"Listen to me, go find the village party secretary, then go to the commune to find the secretary, and assist the police in handling the case."

"Let's go, brother-in-law."

They grabbed him by the collar and were about to take him away.

At this moment, Chen's mother immediately said, "Give it to me! I'll give it to you!"

"It's just two hundred and sixty-six."

He gritted his teeth and took out all the money he had saved from the cookie box.

He counted the money and handed it to Chen Yifei: "Here you go!"

"Alright." Chen Yifei received the dowry money, and Chen Shuang was also somewhat moved.

Over the years, she thought she would never get it back. She thought she was just stuck here, wasting all the savings her parents and siblings had scraped together to marry her off.

I remember when we got married, Chen Yifei took out three or four crumpled coins, and Chen Xue took out a handful of loose change that she had saved up, which added up to ten yuan.

All of it is included in this 266 yuan.

It reminds me of how I took care of my younger siblings when I was little.

I never expected it to happen so quickly... so quickly that I'll be the one being protected by my younger brother and sister-in-law.

Chen Shuang was deeply moved, and tears streamed down her face. She, too, now had her family protecting her.

He clutched the money tightly in his hand.

This dowry was originally meant for her parents to use for their own survival, but who knew that it would be "stolen" by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law after she married into the family.

There was absolutely no privacy whatsoever, and I never saw it again after that. Now I've finally gotten it back.

Chen Shuang looked at He Runqing, her steps hesitant. She was still somewhat afraid, unsure if leaving like this was the right thing to do.

I've completely fallen out with my in-laws. How am I supposed to live like this from now on?

Chen Shuang was very confused.

He Runqing knew what she was thinking: "Big sister, come with us. Whether you want to get back together or go through the divorce process, it's fine. Chen Yifei and I will support whatever you want to do."

“But if you don’t leave now, and you soften your heart and forgive your brother-in-law, and thus stay here, you will have nothing left.”

"You're still the same spineless and incompetent Chen Shuang."

He Runqing's voice was clear and crisp, and she understood these things very well.

Before I went to the countryside, I was indeed out of touch with reality and didn't understand these things.

But having lived in the countryside for so long, I've seen a lot. Every family has its share of dirty secrets; the whole family is like a miniature society. My sister has no one to care for her outside, but she and Chen Yifei will protect her.

Chen Shuang took a deep breath: "Okay, I believe you, Runqing."

Chen Yifei felt grateful as he watched his wife show those softer, more feminine sides.

If she didn't have a wife, someone with her personality would be really hard to reason with. She's impossible to drive away by words or physical punishment; even if someone hits her, she might still be reflecting on her own actions.

The better a person is, the easier it is for them to be bullied.

The rope always breaks at its thinnest point; even when God brings suffering to people, He seems to be choosing the good ones.

As for the eldest sister, Chen Yifei was not someone she could easily talk to, nor did she have the delicate sensibilities to offer advice.

After getting married, the household chores and the strength between him and his wife seemed to work together as one, allowing them to move forward hand in hand...

At this moment, Chen Shuang realized that she was not heading in the direction of home.

He asked, "But Xiaofei, where are we going?"

"This isn't the way home..."

Chen Yifei said, "Go find the village secretary of my brother-in-law's village, then go to the commune to find someone in charge, and then open a case for investigation."

Chen Shuang said incredulously, "So this is going to bring all the family matters to the surface..."

"Didn't you promise them that if they gave you the bride price, you wouldn't send him to prison?"

Chen Yifei shook his head: "I didn't agree, I just let them choose one."

He Runqing nodded thoughtfully: "Yes. That's a good idea. If Zhuang Ziqiang isn't sent to prison now, he might keep bothering my older sister in the future."

"Even when life becomes unbearable, they are like a piece of chewing gum that you can't get rid of."

"Sending him in now will also let him know the consequences of hitting someone."

He Runqing clenched his fists, eager to try.

"Chen Yifei, you're amazing! That move is called 'all's fair in war'!"

“We didn’t say that we wouldn’t report it to the authorities after taking the money.”

Chen Yifei looked at the soft little face and pinched it with his hand: "Then you are a cultured person, and you are better at talking!"

I used to think my wife was a sweet and soft little white rabbit, but now I see her as a fluffy little black rabbit.

They're not stupid; they're smart and resourceful, and most importantly, they don't suffer losses.

Chen Yifei always felt a sense of resonance when talking to He Runqing.

It's as if no matter what he's thinking, He Runqing's thoughts always end up being the same as his own.

Chen Shuang also thought it was a good idea; it's never wrong for her younger brother and sister-in-law to help her.

"But...aren't we being a bit untrustworthy by doing this?"

"I'm afraid of being gossiped about."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Chen Yifei said. "Anyway, you won't be in this village anymore. The child will be raised in our Yongquan Village. There are plenty of people in Yongquan Village who gossip about me and Qingqing."

"Big sister, you can't build something new without breaking down the old. If you don't build yourself up, you'll never be able to stay timid and subservient forever."

He Runqing said gently, "Yes, Sister Shuang. Think about it, you have to live your own life. People can't stand what others say behind your back, whether it's good or bad. Even your relatives are most afraid of you doing well."

“They’ll laugh if we don’t have anything to eat ourselves.”

Chen Shuang nodded: "That makes sense. You live your own life."

Chen Yifei felt a little relieved, as long as his older sister was open-minded.

That way, the tragedy of the previous life wouldn't happen.

He would beat up a scoundrel like Zhuang Ziqiang every time he saw him.

On the way, He Runqing asked, "Now that you're pregnant, are there many things you need to be careful about?"

Chen Shuang nodded: "I didn't know at first, but I found out later that I can't do heavy work and I have to take good care of the child. It's really exhausting. I vomit every day, and my reaction is very severe."

"Qingqing, you also need to take good care of your health. You're married to Yifei now, and the baby is always coming unexpectedly. The first few months are when the pregnancy is unstable, which makes things more likely to go wrong."

“If something happens, it’s us women who suffer.”

“I know!” He Runqing nodded. “I will take good care of myself. But it’s okay, Chen Yifei and I still have some time.”

I took proper precautions during those last few encounters.

...

It's much better if you put it outside.

She thought it probably wouldn't be that fast.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yifei leaned closer and said, "Nothing is 100% guaranteed."

"Honey, you need to take good care of yourself too. Once we're really pregnant, the whole family will take turns taking care of you."

Chen Shuang nodded, pleased to see her younger brother and sister-in-law getting along so well.

Back then, their marriages were all arranged by their parents when they were children.

Now, it's different for people like Xiaofei.

Most of them marry the people they love.

Chen Shuang used to think that life was just about getting by, and there was no way there could be any love involved.