"Does Auntie have many children?" Xia Xiaoli asked Zhang Hehua curiously while holding Da Nian.

When this issue was raised, Zhang Hehua gave a helpless smile.

“I only have one child, Qingming. Before marrying me, Qingming’s father had several children with his ex-wife. When I married him, the oldest was five years old and the youngest was less than a year old!” Zhang Hehua said with emotion, tears welling up in her eyes. “If we could afford to raise them, Qingming’s father would definitely have made me live like his deceased ex-wife, until I died!”

Shen Qiaoyue and Xia Xiaoli were shocked, but Zhang Hehua spoke of it casually.

"During the Qingming Festival, I had two older brothers and two older sisters. I married into their family and became their stepmother. The children were all very young! I spent all my time taking care of them. They didn't like me as their stepmother. They would cry whenever they were hungry. We would cook one pot of food and then eat it all!"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Hehua couldn't help but laugh and said, "These children don't have any meat to eat. They only have wheat flour, millet rice, and some green vegetables. The children have good appetites and eat a lot. I have to cook for the whole family and take care of Qingming all by myself. It's too much of a hindrance!"

Thinking back on her past life, Zhang Hehua was amazed that she had lived that kind of life for so many years!

“When Qingming was little, there was hardly anything to eat. For the sake of my reputation, I tried my best to be good to those children, but my own son was hungry and cold!” Tears welled up in Zhang Hehua’s eyes. “Everyone says it’s hard to be a stepmother. No matter how good I was to those children, I still couldn’t get a good reputation in the end.”

"Aunt Zhang, with such good qualities back then, why did you marry a divorced man from a poor family?" Xia Xiaoli really couldn't understand.

Zhang Hehua sighed, "My fiancé died at that time, and I was already quite old at twenty. My mother married me off because of ten catties of flour!"

Xia Xiaoli looked at Zhang Hehua with a pained expression.

These days are truly miserable.

Shen Qiaoyue wasn't too surprised after hearing this. If a girl doesn't receive respect at home, she won't have a good life after marriage.

Especially in some places with backward thinking.

Shen Qiaoyue held Xiao Nian in her arms, too heartbroken to speak.

Looking down at Xiao Nian, her daughter, she knew she would never let her daughter live such a life.

Zhang Hehua smiled helplessly and said, "You are fortunate. The lives of our older generation cannot be changed, but your lives can be changed."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted instantly to Xia Xiaoli, and all his unhappy thoughts vanished immediately.

"Xiaoli, don't you still have a boyfriend?" Zhang Hehua's words made Xia Xiaoli sense a crisis.

Is this a sign that I'm about to introduce her to someone?

"Auntie, I still need to study hard. I'm not in a hurry, not in a hurry!" Xia Xiaoli didn't want to get married so early.

Sensing Xia Xiaoli's rejection, Zhang Hehua quickly explained, "It's alright, studying hard is good, so you won't have to suffer as much as I did in the future."

Shen Qiaoyue could tell that the lotus flower in this chapter quite liked Xia Xiaoli.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Shen Qiaoyue and Xu Miaoya exchanged a glance.

“Xiaoli is a pretty girl, and I’ve been thinking of introducing her to someone, but Shulan and Dali said that Xiaoli is still young and we should wait.” Xu Miaoya quickly teased, “Xiaoli’s leg was cured by Dali and Shulan’s family, which cost at least a thousand yuan. They will definitely have requirements for the dowry when she gets married.”

Xia Xiaoli understood what she meant and quickly nodded, saying, "That's right, I need to work hard to earn money and pay back the money my brother and sister-in-law spent on me."

Who would dare to marry me if I said that?

A thousand yuan is not a small amount.

Besides, you can get married for a hundred or two hundred yuan, why spend so much money to marry Xia Xiaoli?

Xu Miaoya understood Xia Xiaoli's thoughts; she didn't want to get married so early, a statement that could refuse many people.

Shen Qiaoyue also understood what the two were saying.

“That’s true. Since it’s a favor, it must be repaid. If you can spend a lot of money to repay the favor, it means you really care about Xiaoli. She will definitely live a happy life after marrying into the family.” Zhang Hehua teased with a smile, giving herself a way out.

Shen Qiaoyue listened without saying a word.

"Isn't Lu He also of marriageable age?" Old Mrs. Zhao asked again, pointing the finger at Shen Qiaoyue.

Everyone looked at Shen Qiaoyue with curiosity, wondering what she was thinking.

Everyone knows that Lu He is very capable and will definitely be the most promising in the future.

If I could marry a wife like that, that would be a great blessing.

“Lu He is still young, and marriage is a big deal. It’s up to Lu He to agree. The people we introduce may not be suitable for her.” Shen Qiaoyue knew that every time this matter was brought up, it was to mention Lu He.

“Lu He is so busy every day, he has no time to date if he doesn’t introduce anyone to him!” A person who came to the military family compound with his son and daughter-in-law couldn’t help but speak up.

"If you ask me, the most important thing for a woman is to stay at home to have and raise children. What kind of person is she if she keeps running around outside all the time!" An elderly woman who looked to be about sixty years old couldn't help but stand up and say.

The language used was derogatory towards women.

Shen Qiaoyue glanced at her, but didn't recognize the old woman.

It should be the daughter-in-law who brought them over for the New Year.

“No matter what, Lu He earns her living through her own hard work, and her sister-in-law is proud of her. Whether she wants to get married or not, her brother and I will fully respect her decision. I think there's nothing wrong with striving for a better life.”

Shen Qiaoyue's response was increasingly angry as she spoke.

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