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Xiao Qiyue heard a sound and slightly blinked her small eyelids. She furrowed her brows, kicked her little arms and legs, and closed her eyes to continue sleeping.
Old Tan brought red sugar eggs to his wife.
Tan’s Wife carefully took them in her hands, savoring the fragrance and reluctant to drink it.
Old Tan leaned over to blow on them for her. “Wife, don’t be shy. We still have eggs at home, so go ahead and eat.”
Tan’s Wife laughed and said, “Oh, those with daughters really are different.”
Old Tan lowered his head awkwardly. “You’ve suffered so much over the years following me. Of course, you deserve something good to eat.”
Tan’s Wife’s nose tingled with emotion. She held the red sugar eggs, too impatient to let them cool, and drank them in large gulps. After finishing, she handed the bowl to him. “Husband, no matter how hard or tiring it was, I never complained.”
The Tan brothers were all incredibly handsome, having inherited all of Tan’s Wife’s best traits.
Tan’s Wife’s real name was Wan Chunmei, the eldest daughter of the Wan family in the neighboring Yangliu Village. She took after her birth mother in appearance, growing up to be as beautiful as a flower, and was well-known in the surrounding area. Later, when her biological father remarried, her stepmother tried to force her into becoming a concubine to the much older Zhang Yuanwai, who was in his fifties or sixties.
She was strong-willed and stubborn like a mule. Ignoring her family’s objections, she eloped with Old Tan to Fengping Village, where they built a home and severed ties with her family.
These days, Tan’s Wife’s natal family was run by her stepmother, who had given birth to two younger brothers and two younger sisters. They were living quite well and often came to bother Tan’s Wife’s family, whether there was an occasion or not.
Sure enough, before Old Tan could deliver the red eggs, her younger sisters—who had married into the same village—showed up.
“Oh, Big Sister really is something, giving birth to two at once.”
They weren’t here to congratulate; they had come to gawk and make fun.
Old Tan remained polite, pulling out chairs for them. “Third Sister, Fourth Sister, come sit.”
Third Sister Wan glanced at the wooden chair and made a face of disgust. “Brother-in-law, my sister and I just bought these new skirts, so we won’t sit on your chairs.”
Old Tan’s face darkened. Though he didn’t like them, he refrained from making an issue out of it for his Wife’s sake.
Tan’s Wife, with her fiery temper, sat up and sternly said, “If you’re so picky, then go back!”
The two younger sisters were used to being scolded, so they shamelessly continued, speaking with a mocking tone. “Big Sister, how are you going to manage? Six sons! It’s going to cost a lot of money when they get married. Don’t end up having to sell your daughters to support your sons in the future!”
Tan’s Wife’s brows furrowed, and she coldly replied, “Don’t worry. Even if we don’t marry off a single daughter-in-law, we won’t sell our daughters. Don’t think everyone is like your mother, selling daughters to support sons!”
The two younger sisters were furious.
Although they had both married well, their families had taken all the bride price, claiming it was for their brothers to marry, leaving them with no dignity in their husbands’ homes.
Enraged, they pointed at Tan’s Wife and shouted, “Wan Chunmei, do you think you’re something special? You’re nothing but a laying sow! You deserve to be poor and suffer your whole life!”
“Shut up!”
This time, it was Old Tan who lost his temper. He grabbed a broom and chased them away. “Go, go! Get out of here!”
The two sisters hurried to their feet and walked toward the door, still yelling, “A whole nest of worthless scum! You deserve to starve to death!”
“Go!” Old Tan swung the broom, but missed.
Tan’s Wife quickly called out to stop him, “Alright, don’t bother with them. People like that will get their retribution sooner or later.”
After saying that, she held her youngest son, the sixth one, in her arms and began to nurse him.
This sixth son was a big eater, and with a few hungry gulps, he had already drained Tan’s Wife dry.
She furrowed her brow. “Right now, I need to find a way to produce more milk and feed the two children. That’s the real priority.”
Old Tan picked up the broom again and said, “There’s some water collected in the pond in the clearing behind the mountain. I’ll see if I can catch some loaches.”
Tan’s Wife nodded. “Alright, go quickly and come back fast.”
“Mm.” Old Tan grabbed a wooden basket and headed out the door.
The Wan sisters hadn’t walked far when the clear sky suddenly turned, and heavy rain began to pour.
The rain soaked the muddy ground.
With each step, the Wan sisters splashed mud all over themselves.
Those new skirts were no better than filthy rags now.
The rain grew heavier, and the two sisters hurried to head back home. As Third Sister Wan’s foot slipped, she lost her balance and tumbled down the hillside.
The Fourth Sister Wan reached out to grab her, but was also pulled down along with her.
The mountain paths in the village were already uneven.
Third Sister Wan rolled all the way down the slope, crashing into who knows how many rocks, and by the time she reached the bottom, she was writhing in pain, clutching her abdomen and curling up into a ball.
The Fourth Sister Wan was shocked and quickly supported Third Sister Wan, asking, “Third Sister, Third Sister, what’s wrong?”