Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Miscarriage and Family Split

Liu Guifang paced anxiously around the room, muttering to herself, “How could it have just happened like that?”

“This is a disaster!”

“How am I supposed to explain this to the eldest?”

She had just overheard the diagnosis outside the door and rushed back in a panic to tell Xu Mingshan.

Xu Mingshan was getting irritated by her rambling. “Can you stop pacing already? I told you not to play favorites all the time, but you always side with the third. See, now you’ve caused trouble. Let’s see how you explain this to the eldest. I’m not getting involved.”

“Don’t say that, dear. The third was just trying to protect me. It’s not my fault Lin Xiaomeng is so delicate. When I was pregnant, I worked right up until the day I gave birth and nothing ever happened. But she’s so fragile—one little kick and she loses the baby. That just means the child wasn’t meant to live.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Huaizhi walked in, face dark as thunder, staring at her like he wanted to eat her alive.

“Say that again? Where’s Xu Huaiyu? Where did you hide him?” This was his mother—so cold and heartless.

“E-eldest, the third had something to do in town and left first. He didn’t mean it, he was just trying to protect me. If you want to blame someone, blame Lin Xiaomeng. She’s the one who tried to hit me. The child’s gone, so be it. You can always have another one.” Liu Guifang spoke as if it was nothing.

Xu Huaizhi was completely disappointed in her, not even wanting to speak.

And as for the third, running away the moment something happened—truly a “good son” raised by Liu Guifang.

“Dad, let’s have a serious talk.”

Xu Mingshan knew he couldn’t avoid it any longer.

“What do you want to talk about?” Surely it couldn’t be what he was thinking!

“Let’s split the family. There’s no point in all of us living together, arguing and fighting every day. Why not separate and live our own lives? Maybe we can still keep some family ties.”

Xu Huaizhi felt exhausted. The household had been in chaos lately, and now he’d lost the child he’d been looking forward to. At this point, he just wanted to keep his distance from his parents and so-called relatives.

Xu Mingshan kept a stony silence.

Liu Guifang punched Xu Huaizhi in the chest. “So you’ve grown wings now, huh? I raised you with so much hardship, and now you want to throw us old folks away? Is it your wife putting you up to this? I knew she was a troublemaker! If she hadn’t refused to let the third get the ‘three rounds and one sound’ wedding gifts, none of this would have happened. The miscarriage is her own fault, really.”

Xu Huaizhi looked at his mother’s twisted face, his heart turning cold. It was clearly the third who’d been reckless and kicked Xiaomeng, but somehow she still managed to blame Xiaomeng. Unreasonable and unfair.

No wonder Xiaomeng’s temper had gotten worse and worse. Living with in-laws and siblings like this, anyone would go mad eventually.

“Say whatever you want. Call me unfilial if you like. But I’m splitting this family today. You’ve favored the third for years, and I turned a blind eye, but in the end it cost me my own child. I don’t want to live under the same roof as the third ever again. He’s your son, your responsibility, not mine. I’ve supported him for years, found him a job, and all I got was a thankless wolf in return!”

“Fine! If you split, then the third can forget about getting married!” For once, Xu Huaizhi stood up to his mother.

Lin Xiaomeng, listening at the door, felt a little better. At least her husband wasn’t a total pushover.

She forced herself to get up, determined to settle things while the iron was hot. Otherwise, things would just get muddled again, and she’d had enough of that.

Liu Guifang resorted to her usual theatrics, plopping herself down on the floor. “Heavens, what kind of son did I raise? Now that I’m old, he wants to split the family!”

She’d finally become the matriarch, but hadn’t even enjoyed a few years of authority. She was absolutely against splitting the family.

Lin Xiaomeng, face pale as death, walked in. “Where’s Xu Huaiyu, that murderer? Xu Huaizhi, if you’re a man, go report him to the police. Your brother caused my miscarriage—I want him in jail, doing hard labor! He wants to get married? Dream on! I curse him to be alone forever, never to die a good death!” Lin Xiaomeng finally tore all pretense with the Xu family.

Liu Guifang couldn’t take it and immediately jumped up to hit her. “You damned jinx! How dare you curse my son? I’ll beat you to death!”

Xu Huaizhi blocked Liu Guifang from getting to Lin Xiaomeng.

Little Dacheng bit his grandma’s hand. “You’re not allowed to bully my mom!”

At least the child was finally showing some spirit, unlike in the previous life. Lin Xiaomeng felt a bit comforted.

Liu Guifang, betrayed by both son and grandson, stomped her feet in rage. “Xu Huaizhi, how did I raise such a coward who’s afraid of his wife? It’s her or me in this house! If you don’t divorce her right now, I’ll bash my head against the pillar and die. Believe it or not!”

Lin Xiaomeng gritted her teeth. “You crazy old woman, do you really dare? Go on, try it!”

Good riddance if she did!

Xu Mingshan watched the mess unfold, knowing it was time. If things went on like this, the whole family would fall apart.

“Enough! Both of you, quiet!” He banged the table with his tobacco pipe.

“I agree to split the family!” God knows how hard it was for him to make this decision. If the third hadn’t caused such a disaster today, he would never have agreed. He was used to being the head of the household.

Seeing the eldest’s attitude and his wife’s words, he knew he had to give an answer today to calm things down.

If they kept forcing everyone under one roof, it would just breed more resentment and endless arguments.

Better to split now, while there was still some affection left.

No matter how much Liu Guifang fussed, Xu Mingshan had made up his mind. This was final.

There was no need to wait for the third to come back and discuss it. Xu Mingshan could decide on his own.

“Eldest, eldest daughter-in-law, I know you’ve been wronged today. Your mother is old and short-sighted, muddle-headed. Don’t hold it against her. The third is a troublemaker, but he didn’t mean it. Let’s just let this go, alright? No need to call the police—it’s a family matter, no need to make it ugly.” Xu Mingshan deliberately hinted at Lin Xiaomeng.

The unspoken message: I’m agreeing to split the family, so let’s drop the issue with the third.

In the end, Xu Mingshan still compromised for his youngest son.

Lin Xiaomeng shot him a venomous look. This old fox—using the family split to keep her from making a bigger scene, just to protect Xu Huaiyu.

Fine. If heaven wouldn’t punish them, she would. She’d always worried that messing with the Xu family’s luck would hurt her own little family, but now, with the split, she could do as she pleased. She’d make sure the Xu family ended up in ruin.

So she swallowed her anger for now.

After weighing the pros and cons with Xu Huaizhi, she agreed to Xu Mingshan’s terms: in exchange for splitting the family, she would not pursue Xu Huaiyu’s responsibility.

Pity for the unborn child in her belly, sacrificed in this family war.

Seeing the situation was lost, Liu Guifang wilted. She knew this was beyond her petty tricks and could only go along with Xu Mingshan.

The family sat down in the main room, inviting respected elders from the village to witness and help mediate the split.

Liu Guifang, still unwilling, suggested sending the third out on his own while she and her husband stayed with the eldest’s family—essentially not splitting at all, so she could keep her authority.

But Xu Huaizhi immediately refused, saying the third needed her and she should live with him.

Xu Mingshan also knew the eldest’s family now hated the third—and them as well—over the child’s death. Forcing them together would only make things worse. As the village party secretary, he’d seen too many cases where unfair splits led to old people dying miserable deaths, so he wanted to be as fair as possible and try to win back his eldest son’s heart.

The family’s savings totaled 5,312 yuan. When they brought it out, the village elders were shocked—so much money! But then it made sense: the second son had always sent his army stipend home, and there was a big demobilization payout. Add up all the odds and ends, and it was reasonable.

The eldest also brought home his wages every month, enough to cover expenses, so the Xu family was actually quite well-off.

If only Liu Guifang hadn’t been so troublesome, the sons could have worked together and lived even better.

Yet here they were, splitting up the money the second son had earned, and not a single person mentioned his contribution. Shameless.

Xu Mingshan planned to split the money into three shares: one for each son, and one for the old couple. That made 1,328 yuan per share.

Whoever took care of them in old age would inherit their share, a way to keep both sons interested in their welfare. After all, 1,000-plus yuan was a lot of money.

Xu Mingshan was a shrewd old fox, all right.

Xu Huaizhi and Lin Xiaomeng had no objections. Over 1,000 yuan was a lot, and honestly, they never could have saved that much on their own.

Xu Huaizhi knew full well most of the money was the second son’s hard-earned wages.

But he chose to keep quiet. Who would turn down a windfall?

Liu Guifang suddenly piped up, “What about money for the third’s wedding? We should set aside his wedding expenses before splitting the rest. That’s only fair.”

Always picking at the sore spot.

It was the wedding that had caused all this trouble in the first place.

Xu Huaizhi had had enough. He stood up and asked his mother, “Isn’t 1,328 yuan enough for the third to get married? That’s enough for two or three weddings! Has he ever earned a cent for this family? He should be grateful to get that much. Honestly, most of this money was earned by the second son—it should go to him, but instead the third gets a share. What more do you want?”

If not for wanting to split quickly, he wouldn’t have given the third a cent. Why should he? The third never contributed anything, yet gets an equal share.

Xu Mingshan glared at Liu Guifang—always making things worse.

“The eldest is right. The third shouldn’t get a share, but since he’s not married yet, we have to give him something for his future.”

Liu Guifang finally shut up.

With the money settled, everyone was satisfied.

Next came the house.

The Xu family’s house was one of the best in the village—five big, bright rooms, plenty of space.

The main rooms, where Xu Mingshan and his wife lived, would naturally go to them.

The two east rooms, where Xu Huaizhi lived, would go to him.

The two west rooms, where Xu Huaiyu and Xu Meiling lived, would go to Xu Huaiyu.

Very fair—no one got the short end of the stick.

Lin Xiaomeng thought to herself: she’d open a door on the other side, fence off her own little yard, build a kitchen and toilet—completely separate from them. That way, she wouldn’t have to see them every day. That would be just fine."

"Chapter 175: After the Family Split, Preparing the Betrothal Gifts

As for the grain in the storeroom, it was divided equally into three shares—there was nothing much to discuss about that.

The farming tools and kitchen utensils would continue to be shared for now; whoever needed them first could use them, since there weren’t any extras.

The vegetables from the private plots would be eaten together for the time being, and they’d be divided up again when it was time to plant in the spring.

As for the three chickens in the coop, each family got one.

Liu Guifang wanted to keep them all for her youngest son’s wedding, but Xu Mingshan scolded her for it.

Xu Mingshan understood that when it came to something as major as splitting the family, any hint of favoritism would cause endless trouble down the line, so he made sure everything was divided fairly.

So far, Xu Huaizhi and Lin Xiaomeng were reasonably satisfied, though not happy—after all, this outcome had come at the cost of the child they’d longed for, and it felt a bit like a bloody trade.

But what could they do? Once they calmed down, they both knew that tearing things apart would only leave everyone worse off, with nothing to gain. It was better to use this opportunity to secure the best outcome for themselves. Both of them were practical people who weighed pros and cons.

With the family-splitting agreement in hand, Lin Xiaomeng finally felt at ease. She was determined to make Xu Huaiyu pay for what he’d done and avenge her poor child.

Liu Guifang lay in bed, moaning about her aches and pains, but no one paid her any attention.

She soon resorted to all sorts of curses.

Lin Xiaomeng just treated her like thin air—she’d never have to put up with this old witch again.

She was still in her postpartum confinement and needed to take care of herself, otherwise she might end up with lasting health problems.

Xu Huaizhi could only stay home with her for one day before he had to go back to work, so she’d have to manage on her own. But now that she no longer had to support the whole extended family, she felt much more relaxed.

The day after the split, Liu Guifang sent someone to the county to call her third son home, telling him the family had been divided.

When Xu Huaiyu heard the news, he was furious—how could they split the family while he wasn’t even home?

He rushed back, ready to make a scene, only to find out he’d been given two rooms and 1,328 yuan.

It was like a windfall from the heavens—he’d never imagined he’d get so much money. Now he had the funds for his wedding.

And it was all aboveboard—no more having to watch others’ faces. If he’d known, he’d have pushed for the split sooner. He had no idea what the family split really meant for him.

The only downside was that he’d now completely fallen out with his eldest brother and sister-in-law—they looked at each other like enemies. He couldn’t expect them to help him get the ration coupons for the “three big items” (the must-have wedding goods), which he regretted a little, but he didn’t feel the least bit sorry.

When Lin Xiaomeng heard Xu Huaiyu was back, she was seething with hatred. While cooking, she quietly replaced all the water in the kitchen vat with water from her fortune spring.

Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang had a private talk with Xu Huaiyu, asking about his plans—did he want to live separately from them, or stay together?

There was a difference. If he stayed with them, he’d have to hand over his money to his mother to manage, just like before—nothing would change.

If he lived separately, he could keep the money himself and spend it as he liked. If he ran out, he could always go back to his mother for more. After all, now that she’d fallen out with the eldest, she’d have to rely on him for support in her old age.

Xu Huaiyu thought he had it all figured out. What he didn’t realize was that the reason Liu Guifang had always given him money without limits was because the family had several people working hard to earn it—there was always enough to go around.

But things were different now. Xu Huaian, the family’s cash cow, was gone, and even Xu Huaizhi was no longer under her control. She had no way to make money anymore.

To put it bluntly, this 1,300 yuan was all that she and Xu Mingshan had for their old age—every yuan spent was one less for them. She wasn’t stupid.

In the end, Xu Huaiyu chose to live separately from his parents. For him, it didn’t make much difference—he figured if he ever got into trouble, someone would always bail him out.

Xu Mingshan knew his son well—lazy, greedy, and spoiled by Liu Guifang, he was unreliable and might not even be able to support himself, let alone anyone else.

The reason this old fox agreed to the split and made it so fair was because he knew things had gone too far this time, and he wanted to leave some goodwill with the eldest son. When they were truly old and helpless, the eldest would at least remember this and not abandon them.

He knew his son well—he’d been hurt badly this time, but time heals all wounds. He didn’t want to burn all bridges now; this was his way of leaving a door open for the future.

He’d also warned Liu Guifang not to give Xu Huaiyu another cent, and took charge of their share of the money himself, hiding it somewhere even Liu Guifang didn’t know.

He knew Liu Guifang couldn’t resist Xu Huaiyu’s sweet talk, and he was afraid their last bit of savings would be squandered away.

If Xu Huaiyu wanted to live separately, fine—then he’d have to pay for his own wedding. He couldn’t expect a penny from his parents.

After all, as Xu Huaizhi said, Xu Huaiyu had never contributed a cent to the family—he only spent money. The share he got actually belonged to the second brother, but no one had spoken up for him.

Xu Huaiyu knew his parents had already done enough for him, so he readily agreed to pay for his own wedding.

With over a thousand yuan, he could afford a decent wedding.

After lunch that day, he took his share of the money and headed back to the city, not knowing that all his luck had been drained away by Lin Xiaomeng.

He happily went to tell Yan Lijun the good news, leaving out the bad things he’d done.

Yan Lijun was overjoyed—it was like someone bringing her a pillow just when she needed to rest.

She’d been worried about marrying into a big family that all lived together, which would be a headache.

She hadn’t expected the Xu family to split up so suddenly, and for Xu Huaiyu to get over a thousand yuan—so much money that she was dazzled.

Even though she was a city girl, every family had its own problems, and she’d never managed so much money before.

When she found out that some of the money would have to go toward buying the “three big items,” her heart ached—her money, just like that, would be handed over to her family.

Yes, she already thought of Xu Huaiyu’s money as her own.

She had no idea how Xu Huaiyu would react when he found out. She was afraid he’d go crazy.

So she treated Xu Huaiyu even more carefully, putting him on a pedestal, hoping that when the time came, he’d let it slide for her sake.

Xu Huaiyu was always coming and going, running errands and missing work, which annoyed the master at his job.

“Xu Huaiyu, do you think this is your home? Coming and going as you please? You’ve gone home three times this week already. If you miss home so much, why bother working? Go home and take care of the kids!”

The master’s words were blunt but true. Xu Huaiyu might have some connections, but so did everyone else. So the master didn’t hold back.

Xu Huaiyu felt embarrassed and humiliated, but when he thought of his father-in-law’s conditions, he had to swallow his pride.

“Sorry, Master, I had some family issues. It won’t happen again. Everyone can keep an eye on me.”

Seeing his sincerity, the master didn’t say more.

“If this happens again, don’t bother coming back. This isn’t a retirement home—everyone, tighten up!” The master was talking to Xu Huaiyu, but really, he was warning everyone.

Xu Huaiyu and Yan Lijun discussed buying the “three big items.”

Their biggest problem now was that they didn’t have the necessary ration coupons.

Yan Lijun heard that a colleague at her workplace had a soon-to-expire coupon for a Forever-brand bicycle. She wanted forty yuan for it—not cheap, but not outrageous either.

Plus, the bicycle itself cost 120 yuan, so altogether it would be 160 yuan for the bike.

Xu Huaiyu, eager to marry his beauty, gritted his teeth and agreed, telling Yan Lijun to buy the coupon.

The Yan family knew he was buying the “three big items” and needed coupons, so they enthusiastically offered a coupon for a wristwatch. Yan’s father had originally planned to buy a watch for his son, but since someone else was buying it now, he decided to give the coupon to Xu Huaiyu.

Only he knew what his real intentions were.

Xu Huaiyu was moved to tears, saying his father-in-law was so good to him—giving him such a hard-to-get coupon for nothing. Compared to that, he hated Xu Huaizhi and his wife even more—his big brother obviously had the means but refused to help.

It’s true what they say: evil meets its match.

Now, all that was left was the sewing machine and the radio.

Xu Huaiyu was determined to get all three items as soon as possible so he could get married and be done with his miserable kitchen job. He couldn’t stand the smoke and heat, his hands were freezing from washing dishes, and he was constantly lectured by the master and the regular workers.

Let someone else be a temp—he was done.

After work that evening, he went to the black market to see if he could find a sewing machine or radio without needing coupons.

Maybe it was his shifty look, but he caught the eye of a seasoned black market scammer.

“Hey, brother, are you looking for a sewing machine without a coupon?”

Xu Huaiyu looked at him with innocent, gullible eyes. “Big brother, you have one?”

“Just so happens, I’ve got a brand-new one at home. My wife’s clumsy and doesn’t know how to use it—only tried it once or twice. The packaging’s still there. I’ll sell it to you cheap. What do you say?” The man looked very serious.

Xu Huaiyu was half-convinced, half-skeptical. “How much?”

Seeing he’d taken the bait, the man held up one finger. “A hundred yuan! I paid 145 plus a coupon for it back then. This price is more than fair, right?”"

"Chapter 176: Xu Huaiyu’s String of Misfortunes, Wedding Approaching

Xu Huaiyu thought this sounded like a pretty good deal—if he could really get a sewing machine for just a hundred yuan, he’d be saving fifty or even a hundred yuan.

But he wasn’t sure if the guy was telling the truth, or what kind of condition the sewing machine was actually in.

Sensing his hesitation, the swindler pressed on, “How about you come to my place and take a look? No harm in just looking, right? Buy it or not, it’s up to you.”

Xu Huaiyu thought, “Why not? I’ll just have a look. If it’s no good, I won’t buy it.”

So he followed the swindler into a dark alley, still unaware of the danger. He chatted idly with the man, already picturing himself with the sewing machine in hand.

But as soon as they reached the deserted alley, the swindler turned around and knocked him out with a stick.

The thief went through all his pockets and took the three hundred yuan Xu Huaiyu had brought to buy the sewing machine and a radio.

Luckily, Xu Huaiyu had thought it was inconvenient to carry too much cash, so he’d only brought three hundred yuan with him. Otherwise, he would have lost everything.

The thief also made off with his thick cotton-padded jacket and pants—brand new ones that Liu Guifang had specially made for him this year, and they were really warm.

Clearly an old hand at this, the thief, after stripping him, carried Xu Huaiyu to a main road where people would pass by, dumped him by the roadside, and ran off.

He was worried that if Xu Huaiyu froze to death in this cold weather, it would turn into a big deal.

Stealing a bit of money was one thing, but if someone died, he’d be facing serious jail time and hard labor.

Sure enough, not long after, someone found Xu Huaiyu, and a few kind souls took him to a nearby clinic for treatment. That’s how he narrowly escaped freezing to death on the street.

Although he survived, he was badly chilled and developed a fever that night, falling seriously ill.

When he woke up and learned that his money had been stolen—even his clothes and pants were gone—he was so heartbroken he pounded the bed in frustration. That was three hundred yuan! He’d have to work for over a year, scrimping and saving, to put that much aside.

He didn’t want Yan Lijun to find out about his predicament, so he asked someone to fetch his eldest brother from the factory.

Xu Huaizhi looked at his troublesome younger brother with exasperation. He didn’t really want to get involved, but they were brothers after all. He paid for the medical bills and brought Xu Huaiyu back to his place.

Xu Huaiyu was sick for several days. While taking care of him, Xu Huaizhi learned what had happened. He was angry, but also a little pleased—serves the kid right for being so reckless!

Xu Huaiyu begged him to help with the remaining two items for the bride price.

Seeing how pitiful he looked, Xu Huaizhi reluctantly agreed.

“This is the last time. I’ll ask around for you, but you’re getting married now—don’t expect me to help you again. I don’t owe you anything!”

“Brother, I… I’m sorry. I really didn’t know that day. If I’d known my sister-in-law was pregnant, I never would have kicked her.” Even now, Xu Huaiyu was trying to dodge responsibility.

“Even if she wasn’t pregnant, you shouldn’t have kicked her. She’s been married into our family for years, always looking after you and Meiling. Is this how you repay us? Where’s your conscience? Anyway, this is the last time. From now on, you’re on your own.” Xu Huaizhi grew angrier as he spoke.

Xu Huaiyu shrank under the covers like a quail. It seemed his brother was truly angry this time.

Xu Huaizhi was well-liked at the factory, and after asking around, he really did find someone selling a radio. It wasn’t brand new, but it was almost as good as new, and the price was reasonable.

People in those days treasured their possessions—big-ticket items like this were treated like family heirlooms, so they were rarely damaged.

As for the sewing machine, he found a seller whose wife had passed away unexpectedly; the machine was still new.

Because it belonged to someone deceased, it was considered a bit unlucky, so the price was low—just eighty yuan.

When Xu Huaizhi told Xu Huaiyu, he agreed without hesitation. Eighty yuan for a sewing machine was a steal—who cared about bad luck? He didn’t believe in that stuff at all.

And after losing three hundred yuan, his wallet was hurting—every yuan saved counted.

But he kept all this from Yan Lijun, afraid she’d be angry.

After buying the “three rounds and one sound” (the three must-have appliances and a radio), he’d spent over four hundred yuan. After being robbed of three hundred, he was left with just six hundred yuan.

Meanwhile, over at the Yan family, his pregnant fiancée was getting anxious. If they didn’t get married soon, she’d be giving birth before the wedding. Luckily, people didn’t gain much weight in those days, or her belly would have been obvious by now.

Once Xu Huaiyu got the “three rounds and one sound” together, he hurried over to the Yan family with the bride price to propose. Both families were eager to settle things quickly, so after some discussion, they set the wedding for three days later.

The family had enough vegetables, but they needed some meat to put on a proper banquet.

It was only then that Xu Huaiyu started missing his second brother. Back when his second brother was home, they never lacked meat in winter. Every year during the village’s winter hunt, his second brother always led the charge and brought back plenty of game.

He remembered one winter when he was younger—a heavy snow sealed off the mountains, and wild boars, desperate for food, came down to ravage the fields.

His second brother led a group of young men and managed to take down eighteen wild boars. It was big news in the commune. Ten were handed over to the commune, and the remaining eight were divided among the villagers. That year, his family got half a wild boar and ate well all year. Just thinking about it made him happy.

Now that his second brother was gone, the village’s winter hunt only yielded two wild boars, about ten pheasants, and twenty hares.

Each family only got a few pounds of meat, and since the family had been split into three households, even counting his parents’ share, they only had half a chicken, half a rabbit, and two pounds of pork. That wasn’t nearly enough for a wedding banquet.

Not only was his second brother gone, but even his eldest brother, after helping with the bride price, was now keeping his distance.

When Xu Meiling got married, at least the second brother contributed a pheasant, and the eldest brother brought a bucket of fish.

But now, for his own wedding, even those things he used to look down on had become luxuries.

After the family split, his eldest brother’s meat ration tickets from the factory were no longer for the whole family. Still, Xu Huaiyu shamelessly asked Xu Huaizhi for a pound of meat tickets, promising to pay him back someday.

Xu Huaizhi knew he’d never see those tickets again, so he just told him to keep them as a wedding gift.

Xu Huaiyu then went to Xu Meiling’s house to “borrow” meat tickets, knowing that his brother-in-law, Chen Jianghe, received care packages from home every month.

But Xu Meiling was heavily pregnant and had a big appetite—there was no way she’d share. She brushed him off with a few words and only gave him half a pound of fruit candy.

That was something Chen Jianghe had bought to satisfy her sweet tooth.

His leg had healed by now, so he could do some light work.

Because Xu Meiling had looked after him so well when he was sick, he couldn’t help but treat her a bit better—after all, the child was his own.

After all his calculations, he only had about three pounds of meat—still not enough. There would be ten tables at the banquet, and that wouldn’t go far.

Xu Huaiyu prided himself on being capable and didn’t want his wedding to look shabby. He figured if his second brother could do it, so could he.

On the eve of the wedding, he went into the woods to catch pheasants for the banquet. But he didn’t catch any pheasants—instead, he got his ankle caught in a trap set by Ji Linhai.

His screams echoed through the forest.

Down the mountain, Ji Linhai realized something was wrong and ran up to check. He saw someone caught in his trap—it was Xu Mingshan’s third son.

He knew he couldn’t admit the trap was his, or he’d be in big trouble.

So Ji Linhai pretended he’d heard the screams and came to help. He managed to get Xu Huaiyu free, but the trap had bitten deep, leaving two bloody holes in his ankle—a gruesome sight.

Ji Linhai carried him down the mountain and took him back to the Xu family, making sure to tell everyone he’d just happened to hear the screams because he lived nearby, distancing himself from any blame.

He handed Xu Huaiyu over to Xu Mingshan, earning himself a favor, and strolled off.

Xu Mingshan called a barefoot doctor to treat Xu Huaiyu. The doctor simply disinfected the wound with alcohol and wrapped it in herbal poultices.

Xu Huaiyu’s foot swelled up badly, and he lay in bed yelling in pain.

To have this happen right before the wedding was a real headache. Liu Guifang even wondered if Yan Lijun’s horoscope was too strong and was jinxing her son.

Ever since the engagement, nothing had gone smoothly—first Xu Huaiyu was robbed of three hundred yuan and fell ill, and now this. The wedding was the day after tomorrow, and with the groom’s injured foot, even picking up the bride would be a problem.

The more Liu Guifang thought about it, the angrier she got. She cursed the person who set traps in winter, then cursed the heavens for being blind.

She even muttered a few nasty things about the new daughter-in-law, Yan Lijun. Lin Xiaomeng just sneered—this was only the beginning. Xu Huaiyu, let him suffer. With his luck gone, his life would be full of obstacles and nothing would go right.

She’d originally wanted to drain the luck from the old Xu couple as well, but worried that if anything happened to them, it would only make life harder for herself and might even keep Xu Huaizhi from working.

So she held back. Now, seeing Xu Huaiyu suffer was enough to make them all miserable—this was good enough.

To save face, Xu Mingshan brought out some old ice-fishing gear and went to cut holes in the ice, managing to bring back a bucket full of fish—just enough to get by.

But finding a head chef for the banquet became a problem. When Xu Meiling got married, Lin Xiaomeng had been in charge of the cooking. She was skilled, and even with simple ingredients, everyone was satisfied.

But now, after what had happened with Xu Huaiyu, it didn’t seem right to ask her to help.

They’d all forgotten that Lin Xiaomeng was still recovering from childbirth and wasn’t fit to do much.

Liu Guifang, acting as if she were doing her a favor, ordered Lin Xiaomeng, “Your third brother’s wedding is the day after tomorrow. You’ll be the head chef again. Write out the menu for me to see.”

Lin Xiaomeng looked at her as if she were an idiot. “I’m not doing it. I’m still in confinement. The doctor said I can’t overexert myself. Find someone else.”

“Lin Xiaomeng, don’t be so ungrateful. When I had my kids, I was back to work the same afternoon! You haven’t even laid your egg yet—what are you fussing about?”

“So what if I’m fussy? Your son kicked me and caused me to miscarry, and now I’m supposed to help him out? I’m not that desperate.

Don’t count on me. Otherwise, who knows what I might do—maybe I’ll embarrass him at his own wedding.” Lin Xiaomeng’s words were half mocking, half threatening.

“You! You jinx! Why was I so blind to let my Huaizhi marry you?”

But there was nothing Liu Guifang could do. She had to find another woman in the village who could cook decently to be the head chef, and finally got things settled.

As for the Yan family, they’d already taken the “three rounds and one sound” that Xu Huaiyu brought over to prepare for their own son’s wedding."

"Chapter 177: Yan Lijun’s Emotional Journey

Yan Lijun spent her days at home in tears, unable to muster any of the joy a newlywed should feel. She had no idea what awaited her after losing her dowry—what kind of life she would face once she married into the Xu family.

If the Xu family was reasonable, at worst they’d just scold her a bit.

But if they came to resent her for this, she feared she’d never know a day of peace for the rest of her life. The thought alone was terrifying.

On the day her younger brother’s betrothal gifts were delivered, she didn’t attend. In her heart, she already hated this not-yet-sister-in-law. Because of her, she’d been forced to use her own unborn child to threaten her family, ruining her own future.

Seeing their daughter so heartbroken, Yan’s parents finally relented. They scoured their relatives and friends for help, but only managed to borrow a coupon for a wristwatch.

Pooling together what little money they had left, the family managed to buy her a watch to take with her—at least she wouldn’t be going empty-handed, and it would serve as some explanation to her in-laws.

Yan Lijun knew this watch wouldn’t erase her in-laws’ resentment, but it was better than nothing, so she accepted it.

Her wedding was scheduled for the same day as her younger brother’s.

The whole family was anxious—what if, on the wedding day, Xu Huaiyu came to fetch the bride and found the dowry missing? What if he made a scene and ruined her brother’s big day?

According to local custom, the groom’s family would deliver the betrothal gifts to the bride’s family ahead of time, and on the wedding day, the gifts would be carried back to the groom’s home in a grand procession, showing off the family’s status.

Some parents might keep a trinket or two, but most who truly loved their daughters would return everything, untouched.

But just then, someone from Xujia Village came with a message: Xu Huaiyu had injured his foot while working in the mountains and was now bedridden.

Still, the Xu family wanted the wedding to proceed as planned. Only, Xu Huaiyu wouldn’t be able to fetch Yan Lijun himself—they hoped she could find her own way to Xujia Village.

This nasty trick was, of course, devised by Liu Guifang. She believed Yan Lijun’s “bad luck” had cursed her son, so she was determined to make things difficult for her new daughter-in-law.

The messenger had braced himself to be thrown out—after all, who ever heard of a bride, especially a city girl, having to go to her husband’s house on her own? If she was so eager, would she ever have a good life there?

But to his surprise, the Yan family agreed cheerfully and even saw him out politely.

Strange things happen every year, but this year there seemed to be more than usual.

For the Yan family, this was fantastic news. They’d been worried Xu Huaiyu would cause trouble if he came to fetch the bride, ruining their son’s wedding. Now, thanks to fate, he couldn’t come—what a relief!

Only, it was a bit unfair to their daughter. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event, yet it was turning out so shabby—she wouldn’t even have someone to fetch her.

The family’s money had all been spent on recent matters. After discussing it, Yan’s mother sold a pair of gold earrings from her own dowry, exchanging them for a few dozen yuan to give her daughter as a nest egg. She worried that, because of the dowry issue, her daughter would be resented by her in-laws and have a hard life.

At least with some money on hand, Yan Lijun wouldn’t go hungry. Besides, both she and her husband had jobs—if things got really bad, they could always move to the city and leave it all behind.

The only uncertainty was her son-in-law.

The night before the wedding, Yan’s mother pulled her daughter aside for a heart-to-heart.

“Lijun, you’re getting married tomorrow. Don’t look so glum.”

“Easy for you to say, Mom. Have you thought about what I’ll do after I marry in?” Yan Lijun resented her parents’ favoritism, but for the sake of family ties, she couldn’t bring herself to confront them outright.

She’d always thought her parents were open-minded, treating all their children equally. The fact that they’d let her finish high school was proof enough.

But now she saw clearly the difference between sons and daughters. When it came to choosing between her and her younger brother, her parents didn’t hesitate to pick him.

They even used their past affection to pressure her into compliance.

Family love? She didn’t want it anymore.

“I know this is hard on you, but your brother’s in-laws really would go through with their threats. If he didn’t marry, he’d be a convict for life. He’s the only son in the Yan family—how could your father and I bear that?

If we’d had the money, we never would have touched your dowry.

I only want the best for you.”

“So you couldn’t bear to ruin my brother, but you could bear to ruin me?

Money, money, money! Ever since I started working, I’ve handed over my wages to you. Dad earns money too—how could we not have any savings?

And if it came to it, we could sell this house to pay for my brother’s wedding.

In the end, you just couldn’t bear to part with the house or my brother—but you could bear to sacrifice me.

You know full well what happens to a woman whose dowry is kept by her family, yet you still forced me to swallow my pride.” Yan Lijun’s resentment reached its peak.

Her mother, feeling guilty, didn’t dare meet her eyes.

She really couldn’t bring herself to break up the family and leave everyone homeless, especially since her daughter was about to get married anyway.

Sometimes, it’s best not to look too closely—otherwise, you’ll see just how ugly human nature can be.

Even parents, when they have more than one child, can’t treat them all equally. It’s always a matter of weighing pros and cons.

“Wasn’t it just that you and that Xu boy were getting along so well at the time? It was just a matter of timing.

What’s the point of talking about this now? Get some rest—you have to get up early tomorrow.” Yan’s mother hurriedly left the room, afraid to see the disappointment and mockery in her daughter’s eyes.

Was she really wrong?

No, this was how things had always been: a married daughter is like water thrown out. In the end, she’d have to rely on her son, so her position had to be clear.

Could the family really not have scraped together the money if they’d tried everything?

No.

It was just that her daughter happened to have a dowry, so they took it for granted, dressing it up as poverty and necessity.

Yan’s parents did love her—but not enough. When it came to her brother, she always had to step aside.

Watching her mother flee, Yan Lijun curled her lips in a bitter, mocking smile.

From now on, she could only rely on herself.

The next morning, her younger brother dressed in new clothes and went out to fetch his bride.

Yan Lijun watched the lively scene outside as if it had nothing to do with her. She quietly got herself ready, applying thick makeup to hide her dark circles and puffy eyes.

The woman in the mirror showed no hint of happiness—only disappointment and fear for the future.

Her dowry consisted of a few old clothes and a quilt, all packed into a small bundle.

She kept the watch and her nest egg close.

Her father borrowed a leather suitcase from a relative for appearances’ sake, instructing her to bring it to the Xu family and to be sure to return it when she visited home.

If it weren’t for the distance between the county and Xujia Village, her father might have made her walk there.

In the end, he found a friend to give her a ride on a bicycle.

No relatives or friends accompanied her. There were no flowers, no applause, not even a string of firecrackers. She set off from home in silence.

As she stepped out the door, she saw her mother pour a basin of water at the threshold—a symbol that a married daughter is like water thrown out.

Yan Lijun felt a chill seep through her entire body."

"Chapter 178: The Bride Has Arrived

Xu Family Village

The old Xu family was bustling with excitement as they prepared for the wedding.

Early in the morning, a large group of village women came over to help out, working as they gossiped about everyone and everything.

Although Lin Xiaomeng had been resting these days, she hadn’t really had any leisure time. She’d already spent money to have her two rooms—her share of the family home—fenced off, and had replanned a small courtyard for herself.

Since the ground was frozen and no real construction could be done, she’d just put up a temporary fence for now, planning to build proper walls next spring.

She couldn’t wait another moment; she wanted to draw a clear line between herself and the old Xu family.

The kitchen and toilet were inconvenient, so she’d hired someone to put up two temporary straw sheds, with makeshift stoves inside—just enough to get by until next year, when she could fix things up properly.

With the yard fenced off, she sealed the connecting door to the main courtyard and opened two new doors, finally living her own peaceful little life.

Family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public, so no matter how dissatisfied Xu Huaizhi was, he still came home today to support his younger brother.

As for how genuine his support was, only he knew.

Using her postpartum recovery as an excuse, Lin Xiaomeng stayed holed up in her own home, not even letting Dacheng out the door. She wanted nothing to do with Xu Huaiyu’s affairs, afraid of getting dragged into his mess.

The village women were all openly and secretly speculating about what was going on with the Xu family. How could Liu Guifang, that domineering mother-in-law, be willing to agree to split up the family? And Lin Xiaomeng—after finally getting pregnant again, how did she end up miscarrying?

In short, everyone’s imagination ran wild, and they made up all sorts of dramatic stories.

On such a joyful day, Xu Huaiyu should have been all smiles, dressed up to fetch his bride. But now he was lying in bed, listless and dispirited.

The animal trap that caught his leg was rusty, and the barefoot doctor had only given it a simple cleaning, without proper sterilization. The filth inside had caused his wound to become inflamed and pus-filled, and his ankle was swollen like a giant steamed bun.

A persistent high fever had left him utterly exhausted; he hadn’t slept well in two days.

Yesterday, Xu Mingshan had gone to the commune to fetch a doctor, who’d given him two bottles of IV antibiotics. Only today did he start to feel a bit better.

Liu Guifang brought in new clothes to help him change.

“Mom, who did you arrange to fetch Lijun? Big brother?” He’d been in a daze these past two days, not paying attention to any of the wedding details.

Liu Guifang lifted her chin and said, “She’s a grown woman—does she really need someone to fetch her? I had someone send word to the Yan family; let them figure out how to get her here.”

Xu Huaiyu jolted upright. “What? Mom, what are you doing! If you do that, will they even let their daughter marry into our family? Isn’t that just disrespectful?”

Xu Huaiyu might have been a bit of a rascal, but he still knew that making the bride find her own way to the groom’s house on the wedding day was inappropriate.

“What are you yelling for! Isn’t it because you hurt your leg and can’t go? Who do you think you are, the second son?”

“Xu Huaiyu, let me tell you, when a new daughter-in-law comes in, if you don’t give her a hard time right off the bat, you’ll never be able to keep her in line.”

“What if she doesn’t come?” Xu Huaiyu thought his mother had a point, but still asked weakly.

“She wouldn’t dare! She’s taken our Xu family’s betrothal gifts, and the marriage certificate’s been signed. If she doesn’t come, who else is she going to marry?” Liu Guifang said with certainty.

“Well, alright then. Mom, sorry for all the trouble today.” Xu Huaiyu was good at reading the room; he wasn’t about to argue with his mother at a time like this.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your wedding is grand and impressive.

Just wait here for a bit. When the bride arrives, I’ll have your big brother carry you out.”

—

Yan Lijun was dropped off about a mile outside Xu Family Village.

The village roads weren’t like the main road—the snow was thick, and even bicycles could only be pushed, not ridden. So the person who brought her left her there and hurried off, mainly out of fear of being beaten up by the Xu family, since he knew about the Yan family’s little switcheroo.

Poor Yan Lijun trudged through the snow, dragging her suitcase behind her.

On one hand, she felt the road was endless and every step was a struggle.

On the other, she almost wished the road would never end, so she wouldn’t have to face the Xu family’s questioning and scolding.

But no matter how long the road, it eventually ends. She finally arrived at Xu Family Village.

After walking all that way in the biting wind, her carefully made-up face was a mess, and her hair was disheveled.

As she walked through the village, people pointed and whispered. She kept her head down, pretending not to hear, terrified of catching any harsh words.

“Who’s that girl? Never seen her before.”

“Wearing such bright colors and carrying a suitcase—could she be the city bride for Xu family’s third son?”

“No way. Liu Guifang said they gave a ‘three rounds and one sound’ dowry. This girl’s all alone, not even a single bridesmaid. Must not be her.”

…

It wasn’t until everyone saw her heading straight for the Xu family’s brick house that they realized she really was Xu Huaiyu’s new bride. They all hurried after her, eager to see the spectacle.

What was going on? Wasn’t the bride’s family supposed to be well-off? Why did she look so bedraggled?

It was nearly eleven o’clock. Liu Guifang stood at the door, anxiously scanning the road. She hadn’t seen the bridal party and was starting to worry—could her son have been right? Was the Yan family so angry they weren’t coming at all?

Just as she was getting really anxious, she finally spotted a flash of red in the distance. Looking closely, who else could it be but Yan Lijun?

Liu Guifang breathed a sigh of relief—thank goodness she’d come, or she’d never be able to save face today.

In her hurry, she didn’t notice that Yan Lijun had arrived alone, assuming the bridal party was just behind and Lijun had come ahead.

She quickly told Xu Huaizhi to get the firecrackers ready—the bride had arrived.

Amid the loud bangs, Yan Lijun came into everyone’s view.

She was actually quite pretty, but after all the recent troubles and so much crying, her eyes were swollen and her makeup was a mess, making her look rather unkempt.

The villagers who’d come to see the city bride were a bit disappointed. This was a city girl? She didn’t seem so special.

One sharp-eyed woman spotted the bright red suitcase in her hand and said enviously, “That’s a beautiful suitcase.”

“Yeah, how many brides in our village have brought a suitcase like that? City folk really are different.”

…

The chatter greatly satisfied Liu Guifang’s vanity. She lifted her chin and said, “Of course! My third son’s wedding—how could it be anything less? There’s more good stuff coming! ‘Three rounds and one sound’—I bet you’ve never seen that before!”

“Wow, ‘three rounds and one sound’? That’s a first for our village. Most people are lucky to get one or two of those things at a wedding, but you’ve got the whole set. No wonder—the Party Secretary’s family sure knows how to throw a wedding,” chimed in Yang Fengmei, who’d previously butted heads with Gu Qinghuan.

“Exactly, so impressive.”

Most people praised Liu Guifang for putting on such a grand, proper wedding.

Only the team leader’s wife, Chen Fengqin, scoffed silently, but said nothing.

Her father-in-law was a respected elder in the village and had witnessed the Xu family’s split. Afterward, he’d told her all about the Xu family’s true colors.

The old Xu family really was something else, especially Liu Guifang. Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs, but the second son had risked his life to earn money and didn’t get a penny—when he went mad, they just tossed him aside with a hundred yuan to get rid of him.

The third son was lazy and greedy, but he got a house, money, and now a lavish wedding. Liu Guifang’s favoritism was clear as day.

Chen Fengqin had two sons herself, one older and one still young. Honestly, it was impossible to treat them exactly the same, but she swore she’d never be like Liu Guifang—treating one like grass and the other like a treasure."

"Chapter 179: The Truth Comes Out