Then the auntie asked Ning Huan curiously, "Young lady, which village are you from? What's your name?"
Ning Huan coldly said to the aunt, "My name is Ning Huan, and I am Ning Liang's older sister."
Upon hearing the name, the aunt looked at her in immediate surprise: "You're a girl from the Ning family? How could that be!"
She still remembered Ning Huan's appearance and figure; it couldn't possibly be the woman in front of her.
However, Ning Huan didn't pay much attention to this aunt and walked straight home with Ning Liang.
Along the way, Ning Huan passed by many people and greeted them with great tact. Some villagers felt that Ning Huan had changed a lot.
“This Ning family girl has changed completely since she got married.”
"No wonder she married a scholar. Ning girl used to be so unruly and shrewish. How could she talk to us like that?"
"That's right, everyone avoids her when they see her!"
As the two walked, they had just reached their doorstep when they heard Kang's voice: "Hurry up and tell your mother to go and get the money back, otherwise how will this family survive!"
Ning Xu quickly tugged at Kang Shi's sleeve: "Speak softly, don't let my mother hear you."
Unexpectedly, this reminded Kang Shi: "What's there to be afraid of? I'll raise my voice, just in case your mother can't hear me!"
He then shouted loudly into the house, "You've been making such a mess of the house over twenty taels of silver every day. If you care so much about your daughter, why don't you go find someone else to live with!"
Ning Huan frowned. Kang Shi was just a daughter-in-law, yet she dared to speak to Pang Shi like that. It was clear that Pang Shi's status in the family was not high.
She turned around and glanced at Ning Liang again, rolled her eyes at him, and walked into the house.
Who are you looking for to stay with?
Ning Huan's sudden voice startled Madam Kang. She hadn't expected this woman to return so suddenly.
She stammered, "You...you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ning Xu walked over to Ning Huan from behind and said in an unhappy tone, "Why did you come here?"
Ning Huan looked at him coldly and continued, "I'm also a member of the Ning family, and I'm still your sister. Is there anything wrong with me going back to my own home to see my parents?"
After regaining her composure, Madam Kang said, "You came home to see your parents? The house is already in such a mess, what good could come of you coming back!"
Ning Huan frowned slightly, thinking that she had only just returned home and was already being treated like this by Ning Xu and Kang Shi. What kind of life did Pang Shi live at home all day long?
She ignored Madam Kang and said to Ning Xu, "I advise you to discipline your wife. I am your sister, and she should call me sister even after she marries into the family."
As he spoke, he pushed past the two men and walked into the house.
Ning Xu and Kang Shi behind him both changed their expressions, feeling that Ning Huan in front of them seemed different from before.
The Ning family is exactly the same as the original owner's memories; nothing has changed over the years.
But Ning Huan had no feelings for anything or anyone here, except for Pang Shi. So even though Ning Huan knew no one in this house welcomed her, she still had to rush over to help Pang Shi out of her predicament.
Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Madam Pang initially didn't want to pay attention, but upon closer listening, she realized she could hear Huan'er's voice.
She hurriedly tried to go out, but Ning Xingde, who had already heard the noise, went out into the courtyard.
Although he disliked his eldest daughter and the family had recently been in turmoil because of her, he still had to come out when his daughter came home.
"Your daughter is back?"
Seeing Ning Xingde's embarrassed look, Ning Huan really couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.
Just as she was about to walk into the house, Madam Pang came out and saw that it really was Ning Huan who had returned.
She happily rushed out to greet her: "Huan'er, why are you back?"
Ning Huan replied, "Mother, I've come back to see you."
Upon hearing this, Pang's nose tingled and her eyes reddened.
Then he led her into his room, ignoring the expressions on Ning Xingde's and the others' faces behind him.
"Daughter, why are you back at this hour? Did something happen to your husband and the four little ones?"
Pang asked suspiciously, "If there's anything wrong, just tell your mother."
Ning Huan looked at Pang's face; she looked much more haggard than a few days ago, her eyes were red and swollen, and she seemed to be in very poor condition.
"Mother, what happened to you? Who bullied you?"
Pang didn't want to bring up these things with Ning Huan, so she quickly changed the subject: "Huanhuan, what would you like to eat? I'll make it for you now. It's not easy for you to come home, so I'll make you something nice to eat."
She was about to get up when she noticed Ning Huan tugging at her sleeve: "Mother, what's wrong with you?"
Pang sat down and looked at Ning Huan, feeling a pang of grievance. Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face.
"My daughter, I'm not capable enough to give you a good life."
Ning Huan frowned: "Mother, why are you saying all this? Why are you crying?"
She gently wiped away Madam Pang's tears and said, "Mother, I'm doing very well now. You don't need to worry about me."
Mrs. Pang shook her head: "Daughter, you've lost weight. Look at what you've become."
She was so happy that Ning Huan was back that she sat down and started thinking about the grievances she had at home. Only now did she take a closer look at Ning Huan.
"Are you too stressed about things at home?"
Ning Huan smiled and said, "Mom, I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me. It's good that I'm a little thinner, I'm healthier, and I'll be prettier."
Upon hearing this, Madam Pang nodded, agreeing with Ning Huan's statement.
Her daughter is indeed much prettier than before. Although she is a good mother and would never dislike her child, people outside have all sorts of opinions.
Then Ning Huan took out the fifty taels of silver she had prepared for Madam Pang from her bundle: "Mother, I came here today specifically to give you this silver."
Upon hearing the word "silver," Madam Pang's expression changed, and she quickly pushed Ning Huan's hand back, saying, "Daughter, that's what your mother gave you. We need money for your husband's medical treatment and for the four little ones' living expenses. Take it to help out for now. You can pay it back to your mother when you have the money later."
Ning Huan smiled faintly, then shook her head and said, "Mother, I have money now. I was worried you'd be mistreated at home, so I wanted to get some money back for you as soon as possible. Besides..."
She paused for a moment, then continued, “And I gave Mother fifty taels of silver. Twenty taels were from Mother’s help to me, and Mother can use the other fifteen taels to support the family business. As for the last fifteen taels, Mother can keep them for herself.”
Fifty taels is not a small sum; in a small village like this, it could even be considered an astronomical price. Some people might work their whole lives and still not earn as much as fifty taels.
If the Ning family hadn't run some small businesses, they wouldn't have been able to come up with twenty taels of silver at all.
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