“I’m not leaving,” his tone softened as he pulled me toward the bed. My heart raced.
The wedding night was not a pleasant memory for me, and I presumed it was the same for An Jin.
Not long after An Jin became a deputy minister in the Ministry of Personnel, he came to propose marriage. My parents, older brother, and younger sister were all happy, but I felt anxious. The An family’s betrothal gifts filled the front room, and while my mother and sister joyfully selected fine brocades and jewelry, I pulled my father aside to express my desire to refuse the marriage.
My father was surprised. He believed that An Jin and I were well-suited since we had grown up together. I didn’t disclose the real reason but said I had no romantic feelings for An Jin. Disappointed, my father respected my wishes and declined the proposal. When he returned the betrothal gifts, my mother and sister cried, wishing to keep them. This made me feel guilty.
It wasn’t a matter of not wanting to marry; we had deep-seated grievances, and An Jin’s motives were questionable.
After the refusal, An Jin gave no visible reaction. However, my family began to face strange misfortunes. My father nearly faced demotion during the annual official performance review, barely keeping his position with a reduced salary.
Then my mother, after winning some money, was robbed while returning home.
Next was my older brother, whose prospective bride suddenly refused to marry him and ridiculed him. Finally, my younger sister, who loved beautiful clothes and dreamed of meeting a refined gentleman, was humiliated at a noble girls’ gathering, becoming so discouraged that she could only sing two lines: “Even with a heart as high as the sky, how can one escape being lowly…”
I couldn’t understand why, despite my efforts to provide for the family, such misfortune would befall us.
These strange events occurred in succession, leading me to suspect something was amiss. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I blocked An Jin’s horse and declared, “I’ll marry you. Who’s afraid?”
