As Old Mrs. Li announced the news of Zhen Lao Er's divorce with a blank expression, Zhen Wanwan's heart pounded.
Why do I have such a bad feeling?
What Li Zhenzhen is doing now is outrageous, so it's no surprise that she's being divorced.
She wouldn't have an overflowing sense of sympathy to pity someone who's always causing her trouble.
In any case, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. I doubt the Li family would dare to do anything.
Zhen Lao Er nodded silently and was about to stand up to find Qu Huaiyuan to write a letter of divorce.
"Father! Father! You can't divorce Mother! I won't allow you to go."
Gou Dan and Er Niu were already old enough to remember things. How could they possibly agree when they heard that their grandmother wanted their father to divorce their mother?
Gou Dan cried his heart out and clung to Zhen Lao Er's left leg, not letting him leave. Er Niu also hugged his waist, crying and shouting that he wanted his mother.
Although his mother favored her own family, she was still very good to them, at least she always made sure they had the best food and drink.
"Mother, I want my mother! Please don't divorce my mother, okay?"
The twins knew that if their mother was divorced, they would have no mother anymore and would be bullied like the unwanted children in Lijia Village.
Erni was also so frightened that she burst into tears. Although her mother treated her badly, she still loved her mother.
Looking at her three children, Zhen Lao Er felt a pang of sadness and almost softened her heart.
But seeing his mother lying there sickly and his younger sister's pale face, he hardened his heart and resolutely walked towards the Qu family.
"Father, Father!"
The twins fell to the ground, their faces covered in a mixture of snot and tears, looking utterly disgusting.
The two men were determined to get up and catch up with their father, but they were thwarted by Zhen Fugui, who had been observing them from the sidelines.
"Dog Egg, Er Niu, stop chasing them!" Elder Zhen advised reluctantly.
Zhen Wanwan looked at Old Lady Li's unwavering expression and Old Master Zhen's silent back.
At this moment, Wang Cuihua had her head down, seemingly lost in thought, appearing completely indifferent to the situation.
She knew her sister-in-law a little; she had her own little schemes. On the surface, she seemed like an honest and upright person, but if anyone offended her, she would hold a grudge.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, Zhen Fuyou returned with the letter of divorce.
"Honey, you and the second son go to the Li family together."
Old Lady Li instructed, "Eldest son, you watch over Gou Dan and Er Niu and don't let them run around."
Zhen Fugui nodded silently in response, holding the twins tightly in her hands.
When no one was paying attention, Zhen Wanwan called Zhen Xiaohu over and said, "Xiaohu, you secretly follow your grandpa and the others to the Li family. I'll give you candy when you come back!"
Zhen Xiaohu nodded with shining eyes, patted his chest and assured her, "Auntie, don't worry about me! I will tell you every single word they said."
Seeing his serious expression, Zhen Wanwan smiled and encouraged him, "I believe in you! Go quickly, and don't let anyone find out."
"Yes, I know."
...
Wang sat beside the grain sack, looking lost in thought. There was only a small handful of coarse rice inside; it was far too little to eat!
She somewhat regretted selling her fifth daughter so cheaply! If only she had raised the price, she wouldn't have run out of food after just a few days.
Li Pandi, who is short in stature, is working hard to peel the bark off the tree roots. This is a task given to her by her sixth sister!
If she doesn't sit properly, she'll go hungry tonight.
She saw her mother looking in her direction from afar, and she turned around in fear. In her nervousness, she accidentally scratched herself on a tree branch and bled a little.
Three days ago, her fifth sister was sold by her mother to a group of beggars. The way those people looked at her fifth sister was like wolves looking at sheep, as if they wanted to devour her alive.
Li Pandi was terrified. She wasn't sure if her mother would sell her too, in exchange for food for her younger brother.
She dared not even think about it. In order to avoid being sold, she tried to eat as little as possible on the way, and worked hard to find wild vegetables and peel tree bark so as not to cause trouble for her mother.
Wang squinted her eyes and pondered how to exchange for more grain.
She glanced up casually and saw her seventh daughter carefully peeling bark from a tree. After thinking for a moment, she gently called her name.
"Pan Di, stop working. It's too hot. Come and rest for a while."
Upon hearing Wang's voice, Li Pandi trembled slightly, a tremor that would go unnoticed unless one looked closely.
She moved slowly, her feet stiff, to Wang's side.
Wang gently ruffled her hair, and held her hand like a loving mother, saying, "My daughter is getting more and more beautiful. I wonder which lucky boy will end up with her."
Li Pandi kept her head down and didn't speak. Wang thought she was just shy, so she said to herself, "I don't have to worry about you seven sisters at all. Your fifth sister is probably living a good life now."
Wang proudly puffed out her chest, seemingly having truly found a good husband for her fifth daughter.
"I'm really looking forward to your fourth sister marrying into the Qu family and becoming an official's wife. Then we can all enjoy the good life together," she said to Li Pandi with a beaming smile.
Li Pandi is also looking forward to this kind of life.
Not long ago, Mother originally wanted to sell Fourth Sister, but Fourth Sister told Mother that she and the scholar had already pledged their love to each other.
It was said that once the famine was over, the young master would give her family a dowry of twenty taels of silver and then marry her fourth sister in a grand and glorious ceremony.
In the future, the young master will have to take the imperial examination. Once he passes, his fourth sister will become an official's wife!
That's why Mother changed her mind and sold Fifth Sister to a beggar.
Li Pandi looked at Qu Huaiyuan, who was clean-cut and well-educated, and then compared her to her own fourth sister, who was as thin as a railing and dressed in tattered clothes.
The more she looked at them, the more she felt that the two were not a good match, but since her fourth sister was happy every day, she didn't dare to say anything to spoil the mood, for fear of upsetting her fourth sister.
Both of them were dreaming of a wonderful life in the future when they saw Li Zhenzhen carrying Li Guangzong back.
"Guangzong, what's wrong? Don't scare your mother!" Madam Wang immediately shook off Li Pandi's hand, completely unaware that her seventh daughter was injured.
Now, all she can think about is the tragic death of Li Guangzong!
"Mother, Mother! I'm in so much pain, please save me!" Li Guangzong cried out, tears streaming down his face.
"Oh dear, my precious son, who was the heartless one who hurt you?"
Wang carefully took Li Guangzong from him, her heart aching so much that she couldn't stop crying.
Li Zhenzhen felt a sudden lightness in her body, and her legs went weak, causing her to fall to the ground. She didn't know what had happened to her.
As soon as he got close to Zhen Wanwan, he felt a jolt of electricity throughout his body, his whole body felt sore and weak, and his head was spinning.
When she came to her senses, she saw her younger brother clutching his leg and screaming in pain, with a burly man standing guard beside him. She was both anxious and scared.
Seeing the indifferent looks of Old Lady Li and Zhen Wanwan, she endured their disgust and knelt down to beg them to help her brother.
Fortunately, thanks to Zhen Wanwan's kind reminder.
She bravely stepped forward and carried Li Guangzong away as she had wished.
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