Old Lin Village talking about it; it was about an arranged marriage swap for that hunchbacked old wreck from Old Lin Village."

"Who?" Those in the know couldn't believe it and instinctively asked back. Though they understood, there was a mocking look at Lin Zhaodi, who was still loudly cursing, and the Zhang Family men who followed behind.

"That notorious Lin Lao Lai, Lin Aiguo!"

"Oh~~So it's him..." Many of the uninformed promptly understood who Lin Aiguo was when they heard the name. Thinking of San Ni, such a good girl being matched with that lazy toad, they could understand San Ni's actions!

But her own brother fancied the notorious slob of a younger sister from Old Lin Village—a no-good girl, roaming about seductively all day long, nearing twenty without a match, neither high nor low, with little chance of marrying well. Who asked for her to have such a brother!

"Such a misfortune! If Zhiguo's father were still here, he would never bear to watch his granddaughter suffer like this!"

Zhang Zhiguo's father, Zhang Honghan, was an old revolutionary, and even his wife was a nurse in the troupe—a family of loyalty and patriotism, yet their granddaughter was now being belittled by their son and daughter-in-law!

"Right, we are all San Ni's elders, how could we let her jump into the fire pit!"

The Aunt who was the first to discover Zhang Shan Ni's suicide attempt was none other than the Old Village Chief's wife. She had high status and a good reputation in the village, known for her warmth and fairness, a well-regarded matchmaker and midwife. When it came to marriages, people preferred to seek her out rather than asking strangers to make the introductions.

But due to age, she had withdrawn from such activities for the past two years, at home and comfortably living as an elderly lady, spending her free time with other old women in the village, setting up their gatherings, her days passing agreeably.

But now, this foolish nephew has driven his daughter to the brink of suicide! It's a complete disgrace to the Zhang Family. Squinting through narrowed eyes, the old woman said lightly,

"Zhiguo, if you don't want to live in Shanglin Village anymore, just say the word. It's simple for this old lady to cross out your family's name."

"Auntie, there's nothing like what you said. Our family's been living well here, we've never had second thoughts! It's just that San Ni's marriage has already been decided..."

Zhang Zhiguo was usually very apprehensive around this Old Village Chief's uncle, and even this Aunt was someone he greatly feared!

Now, as the Clan Leader and clan woman of the Zhang Family, how could he possibly talk back with defiance? He could only bow and plead for mercy.