’Is this what it’s like when a wealthy family from the county seat marries off their daughter?’

Especially that shop—it was a veritable gold mine. Business was so good, it was like sweeping up fallen leaves; SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, and you’d have a pile of silver.

Mrs. Zhao felt a little weak-kneed, a dreamy expression spreading across her face.

The members of the Zhao Family and the other villagers who had gathered also wore looks of utter disbelief.

"They’re not leaving the shop to a son, but giving it to a daughter as part of her dowry?"

"What are Chen Song and his wife thinking? I’ve heard of doting on a daughter, but I’ve never seen anyone take it this far."

"Oh, my! I told you our Jing was a lucky boy. Look here—it’s like he’s marrying a bride made of gold!"

"The Chen family’s generous dowry shows how highly they think of our Jing. Elder Sister, since they value Jing so much, we must treat their daughter like our very own. We can’t let Chen Song and his wife feel disappointed."

"This is truly a blessed union. His parents have such good judgment! See? They found such a wonderful wife for Jing just like that."

A wife’s quality depended on her character, that was one thing. But her upbringing and her parents were another matter entirely.

With parents so generous and upstanding, how could their daughter be anything but a good person?

Because of this magnificent dowry, word had spread throughout the Zhao Village before Chen Wanqing had even married into the family. Everyone was saying that a man should take a wife just like the Chen’s eldest daughter! A good wife brings prosperity for three generations, they said, but this girl would bring it for five!

Of course, while some were overjoyed, others were filled with frustration and regret.

Many families in the village had sons around Chen Wanqing’s age. She had been a striking beauty even from a young age, so they had come to inquire about a possible match.

But Xu Suying had turned them all down. She was single-mindedly determined to find a scholar for her daughter.

’What’s so good about scholars? They’re often faithless cads.’ 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

’It’s better to marry a daughter to a farming family for a simple, honest life than to marry her off to a scholar’s family and live in constant fear.’

But now... if they had only known Xu Suying would provide such a magnificent dowry, they would have beaten their sons senseless to force them to hit the books.

Unfortunately, the bride was arriving tomorrow. It was too late for regrets.

These people were merely neighbors of the Chen family. Their regret was limited to not having forced their sons to study, and not having proposed a match between their sons, nephews, or other male relatives and Chen Wanqing.

Their regret was limited; it was more a sense of wistfulness.

But for the people in the old Chen family residence, it wasn’t something as simple as wistfulness. They were filled with absolute hatred.

’All that gold, prime farmland, and the shop... given as a dowry for that money-losing baggage!’

’This is unacceptable!’

’Even if they didn’t want to give it to De’an and Yao’an, they could have given it to Li’an or Shou’an!’

The Chen family had so many male heirs, yet he had insisted on giving a fortune—one that could sustain generations of sons and grandsons—to a girl to take with her out the door. The old woman felt as if her very heart had been clawed out. She was about to go mad with rage.

She didn’t even bother feeding the chickens. With a dark expression, she said to Chen Dachang, "You go find your eldest brother and tell him to take back that dowry. Just say it—I do not approve! I do not approve a thousand times, ten thousand times over!"

Chen Dachang puffed on his long-stemmed pipe, his face a mask of misery identical to hers. But he didn’t speak, only lowering his head to lead out the old ox.

They hadn’t gone to the county seat to sell their flatbreads today because Chen Lin had a follow-up appointment at the town clinic.

The doctor had explained that Chen Lin had fractured a bone in his lower leg. It was a minor crack, so they had set it in a splint for a month. If the healing was progressing well, he could have the splint removed during this visit.

As Chen Dachang went inside to carry his son, the old woman continued to curse under her breath.

She cursed Chen Dachang for being so meek you couldn’t beat a peep out of him with a stick, a father who couldn’t even keep his own brother in line. She cursed her eldest stepson and his wife for their treachery, for choosing to give all that property to a daughter rather than spare a single copper coin to compensate her son.

The more she cursed, the angrier she became. She threw the chicken feed basin to the ground, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to go confront Chen Song and Xu Suying.

Just then, Chen Dachang carried Chen Lin out of the house. Seeing the scene, Chen Lin quickly said, "Mother, come back."

"Come back for what? I’m not coming back! I have to go find your uncle. I won’t stand for this silver being given to a daughter. If it’s to be given, it should be given to my sons and grandsons."

Chen Lin gritted his teeth and shouted, "Mother, the families are already separate! When the family split, Uncle and Aunt were kicked out with nothing! A formal agreement was signed! From then on, they only had to give you an annual allowance for your retirement. They aren’t responsible for your life or death, your health or old age. What’s the use of you going to find my uncle now? You have no grounds to stand on, and he won’t let you cause a scene!"

"Mother, have you forgotten the blisters they put on my body? Uncle warned me last time. If I don’t behave myself, or if I can’t keep you in line, it’s not certain I’ll even be able to go on living peacefully."

Hearing this, the old woman looked as though she had been struck over the head. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Slapping the dirt on the ground, the old woman began to wail. "Oh, heavens above, open your eyes and see! That wicked stepson of mine, he has a heart of pure black!"