After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 64

She put down her needlework, rubbed her sore eyes, and laughed, “I’m exhausted. Let’s rest for a bit and talk.”

The two leaned side by side against the pile of quilts at the head of the kang (a heated brick bed), enjoying the warmth brought by the winter sun shining through the window paper.

Xiaoman seemed to suddenly remember something, her smile faded slightly, and she sighed softly: “Sister Sangsang, have you heard? Sister Xing’er… she went back to her parents’ home.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Sang’s smile faded. Xing’er was two years older than them and they used to be sisters who played together in the village. She married and moved to Dashan Village two years ago.

“What happened?” Lin Sang asked with concern.

Xiaoman lowered her voice, her tone tinged with regret: “I heard it from my mother. Xing’er’s life wasn’t good after she got married. Her mother-in-law was extremely fierce and mean. She ordered her around all day and would curse and grumble if she didn’t do something right.”

Her man… was also easily swayed and indecisive, always listening to his mother and never protecting Xing’er.

A few days ago, it seems that Xing’er accidentally broke a bowl, and her mother-in-law used it as an excuse to say a lot of nasty things. Even her husband joined in the scolding. Xing’er couldn’t stand it and retorted a few words, which led to her being pushed by her husband. She hit her head on the corner of the table and got a big bruise on her arm…”

As Lin Sang listened, her brows furrowed tightly, and her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes. She couldn’t imagine that Xing’er, who used to be so cheerful and lively, would be living such a life.

“Then what?”

“Then Xing’er was heartbroken. That night, she packed her things and ran back to her parents’ home. When her parents saw the injuries on their daughter, they were both angry and heartbroken. They said they wanted to confront that family.”

“But now that she’s back, there’s no one there to pick her up, no one cares at all… What are we going to do now?” Xiaoman said, her voice filled with worry and sympathy for her former sister.

Silence fell over the room. The warm sunlight seemed unable to dispel the heaviness brought by the news. Lin Sang recalled when Xing’er got married. Although she was reluctant to part with her, she also had expectations for the future.

Who could have imagined that things would turn out like this in just two short years?

She gently held Xiaoman’s hand and whispered, “I hope Xing’er’s parents can make a decision for her… A woman’s marriage is like a second reincarnation; if she marries the wrong person…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but her eyes showed an even stronger determination to grasp happiness and to make herself more important.

At the same time, she was extremely grateful that she had met a responsible and considerate man like Zhou Han.

———

Lin Sang spent her days studying the wedding dress, but embroidery also hit a bottleneck. No matter how she embroidered the eyes of the mandarin ducks, they always looked dull and lifeless. So she packed her embroidery hoop and silk thread and prepared to go to Xiao Man’s house to ask for advice again.

The sun was shining brightly, and much of the snow had melted, revealing the damp dirt road underneath.

As soon as Lin Sang reached the old locust tree in the village, he saw a familiar figure wearing a worn blue cotton-padded jacket, carrying a basket, walking hurriedly with her head down. Her figure was much thinner than he remembered. It was Xing’er.

“Sister Xing’er!” Lin Sang called out quickly.

Xing’er looked up at the sound and saw Lin Sang. A hint of panic and embarrassment flashed across her face. She subconsciously wanted to turn her face away, but in the end she stopped and forced a smile: “It’s…it’s Sang Sang.”

Lin Sang walked quickly to her and examined her carefully.

In just two years, Xing’er’s once bright and cheerful face had almost completely disappeared. Her eyes and brows were shrouded in an unyielding sorrow and haggardness, and the dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible even in the dim winter light.

“Sister Xing’er, you…” Lin Sang felt a pang of sadness when she saw her like this. The words of concern were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t know how to ask them, afraid of touching her sore spot.

Xing’er saw the concern in Lin Sang’s eyes, and her forced smile could no longer be maintained; her eyes instantly reddened.

She lowered her head, her voice choked with sobs: “I…I’m fine, I just came back to stay for a few days.”

Lin Sang gently took her cold hand and whispered, “Xiao Man told me everything… Sister Xing’er, you’ve suffered so much.”

This simple word of comfort seemed to open the floodgates of Xing’er’s emotions.

Her tears fell like beads from a broken string, her voice broken and suppressed: “Sangsang… I really… really can’t go on like this… My mother-in-law curses me every day, calling me a ‘hen that can’t lay eggs,’ and complaining that I’m a freeloader… He… he didn’t say a word in my defense, and even hit me…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, only silently shedding tears, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Lin Sang held her hand tightly, her heart heavy with sorrow. She pulled Xing’er to a sheltered spot behind the old locust tree, so that they wouldn’t be seen by passing villagers.

Xing’er wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, sniffed, and said in a tone full of helplessness and heartache, “At my parents’ house… they dote on me, but my sister-in-law doesn’t look good either. She always feels like I’m taking advantage of the family… My younger brother isn’t married yet, and my coming back like this is also delaying him… My heart feels like it’s being fried in oil…”

She paused, then looked up at Lin Sang with tearful eyes, her gaze filled with deep envy and an indescribable complexity: “Sang Sang, I heard… you’re engaged? To the Zhou family in the neighboring village? They even gave such a generous dowry, including an oxcart… The villagers all say your family has gained immense prestige.”

Lin Sang nodded and said softly, “Yes, his name is Zhou Han.”

Looking at Lin Sang, who was dressed simply but had a rosy complexion and bright eyes, and then comparing it to her own disheveled appearance, Xing’er felt an overwhelming sense of envy.

But after a moment of silence, she gripped Lin Sang’s hand tightly in return, her tone carrying the bitterness of someone who had been through it all, along with a hint of kind advice:

“Sangsang, I know you’re a woman of your own mind. As for the Zhou family… I’ve heard they didn’t have a good reputation before. I’ve been through this myself, so let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. A generous dowry and a prestigious reputation are only temporary. When it comes to a man… you have to look at his character and how he treats you.”

“Don’t…don’t just focus on money and possessions. What if…what if that man is just like his family? Your future…your future might not be easy…”

She spoke earnestly, with words that carried the weight of blood and tears. Lin Sang knew she was genuinely worried about him, and while she was moved, her words did not shake her resolve.

She grasped Xing’er’s rough hand in return, looking at her with clear and firm eyes. Her voice was not loud, but it carried a convincing power: “Sister Xing’er, thank you for still thinking of me. Zhou Han… is different from what outsiders say. He may not be good with words, but he is responsible, knows how to protect his family, and is very good to me. What I value is not the dowry, but him as a person.”

Xing’er stared at the unwavering certainty and the subtle glow of happiness in Lin Sang’s eyes, then seemed to understand something, a knowing yet deeper sense of loneliness flashing in her eyes.

She sighed softly and patted Lin Sang’s hand: “That’s good…that’s good…I’m relieved that you know what’s going on. I wish you all the best in the future, and please don’t follow in my footsteps…”

After saying that, as if afraid of losing her composure again, she hurriedly picked up the basket, lowered her head, and left quickly. Her slender figure soon disappeared around the corner of the village road.

Lin Sang stood there, looking in the direction where Xing’er had disappeared, her heart filled with mixed feelings. She gripped the embroidery hoop tightly, took a deep breath, and continued walking towards Xiao Man’s house.