The words were rough, and so was the person!
Tang's mother had not expected Zhan Zeyi to be so direct. She was so angry she almost laughed.
"July's man? If I remember correctly, your fiancée was Tang Chunlan. How come Tang Chunlan ran away because you're a eunuch, and now you're clinging to my daughter?"
Tang's mother stood up, pointing at Zhan Zeyi's nose and cursing.
She wasn't like Tang's father. Over the years, dealing with all kinds of customers in the shop just to make a living had worn away her once dignified and elegant temperament, turning her into someone much fiercer.
Tang Qiyue tried to explain, but her mother glared at her.
"Shut up! You have no right to speak here. That bastard Tang Yaozong is a heartless scoundrel who dragged you out to take the blame, and you actually cooperated! Tang Qiyue, I'll deal with you later!"
Tang Qiyue immediately closed her mouth and shrank back, not daring to make a sound.
She remembered that when the news of her death arrived in her previous life, her mother went completely mad. She rushed to the Tang family home and scratched the old man's face. If she hadn't been held back, she would have stabbed Tang Yaozong and his wife to death on the spot.
Later, Tang Xiuyuan was implicated by the Tang family and was trampled to death while being paraded through the streets. After that, Tang's mother went completely insane. She set fire to the Tang family's old house, dragging many people down with her.
Although Tang's mother often drank heavily, she never neglected earning money or educating Tang Qiyue.
If Tang Qiyue hadn't been tricked by her father into marrying Zhan Zeyi, she would have gone to school like Tang Xiuyuan.
After scolding Tang Qiyue, Tang's mother turned to Zhan Zeyi.
"Get up. I can't accept your kneeling."
Zhan Zeyi didn't move.
He had not gone through the wedding ceremony before, nor had he knelt with Tang Qiyue to bid farewell to her parents. Now he was making up for it.
"Auntie, if you can't accept this, then who can? I believe you know that I only learned about the arranged marriage yesterday when I came back. I returned to break off the engagement. If Tang Chunlan hadn't run away, this marriage wouldn't have happened."
Zhan Zeyi began explaining, but he did not follow Tang's mother's rhythm.
"Yesterday was the first time I met Tang Qiyue, and I fell in love with her at first sight. Although I didn't ask for your consent beforehand, I still shamelessly accepted this marriage. I guarantee that I will respect Tang Qiyue in the future."
Upon hearing this, Tang's mother fell silent.
But Tang Qiyue almost cried out.
She always thought that after living two lives and witnessing the darkness of human nature in the apocalypse, her moral bottom line had already dropped endlessly.
But when she heard Zhan Zeyi blatantly lying like this, she began doubting life again.
This guy really has no conscience.
What the hell was "love at first sight"?
Who was the one looking down on her yesterday?
If she hadn't actively fought for the marriage and even agreed to his three conditions, the marriage would have been cancelled. And now he was saying he fell in love with her at first sight and would respect her?
Did he even know how to spell the word "respect"?
Tang Qiyue's shocked expression was so obvious that Zhan Zeyi noticed it.
He turned his head, raised an eyebrow at her, and then took her hand.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"I should have agreed to Tang Yaozong's request and let you eat something before you left."
Zhan Zeyi's concerned expression made Tang Qiyue's eyelids twitch.
Whether it was because he had called Tang Yaozong by name instead of calling him father-in-law, or because Tang Qiyue's face looked pale, Tang's mother's anger gradually subsided.
"Get up. Xiaoyuan, go to Wang's Tavern and ask Old Wang to cook a few dishes."
Tang Xiuyuan glanced at Tang Qiyue, then obediently nodded and ran out.
Zhan Zeyi helped Tang Qiyue to her feet, but she was still somewhat dazed. She had expected her mother to beat her, yet it ended just like that?
Sitting beside her mother, Tang Qiyue was still in a trance until she heard her mother cough.
Only then did she realize her hand was still in Zhan Zeyi's.
She quickly pulled her hand away, pretending to fix her hair.
"Xiaoyuan didn't bring any money. Old Wang doesn't accept credit. Go give him some."
Zhan Zeyi could tell Tang Qiyue wanted to speak privately with her mother. Surprisingly, he cooperated and nodded.
But after only a few steps, Tang Qiyue chased after him and stuffed a small pouch into his hand.
"Didn't you give me all your money? Use this."
Zhan Zeyi looked at the small wallet in his palm. His tongue pressed against the back of his teeth, and he suddenly laughed.
Instead of returning it, he simply said, "Okay," and left.
After Zhan Zeyi left, Tang's mother suddenly slapped Tang Qiyue's arm.
"You slept with him?"
Tang Qiyue didn't expect such a direct question and nearly choked on her own saliva.
"Mother, what are you saying?"
Tang's mother sneered.
"With his looks, if he hadn't slept with you, would he have bowed to me like that?"
Her eyes were sharp. The fact that he dared to call the old man by his name showed he wasn't easy to deal with. Yet he was willing to kneel with Tang Qiyue. It was obvious he had some feelings for her.
Tang Qiyue's face turned red.
She didn't dare hide it from her mother.
"It wasn't exactly sleeping together… at most we just lay in the same bed."
Tang's mother froze, then blurted out:
"Is he really a eunuch?"
Although Tang's mother had called Zhan Zeyi a eunuch earlier, it was only a test. When he didn't react, she already suspected the rumor wasn't true.
But if he was a normal man, why wouldn't he sleep with his wife?
"Mother, he's fine. He's just injured."
Tang's mother looked Tang Qiyue up and down. After all, she was her daughter, and she believed her.
"Although I hate that old man for forcing you into a substitute marriage, that boy is a soldier. If you really marry him, your life will be much better from now on."
Tang's mother wasn't stupid.
She knew very well that Tang Qiyue, as the daughter of the Tang family, was born with an original sin. Once the Tang family fell, Tang Qiyue—being the daughter of a capitalist—would have little chance of finding a good marriage.
Even finding work in the future would be difficult.
That was why Tang's mother had delayed handing over the clothing shop. She wanted to use it to secure a way out for her daughter—at least preventing her from being sent to the countryside or married off to a poor family.
Unfortunately, nothing worked.
When Tang's father arranged a marriage for Tang Chunlan, Tang's mother cursed for days, wishing she could steal that marriage and give it to Tang Qiyue.
But now everything had worked out.
Her daughter had become a soldier's wife.
Let's see who dared say her daughter couldn't get married now.
Tang Qiyue knew her mother had only been putting on an act earlier, so she threw herself into her mother's arms.
"Mother, that's what I thought too. That's why I didn't run away when Old Man Tang tricked me into marrying him instead. But I'm leaving with Zhan Zeyi tomorrow. I won't be able to stay by your side anymore."
After living a second life, Tang Qiyue feared most that her mother and younger brother would die tragically like in her previous life.
Her mother hugged her and smoothed her hair.
"If you can't stay, then you can't. Even if I hand over the clothing shop, I'll still get a share of the profits. I won't have to work and I'll still earn money. What are you worrying about?"
Tang Qiyue suddenly remembered something.
"When do you plan to marry Uncle Wang?"