Chapter 45: Cannot Marry

If not for her tough fate—

She would have starved to death back in the famine years.

Only after marrying into the Jiang family did she begin to live a good life. Although she sometimes went hungry, in her heart she was content.

Her husband cherished her. Her sons were sensible. Though her mother-in-law had a bad temper and sharp tongue, her heart was soft, and she treated her well.

Her sisters-in-law got along peacefully too.

And there was the adorable little niece.

She hadn’t enjoyed her good days long enough yet—why would she return to her maiden home just to suffer again?

She would never go back.

What’s more, these days, the family sometimes ate meat and eggs. She was living so comfortably she couldn’t even describe it.

“You child, how could you cut ties with your maiden family? Forget it, I won’t persuade you anymore. Truth be told, your natal family isn’t much. Since you don’t want to return, so be it. It’s just your good fortune to have married into our Jiang family. Had you married elsewhere, with no family to rely on, others would’ve devoured you to the bone.”

Zhang Jinlan looked at her simple, honest-faced daughter-in-law and shook her head helplessly.

A fool, yes—but even fools have their blessings.

Although Zhang Jinlan’s reputation in the village wasn’t the best, when it came to her daughters-in-law, no one could say she mistreated them.

If she claimed to be the second-best mother-in-law in Jiangjia Village—

No one would dare claim first place.

Her inner thoughts, of course, Sun Pingmei did not hear.

At the moment, her whole mind was fixed on those five eggs.

“Mother, what are we eating today? Let’s cook those five eggs! I saved them just for you—you have to reward me, right?”

She clung to her mother-in-law’s arm and acted coy.

“All you ever think about is eating! Why are you so greedy?”

Before Zhang Jinlan could speak, Jiang Eryong scolded his wife.

“Enough. Why snap at Pingmei for nothing? Fine, let’s do as she says. Tonight we’ll make a pot of mixed-grain porridge, and stir-fry some eggs with daylily shoots. One dish and one porridge are enough.”

Thinking that her daughter-in-law had no family backing, Zhang Jinlan decided she must treat her even better in the future.

“I knew Mother is the best!”

Far from being upset by her husband’s scolding, Sun Pingmei beamed when she heard her mother-in-law take her side and even agree to cook eggs. She leaned her head against her shoulder and giggled.

Beside them, Jiang Eryong sounded disgusted, yet his eyes held affection.

“Walk properly, don’t fool around.”

The corners of Zhang Jinlan’s lips curved upward. She pretended to be stern and tapped her daughter-in-law on the forehead.

“Yes, my dear mother.” Sun Pingmei puckered her lips mischievously.

“You child…”

The chatter between mother- and daughter-in-law drifted farther and farther along the path.

Jiang Eryong followed silently behind. Soon, the three figures vanished at the end of the narrow trail.

---

“Fubao, what are you doing in the kitchen?”

When they returned home, Zhang Jinlan saw her granddaughter sneaking around by the grain jar.

She couldn’t help asking.

“N-nothing, Grandma. I’m hungry.” Jiang Fubao sounded guilty.

This afternoon, her mother and aunt had gone up the mountain to dig daylily shoots. Her grandfather and father were working in the fields. Even her brothers had gone to the mountain to chop and gather firewood. Only the twins Jixiang and Jiliang were at home, and no one was in the kitchen.

So she thought to secretly add some rice and millet into the jar—

That way the porridge would taste better.

But just as she closed the lid, Grandma’s voice startled her.

Luckily, she hadn’t been caught red-handed. Otherwise, she could never explain it away.

“Hungry already? Grandma will boil you an egg.”

Hearing her granddaughter complain of hunger, Zhang Jinlan glanced at the sun. It was only mid-afternoon, still half an hour before cooking time.

“No need, I’m not hungry anymore. I’ll just go to the backyard and play with the hens.”

Jiang Fubao blurted out an excuse and scampered off on her short legs.

“This child—hungry one moment, not the next. Eryong, go water the vegetable patch in the back. Second daughter-in-law, come cook the porridge. When your elder sisters-in-law return, we’ll make the dishes. Let’s eat early tonight.”

Zhang Jinlan didn’t want her granddaughter to go hungry, so she decided on an early supper.

---

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiufen had reached her destination.

She went straight to her best friend’s house to dig up gossip.

An entire hour passed, and only as dusk fell did she hurry out of Zhoujia Village.

“That Xiufen—grows more shameless with age. Came empty-handed, brought nothing, and left only after eating my food! Bah!”

Zhu-shi, whom Xiufen had called her “sister,” leaned against the doorframe, spat on the ground, and slammed the door in anger.

---

The next morning, at dawn—

Zhang Jinlan was just about to take her daughters-in-law up the mountain to dig wild greens—

When an unexpected visitor burst in.

“Sunfu? Child, why so early?”

It was her son-in-law.

“Mother, s-something bad! Last night my mother went to ask around. That Zhou Yuanyuan—she cannot be married!”

Sunfu had run all the way, gasping like a bellows, speaking in broken gasps.

It was hard to make sense of his words.

“Second daughter-in-law, fetch him a cup of warm water.”

Though Zhang Jinlan had always hoped her daughter would divorce, and though she disliked this son-in-law, he was bringing her important news.

She couldn’t treat him too coldly.

So she had her daughter-in-law pour him water and pulled out a stool for him to sit and catch his breath.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fubao sat in the courtyard eating breakfast.

She stayed quiet, head down, pretending to be invisible—

But in fact, her little ears perked up eagerly for gossip.

After drinking the water and resting several minutes, Sunfu finally steadied his breath.

“Mother, Zhou Yuanyuan cannot be married! Someone saw her in town—being intimate with a man, even going in and out of his house. A man and woman alone—who knows what they did?

And that Zhou woman had just been boasting in the village, saying her granddaughter was to marry a licentiate in town. No one expected her to be betrothed to the Jiang family. My mother thought it was too late last night to disturb you, so she sent me here first thing at dawn.”

Sunfu spoke urgently, summarizing the matter for his mother-in-law.

“What? Such a thing?! That damned Zhou matchmaker! What wrong has my Jiang family done her, that she would cheat us like this? Heaven strike her down! And she dares introduce such filth to my eldest grandson? I’ll curse her to death!

Second daughter-in-law, call the men back from the fields! Eldest daughter-in-law, fetch all the children. We’re going to Zhoujia Village together—to annul the engagement!”

Zhang Jinlan gnashed her teeth, her face black as the bottom of a pot.

---

Two quarters of an hour later—

The entire Jiang family gathered.

Each one held a farm tool in hand.

Every face was flushed with fury.

“Today the Zhou family must break off the engagement and return every bit of betrothal silver! And that Zhou matchmaker—if she doesn’t compensate our family, I’ll go to the authorities and strip her of her matchmaker’s license!

Tongjin, don’t be sad. Our family doesn’t want this kind of woman. Grandma will find you someone far better!”

Though raging, Zhang Jinlan still remembered to comfort her grandson.

“Grandma, I’ll listen to you.”

Jiang Tongjin was a filial child.

Though he had felt some fondness for Zhou Yuanyuan, such shallow feelings could not compare to the bond with his family, with whom he lived day by day.