"Is Li Dexing's idea outrageous? He's been wanting this house for a long time, thinking that after your fourth brother-in-law dies, he can put the house in his name."

Mrs. Huang Dong asked, "So he and Weiwei took out the money?"

"Nowhere," Dong Zhen tiredly smoothed her hair with her hands. "He gave silly Weiwei a bad idea and told her to borrow money from the Zhen family. Silly Weiwei actually listened to him. As soon as your fourth brother-in-law saw Li Dexing, he became unfaithful. Despite his serious illness, he called the Zhen family together and said that Weiwei's family was unfilial and wanted to expel her family from the family. At that time, Yueyue was still unmarried. When the family members asked him what his plans were, he said that after he recovered from his illness, he would find a son-in-law for Yueyue."

"Several elders were about to open the ancestral hall and expel Weiwei's family from the clan. Li Dexing was frightened when he saw this, so he reluctantly took out the money to treat your fourth brother-in-law."

"When your fourth brother-in-law recovered from his illness, he kicked Weiwei and her family out. There wasn't much money left at home, so all the servants were dismissed, leaving only three. There was a little girl who was specifically there to take care of Yueyue, and she was sent away with her when she got married."

When Mrs. Zhen Dong finished speaking, she couldn't help but shed tears.

Huang Dongshi half hugged her and started crying too, "Why is our life so miserable?"

"Who said that? Second sister's life is not hard. All the kindness of parents to their daughter was given to her. The dowry is much larger than ours. Otherwise, Tangtang would not have died." Zhen Dong's handkerchief was wet with tears.

Mrs. Huang asked, "Didn't they say Tangtang's lung disease is incurable?"

Mrs. Zhen retorted, "That's because they didn't go to the foreign hospital. Your fourth brother-in-law's illness couldn't be cured by drinking herbal medicine. He went to the foreign hospital, and although it cost more, at least he was saved. I finally understand that money is a person's courage. When Tangtang was sick, your fourth brother-in-law didn't pay. If he had paid to go to the hospital, she wouldn't have died."

"Ah, it's all fate." Huang Dongshi tried to appease Zhen Dongshi and talked about her own misfortune. Her grandson died, her eldest daughter also died, and her second daughter was left, but she didn't get married and have children.

The meal at the Zhen family was simple yet grand. Zhen Shuncai bought a roast chicken, a bag of pig ears, and Xinghua fried two vegetarian dishes. After Huang Dongshi and Zhenzhen finished their meal, they chatted with the Zhen couple for a while before saying goodbye and leaving.

During dinner, Huang Wanzhen noticed that Mrs. Huang was unusually silent. Huang Wanzhen tried to make conversation by saying, "You're not going out tomorrow, are you?"

Huang Dongshi picked up the chicken and mushroom stew with chopsticks, put it in his mouth and chewed it, then said, "Don't go out, what's wrong?"

Huang Wanzhen served her a bowl of tofu soup and said, "I'm fine. My cousin will come over tomorrow."

"Where?"

Huang Wanzhen glanced at her and said, "Look at what you said. I am just a cousin, isn't it? Xiu'er, whom you always talk about."

Mrs. Huang Dong was a little tired today and was in no mood to argue with Huang Wanzhen. She just said "oh" and nothing else.

Huang Wanzhen glanced at her secretly and continued to make small talk, "Who do you think you are?"

"I know it's Xiu'er," Mrs. Huang put down her chopsticks, picked up the soup bowl, and took a sip of the soup. "In fact, your uncle's family also has a daughter named Lan'er."

Huang Wanzhen disliked Dong Yuge's behavior. Although she knew that in ancient times, to ensure the continuation of the family line, the eldest son would have the final say in the family property after the parents died, she felt that Dong Yuge was being cruel by not giving Dong Yuzhuo any of the property. Such a person had questionable character, and Huang Wanzhen didn't want to deal with them.

Seeing that Mrs. Huang mentioned his family again, Huang Wanzhen stopped talking and buried her head in her food.

The next morning, just after ten o'clock, Dong Tao came with her youngest son. As soon as they met, she gave Zhenzhen a big red envelope. Huang Wanzhen reciprocated and gave Tao Shiyuan a big red envelope.

"Just come, why bring so many things? Save the money. Wen'er and Wu'er are growing up, and little Shiyuan still needs to go to school. We'll need money a lot in the future." Huang Dong looked at the pork knuckle, chicken, duck, and snack boxes carried by the servants, and glared at Tao Dong in feigned anger. "Are you moving your family here? Can't you live like this?"

"Look at what Fifth Aunt said. I finally came to see you during the New Year. If I don't bring enough, people will laugh at me!" As soon as Mrs. Tao entered Mrs. Huang's west room, she took off her shoes and crossed her legs on the bed. She patted the bed board and said, "We old Beijingers are used to sleeping on the kang. In winter, we can heat it up once and keep us warm all night. But you, Fifth Aunt, like to sleep on this hard bed. It's so uncomfortable."

Huang Dong looked at Tao Dong with pride and said, "What do you know, little girl? I've been delicate since I was a child, so my grandfather and uncles all dote on me a little more because of this. I'm different from my brothers and sisters."

Mrs. Huang also took off her shoes and crossed her legs on the bed. Huang Wanzhen didn't have this hobby, so she moved a stool and sat down next to the bed.

"To be honest, I also slept on a kang when I was little. One winter, it was really cold, and the maid used too much firewood when she heated the kang. It happened to be my period. I slept on the warm kang all night, but when I woke up the next day, my period had stopped. I didn't have my period for half a year. At first, I was too embarrassed to tell your grandmother, but then I was really scared, so I told her."

Zhao Dahua brewed some tea and brought it over. Huang Wanzhen took it and poured a cup for each of them. Then she sat down quietly and listened to Huang Dongshi's stories.

"When your grandmother heard this, she realized it was a big deal for a girl. She knew she couldn't have children without menstrual fluid, so she immediately asked the old doctor from Zhenhe Hall to come over and check my pulse."

Mrs. Tao asked hurriedly, "What's wrong? Is it a serious illness?"

Mrs. Huang nodded seriously. "That's a truly terrible disease. I heard from the doctor that a girl also had her period. She slept on a warm kang and got burned. Her period stopped. Her family didn't treat her, so she died. A disease that can kill people, don't you think it's a serious disease?"

"Oh! That's scary! Luckily my grandmother saw you, otherwise I wouldn't have such a good fifth aunt," Mrs. Tao patted her chest, looking frightened. "Tangtang from my fourth aunt's family grew up, but she got sick. My fourth aunt and her husband didn't see a doctor, so she died. Such a good girl, what a sin."

Mrs. Huang suddenly felt uncomfortable and sighed, "Yesterday, I went to your fourth aunt's house, and she told me about Tangtang and Weiwei. Their lives are so hard."

Huang Wanzhen hated the word "miserable life" the most and couldn't help but retort, "Isn't it her parents who have made her miserable?! If my fourth aunt and uncle had spent money on her medical treatment, would she have died so early? It's because they favored boys over girls."

"Hmph! I can tell you without you saying anything. None of the daughters you sisters have will have a good life, because you sisters are all sons-centric and your daughters have character problems. Character determines destiny. Growing up in a family like this, it's normal to have a hard life. It would be strange if it wasn't!"