1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

Chen Gaoshan stormed home, but before he even entered, he saw that their front door was open.

Hearing voices coming from inside the house, Chen Gaoshan felt uneasy.

Is this the arrival of the pre-arrival group?

But the New Year is over, why is this happening now? What's going on?

Voices could be heard coming from inside the house.

"Xinghua, I'm doing this from the bottom of my heart for your own good! Your Gaolin has been gone for a year now, and you've been a widow for him for a year. You've done all the proper etiquette for him and for the Chen family. Do you really want to be a widow for the rest of your life?"

Are you going to trap yourself here and die? Don't be silly, you're only in your early twenties, the prime of your life, with a long future ahead of you. You can't just waste it like this!

Immediately afterwards, another male voice chimed in.

"My dear in-laws, his mother and I have come all this way, walking ten miles through the snow. Our hands and feet are numb from the cold. We have nothing else to say but that we came to take my daughter, Xinghua, back to her parents' home. We can't let her suffer here any longer."

Are they going to take his sister-in-law, Xinghua, away?

That won't do!

Xinghua is a member of the Chen family, and we absolutely cannot let her family take her away!

He threw the firewood in his hand into the snow in the yard.

He strode into the house, not even bothering to stomp the snow off his shoes at the door, and burst inside.

"Who wants to take Xinghua away?"

He stood at the door with a loud voice and a chilling aura. His tall and burly figure completely blocked the doorway, and everyone inside immediately stopped talking and looked at him.

When Wang Xinghua's mother looked up and saw that it was Chen Gaoshan, the second son of the Chen family, who had returned, her heart skipped a beat and she felt a little guilty. But then she thought that both of her daughters had married into the Chen family and were elders of the second son of the Chen family. What was there to be afraid of?

He immediately straightened his back and adopted the demeanor of an elder.

"Oh, Shanzi's back. Come inside and warm up. Your dad and I came to check on you. Nothing serious happened."

When Lianhua saw Chen Gaoshan return, her eyes lit up instantly. She knew that the pillar of the family had returned, and he would hold up the sky no matter what.

He quickly picked up the broom handle from the corner of the wall, went to his side, and brushed the snow off his trouser legs and cotton shoes.

Chen Gaoshan sized up his mother-in-law.

She looked to be under forty, with delicate features and slightly rough skin, yet she still exuded a mature charm. No wonder she was able to give birth to two beautiful and lovely daughters, Xinghua and Lianhua; they must have inherited their mother's good looks.

I'm starting to feel a little envious of my father-in-law.

"Mom, you and Dad are rare guests. We can't invite you even if we want to. What brings you here today?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang immediately raised her voice and retorted with dissatisfaction.

"Shanzi, that's not how you talk. What, you don't even let us, your family, come and visit our daughters? My two beautiful daughters from the Wang family are married into your Chen family. Are you saying we, their families, can't even visit each other?"

Chen Laonian sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) without saying a word, holding a pipe bowl in his hand and smoking a pipe.

He wasn't unaware of what his in-laws had said, but he didn't want to ruin things since they were all in-laws and he wanted to continue seeing them as usual. However, now that Chen Gaoshan had returned and his mother-in-law had said those words, as the head of the family, he couldn't be ambiguous when it was time to speak.

He put down his pipe, tapped off the ashes, and looked at the Wang couple across from him.

"In-laws, we welcome you two to our Chen family anytime. Our door is always open. Lianhua and Xinghua, you two hurry to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Stew the wild rabbit I hunted yesterday, and also make a pot of sauerkraut. We'll treat you well."

After giving instructions to his two daughters-in-law.

"Father-in-laws, we will treat you to the best food and drink, without any hesitation. But you just said you wanted to take Xinghua away. Our Chen family will never agree to that! Once Xinghua marries into our Chen family, she is a member of the Chen family. How can you just take her away like that?"

"Don't interrupt me yet. Let me finish. My son Shanzi is now managing two households on his own. This is already public knowledge; everyone in the village knows it. Xinghua will absolutely not go back to her parents' home with you!"

When Xinghua's mother heard what Chen Laonian said, her eyes widened in surprise.

"What the hell? One person taking two wives? In-laws, your Chen family is too cunning! You're just trying to take advantage of everyone! Husband, say something! Our Xinghua is beautiful and has a great figure. You can't find a girl as good-looking as her in all the surrounding villages. Your Chen family wants to have two wives, aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew and ending up with a belly full of food?"

She turned her head and winked at the head of the household, then turned her face back to look at Xinghua.

"Xinghua, tell your mother the truth, are you planning to stay with the Chen family, or come back to the Wang family with your father and me?"

Xinghua's father, who had been sitting silently to the side, suddenly stood up from the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and pointed at Chen Laonian.

"Why didn't you tell us about this beforehand? Why did you just tell Gaoshan to carry two houses by himself without asking our family? If you don't give us an explanation today, I'll break this carrying pole right now, and then we'll see what you can do."

"Xinghua, why are you mute? Your mother is asking you a question. Come home with your father, and I'll find you a good family, even wealthier than the Chen family. I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury, instead of living like a widow here!"

Xinghua's mother could no longer sit still. She reached out to grab Xinghua's arm, determined to force her to explain herself in person. She seemed eager to drag Xinghua away immediately.

Lotus, who had already turned to go to the kitchen to cook, heard her parents' words and realized that they weren't doing it for her sister's good at all. They were clearly thinking about finding her another husband so they could get another dowry, and they didn't care about her sister's life or death at all.

She quickly turned back, stood in front of her sister Xinghua, and spread her arms to protect her.

"Mom, what are you doing! My sister married into the Chen family in such a grand ceremony, and the Chen family actually paid a real dowry. She's no longer a member of the Wang family. What are you doing, this is practically kidnapping her!"

Chen Gaoshan stood aside, listening to the two families arguing fiercely. The buzzing noise was so loud it hurt his head, and his anger was rising.

He shielded Lianhua and Xinghua behind him, then frowned at the Wang couple.

"Hurry up and cook! With me here, no one will be able to take Xinghua away!"

After hearing Chen Gaoshan's words, Lianhua knew he could handle things. She took Xinghua's hand and tried to persuade her to hide in the kitchen first.

But after taking only a couple of steps, Xinghua broke free from her hand, her eyes red, and ran back to look at her parents.

"I won't leave! I was born a member of the Chen family, and I'll die a member of the Chen family! Mother, if I go back with you, you'll definitely force me to remarry, and I absolutely refuse! Unless you let me stay at my parents' house."

Upon hearing Xinghua's words, Xinghua's mother immediately changed her expression, and her tone turned cold.

"That won't do! You've already killed your own man. If you go back, your brother and sister-in-law will definitely not agree to you living at home. The family is already struggling financially, and having another mouth to feed will just waste so much more food!"

You have to think about your father and me too. If we offend your brother and sister-in-law, they'll be unhappy. When your father and I get old and can't move, who will take care of us? Will you take care of us in our old age and bury us in the afterlife, or will you be there to help us by breaking pots and washing funeral banners?"

Wang Xinghua had already anticipated these words. She chuckled and looked at her own mother.

"That's settled then. My family won't accept me at all. I'm not leaving. I'll stay in the Chen family for the rest of my life. I've decided that Shanzi is the one for me! If you insist on forcing me, I'll just smash my head against the wall right now and die in front of you!"

With that, she turned and rushed out of the house without looking back.