When Jiang Tingting heard the villagers ask this, a look of grief immediately appeared on her face. Then, she glanced at Mother Zhou with gratitude and nodded, saying, “My mother wanted to sell me to a female broker. Fortunately, my mother-in-law took pity on me, used the little money she had, and went to my grandmother to arrange for me to marry into the Zhou family.”
The moment Jiang Tingting spoke, she cleared Mother Zhou’s name, saving her from the villagers’ gossip that Mother Zhou had spent money to find a wife for her dead son.
Mother Zhou was saving a life!
With chaos and war raging outside, who knew what would happen if she were sold to a female broker?
Staying in the village, in the Zhou family, at worst she’d just have to care for her mother-in-law and her underage brother-in-law. That was far better than following a female broker and being sold off to who knows where.
The villagers’ looks toward Mother Zhou changed—Mother Zhou was a truly good person!
Mother Zhou glanced at Jiang Tingting without saying anything, only speaking with concern, “Neighbors, please make way. Let us go in and take a look.”
After all, the Zhou and Jiang families were in-laws, so the villagers naturally couldn’t block Mother Zhou’s path. They parted left and right, clearing a way for Mother Zhou and Jiang Tingting to enter.
The Jiang family’s courtyard gate was open, and Jiang Tingting could see everything inside clearly.
Jiang’s mother had disheveled hair, her face swollen and red with slap marks, sitting on the ground, covered in dust, wailing and crying.
As for Old Madam Jiang, she sat on a stool, pointing at Jiang’s mother’s nose and scolding, “…This family doesn’t need your input yet! I’m not dead!”
“Sister!” Jiang Zhenniang spotted Jiang Tingting arriving and quickly called out to her mother, “Mother, sister is here.”
Jiang’s mother, as if she’d found a lifeline, scrambled up from the ground quickly: “Tingting, tell me, don’t you want to be sold by your grandmother?”
“What do you mean ‘sold’?” Old Madam Jiang was displeased to hear that. “Jiang Tingting has reached the age for marriage. I’ve found her a good family.”
“A good family? A family with no man, making my daughter live as a widow?” Jiang’s mother wailed, utterly heartbroken, “My poor daughter… Mother has failed you…”
With Jiang’s mother crying like that, logically, everyone should sympathize with her.
Unfortunately, everyone had just learned that Jiang’s mother had intended to sell Jiang Tingting to a female broker, only for Old Madam Jiang to beat her to it, marrying Jiang Tingting off to the Zhou family first.
Now, Jiang’s mother’s loud wailing was absolutely not because she felt sorry for Jiang Tingting—it was entirely because the silver from selling Jiang Tingting hadn’t landed in her hands.
How could anyone sympathize with her?
“Sister, please talk to Mother,” Jiang Zhenniang said, looking at Jiang Tingting pitifully. “I can’t do anything—I can’t persuade her. Sister, you’re the most capable. Please talk to Mother and make her stop crying.”
Jiang Tingting’s eyes reddened: “Mother, you… sigh…”
Jiang Tingting didn’t know how to console Jiang’s mother. She turned to look at Jiang Zhenniang: “Zhenniang, I’m already married now. I’m no longer a member of the Jiang family. From now on, this family depends on you.”
“Sister, I can’t do it.” Jiang Zhenniang cried in distress, looking at Jiang Tingting with pitiful helplessness.
A smile tugged at Jiang Tingting’s lips as she said with certainty, “Zhenniang, you can do it. Wasn’t it you who told Mother to sell me to pay for Daniú’s tuition?”
The moment those words left Jiang Tingting’s mouth, Jiang Zhenniang’s mind buzzed, and her face turned pale.
How did Jiang Tingting know?
The surrounding villagers gasped in unison, all staring at Jiang Zhenniang in disbelief.
They’d always thought Jiang Zhenniang was quiet and reserved, but they never imagined she was like this.
Persuading her parents to sell her own sister—that kind of person… too terrifying.
So ruthless at such a young age.
Strange gazes from all directions pierced Jiang Zhenniang like steel needles, making her feel utterly uncomfortable.
“Sister, I did it for this family.” Jiang Zhenniang spoke with grievance, her eyes full of resentment as she looked at Jiang Tingting. “I didn’t want to put Mother and Father in a difficult position.”
“I know.” Jiang Tingting sniffled understandingly, speaking even more sincerely than Jiang Zhenniang, “I know you did it for the good of this family. I’ve already brought in five taels of silver for this family. If Daniú’s tuition still isn’t enough, Zhenniang, you can also sell yourself into servitude—that could fetch two or three taels of silver.”
“That way, Daniú’s tuition will be covered, Mother won’t have to grieve so much, and she won’t fight with Grandmother anymore.”
Jiang Tingting was clearly smiling, and that smile was as considerate and understanding as ever, but at this moment, in Jiang Zhenniang’s eyes, it was so cold, as terrifying as a demon demanding her life.
Jiang Zhenniang stumbled back two steps, nearly falling.
She didn’t want to be sold!
She couldn’t be sold.
If she were sold to a female broker, she wouldn’t survive!
“Sister, I can’t be sold. If I’m sold, who will take care of Mother and Father?” Jiang Zhenniang’s mind raced, quickly coming up with a perfect excuse. “Sister is already married. Mother and Father can only rely on me to care for them.”
Just as Jiang Tingting was about to speak, Mother Zhou suddenly scolded in a deep voice, “So you still know your sister is already married?”
“Eldest Aunt, when we signed the marriage contract back then, it was agreed that once the silver was handed over, Jiang Tingting would have no further connection with the Jiang family.”
“If you’re going to go back on your word, then fine—I’ve brought her here. You take her back. And return my silver!” Zhou’s mother stared coldly at Old Madam Jiang, extremely assertive.
Return the silver that was already in her hands?
Wouldn’t that be like taking Old Madam Jiang’s life?
Of course, Old Madam Jiang wouldn’t agree.
“What do you mean go back on my word? Jiang Tingting is now the Zhou family’s daughter-in-law, and she has nothing to do with the Jiang family!” Old Madam Jiang said quickly, afraid that if she hesitated even a moment, the silver she hadn’t even warmed in her hands yet would fly away.
“Nothing to do with you? Then why did Jiang Zhenniang go to my house looking for Jiang Tingting? What business does your Jiang family have coming to my Zhou home?” Zhou’s mother’s face darkened as she questioned with displeasure.
“Who told you to go?” Old Madam Jiang glared furiously at Jiang Zhenniang.
Old Madam Jiang’s fierce, menacing expression startled Jiang Zhenniang into a shudder.
In the past, whenever something happened, Jiang Tingting would always bear the brunt—taking the beatings and scoldings. Jiang Zhenniang had never been yelled at like this by her grandmother before.
Now, facing Old Madam Jiang’s wrath directly, Jiang Zhenniang finally realized how terrifying her grandmother truly was.
In that instant, she felt as if her grandmother was about to strip her skin off.
So terrifying!
Jiang Zhenniang trembled, unable to utter a single word, let alone answer.
Jiang’s mother cut in: “She’s my daughter! Why can’t I go find her?”
“Village head, what do you think?” Zhou’s mother didn’t argue with Jiang’s mother but instead directly asked the village head, who had just arrived.
The village head walked over with a grim face and said, “Second Jiang’s wife, Jiang Tingting is now a member of the Zhou family. She has no connection to your Jiang family.”
“Village head, she’s my daughter!” Jiang’s mother shouted in defiance. Was she really not going to get any benefit out of this?
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