Chapter 19: Returning the Betrothal TokenAunt Guihua followed Lin Qinghe to the Lin household. Seeing the few children at home, she suddenly realized, "Should we call your mother over? Such an important matter…""No need. My mother has married into the Wang family and is now a member of the Wang household. There's no need to bother her with such trivial matters. Besides, we just had a dispute with Butcher Wang and his family. It wouldn't be appropriate to visit them now," Lin Qinghe firmly refused."That's true. Butcher Wang isn't an easy person to get along with. It wouldn't be good if she suffered because of matters here," Aunt Guihua nodded in agreement.However, breaking off an engagement was no small matter. Her heart felt unsettled, filled with unease."Qinghe, are you really sure about breaking off this engagement? If you don't want to, I could swallow my pride and plead with Mrs. Qian on your behalf. There might still be room for negotiation," Aunt Guihua said. After all, Mrs. Qian was essentially a member of the Zhao Family. As a widow with a young son, she still had many places where she needed to rely on others.Lin Qinghe replied without hesitation, "Let's just break it off. Given our family's current situation, marrying into any household would only be a burden. I might as well stay home and take care of my younger siblings. Who knows, they might achieve great things in the future.""But you'll suffer!" Aunt Guihua said with a pained expression."This isn't suffering. At least it's my own home. If I went to someone else's house and had to endure a difficult mother-in-law, that would be true suffering," Lin Qinghe smiled and said, "Besides, who can predict the future? If I meet someone who suits me, I'm not opposed to marrying.""You really are still a child, talking about marriage so casually. Aren't you afraid others will laugh at you?" Aunt Guihua chuckled, but inwardly, she felt much more at ease.She was still young; there was still a chance to find someone suitable. And Mrs. Qian truly wasn't an easy person to get along with. She doted on her son, treating him like a treasure, but her attitude toward a daughter-in-law might be entirely different."I only say such things in front of you, Auntie. Surely you won't laugh at me?"Just as Aunt Guihua was about to reply, Mrs. Qian's voice sounded at the door: "Lin Qinghe, are you home?""I'm home, Aunt Qian. Please come in!" Lin Qinghe responded.Aunt Guihua, however, straightened her expression and looked coldly at the mother and son entering through the courtyard gate."Mrs. Qian, you really couldn't wait, could you?""Tang Guihua, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Qian glanced her up and down, her face filled with displeasure.Regarding the matter of breaking off the engagement, she didn't want it to become widely known. Her son was a scholar and would soon be taking the imperial examinations. At such a critical time, his reputation must not be tarnished."I heard you were coming to break off the engagement. With only a few children at home, they might not understand the proper etiquette. I came to oversee things, to make sure this engagement is broken off clearly and properly. Otherwise, if you regret it later or try to play tricks, that wouldn't do."Hearing this, Mrs. Qian's anger flared up. "You don't trust my character? As for this engagement, the sooner it's broken off, the better. There's no question of regret. And playing tricks? Ha! The Lin family is utterly destitute now. What could they possibly have that would make me want to play tricks on them? You're overthinking things."If the Lin family's circumstances were still passable, she wouldn't have considered breaking off the engagement. After all, at such a critical time, her son's reputation was more important. But Lin Qinghe's current behavior was unacceptable—so fierce that even someone like Wang Erlang could be injured by her. Such a daughter-in-law, who would dare to marry her? Only by ending the engagement early could one feel at ease.Aunt Guihua curled her lip: "That's hard to say. You can know a person's face but not their heart. When the engagement was first arranged, they praised her to the skies, singing her praises over and over. Now that they want to break it off, they find fault with this and that. People, ah, are truly unpredictable!""Tang Guihua, we are both members of the Zhao family, after all. Don't side with outsiders—it won't do you any good.""Whether it does me any good or not, I dare not say. But one must have a conscience. If I were to speak up for you, I fear my conscience would never be at peace for decades to come.""What nonsense about a troubled conscience! The more you talk, the more absurd it sounds, as if I've committed some heinous crime. Marriage is not about making enemies. If the match isn't suitable, then it can only be broken off. Should we force them to become a family? Would we dare to marry her, and would she dare to marry into our family?""Certainly not. Just looking at you now, if she really married into your family, she'd probably be tormented to death. Who would dare to marry into such a family? Thinking about it this way, breaking off the engagement might not be a bad thing—at least her life would be spared."The more they spoke, the more unreasonable it became. Mrs. Qian was furious; this Tang Guihua was determined to oppose her."Since you also agree to break off the engagement, then stop wasting words. We've brought the documents, and ink, paper, and inkstone are ready. The annulment agreement can be written immediately." Mrs. Qian glanced at Lin Qinghe."Elder sister, are we really breaking off the engagement?" Lin Qingsong tugged at her sleeve and asked quietly.Lin Qinghe patted his hand: "Children shouldn't meddle in adult matters.""But…" Lin Qingsong wanted to say something.But Lin Qinghe cut him off directly: "Go back inside and watch over your younger siblings. They're all injured—don't let them move around recklessly and worsen their injuries.""Elder sister.""Be obedient and go. These matters are beyond you children. I'll handle them myself." As she spoke, she tilted her chin, signaling him to go inside.Lin Qingsong had no choice. He turned and glared fiercely at the imposing Mrs. Qian, then shot a sharp look at Zhao Zhengping, who stood beside her. He had always respected him in the past, but who would have thought he was such a person? He snorted heavily and turned to go inside.Lin Qinghe retrieved the engagement document and, along with it, a silver bracelet—the token given by the Zhao family at the time of the engagement, which she had kept all this time. Now, she returned both to the Zhao family.Mrs. Qian also took out the engagement document, then turned to look at her son. Seeing that he hadn't moved for a long time, she cleared her throat twice.Zhao Zhengping slowly reached into his chest and took out a jade pendant—the token prepared by Mrs. Su at the time of the engagement.Mrs. Su came from a scholarly family and was a refined person. When she bought this jade pendant, she spent no small sum—a full fifty taels of silver. Compared to the silver bracelet given by the Zhao family, it was far more valuable.Zhao Zhengping held the jade pendant, hesitating to return it for a long time. His gaze fixed on Lin Qinghe: "Qinghe, are we really breaking off the engagement?"Not to mention what Lin Qinghe was thinking at this moment, just Aunt Guihua couldn't hold back anymore: "If you don't want to break off the engagement, then what are you two doing here?""Zhengping, what are you saying? Didn't we agree at home that Lin Qinghe doesn't have even a trace of her mother's virtue and gentleness? Such a woman cannot be married into our family. Once we break off this engagement, I'll find you a better match," Mrs. Qian said, scolding her son while casting an extremely disdainful look at Lin Qinghe."Hmph, I'll just wait and see if you can find a better girl than Qinghe," Aunt Guihua sneered.

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops