Volume 1, Chapter 19: Tipping Off

In the kitchen of the Wang household, mother and daughter were huddled by the stove, simmering corn porridge. The only three stools in the house had been moved to the main room.

Wang Zhaonan glanced toward the main room from time to time, her face etched with worry. "Mom, what should we do?"

This so-called cousin, at first glance, did not seem like a good person. She had a nagging feeling that he was deliberately telling the grandmother about the construction work at her cousin's house.

The daughter-in-law of the Wang family knew this all too well. Thinking of her mother-in-law’s temperament, she pondered for a moment before ladling a bowl of porridge from the pot and handing it to Zhaonan.

"Nannan, eat quickly. Once you’re done, go to the Yu Family Brigade. Be quiet about it; don't let anyone see you."

Laughter drifted from the main room, and no one paid them any mind. Zhaonan quickly finished her lunch and slipped out.

The villages were adjacent, and she arrived at the Yu Family Brigade before long. However, she didn't know the name of the cousin mentioned, nor did she even know Yu Dingguo. She had to follow the description and look for a family in the village that was building a house.

Over at Yu Nian'an's courtyard, Uncle Jianping and his crew had already arrived. The courtyard gate was wide open, revealing the scene inside.

Because she lived on the edge of the village, Zhaonan saw her house first. However, Yu Dingguo had exaggerated; the only real changes in the yard were the perimeter wall and the adjacent outhouse and bathroom.

It was hardly a major construction project. Zhaonan took a few more looks before heading deeper into the village.

Mindful of her mother’s warning, she didn't dare search openly. She crept around several places without finding any sign of a new house, eventually turning her gaze back to the only place in the village that showed any activity.

Yu Nian'an had noticed the figure passing by the gate early on. At first, she thought it was just someone visiting a neighbor, but when the person returned and began peering around outside the gate, she felt something was off. She walked out, her expression puzzled.

"Comrade, is there something I can help you with?"

Looking at the girl before her, Zhaonan felt her features were somewhat familiar. Recalling that the man at home had called her a cousin, she guessed the girl was younger than herself. She took a deep breath and offered a smile. "Sister, I just wanted to ask if you know a certain person."

She described Yu Dingguo’s appearance, mentioned his attire, and finally pointed to her own forearm to indicate a burn scar he had there.

Upon hearing this, Nian'an immediately confirmed it was Yu Dingguo. But what was this person's relationship to him? Judging by the earlier conversation, they didn't seem close.

She blinked and asked, "Comrade, did he ask you to come and find me?"

Zhaonan realized she had found the right person and shook her head, denying it quickly. "Not him. My mother sent me."

Nian'an noted the term "Mom." In the countryside, no one called their mother "Mom." But now was not the time for curiosity; she was more interested in why this person had come to see her.

Zhaonan glanced around and, seeing no one, leaned in to whisper about what had happened in her courtyard. She warned Nian'an that her grandmother was mean-spirited and loved to stir up trouble, urging her to come up with a plan with her family as soon as possible.

If the old woman really came to cause trouble, she wouldn't leave without taking advantage of someone. Zhaonan didn't believe Yu Dingguo's words; she and her mother had lived in that house for years and had never heard anyone mention that the grandmother had a daughter. Furthermore, if it were true, they lived so close by—how could there be no contact?

A granddaughter?

Nian'an frowned. As a background character in the original story, her background had never been explained, so she had naturally assumed she was an orphan. She hadn't expected that changing the plot would pull a series of unmentioned secrets to the surface.

Seeing Nian'an’s expression, Zhaonan assumed she was worried about her grandmother and comforted her softly, "My grandmother is a bully who fears the strong and targets the weak. If she comes, have your family stand with you, and she won't dare to act out."

Nian'an regained her composure, her tone hesitant. "I am all that is left of my family."

Zhaonan was shocked to hear this. How pitiful—an orphan. This practically invited people to bully her.

"Sister, I will go back and find out what your cousin is really up to, then I’ll come and let you know so you can prepare. If you’re in trouble, go to the commune and ask for help!"

Zhaonan had arrived cautiously, but she left in a rush, desperate to get home and figure out what they intended to do to Nian'an. They had been in such a hurry that neither had exchanged names.

Watching her leave, Nian'an chuckled. She was truly sincere and kindhearted.

However, she did need to ask someone about the original owner's background. She wanted to know exactly where this old woman came from.

With that in mind, Nian'an returned to the yard, walked over to Uncle Jianping, and started chatting, eventually steering the conversation toward her parents.

"Uncle, I remember the village people and Auntie helped organize my parents' funeral. Did they really have no other siblings?"

Uncle Jianping looked at her in surprise. "Your parents never mentioned it to you?"

"No, they never talked about those things to me."

Seeing that she truly didn't know, and feeling that the child was indeed pitiful, he figured it was all in the past anyway. Uncle Jianping sighed and began to tell the story.

Nian'an’s father, Yu Jianbei, and mother, Wang Jiaan, had met at a mobilization meeting for the harvest. They were both single, and one thing led to another.

The Yu family had no elders. As the eldest brother, Yu Dingguo’s father had acted as the matchmaker for his younger brother.

Grandma Wang was snobbish. Seeing that the Yu family had no parents-in-law and that the older brother and sister-in-law were in poor health, she figured her daughter would be in charge the moment she married in. She could then easily bring things back to her own family to help them out, and the bride price from the Yu family would be enough to help her eldest son find a good wife.

She agreed after weighing her options.

Everything seemed to be going well, but the day after the engagement was finalized, Yu’s eldest brother passed away.

Furthermore, the sister-in-law had developed a chronic illness while giving birth and needed medicine year-round, plus there was an infant to care for. Even if she were to remarry, no one would likely want her, meaning she would have to stay in the Yu household for the rest of her life.

When Grandma Wang heard this, she refused. The new son-in-law would have to take care of his sister-in-law and pay to raise the child, making life even tighter. There would be nothing left for her daughter to bring back to her maiden home.

But the marriage was already settled; how could they back out? Wang Jiaan was determined to marry and threatened to kill herself. The grandmother threatened her in return, forcing her to choose between her husband's family and her own.

Jiaan had never been treated well at home. Seeing a chance to escape, she made her choice immediately. Marrying was better than staying home to be abused and eventually sold off—at least Jianbei treated her well.

On the day of the wedding, Grandma Wang took the bride price and wouldn't let her take a single thing with her. If not for the crowd watching, she might even have stripped the clothes off her back. She had declared that once Jiaan walked out that door, their relationship was severed.

Since then, the mother and daughter had never been in contact, even though they lived in neighboring villages.

As time passed, the villagers forgot about it, so when Nian'an's parents met with their accident, no one thought to notify Grandma Wang.

Nian'an thought to herself that it was a good thing they hadn't—Yu Dingguo was much easier to deal with than the grandmother.

Moreover, based on what that girl had said, Yu Dingguo hadn't mentioned the pension money. If he had, it would have been Grandma Wang herself showing up.

It seemed they were either after her or the house.