Chapter 6: Dividing the Dowry
At the dining table, everyone exchanged bewildered looks, and Su Tangxue was so shocked she couldn’t say a word.

Why is this plot different from what was written in the book?

Only Lu Qinglin remained calm and indifferent. Since he had overheard part of the conversation when he came in to find Lu Yulong earlier, he could more or less guess what was going on.

Li Chuchun was the first to regain her composure and asked Lu Yulong,
“Brother Yulong, didn’t you say you were going to marry Honglian to Comrade Lu? Why did it change all of a sudden?”

“That’s right, Dad. Wasn’t it supposed to be Sister getting married? Why did it suddenly become me?” Su Tangxue echoed in support.

“You still have the nerve to talk? If you hadn’t… done that the other day, would I have said that? Besides, Qinglin originally named you as the one he wanted to marry. Having your sister stand in for you—if people found out later, wouldn’t they drown you in their spit?”

This was the first time Lu Yulong had scolded Su Tangxue.

She could only lower her head and endure it—after all, it was the original Su Tangxue’s fault.

“But Brother Yulong, the rumor about Honglian marrying Comrade Lu has been spreading for so long. Wouldn’t it look bad if Xiaoxue married him now?” Li Chuchun asked worriedly.

“What’s bad about it? Who told you to blab to Zhao Xinghua in the first place? That’s how the rumor spread. Now that Qinglin is back and this thing happened between him and Xiaoxue—if she doesn’t marry him, who else would dare to marry her in the future?”

Li Chuchun was choked into silence and could only hang her head.

After speaking, Lu Yulong turned and took Su Tangxue’s hand, speaking earnestly:
“Xiaoxue, I know what happened left a shadow in your heart, but Qinglin is a good kid. He said he’s let go of the past. From now on, just follow him back and live your life.”

The reason Lu Yulong had changed his mind about marrying his daughter to Lu Qinglin was entirely because of the conversation they just had. From that talk, he could tell that Lu Qinglin was a responsible young man—more reliable than the son of the textile factory director.

Entrusting Xiaoxue to him gave Lu Yulong peace of mind.

Su Tangxue pouted as she listened. Just because Lu Qinglin says he doesn’t mind doesn’t mean he actually doesn’t!

What if she followed him back to the countryside and he made her suffer in secret?

What if he left her in the countryside while he returned to the army? Just thinking about it made her terrified.

“But, Dad…”

“No buts. Pack your things tonight—you’ll go back to the countryside with him tomorrow.”

Before Su Tangxue could finish, Lu Yulong cut her off.

She could only widen her eyes and swallow the rest of her words.

Lu Yulong felt he had spoken a bit harshly and softened his tone to comfort her:
“My daughter, I know you feel wronged, but this incident has blown up too much. For the sake of your reputation, your father has no choice.”

Even though her father was doing it for her own good, Su Tangxue still pouted and reluctantly muttered, “Okay, I get it.”

The meal was nearly finished. Thinking that his daughter would leave for the countryside tomorrow, Lu Yulong called Li Chuchun over to bring out all the money and ration tickets.

Ning Honglian cleaned up the table.

The thought of Lu Yulong giving Su Tangxue a dowry of 1,000 yuan made her heart ache. Her face darkened, and even her movements became rough and resentful.

In her last life, she only got 500 yuan when she got married. How could she not feel unbalanced now?

As she was about to wash the dishes, she ran into Zhao Xinghua returning from chatting. Ning Honglian’s eyes darted, and she quickly ran over to grab her.

“Honglian, why are you doing the dishes again tonight? Did Su Tangxue bully you again?” Zhao Xinghua frowned, seeing the dishes in Ning Honglian’s hands.

“No, Auntie. Lu-dad is discussing Xiaoxue’s dowry, so it’s not appropriate for me to be there.”
Zhao Xinghua immediately furrowed her brow and leaned in to whisper,
“Tell me the truth—your dad’s marrying Su Tangxue to that soldier guy, isn’t he?”

Ning Honglian averted her eyes, neither confirming nor denying it.

Zhao Xinghua cursed under her breath,
“Damn it! I knew Su Tangxue was up to no good. So this scheme worked out for her, huh? Come on, we’re going to set things straight.”

But Ning Honglian stopped her,
“Auntie, don’t go. Just let Xiaoxue marry him. I’ll just find someone else later. I don’t want to ruin Xiaoxue’s reputation.”

The more Ning Honglian spoke, the more aggrieved she sounded, which only made Zhao Xinghua angrier. She dragged Ning Honglian with her.

“Let’s go. We have to speak up today. You can’t just suffer in silence.”

Trailing behind Zhao Xinghua, Ning Honglian curled her lips into a faint smirk.

Inside, Li Chuchun had already laid all their possessions on the table—a thick stack that shocked Su Tangxue.

Was money really that hard to come by in the ’70s?

In reality, Lu Yulong was now a senior cadre at the meat processing plant, earning a salary of 80 yuan a month. He could even bring home some employee meat perks to supplement the household.

This was quite a decent life, even in the city.

Lu Yulong counted the stack of cash while Su Tangxue watched anxiously. When he reached 1,000 yuan, she nearly burst out laughing.

A thousand yuan in this era was incredibly valuable. With that money, she could at least live more comfortably in the countryside.

Li Chuchun looked at the thick stack of bills with some heartache but said nothing.

Lu Yulong handed over 1,000 yuan, and just as Su Tangxue reached out to take it, he suddenly turned and handed it to Lu Qinglin instead.

“Qinglin, take this money—it’s Xiaoxue’s dowry. She’s not good at managing money, so you’ll be in charge from now on.”

Su Tangxue turned her eyes to Lu Qinglin, thinking he’d be too embarrassed to accept it. But he took it and casually tucked it into his shirt pocket.

Watching this, Su Tangxue felt her heart shatter.

Only after Lu Yulong gave her an additional 50 yuan did she feel slightly better.

By the time Zhao Xinghua and Ning Honglian arrived, only a pile of ration tickets was left on the table.

“Lu-dad, you can’t be biased! However much you gave Xiaoxue, you should give the same to Honglian—otherwise, people will talk.”

Zhao Xinghua’s sudden appearance caught Su Tangxue’s attention, but she was annoyed by Zhao’s nosy behavior.

She stood up with a frown,
“Why are you always here? Haven’t you got enough of your own family’s problems to deal with? Meddling in ours like some nosy dog.”

“Hey! Su Tangxue, what’s that supposed to mean? You think you’re justified after doing something so immoral? Stealing your sister’s fiancé—I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“If Honglian sincerely calls me Auntie, I have every right to step in. Who’s going to protect her if I don’t? Unlike some people who say they treat Honglian like a daughter, but in reality use her like a servant to care for the whole family.”

Zhao Xinghua’s voice grew louder, attracting the attention of nearby neighbors. Some even brought out their rice bowls to watch the drama unfold.

In those days, there wasn’t much entertainment—gossip was the best pastime.

Those who weren’t in the courtyard earlier began asking around to catch up on the drama.

In an instant, the whole courtyard was buzzing.

Lu Yulong’s face darkened quickly as he heard all the whispering around him.