“Little ancestor, stop running around and go rest! Your sister and I can handle things in the kitchen. Your two nieces won’t go hungry,” Li Qiuhua said, her face full of concern as she got up and rushed after Shen Zhihuan. She snatched the pork belly and bones from her daughter’s hands and shooed her back into the house.

“Little sister, you go rest. Mother and I have it covered in the kitchen,” Shen Zhimei chimed in quickly.

“Third sister, I can help too!” Xiao Weidong called out, biting into a peach crisp as he ran over.

“Auntie, me and Second Sister can help too!” Daya said as she emerged, nibbling on her peach crisp.

“Yes, Auntie, go rest. Daya and I can handle it,” Erya added in agreement.

“Alright, then I’ll let my little brother and nieces take care of me today,” Shen Zhihuan said with a soft smile. She went to the well to wash her hands before turning back to the house.

She truly felt drained today, her legs especially weak and wobbly, like bamboo poles that could collapse at any moment. If not for sheer willpower, she might have collapsed on the ground.

Once she shut the door, Shen Zhihuan stepped into the space, quickly cleaned herself up, and then slipped out to lie on her makeshift bed. Within minutes, she fell into a deep sleep.

“Mother, why did Little Sister suddenly break off her engagement with the Su family?” After sending Xiao Weidong, Daya, and Erya off, Shen Zhimei frowned as she sliced meat on the chopping board. She glanced toward Shen Zhihuan’s room through the window and asked in a low voice.

The neighbor aunties had been vague when they mentioned it, leaving her confused.

Little Sister’s engagement to Su Zijie had been arranged by their grandfather and Su Zijie’s grandfather. How could it be broken off so easily?

“Why?!” Li Qiuhua scoffed, tossing another handful of firewood into the stove. “That shameless girl, Xu Youcai’s daughter, set her sights on Su Zijie. To curry favor with the Xu family, Su Changhe and Wang Chunmei forced your little sister to agree to call it off.”

“Xu Jiaojiao? Wasn’t she Little Sister’s good friend?” Shen Zhimei froze mid-slice.

“Friend? What kind of friend steals her friend’s fiancé?” Li Qiuhua spat angrily.

“Mother, are you sure? Xu Jiaojiao doesn’t seem like that type of person.”

Earlier this year, she had accompanied her mother-in-law to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy New Year’s goods and had even run into Xu Jiaojiao. She had seemed so gentle and well-mannered, even sweetly calling her “Sister.”

“Sure? You should’ve seen that shameless girl when she looked at Su Zijie. Honestly, it was disgusting—like a dog in heat. I could barely stand to watch,” Li Qiuhua’s voice rose, struggling to contain her anger.

She had seen plenty of shameless behavior in her life, but Xu Jiaojiao’s audacity was truly unmatched.

Seeing her eldest daughter’s disbelief, Li Qiuhua added bitterly, “Just you wait. Within six months, you’ll hear news of Su Zijie and that shameless girl getting engaged.”

With parents like Su Changhe and Wang Chunmei—one playing the “good cop” and the other the “bad cop”—Su Zijie wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Mother, what will happen to Little Sister now?” Shen Zhimei asked worriedly.

She didn’t care about Xu Jiaojiao’s engagement or Su Zijie’s future marriage. What mattered was her little sister’s prospects.

In these times, breaking off an engagement—regardless of the reason—was devastating for a girl’s reputation.

The neighboring village had a woman, Liu Ahua, who broke off a childhood engagement and couldn’t find a good match afterward. She ended up marrying an old widower and becoming the stepmother to two half-grown boys.

Li Qiuhua sighed. “I’ve thought about it. Your little sister isn’t in great health. If she marries far away, I won’t feel at ease. I was thinking, if we meet someone suitable, we could have him marry in and live here. That way, she can stay close to me, and I can take care of her. Once your little brother grows up, he can also help look after her.”

“Does Little Sister agree with this?” Shen Zhimei relaxed slightly.

Considering her sister’s frail health, staying close to their mother seemed like the best option.

“I haven’t had the chance to talk to her about it yet. I’ll wait for this matter to settle down before bringing it up,” Li Qiuhua replied with a sigh, shaking her head.

She wasn’t sure if her little girl had come to terms with the broken engagement. Asking her now might only upset her further. It would be better to wait until the issue faded a bit before discussing the future.

Shen Zhimei thought for a moment before lowering her voice. “Mother, there’s a young man in the village who seems decent—hardworking and not bad-looking. His parents died in the floods a few years ago, and his younger sister married off last year. He only has his grandmother left now…”

“This isn’t urgent. We can talk about it later,” Li Qiuhua interrupted, frowning.

It wouldn’t look good if they started searching for a match right after breaking off the engagement. People might gossip, and Su Changhe and Wang Chunmei could even turn it against them.

“You’re right. Little Sister is only seventeen. Waiting until next year won’t hurt,” Shen Zhimei agreed.

After adding chopped radish into the large pot of bone broth, she suddenly remembered something and looked at her mother, who was tending the fire.

“Mother, has Second Sister visited recently?”

“No, she’s probably busy,” Li Qiuhua replied, shaking her head.

“The other day, Xingwang mentioned running into one of Second Brother-in-law’s neighbors at the supply and marketing cooperative. They said Second Brother-in-law is now a production supervisor at the textile factory, and Second Sister has started working there as a temporary worker. She’s just waiting for a permanent position next year,” Shen Zhimei whispered after glancing toward the kitchen door.

“Zhilan has started working? Then who’s taking care of Yangming?” Li Qiuhua immediately grew worried about her little grandson, who had just learned to walk.

“How could such a young child be left unattended?”

Shen Zhimei chuckled. “Mother, you worry too much. Yangming is the Yang family’s precious eldest grandson. Do you think they wouldn’t take care of him?”

“Second Brother-in-law’s neighbor said he gives his mother fifteen yuan a month to look after Yangming. That’s 180 yuan a year! His brother and sister-in-law are thrilled and practically worship Yangming.”

“As long as someone’s watching him,” Li Qiuhua sighed in relief.

“Mother,” Shen Zhimei hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I was thinking of having Xingwang ask Second Brother-in-law if he could help Xingwang find a temporary job too. Do you think that would be alright?”

Temporary work didn’t pay much, but it was better than earning work points in the fields. Right now, she and her husband worked from dawn till dusk, but by the end of the year, their pockets were emptier than their faces.

Li Qiuhua took out her last five yuan from her pocket and pressed it into Shen Zhimei’s hand. “When you visit, have Xingwang bring some gifts. Don’t go empty-handed.”

“Mother, I can’t take this. You should save it for Little Sister and Little Brother…” Shen Zhimei protested, trying to return the money.

She already felt guilty for coming back empty-handed. How could she take her mother’s hard-earned money? Besides, her little sister needed regular medicine. What if something happened and there wasn’t enough money?

“Take it. Just think of it as me treating Daya and Erya to some sweets,” Li Qiuhua insisted, pushing the money into Shen Zhimei’s pocket.