Chapter 23
After finishing her meal, Luna White felt much better and decided to get out of bed. Stepping into the yard, she saw Andrew Smith leading a group of villagers in repairing the collapsed walls of her house. The mud bricks were neatly stacked, and even the courtyard wall had been raised by half a meter. She couldn’t help but smile.
This instructor was truly thoughtful.
Once the work was done, the villagers gradually left. Andrew washed his hands and noticed Luna leaning against the doorframe, smiling at him.
"Feeling better?" he asked, noting the healthy flush in her cheeks—her fever must have broken.
Luna nodded. "Thank you, Instructor Andrew. I really appreciate it." She meant it. In her past life, no one had ever treated her this kindly.
"Just doing my duty. Our unit is training nearby, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything." His gaze fell on the bandage wrapped around her arm. "Need help changing the dressing?"
"No, no!" Luna waved her hands quickly. "The aunties are helping me."
No way was she letting him see—her wound had already healed. The bandage was just for show.
"Alright. Let me know if you need anything." Andrew grinned. "Serving the people, after all."
After seeing him off, Luna exhaled deeply. What an eventful day.
She looked around and noticed the sack of cornmeal had been moved into the kitchen, the water barrel was full, and the firewood was neatly stacked. Even the furniture inside had been repaired.
She suddenly remembered she still had his hot water bottle. Well, she’d return it next time.
For the first time in a while, she felt at ease. Life didn’t seem so bad after all.
She decided to go find the mailman. Letters were rare in the village, and the mailman only came once a day at noon. If a family received a letter, it was always a big deal.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the White household was suffocatingly tense.
Maya White hacked at pig feed while cursing under her breath. "That wretched girl, she deserves to starve to death!" Her hands were stained with pig feed, and the stench made her want to vomit. These chores had always been Luna’s job.
Jack White and Clara White sat in the main room, faces dark with anger. Ethan and Bai Zhuang were out in the fields, but the three adults were too ashamed to step outside.
Yesterday’s incident had spread through the entire village. If they went out now, they’d be met with scornful glares. Jack had never been so humiliated in his life.
"Are we just going to let this go? That house..." Laura White ground her teeth. They had planned to sell it soon to pay for Bai Zhuang’s bride price.
Clara snorted. "She can run, but she can’t hide. After raising her all these years, it’s time she paid us back." To her, Luna was nothing more than a bargaining chip.
Jack took a deep drag from his pipe. "Mother, let’s put the house aside for now. The whole village is watching." He narrowed his eyes. "The priority is marrying that girl off. We’ll get the bride price and keep the house."
Laura’s eyes lit up. "Exactly! Find her a wealthy family—the bride price could be at least two hundred. Then the house is still ours!"
"I’ll go see the matchmaker," Clara said, standing up.
"Wait." Jack stopped her. "Have Laura check with her family first. You keep an eye on the mailman—make sure you intercept that acceptance letter."
Laura jumped to her feet eagerly. "My sister-in-law knows a few rich families who pay well!" She grinned, already picturing the money in her hands.
The family exchanged satisfied smiles, as if Luna’s fate was already sealed.