As a result, Grandma Lin naturally rejected him, which she found quite regrettable.

Later, Grandma Lin arranged for Lin Shu to marry Lu Shaotang.

Lin Aidi often spoke up for Lin Shu, constantly instilling in her the idea that soldiers are rough and hot-tempered, prone to violence.

She even mentioned that someone from the village married a discharged soldier and was beaten every day.

Lin Aidi said that other sisters-in-law and aunts also mentioned this, and even Lin’s mother was worried, which scared the original protagonist and left her with a shadow over the unknown Lu Shaotang.

Lin Aidi both feared the original owner would be beaten and secretly hoped to see it happen.

That way, Lin Shu would be worse off than her, and she could comfort Lin Shu.

In the early days of the marriage, she came by daily to check on her.

However, Lu Shaotang returned to his unit after three days, and Lin Aidi began to sympathize with the original ownet, feeling that she was essentially a widow.

The original owner was actually pleased, finding Lu Shaotang’s absence quite convenient.

The Original owner thought Lin Aidi was a good person, but Lin Shu found her a bit… subtle.

It’s not that Lin Aidi was bad—she wasn’t, and she never wished ill on the original owner. It’s just…

She was good to you, but only as long as you weren’t better than her.

If you were better than her, she would become envious and unsettled, hoping you’d be slightly worse so she could maintain her role as the comforter.

The original ownet married Lu Shaotang, whose family was better off than hers, and Lu Shaotang himself was taller, handsomer, more distinguished, and earned a higher salary.

Lin Aidi suddenly felt out of balance.

Fortunately, Lu Shaotang wasn’t at home, so the Original owner couldn’t flaunt their happiness, which kept Lin Aidi somewhat balanced.

—Although her husband was slightly better off, her husband wasn’t home, and the original was essentially living as a widow, which was still worse than her own situation.

In any case, Lin Aidi often came to find a sense of superiority. Of course, she did care as well; you couldn’t say she wasn’t genuinely concerned.

If the Original owner had problems or felt unwell, Lin Aidi would also offer comfort.

Lin Shu had already settled into her current role: lying flat, being weak, avoiding heavy work, and relying on her in-laws and child to win by default.

—If there was an issue, her mother-in-law would handle it. If someone needed scolding or fighting, her mother-in-law would take care of it.

She just needed to enjoy her daily life cheerfully, without getting angry at life or engaging in conflicts.

If she could smile while taking advantage of Zhao Meifeng, how could she possibly have conflicts with Lin Aidi, the original owner’s close friend?

“Sis, come on in! Aren’t you working today?” Lin Shu stood up to welcome Lin Aidi.

Lin Aidi was carrying a small bundle covered with a blue and white flowered cloth,” she greeted Lin Shu warmly with a hug.

“Hey, I’m not working today. You know I just cook at home every day. I’ve wanted to come over for a long time, but with my in-laws continuously falling ill and your brother-in-law being so busy, I haven’t managed to find the time.”

In fact, she had come by a few days ago.

When news of Lu Shaotang first came back, the Original Owner’s maternal family, including her elder sister, younger sister, and other relatives, had all come to offer their condolences.

Fang Dihua refused to accept the reality, believing that without seeing the body, it was not final, so she sent the relatives away.

Lin Aidi had also visited.

She wanted to comfort the Original owner, her close friend.

When the Original owner was upset because others said her husband had died and she wasn’t grieving, Lin Aidi had comforted her, saying, “It’s not your fault. After all these years of him not coming home, it’s normal to have no feelings.”

The Original owner was quite grateful for this.

Lin Shu exchanged a few pleasantries with her.

Lin Aidi then gave some egg cake to Tiantian and Papan.

Every time she visited, she always brought something—whether it was a handful of peanuts, a couple of small buns, or even just a few scallions and garlic as gifts.

This time, she brought a piece of egg cake, along with two squashes and two eggplants.

“Hey, little sister, don’t be sad. I heard that Old Lu has already started fixing the grave for Lu Shaotang.”

Lin Shu replied, “I’m taking good care of these two kids, and I’m doing fine. I’m not sad.”

Lin Aidi glanced at her, “Your in-laws haven’t complained about you, have they? You know about so-and-so, right?”

She mentioned someone the original owner knew, “Her husband passed away, and her mother-in-law curses her as a bad luck charm, blaming her for his death. She’s having a terrible time.”

Lin Shu shook her head, “No, my in-laws are really good to me. When others gossip, my mother-in-law deals with it directly. You’ve heard about the Old Chang family, haven’t you?”

Lin Aidi said, “Ah, oh, I think I heard about it. Your mother-in-law got into a fight with someone? Your mother-in-law is really something. You and your sisters-in-law are all under her thumb. She’s always scolding you, and you must have had the worst time.”

Lin Shu replied, “No, my mother-in-law is quite reasonable. She never scolds or hits people randomly. She takes good care of me and even bought me ice cream when she went to the county.”

Lin Aidi looked at Lin Shu seriously.

Lin Shu was beautiful—something Lin Aidi had known since she was a child.

But back then, Lin Shu was timid and shy, often sulking, and her appearance suffered as a result.

Now, Lin Shu looked really radiant!

Her skin was fair and rosy, clean to the point of seeming unreal.

Unlike others who would have blemishes from sun and wind exposure, she had no imperfections at all.

Her pair of watery, big eyes reminded her of the clear springs in the mountains.

“She was so clear and clean,”

The slightly upturned corners of her eyes made Lin Shu’s smile even more alluring, giving off a captivating aura that could charm anyone, regardless of gender.

There was no trace of suffering visible on her face.

Lin Aidi seemed to hear the disappointment in her heart.

With a sigh, she said, “Without any wages to send back, your sisters-in-law are bound to have grievances. They won’t be as generous as before.”

Lin Shu replied, “No, my elder sister-in-law and second sister-in-law are very good to me.

My elder sister-in-law doesn’t let me do any of the heavy work.

You see the whole yard full of vegetable beds—she doesn’t let me touch anything, from fixing the beds, fetching water, to making fertilizer.

She only lets me pick vegetables and cook. My second sister-in-law even gave me two pairs of shoes’ fabric to make shoes to wear.”

Lin Aidi didn’t believe her. “Really? Isn’t your second sister-in-law trying to exploit you as a seamstress, making you do all the sewing? How terrible was it for you under her? She used to speak badly of her.”

Lin Shu smiled, “How could I confuse my own matters? The shoes are on my feet right now.”

Lin Aidi immediately recognized that these were new shoes made by Lin Shu, barely worn.

She looked at Lin Shu in surprise. “It seems that after your husband’s death, they are being considerate of you. But be careful; it might only be this way for a short time. Later, they will definitely start finding faults with you. Oh, you might end up in a worse situation.”

Lin Shu was puzzled. “Huh?”

Something seemed off. Her close friend was acting differently.

Why was Lin Aidi so insistent on her being miserable?

Lin Aidi had never been so focused on making the original owner’s life seem terrible before.

Why was she so intent on highlighting the misery now?

Lin Aidi believed Lin Shu was pretending to be happy, not revealing the real difficulties.

She said sympathetically, “Little sister, don’t put on a brave face for me. We’ve grown up together; who knows who better?

Your mother-in-law used to scold you all the time, your elder sister-in-law also made things difficult for you, and your second sister-in-law exploited you.

Even your neighbor sister-in-law took advantage of you. How miserable you were back then, don’t you remember?”

Lin Shu replied calmly, “I didn’t realize it back then, but now I see how some women have to work hard under the scorching sun. I feel quite fortunate and not miserable at all.” She continued, “Especially compared to those women who are beaten by their husbands and mothers-in-law, I’m really very happy. My father-in-law has a good temper, and my mother-in-law and elder sisters-in-law protect me. I feel very content and happy.”

Many women in the village, like Huzizi’s mother and Chang’s second daughter-in-law, had been beaten by their husbands and mothers-in-law, but the original protagonist had not.

Lin Aidi, who had just been slapped by her mother-in-law and kicked by her husband, suddenly felt like she had been hit by a stray bullet.

She was so miserable!

She had been so miserable recently!

She took care of her sick mother-in-law, handling everything from cleaning to delivering meals.

She did all the housework, but her mother-in-law was still dissatisfied, constantly finding fault with her, and complained to her father-in-law and son about her mistreatment.

Her husband, who had once acted meek in bed, had now turned against her, even hitting her.

She was so miserable.

She had come to Lin Shu to find some sense of balance—although she was beaten by her husband and mother-in-law, Lin Shu’s husband had died.

Her mother-in-law scolded her, and her sisters-in-law bullied her.

Surely, Lin Shu must be in a worse situation.

It really was too miserable.

By comparison, her own situation didn’t seem so bad, and in fact, it seemed quite good.

But why did Lin Shu seem to be so well-off?

How could Lin Shu, whose husband had died, not be miserable?

Especially since her in-laws had always taken pride in Lu Shaotang.

Now that Lu Shaotang was gone, shouldn’t they blame her for being a husband-killer? Shouldn’t they complain about her?

Just then, Tiantian and Papan came running in like two fledglings, “Mom, Mom! The village secretary and many officials are here to see you.”

Lin Shu asked, “To see me?”