"You three siblings didn't go to town with the others?"
As Li Jianguo led his younger siblings out, they passed by the Big Banyan Tree where several village women were sitting. Seeing the three children, they couldn't resist teasing them.
Before the children could respond, the elderly women continued their chatter.
"Where's your mother? Did she go to town without you?"
A mocking voice chimed in—it was Granny Liu, the one who loved gossiping the most.
"What mother? With a stepmother comes a stepfather. Now that the father's gone, what mother remains…"
Though harsh, it was the truth.
Her wrinkled eyelids nearly covered the corners of her eyes, which were filled with malicious amusement.
"And I heard that your stepmother went to town today to find a matchmaker! She'll probably find a new husband soon!"
At Liu Chunhua's words, the surrounding women watching the spectacle were all shocked.
"His Aunt, are you serious? Is the third son's wife really remarrying? How come I haven't heard any news about it?"
"But then again, she's still so young, and these three children aren't hers anyway."
They were being relatively restrained in their comments. What they really meant was—what decent young woman would want to raise three burdensome children?
Especially someone as lazy as Shen Ning.
With their house full of drafts and leaks, without a man to depend on, she'd probably starve to death.
When Li Jianguo first heard this, it felt like a blow to the head, and everything suddenly became clear to him.
A wave of betrayed anger surged in his heart.
So that's why this woman had been so nice to them these past couple days!
Cooking eggs for them, making noodles for them.
She was planning to abandon them and remarry!
"But if you ask me, these three children are already so big. After a few years of feeding them, they can help with household chores!"
Liu Chunhua's gaze fell on the youngest, Xiaohua, looking her up and down. A malicious, adult-like smile appeared on her lips as she seemed to think of something.
"Xiaohua, though just a girl, with those big eyes, small nose, and little mouth—she'll definitely grow into a beauty!"
Changing her tone to half-joking, she continued, "Marry her off to another family early—not only would you have one less burden, but you could also get a bride price. I suspect the third son's wife might be planning exactly that~"
Though the children were young, they could understand what she was saying.
Instantly, all the children's faces changed. Xiaohua looked terrified, her large eyes welling with tears as her small hands tightly clutched the second brother's clothes.
Seeing how frightened the children were, someone stepped in to mediate, "Alright, stop talking nonsense. You're scaring the children."
Hearing the rebuttal, Liu Chunhua became defensive, raising her voice several notches.
"How is this nonsense? The other day I saw the third son's wife going to the west end of the village. Zhou the Cripple said his family has already prepared twenty yuan for their son's bride price!"
Twenty yuan—that was a huge sum of money.
But it wouldn't be easy to obtain. Zhou the Cripple's son was an idiot—still wetting his pants at twelve years old. Whoever married him would be condemned to a life of servitude.
That's why Zhou the Cripple had been saving up this twenty yuan for his son for a long time.
No one of appropriate age was willing to marry their daughter into his family, so they had to look for younger girls—the younger, the easier to control.
Although child brides were officially banned, exchanging young girls for marriage or raising future daughters-in-law from childhood remained common practices in rural areas.
For parentless Li Xiaohua, her greatest value lay in being exchanged for marriage—to fetch a bride price.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I'll never let my sister be traded to the Zhou family!"
Li Jianguo resembled a young beast ignited with rage, baring his sharp fangs as if ready to pounce and tear a chunk of flesh from these chattering women.
"Right! No one's going to sell my sister!" Li Jianjun tightly shielded his younger sister behind him, like a hen protecting her chicks.
"Jianjun, Xiaohua, let's go!"
Before leaving, he made sure to glare fiercely at Liu Chunhua.
This infuriated her thoroughly.
"Hey! You little brat! Keep glaring and I'll gouge your eyes out! Pah! Fatherless, motherless bastard…"
Little Jianguo quickly covered Xiao Hua'er's ears.
But those sharp, venomous words seemed to penetrate everywhere, leaving them no place to hide.
Meanwhile, after selling a large piece of Xiangzao, Shen Ning finally had four freshly earned yuan to buy necessities for their impoverished household.
She purchased ten jin of old rice for one and a half yuan, bought three jin of oil for two yuan and twenty cents, leaving just thirty cents.
She lamented again how quickly money disappeared.
With the remaining thirty cents, she bought fruit candies—six pieces in total. Not bad.
This market trip could be considered a success. Shen Ning felt quite satisfied, eagerly anticipating returning home. Those three kids would surely have their favorability ratings skyrocket like rockets upon seeing these candies!
Then she could go on a shopping spree in the mall!
Finding valuable items to sell at the market would essentially be profit without investment—pure income!
A hopeful smile spread across Shen Ning's face, as if she could already see herself rolling around on a bed covered with banknotes.
The July sun remained intense; within just an hour, it had grown scorching.
Her cheeks flushed red, and large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.
She quickened her pace, hoping to reach home before the midday heat peaked to avoid heatstroke.
Fortunately, the items in her back basket weren't too heavy. By the time she reached Xiaohe Village, it wasn't yet lunchtime, and some people were still working in the fields.
Passing under the Big Banyan Tree, she found it unusually empty—the usual gossips had all returned home to prepare lunch.
Arriving home, she found the courtyard gate tightly shut.
Shen Ning stepped forward and knocked.
"Jianguo, Jianjun, Xiaohua, I'm back! Open up!"
She already had the candies from her pocket in hand.
"Open quickly! See what I brought you!"
With a creak, the door opened—but instead of young faces, she was greeted by a long wooden stick.
Li Jianguo led the charge, his eyes burning with intensified fury, followed by Li Jianjun, who also held a wooden stick.
The children, who had recently been softening toward her because of treats, now stood armored in defiance.
They looked at her as if she were their father's murderer—an irreconcilable enemy.
Even Xiaohua looked timid, her face full of fear.
Shen Ning's heart sank abruptly.
She had only gone to town for a while—what on earth had happened???
"What are you all doing?"
Li Jianguo snorted heavily, "We have nothing to do with you. You're not allowed to enter our home!"