What a joke! She doesn't even use her nephews like Fan Dazhu, so why would she use a nephew's wife?

In the past, when my mother-in-law was alive, even using filial piety to pressure her was ineffective. Now that the family has long been divided and my mother-in-law is gone, what relationship is there left to rely on?

A big, sincere smile spread across her face: "Congratulations! I'll be attending the banquet."

Aunt Zhang's smile froze on her face.

Zhang Chunhua's expression changed several times.

Fan Dazhu said that the ten taels of silver dowry had cost his family their lives. His parents and his three brothers were all injured, and they had no money to hold a wedding banquet.

Furthermore, because his grandmother had passed away, the marriage had to be completed within 100 days, otherwise the grandchildren would have to observe a full year of mourning for their grandmother. His parents said that she had nothing to do at home, and since there was work to be done at home in the village, she could come back anytime. They suggested that she simply marry him off as soon as possible.

Shui Qing pretended not to see it; she couldn't just accept gifts without hosting a dinner, could she? There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Aunt Zhang Chunhua looked embarrassed and couldn't stay in the yard any longer. Without saying a word of politeness, she turned around and left.

Seeing this, Shuiqing didn't linger. She stood up and said, "Aunt Zhang, Xiaocao, I didn't drink this cup of brown sugar water. You two can drink it. I'll go to the next house to inform them."

She really didn't like drinking it, but fortunately, brown sugar water was considered a delicacy in the village, and Aunt Zhang and Xiaocao both loved it, so as long as they drank it, it wasn't a waste.

Aunt Zhang was convinced that Shui Qing had saved this water for them to nourish their bodies, something she was reluctant to drink herself. She felt even sweeter than if she had drunk brown sugar water!

Zhang Xiaocao wanted to offer some advice, but then he realized that Sister Shuiqing was probably in a hurry to inform the next family. It was all because of his troublesome relatives and troublesome matters that Sister Shuiqing had been delayed!

The family saw them off again and again, until they were a long way away before finally returning home.

Back in the courtyard, Aunt Zhang took a small sip of the rich brown sugar water, the sweetness spreading from her mouth to her heart. She then handed the brown sugar water to her daughter and instructed, "You drink it all. The three boys, Tie Niu and the others, don't need any more."

Tong Tiemu and the other two knew that this was something girls drank, so they shook their heads like rattles and ran away.

Shui Qing has informed everyone on the other side.

The women and girls were thrilled to hear that work would resume in March, and their families were just as excited!

I thought it would be good enough if I could work at the herbal medicine shop for a few months and earn some money, but I didn't expect there would be more work to do.

That evening, every household added a meat dish to their dinner table as a celebration!

The most common dish was braised rabbit meat—Hu Wenhua led the men to Yuhang, and it would take at least a month and a half to return. During this time, the villagers would not go to the prefectural city to sell rabbits.

Furthermore, when Shuiqing came, she said that she could sell rabbit fur to her from now on, at the same price as in the prefectural city.

Rabbit meat can be sold, and there's no need to worry about rabbit fur. The fur can also keep the family working and earning money. Such a good thing would have been unimaginable in the past!

When the family has income, the most direct result is in the food they eat.

With meat and vegetables, and a big pot of potatoes as the staple food, not only was everyone in the family full, but it also tasted much better than that dry, hard porridge!

And Shuiqing's family's dinner today was more lavish than ever before!

It was because someone I hadn't seen in a long time had arrived.