“Sis, what’s wrong with you?”
Feng Wenping’s gaze flickered. She hesitated before replying, “It’s nothing… just some sand got into my eyes.”
“Sis, don’t lie to me. Who gets sand in their eyes and ends up like this? Your eyes are swollen like walnuts. What happened? Tell me. Maybe I can’t help with everything, but your younger brother can at least stand up for you.”
As soon as he said that, Feng Wenping’s tears fell uncontrollably. She covered her mouth and ran into the next room, and soon, the sound of her crying echoed again.
Jiang Lin hurriedly turned to his aunt. “Aunt, what happened to my sister? If there’s something wrong, why can’t you tell me?”
His aunt sighed heavily. “You don’t know… your sister is already 22 this year. In our village, that already counts as an old unmarried woman.”
“We finally managed to arrange a marriage for her. The other family’s conditions are decent. They have three brothers, and I heard they’re very capable when it comes to farm work. They even built a new tiled house this year.”
“After both families met, they also liked your sister. Everything was going smoothly. The betrothal gifts and dowry were already agreed upon… but who would’ve thought that today they sent a message through a matchmaker.”
“They said… they said our Feng family only gives birth to daughters. They’re afraid your sister won’t be able to bear a son after marrying in.”
“So now they won’t give the betrothal gift anymore. Instead, they want the bride’s family to double the dowry.”
“And if we’re unwilling, then they suggested marrying all three sisters to their three brothers at once.”
“Tell me, does that even sound like something a human would say?”
Jiang Cui’e’s greatest pain in life was that she had given birth to three daughters. In the village, having only daughters was seen as a dead end for the family line. Even without offending anyone, people would still take the opportunity to step on you.
Not having a son was treated like an original sin. It made it impossible to hold your head high.
Jiang Cui’e had always been strong-willed, but she never expected her daughter to face such a difficult situation.
The reason her eldest daughter’s marriage had been delayed for so long was precisely because of the reputation that their family only had daughters. That stigma had now followed onto her daughters as well.
“Aunt, what’s there to be upset about?” Jiang Lin said calmly. “My sister is only 22, not 32. There’s still time to look carefully. Marriage isn’t like other things. If she marries the wrong person, it’s like jumping straight into a pit of fire.”
Memories from his previous life surfaced in Jiang Lin’s mind.
He vaguely remembered this incident. Back then, because his family lived far away, by the time he heard about it, his cousin had already compromised and married into that family. Enjoying the story? Read on at NovelPing.
The other side had demanded an outrageous price… not only tripling the dowry but also requiring the so-called “three rounds and one sound,” along with an additional 100 yuan given to the groom’s family.
Later, when he heard about her again, it was news of her burial.
As for how she died, his aunt’s family had always been vague about it, only cursing the husband’s family as inhuman.
It wasn’t until Jiang Lin once overheard his parents talking that he learned the truth.
After marriage, Feng Wenping had never been able to conceive. At first, her husband treated her coldly, finding fault with everything. Later, after a hospital check, it turned out the problem lay with the husband.
Feng Wenping, kind-hearted as she was, didn’t divorce him. Instead, she comforted him, saying that even without children, they could still live well together.
But that man became obsessed with having a child.
In the end, he secretly conspired with his younger brother, planning to have his brother impregnate her in his place.
When Feng Wenping found out, she resisted desperately. But the two brothers got her drunk and carried out their vile plan.
The next morning, when she woke up, she drank pesticide.
If Jiang Cui’e hadn’t seen her daughter one last time before she died, she might never have known the monstrous things her son-in-law had done.
After such a scandal, they couldn’t even seek revenge. If they did, it would mean their daughter, even in death, would bear the disgrace of being labeled immoral… and with her own brother-in-law.
It was like swallowing broken teeth along with blood.
“But your sister has already been delayed this long,” Jiang Cui’e said bitterly. “If she really reaches 32 without marrying, the villagers will point fingers at her forever.”
She was a traditional woman. Because she hadn’t given birth to a son, she always felt inferior. Though she had a fiery temperament, she couldn’t silence the gossip of the entire village.
The fact that her daughters’ marriages were affected because she had only given birth to girls had become a burden she could never let go of.
“I’ve been thinking… if they don’t want to give a betrothal gift, then fine, we don’t want it. Whatever conditions they raise, I’ll agree.”
“It’s just doubling the dowry. Your uncle has earned some money over the years.”
“The most important thing is that your sister can live a good life.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lin immediately understood. No wonder his aunt had agreed in his previous life.
It wasn’t that she ignored his words… it was simply that everyone in this era thought this way. No one stepped outside these rigid norms. Get faster updates on g.com.
At 20, if you weren’t married, the entire village would urge you. Being an unmarried adult was seen as a fault in itself.
“Aunt, if you put it that way, then I can’t agree,” Jiang Lin said firmly. “Why should the Feng family be looked down upon? My uncle’s skill as a butcher is excellent. While other families went hungry, ours never lacked food. Why should we bow our heads and cater to their demands?”
“I know you’re angry and want to stand up for your sister,” Jiang Cui’e replied, her voice softening, “but what can we do? It’s all because I’m incapable… I only gave birth to three daughters.”
“If only I had given them a younger brother or an elder brother, they wouldn’t dare bully us like this.”
Jiang Lin frowned. “Aunt, how do they not have a brother? Am I not one? Or am I already dead in your eyes?”
Jiang Cui’e was stunned.
She remembered that in the past, when she had asked this nephew to stand up for her daughters, he had been reluctant. After holding it in for a long time, he had once said that they were surnamed Feng, not Jiang, so why should he stand up for them?
That single sentence had broken her heart. From then on, she had given up hope.
“Big Lin, what’s gotten into you today? Your sisters… they carry the surname Feng.”
She spoke cautiously, afraid of being hurt again.
“Aunt, even if they’re surnamed Feng, their mother is surnamed Jiang.”
Jiang Lin’s voice was steady. “Aunt, I think this marriage is unsuitable. There’s no need for us to lower ourselves. The more the bride’s side compromises, the more the groom’s side will think we’re in the wrong… or even that we’re beneath them.”
“In such an unequal marriage, my sister won’t have a good life. She might even be bullied after marrying in.”
“You silly boy,” Jiang Cui’e sighed. “What you’re saying makes sense, but you don’t understand. If your sister doesn’t marry now, where else can she go? In all the nearby villages, no one has come to propose. It’s not easy to find even one family like this…”
Of course she understood these principles, but what choice did she have?
“Aunt, what I mean is, let’s put this marriage aside for now. My sister deserves something better.”
He paused before continuing, “Actually, I came today because of something related to my eldest sister. If her situation works out, she’ll become the director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. At that point, plenty of people will try to curry favor with her.”
“We can find my sister a husband from the county. Why settle for someone from a village? Wouldn’t it be better to find her someone with a stable, iron-rice-bowl job?”