Zhao Caiju is neither from the Lian family, nor the Liu family, nor the Qin family; she dares to fight back if he makes a move.

He almost lost a fight a while ago. If he hadn't run away first, Zhao Caiju would definitely have won. Now that it's the New Year, he's being asked to make a move. Zhao Caiju looks like she's holding her breath and waiting for him to make a move. If he can't win, wouldn't he be making a fool of himself?

Zhao Caiju demanded that he keep his promise, so naturally he couldn't actually marry her.

He made the first move, but Zhao Caiju only hesitated for a moment before retaliating.

Zhao Caiju was completely different from Liu Shi. When he slapped Liu Shi, she would only cry, but Zhao Caiju would fight back.

"Hmph, if Mother had stopped sooner, my sister and sister-in-law wouldn't have run away."

Zhao Caiju clicked her tongue twice, looking at Old Yang with sarcasm.

Old man, do you think I'm from the Qin, Liu, or Lian clans?

She was no pushover. Su Changsheng had already been annoyed enough by lying to her, and now she hadn't gotten what she wanted. Her child was premature and sickly, and she didn't even know if she could raise it.

She's holding the Su family accountable for this debt. She's realized that weakness in the Su family means certain death. She won't run away; she's determined to live a good life in the Su family.

Even a broken ship has three thousand nails; their lives are much better than those of ordinary farmers.

"That's enough. If you want to eat, shut up. If you don't want to eat, go back home."

Old Man Su roared with a stern face.

Zhao Caiju pursed her lips and fell silent; after all, she needed to eat.

This was the first time Old Yang had suffered a loss at the hands of her daughter-in-law, and she felt extremely wronged, her face contorted with bitterness.

In the past, how could the Qin, Liu, or Lian families dare to disrespect her?

Old Mrs. Yang was heartbroken that her three sons were like mute men.

They weren't quiet during mealtimes either, because Su Jingui and Su Jinbao kept yelling that they wanted to be fed.

Old Mrs. Yang, her face grim, slapped each of them: "Hey, hey, hey, how old are you and you still need to be fed!"

Old Mrs. Yang was furious. She couldn't vent her anger on anyone else, but she suddenly unleashed it on Su Jingui and Su Jinbao.

Su Jingui and Su Jinbao started crying loudly.

"I'm not eating anymore."

Su Changshui got up and left in frustration.

Su Changsheng also got up and left.

Su Chang'an frowned. His family was in disarray, and he felt a deep sense of powerlessness. It seemed that no matter what he did, he couldn't make things better for his family.

Zhao Caiju stood up, picked up two plates of food, and said, "I'll go back to my yard to eat. I'll eat something good so I can feed my son."

Su Yu'e also stood up: "I'll go see my second and third brothers."

Su Yu'e made an excuse and left.

After a while, Su Chang'an got up and left without saying anything.

Old Mrs. Yang looked panicked, and only then did she notice that Old Man Su's face was extremely grim.

Su Jingui and Su Jinbao were still crying loudly.

They've been spoiled and won't change their ways anytime soon.

Old Su glared fiercely at Old Yang: "Are you satisfied now? You've ruined a perfectly good family."

By attributing everything to one person, a reason can be established.

Old Mrs. Yang couldn't help but shiver.

Faced with Old Man Su's gloomy gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Old man, I... I was wrong..."

Old Yang admitted her mistake, her voice trembling.

She didn't understand why things had turned out this way, why things had turned out this way.

Why blame her? It wasn't her fault at all.

She didn't let her son abandon Qin and the child, nor did she let Liu and Lian run away.

But everyone assumed that she was the one who caused all of this, and Old Yang was unable to defend herself.

"Jingui, Jinbao, don't cry, let me feed you..."

Old Mrs. Yang quickly tried to soothe the child.

Su Jingui and Su Jinbao stopped crying, but they didn't stop either.

I won't eat this, I won't eat that.

Old Man Su's face darkened, and he said fiercely, "You've ruined all the children! What bad luck did I have to marry a jinx like you who's bringing misfortune to the Su family!"

These two grandsons are so bad at such a young age, how can they be expected to amount to anything when they grow up?

Old Man Su was barely able to contain his anger.

His hateful gaze fell on Old Yang, making her tremble with fear.

Screams echoed from the courtyard, sending chills down one's spine.

Zhao Caiju was gnawing on an old hen in the yard, and even the sound of it sent chills down her spine. She rolled her eyes and muttered, "I need to eat more. When I'm full and have plenty of energy, I can fight back if anyone dares to hit me!"

The consequence of working hard without complaint was the fate of Old Yang.

Having learned from the mistakes of the Liu and Lian families, the Su family would not let her escape. To survive well in such a dog-eat-dog place, one must have one's own strength.

Either you have a high social standing like Qian Min, so the Su family can only fawn over you.

Or she could be like Su Changsheng, striking back when he attacks, and fighting back if he can't kill her. That way, she could still live a good life.

"What's wrong with this family? They're resorting to violence during the Chinese New Year! They're utterly despicable."

Qian Min frowned upon hearing the screams.

"Miss, shall I go and find out?"

Cailian asked.

Qian Min shook her head: "Don't worry about it, just pretend you didn't hear it, and see how my father replies."

If you've taken the wrong path, you should change to another one as soon as possible.

Perhaps she will have to pay the price for this.

But so what? If we don't change our choices, things will only get worse.

She needs to find a way to minimize the cost.

How can she get rid of Su Chang'an while preserving her dignity?

"I hope time passes quickly so I can ask her to do another divination."

Qian Min sighed.

Cailian served Qian Min some food and reassured her, "Miss, don't worry, we'll definitely be able to resolve this smoothly."

Qian Min nodded.

...

After the New Year, life returned to normal.

There was a tension beneath the calm.

With the war in southern Xinjiang still raging, no one can truly feel at ease.

However, life remained uneventful for the people, and after the New Year, they would prepare for planting.

Extremely busy.

The shop opened on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Qin Jin'an followed Qin Shi to the shop to work as the manager, and occasionally told fortunes and looked for things for people.

It's already the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.

Cailian came to invite Qin Jin'an with a respectful attitude.

Qian Min calculated the price to be sixty-six taels, and Qin Jin'an agreed.

So that night, she and Qin Shi did not return to the village, but stayed in the city.

It was almost dark when Qian Min arrived.

When Qin saw Qian Min again, her expression was indifferent.

Qian Min lowered her head: "Sister Qin, I need to apologize to you."

She didn't want to become enemies with the Qin family, and she knew it was impossible for them to be friends.

"I know you won't forgive me, and I know I'm not worthy. I hope everything goes well for you, Sister Qin."

Qian Min smiled slightly, and even if it was an act, she managed to feign some sincerity.

When the family chose Su Chang'an, they were after his status, so they naturally knew what Su Chang'an's original wife would go through. Their apology now seems like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"It's all driven by self-interest. Miss Qian, there's no need for this. We have no grudges against each other; it's all for our own benefit."

Qin looked at Qian Min and spoke calmly. She understood what Qian Min meant, and Qian Min also understood what she meant.

There are no conflicts of interest, so she and Qian Min will not have any interaction, and she will not target Qian Min for no reason. It is good that Qian Min understands this.