No matter what plans the eldest uncle’s family had, Mu Jinyue’s life had to go on as usual.  

The next morning, before dawn, Mu Jinyue was already up. Today was Fourth Aunt’s turn to prepare the day’s meals, but since Fourth Aunt was pregnant, Grandma Mu had ordered Jinyue to help out during this time. After making and eating breakfast, she changed into work clothes and followed the family to the fields.  

Halfway through the work, she had to return early to help Fourth Aunt prepare lunch. The same went for dinner. As for Fourth Aunt, she was far from easy to deal with. The moment she saw Mu Jinyue return, she immediately abandoned the kitchen and went back to her room to rest.  

Mu Jinyue had no choice but to resign herself to cooking alone. Though young and supposed to be full of energy, she couldn’t keep up—she ate little and worked much. Over the years, she had grown thin and frail, looking as if she lacked vitality. After several days of labor, her back and limbs ached from exhaustion. By the end, she barely ate any dinner before retreating to her room.  

This routine lasted three days. Mu Jinyue felt she was on the verge of collapse, about to drop dead from exhaustion—until the heavens took pity and sent rain, saving her life. The downpour started in the early hours and hadn’t stopped by breakfast the next morning, halting all fieldwork.  

On rainy days, everyone stayed indoors. Lin Guihua sat mending a pillow made of blue-striped fabric, worn thin from years of use and frequently needing repairs.  

Since Mu Jinyue was lying nearby watching, Lin Guihua couldn’t help but prattle on about mending techniques, concluding, “After you get married, you’ll have to be diligent. Do these chores as soon as you see them, or your mother-in-law will yank your ears and scold you.”  

Mu Jinyue, lulled by the droning like a lullaby, was half-asleep, barely keeping her eyes open. She didn’t catch most of what was said but instinctively murmured an “Mm” in response.  

Just as she was about to drift off, a shout came from the yard: “Dad! Mom! Liu Lanzhi was arrested by the police! They say she’s going to be executed!”  

Grandma Mu, hearing the news, quickly pushed open the window. “What happened? Come inside! How could she have been arrested?”  

Following his mother’s words, Mu Yong hurried into the main room and recounted the Liu family’s situation. Because of his daughter Mu Jinhua’s dream, he had been keeping an eye on Liu Lanzhi’s affairs, frequently passing by their place these past few days. Now, omitting certain details, he told Grandma Mu,  

“Early this morning, I went to check the fields. On my way back, I heard the police had entered the village, so I followed to see. Sure enough, they went into the house and arrested Liu Lanzhi. The Liu family was wailing and crying…”  

Grandma Mu clicked her tongue repeatedly, cutting off her eldest son’s rambling. “But what crime was she arrested for?”  

Mu Yong: “…” He hadn’t actually asked.  

Seeing his silence, Grandma Mu didn’t press further, shooting him a disdainful look. Her eldest son really wasn’t as sharp as the fourth one.  

Meanwhile, Grandpa Mu tapped his pipe. “Stop running around looking for gossip. Stay home and behave.”  

“Alright,” Mu Yong agreed readily, always obedient to his father. Besides, now wasn’t the time for idle spectating—he had important business to attend to! He turned and headed back to his own house.  

Inside, his wife Zhou Feng and Mu Jinhua were already waiting. While Zhou Feng was so excited her hands trembled, Mu Jinhua remained calm, though her raised chin betrayed her smugness.  

Mu Yong entered, exchanging a glance with Zhou Feng. Half of their worries were now settled.  

Mu Jinhua crossed her arms. “See? Everything I said was true. When are you going to make the switch? The wedding date is almost here!”  

Mu Yong nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry about adult matters. Just wait.”  

The house wasn’t big, and Mu Yong’s shout in the yard had woken Mu Jinyue. Still groggy, she vaguely recalled the name she’d heard—Liu Lanzhi? Seemed like an ordinary village woman. The original host had no impression of her, so Jinyue merely brushed it off and drifted back to sleep.  

After a relaxing day, the rain stopped, and work resumed as usual. There wasn’t much left in the fields, and after five or six more days of labor, it was finally done. The women of the family no longer needed to work the land.  

Living near the mountains, the women would gather firewood at the foot of the hills when fieldwork was over. Naturally, this task fell to Mu Jinyue. Carrying a bamboo basket, she went to the mountainside, filling it with firewood before timing her return for lunch.  

The original host had been obedient and hardworking—in the past, she could’ve carried two baskets of firewood in one morning. But Mu Jinyue lacked that endurance. A single basket nearly crushed her. On her way back, she took a shortcut, which passed by many households. Normally, she avoided these people by taking a longer detour, but today she thought, Why not? If she ran into anyone, she’d just keep her head down.  

Luckily, she encountered few people. At a corner, she spotted her uncle Mu Yong talking to another man. Though she only saw their backs, their relaxed postures suggested a friendly chat. Mu Yong was well-liked in the village and could strike up a conversation with anyone. Mu Jinyue didn’t linger, slowing her pace to put distance between them. She didn’t notice the man glancing back at her.  

The shortcut saved time. After winding past a few more houses, she finally reached home—only to hear a mocking laugh. She looked up to see her cousin Mu Jinhua standing at the gate, scrutinizing her with disdain.  

“Tch. What are you doing? Don’t you know how to watch where you’re walking? This is a new outfit—what if you dirty it?”  

Mu Jinyue kept her head down and stayed silent. This had happened before. In the original host’s memories, Grandma Mu always took sides, and her own parents would just tell her to endure and yield. Staying quiet made things pass faster.  

But silence didn’t deter Mu Jinhua, who even tugged at her clothes. “You look so pathetic. Go inside and cook. I’m hungry.”  

After Mu Jinyue left, Mu Jinhua stared after her for a long moment, lips curling. She doesn’t have a blessed fate. Once I become the wife of an entrepreneur, I’ll burn some extra paper money for her during the holidays—consider it a sister’s kindness.

…

The days passed uneventfully for a while. During this time, her cousin Mu Jinhua no longer made a fuss about refusing to marry, but Mu Jinyue couldn’t shake her unease. She had tried probing subtly, but nothing came of it, leaving her inexplicably unsettled.  

One evening, while helping Lin Guihua cook by tending the fire, the mother and daughter worked busily in the kitchen when muffled arguing erupted from the main room. Soon after, Mu Jinhua stormed out, slamming the door behind her, followed closely by Zhou Feng. The pair retreated to their own quarters.  

Dinner that night was tense. Grandma Mu and the eldest uncle’s family wore grim expressions, casting a pall over the meal. Lin Guihua, concerned, went to check on Zhou Feng afterward but was sharply rebuffed. Mu Jinyue offered a few comforting words to her mother, though her own anxiety only deepened.  

The matter came to a head the next morning. While helping Fourth Aunt prepare breakfast, Mu Jinyue heard movement in the main room. Grandma Mu emerged and summoned her family inside.  

There, the eldest uncle’s family sat on the kang, their faces alight with barely concealed satisfaction.  

Once everyone had gathered, Grandma Mu spoke carefully, “With all the recent work, we haven’t properly discussed the marriage arrangements for the two girls. Let’s settle it today.”  

“Some of you seem to think the match I found for the second girl isn’t good enough—as if raising children breeds ingratitude. Since you’re unhappy, this old woman will switch things around. The Du family’s proposal in the city will now go to the third branch’s daughter. The eldest branch will take the match from the neighboring village. Are you satisfied now, Third Son?”  

Lin Guihua and Mu You were stunned. The sudden windfall left them flustered rather than elated. Mu You stammered, “Th-This won’t do, Mother. This marriage was meant for Eldest Brother’s family. Our Xiaoyue can’t take what belongs to her cousin.”  

Mu Jinhua curled her lip. As if that pauper could ‘take’ anything from me. She’s not even worthy.

Zhou Feng, however, smiled benevolently at Lin Guihua. “Third Sister-in-law, there’s no need for such formalities among family. We know Xiaoyue wants a better life—ambition is good in a child. But we wouldn’t want her to stray down the wrong path. As the elder sister, our Dahuā is happy to yield. Consider the match settled.”  

Grandma Mu nodded. “The engagement stands. The proposal was always for a Mu daughter—eldest or second branch makes no difference. Such a fine match, and Dahuā is giving it to you. Don’t be ungrateful.”  

Her gaze bore into Mu You and his wife, awaiting their compliance. But the honest couple only fidgeted, exchanging helpless glances, their mouths opening and closing soundlessly.  

As impatience thickened in the room, Mu Jinyue—silent until now—let out a soft laugh. “Heh. Since when has Cousin Jinhua ever been so generous?”  

She’d known her recent restlessness foretold trouble. Now that the shoe had dropped, she felt almost relieved. Marrying into the city wasn’t a bad deal—less manual labor, modern conveniences, maybe even a job. Whatever schemes lurked beneath, the pros outweighed the cons.  

But the condescension in her grandmother and uncle’s eyes made her speak up despite herself.  

The aftermath?  

There wasn’t one. Before Grandma Mu could grab a broomstick, Mu You and Lin Guihua hustled their daughter away, terrified she’d anger the matriarch and ruin the prized engagement.  

With the matter decided, preparations accelerated. Proper wedding feasts were customary, but everyone knew the Mu family’s strained circumstances. The celebration would be modest.  

On the wedding day, Zhou Shi arrived on a borrowed bicycle to collect his bride. Neighbors who came to gawk received a piece of candy each before dispersing. The Mu family followed the couple to the Zhou residence for the obligatory meal—all except Mu Jinyue, whom Grandma Mu ordered to stay home under the watchful eye of pregnant Fourth Aunt.  

Though the family rarely spoke of Zhou Shi, Mu Jinyue was curious. What kind of man had her fiercely competitive cousin chosen?  

She wouldn’t find out during the wedding. Only three days later, during the newlyweds’ traditional homecoming visit, did Mu Jinhua finally parade her husband before Mu Jinyue, commanding, “Call him Brother-in-Law.”  

At last, she met this so-called brother-in-law.