In fact, Sun Zhaodi was indeed sold by the elderly couple in the Sun family back then, who received 50,000 yuan as a bride price to save for Sun Yaozu's marriage.

That's why Sun Zhaodi's husband's family was furious about the elderly Sun couple's behavior of coming to their door and refusing to leave. They believed that since the Sun family had received so much money—fifty thousand yuan—their daughter had essentially been sold to them. Why should those two old hags from the Sun family have the audacity to come and beg for money?

Unexpectedly, Sun Zhaodi had been thoroughly brainwashed by the Sun family. She could not possibly abandon her parents and younger brother no matter what, so she insisted on going back to Hou Tang Village with her parents to "share joys and sorrows" despite her husband's family's threats of divorce.

Now that her parents and younger brother are gone, people really don't know whether to feel sad for her or relieved.

Normally, losing one's closest blood relative is nothing but sadness. But in the Sun family's case, with the two elders gone and no one to exploit such a pitiful woman as Sun Zhaodi, it might not necessarily be all a bad thing.

The Sun family were outsiders and didn't have any close relatives in the area. The kind-hearted villagers spontaneously helped set up a simple mourning hall, and the condolence money (Note 1) was given in small amounts, like thirty or fifty yuan from one person to another, as a token of their condolences. The body was laid to rest for one day before the burial.

Sun Zhaodi remained expressionless throughout, without any hysteria or even tears. Only after the villagers helped bury the two elderly people did she unexpectedly kneel down and kowtow three times to the crowd.

Soon someone helped her up. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say. They could only offer a few words of comfort before gradually dispersing.

Unbeknownst to everyone, after everyone had left, Sun Zhaodi took out a tightly wrapped cloth bag from her bosom. Inside were neat stacks of cash, which she then set on fire in front of the graves of Sun's parents.

Tang Xiaoxiao did not attend the funeral, but she still asked the villagers to help her send a white envelope to the Sun family.

Little Yellow was very curious. Although Tang Xiaoxiao had revoked its surveillance duties after the deaths of the Sun family elders, it still led a group of weasels to closely monitor the aftermath. It was Little Yellow who relayed Sun Zhaodi's actions at the funeral to Tang Xiaoxiao.

Even the most intelligent animals can't fathom human hearts. It didn't understand what Sun Zhaodi's actions meant, but Tang Xiaoxiao vaguely sensed that something was off about her.

Especially that last action. After recalling all the circumstances of the Sun family, Tang Xiaoxiao quickly guessed that the money she burned was very likely the dowry money that the Sun family received after marrying her off.

The money was originally intended for Sun Yaozu to find a wife, but he couldn't find anyone suitable, so it wasn't spent. Later, when Sun Yaozu got into trouble and creditors came knocking, the Sun family didn't contribute a single penny.

They probably felt that the debt was too great, and that the 50,000 yuan was just a drop in the bucket to get rid of those thugs. It would be better to stick to their guns and not give them a single penny, so they could at least leave themselves a way out.

Thinking of this, Tang Xiaoxiao suddenly realized that Old Man Sun's suicide by hanging might not have been entirely due to creditors pressing for repayment; it was very likely that he was filled with remorse and did not want to live anymore.

Sun Yaozu initially only owed tens of thousands of yuan. If he had known that his family had this much savings, he would not have taken the risk of stealing.

It seems the elderly couple kept it a secret from their son.

The reason is not hard to guess; it's simply that they're afraid their son will squander the money.