Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin exchanged a glance. Since Old Granny Zhang didn’t want to get involved, they naturally wouldn’t either.
The third and fourth households, who had been waiting to see Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu in action, waited until dark. They saw Jinguan eating heartily, his face glowing with health. He neither cried nor shouted and obediently returned to the main house. Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu never showed up.
So they quietly retracted their necks, huddling in their own homes without a peep.
Finally, Wang Yongping couldn’t bear it any longer. He asked Liu Xiaoqiao to steam a basket of cornbread and brought it to the main house in the dark.
Upon arriving at the main house, he found Wang Yongfu and Jindou eating hungrily, clearly starving.
When Wang Yongfu saw Wang Yongping carrying the basket of cornbread, his eyes showed emotion. He croaked, "Laosi!"
Wang Yongping handed the cornbread to Jindou and sat down. "Is this from Mother?"
Jinguan whispered, "It’s from Aunt. Grandma said she won’t care about Dad and Big Brother."
Wang Yongfu smiled bitterly and patted Jinguan’s head. "Silly boy, if your grandma truly didn’t care, she wouldn’t have let you bring the bread back for us."
Jinguan still didn’t fully understand, but he remained silent.
Jindou paused, lowered his head, and something fell onto the bread, making it taste both salty and bitter.
Over there, Wang Yongfu continued talking to Wang Yongping. "Laosi, thank you! Big Brother, sigh~"
Wang Yongping offered comforting words. "Why are we speaking like outsiders? Don’t worry, we still have some food left. Tomorrow I’ll bring over a sack for you, and when it’s gone, just let me know! We can still afford these few grains of food!"
Wang Yongfu patted Wang Yongping’s shoulder; everything was understood in silence.
After a moment of silence, Wang Yongfu saw it was getting late and told Jindou to take Jinguan back to sleep.
The two brothers sat in the courtyard. Wang Yongping finally asked, "Big Brother, what are your plans for the future?"
Wang Yongfu rubbed his face and replied, "I’ve already thought about it. From now on, I’ll focus on business. After the mourning period, I’ll find a match for Jindou. Once his wife is in the door, I’ll hand the household over to her. I’ll work a few more years to save up for Jinhoo and Jinguan’s marriage expenses. That way, I can do right by the three brothers."
Wang Yongping asked softly, "Big Brother, have you thought about remarrying? You’re not that old—"
Wang Yongfu smiled bitterly, "You’ve forgotten, I’ve been injured. Healing was a miracle and thanks to my brother-in-law. The medicine healed my back and legs, but it might reduce my lifespan. Who knows when Heaven might reclaim my life? Better not to burden anyone else."
Wang Yongping felt a pang of sadness.
He wanted to offer comfort but didn’t know where to start.
From behind, Wang Yonggui’s voice came, filled with frustration. "Big Brother, have you lost your mind? Why did you divorce her? You should have kept her to take care of you! Otherwise, you pamper her and who knows, she might run off with another man!"
Wang Yongfu shook his head with a bitter smile. "While I can still speak my mind, if I don’t divorce her now, it will be harder later. If I pass away and she’s around, the family will fall apart. Wouldn’t that make things worse for Jindou and the others?"
Wang Yonggui heard this and couldn’t persuade him further.
He handed over half a bag of flour. "Take this. When it’s gone, come to my place for more. With Laosi, me, and Little Sister around, we won’t let you three starve!"
Wang Yongfu, who had felt very cold, began to feel a bit of warmth.
Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin, squatting in the corner, observed everything. They glanced at the sack of food between them and couldn’t help but smile in relief.
Despite the Wang Family’s shortcomings, they didn’t fall apart in critical moments.
They set down the food at the base of the wall and quietly returned to the backyard.
In the backyard, the light in the main room was always on. Hearing their footsteps, it finally went out.
Wang Yongzhu shook his head. "Mother is tough on the outside, but she wouldn’t really abandon anyone."
The night passed without incident.
The next day, news of Lady Lin being divorced by Wang Yongfu spread throughout Qilidun.
As soon as the Wang Family’s courtyard gate opened, and the tables and chairs were moved out, people gathered around.
Everyone questioned, "Yongfu, did you really divorce your wife?"
"Brother Yongfu, you finally got to be a man for once! Otherwise, people always felt something was off when they saw you!"
"Yongfu, it’s good you divorced that woman! Don’t worry, with your talents, Auntie will find you a new match!"
"Yongfu, what do you think of my niece? She used to follow you around when you were young, remember Cui Hua? She’s a widow now, with two daughters. How about we join our families, and her elder daughter can marry Jindou—"
"Pah! Luo Chunhua, you heartless wretch! Shut your filthy mouth or I’ll beat you to death with a broom!" Old Granny Zhang burst out upon hearing this, furiously charging at her with a broom.
"Even if my eldest divorced, he’s still a top catch around here! He could marry a pure young girl, so why bring a used shoe home? Luo, you’ve taken hush money for someone’s dirty deeds here! If you care so much for your niece, why don’t you have your son marry her instead of pushing her onto my son?"
"You’ll face retribution. They say evil deeds will curse you with a son born without an anus! You’ll surely have a child covered in holes!"
Old Granny Zhang cursed angrily.
Even if the eldest wasn’t great, outsiders couldn’t insult him!
Even if he divorced, he had three sons. With this large family estate, business, and fields, women from good families would vie to marry him!
Why marry a notorious widow?
Who was this disgusting?
Old Lady Luo, beaten by Old Granny Zhang, looked incredibly disheveled. She did have personal motives; her niece Cui Hua was indeed pitiful. Married young and widowed soon, she was left with two daughters and an ailing mother-in-law.
What about the heavy work without a man at home?
At first, neighbors helped, but over time, who wanted to continue? She had to sweet-talk them.
Later, some widowers took advantage, making lewd comments, stealing touches. She tolerated it for the help.
Luo Cuihua tasted the benefits and allowed those widowers’ advances in exchange for their labor.