If it hadn’t been for the younger sister’s visits to the brick factory, Yue Hongliang would never have bumped into her, nor would he have developed designs on her.
Ultimately, he, the elder brother, had dragged her into this.
"Big brother, the one who should apologize is me. It’s my fault you got hurt." Xu Nianji, supported by Xu Nianhua, spoke in a gentle voice, "Don’t be angry, go back to your room to rest. You should lie down more so your foot can heal."
Xu Nianhua’s gaze was calm, his emotions stable, not at all saddened, infuriated, or distressed by the affairs involving Xu Qinghu.
"You’re not angry?" Xu Nianji obediently returned to his room, perplexed, feeling his younger sister was too calm, eerily calm.
"Why should I be angry? What is there to be angry about?"
Xu Nianhua countered. Outside was noisy, but, their father Xu Qinghe had hardened his stance; the match was definitely not going to happen.
"Big brother, Aunt took matters into her own hands. How to explain things to the Yue Family is their business, not ours." Xu Nianhua said, smiling, "As long as you focus on healing and your wounds recover quickly, that’s all that matters."
"I’ve lived half my life and this is the first time I’ve ever seen such a shameless aunt, pushing her own niece into the fire pit!" Cai Gen’s mother looked at Xu Qinghu disdainfully.
Once, Liu Sanmei had boasted fiercely because of Xu Qinghu’s marriage to someone in the county town.
Yao Feng’s mother added, "Indeed, she must be desperate for money, willing to do anything. Who knows how much the Yue Family gave as a matchmaker’s fee?"
"It must be a considerable amount. The bride price was five hundred after all."
With Cai Gen’s mother and Yao Feng’s mother starting the conversation, the excited villagers joined in, chattering away.
Xu Qinghu blushed and paled by turns under their words and slunk away.
Xu Qinghu didn’t return to the county town but first went to the Xu Family home. As she approached the entrance, she was stopped by her sister-in-law Zhao Juxiang, who asked, "Qinghu, are you here to see our parents?"
"Sister-in-law, I came to see you." The moment Xu Qinghu saw Zhao Juxiang, she felt as if she’d seen a savior, pulling at her arm and pleading, "Sister-in-law, the method you mentioned last time didn’t work. Both elder brother and sister-in-law don’t acknowledge the marriage, what should I do? The Yue Family has already agreed!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Juxiang pushed her hand away, saying, "Qinghu, I didn’t tell you any method."
"Sister-in-law." Xu Qinghu, having just been humiliated at Xu Qinghe’s house and losing face there, returned to the Xu house to find Zhao Juxiang denying her words, and her face darkened, her voice cooling as she said, "Sister-in-law, if you helped me remedy this, I would still give you the ten yuan I promised. But if you don’t agree, sister-in-law, if you think my days are tough, do you think your days will be any better?"
"I know that Zhiyuan works at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative; relying on his father-in-law, he has become a manager there. But if this matter breaks out, it doesn’t matter if I lose face – I could always go to Zhiyuan, after all, he’s my nephew. He surely won’t just watch as his aunt gets harmed by her own mother."
Xu Qinghu’s speech carried a threat.
Zhao Juxiang’s face changed. Originally, she hoped to watch Xu Qinghe’s family struggle while benefiting on the side, but now she was being threatened by Xu Qinghu instead.
"Qinghu, let’s talk this out nicely. What’s the situation now?" Zhao Juxiang pulled Xu Qinghu toward her room, saying as they walked, "What’s the situation now?"