"And me, I'll stand by you unconditionally. If your parents dare tell you not to run a private business again, we'll all go visit their place and make them understand that you are the hope of our village."
"Exactly. With us around, your parents will never again be foolish enough to say no to Liu Nian."
"..."
Zhang Liunian was touched by their unexpected show of support. "Thank you, Uncle. I'll go pick up my little sister first."
After saying goodbye, Zhang Liunian headed straight for his elder brother's house.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaomei, sitting on a small stool in her elder brother's main hall, was enduring a double blow from her parents.
"The third child is a good-for-nothing, and you're following along with his nonsense. Tie Zhu's remains are barely cold, and you're already divorcing and coming back to your maiden home.
What will people say, pointing fingers at us and scolding us?
It's not just about you being scolded; it will also tarnish your second brother's reputation!"
"A woman doesn't get a divorce, nor is there any precedent for a divorced daughter returning to her maiden home.
After you pack your things, go back to Tie Family Village, apologize to Tie Mu, and seek her forgiveness. Then, continue living there."
The one speaking was Yu Xiaohua. Having been angered by her youngest son, she unknowingly took it out on her meek daughter.
However, Zhang Xiaomei, who had experienced a period of good living at Zhang Liunian's place, was still weak in character, but not foolish. Why would she choose to suffer in Tie Family Village when she could have a comfortable life?
"I'd rather die than go." Her third brother had managed to rescue her from that deep pit, and Zhang Xiaomei would never jump back into it.
Besides, she now had a man she fancied. Why would she choose to live as a widow and suffer? She wasn't brainless; she knew how to live a good life.
During this time, after observing the interactions between her third brother and his wife, she realized that couples could also live so sweetly.
"You ungrateful girl are now standing up to me. I think you deserve a beating."
Yu Xiaohua, seeing her usually obedient daughter now defying her, was so enraged that she raised her hand to strike.
Just then, Zhang Liunian arrived, extending his hand like Er Kang to stop her, "Stop."
Yu Xiaohua was startled by him, her hand frozen in mid-air, unsure whether to continue.
"Third Brother." Seeing her third brother arrive, Zhang Xiaomei immediately hid behind him.
For some reason, she always felt a sense of security when she was behind her third brother.
"Third Child, why did you bring this ungrateful girl back? Our village has no daughters who divorce and return to their maiden homes." Yu Xiaohua, seeing her daughter hiding behind her son, pointed and reprimanded him.
"Mom, Xiaomei is your own flesh and blood. How can you send her back to face that wicked mother-in-law? Don't you have any idea what her life was like in the Tie family?
Don't you know what kind of life she was living?"
Zhang Liunian didn't believe they were unaware. It was just that there was no concept of divorce in their village, and no instances of daughters returning to their maiden homes after divorce.
Therefore, they were afraid of being different, afraid of disrupting the established way of life, and even more afraid of people saying that Zhang Liunian had a sister like that.
Hearing her third brother speak up for her, Zhang Xiaomei's eyes welled up with tears involuntarily.
Her suffering was seen by the whole family, but only her third brother personally came to help and save her.
She was grateful to her third brother and cherished his affection for her. She would work harder to earn money and repay him in the future.
"Aren't all women like this? Do you think all mothers-in-law in the world are as good as your mother, me?" Yu Xiaohua was momentarily speechless by her son's questioning, but after thinking about it, she felt that women all went through this, and there was nothing to it.
Zhang Liunian laughed upon hearing this. "Indeed, Grandma died early. Otherwise, I would have thought Mom, you also suffered under a mother-in-law."
Yu Xiaohua's statement was a double standard. When she married Zhang Wenxue, there was no mother-in-law above her.
Her statement about women all going through this did not apply to her, as she had not gone through such hardship. How could she then ask her own daughter to endure such suffering?
"Third Child, are you deliberately going against Mom?" Why did Zhang Liunian have to retort to everything she said?
How come she never knew her youngest son was such a contrarian?
"Mom, while there are no women in the village who divorce and return to their maiden homes, surely there are also no sisters-in-law who return to their brothers' homes!
Xiaomei was brought back by me, and I will be responsible for her. She won't be around to bother you." With that, Zhang Liunian took Zhang Xiaomei's hand and prepared to leave.
Just then, Zhang Wenjun, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly spoke up, "Big Brother, are you still going to ignore Liunian's venture into running a private business?"
In the afternoon, he had gone to the construction site to set up a stall, but he hadn't sold much.
Even after lowering the price to one cent for two bowls, he only made one yuan.
And the thirty catties of crayfish he brought back were still with him.
This made Zhang Wenjun very resentful. Why was Zhang Liunian's business always booming, while his only sold once and was ignored?
Zhang Wenjun was unhappy and wanted to see Zhang Liunian and his father clash, to console his own heart.
Zhang Wenxue heard this and looked at his younger brother strangely, then said, "Why the look on your face like you're enjoying a show?"
"..." Damn it, he forgot that his elder brother was very shrewd. Zhang Wenjun quickly retracted his spectating expression, cursing his elder brother for being so sharp.
He had only let slip a bit of his emotions.
Zhang Liunian heard this, paused for a moment, then left with his little sister.
As soon as they left, Zhang Wenjun continued to badmouth Zhang Liunian to his father, "Big Brother, it's not that I'm speaking out of turn, but Liunian has really gone too far.
He openly contradicts you, his parents, and doesn't show you enough respect.
If he were my son, I would beat him to death.
He's only made a little money and already disrespects you. Truly an ungrateful wretch."
Zhang Wenxue and his wife remained silent. They were both the type to present a united front against outsiders.
They could criticize their own son, but they wouldn't tolerate others saying the same, even if that person was Zhang Wenjun.
However, he just mentioned making a little money; how much was it?
"Dad, Mom, Third Brother has indeed gone too far this time. You were just trying to do what's best for Xiaomei, but he treated you like enemies.
Also, both of you elders are back, and he didn't even bring some braised meat and crayfish to show filial piety."
The one who spoke was Wu Gudi, who had been a mere background prop all day. She hadn't gone with her in-laws to her brother-in-law's house earlier.
One reason was that she didn't want her brother-in-law to suspect her of causing trouble, and the other was that she still had some matters to attend to.
Now, seeing the confrontation between her brother-in-law and her in-laws, she was overjoyed.
"Braised meat and crayfish? What are those?" Zhang Wenxue murmured, still unaware of what Zhang Liunian was doing with his private business.
Upon hearing these food items, he was a bit slow to react.
Wu Gudi saw her in-laws looking confused and immediately explained, "These are things Third Brother is selling. I tried them once, and the taste was quite good."
It wasn't just quite good; it was incredibly delicious. Unfortunately, she had only tried the braised meat once, and only a bite at that.
If Zhang Liushui hadn't been so stingy and denied her more, she could have eaten a few more bites.