Chapter 4

The north room and hall of the Song family.

Under the ancestral tablet, the head of the family, Song Tieniu, sat at the head of the hall, not saying a word.

Old Mrs. Song came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of steaming hot tea and gently placed it on the table next to Song Tieniu.

The four members of the Song family’s first branch had already arrived, and were either standing or sitting, waiting for the three members of the Song family’s second branch.

No one spoke. The elders stared at her, their eyes full of criticism and disgust. The atmosphere in the hall was very depressing.

Song Qingwan lowered her head, pretending not to see anything, and stayed close to her parents, ready to act according to the situation.

As soon as she sat down, she heard the door of the inner room creak open, and a beautiful girl in full bloom poked her head out of the room. It was her younger aunt Song Can.

“Second brother and second sister-in-law are here!” Song Can smiled brightly, as if he was unaware of the solemn atmosphere in the hall.

Song Qingwan looked up curiously and happened to meet Song Can’s eyes.

Song Can winked at her, moved a stool and walked straight over to her and sat down. He took her hand familiarly and whispered, “You silly girl, you look so timid on weekdays, but I didn’t expect you to be so bold!”

“However, since we’re already married, let’s live a good life!”

“Look at that Lu Zheng. His whole aura doesn’t resemble that of an ordinary person. He will definitely not stay in this remote mountain village of Qingxi Village forever. Your good days are yet to come!”

After hearing this, Song Qingwan’s eyes widened. Oh my God! Could it be that Song Can also traveled through a book or was reborn?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Song Can said with a smile.

“Just from what happened today, it’s not hard to see that Lu Zheng is a steady, responsible man.”

“Life has ups and downs. Just wait and see, maybe you’ll find a treasure!” Song Can winked at her mischievously, and at the same time secretly put an object in her hand.

“Put it away quickly. This is a wedding gift from your aunt.”

Song Qingwan quickly put the thing in her hand into her pocket, and at the same time developed a liking for Song Can.

“Cancan, go back to your room quickly!” Seeing the aunt and nephew whispering together, Song Tieniu couldn’t help but frown and scold them.

“Mom and Dad are talking to your two brothers about something. Why are you, an unmarried girl, interfering?”

Song Can made a face and said, “Oh!” and ran back to the house.

Song Qingwan looked at her aunt’s back as she left, a smile on her lips, but her eyes happened to catch sight of her cousin Song Zhaodi.

The other person stared at her coldly, the jealousy and hatred in his eyes clearly revealed.

Song Qingwan has completely entered into the role and can’t help but sneer in her heart: You set up the trap, you drugged the person, and now the marriage certificate between the two is temporarily locked, what are you jealous of?

“Ahem!” Song Tieniu, who was sitting at the head of the group, cleared his throat. “Yinsheng, what are your plans regarding Qingwan?”

Jiang Chunlan nervously held her daughter’s hand and looked expectantly at her man.

Song Yinsheng also straightened his body and said in a muffled voice, “Dad, what else can we do about this? Lu Zheng is a lone commander, with no family at all. I’m just raising an extra son-in-law!”

As soon as Song Yinsheng finished speaking, a loud bang came from above, “Nonsense!”

Song Qingwan knew without even looking up that it was her old-fashioned grandfather who was angrily slamming the table, causing the hot water in the teacup to splash out in a large pool.

“How can a married girl live with her husband in her parents’ home?”

“Even if your second branch has no shame, do your father, mother, and ancestors also have no shame?”

The second wife was scolded into silence, and the four people from the first wife looked at each other, obviously agreeing with what Song Tieniu said.

“Just talk about the matter and speak nicely. Why are you so angry?” Old Mrs. Song stood by and said softly while helping Song Tieniu calm down.

“Don’t give face to the monk, give face to the Buddha. Even if Yinsheng and his wife are ignorant, you should at least give the real boy some face.”

The “real boy” that Old Lady Song mentioned was Song Qingwan’s biological brother Song Zhen.

It’s not that Song Zhenduo is loved by the old couple, but mainly because he is young and promising, and is the only one in the family who earns a salary.

Outsiders all praised Song Zhen as the third generation of the Song family’s heir apparent, with a bright future ahead of him!

Qingxi Village is a remote and poor place, and the Song family is not rich. They are so poor that they only have enough food to survive.

Song Zhen, the second wife, is the only one in the family who does not eat at home but pays money to the public treasury on time every month.

Song Tieniu finally listened to what Old Lady Song said. He took a deep breath and said with finality, “Since we’ve obtained the marriage certificate, Qingwan must move in!”

“Even if she disregards the face of her parents and ancestors, she still has to think about her aunt and cousin!”

“Cancan and Zhaodi haven’t said anything about them yet. If the gossip about the Song family gets out, how can we still speak well of them?”

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiulian, the eldest daughter-in-law who had been silent until now, could no longer sit still.

“Dad is right! Now that we’re married, Qingwan must move in with Lu Zheng!”

“No matter how bad Lu Zheng is, this is her own choice. No one forced her to do it!”

Song Qingwan sat aside and listened, almost laughing out of anger, “Grandpa, aunt, why are you so anxious?”

“From the beginning to the end, I never said I would stay at home and not move over!”

However, before she leaves, she must seek justice for the original owner who died unjustly and ask for a dowry that will allow her to survive after moving there!

“Qingwan, you said that yourself!” Song Tieniu narrowed his eyes at her and said shrewdly, “Then it’s settled.”

“Qingwan must move out of the Lu family within three days!”

“A daughter who is married off is like spilled water. You chose her yourself. Even if you cry in the future, don’t go back to your parents’ home to cry!”

After hearing what Song Tieniu said, the eldest wife was obviously relieved, but the second wife suddenly became listless, like an eggplant hit by frost.

Jiang Chunlan gritted her teeth and broke the silence, “Qingwan can move over, but what about her dowry?”

The Song family had not yet split up, so the dowry naturally came from the public funds.

When Mrs. Song heard this, she immediately lost her composure and pointed at Jiang Chunlan’s nose and cursed: “Look at the good daughter you raised!”

“After doing such a shameful thing, you still have the nerve to ask for a dowry for her?”

“I’m telling you, the Song family didn’t throw her into the pig cage. You should thank this new era!”

Xu Xiulian from the eldest wife’s house couldn’t help but chime in, saying sarcastically, “Exactly. If my daughter Zhaodi dared to act like this, I would rather strangle her to death with a hemp rope than let her go out and embarrass herself.”

Song Jinsheng, who had been silent the whole time, saw Song Yinsheng’s face getting uglier and uglier, and couldn’t help but glare at his wife, “Shut up!”

Xu Xiulian was unconvinced, “I wasn’t wrong!”

“Besides, it’s always the man who gives the betrothal gift first, and then the woman considers the dowry! So, that poor guy wants to get something for nothing?”

“You know what our Song family’s wealth is!”

“Cancan and Zhaodi haven’t married yet, and the two boys will also have to get married and build new houses in the future, and everything will cost money!”

The eldest daughter-in-law’s words really touched Old Mrs. Song’s heart.

Even though he usually thought she was lazy and greedy, now he suddenly liked her.

Jiang Chunlan was so angry that she trembled all over after hearing these heart-wrenching words. “I know my daughter’s character best!”

“Who knows who will have a son in the future?The beast is harming her behind her back!”

Song Qingwan sat nearby and listened, her eyes warmed.

Jiang Chunlan knew nothing about what happened last night, but she chose to believe in her daughter unconditionally and did her best to protect her.

“Since the Duke is unwilling to pay the dowry, then I’ll pay it from my son’s salary!”

“Song Zhen has been working for more than two years and has paid at least four hundred yuan to the government. So, give half of it to Qingwan as a dowry!”

When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned!

Song Tieniu looked at his pillowmate in shock, “Is what the second brother’s family said true?”