Rebirth in the 1970s: Military Commander's Sweet and Fierce Love

Chapter 2: Married?

Zhao Yunchu was stunned by the first revelation. She was only sixteen years old!

Getting married at sixteen?

Was heaven trying to be a comedian?

Was her rebirth just to end up married?

"Big brother, I'm only sixteen! How could I possibly marry you?" Zhao Yunchu asked urgently to confirm.

Le Beicheng gave a wry smile at her questioning: "I don't want to marry you either! But what can I do? I saved you from the water. You then developed a high fever, and your aunt started to make trouble, saying that I harmed you. Since we had physical contact, she insisted that I marry you..."

Zhao Yunchu: ...

Thinking about the original Zhao Yunchu's troublesome family made her head ache again.

The original Zhao Yunchu's parents had passed away a few years ago, leaving her in a precarious situation.

Her uncle Zhao Luyuan and aunt Xu Juan had taken advantage of the situation, seizing the property and land left by her parents under the guise of caring for Zhao Yunchu. At only twelve, Zhao Yunchu, with her limited understanding, didn't grasp what was happening and ended up living a life worse than a pig's or a dog's.

The current era seemed to be the 1970s, the infamous period of scarcity, where people struggled with shortages and everything required rationing.

Zhao Yunchu was furious as she looked at the big man in front of her, trying to get out of bed, but she was too weak to do so. She could only point at him with her finger.

"Didn't you protest? Besides, do your family members agree to this marriage?" The man's casual tone made her feel that people in this era were too straightforward.

"How could I protest? I couldn't just abandon you, could I? Your aunt said that since we had physical contact, my chastity is compromised." Le Beicheng sighed and added, "As for my family, they haven't said anything. As long as I agree, that's enough. That's basically the situation; I've explained everything."

Zhao Yunchu was livid. What kind of era was this?

A woman falls into a river, gets rescued, and her chastity is considered lost?

Her anger only made her head spin more, and at that moment, her stomach growled loudly.

In the silent room, the noise was quite noticeable.

Le Beicheng, unable to ignore it, got up from the kang.

"You're hungry. I'll get you something to eat. Fill your stomach first, and then we can discuss what comes next. I know you're unhappy, but things have already happened, and we can only deal with them as they are." He put on his military coat, braved the biting cold, and left the room.

As Zhao Yunchu watched him leave without looking back, she felt like a deflated balloon, suddenly at a loss for what to do.

After a while, Zhao Yunchu calmed down and reconsidered what the man had said. She realized that the marriage had been arranged mainly because her aunt wanted to get rid of the burden that was Zhao Yunchu.

If Zhao Yunchu were married, her family could completely seize her family's house and land.

Xu Juan was truly ruthless.

Zhao Yunchu had been feverish for three days and nights, lying in this drafty and dimly lit room. Her first thought was: wasn't there a doctor in the village?

Upon reflection, the village, Yongfu Village, was indeed isolated, surrounded by mountains. There seemed to be only one itinerant doctor named Song Fada, who typically prescribed remedies for common ailments.

Zhao Yunchu realized why she felt a bitter taste in her mouth when she woke up—she must have been given some kind of bitter medicine.

The itinerant doctor must be a quack; otherwise, why else would the original Zhao Yunchu have had a fever for three days and nights without recovering? Until her death, and just as she happened to be reborn...

Zhao Yunchu extended her left hand to check her pulse with her right hand. She found that her body was severely malnourished. Touching her chest, she noted that at sixteen, her body had barely developed—true to the saying, "no meat on the chest."

Her body was emaciated, and after recalling her memories, she realized that she might not have started menstruating yet. Combined with the cold from being in the water, her condition was worse, with pronounced symptoms of cold uterus.

As time passed, she finally remembered who the man was.

Le Beicheng had been a soldier since he was a teenager. A few days ago, he happened to be passing by the river and saved her on a whim. Then her aunt had completely taken advantage of the situation.

It had to be said, this man was quite pitiful. The original Zhao Yunchu was known for being somewhat foolish.

Le Beicheng had been a soldier for many years. His exact rank was unknown, but he surely received decent allowances and rations. In a rural area, a man like him should be able to find a wife with ease.

Furthermore, with his outstanding appearance, why had he never found a wife?

Before she could ponder further, she heard a commotion outside the door.

"Beicheng, you've been back for so many days and you still haven't given me the ration tickets. The whole family is depending on you to support us!" Sun Ping, Le Beicheng's mother, was fuming as she saw her second son secretly making rice porridge in the kitchen. Despite numerous requests, he had refused to hand over all his rations and money.

Le Beicheng, holding a bowl of porridge, looked at his mother.

"Mother, I'm married now. I can't give you everything. When I first came home, didn't I give you five pounds of ration tickets? Have they been used up so quickly?"

Sun Ping, embarrassed, explained with a smile, "How could they be used up so quickly? But you know, the younger siblings are growing and need more food. The few acres of land we have just can't support us all. Besides, the wife you picked up is so frail she probably won't live long. What use is it to give her the food?"

"Mother, I won't discuss this further. My wife is hungry, so I need to bring her the porridge first," Le Beicheng decided not to argue further. His mother would surely continue indefinitely if he stayed. In fact, the household's situation was not as dire as she described. He had checked the kitchen earlier and there was still plenty of rice, flour, and oil, enough for several months. Plus, the money he sent home each year meant things were not as grim as she claimed.

Now that he was married, he needed to take responsibility for the girl, even though she had been forced onto him. As a soldier, a man of integrity, once he had agreed, he had to be responsible to the end.

Zhao Yunchu had listened to the entire conversation outside the door. Upon calming down, she realized her hearing seemed unusually acute. Could this be a benefit of her rebirth?

What kind of person was Le Beicheng, really?

Zhao Yunchu thought it best to observe for now and not make any hasty decisions. As for how to leave in the future, she would put that aside and focus on resolving the immediate issues first.