Chapter 002 I Got Married!

Jiang Lin returned to the clinic and received an urgent task to visit patients in the countryside, not returning home until she had seen the last patient a month later.

As soon as she opened the door, the smell of blood assaulted her nostrils.

All around her was chaos, pots, pans, and dishes shattered on the ground, and her mother sat on the sofa, traces of being beaten still evident on her face.

Jiang Lin's heart tightened, and she quickly took out a medical kit from the cabinet above the shoe rack and ran toward her, "He hit you again!"

Her mother tried to calm her, "It's still about that incident three years ago."

"That bastard!"

Jiang Lin cursed, her eyes filled with unstoppable heartache, "I told him long ago that the accident three years ago had nothing to do with you or him, it was my fault. He doesn't dare take it out on me, so he keeps tormenting you. Mom, you're his wife, he shouldn't treat you like this!"

"Hasn't your dad always been like this?" Her mother took Jiang Lin's hand in return, dismissively saying, "Don't worry, this is my life now. What I'm more concerned about now is you. If it weren't for that incident, you and Kai Ping would've..."

"Mom, go divorce him tomorrow! My salary at the clinic isn't high, but it's more than enough to support us!"

"I would just be a burden to you," her mother interrupted, "All I want now is for you to find a good home for yourself. Then I can rest easy."

Jiang Lin's hands, which were dressing the wounds, suddenly stopped.

No matter how many years had passed, she could never understand why her mother, a victim of domestic violence, still stubbornly believed that marriage could provide security for women.

Having watched her dad abuse her mom all her life, Jiang Lin had no interest in marriage or childbirth.

She would rather be without a marriage that lacked both responsibility and love!

If only...

"Mom, last time you said, as long as I got married, you would divorce him, didn't you?"

Jiang Lin took out a marriage certificate from her bag and handed it to her mother, "Look, I'm already married. Pack up your things and move out. I'll take you to get the divorce in a couple of days!"

Her mother's eyes widened in shock, "What did you say?"

Jiang Lin held her hands, enunciating each word with force, "Mom, I'm married!"

Upon hearing her daughter's firm response, her mother was stunned. She glanced at the picture on the marriage certificate, then at Jiang Lin, and it took her a long time to digest the news.

This man had handsome, distinct features, a real catch. But she had never heard Jiang Lin mention having a boyfriend before. Where did this husband come from?

Her mother frowned, "What exactly is going on here?"

The man in the marriage certificate was even better-looking than male celebrities on TV, but his eyes were sharp and cold, clearly someone calculated and shrewd.

And those peach-blossom eyes were just like Jiang Lin's father's. It would be trouble if he wasn't steady and faithful.

"Mom, I'm not lying to you. Do you remember Grandma Wang from the social welfare institute who volunteers with me? Her grandson. You trust Grandma Wang's character, don't you?" Jiang Lin said warmly, recounting Fu Sitian's basic information. Seeing her mother still half-doubtful, she added:

"After a few encounters, I saw he was tough and handsome, and had good character, so we got together."

She twisted the pretense that they had married after a few meetings, thinking it might be easier for her mother to accept.

But her mother still found it hard to accept and, after pondering for a long while, she instructed, "Take advantage of your father's absence these days and bring Sitian over for a meal. I need to meet him in person to be at ease."

"Okay," Jiang Lin replied, opening WeChat to search for Fu Sitian, her heart skipping a beat.

Damn, in her haste, she had forgotten to change his contact alias.

What was his nickname again?

Jiang Lin often added many patients because of work, so she could keep track of their health status in a timely manner.

Looking at these chat windows, she sighed. This was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Linlin, you couldn't be just randomly picking someone to trick me into divorcing your dad, could you?" Her mother saw her scroll up and down her WeChat contacts repeatedly without finding anyone and doubted once again if her daughter was deceiving her.

"How could I? I just remembered he's in a meeting. I'll find him later."

After coaxing her mother to rest, Jiang Lin spent nearly half an hour before she found a WeChat that might be Fu Sitian's.

She verified it was indeed Fu Sitian based on the date and time of addition, then messaged: Mr. Fu, my mother hopes to have a meal with you. When are you available?

A minute later, her WeChat chimed.

Fu Sitian: I'm free tonight. What time do you get off work? I'll come pick you up.

In fact, he was supposed to attend a business dinner that evening, but Fu Sitian, as if possessed, decided to skip the dinner to meet with Jiang Lin.

He just simply wanted to know if the female doctor from the poorest clinic in Haishi had really been so busy that she lost contact after getting the marriage certificate, or if this was just her playing hard to get.

Jiang Lin checked the time: No need, when do you get off work? I'll come pick you up.

She often heard from Grandma Wang at the welfare institute, who said she was saving money to prepare a dowry for her future daughter-in-law, and since Fu Sitian was disabled, his financial situation might not be very good. She might as well save the taxi fare.

So, she decided to drive there to pick him up.

After agreeing on a time with Fu Sitian, Jiang Lin left an hour early and stopped by Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Store on the way.

They had been married for a month and still didn't have a proper ring. It really felt like they were a sham couple.

Jiang Lin usually spent most of her time at work and hadn't planned to spend much time picking out wedding rings.

So, upon entering the store, she told the clerk her budget and the style she wanted, and chose a wedding ring within minutes.

"Miss, your husband will definitely like this wedding ring," the clerk said with a smile, but her eyes were filled with pity.

The gentleman of this lady here... must not love her enough, or else, how could he bear to let her buy the symbol of a lifetime commitment all by herself?

Jiang Lin understood the implication in her gaze, simply thanked her, and left with the wedding ring.

Her expectation from marriage was only to have a life partner, so it didn't matter who bought the ring.

An hour later, amid the "rumble" and "pitter-patter" of noisy sounds, a pickup truck that looked like it was about to fall apart heavily parked outside Starbucks.

On this financial street of Haishi CBD, filled with luxury cars and high-end stores, it stood out conspicuously, continuously emitting unpleasant exhaust fumes.