Chapter 184: Chapter 184: The IOU, and It’s Settled

Curses rang out both inside and outside the house.

The previously decent atmosphere in the Yan family was completely ruined.

Liu Guifang’s cursing was never repetitive—she was creative and relentless, only stopping for a break when she got tired, then starting right back up again. The neighbors listened in for entertainment.

Father and Mother Yan sat in the living room, heads hanging low, too ashamed to even step outside.

Liu Guifang cursed until nightfall, then went to stay the night in Xu Huaiyu’s old dorm. The next morning, she was back at it again.

Father and Mother Yan had thought Liu Guifang would be too exhausted to return, but before dawn, her signature shrill voice was already echoing outside.

They could only pull the covers over their heads and pretend not to hear.

They could pretend, but the neighbors couldn’t take it anymore—everyone was still sleeping, and if this kept up, it would be a real disturbance.

A few feisty women shouted from their windows, “Auntie, do you know you’re disturbing the peace?”

Of course, Liu Guifang was doing it on purpose—this was exactly the effect she wanted.

“I don’t have a choice! The Yan family won’t return my family’s bride price. Don’t complain to me—go talk to the Yan family. If they settle the bride price, I’ll leave right away, not a minute longer.”

That was the truth. If the Yan family hadn’t acted so shamelessly, this old woman wouldn’t be here cursing them out.

The neighbors were starting to resent the Yan family too.

“Comrade Yan, what’s going on with your family? Hurry up and settle this—I don’t want to hear this racket again tomorrow morning,” someone called out, still trying to be polite.

Father Yan heard it all.

“Go wake up the couple and let’s discuss what to do,” he said to Mother Yan.

The family got up and, without even washing up, sat down in the living room.

“Xiangdong, Xiangdong’s wife, that old woman is cursing up a storm outside. If we don’t resolve this today, the neighbors will hate us for not taking action.

What do you think we should do? We’re getting old—the family will rely on you two in the future.” Father Yan spoke first.

Yan Xiangdong, ever the coward, immediately turned to look at his wife.

His wife, Yao Hongjuan, looked at Father Yan in surprise. “Dad, we haven’t split the family yet. Of course, you and Mom should make the decisions.” She had no intention of getting involved in this mess—there was no benefit to it.

“Easy for you to say! If we’re in charge, it’s just because you can’t bear to give up the ‘three rounds and one sound’ you just got!” Mother Yan shot her a look.

Yao Hongjuan replied innocently, “Of course not. That was Xiangdong’s bride price to me—why would I want to give it to someone else?”

“Was it from Xiangdong? That’s your sister-in-law’s ‘selling herself’ money! How can you stomach eating a blood-soaked steamed bun?

If your family hadn’t pressured us with the baby in your belly, Lijun wouldn’t have ended up like this. My poor daughter.”

Yao Hongjuan wanted to argue, but seeing the whole family so downcast, she kept quiet.

Mother Yan was right. Judging by how sharp-tongued that old woman was, it was clear her sister-in-law wouldn’t have an easy life at her in-laws’.

But what could she do? Just because she was pregnant, she couldn’t lower her value and marry in with nothing.

Women who marry in with a dowry are bullied for life. She’d rather be seen as tough than be a pushover daughter-in-law.

Father Yan thought for a while. “If there’s really no other way, I’ll negotiate with her—return half the bride price and see if she’ll accept. What do you think, eldest?”

Yan Xiangdong immediately looked at Yao Hongjuan again.

“Hongjuan, what do you think?”

Father and Mother Yan were furious at their son’s spinelessness—he was even more indecisive than a woman.

Yao Hongjuan looked at Father Yan, troubled. “Dad, you mean I have to give up half my bride price? Isn’t that a bit much?”

Father Yan gritted his teeth. “Because of your marriage, the family has no money left.

You give up half the bride price for now to settle this, and I’ll make it up to you later.”

Yao Hongjuan knew her place—when under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head.

She realized she’d have to make a sacrifice today, but she wasn’t going to just let it go.

“Then, Dad, write me an IOU! I’m afraid you’ll forget later.” She forced a smile.

Father Yan looked sternly at Yan Xiangdong. “Xiangdong?”

He hoped his son would speak up and stop his wife from making such an unreasonable demand. After all, the bride price came from the family—why should they need to write an IOU to use it?

But Yan Xiangdong just stared at the floor, lost in thought.

Father Yan let out a bitter laugh. “Great, what a son I raised—bleeding his parents and sister dry, and now I have to write an IOU for him!”

Mother Yan felt a chill in her heart—could a son like this really be relied on in old age?

In the end, Father Yan had no choice but to write the IOU, promising that whatever part of the bride price was taken today, he would buy an identical replacement in the future.

To be a parent to this extent—what more could you say?

Yao Hongjuan carefully put away the IOU. She was reluctant to give up any of the bride price, but she knew if she kept arguing, the Yan family would stop being so accommodating.

Before she married in, she could use the baby and Yan Xiangdong’s future as leverage. Now that they were married, she had no bargaining chips left. If she refused, the Yan family would resent her, and life would be miserable.

At least she got an IOU—she’d find a way to get it all back eventually.

Mother Yan went to the kitchen to cook, not wanting to see any of it.

Father Yan composed himself, opened the door, and invited Liu Guifang in.

Seeing them give in, Liu Guifang smirked. Huaiyu’s idea really worked—they’d compromised.

Father Yan said he could return half the bride price—this was his final offer.

Liu Guifang had already discussed it with her family—getting at least half back was her bottom line, so this met her expectations.

But she wasn’t satisfied with just that.

“You can keep the radio, but the bicycle and sewing machine must be returned to us.”

Father Yan, eager to get to work, didn’t want to argue. “You can have either the bicycle or the sewing machine—pick one. If not, forget it. I’ll just let it all go to hell, do whatever you want.”

Liu Guifang thought about it—better to get one thing back now than push too hard and lose everything. She could always push for more later.

After some hesitation, she agreed.

She chose the sewing machine.

The Xu family didn’t lack bicycles—Xu Huaizhi had one, and Xu Huaiyu had one too, so they were set. But they’d never had a sewing machine, and always had to borrow one to make clothes, which was inconvenient.

So she picked the sewing machine.

Yao Hongjuan breathed a sigh of relief—she’d been worried Liu Guifang would take the bicycle.

Father Yan had an old, beat-up bike, but Yan Xiangdong didn’t have one. If Liu Guifang took it, they’d have nothing to ride.

All in all, her bride price was only missing one “round”—she still had two rounds and one sound, which wasn’t too bad.

Father Yan agreed readily, told Yan Xiangdong to move the sewing machine out of his room and hand it over to Liu Guifang, then shut the door on her.

Liu Guifang finally managed to lug the sewing machine back to Xujiatun.

The Xu family had become the village laughingstock, mostly because Liu Guifang had bragged too much and now had egg on her face.

When people saw her bringing something back, they all came to watch the spectacle.

Liu Guifang stood in the yard, boasting about her “victory.”

A few old women chimed in with flattery.

Yan Lijun was cooking inside. She didn’t believe everything Liu Guifang said, but it did make her feel a bit better. Even though those were her own parents, after everything that happened yesterday, there was a knot in her heart that would never go away.

From now on, she’d have no family to rely on.

She hadn’t expected the old woman to actually get something back—well, at least the Yan family had to bleed a little.

Liu Guifang proudly showed off the new sewing machine.

At dinner, Xu Mingshan asked about the situation. After hearing the Yan family’s stance, he thought for a moment and said, “Getting half back is good enough—let’s leave it at that. No need to make enemies; after all, they’re the in-laws of our third daughter-in-law.”

All things considered, they’d only lost a bicycle and a radio—less than 200 yuan. Plus, the family had gained a new member, so it wasn’t so bad.

It wasn’t the money that stung the most—it was the loss of face, which couldn’t be fixed.

Xu Mingshan was too embarrassed to go out these days.

Xu Huaiyu, having calmed down, also felt the result was acceptable. After all, his wife was from the city and a high school graduate—spending 200 yuan on a bride price was understandable.

Only Liu Guifang was still grumbling, feeling the Yan family got off too easy, but she knew this was the best she could do and didn’t dare push further.

These days, Yan Lijun kept her head down, and when she heard her father-in-law’s words, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. With his approval, the matter was considered closed.

She gently touched her still-flat belly—the baby had come at just the right time, saving her from a lot of trouble.

This matter was basically over.

Yan Lijun officially began her life in the village. She had marriage leave, so she stayed home and took care of Xu Huaiyu for a full week.

They were supposed to visit her family during this time, but Xu Huaiyu had injured his ankle and couldn’t go. Yan Lijun didn’t want to go alone—she still hadn’t gotten over what happened. Her attitude pleased Liu Guifang, who treated her much better.

Village life was hard for Yan Lijun to get used to. At home, she’d been busy, but most of the work was done by Mother Yan—she just helped out.

Now, at the Xu family, all the work fell to her, and no one cared that she was pregnant.

The Xu family had split up, but since Xu Huaiyu was sick and needed care, they still ate together—only the money was separated.

Life in the village wasn’t as convenient as in the city. In the city, they used coal briquettes; in the village, it was firewood, which she wasn’t used to handling.

There was running water in the city, but in the village, she had to fetch water from the well. When the well froze, she had to chip out ice and melt it for cooking—not easy for someone of her small build, especially while pregnant. She was always careful not to slip.

She’d heard Liu Guifang whisper that the eldest Xu daughter-in-law had miscarried after slipping.

On her wedding day, she’d been so busy she didn’t even notice if that sister-in-law came, but she did happen to see Lin Xiaomeng once.

She’d thought she was just a local girl—so pretty, with delicate skin. She never would have guessed she was already a mother of several children.

Seeing her, Yan Lijun couldn’t help but feel inferior.

Northeastern girls were usually big-boned and strong-featured. She was decent-looking, but couldn’t compare to Lin Xiaomeng.

She didn’t know there was an even prettier second sister-in-law in the family—she was destined to be the least attractive.

Still, she thought the eldest sister-in-law, though beautiful, seemed gloomy, with a strange look in her eyes that made people uncomfortable. Maybe it was because she was still upset after her miscarriage—she didn’t seem easy to get along with."

"Chapter 185: A Home That Can’t Accept Her

She had no idea that it was her own man who caused the neighbor’s miscarriage. No wonder the woman’s attitude was so hostile.

Lin Xiaomeng now hated their whole family and was plotting to stir up trouble.

When Yan Lijun got home, she quietly asked Xu Huaiyu why the sister-in-law next door looked at her like an enemy, with such a chilling gaze.

Xu Huaiyu’s heart skipped a beat.

He’d never really felt guilty toward Lin Xiaomeng before. It was just a child, after all—not even born yet. She could just get pregnant again, couldn’t she?

But now, as he experienced for the first time what it felt like to be an expectant father—the anticipation and longing—he finally understood how painful it must have been for Lin Xiaomeng to lose her child. He started to feel afraid, and even a bit regretful for having acted so rashly back then.

Yan Lijun didn’t know the details, but what if Lin Xiaomeng tried to get back at her for her own lost child? What would she do then?

Xu Huaiyu couldn’t help but get a little paranoid.

In the end, he confessed to Yan Lijun that, in order to protect his mother, he had “accidentally” kicked his sister-in-law in the stomach. He warned her to be careful around Lin Xiaomeng and to protect their baby.

Only then did Yan Lijun understand the reason behind it all. She’d always felt that her sister-in-law looked at her with a strange kind of hatred, and now she realized there really was a story behind it.

She became more vigilant, afraid that Lin Xiaomeng would trick her and harm her child.

Lin Xiaomeng hadn’t really interacted with her before, so for now, she hadn’t found an opportunity to steal her good fortune.

Yan Lijun was innocent, but as long as she was connected to Xu Huaiyu, Lin Xiaomeng wanted to destroy her too, just to vent her anger.

Finally, after enduring a week of marriage leave, Yan Lijun could escape the Xu family and return to the city for work.

Because Xu Huaiyu had injured his foot, he couldn’t work for a long time. He was already lazy and greedy, and the head chef at the factory didn’t like him. When the kitchen needed more hands, they simply found someone else to replace him.

When Xu Huaiyu was injured, Xu Huaizhi had gone to ask for leave on his behalf, and the head chef had tactfully suggested that he just not come back. So now, Xu Huaiyu was once again unemployed.

Yan Lijun only found out about this now, but there was nothing she could do. With Xu Huaiyu unable to work, how would the family survive? Other than still eating and drinking with her parents-in-law, everything else depended on her.

So, no matter what, she had to go back to work.

Yan Lijun had always been a strong-willed girl. She believed she could live a good life—better than her younger brother—and prove to her parents that they’d bet on the wrong child.

So, as soon as her marriage leave ended, she returned to the city for work, riding Xu Huaiyu’s old bicycle, her luggage strapped to the back, along with a borrowed suitcase.

When Liu Guifang found out that the suitcase Yan Lijun brought was actually borrowed by her father to save face, she started cursing, saying some very unpleasant things.

“Your Yan family is so stingy! You call yourselves city folk? Nonsense! You’re even stingier than us country people. When I married off my daughter, I didn’t even ask for a bride price, and I sent her off with a dowry.

But you lot, you swallowed the bride price, sent her off with an old quilt and a few old clothes, and called it done.

I thought at least you’d give her a suitcase, but even that was borrowed just for show.

So your parents gave you nothing—just a new set of clothes and sent you off?”

Yan Lijun wiped away tears as she rode her bike.

Liu Guifang’s words had really hurt her. She’d tried so hard, yet her parents had given up on her, and now others blamed her too.

At her in-laws’, these painful things were still used by her mother-in-law to attack her. She wished she had loving parents to support her, but in the end, she was always alone.

She even envied Xu Meiling. Though she wasn’t much to look at and was a bit slow, at least her parents genuinely cared about her.

Unlike her…

Yan Lijun paid a visit to her parents’ home.

It was her first time back since getting married, using the excuse of returning the borrowed suitcase. She also wanted to see how her family was doing.

Last time Liu Guifang came to demand the bride price, her family must have been upset, right?

It was Yao Hongjuan who opened the door.

She was the only one at home; everyone else was either out working or busy trying to make money. After all, they were about to run out of savings, and they still owed Yao Hongjuan money.

“Who are you looking for?”

Yan Lijun sized up her new sister-in-law.

She really was lucky.

Her parents doted on her, she married a younger brother who wasn’t very capable but at least didn’t beat or scold her, her in-laws supported her, and she herself was wild enough that everyone was a little afraid of her.

Yao Hongjuan, seeing that Yan Lijun didn’t answer, started to close the door and said, “Did you come to the wrong place?”

“I’m Yan Lijun.”

At that, Yao Hongjuan froze for a few seconds, awkwardly rubbing her hands. Big sister-in-law?

For various reasons, they hadn’t met before the wedding, so this was Yao Hongjuan’s first time seeing Yan Lijun.

But she wasn’t unfamiliar with the name or the person. Frankly, if Yan Lijun hadn’t insisted on getting the “three rounds and one sound” (three must-have wedding items), she wouldn’t have rushed into marriage just to get her brother a bride price. Even if she liked Xu Huaiyu, she would have thought twice about the practicalities.

If you really think about it, her marriage to Yan Xiangdong was made possible by her big sister-in-law’s sacrifice.

If her own parents had married her off in a hurry for her brother’s sake, she would have been furious—she’d have turned the world upside down.

But now, as the beneficiary, she just accepted it. After all, who doesn’t take advantage when they can? People are selfish by nature.

“Oh, it’s big sis! You’re back!” Yao Hongjuan only hesitated a moment before putting on her trademark smile. “Have you eaten? I just made some cornmeal porridge. Want to have some?”

She invited Yan Lijun in as she spoke.

Yan Lijun shook her head and, once inside, glanced around. “No one else home?”

“No, they’re all out.” Yao Hongjuan was quite tactful, pouring her a bowl of brown sugar water from a thermos.

Yan Lijun accepted it, half surprised, half disappointed, and took a sip.

Now, when she returned to her parents’ home, she was already a guest, not a member of the family.

After drinking, Yan Lijun didn’t linger. She pointed to the suitcase she’d brought back and said, “This is the suitcase I borrowed before. I’ve brought it back. Let my parents know.”

Yao Hongjuan hadn’t expected that even Yan Lijun’s wedding suitcase was borrowed. She felt a bit awkward and nodded stiffly.

Now she finally understood what it meant to profit from someone else’s misfortune. She suddenly felt she’d gone too far, forcing someone to this point—but that was just a passing thought. After all, everyone looks out for themselves.

“Okay, just leave it there. I’ll let them know.”

Yan Lijun went straight to her old room to pack her things. From today, she’d be staying in the dormitory; her parents’ house was no longer a place she could stay.

She hadn’t expected her once-familiar room to have changed so much. Her belongings were all packed up and shoved into a corner.

The bed was piled high with wedding gifts and things for the unborn child, all with the character for “double happiness” pasted on them.

Clearly, this house had no place for her anymore. How ironic.

Yao Hongjuan hurried in to explain, “These are dowry items from my family, and things for the baby. There’s just too much, so we put them here for now since our room is too small.

Big sis, if you want to stay, I’ll tidy up and make space for you?”

The more she explained, the worse Yan Lijun felt. She decided it was better not to see any of it, so she just grabbed her own bundle and left.

It was truly sad. The home she’d lived in for twenty years was no longer hers—everywhere felt unfamiliar.

“No need for you to make space. I should be the one making room for you.” Her heart felt cold and empty.

In the end, she had to shoulder everything alone.

Yao Hongjuan chased after her. “Big sis, you’re not staying? Where are you going with your things?”

If her mother-in-law came back, she’d definitely make a fuss.

“I’m staying in the dorm. I’m making room for you all. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Don’t think she didn’t know—this sister-in-law was scheming, deliberately saying things to provoke her.

Yao Hongjuan really was doing it on purpose. She’d piled her dowry on Yan Lijun’s bed and packed her things away, all to force her out of the house.

No woman wants her husband’s sister living with them long-term. It’s hard to keep track of expenses, and living together just breeds conflict.

She also worried that with Yan Lijun around, her mother-in-law would be reminded of the bride price, and that issue would never go away.

It was best if Yan Lijun left on her own.

Yao Hongjuan was secretly delighted, but put on a show of reluctance. “Big sis, you’re being unfair. I’d love for you to stay! Mom and Dad would be happy too.

Nowhere else is as comfortable as home. You should stay.”

Yan Lijun couldn’t be bothered to keep up the act.

“Drop the act. Who doesn’t know who’s who? I’m leaving to make room for you, just as you wanted.” Seeing her still pretending, Yan Lijun’s anger flared.

Just then, her mother came home.

She’d gone out early to glue matchboxes for a bit of money, and today there wasn’t much work, so she finished quickly.

She hadn’t expected to see her eldest daughter as soon as she walked in.

She’d gotten used to seeing her every day, and after not seeing her for so long, she actually missed her. But thinking of the Xu family, she couldn’t feel happy.

Her mother frowned. “So, you finally came back? With all these bags—are you moving out?”

When her daughter didn’t come home after the wedding, she’d waited all day, afraid she was being mistreated at the Xu’s. Now, after so long, she finally came back, only to pack up and leave. Her mother was upset.

Yan Lijun was stubborn, too.

“I’m making room for your family, so I don’t get in the way of your happy life. I’ve always been the extra one!” She was angry and blurted it out without thinking.

“What nonsense! Your father and I were afraid the Xu family would make things hard for you, so we forced your sister-in-law to bring the sewing machine back.

We waited for you all day on your return visit, but you never showed.

Is this what you think of us?”

“If my mother-in-law hadn’t come to make a scene, would you have sent it back? Why didn’t you do it sooner?

Do you know what I went through alone at the Xu’s? They forced me to go get my things back, even threatened to hit me!

Everyone looked at me like I was some kind of spectacle. I was completely alone, wishing I could disappear.

No rural family would give all their daughter’s bride price to their son to get him a wife. My life is ruined—ruined!

After all that, how could I come back? Did you ever care if I lived or died?” Yan Lijun shouted, wiping away tears, her voice hoarse with grievance.

“…”

Her mother fell silent. She knew her daughter was telling the truth and couldn’t argue.

Yan Lijun hadn’t meant to complain, but once she started, she couldn’t stop. Some things no one else could understand. From now on, she’d bear it all herself.

She wiped her tears, picked up her things, and walked out.

Her mother silently wept, chasing after her and grabbing her arm. “Girl! I’m sorry. Hit me, scold me, whatever you want—just don’t break your mother’s heart. We’re family. There’s no grudge we can’t talk out.”

Yan Lijun shook off her hand hard."

"Chapter 186: A Cunning Plan—Wang the Cripple’s Scandal