While Liu Fen declared she wouldn’t return to the Xia family, coincidentally, the Xia family was discussing the mother-daughter pair.

The Xia family had over ten members with plenty of land but few laborers. After working day and night to repair the river embankment, the three Xia brothers returned home to face harvest season without rest – even iron bodies couldn’t withstand this. Without Liu Fen, their hardworking ox who ate little and worked much, even Zhang Cui, who hadn’t worked for years, had to take to the fields. Wang Jingui couldn’t slack off anymore. Old Mrs. Xia and Xia Hongxia stayed home cooking and watching the children. The whole family worked like dogs to store all the rice, everyone feeling this year’s harvest was particularly grueling – Xia Ziyu had taken their savings, the money the three brothers earned from repairing the embankment had been sent to her, and the family account was empty. This autumn’s harvest meals had barely any meat, and without proper nutrition, they lacked strength for work.

Finally, with the grain stored, the Xia family could gather for a family meeting to discuss Xia Xiaolan and her mother.

“Dajun, what are you thinking? Those two have been with the Liu family for so long, not even returning for harvest. They don’t consider themselves part of the Xia family anymore. How can this continue?”

Old Mrs. Xia’s face was full of worry.

She had her life wisdom, wearing different faces for different people.

Before her beloved granddaughter Xia Ziyu, she was a kind and generous grandmother. Of course, she hadn’t always favored Xia Ziyu so much. With traditional rural views favoring boys over girls, she naturally doted most on her three grandsons. But after finishing junior high, Xia Ziyu suddenly became enlightened, saying and doing everything that pleased Old Mrs. Xia. Being studious with a promising future, gradually Old Mrs. Xia’s heart shifted more and more. By the time Xia Ziyu confirmed her university acceptance, even the grandsons ranked behind the eldest granddaughter in Old Mrs. Xia’s heart.

Before her second daughter-in-law who couldn’t bear sons and the disgraceful Xia Xiaolan, she was a harsh old woman.

How else could she establish her absolute authority without oppressing lower-status family members like Liu Fen?

Before her sons, especially the strong but simple-minded second son, Old Mrs. Xia was a caring mother. She wasn’t completely two-faced, but whatever harsh things she did, she could righteously claim it was for Xia Dajun’s good, for the whole family’s benefit. Her maternal love worried that Xia Dajun had no son to conduct his funeral, worried that the delicate and frivolous Xia Xiaolan couldn’t marry well, so she encouraged Xia Dajun to be good to the promising Xia Ziyu, made the son-less Liu Fen work more, had the couple contribute more to the family so the nephews would care for them in the future – at least this was how Old Mrs. Xia appeared in Xia Dajun’s heart.

He wasn’t unaware of Liu Fen’s mistreatment at home.

But Xia Dajun had grown used to it himself and thought Liu Fen should just endure it.

He also felt the family had been a bit extreme in not sending Xiaolan to the hospital, but they truly had no money… That stubborn girl was too headstrong, wanting to snatch anything good she saw, ruining her reputation through self-destruction – couldn’t the family even say a few words about it?

The more magnanimous Ziyu was, the more Xiaolan should show an apologetic attitude.

These were all Xia Dajun’s thoughts, but that day when Xia Xiaolan held scissors to her neck demanding to leave, and Liu Fen forcefully pushed past him for the first time, Xia Dajun couldn’t help wondering if he had been wrong.

The rice harvest had exhausted Xia Dajun, and now the family meeting left him speechless. When Old Mrs. Xia asked if they could continue living this way, Xia Dajun felt his face had been trampled underfoot.

He couldn’t produce a son, mocked in the village for ending his line.

Could he not even control his wife and child at home?!

“I’ll make them return to apologize to Mother.”

At this family meeting, the younger generation wasn’t present. Xia Hongxia crouched outside the window eavesdropping. Her Second Uncle still wanted Xia Xiaolan’s family to return – it made Xia Hongxia’s chest hurt with anger. What right did Xia Xiaolan have to be so arrogant? She looked indecent and wasn’t worthy to even carry her elder sister’s shoes. Her return to the Xia family would interfere with Hongxia’s marriage prospects… Xia Hongxia wouldn’t admit it, but while she claimed Xia Xiaolan looked indecent, she envied that beauty.

Xia Dajun’s words made everyone fall silent.

They could hear that Xia Dajun wanted to continue the marriage, with no current plans to replace his wife. Wang Jingui grew anxious – she didn’t mind Liu Fen returning, but Xia Xiaolan couldn’t come back to taint her daughter’s reputation. As she was about to speak, her husband Xia Hongbin glared at her.

Zhang Cui gently tugged at Xia Changzheng’s sleeve, and he nodded with his elder brother’s authority:

“Family will always have conflicts. Let Xiaolan come back and apologize to her grandmother, we’re still family. This girl doesn’t know what’s important – forget about her reputation outside, look how she’s upset her grandmother.”

Xia Dajun looked expectantly at his mother. Old Mrs. Xia exhaled heavily through her nose:

“She doesn’t need to apologize to me. After such a scandal, she should apologize to Ziyu first. Ziyu not holding it against her shows Ziyu’s magnanimity!”

This made sense.

Since Ziyu and Wang Jianhua’s relationship was public, they would surely marry after graduating. Family bonds run deep – could Xiaolan avoid interacting with her sister and brother-in-law? Young and ignorant, always trying to compete with Ziyu, refusing to admit mistakes… How could the family like her?

Xia Dajun knew his mother had relented, and his heart settled. He agreed readily:

“I’ll go to the Liu family tomorrow to bring them back. I’ll make her write apology letters to Ziyu – one, two, however many it takes until Ziyu forgives her!”

Zhang Cui knew it was her turn to step in. Unlike the clamorous Wang Jingui, Xia Dajun had always respected his elder sister-in-law.

“Ziyu doesn’t blame her, but with Xiaolan’s personality… letting her stay with the Liu family might cause them trouble too. Better to bring her back where we can watch her. She’s still young, proper guidance can still correct her.”

Zhang Cui played the good person, leaving Wang Jingui very dissatisfied: “With her standing around the house, who would dare come propose to my Hongxia? Unless Sister-in-law expects Ziyu to introduce a university student to Hongxia?!”

By the latter half of her statement, Wang Jingui’s eyes flickered with genuine anticipation!

Zhang Cui’s eyelid twitched. Introduce a university student to Xia Hongxia. Were university students so worthless these days? Xia Hongxia was the least striking among the Xia sisters, hadn’t even finished junior high, and had a rural household registration that prevented formal employment. A university student would have to be blind to agree to date Xia Hongxia.

“Enough nonsense. If Dajun wants to continue this marriage, go to the Liu family tomorrow to bring them back!”

Liu Yong wouldn’t be easy to deal with. Old Mrs. Xia deliberately wanted Xia Dajun to face rejection, but Xia Changzheng tactlessly said, “I’ll go with Dajun tomorrow.”

Seeing their mother-in-law’s disapproval written all over her face, Zhang Cui quickly added: “Let me go with Dajun instead. You men speak too harshly, might make things worse.”

Xia Dajun looked at his sister-in-law gratefully.

Wang Jingui’s eyes rolled, “Then I’ll go too. Second Sister-in-law won’t be able to resist both of us – we’ll carry her back to the Xia family if we have to!”