Sun Caiping sobbed intermittently, just as her name suggests, she was like a drifting duckweed, helpless and alone.

But Sun Miao'er felt that there was no such logic in the world. Putting aside the fact that Jiang Yutao often beat and scolded Sun Caiping at home and treated her like the lowest servant, it was a huge joke to demand the return of the bride price just because she had not given birth.

“Grandma, we can’t give him this betrothal gift.” Sun Miao’er stated her position with a resolute tone.

As soon as she said it, Sun Caiping cried even harder, as if she couldn't stop. She cried so hard that her whole body trembled and she convulsed, unable to breathe.

Sun Miao'er had no choice but to shut up and listen to the crying woman in front of her finish speaking. Seeing this, she felt that Sun Caiping was somewhat pitiful, but not worthy of sympathy.

Grandma Sun stepped forward to comfort her, saying, "Caiping, don't cry. Explain the matter to your mother, and I will help you."

Grandma Sun was strong and capable in the first half of her life, but in the second half she was overshadowed by her second daughter-in-law and became timid and fearful for many years. Now, her self-reliant granddaughter seems to have given her a glimmer of hope in her twilight years.

Sun Caiping stopped crying and said aggrievedly, "Yu Tao said that if I don't return the betrothal gifts to him, he will divorce me and make me go back to Fushui Village."

“Is his family short of money?” Sun Miao’er interrupted. “Didn’t your aunt say he was very wealthy, buying you this and that, and even having spare money to take a concubine? Why bother with the dowry from back then?”

Looking at Sun Caiping, Sun Miao'er thought, she was good-looking and down-to-earth, but unfortunately she lacked common sense and was too proud to admit her mistakes.

Old Man Sun was overjoyed to have a young son late in life. However, over time, he neglected to educate his other children. The youngest child was spoiled and became a good-for-nothing, spending his days idly and developing bad habits.

Sun Caiping knew perfectly well that her family was doing it for her own good. But the thought of being divorced by her husband's family and returning home in disgrace would make those families who had turned their backs on her laugh at her.

The thought of those people's ridicule and gossip made her wish she were dead, so she absolutely could not tolerate being divorced.

Sun Caiping's eyes were red from crying. She hurriedly walked to the door, peeked out to make sure Jiang Yutao hadn't returned from the outhouse, and then said, "The Jiang family used to have a good foundation, but Yutao is playful by nature. In recent years, my father-in-law's health has been poor, and he needs medicine every day. Yutao can't find a proper helper either. The family is now all show and no substance. He only came up with this idea out of desperation. Mother, please return the betrothal gifts to him!"

Even now, she still defended the man, which truly left Sun Miao'er speechless, and she swallowed back all the words she wanted to say.

Knowing that persuasion was futile, Sun Miao'er simply asked, "How much dowry did the Jiang family give back then?"

“Fifty taels.” Sun Caiping’s breath was weak as she uttered these words, afraid of frightening her family.

Sun Miao'er's expression was unusually calm, so of course she wasn't frightened. She had five hundred taels in her hand, so she could easily come up with a mere fifty taels.

But why should she pay this money? With her aunt's stubborn, blockheaded mind? Besides, those five hundred taels were her life savings, and she hoped to use them to turn her life around. It wasn't something she could just take away.

If fifty taels of silver could make Sun Caiping see the person in front of her clearly, abandon her pitiful self-esteem, and sever all ties with the Jiang family, then it would be worth the money. But now, don't even think about it.

Grandma Sun was very worried. She looked down at her granddaughter, tapped her cane, and sighed, "Oh! Where am I going to get these fifty taels for you? Your fourth brother has already emptied the family's coffers, and even the few acres of ancestral land almost fell into other people's hands."

Sun Caiping knelt down with a thud, moved to the feet of Old Lady Sun, and pleaded, "Mother, please help me! I don't want to be divorced! Please, you can't abandon me!"

"Foolish!" Sun Miao'er cursed inwardly.

Grandma Sun knew her granddaughter had money, but she also knew her granddaughter had other uses for it. How could she possibly ask a younger generation for help? She simply said, "Alright, there are still a few days left. You two are coming back anyway, and you're going to stay at home for a few days. Let me think of something tomorrow."

Hearing what Grandma Sun said, Sun Caiping gave up her unreasonable thoughts and obediently stood up, standing guard by Jiang Yutao's dining table like a door god.

A short while later, Jiang Yutao emerged from the outhouse, clutching his stomach. He was still hunched over, pale-faced, and cursing under his breath, "What a load of crap! There's not even a light in the outhouse. It's a complete slum. Even birds wouldn't bother to poop here!"

Sun Miao'er never imagined that such vulgar words would come from the mouth of a scholar; he was probably just a name without substance.

Jiang Yutao walked into the room and saw that everyone was still waiting for him. He raised his eyebrows and said, "That's strange. We're all eating together, how come nothing's wrong with you all!"

Xiao Man, who was standing by and watching, spoke up, "Uncle, I've heard that some people get sick from not being used to the new environment when they first arrive in a new place, and it's common for them to have diarrhea for two or three days."

Grandma Sun chimed in, "Yes, Yu Tao, Fushui Village is built against the mountain and is much more humid than Lianzhao Village."

"I knew it! The room smelled musty!" Jiang Yutao was so exhausted from the diarrhea that he lost his appetite for the food on the table.

There was another empty room in the house, which Sun Miao'er tidied up for the couple to live in.

After dinner, Xiao Ning and Xiao Man played in the yard for a while, while Sun Caiping tirelessly washed the dishes and swept the floor in the yard until she finished everything before going inside.

These tasks should have been done by Sun Miao'er, but Sun Caiping wouldn't let her get involved. She could only sit by the window and watch Sun Caiping finish her work.

This woman has only herself to blame.

Sun Caiping wiped her hands and hesitated at the door of Sun Miao'er's room.

Sun Miao'er peeked out and asked, "Is there anything else, Auntie?"

Sun Caiping came in, her neck slumped, unable to speak. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out a few words: "Then, is there any spare room in the house? If not, the woodshed will do!"

"What's wrong?" Sun Miao'er sensed something was wrong. Could it be that the couple didn't usually sleep in the same bed?

She added, "There are no empty rooms available. If you don't mind, Auntie, please share the night with me."

This is even more ridiculous. Jiang Yutao dislikes Sun Caiping for not being able to have children and is unwilling to sleep with her. Does he think a child can pop out of a crack in a rock?

She thought Jiang Yutao was deliberately picking a fight to extort money from the Sun family.

"I don't mind, I don't mind!" Little did they know that Sun Caiping, who was used to sleeping in the woodshed, felt it was a great happiness to be able to squeeze into the bed.

Sun Caiping sat down awkwardly in the room, her hands and feet feeling very uncomfortable, and the room fell into silence.

It took her a long time to speak before she finally asked, "I heard you separated from the fourth brother?"