As the dishes were brought to the table, the three little ones quickly packed up their pencils and notebooks.

A cold dish of shredded white radish, stir-fried eggs with chives, and stir-fried potato strips with green peppers made up the meal. Though there was no meat, the dishes were rich with oil.

Paired with a pot of fragrant rice porridge, it was far better than the pickled radish scraps and oil-less wild vegetable soup served at the Qian household.

For once, Shen Zhimei and her daughters, Da Ya and Er Ya, ate until they were truly full.

While their small table was filled with warmth, the atmosphere at the Qian household was heavy with dark clouds, thunder, and lightning.

Old Lady Qian sat at the head of the table, glaring at the pickled radish scraps in the center and the three empty seats opposite her, her fury simmering with no outlet.

She never dreamed that Shen Zhimei, usually meek and obedient, would actually dare to take those two “money-losing girls” and the quilts, fleeing back to her family’s home.

A widow, an orphan, and a sickly invalid…

Let’s see how long that family scraping by on production team rations could support her.

That worthless woman had better not come back.

If she had the audacity to return, Old Lady Qian vowed to make her life unbearable.

Qian Xingwang glanced at the empty seat beside him, a flicker of loneliness in his eyes.

“Don’t you dare go fetch her or those two worthless girls,” Old Lady Qian snapped, glaring at him. “If she wants to leave, let her go. Let her and those two drains on our family rot in her parents’ house!”

Of all her children, Old Lady Qian despised her indecisive second son the most.

In other households, if a daughter-in-law dared to defy her mother-in-law, the men would discipline her thoroughly.

But her useless son allowed his wife to defy her at every turn.

“If you dare step foot in the Shen household, don’t bother coming back. Go be their live-in son-in-law instead. They’d welcome a fool like you to slave away for them,” she sneered, her anger growing.

“Mother, why call them worthless? Da Ya and Er Ya are still your granddaughters, the flesh and blood of our Qian family.”” Qian Xingwang said quietly.

“They’ll end up as someone else’s family one day. What else are they if not worthless?” Old Lady Qian slammed the table.

“As if giving birth to one was not enough she give birth to two girls. Keeping them around is a curse. It’d be better to divorce her. Then I’ll find you a proper young bride, and maybe next year I’ll have a fat grandson to hold.”

A worthless woman… She’ll crawl back just as she left.

It wasn’t long before word spread to neighboring villages that Old Lady Qian was looking for a new wife for her second son.

When Shen Zhimei heard the news, it was as if she’d been struck by lightning. She could hardly stand as tears streamed down her face.

Shen Zhihuan hurried to support her, disbelief flashing through her mind. She hadn’t expected that old woman at the Qian household to come up with such a malicious plan.

“Zhimei, it’s not my place to say, but every daughter-in-law has to endure her mother-in-law’s temper. You can’t just run back to your family every time something happens,” said Fu Guihua, pretending to sigh.

Shen Zhimei continued to cry silently, her throat choked with emotion, unable to utter a word.

Seeing their mother’s sorrow, Da Ya and Er Ya also started crying, their little faces streaked with tears.

“Aunt Guihua, if you have so much time, maybe you should find some medicine for Qiaoqiao. Look at the other young wives in the village—they’re all pregnant by now,” Shen Zhihuan said coldly.

“I’m just saying this for your sister’s own good,” Fu Guihua snapped, her face darkening at Shen Zhihuan’s pointed words.

Shen Zhihuan’s eldest sister was 24 and already had two daughters, while Fu Guihua’s daughter, Wu Qiaoqiao, was the same age but still had no children. It was a sore spot for Fu Guihua.

“Sure you are. I’m just doing the same for Qiaoqiao,” Shen Zhihuan sneered.

“…Fine, I won’t stay here and annoy anyone,” Fu Guihua huffed, storming off in a rage.

Shen Zhihuan rolled her eyes at the retreating figure.

“Elder Sister, don’t panic. This is probably a rumor spread by Old Lady Qian to force you to go back,” Shen Zhihuan said, helping Shen Zhimei into the house.

“No, no! She’s hated the three of us for so long. Now that we’re gone, it’s exactly what she wanted,” Shen Zhimei cried, covering her face.

Da Ya and Er Ya followed their mother into the house, throwing themselves into her arms as they sobbed.

Watching the three cry together, Shen Zhihuan felt a headache coming on. If it were her, she would have already thrown a divorce certificate at Old Lady Qian and let her marry off whoever she pleased.

Frowning, she tried to reason, “Elder Sister, crying won’t solve anything. If you’re not ready to leave Brother-in-law, then we can…”

“I’m going back,” Shen Zhimei interrupted, wiping her tears and rushing to pack. “We’re going back now.”

“…” Shen Zhihuan rubbed her forehead in frustration.

How long had it been? And she was already giving up?

Shen Zhimei rushing back now… Shen Zhihuan could imagine the torment Old Lady Qian would subject her to. Worse, how could she hold her ground after going back like this?

“Elder Sister, calm down. Don’t lose your head,” Shen Zhihuan said, grabbing her sister’s arm.

“If we don’t go back, Da Ya and Er Ya won’t have a father! How can I not panic?” Shen Zhimei yelled, breaking free and glaring through her tears.

“If you want to go, go,” Shen Zhihuan said flatly, turning away.

How could she possibly know the weight of her sister’s heart?

This world never offered true empathy. The most Shen Zhihuan could do was not pass judgment.

Returning to her room, she lay down, listening to the noise outside. When she heard the gate close, she shut her eyes.

When Li Qiuhua rushed home, the house was already empty.

“How could you let her leave?” Li Qiuhua demanded, panting as she glared at Shen Zhihuan, who was rubbing her eyes as though she’d just woken.

“She insisted. How could I stop her? If Old Lady Qian really gets Qian Xingwang a new wife, how do I make up for it? Should I give her a new Qian Xingwang or drag him off some young bride’s bed for her?” Shen Zhihuan asked, sitting up with a dry laugh.

“That’s your elder sister! How could you let her go back so disgracefully? Do you know how much her mother-in-law will torment her?” Li Qiuhua scolded, her face etched with worry.

“That’s her choice. She’s 24, not two. If she’s willing to suffer for the sake of her daughters having a father, why should I stop her?” Shen Zhihuan replied, a faint smile on her lips.

No outsider could untangle family affairs.

Her role as a younger sister wasn’t to interfere in her elder sister’s marriage.

Especially when one was willing to strike, and the other was willing to endure.

“Shen Zhihuan, have you forgotten who raised you, wiping your filth and snot when you were little? Who worried about you being cold or hungry and carried you everywhere? Who, whenever there was a treat, saved it for you first? Do you even have a conscience?” Li Qiuhua covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

“…” Shen Zhihuan pressed her hand to her forehead.

If you want to argue using logic, then stick to logic—why cry?

It wasn’t like she had forced her elder sister to go back.

Her sister was the one who panicked, afraid Da Ya and Er Ya would lose their father, and insisted on rushing back herself.

What could she possibly do about that???

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