Yu Xiang’an kept her lips sealed tight, no matter how much Aunt Chen tried to pry. Aunt Chen inwardly grumbled about her ingratitude—she was only trying to help, but the girl wouldn’t listen. Just as she was about to give up, she suddenly thought of Ding Minxiu and grew excited again. “Where’s your sister? I haven’t seen her in a while. Did she also get into the exam?”
Yu Xiang’an’s demeanor cooled. “She went back to her biological father.”
Aunt Chen nodded in realization. “Oh, just a short visit? Why isn’t she in school? You haven’t graduated yet.”
Yu Xiang’an shook her head, seizing the chance to slip away. “I’m not sure. Aunt Chen, I need to head back—my family’s waiting for dinner. Let’s talk another time.”
These were the kinds of scenarios Yu Xiang’an had anticipated from the start, so she remained composed. However, Yu Qingshan and the others, who were gradually being questioned more frequently, weren’t as calm. As rumors spread, people began tiptoeing around Yu Xiang’an. Yu Qingshan reassured her, “Xiao An, don’t pay attention to those gossips outside.”
Yu Xiang’an remained unfazed. “Dad, do I look bothered? We knew this would happen. I’m fine.”
The real uproar would come when the neighbors found out Ding Minxiu had married into the Zhou family.
Yu Qingshan let out a long sigh, while Zhao Qiaoniang stayed silent.
The Yu family was already fielding questions, but once everyone learned Minxiu had married into the Zhou family, the real storm would hit.
Even the younger ones, Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie, weren’t spared from prying questions. People were more restrained in front of Yu Xiang’an, the main subject, but they had no qualms interrogating Yu Xiangju, a mere six-year-old. The boy, clueless about the details, simply repeated what the adults had told him. If pressed too hard, he’d run off—after all, he was just a child.
Most inquiries were directed at Yu Qingshan and Zhao Qiaoniang. Yu Qingshan deftly deflected, dismissing the engagement rumors as misunderstandings and revealing nothing incriminating. His evasiveness led some to speculate that something had gone awry, and they eventually stopped asking. The Yu family had a decent reputation, after all.
Zhao Qiaoniang, however, faced more malicious questioning. As a stepmother, she was often unfairly labeled, and she frequently had to defer to Yu Qingshan to handle the inquiries.
The county wasn’t large, and word spread quickly. Even Zhao Qiaoniang’s temporary coworkers at the textile factory began probing.
Liu Ju broached the topic first. “I heard you have two daughters at home now. The older one got a job, right? How’d she manage that? Any insider tips? My son’s about to graduate—if he could land a job in the city, our family would be forever grateful.”
Zhao Qiaoniang forced a smile. “Sister Liu, you overestimate me. If I had connections, my older kids wouldn’t have been sent to the countryside. This was just luck.”
Liu Ju sighed. “True.” Remembering the three children Zhao Qiaoniang had sent away, she fell silent before adding, “I just don’t want my child to leave me.”
It was a sentiment many shared but rarely voiced aloud, for fear of repercussions.
Qian Laidi couldn’t resist pressing further. “I remember you mentioned your daughter was getting married soon. Any updates? Lately, I’ve heard rumors that the wedding’s off.”
Zhao Qiaoniang was relieved they didn’t know which daughter she’d been referring to. She lowered her head and brushed it off. “That was just idle talk. She’s still young—her father doesn’t want her marrying so soon. We were careless before, but now we’re more cautious. Please don’t bring it up again.”
Qian Laidi scoffed. “Oh, come on. There’s more to it, isn’t there? Rumor has it your older daughter took over her future mother-in-law’s job. Otherwise, how’d she land a position so easily? Did that family wrong you?”
Zhao Qiaoniang shook her head firmly. “Where’d you hear that? She passed the exam. It’s just a coincidence they’re in the same factory.”
Qian Laidi remained skeptical. “Really? We never heard about any job openings.”
“They didn’t post it publicly—just hired one person.”
Liu Ju chimed in, “You must’ve had inside info. How else would your family know?”
“It came from her uncle’s side. I don’t know the details.”
Qian Laidi smirked. “That’s the older one, right? What about your own daughter?”
Zhao Qiaoniang focused on the fabric in her hands, her heart heavy. What about her daughter? She wished she knew what to do.
At home, even though her husband claimed to believe her innocence, the atmosphere was strained. Her mother-in-law openly criticized her, and her husband had grown wary, tightening control over their finances—clearly afraid she’d funnel resources to Minxiu. Only little Xiangju treated her the same as before. Did it hurt? Of course. But there was nothing she could do except wait for time to soften the wounds.
Then there was her daughter’s situation. Minxiu’s pregnancy couldn’t be hidden, so Zhao Qiaoniang had quietly attended the wedding at the Zhou family’s home. The ceremony was sparse—just the Zhou family, a few relatives, and some neighbors sharing peanuts and candy. They recited quotes from the Chairman’s works, pledged to “progress together,” and that was it. No fanfare, no witnesses from the factory, no dowry. Minxiu’s only family present was Zhao Qiaoniang herself, standing silently like a prop.
It pained her that her daughter’s lifelong milestone was so diminished, but what could she do? The Zhou family had even paid for Minxiu’s wedding dress. All Zhao Qiaoniang could offer was the meager savings she’d scraped together as a safety net. As for the lack of family support, there was no help for it—the Yu family was out of the question, and Minxiu’s biological father couldn’t be involved. They hadn’t dared tell him, hoping to pass off the eventual birth as premature. If he found out, he’d extort the Zhou family mercilessly.
In a way, Zhao Qiaoniang was relieved Minxiu was underage and couldn’t legally register the marriage yet. By the time she came of age, the child would already be born, making it a fait accompli. Even if her father objected then, it’d be too late to demand a bride price—though extracting Minxiu’s household registration from him would still be a battle.
“Qiaoniang, Qiaoniang! What’s on your mind? You’re not even listening.” Liu Ju’s voice snapped her back to reality.
Zhao Qiaoniang blinked. “Sorry, I was just thinking about dinner. What were you saying?”
Qian Laidi snorted. “I asked about your own daughter. The Yu family isn’t playing favorites, are they? The older one got a job—what about yours?”
Zhao Qiaoniang forced a faint smile. “She’s married.”
“Married? To whom?”
“Someone here in the county.”
“Does he have a job? How big’s the family? What do they do?” The women bombarded her with questions. “Such a big event, and you didn’t tell us? Don’t we count as friends? We didn’t even give red envelopes!”
Zhao Qiaoniang waved it off. “It was very simple—just a family meal. No guests…”
Once she’d muddled through the interrogation, Zhao Qiaoniang was exhausted. If these women connected the dots—that Yu Xiang’an’s former fiancé was a Zhou, and now her own daughter had married a Zhou—the speculation would explode. Some sharp-eared neighbors already suspected, but without proof, they could only hint. Denial was her only defense.
Her thoughts drifted back to Minxiu. A woman without family backing would struggle. The Yu family had once been their anchor, treating them well. Zhao Qiaoniang couldn’t fathom why her daughter had thrown that away. Even if the Zhou boy had pursued her, surely she knew right from wrong?
Now, all Zhao Qiaoniang could hope for was that Minxiu bore a son. A daughter’s life was too hard. When she’d given birth to Minxiu, her parents had still been alive to shield her from the worst of the Ding family’s cruelty. But Minxiu had entered the Zhou household under a cloud of disgrace. If she failed to produce an heir, she’d never hold her head high there.
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