Chapter 615 - 320: Renewed Vitality
Juhua leaned close to Liu’er and Li Changliang, whispering, "Can you two stop looking so defeated? You have to look on the bright side. Sister Liu’er, you know your own body best. It’s not some terminal illness, is it? No matter what you went through before, you’re back now, and Brother Changliang genuinely wants to marry you. Can’t you pull yourself together and fight for yourself? Don’t you want a life like the one Meizi and Brother Changming have?"
Liu’er suddenly grabbed Juhua’s hand and sobbed, "I want to fight for myself. I want to live like Meizi. Juhua, do you think I can get better?" She stared at Juhua with a burning intensity, as if Juhua herself were a doctor.
Juhua squeezed her gaunt hand and whispered, "You’ve been bottling up so many frustrations, haven’t you? Now you’re back. If you marry Brother Changliang, your mind will be at ease and your heart will be happy, and that’s how you’ll root out this sickness. Let me tell you, illnesses are bullies—they prey on the weak and fear the strong. If you hold on to a fierce will to live, stop dwelling on all that awful stuff, eat well, and think happy thoughts, you will definitely recover. Besides, after how they treated you today, you have even more reason to rally and fight for your pride! Live a good life for all to see. If you die, you’ll just be giving them something to laugh about, won’t you?"
The more Liu’er listened, the brighter her eyes became, and she nodded nonstop. She gripped Juhua’s hand tightly, her expression growing resolute.
Juhua added one last bit of fuel to the fire, determined to put Liu’er’s mind completely at ease. "First, you have to find that fighting spirit within yourself. But you’ve been sick for so long, so it won’t be easy to recover. Once you’ve caught your breath and feel a bit stronger, strong enough to travel, have Changliang take you to Qinghui to see a doctor and cure this illness for good. Brother Changliang should have saved up some silver these past two years. If it’s not enough, Meizi and I will help you scrape some together. So tell me, what is there left to despair about? Unless you want to die—in that case, don’t marry Brother Changliang. Or are you really cruel enough to make him spend his days keeping you company at your grave?"
The surrounding crowd didn’t know what Juhua and Liu’er were whispering about. They looked anxious, wanting to go home but reluctant to leave. Every single one of them wanted to see if Li Changliang would really marry Sun Liu’er, so they huddled together, speculating in hushed tones.
Li Gengtian loudly urged everyone to go home, but no one listened. Frustrated, he stared at Juhua and Liu’er. ’What in the world is going on?’ he thought.
Li Changliang and Zhang Huai, who were closest to them, had naturally heard every word Juhua said. Meanwhile, Liu’er’s mother had been, intentionally or not, pushed away by them. Thus, the three of them watched as Liu’er miraculously rallied, completely shedding her previous listless demeanor.
Since Liu’er’s mother couldn’t hear Juhua’s words, she couldn’t understand the secret behind the change. She stared at Juhua in fear, half-convinced she had cast some kind of spell on her daughter.
Li Changliang watched Liu’er, his heart pounding with excitement. ’If she can really recover, even if it’s only to live a few more years, I’ll have to burn the finest incense in gratitude to Juhua.’
After Juhua finished speaking, Liu’er looked up at Li Changliang with renewed determination. "I am willing to marry you," she said. "You can make all the arrangements. I was divorced and sent home anyway. There’s no point in staying with my family, so just treat me as if I’m all alone in the world."
She was once again the Liu’er of the past, the same Liu’er who had dared to seek out Qingmu to avoid becoming a man’s concubine. Having already been divorced and sent back to her family, what was there left that she wouldn’t dare to do or say?
When Li Changliang saw her speaking with such backbone, so unlike her earlier mournful self, he was overjoyed. He eagerly slapped his chest and declared, "Don’t you worry! How could I let you go back there to be mistreated? You can stay at my brother’s house for now. You always got along well with my sister-in-law, so you’ll be comfortable there. It’s far from your family’s house, too—out of sight, out of mind. I’ll get my house ready immediately. I’m marrying you tomorrow!"
Hearing how he had a logical plan ready the moment he spoke, Liu’er felt even more at ease.
Zhang Huai reminded them, "Save the details for when you get to your brother’s house. It’s not good to have this whole crowd watching. Tell them to disperse."
Li Changliang nodded. "Don’t you worry about a thing," he said to Liu’er. "Just leave everything to me."
He turned to the crowd and announced loudly, "Liu’er and I have reached an agreement. We’re getting married tomorrow! Everyone is welcome to come over for tea. As for the wedding banquet, we’ll hold a proper one for you all once we’re more settled. For tonight, please, everyone go on home."
After speaking, he went to Liu’er’s side, helped her up, and began walking toward where Li Changming and Meizi were.
The crowd erupted in an uproar!
This had to be the strangest engagement they had ever witnessed. It felt wrong to offer congratulations—who knew how many days Liu’er had left? But it also felt wrong not to, since the couple had just announced they were marrying tomorrow and invited everyone for tea.
At first, Liu’er’s mother was overjoyed. But her joy turned to panic when she saw Liu’er leave with Li Changliang without a word to her, completely ignoring her. "Liu’er, aren’t you coming home?" she cried out. "You’re getting married tomorrow, but you’re supposed to come home for tonight! How can you just leave with him like this?"