Chapter 62: A Fortuitous Coincidence

Ever since the Liu Clan came to discuss a marriage at the beginning of the year and the two families failed to reach an agreement, Zhao Mengcheng had stopped taking the children to visit them.

He feared that if he visited too frequently, it would cause the Liu Clan to misunderstand and try to marry his sister-in-law to him again.

The Liu Clan also seemed to feel the awkwardness of the situation, as they no longer visited him with their former enthusiasm.

Who would have thought that upon opening the door early this morning, he would find Liu Muniang sitting at the entrance crying. Judging by how damp she was from the morning mist, she had clearly been sitting there for quite some time.

Zhao Mengcheng felt his head throb. It was also a sign that his vigilance had dropped since transmigrating, as he hadn’t even noticed someone sitting right outside his door.

“Third Sister, stop crying for a moment. Let’s talk things through properly.” Zhao Mengcheng simply opened the door wide to let her inside, then called for the children to bring her a cup of hot sweet soup.

Zhao Chun quickly poured the water and brought it out. He looked up at the incessantly weeping Liu Muniang and asked, “Auntie, what happened to you?”

It would have been better if he hadn’t asked. At his question, Liu Muniang cried even harder, eventually turning into ragged sobs that made her whole body tremble. She couldn’t get a single word out.

Zhao Mao gave a cough and shot his older brother a look. He then helped Liu Muniang sit down and pressed the cup into her hands. “Auntie, take a sip.”

Her eyes brimming with tears, Liu Muniang instinctively took a sip. She hadn’t expected it to be sweet. She couldn’t help but take another sip, and her crying finally began to subside.

Seeing this, Zhao Mengcheng breathed a sigh of relief. He really couldn’t stand it when people refused to state their business and just kept crying. It only made him want to physically throw them out.

Zhao Mao was clearly better at handling such matters than his father. While encouraging Liu Muniang to drink the sweet soup, he also sent Zhao Xin to wash a cloth so she could wipe Liu Muniang’s face.

After drinking the sweet soup, Liu Muniang’s mood stabilized significantly. Seeing little Zhao Xin standing on tiptoe to wipe her face, she felt a wave of embarrassment.

“Xin’er, I’ll do it myself.” She wiped her face once, but seeing the white cloth covered in dust, she immediately lowered her head, her face flushing red with shame.

Zhao Mengcheng naturally couldn’t leave yet. He sat down across from her. “Muniang, can you tell us what exactly happened now?”

Liu Muniang had summoned all her courage to walk the mountain path last night, but now that her courage had dissipated, she didn’t know how to speak.

Zhao Chun was more anxious than she was. “Auntie, if something is wrong, you have to say it. How can we help you if you don’t tell us?”

“Yes, Auntie. Crying won’t solve the problem. Since you’ve already come all this way, just tell us directly,” Zhao Mao added.

Being stared at by five pairs of eyes, Liu Muniang found it even harder to speak. Her cheeks turned bright red, and she kept her mouth tightly shut.

Zhao Xin looked up and asked, “Auntie, why won’t you say anything?”

Zhao Mengcheng could see that it must be something difficult to discuss, and Liu Muniang felt she couldn’t speak of it in front of them.

He thought for a moment, then stood up. “Muniang, since you’re here, just sit for a while and keep your nephews company. I’m going to the fields to take a look.”

Without waiting for her response, he walked straight out the door.

He didn’t go directly to the fields, but instead detoured to the Wang Family home. As soon as he entered, he said, “Auntie Wang, my sister-in-law is here. She’s crying her eyes out and won’t say why. I asked but she won’t speak. Could I trouble you to go to my house and see if you can find out what’s wrong?”

Auntie Wang perked up at this. She patted her chest and promised, “Young girls are thin-skinned. Leave this matter to me.”

With that, she tucked her hands into her sleeves and headed toward the Zhao Family house without a moment’s delay.

“Brother, I’ll go with you.” Wang Ming followed him out, as he was quite intimidated by his mother’s enthusiastic gossip-seeking energy.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t think much of it. The two of them walked to the fields together. By now, the rice had turned yellow, and as far as the eye could see, the golden expanse was a heartening sight.

Wang Ming looked on happily. “Selling tofu brings in money, but we farmers still love a big harvest. This year’s yield will definitely be better than last year’s.”

Zhao Mengcheng leaned down to inspect the crop. Every stalk of rice was heavy with grain. “It looks like we can harvest in a few days.”

“This is half a month earlier than in previous years,” Wang Ming said with a smile.

This year’s spring plowing in Qingshan Village had been exceptionally smooth. Seed Sprouting¹ was done early, transplanting was done early, and consequently, the harvest could also be earlier.

With enough fertilizer applied, the rice grew better than in previous years. Experienced old farmers took one look and said the harvest would increase by at least ten percent, and that was a conservative estimate.

While the two were walking around the farmland, the Old Village Chief approached them.

“Mengcheng.” The Old Village Chief also had a look of joy on his face. “The County Magistrate’s method really works. Everyone will be able to eat their fill this year.”

Then he added, “You know, the weather is strange. In past years, it loved to rain around this time, but this year there hasn’t been a single drop. You don’t think another heavy rain is coming, do you?”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t sense any moisture in the air. “Looking at the sky, it doesn’t seem likely for now.”

The Old Village Chief had blind faith in him and felt immediately reassured upon hearing this. “That’s good. If the rice grows a bit more, the harvest will be even better. The thing we fear most right now is heavy rain. If it rains, the whole year’s work goes down the drain.”

He then slapped his own mouth. “Pah, pah, pah²! The Heavens are looking after us. It definitely won’t rain right now. If it must rain, it should wait until we finish the autumn harvest.”

The group gathered together and decided to set the harvest date for half a month from now.

On the other side, Auntie Wang walked quickly to the Zhao house.

“Niece, why are you free to come over at this time? Mengcheng was afraid you’d feel uncomfortable at home, so he specifically asked me to come over and chat with you.”

Auntie Wang entered with a smile. Seeing Liu Muniang’s awkward expression, she knew exactly why. she grabbed her hand and began chatting warmly.

She then turned to shoo the children out. “You kids go to school or go play. I’m here now.”

Zhao Chun looked relieved. As soon as his father had run off, his aunt had started crying again, giving him a massive headache.

“Grandma Wang, we’ll leave Auntie to you then.” Zhao Chun grabbed Zhao Mao and ran outside. They still had to go to school.

After running a distance, Zhao Chun panted heavily. “Auntie sure can cry. Where does she get so many tears?”

Zhao Mao glanced at him. “Is that all you saw?”

“What else is there?” Zhao Chun exclaimed. “Did something happen at Uncle’s house? Should we go back and ask?”

Zhao Mao sighed, convinced his older brother was a fool. “Last time Uncle and Aunt came over with Auntie, they wanted to marry her to Dad to be his wife and our stepmother.”

“I know that, but Dad refused, and they didn’t bring it up again.” Mentioning this made Zhao Chun feel uneasy as well.

Zhao Mao sighed faintly. “That was last time. What if Auntie has run into some massive trouble? For the sake of our late mother, would Dad really just sit by and do nothing?”

Zhao Chun fell silent. After a long moment, he muttered, “Dad said he wouldn’t marry a stepmother for us.”

“I also believe in Dad,” Zhao Mao said.

Zhao Chun looked at him strangely. “Then what are you worried about?”

“I believe in Dad, but I don’t trust Auntie, and I certainly don’t trust our aunt from the Liu Clan,” Zhao Mao stated.

Zhao Chun scratched the back of his head. “But Dad is the one who decides on marrying a stepmother. It doesn’t matter what they want.”

Zhao Mao looked at his foolish brother, thinking to himself that if the Liu Clan really threw away their pride and forced their aunt into their home, or even had her move in directly, his father wouldn’t be able to explain himself.

His mind whirred, and he suddenly said, “Actually, Auntie is quite a good person. If she married someone in our village, our two families could look out for each other.”

Zhao Chun’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Zhao Mao didn’t answer, but he began calculating in his heart. The more he thought about it, the more he felt this plan was feasible.

Zhao Xin was also mentioning this to Tang Tang, keeping her voice low. “I like Auntie, but I don’t want her to be my mother. I already have a mother.”

When the Liu Clan had visited last time, Tang Tang was still in his room recovering from his injuries. This was his first time seeing someone from the Liu family.

But he knew the situation, and he was even more opposed to having another person in the house than Zhao Xin was.

Zhao Xin and the other two were Zhao Mengcheng’s biological children, but he was just someone who had been taken in. If Zhao Mengcheng got a wife, would she find him acceptable?

Even if she did, if they had more children later, would Zhao Mengcheng still care about him?

Tang Tang felt a sense of crisis. The two small heads leaned together as they whispered, “We have to believe in Uncle Zhao. He said he won’t marry, so he won’t do it secretly.”

Once the children left, only Auntie Wang and Liu Muniang remained in the house.

Liu Muniang was too embarrassed to continue crying. She wiped her tears and fell silent.

Auntie Wang took her hand with a warm smile. “Back when Yunniang was still here, she would often bring you over to play. You were small then, and quite timid, only knowing how to follow behind Yunniang. Do you still remember me, Muniang?”

“I remember. Sister always said Auntie Wang took great care of her, just like a real mother-in-law.” Liu Muniang also thought of her sister, and her eyes reddened again. “It’s a pity Sister left so early.”

Auntie Wang patted her back. “It is a pity for Yunniang. Fortunately, your brother-in-law is reliable. Now that the three children are growing up well, Yunniang can rest in peace knowing that.”

Liu Muniang sighed in agreement. “Yes. When Sister first passed away, my mother was worried that Brother-in-law wouldn’t be able to stay faithful, and feared he wouldn’t raise the children well, or that he’d marry a stepmother who would mistreat her grandchildren.”

She realized her words might be misunderstood and quickly explained, “I’m not saying Brother-in-law is bad. It’s just that after Sister left, the family was inevitably worried.”

“I know. Who wouldn’t be worried?” Auntie Wang felt that such concern was only natural. She had been worried herself back then.

Liu Muniang managed a small smile and said, “I didn’t expect Brother-in-law to be so capable, taking such good care of the three children. He said he felt he owed it to Sister and doesn’t plan to marry again. If my sister knew, she would definitely be at peace.”

These words caught Auntie Wang by surprise. She took Liu Muniang’s hand and asked, “Muniang, let me ask this on behalf of your late sister. Do you really have no desire to marry into this house?”

Liu Muniang flinched as if the words had burned her, and she instinctively lowered her head.

Auntie Wang continued, “Give me an honest answer. I promise you, whatever you say to me stays between us. Not a third soul will ever know, so you can speak freely.”

A long silence followed. Just as Auntie Wang began to think Liu Muniang wouldn’t answer, she heard the girl whisper, “My brother-in-law is a good man, but in my heart, he is just my brother-in-law.”

Auntie Wang understood immediately. It turned out that when the Liu Clan had come to propose the marriage last time, the girl herself hadn’t been very willing either.

It was fortunate the marriage hadn’t gone through. Otherwise, they would have likely become a miserable couple.

Auntie Wang felt relieved and asked, “Then why have you come this time?”

Seeing Auntie Wang was like seeing her late eldest sister, and Liu Muniang slowly lowered her guard. She finally stopped her incessant weeping, though she still choked out through her sobs, “My eldest brother and Sister-in-law Liu want to marry me off to a widower in town. That man is over forty, and his son is already married. I am unwilling.”

Auntie Wang was shocked by this. “What? How could they dare?”

“Last year’s harvest was poor. By the time spring arrived, all our grain was gone. We’ve been surviving on wild vegetables and mushrooms from the mountains just to fill our stomachs.”

Only then did Liu Muniang begin to describe the situation in Laoshan Village.

Compared to Qingshan Village, which had suffered from the disaster but not too severely, and where every household still had some grain stored, the situation in Laoshan Village was much worse.

Laoshan Village was situated on higher ground, so it hadn’t been flooded last year. The problem was that the heavy rains had come at the worst possible time, destroying half the crops in the fields.

The villagers had been forced to tighten their belts. The lean season, when the old grain was gone and the new hadn’t ripened, was truly unbearable, and they survived solely on wild greens and fruit.

With the current crops not yet ready for harvest and not a single grain of surplus left at home, the Liu Clan had brought up Liu Muniang’s marriage once again.

Old Man Liu and Old Lady Liu actually cared for their daughter and wanted to find her a good home. The problem was that the Liu Clan was poor, Liu Muniang herself was plain-looking, and she was getting older. It was difficult to find a match.

They had searched from the beginning of the year until the middle, but they couldn’t find anyone suitable.

As Liu Muniang grew older, the elderly couple grew increasingly anxious.

It was at this time that someone came to propose a match, speaking of a widower in town.

Liu Muniang began to shed tears again. “They said his family is wealthy and that he is willing to give five taels of silver as a bride price.”

“My parents weren’t going to agree at first, but Sister-in-law Liu said I would become an old maid if they delayed any longer. She said an older widower would know how to cherish a wife, and since he already has a son, it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t have children after marrying in. She even said that marrying into town meant I wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothes and could enjoy a life of luxury.”

“The family has run out of food. My nephews and nieces are wailing from hunger. My parents couldn’t bear it, and neither could I.”

Auntie Wang finally understood what was happening and couldn’t help but curse, “Of course she doesn’t feel any pain; you aren’t her own child! If it’s so wonderful, why doesn’t she marry him herself?”

Liu Muniang sniffled. “Seeing that my parents were about to be swayed, I truly had no other choice but to come and beg my brother-in-law.”

After hearing this, Auntie Wang’s mind raced, and she felt something wasn’t right. “If your family is in such a dire state, why didn’t they just ask your brother-in-law to borrow some grain?”

“In another ten days or half a month, it will be time for the autumn harvest. You could have borrowed grain to get through this period and then paid it back later. Mengcheng is a good man; he certainly wouldn’t have refused.”

Liu Muniang was also stunned and said blankly, “Sister-in-law Liu wouldn’t let us.”

“Your sister-in-law wouldn’t let you?” Auntie Wang sensed something was wrong.

She had met Sister-in-law Liu before. That woman was a smooth talker. How could she be willing to let her own family suffer rather than go and borrow grain?

In previous years, Liu Yunniang had often helped out her parents’ home, and the Liu Clan had never shown any shame about it.

Suddenly, a thought struck Auntie Wang. She gripped Liu Muniang’s hand. “Muniang, tell me the truth. Did you decide to come and beg your brother-in-law on your own, or did your sister-in-law tell you to come?”

Liu Muniang didn’t react immediately. She paused before saying, “I came on my own.”

Auntie Wang didn’t believe her. “She didn’t say anything at all?”

If such a grown girl went missing, there was no way the Liu Clan wouldn’t look for her. It made no sense that there had been no word from them until now.

Liu Muniang remembered something. “Sister-in-law Liu said the family was in trouble and that our friends and relatives were too poor to help. She said my brother-in-law’s family wasn’t struggling, but since my sister is gone, it wasn’t proper for them to show up at his door.”

Auntie Wang laughed out of pure frustration. It seemed this Sister-in-law Liu was quite the mastermind. On one hand, she used the old widower to pressure the family, while on the other, she incited her sister-in-law to seek refuge with the brother-in-law.

She had planned it all out, banking on the fact that Zhao Mengcheng was soft-hearted and would take Liu Muniang in. Once that happened, it would solidify the marriage between the two families.

Once Liu Muniang married in, she could provide for her parents’ home just as Liu Yunniang had done. At that point, there would be no need to borrow grain or money, and certainly no need to pay anything back.

No wonder the Liu Clan had left so decisively last time and hadn’t mentioned the matter since. They had been waiting for this all along.

Auntie Wang looked at Liu Muniang with pity. This poor, foolish girl had been sold and was still helping them count the money.

“Muniang, what do you want to do now?” Auntie Wang asked.

Liu Muniang was dazed. she had come here fueled by a surge of grief and indignation, but now that she had cried her fill, she didn’t know what to do.

Auntie Wang smiled and patted her hand. “You are an unmarried girl. Now that your sister is gone, you can’t stay at your brother-in-law’s house indefinitely. It wouldn’t look good if word got out.”

Liu Muniang froze completely. Grief welled up again, and her eyes reddened.

Auntie Wang’s tone shifted. “However, I do have a solution.”

Liu Muniang looked at Auntie Wang intently, as if grasping for a final lifeline.

Zhao Mengcheng knew nothing of Auntie Wang’s maneuvers. While inspecting the fields, he discovered a cluster of wild amaranth on the embankment.

Nourished by the fertilizer in the field, the wild amaranth had grown thick and sturdy, with stalks as wide as a thumb.

Zhao Mengcheng’s eyes lit up. He pulled the wild amaranth straight up, gathering a large bundle in his arms.

Wang Ming found it strange when he saw this. “Brother, if you want to eat amaranth, go to my house and get some. This stuff is too old and won’t taste good.”

“I want to make something new, and this is perfect for it,” Zhao Mengcheng explained.

He didn’t go home but went straight to the old house, which was now the Tofu Workshop.

He Shuiqing still came over every day after finishing his farm work. His skill at making dried tofu had already surpassed Zhao Mengcheng’s, but he had no intention of working for himself and continued to collect wages from Zhao Mengcheng every day.

During this season, there were plenty of fruits and vegetables, and tofu was a food that didn’t keep well and spoiled easily. Therefore, any tofu in the village that couldn’t be sold was sent to Zhao Mengcheng.

Zhao Mengcheng never refused any of it, turning it all into fermented tofu.

Fermented tofu had a strong flavor and went well with rice. It sold quite well in the height of summer, and most importantly, it had a long shelf life.

“Brother,” He Shuiqing called out when he saw him after finishing the tofu.

The place was kept cleaner than most homes. Every time Zhao Mengcheng entered, he felt he wasn’t paying the man enough.

“Shopkeeper Wang said he wants a hundred jars of fermented tofu delivered tomorrow, half white and half red. Do we have enough stock?” Zhao Mengcheng asked.

He Shuiqing remembered the inventory clearly. “We have enough of the white, but only twelve jars of the red are left.”

The red version had wine yeast added, giving it a beautiful color and a stronger flavor. Zhao Mengcheng had later experimented with adding Zhuyu³, which made the flavor even richer and naturally sold better.

Zhao Mengcheng walked over to take a look and said, “This batch will be ready tomorrow as well. Set them aside separately. I’ll tell Shopkeeper Wang to wait a few days before selling them.”

He Shuiqing moved the batch of fermented tofu Zhao Mengcheng mentioned and placed them in a separate spot.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t mind that. He set about stripping the leaves off the amaranth and cutting the stalks into segments.

He Shuiqing asked curiously, “Brother, this… is old. My house has some… I’ll get it for you.”

“I’m not fond of stir-fried amaranth. I’m planning to make a new kind of tofu. You can try it once it’s done,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile.

He Shuiqing immediately fell silent and watched with curiosity. In his eyes, Zhao Mengcheng was capable of anything. He was always coming up with delicious things like dried tofu, bean skin, and yuba, things He Shuiqing could never have imagined on his own.

While they talked, Zhao Mengcheng had already cut the amaranth stalks into thumb-length segments. He found a large wooden basin, put all the stalks inside, and poured in fresh water.

The water covered the amaranth stalks. Zhao Mengcheng pressed a wooden lid on top and set it out in the courtyard to sit in the sun.

He Shuiqing was dumbfounded. “Brother, in this heat, it will surely spoil after a day in the sun.”

“That’s exactly the point – I want it to spoil,” Zhao Mengcheng laughed.

He Shuiqing couldn’t figure it out, but he felt that Zhao Mengcheng must have his reasons for doing so.

After finishing this step, it was just a matter of waiting. Zhao Mengcheng instructed, “Just leave it here to sun. You don’t need to worry about it.”

With that, he strolled home. It was only when he reached his front door that he remembered his sister-in-law was still there.

Looking closer, he saw Zhao Xin and Tang Tang playing by the doorway. Zhao Mengcheng beckoned them over and asked, “Is your Grandma Wang still inside?”

“She is. Not only is Grandma Wang here, but Grandma He is too,” Zhao Xin answered.

Zhao Mengcheng was surprised. When he walked inside, he indeed saw Widow He. Unlike her usual sorrowful expression, Widow He was now beaming with smiles, holding Liu Muniang’s hand as they spoke.

Liu Muniang looked a bit awkward, but she didn’t pull away. When she saw him enter, she stood up. “Brother-in-law, you’re back.”

“I’m back.”

Zhao Mengcheng wondered to himself, unable to figure out what had happened, but Liu Muniang’s expression certainly looked much better.

He greeted them with a smile. “Auntie Wang, Widow He, why don’t you stay and have dinner with Muniang? Otherwise, she’ll feel awkward with just us men.”

“Very well, I’ll be thick-skinned and stay for a meal,” Auntie Wang said with a beaming smile.

Widow He immediately added, “I have some freshly fried small fish at home. I’ll go grab them in a bit so we can eat them together.”

Now Zhao Mengcheng was truly puzzled. He took the opportunity to pull Auntie Wang aside and ask, “Auntie, what’s going on?”

Auntie Wang just kept smiling. “It’s a good thing. Don’t you worry about it for now.”

Zhao Mengcheng felt strange. When it was time to cook, Liu Muniang insisted on stopping him and went into the kitchen herself, preparing four dishes and a soup.

Once the food was on the table, Zhao Mengcheng felt quite dissatisfied. There wasn’t a drop of oil in the dishes. Liu Muniang was used to being frugal at home and couldn’t bring herself to use oil, let alone soy sauce, rice wine, or sugar.

Widow He, however, was very satisfied and praised her repeatedly. “As expected of Yunniang’s sister, she knows how to manage a household. The food is delicious too.”

Liu Muniang lowered her head and murmured, “I’m just used to doing it at home.”

“Good, good, good,” Widow He said, her eyes narrowing into slits from her smile.

No matter how slow he was, Zhao Mengcheng realized something was amiss. He looked at Auntie Wang, who only nodded with a smile.

For a moment, Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know whether to feel relieved or to marvel at how unpredictable the world was.

But this did indeed solve his problem. After eating and washing the dishes, Liu Muniang proposed going home.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t stop her. He just went into the kitchen and brought out a bamboo basket. “Muniang, take these back for your parents to eat.”

Liu Muniang took it, and her hand sank. The bamboo basket contained at least twenty jin of rice. If they were careful, it would be enough to last them until the autumn harvest.

She felt even more ashamed and said with her head down, “Brother-in-law, thank you.”

“We’re family, no need for thanks.” As long as they didn’t try to force someone on him, Zhao Mengcheng didn’t mind helping his late wife’s family.

After a moment’s thought, Zhao Mengcheng added, “Muniang, if you run out of grain, just say so. As for other matters, you’re not a child anymore; you should have your own thoughts.”

Liu Muniang was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously before leaving with the basket.

She looked thin and weak, but having been used to farm work since childhood, she was quite strong. She soon returned to Laoshan Village.

Sister-in-law Liu was busy calculating her schemes when she saw her return. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You… why are you back already?”

Liu Muniang had already figured out her sister-in-law’s intentions. The threat of marrying her off to an old widower in town was a ruse; the real goal was to force her into her brother-in-law’s house.

She felt a bitter taste in her heart, but seeing her parents’ sorrowful faces and her scrawny nephews and nieces in the courtyard, she felt a sense of weariness.

Setting down the basket, Liu Muniang said, “Dad, Mom, this is grain from Brother-in-law. If we’re careful, it’ll last us a while.”

Old Liu took a look and felt both grateful and ashamed. “Mengcheng is a good lad. Even though Yunniang is gone, he still looks out for our family.”

“This is for us? We don’t have to pay him back, do we?” Zhao Dasao asked instinctively.

Liu Muniang glanced at her. “No. Brother-in-law said it’s to show respect to Mom and Dad.”

Zhao Dasao didn’t quite believe it. She thought to herself that if Zhao Mengcheng were really that filial, he wouldn’t have ignored their family for the past few months.

She felt smug, thinking that forcing her younger sister-in-law to go over had been effective. If her sister-in-law could marry into that house, there would surely be even more benefits.

“Little sister, what else did Brother-in-law say?” It would be perfect if he had proposed right then and there.

Liu Muniang didn’t even look at her, only speaking to the old couple. “Dad, Mom, they’re coming to propose tomorrow. Please agree to it. I’m willing.”

This sentence startled the old couple so much they nearly fell off their stools. They stared at her, dumbfounded. “What? Why a proposal all of a sudden?”

Zhao Dasao, however, clapped her hands in delight. “This is wonderful! Little sister, once you marry over there, you must remember your sister-in-law’s kindness. If I hadn’t planned everything so carefully for you, you wouldn’t have such a good life ahead of you.”

Liu Muniang said nothing. She watched her sister-in-law’s ecstatic reaction and thought to herself that when the people arrived tomorrow, she wondered if Zhao Dasao would still be able to smile.

Translator’s Notes