Though the girl's clothes were more tattered than the others', her face was delicate and fair, with strikingly beautiful features. Her large, expressive eyes sparkled like pools of water, evoking an instinctive sense of pity.
In the internet age, opening a phone would flood you with images of glamorous influencers, but Jin Feng could confidently swear that this plain-faced girl in blue could outshine any meticulously made-up online celebrity.
"A gem like this should be in high demand. How did she end up in the marriage procession?"
Jin Feng was puzzled.
The hunchback next to him noticed Jin Feng's lingering gaze and leaned over to whisper, "Brother Jin, why do you keep staring at Guan Xiaorou?"
Jin Feng didn't answer directly but instead asked, "You know her?"
"You don't?"
Li Shitou was surprised.
Then he remembered that Jin Feng had always prided himself on being a scholar, staying aloof and never joining the crowds during previous marriage processions.
"She's the 'money-losing goods' from Guanjia Bay," Li Shitou whispered as a reminder.
"'Money-losing goods'?"
Memories surfaced in Jin Feng's mind.
The Kang Dynasty's problem of too many women and too few men had persisted for years, and the marriage processions alone couldn't solve it.
Each year, only a small fraction of the women were chosen in the first round.
For example, this time, there were over twenty women but only four men, including Jin Feng.
To address the surplus of unmarried women and stimulate population growth, the Kang government encouraged polygamy. As long as you could support them, you could take as many concubines as you wanted.
After Jin Feng and the others made their choices, any villagers in the crowd who fancied a particular woman—or several—could also select her as a concubine. The chosen women couldn't refuse.
However, adding another person to the household meant not only an extra mouth to feed but also an additional tax burden. Few families dared to take on such a responsibility.
As a result, many eligible women remained unmarried even after participating in the marriage procession.
Though this was due to objective circumstances, they were still penalized with a 20% tax increase. Such women were called "money-losing goods."
Guan Xiaorou was a well-known "money-losing goods" in the area—she had participated in four marriage processions and was still unmarried at eighteen.
Her inability to marry wasn't due to poor character or laziness but rather her condition: she couldn't be exposed to sunlight. Especially in summer, just a few minutes under the scorching sun would cause her skin to redden and even blister.
In the Kang Dynasty, such people were called "night spirits"—ominous beings who couldn't live in the light and were doomed to exist in darkness.
Guan Xiaorou's family had once been relatively well-off, even able to afford a pound or two of meat during the New Year. But since she turned sixteen, the additional 20% tax had pushed their household into increasing hardship. Now, they struggled to even manage one meal a day.
To make matters worse, her younger sister had suddenly developed a strange illness last year, often trembling, sweating profusely, and sometimes even fainting.
All of this was taken as further proof of Guan Xiaorou's "unlucky" nature.
In the superstitious minds of ancient farmers, who would dare to marry such a woman?
"What 'night spirit'? She's just allergic to sunlight! A little sunscreen would solve the problem… Feudal superstitions are truly deadly."
Jin Feng couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girl.
The village chief, holding a bowl, walked over side by side with the head constable.
"As per the rules, we'll draw lots. The one with the fewest lines picks first."
The four men took turns drawing a slip of paper from the bowl.
Jin Feng unfolded his slip and saw four lines—he would be the last to choose.
But Jin Feng didn't mind much. If he and someone else picked the same girl, they could compete for her. Being first or last didn't make much difference.
The village chief glanced at the slips in their hands and smiled at the hunchback, Li Shitou. "Shitou, you're first. Go ahead and choose."
Just as Li Shitou was about to speak, Guan Xiaorou suddenly rushed out of the line:
"Big brother, I can weave cloth, and I eat very little. Please, give me a chance to live! I'll work hard and repay your kindness with all my heart!"
To strengthen her appeal, she gritted her teeth and tightened her patched clothing, revealing her curvaceous figure to show she was capable of bearing children.
"Wow, her figure is unreal!"
Jin Feng hadn't noticed earlier, hidden under her loose clothes, but Guan Xiaorou's figure was stunning. Curves in all the right places, with a slender waist…
An angelic face, a devilish figure, and a melancholic aura—she was the epitome of a goddess!
But the villagers weren't impressed. They scolded Guan Xiaorou for being shameless.
"Get back in line!"
The constable barked.
Guan Xiaorou obediently returned to the line, her face flushed crimson, trembling slightly but still looking at Li Shitou with pleading eyes.
If she had any other choice, she wouldn't have humiliated herself like this. But she was out of options.
For the past two years, she had spun thread day and night, yet her sister-in-law still beat and berated her daily, while her brother and parents turned a blind eye.
Before leaving, her sister-in-law had warned her: if she didn't get married this time, she shouldn't bother coming home. Instead, she should follow the constables to the county and sell herself to a brothel.
This was the fate of many "money-losing goods."
If they couldn't marry and couldn't afford the taxes, they could sell themselves to government-run brothels to avoid the tax burden. But Guan Xiaorou would rather die than sell herself.
Yet even death wasn't an easy escape.
If she committed suicide, her family would be held accountable and fined heavily.
This was considered a grave act of filial impiety.
Guan Xiaorou returned to the line, and the selection process continued.
The village chief nudged Li Shitou.
Li Shitou didn't dare look at Guan Xiaorou and pointed to the strongest-looking girl in the line.
Li Shitou's parents nodded in approval. For rural folk, the primary criteria for a wife were strength, hard work, and fertility. They had been worried Li Shitou might impulsively choose the beautiful Guan Xiaorou.
Next was Zhang Mancang.
Zhang Mancang stepped forward, glanced at Guan Xiaorou with a complicated expression, and then pointed to another sturdy-looking girl.
Guan Xiaorou's face fell, and she lowered her head slightly.
Just as Jin Feng thought Zhang Mancang might choose Guan Xiaorou, he too picked a robust girl.
Then it was the ruffian Xie Guang's turn.
Xie Guang walked up and scrutinized each girl carefully, lingering especially long on Guan Xiaorou.
His lecherous gaze filled Guan Xiaorou with disgust, and she instinctively wanted to step back.
But to secure a marriage, she endured the revulsion and stubbornly met Xie Guang's eyes.
She had already made up her mind: if Xie Guang chose her, she would kill herself afterward. That way, her parents wouldn't be implicated.
As for Xie Guang facing consequences, she didn't care.
Guajia Bay wasn't far from Xihe Bay, and Guan Xiaorou knew exactly what kind of man Xie Guang was. Not only did he steal and laze about, but he also harassed young women and married ladies.
Several girls she knew had been accosted by Xie Guang while gathering wild vegetables.
If such a scoundrel suffered because of her, it would be a service to the community!
"Why are you looking at me like that? Trying to seduce me?"
Xie Guang sneered. "Too bad I wouldn't dare marry a jinx like you. But if you end up selling yourself at the county brothel, I might drop by to 'take care' of you. Make sure you serve me well, huh?"
"You… you…" Guan Xiaorou's tears streamed down her face.
"Are you going to choose or not? If not, get lost! Stop wasting everyone's time."
Jin Feng couldn't stand it anymore.
Jin Feng prided himself on being a scholar, adhering to the principle of using words, not fists. He had often been bullied by Xie Guang and usually avoided him in the village.
But today, this coward had publicly insulted him. How could the mighty Xie Guang tolerate that?
He rolled up his sleeves. "Hey, you bookworm, looking for a beating?"
"Enough!" The village chief stepped between them, his voice cold. "Jin Feng, get back in line! Xie Guang, hurry up and choose. Don't waste the constables' time!"
He emphasized the words "constables."
Though Xie Guang was a scoundrel, he wasn't stupid. He immediately realized Jin Feng had tricked him.
Zhang Mancang and Li Shitou had chosen quickly, but Xie Guang had already delayed the process. If he had hit Jin Feng in front of the constables, it would have been considered disrupting the marriage procession—a serious offense.
Xie Guang cursed Jin Feng under his breath and randomly pointed to a relatively delicate-looking girl.
"Jin Feng, it's your turn!"