In the late Qing Dynasty, there were two wealthy families in Ping'an County, one surnamed Liang and the other surnamed Sun.
Both families were in business and were very close. Since both wives were pregnant, they agreed that if they were of the opposite sex, they would become in-laws.
Mr. Sun's next son was named Sun Guangzong.
Later, a girl was born to the Liang family and named Liang Huanyu.
The betrothal was arranged just like that.
However, the good times didn't last long. When Sun Guangzong was one year old, he fell seriously ill and was diagnosed with heart disease and weakness.
The doctor said that how long one lives is entirely up to fate, and there's no point in expecting anything else. He suggested that one should hurry up and have another child while one is still young.
So, the following year, the Sun family's second boy was born, a very healthy and handsome young master.
The Sun family had high hopes for this child and named him Sun Yaozu.
After discussions between the two families, the arranged marriage was changed to Sun Yaozu and Liang Huanyu.
The Liang family already had two sons before Liang Huanyu, and after having a daughter, they did not have any more children.
No more children were born to the Sun family after Sun Yaozu, and taking concubines was of no use.
As a result, Sun Yaozu became the hope of the whole family. He was spoiled and pampered from a young age.
Soon, the Qing Dynasty collapsed, and the Republic of China era began, but the people continued to suffer greatly.
At that time, the Liang family had become the richest family in the county. Although the Sun family was also wealthy, they were still far behind the Liang family.
Liang's father was concerned about the country and its people, and often donated money and grain. His two sons also left home to join the army.
Later, the Liang family was somehow targeted by bandits, and overnight they lost all their wealth and were brutally murdered. Only Liang Huanyu, who was hidden in the cellar by her parents, survived.
Liang Huanyu was just a traditional lady from a respectable family; all she knew and learned was about how women in that era were expected to be good wives and mothers.
In fact, the Sun and Liang families have gradually drifted apart over the years, and the younger generations of both families have not been in contact for several years.
The Liang family was ruined, and everyone thought the Sun family would cancel the engagement, but the Sun family still married Liang Huanyu as agreed.
Liang Huanyu's impression of Sun Yaozu was still that of the proud young master from a few years ago. Because she had known since childhood that he was her future husband, she had always harbored feelings of love for him.
On their wedding night, Sun Yaozu impatiently lifted the veil, but was stunned when he saw the beautiful face before him.
The red candle burned until dawn.
Less than a month after their marriage, Sun Yaozu went abroad to study. Liang Huanyu stayed in the Sun family to be filial to her parents-in-law, manage the household chores, and also had to deal with sexual harassment from Sun Guangzong.
Although Sun Guangzong was pampered with good food and drink by his family due to health reasons, he was essentially neglected.
Over time, he became insecure and gloomy, often taking his frustrations out on the maids. The Sun family turned a blind eye to this, as long as he was alive.
But the more this happened, the more twisted Sun Guangzong became. After Liang Huanyu entered the family, his jealousy and twisted feelings towards his younger brother reached their peak.
Such a beautiful woman, who should have been his woman, ended up with Sun Yaozu.
And then there's the Sun family's business. Even though he's the eldest son, he's always overshadowed by his younger brother. Not many people outside even know that the Sun family has an eldest son.
Liang Huanyu was harassed by him many times, and she couldn't help but tell her in-laws, but Sun's parents had an indifferent attitude and told her to bear with it.
"Huanyu, Guangzong is not in good health. He was just teasing you. He doesn't mean any harm. Just let him be."
After this happened several times, Sun's mother scolded Liang Huanyu as a vixen: "It must be because you're always seducing him, otherwise why would he keep staring at you? You're a disgrace to our family, you've made us lose all face."
Liang Huanyu felt wronged and sad, but without her parents' support, she could only swallow her tears.
She prayed that her husband would return soon so she wouldn't have to live in fear.
Liang's parents named her Huanyu, hoping that she would spend her life in laughter and joy, but she neither smiled nor spoke in the Sun family.
The Liang family was gone, but the Sun family's business flourished. By the time Sun Yaozu returned after completing his studies, the Sun family had become the richest family in the county.
Besides foreign gadgets and knowledge, Sun Yaozu also brought back a girl who looked very fashionable.
The first thing he did upon returning was to divorce Liang Huanyu.
"I only realized how disgusting this feudal dregs of arranged marriage are after I went abroad. It should have been abolished long ago. As a high-achieving student who has received advanced Western education, I should take the lead in resisting it."
"This is Miss Gao Xuan. We met abroad and fell in love freely. She is the one I want to marry."
“Liang Huanyu, you’re dull and boring. You only know how to revolve around men and don’t understand anything else. We have nothing in common. I like modern women like Xuanxuan.”
"You've held the position of the young mistress of the Sun family for three years; you should be content."
Gao Xuan was wearing a white dress, high heels, and her stylish curly hair was adorned with a hair clip. She also had exquisite makeup on her face.
Standing next to Sun Yaozu, who was wearing a suit and leather shoes, they looked incredibly well-matched and harmonious.
This made Liang Huanyu, dressed in traditional clothing and wrapped up tightly, seem even more out of place.
She walked up to Liang Huanyu and touched the embroidery on her collar.
“You are so skillful, unlike me, I can’t even hold a needle. But this is not the old society anymore, these feudal dregs should have been thrown away long ago.”
“Liang Huanyu, you should go out and see more of the world. We modern women cannot be confined to this small world of the inner courtyard. We should bravely pursue what we want.”
"Your marriage with Yaozu was a mistake from the start. Fortunately, you don't have any children, so it's not too late to correct the mistake now."
"How about this, I'll have Yaozu divorce you. This will be better for your reputation and won't affect your remarriage. In other countries, many women are happier after getting divorced and finding new partners than before."
Liang Huanyu looked at her parents-in-law, but they didn't say a word and turned their heads away.
Liang Huanyu looked around, then forced back her tears: "Fine, give me the divorce papers, I'll leave the Sun family now."
Sun Yaozu took out a fountain pen and wrote half of it when Sun Guangzong, who had rushed over, snatched it away and tore it up.
"What's the point of divorce? She's going to be a daughter-in-law of the Sun family no matter what, just like me. She was always meant to be my woman anyway."
As he spoke, Sun Guangzong took out a pink bellyband: "In the past few years, Yaozu has been away, and she has been lonely in her empty room. She has long since given herself to me in private. That's why she even gave me her personal items."
Liang Huanyu's eyes stung from the object in Sun Guangzong's hand: "You're talking nonsense, I have absolutely nothing to do with you."
The room fell silent, but then Mr. and Mrs. Sun's eyes lit up instantly.
Yes, that way, Liang Huanyu will still be part of their family, and all of the Liang family's businesses will remain with them.
Sun Yaozu breathed a sigh of relief and put away his pen.
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