In May, Han Kai led a group of villagers—all married couples, seven or eight people in total—to the Tang family’s home to deliver vegetables. This time, they entered through the gate leading to the Tang family’s courtyard.

He says “seven or eight people” because one of them was a young man who, upon seeing everyone enter the Tang family courtyard, waited outside instead of coming in.

Jiang Yun noticed him and invited the young man inside to have a drink of water and rest for a while.

The young man looked to be about eighteen or nineteen; he was a bit shy and had a sunburned, rosy complexion. He waved his hand to decline, but Jiang Yun brought him a bowl of mung bean soup and said, “It’ll take a while to weigh the vegetables and settle the bill in the courtyard. Why don’t you come inside and wait?”

A young man in the courtyard called out, “Erlang, come inside.”

The young man stepped inside, thanking her repeatedly.

Han Kai explained to Aunt Jiang, “These two are a young married couple from our village who got married just last year.”

“I see.” Jiang Yun nodded. This young couple clearly looked like they’d just gotten married; the husband was strong, doted on his husband, and always listened to him—a bit like Tieniu’s attitude toward Wu-ger.

That’s quite nice.

“Ever since Mr. Tang’s pot-sticker buns hit the market, there’s been a huge demand for snow cabbage. Not just in our village—even the barren fields in the neighboring villages are now planted with it.”

“The snow cabbage is growing well this year, too. I figured Mr. Tang would want a lot of it, so I brought everyone over here together.”

Han Kai sounded a bit uncertain as he said this, because there were so many of them. These people were close to him, and they’d simply said, “Let’s give the Tang family a try; if Mr. Tang won’t take them, we’ll go sell them elsewhere.” He had no choice but to bring them along and try his luck.

These days, agricultural policies are implemented based on specific local conditions, but one rule remains: to fertilize the soil, farmers must grow grain crops; they’re not allowed to plant cash crops like vegetables, fruit trees, or mulberry trees. If they want to grow those, they have to use the poor-quality fields—

However, in rural areas far from prefectures, counties, and towns, even on poor soil, people don’t grow vegetables; they opt instead for potatoes, various beans, peanuts, and the like.

Han Kai said that every household was growing snow cabbage, and the yield was certainly greater than before. In the past, each family would grow just one variety in their small backyard vegetable patches, but now some people were clearing half a mu of poor soil to grow this crop.

“Let me see… I’ve almost harvested it all.” Tang Xianling took a look; it wasn’t actually that much. His family could easily consume this amount—after all, the preserved vegetables made in a single summer would last them a whole year.

Han Kai breathed a sigh of relief, and the villagers grew cheerful as well.

“Why didn’t your husband come with you this year?” Tang Xianling asked.

Han Kai replied, “He recently found a manual labor job, carrying bricks and hauling stone for someone.”

“That’s good,” Tang Xianling nodded.

Jiang Yun served everyone some mung bean soup and asked them to sit and wait.

“Thank goodness today’s my day off.”

Han Kai said, “I knew it was your day off here, Mr. Tang, so I chose this day to come. Otherwise, I’d be afraid of disturbing your business with all the accounting and weighing of produce.”

“You really are thoughtful and considerate,” Tang Xianling said with a smile.

Huangfu Tieniu took the scale; he weighed the vegetables and kept track of the quantities. It didn’t take long to finish. Tang Xianling settled the bill for Han Kai and the other men and women. In addition to the cost of the vegetables, he gave each person an extra ten wen as a delivery fee, saying, “Thank you for your hard work.”

“In a little over half a month, if there are still some good ones left, bring them over again. But next time, I won’t take as much—just half of today’s amount,” Tang Xianling made clear in advance.

Han Kai was already used to Mr. Tang’s way of doing things, so he smiled and agreed, then led the men and women from his village back. Some pushed carts, while others carried empty baskets on their backs. As they left the Tang household, one of the men asked, “So how will it work next time?”

“Naturally, we’ll prioritize my family’s needs first,” Han Kai said.

The farmer who’d asked the question’s expression changed slightly—he hadn’t expected Han Kai to be so blunt—and no one else in the group spoke up.

Han Kai continued, “I’ve been doing business with Mr. Tang since last year. I’ve delivered vegetables to him several times, and we agreed that this year, as long as I don’t deliver spoiled produce, the price would remain the same. Mr. Tang trusts me.”

“I’ll put it bluntly—I don’t want anyone to argue over this. I still have about a hundred jin left in my vegetable patch. You guys can figure out what to do with the rest; if it works out, let’s split it evenly…”

The Fulang, who had initially changed his tune, thought about Han Kai’s words for a moment. It made sense—after all, Han Kai had reached out first. He’d also been harboring a bit of a petty thought: if he waited a while and had Han Kai deliver the vegetables to the Tang household a few days earlier than usual, he could ask for a lower price. After all, Mr. Tang wouldn’t refuse vegetables delivered right to his doorstep, would he?

But Tang Xianling actually refused to accept them. He had made a verbal agreement with Han Kai, and he remembered this husband well—Han Kai had kindly brought people to sell vegetables, yet this man had stabbed him in the back behind his back. He wasn’t willing to make an exception.

Even though it would benefit him—Han Kai had driven the price down—

But Tang Xianling still refused.

Later, when Han Kai found out about this, he was deeply grateful to Boss Tang. From then on, year after year, all the snow cabbage the Tang family needed was supplied by Han Kai. He never provided vegetables of poor quality; instead, he always selected the very best batch to deliver to the Tang family first, and the rest were either sold at a discount or consumed by his own family.

The pickled mustard greens buns served at the Tang family’s breakfast shop were consistently delicious and of steady quality. At first, this was all thanks to Mr. Tang’s magic touch, but later on, it was the result of everyone’s combined efforts.

Throughout the summer, the Tang family’s courtyard was filled with the scent of sun-dried snow cabbage.

After selling out their breakfast items, the Cui family—father and son—didn’t go home. After lunch, they began preparing the snow cabbage for drying and steaming, keeping themselves quite busy.

When it was time to pay wages this month, Mr. Tang gave the Cui family a little extra. Back in April, when Liu Baojian brought foreign merchants to host a banquet, Lord Pus gave a generous tip. At the end of that month, Mr. Tang gave extra cash to Mrs. Tong, A-Liang, and Xiao Mi.

One tael of silver each.

All three were taken aback and didn’t dare accept it.

“Take it—you’ve earned it,” Tang Xianling told the three of them. “Although Aunt Tong and A-Liang were out front attending to the guests, Xiao Mi was also in the kitchen helping with odd jobs and chopping vegetables, so all three of you deserve this cash.”

The Cui family—father and son—didn’t receive any—the breakfast business had nothing to do with the restaurant.

Take, for example, the extra work involved in sun-drying pickled mustard greens in the summer—the Cui family father and son would get paid for that, but the three restaurant workers wouldn’t.

Mr. Tang always kept his word.

In the early days, when Father Cui saw how generously Boss Tang handed out money—giving bonuses every now and then and finding any excuse to pay them—he was nervous and even wondered if Boss Tang, being young, easily embarrassed, and soft-hearted, was just using these excuses to help out the Cui family.

By now, Father Cui had come to realize that the boss’s payments were always calculated; he wasn’t giving them money out of pity for him and his son, nor because of his good relationship with Douzi. Once he understood this, Father Cui felt much more at ease about working and getting paid.

During the summer, the restaurant continued to sell yogurt and grilled meat, and the menu included more cold dish options. Drawing on last year’s experience, they extended the grilled meat season this summer, starting in early June and selling it for a full two months.

An hour before dinner service, tables were set up both inside the restaurant and along the street outside, right next to the shop. Tang Xianling placed the barbecue grill in the courtyard to avoid having to move it back and forth in case of sudden rain. He had taught Xiao Mi how to grill, and eventually, while Xiao Mi handled the grilling, he took charge of preparing the sauces and seasonings.

It wasn’t all that busy.

The restaurant gradually attracted many new customers, though they hadn’t yet gotten used to the “every other day” closing schedule. Among them was a burly foreigner with dark skin who had shown up several times only to find the place closed, leaving him rather annoyed.

This Mr. Rong spoke quite eloquently, arguing forcefully: “You’re closed when I come by, and you’re closed again when I return from out of town on business. You’ve been closed four times in a row—every single time I’ve come.”

Upon hearing this, Mr. Tang thought to himself, “With a ‘two-day-off-per-week’ schedule, you’ve managed to catch us closed every single time—but on your fifth visit, we finally weren’t closed. You really do have a persistent love for my place.”

No, wait—this customer hadn’t even eaten yet. He was just being stubborn; since he couldn’t get a bite, he was throwing a tantrum and absolutely had to eat!

Faced with such an “interrogative” customer, Mr. Tang patiently explained, then said, “…It’s hot out, and business is busy. Our staff is very busy and tired; they need to rest and restock. Please be understanding. I’m truly sorry.”

“……” The diner’s face turned red with anger, but he didn’t know what to say.

Tang Xianling didn’t want to add fuel to the fire, so he hurriedly said, “Please don’t get upset. Have a seat and have some tea. Since the yogurt isn’t up to par today, I’ll throw in five skewers of grilled meat for you.” That was all he could offer.

The new customer slammed his fist on the table. “Are you implying that’s why I’m saying all this? Do you take me for a freeloader or a beggar?”

“Your Honor, of course not,” Mr. Tang protested.

Upon hearing this, the foreigner’s furious expression softened slightly, and he said somewhat awkwardly, “You don’t have to call me that—I’m not a ‘Your Honor.’”

“……” That’s just me ranting. Tang Xianling, of course, wouldn’t say that. Seeing that the burly man wasn’t angry, he nodded repeatedly, “You’re truly generous and magnanimous.”

In the end, the foreign diner ordered grilled skewers and roasted pork trotters, filling the table—he wanted nothing but meat.

“Boss, are we still serving the winter melon and edamame for free?” asked Mrs. Tong.

In the summer, the restaurant usually served a free plate of cold melon and a plate of edamame, but this foreign diner had just argued so fiercely that he refused any freebies, and Mrs. Tong was afraid she’d get scolded if she brought them over.

Huangfu Tieniu said, “I’ll bring them.”

“Actually, this customer is pretty nice,” Tang Xianling said. It’s just that his appearance is particularly intimidating, and he has a loud voice—but he’s actually a good person. Everyone else would refuse his freebies, but he’s willing to pay for them!

What a wonderful guest.

It’s hot in the summer, and after making four empty trips, anyone would be in a bad mood.

Tang Xianling thought about buying some ice to make iced drinks; after all, the restaurant’s profits were good in the summer—barbecue stalls lined half the street, and every day there were takeout orders from the neighborhood. He’d even seen Ding Quan and a few of his friends come by, a large crowd buying many skewers.

Ding Quan said, “Grilled skewers are all the rage in the West Market now. The young masters from various families have tried them and said they’re nothing special. When I mentioned the authentic ones are in Baxing District, they said it was too far, so the few of us ran over to buy them.”

Tang Xianling, of course, thanked them—after all, they were helping him attract customers.

However, Ding Quan paused briefly when he mentioned “it’s too far”—presumably because those young masters had said some rather unflattering things, which Ding Quan had polished over a bit in his retelling. Such is the art of language.

In any case, the grilled meat business was booming.

Mr. Tang just wanted to buy some ice cream—

Actually, it was Tang Xianling himself who was craving ice cream. Huangfu Tieniu still remembered the doctor saying that his husband had a cold constitution, but seeing that his husband was constantly thinking about ice cream and sorbet, he thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go ask around at the West Market. After you finish your ice cream, you should have some red date and ginger tea.”

Tang Xianling：？？？

“You have a cold constitution,” Tieniu explained.

Tang Xianling retorted confidently, “Having a cold constitution was last year’s issue. I’m the me of this year now.”

Huangfu Tieniu was amused by his husband’s demeanor; he just thought Xianling was adorable, like a child, and said, “Then why not eat a little less?”

“Fine, fine. One bowl a day.” He’d just switch to a bigger bowl when the time came.

Huangfu Tieniu saw right through his husband’s little scheme and just smiled. He thought that if his husband switched to a bigger bowl, he’d ask for “a bite” too—Xianling would surely feed him, and that way, Xianling would end up eating less.

And so it was settled.

Both the East Market and the West Market sold ice, and in summer, ice was expensive—it was a real rarity. Huangfu Tieniu also bought an ice chest. Every morning at the crack of dawn, he’d go out and buy a crate of ice. The ice chest was wrapped in a thick cotton quilt, and he’d haul it back to the cellar; they usually used it for lunch and dinner.

The household also had osmanthus wine, loquat syrup, and the sour plum and dried tangerine peel drink they’d made earlier.

By mixing these drinks and adding a bit of ice, the flavor was greatly enhanced, making them especially refreshing to drink in the summer. Once they went on sale, a pot of this special iced drink cost eighty wen, and quite a few people ordered it.

However, the Tang family’s evening meal featured grilled meat as its main course, and eating something too cold could easily upset one’s stomach.

After a few days, some diners became hesitant to order the iced drinks, looking uncomfortable. Since everyone else was eating, they didn’t want to mention that they had an upset stomach. They didn’t blame Tang’s food; instead, they blamed themselves, saying, “I’m not feeling well.”

Tang Xianling figured out what was going on right away.

“Haha, the less everyone drinks, the more I can eat!” Tang Xianling was already thinking about whipping up some cream.

While whipping the cream, Huangfu Tieniu said to his husband, “I think we should limit it to half a crate of ice per day from now on. We’ll sell iced drinks at noon, and for the evening meal, we can just chill them slightly.”

“Sounds good.” Tang Xianling’s mind and eyes were completely focused on his whipped cream.

The Tang family had ice. This summer was particularly hot. One weekend, Lu Sanniang came over to visit. Tang Xianling treated Lu Sanniang and Zou Ling to iced drinks. The two felt a bit embarrassed and brought over some winter melons and pears in return.

Tang Xianling sat down on the veranda, munching on melon while listening to Lu Sanniang speak.

“…My second older brother’s clinic isn’t taking on any new patients.” Lu Sanniang, munching on a cold melon, furrowed both her eyebrows.

Lu Erlang was sixteen or seventeen this year; Tang Xianling didn’t know exactly whether he’d turned seventeen yet, but according to the customary practice of counting age by lunar years—he could be considered eighteen.

At that age, he should really be “thinking about the future”—that is, starting a family and building a career.

Tang Xianling munched on a pear melon—it was very sweet, even better after being slightly chilled, crisp and sweet—and asked indistinctly, “Huh? Isn’t your second brother at the clinic? Why isn’t he taking in patients? Who isn’t he taking in?”

“Huh?” Lu Sanniang was also confused. What was Wu-ger talking about?

Zou Ling understood that the two had misunderstood each other and explained, “My second brother is an apprentice at the clinic. At first, he had to pay the clinic five hundred wen a month. The clinic provided room and board. After two years of training, he no longer had to pay—they just provided room and board.”

Tang Xianling even stopped eating his melon, his eyes widening in surprise.

What on earth? He actually had to pay the clinic?

Tang Xianling’s understanding of modern master-apprentice relationships was limited to Tian Chuzi and the Cat Brothers. But now, hearing what Zou Ling and Lu Sanniang had said, it suddenly dawned on him that they were right—master-apprentice relationships these days really were exceptionally close. The master was just like a real father, pouring his heart and soul into teaching his apprentices how to live and master their craft—and Lu Erlang was just one of many like that.

“The clinic where your second brother works is a big one, isn’t it?”

Lu Sanniang nodded repeatedly, a touch of pride in her voice: “It’s right in the West Market—the largest Ping’an Hall.”

No wonder. The largest Ping’an Hall—back then, Father Lu, Chen Qiaolian, out of deep love for his son, had not only sent him to the clinic but also slipped some silver to grease the wheels, all to ensure his son had a bright future and good prospects. But a large clinic like that wasn’t short on apprentices or staff.

“How is your second brother’s medical skill?” Tang Xianling felt this question was somewhat superfluous.

Lu Sanniang didn’t know. “My second brother hasn’t treated any patients yet—he hasn’t completed his apprenticeship—so I’m not really sure.”

“Did your second brother mention whether their clinic keeps people on staff? There must be some kind of system, right? It’s such a large clinic,” Tang Xianling asked.

At his small restaurant, he had clearly defined categories for monthly wages, performance bonuses, and so on.

Lu Sanniang was momentarily taken aback. She’d heard her mother complain about this at home so often that it had become a source of worry for her; she’d even felt a bit anxious when the topic came up just now. But when her fifth brother asked such specific questions, she didn’t know how to answer.

“Ping’an Hall does hire staff. I heard from your eldest brother that they hire very few people, and none of them are your second brother’s age. The youngest doctor there who sees patients and gets paid is almost thirty,” Zou Ling explained.

Tang Xianling understood; it was exactly as he’d guessed.

No wonder Aunt Chen was so worried.

This pharmacy recruits new apprentices every two or three years. Since it’s such a large establishment, they certainly aren’t in it to make money off the apprenticeship fees; setting a monthly payment of five hundred wen as the threshold is simply to avoid taking on too many people.

He recalled that Lu Erlang had also studied calligraphy—which was one of Ping’an Hall’s admission requirements.

After two years, there was no further cash; apprentices studied at the clinic and were provided with room and board.

How to put it? The kind of master-apprentice relationship at Tian Chuzi’s was like a “small-scale, family-style” setup—particularly down-to-earth and simple—while Ping’an Hall was the cold, assembly-line version. With so many apprentices, the clinic had no shortage of labor, and it didn’t cost them any cash; they just had to provide meals and lodging.

Aunt Chen was now thinking that Lu Erlang had reached marriageable age; if he wanted to marry and start a family, he’d have to earn his own money to support them—but Ping’an Hall wouldn’t pay a salary to a young man of Lu Erlang’s age. They weren’t short on workers; if they chose to keep him, he’d stay on as an apprentice; if not, he’d have to leave.

After offering his analysis, Tang Xianling looked at Sanniang and said, “This isn’t something you can worry about—Ping’an Hall has the final say.”

“I’ve just been hearing Mother go on and on about it, and it’s got me worried too,” Lu Sanniang said anxiously, then added, “My second brother came back this time looking really downcast as well.”

Your second brother is under a lot of pressure because he’s caught between a rock and a hard place—his family expects him to speak up and ask Ping’an Hall for a salary, but Lu Erlang knows full well that, given Ping’an Hall’s situation, that’s impossible. So, of course, he’s full of worry.

There’s really nothing to be done about this.

Tang Xianling couldn’t help but think: It’s never easy for medical students, no matter where they are.

Lu Erlang has studied for so many years, working for free all this time. He can’t just let all that hard work go to waste just because he needs to earn money to get married and start a family. The Lu family will just have to keep supporting him. But the Lu family must be under a lot of pressure right now, too. If Zou Ling were to have another child—

Tang Xianling could actually understand what was troubling Aunt Chen.

As summer came to an end, Boss Tang’s supply of cold drinks and desserts ran out—his Tieniu had stopped buying ice, saying that since the weather had turned cooler, eating ice would be bad for his stomach. Tang Xianling was just teasing Tieniu on purpose; their bickering “arguments” were so playful that even Jiang Yun didn’t bother to step in and stop them.

This wasn’t a fight at all; it was just the Wu-ger and Tieniu playfully bickering and acting spoiled.

Huangfu Tieniu, thoroughly content, hugged his husband and coaxed him, “Want to go back to the village? Let’s go play in the river.” At this time of year, it was still a bit warm during the day, so playing in the water was just right.

Ever since Uncle Zhang’s family bought a mule, whenever they were too busy to return to the village, Uncle Zhang would send them duck eggs—delivering them once every half a month or so. Throughout the summer, the restaurant had been so busy that Tang Xianling and Tieniu hadn’t been back to the village in nearly three months, so when he heard this, he immediately nodded in agreement.

Tang Xianling and Tieniu made a quick trip back to the village. The two of them had a great time relaxing and having fun, but next door at the Lu household, a quarrel broke out that even alarmed Jiang Yun. At first, when she heard the commotion, Jiang Yun didn’t want to get involved. Since the Lu family was arguing behind closed doors, she feared that as an outsider, she might be misunderstood—accused of gawking at the spectacle or prying into other people’s business.

But then there was a loud crash as something was thrown next door, followed immediately by Zou Ling’s sobs.

Zou Ling had been married into the Lu family for nearly a year now. She wasn’t the type to cry or make a scene, so Jiang Yun grew concerned and couldn’t help but get up and head outside. Just as she stepped out of the courtyard gate, she saw the Lu family’s door swing open.

“I’m leaving. You say I’m too much of a burden—I’ll just go back to my parents’ house, won’t I?”

“We’ll hang ourselves—”

Zou Ling couldn’t hold back her tears as she spoke; all the pent-up grievances she’d been carrying were finally pouring out today.

From behind, Lu Sanniang called out, “Sister-in-law, my brother didn’t mean it that way.” Then she appeared and coaxed her elder sister-in-law to go home first.

Chen Qiaolian was also crying at home, saying that no one in the family meant any harm, that they weren’t bullying her, and asking why she was making such a scene.

“I’m making a scene?” Zou Ling raised her voice as well.

Seeing Zou Ling’s anger flaring up again, Jiang Yun hurriedly said to Lu Sanniang, “Quick, take your sister-in-law to my house. Don’t get angry—let’s all keep our mouths shut for now.”

“Sister,” Jiang Yun called from outside the Lu family’s door to Chen Qiaolian inside, “Should the two of them come to my place first?”

Chen Qiaolian felt completely wronged, but she certainly didn’t dare let Zou Ling return to her parents’ home. How could this girl be so hot-headed? She was carrying a child—if she lost her mind on the way back and did something reckless, it would cost two lives. How could she ever face Dalang, the Lu family, or the Zou family?

“Thank you, Sister-in-law. Oh, I’m sorry to trouble you to look after her.”

Lu Dalang’s eyes were red as he pounded his head. “Mother, it’s my fault. Blame me. I’m useless. I said the wrong things…”

Lu Erlang stood to the side, caught between a rock and a hard place, feeling just as awkward and distressed.

Jiang Yun couldn’t bear to listen any longer. She comforted Zou Ling, patting her on the shoulder, and led her back to her own courtyard.

From this conversation, Jiang Yun—who wasn’t exactly stupid—could tell that Zou Ling was pregnant.

“This is wonderful news, silly girl. Don’t say things in anger, and stop crying.” Jiang Yun poured some tea and handed it to Zou Ling. “Sit down and have a sip first. You two can talk things through as a couple later. Don’t say anything in the heat of the moment that you’ll regret.”

Hearing this, Zou Ling felt even more distressed and wronged. She set down her teacup and buried her face on the table, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lu Sanniang felt terrible but didn’t know what to say or how to comfort her sister-in-law. Just a moment ago, her sister-in-law had scolded her too, saying that because she bore the Lu surname and was part of the Lu family, everyone was picking on her. Lu Sanniang felt deeply wronged as well—she hadn’t done any of those things.

Zou Ling was sensitive and prone to overthinking due to her pregnancy, but it was also because her pent-up frustrations had accumulated over a long period of time. This time, when Lu Erlang returned home for a day off, the family bought meat and vegetables, and Zou Ling and Lu Sanniang cooked a full spread of dishes as usual.

During the meal, Chen Qiaolian brought up the subject again, asking Lu Erlang if Ping’an Hall could keep someone on staff next year. She said that even if the pay were lower, that would be fine—she didn’t mind as long as they were given a little something.

Lu Erlang felt awkward and didn’t know what to say. Just then, Zou Ling took a bite of meat, felt a bit queasy, and wanted to vomit. She left the table and ran out into the courtyard to vomit bile.

Lu Sanniang, concerned, put down her chopsticks and followed her into the courtyard, asking her sister-in-law, “What’s wrong? Did you eat something that didn’t agree with you?”

“That’s right—don’t let it make you sick,” Chen Qiaolian added.

Lu Dalang looked worried and said, “Why don’t we have a doctor take a look? I seem to recall you’ve been like this for several days now?”

“Several days?” Chen Qiaolian paused for a moment, then a thought struck her—could her eldest daughter-in-law be pregnant? Overcome with joy, she called for Erlang to take her pulse; after all, they had a medical student right at home.

Lu Erlang hadn’t yet completed his medical training, but since he was family, no one would laugh at him for it. He took his elder sister-in-law’s pulse and confirmed that she was indeed pregnant—already three months along.

This should have been a cause for great joy, but as soon as Lu Dalang heard the news, he furrowed his brow and said, “This child has come at an inopportune time…”

That single sentence was the end of it—it was all over.

Zou Ling lay there, crying herself out, then spoke through her sobs, “…Auntie, he’s the father of the child in my womb. What did he mean by that? He’s rejecting me and the baby.”

Later, Zou Ling exploded—she’d been bottling it up for too long.

She hurled some harsh words, implying that her entire family treated her like an outsider—and even now that she was pregnant, it was still the same. Everyone was always making way for her second younger brother; she told Lu Dalang he might as well just go live with him.

When Lu Sanniang tried to explain and calm her down, she, too, was scolded by her sister-in-law.

In her rage, Zou Ling lashed out at her second brother, her mother-in-law, Lu Dalang, and Lu Sanniang. Finally, Father Lu couldn’t stand it anymore and overturned the table, sending all the dishes and bowls crashing to the floor—the commotion was tremendous.

Once the courtyard had quieted down, Zou Ling threw a fit, threatening to return to her parents’ home and hang herself with her child—she wouldn’t let the Lu family support them anymore.

That’s the whole story.

After hearing this, Jiang Yun’s heart was filled with bitterness; she didn’t know what to say or how to persuade her. If only Wu-ger were here…