Chapter 1: Caught in the Act of Elopement

An elopement!

Caught in the act!

"Second Brother, a shameless, wanton woman like this should just be beaten to death. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I will."

Qin Hanxiao opened her eyes to find herself kneeling by a bed. Sitting on the bed was a sickly, handsome man, while a burly youth stood nearby, holding a wooden staff and glaring at her with fury.

The youth was her brother-in-law.

He was also the one who had dragged her back.

He wanted to beat her to death!

Qin Hanxiao's head throbbed with a splitting pain as a flood of memories that did not belong to her rushed into her mind.

After being murdered by her stepfather, she had actually transmigrated.

The body's original owner was originally the young mistress of the wealthy Squire Qin's household in the prefectural city. Less than half a year after her biological mother passed away, her father had welcomed a heavily pregnant stepmother into the home. Unloved by her father since childhood, she had been constantly tormented by her stepmother.

Three months ago, the stepmother discovered that her biological daughter had been switched at birth. After bringing her biological daughter back, she could not bear to see the adoptive daughter she had pampered for fifteen years suffer in the countryside. Thus, she made Qin Hanxiao take the adoptive daughter's place and sent her away to the countryside instead.

Upon her departure, the stepmother had threatened her: "Once you go to the countryside, you are not allowed to claim you are a daughter of the Qin family. You had better behave yourself there. Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to make you disappear without a trace. If you are obedient, your mother's memorial tablet can remain in the Qin family ancestral hall, and her bones can remain buried in the family ancestral tomb. Otherwise, you can watch her become a wandering ghost."

The stepmother's maternal brother was now the Vice Prefect, so she naturally possessed the leverage to make such threats.

When the original owner arrived at the Qin family home in Yangliu Village, she was sold by the Qin parents for the high price of twenty taels of silver to marry the injured and comatose Pei Yuantang, serving as an auspicious bride to ward off his illness.

They had also warned her: "Don't blame us. This was Miss Qin's idea. If you dare to not stay obediently with the Pei family, there is a lame old widower waiting for you next. Or perhaps you would rather marry the local scoundrel who beat three of his wives to death? Do you want to be beaten to death?"

Although Pei Yuantang woke up after the marriage, his severe injuries had left him crippled in both legs and impotent. Unable to walk or escape, and unwilling to compromise and live out her days with him, the original owner had completely lost all hope for the future.

Until half a month ago, when her childhood sweetheart, Huo Heng, found her. He claimed he had wronged her, could not let her go, and wanted to take her away and take responsibility for her.

Even though Huo Heng had previously betrayed and abandoned her, marrying someone else immediately after she was sent to the countryside, his appearance in her moment of deepest despair was like a final saving straw. Thus, without hesitation, the original owner believed his words, leading to the current situation.

"Should we beat her to death or drown her in the pond? You decide, Second Brother."

Her brother-in-law's words exploded like a clap of thunder in Qin Hanxiao's head, making her scalp tingle with fear.

In this cannibalistic feudal society, branded with the label of an eloping wife, no one would speak up for her even if her husband's family beat her to death.

But why should she die?

She didn't want to die!

In her desperation, she cast all reservations aside, grabbed her husband's hand resting on the quilt, and began to plead her loyalty.

"I didn't! I really went to buy medicine for you and Mother, husband. I never expected to run into Huo Heng. My husband is you, Erlang. How could I ever run away with someone else?"

Qin Hanxiao had sustained injuries to both her forehead and the back of her head. The throbbing pain brought tears to her eyes, leaving the corners of her eyes flushed red. Combined with her sheer terror, her body trembled uncontrollably.

This tearful, pitiful display was indeed enough to evoke pity in anyone, but Pei Yuanxing did not buy it at all.

He raised his foot, preparing to kick her. "You wretched vixen! Even at a time like this, you dare to play the victim and deceive my brother!"

"Stop!"

Pei Yuantang called out to stop him, giving his younger brother a warning glare.

He tried to pull his hand back, but his wife held on too tightly for him to break free.

He looked at his brother, then at his wife kneeling on the floor, gazing up at him in sheer terror.

He did not believe his brother would lie to him, yet he found it hard to believe that his usually quiet, gentle, and introverted wife would do something like elope. But there was no affection between them as husband and wife, and since he was now a useless cripple, it was not impossible that she would want to leave.

Thinking of his eldest sister-in-law who had eloped in the past, Pei Yuantang suppressed his emotions.

Without concrete proof, he did not want to accuse her unjustly.

He said to his brother, "No matter how wrong she is, she is still your sister-in-law. You should not be so disrespectful. Apologize to her first, then explain exactly what happened."

Hearing this, Qin Hanxiao's heart settled slightly. Fortunately, her husband was reasonable, unlike her brother-in-law, who was constantly threatening to beat and kill her.

She blinked hard, finally getting a clear look at Pei Yuantang.

Before her was a face as handsome and refined as an immortal's, with delicate features and a high nose bridge. Though his face was pale from his unhealed injuries, he was still a handsome young man.

It was a pity that his legs were crippled and he was impotent.

In the next instant, her brother-in-law's angry roar snapped her back to reality.

"I did nothing wrong! Why should I apologize to her?"

Pei Yuanxing's rage had not subsided in the slightest, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles cracked.

"I followed her into town today, and sure enough, I caught her eloping with that wild man. If I hadn't stopped her, she would have run off with him by now! If she just wanted to run away, that would be one thing, but she even took all the money in the house. That was the money meant for Mother's and Second Brother's medicine!"

"She is just like the Lin woman—shameless and heartless. They both deserve to die!"

Qin Hanxiao took one look at her brother-in-law, who looked as if he wanted to tear her apart and swallow her whole, and she couldn't help but shudder.

Subconsciously, she gripped Pei Yuantang's hand even tighter.

Turning back, she saw Pei Yuantang's handsome brow furrowed slightly, his thin lips pressed together. The look he gave her was now filled with disappointment.

Qin Hanxiao's heart sank. She was terrified that those thin lips of his would utter the words to have her beaten to death.

Thus, she desperately defended herself, "It is all a misunderstanding on my brother-in-law's part. I really didn't run away. Since I have married Erlang, I am his wife and would never involve myself with another man. It was Huo Heng who forced me. He even injured me to try and abduct me by force."

Qin Hanxiao turned her head to show him the wound on the back of her skull. Although the bleeding had stopped, the scab matted in her hair was still clearly visible.

She wasn't entirely slandering Huo Heng; the injury had indeed been caused by him.

Pei Yuantang saw the wound, but that did not prove that what she said was true.

Between his own brother and a wife he barely knew, he naturally trusted his brother more.

He tried to pull his hand away again, but failed, only for her grip to tighten further.

Looking at the hands clutching his, the fingertips turned white from the sheer force.

Her fingers were slender and delicate like scallion shoots—she truly was a pampered young lady of a wealthy house.

Yet she had married a crippled, crude man like him; it was no wonder she wanted to run.

If she wanted to leave, she could have just told him directly. He would not have forced her to stay.

"Get up first," he said.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, his brother interrupted him, gritting his teeth.

"Second Brother, a wanton woman like this cannot be kept. Have you forgotten the Lin woman? If we keep her, are we just going to wait for history to repeat itself?"

Qin Hanxiao did not understand what history repeating itself meant, but she was acutely aware of Pei Yuanxing's desire to kill her.

Seeing the veins bulging on the back of the hand that gripped the wooden staff, she feared the weapon might fall upon her at any second.

Anxious and terrified, she could not stop the tears from gushing out.

Her voice trembled uncontrollably as she cried, "My heart and eyes are filled only with you, Erlang. I could never hold anyone else. I will never leave you."