Chapter 2: Ill-Mannered

She came face-to-face with the three men. They were each taller than the last, led by a greasy man with a mouth full of yellow teeth. The three of them stared at Yue Rou, their eyes filled with lewd intent.

"Have I met these three before?" Chen Fan wondered, struggling to recall the memories of the original owner of this body.

They were his drinking and gambling companions, and the yellow-toothed man was their leader, known as Xia Ya. The other two were his lackeys. The trio was notorious for petty crimes and mischief. Chen Fan felt no affinity for them; in fact, they made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Hey, Brother Chen, we brought you some meat! Don't say your brothers don't look out for you!"

The three sat right down around the table, casting condescending glances at Chen Fan. Each of them offered a hollow, flattering remark. Had it been the old Chen Fan, he likely would have joined in their nonsense. But the current Chen Fan was a soul who had transmigrated from another world, equipped with advanced education and an intellect and emotional intelligence far beyond those of this feudal era. He knew that for them to appear only now, after he had been bedridden for so long, they certainly had ulterior motives.

"Seeing you brothers puts me in a better mood. My head doesn't even ache as much. Is there something you wanted to discuss?"

"Brother Chen, we just came to check on you. We heard about your condition and brought some good food for you to enjoy. Besides, we wanted to discuss the matter we agreed upon earlier."

"What matter? I don't quite remember."

Chen Fan didn't want to beat around the bush and asked directly.

"Don't worry, brother. We’re only here because it's a good opportunity. When we find something good, you’re the first one we think of!"

Xia Ya placed a hand on Chen Fan’s shoulder. Chen Fan, who loathed such a lack of boundaries, shrugged his shoulder to force the hand away.

"What good opportunity?"

"Look at your Yue Rou. Not only is she lame, but she eats your food and drinks your wine every day, and she hasn't even given you a son yet. It’s a losing investment! You’ve always wanted us to help you sell her, haven't you? You’re in such a difficult spot now and in need of money, so we thought we’d help you out."

Chen Fan suppressed the urge to vomit; such sanctimonious people disgusted him to his core. Rage burned within him, for Yue Rou was the first person he had seen upon waking in this world, and the first he had held in his arms. On Earth, scientists had studied animal courtship. While most animals followed similar patterns, there was still a process of selection. No female was ignored by the group, but males had their own standards. For instance, a seal could decide within five seconds of seeing a mate whether it liked her—a form of love at first sight.

Chen Fan had never seen such a beautiful girl, and it was hard not to be moved. Furthermore, in this world, she was his wife. By every sense of reason and emotion, he wanted to protect her. Upon hearing these thugs plotting against his wife, he wanted nothing more than to kill them on the spot.

"Where do you intend to sell her?"

"The Yi Hong Brothel, of course! She’s quite pretty, and her figure isn't bad—she’ll definitely be popular with the gentlemen."

Chen Fan was so angry his mouth twisted. How could he let anyone touch his wife? A friend’s wife is not to be trifled with! He clenched his fists, but feeling the weakness of his body, he glanced at the tattered bowls and dishes on the table.

He said in a low voice, "Well, I don't really feel like selling her anymore."

As he spoke, he was already mentally mapping out how he would beat these three to a pulp. Just as he prepared to act, he realized the three men weren't even listening; they were all staring at Yue Rou as she entered with the dishes. One leered at her backside, another rested his chin on his hand, squinting as he appraised her face. Xia Ya even began to openly taunt her: "Yue Rou, come sit on my lap to eat. Since Chen Fan crippled your leg, you aren't mobile—I’ll hold you so you don't fall."

Terrified, Yue Rou quickly scurried behind Chen Fan, silently placing the food down before retreating to sit behind him. In the past, she had avoided all men, but after being held by Chen Fan earlier, she felt a sense of security she had never known before.

Fearing that their numbers would lead to a brawl that might hurt Yue Rou, Chen Fan gave a gentle cough.

"It’s nothing fancy, just help yourselves."

Although the dishes on the table were merely tofu and greens, they were prepared with such care and aroma that it was clear Yue Rou was a woman of great skill. Marrying her was truly a blessing.

The three men continued to ignore Chen Fan, keeping their lecherous eyes fixed on the girl behind him. Yue Rou clutched Chen Fan’s sleeve in fear.

"Chen Fan, have you decided on a price to sell her? We spent days haggling with the people at the Yi Hong Brothel just to get the price up to 100 wen. Don't overthink it; she’s only worth that much, so hurry up and sell her."

Chen Fan kept his head down, silent. The original owner's memories told him that 100 wen was barely the price of an old hen.

Yue Rou panicked upon hearing this. She had never known Chen Fan wanted to sell her, and hearing them speak this way terrified her. In this dynasty, a woman abandoned by her husband became a wanderer.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had been patriarchal since ancient times. Moreover, the gender imbalance was severe; countless women could not find husbands and remained at home, becoming an extra mouth to feed. Parents would often try every means to marry their daughters off. Those who couldn't be married were often driven out to the streets. Even those who were married held low status and suffered constant abuse from their husbands.

Too afraid to speak, she could only grip Chen Fan’s clothes tighter. She watched his face, waiting for his answer.

Chen Fan remained silent, though his heart was in turmoil. He was mentally reviewing the day-to-day combat training he had undergone in the military.

"Actually, brothers, I don't intend to sell Yue Rou. I haven't touched her yet, and I want to have a child with her. Perhaps then I might receive a generous reward."

"Hahaha! Chen Fan, a virgin might fetch a slightly higher price, but at most 150 wen. Besides, can you even afford to feed her? Raising a child takes a lot of grain. Even if she doesn't starve, what if she gives birth to a girl? You’d have wasted all that effort."

"I’ve decided. I intend to have a child with her!"

All of Yue Rou’s suspicions vanished in an instant. Hearing Chen Fan’s blunt declaration, she blushed deeply.

Xia Ya, burning with indignation, slammed the table and stood up, hands on his hips, ready to fight. His two lackeys pretended to hold him back, standing behind him and making a show of restraining him.