Jiang Datiao and Jiang Dalang stared in shock, their mouths open as wide as if they could swallow an egg.

They asked, “Are you saying that our big brother agreed to the matter of Xiao Yu getting married three years ago?”

Not just agreed, but it was even his idea?

Three years ago, they had asked their big brother many times about Xiao Yu’s marriage, but their big brother covered his face with his hand, saying he was useless, unable to control his wife or protect his sister.

He was afraid that if he disagreed, his wife would run off, and then the children would be left without a mother.

He couldn’t let his children grow up without a mother, so he had no choice but to disappoint his sister.

He nearly cried while saying this.

Their big brother was already suffering so much; what was the point of rubbing salt in his wounds?

After all, this was a family matter, and as the eldest sister-in-law, it was the elder brother and sister-in-law’s responsibility to handle matters regarding the younger siblings’ marriages.

The eldest brother couldn’t do anything about it, so what use would it be for them to push any further?

The elders had also tried to persuade him, but after hearing this, they didn’t dare to offer further advice.

However, “Big brother said… said that you insisted on having Xiao Yu marry, and he couldn’t stop it.”

Shen Qing snorted coldly in her heart.

If it was inconvenient for him to speak up, then let his wife take the lead.

The bad reputation would fall on his wife, but the benefits would still be his.

She looked mournfully and said, “Which family’s major matters are decided by women? Furthermore, Xiao Yu is his own sister. If this wasn’t his idea, and if I had taken the initiative to marry Xiao Yu off to a widower who drove his wife to death, wouldn’t he have beaten me to death?”

Once this was said, the courtyard fell silent to the point where you could hardly hear a breath.

Indeed, not to mention anywhere else, in their Qili Village, which family wasn’t headed by the men, especially the brother-in-law in the wife’s family?

If the older brother really didn’t agree, could he have let his wife sell off his sister?

If the sister-in-law was able to sell someone, it must mean that the head of the family had already agreed to it.

Jiang Datiao and Jiang Dalang felt a tight pain in their chests.

They also realized how foolish they had been three years ago to believe their big brother when he said he had no choice!

For the bride price of ten taels of silver, Xiao Yu had to marry a widower.

Even if Shen Qing was at fault, their big brother was not blameless!

Their big brother was at least fifty percent responsible for this…

Shen Qing continued, “In the past, it was because I was useless. But recently, by chance, I found a way to earn some silver. After earning the silver, I thought of asking my sister-in-law, whose family is from the same village as Xiao Yu’s in-laws, to go back and see how Xiao Yu is doing. If she’s doing well, then great, I can rest easy; if she’s not, I’ll find out what’s wrong. What are her thoughts?”

She had heard that one of her sister-in-law’s family was from the same village as Xiao Yu’s husband’s family, but when she came, she didn’t know which of the two sisters-in-law was the one she needed to speak with, so she just mentioned it vaguely.

At this point, she still didn’t know whether Xiao Yu was living well or poorly, or how bad her situation was, so she just asked her sister-in-law for help in finding out.

Jiang Datiao and Jiang Dalang didn’t expect that Shen Qing had come to ask this favor!

They both felt deeply embarrassed, their faces turning red.

She had brought food to them, and they thought it was another matter related to land disputes or something similar.

They never expected it was about Xiao Yu, their cousin!

She came after earning some silver, while they had just been cursing her for being vicious a moment ago!

They truly deserved to be condemned.

At the same time, they realized that the matter of marrying Xiao Yu to a widower was also their big brother’s fault!

Zhou Yan, upon hearing that Shen Qing wanted her to go back and check on Xiao Yu’s life, stood up excitedly and blurted out, “How’s Xiao Yu’s life?”

Old man Jiang Yang coughed, signaling for her to stop.

Zhou Yan quickly realized, yes, Shen Qing didn’t know what they had just said, and the words she had heard were just hearsay.

She was asking her to go back and check on Xiao Yu, so she couldn’t use the same old rumors to explain things.

She looked at her father-in-law, who nodded and said, “The eldest daughter-in-law hasn’t been back to her family for a long time. Now that it’s the off-season, with fewer farm chores, she was planning to visit her family and check on her parents. Tomorrow, the eldest will accompany her, which is also a good opportunity to check on his sister.

Now the harvest is poor, and life is difficult for every family. Take these foodstuffs back for the children to eat. The silver you earned so hard should be saved for later use. In the future… no matter what happens, I’m glad to see that you care about your sister-in-law and Jiang family members.”

Old man Jiang Yang was about to mention how the family might soon have one more mouth to feed, but after a pause, he kept his thoughts to himself.

Shen Qing had only asked the eldest daughter-in-law to go check on Xiao Yu, but she couldn’t expect that she would necessarily want to take back a sister-in-law who had been abandoned.

What was Xiao Yu’s situation? Would she even want to come back?

Sigh, everything would have to wait until the eldest and his wife returned from their visit.

Shen Qing definitely wouldn’t bring back the little girl!

There was no sense in taking back something that had been given away, especially since she had promised to help.

She smiled and said, “In the past, our family was poor, and we had to send a younger one to school. We didn’t have much to offer you in terms of respect, but these years, I managed to send you a bowl of fried meat. If you don’t accept it, I really won’t have the face to come again!”

Her words made everyone in the room feel warm inside.

The fried meat seemed so precious, but Shen Qing’s goodwill was even more precious!

The small fried meat was far from representing Shen Qing’s heart.

When Shen Qing left, except for Old Man Jiang Yang, who didn’t see her off, Jiang Ying, the two sisters-in-law, and even Jiang Datiao and Jiang Dalang almost escorted her to the next family.

It was only when Shen Qing repeatedly insisted that they returned.

Back home, she looked at the fried meat she had taken out from the rough clay bowl, which was enough to fill three rice bowls.

Zhou Yan softly sighed, “Big sister-in-law, this bowl of fried meat is so substantial. I think it must weigh at least a pound.”

“It also has seasoning, and the batter covering it is probably made from white flour! Frying like this uses a lot of oil,” Li Xiulan swallowed.

It was full of oil.

Jiang Datiao and Jiang Dalang looked at the greasy fried meat, their mouths watering.

They looked toward Jiang Ying.

Jiang Ying then looked at her father. “Dad, how should we divide it?”

Shen Qing had brought it as a token of respect for her father.

Jiang Yang looked at the three rice bowls of fried meat and distributed it, “One bowl wrapped in oiled paper should go with the eldest when they visit her family tomorrow. The other bowl… leave two bowls for yourselves to share.”

Originally, he had thought of taking it to the Liu family, but he decided against it.

The Liu family didn’t deserve to eat meat—let alone a grain of rice.

The three of them agreed, and in the end, they decided to stew one bowl with some wild vegetables, so the vegetables could absorb the meat flavor.

It would be delicious!

The other bowl, if it weren’t for Shen Qing, they wouldn’t have had meat at all, so they decided to indulge and eat it all. Everyone in the family would get a piece to taste.

Eating meat, especially such greasy meat, the children couldn’t hide their joy.

They looked at their parents and elders, noticing the serious expressions on their faces.

“Aunt, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Ying cheerfully said, “Eat, eat! Fill your stomach so you have the strength to work!”

She had a feeling that in the near future, they might have to fight at the Liu family in Ten Li Village!