Ms. Wu: "I'm in a difficult position. I'll go back to my parents' home tomorrow."

Li added, "A child's studies really can't be delayed."

At the next dinner table, the Jiang family members were noticeably quieter, and Jiang Chengzong's expression became visibly grim.

As soon as the meal was finished, the Jiang family took their leave. Before leaving, Wu asked Daya to see them off. The two were about to get married, and the village wasn't as particular as the city, so this request was quite reasonable.

Er Ya covered her mouth and chuckled, then whispered to Wang Yiyi, "It must be that brother-in-law wants to whisper something to eldest sister. Let's go check."

Wang Yiyi also wanted to see what the Jiang family had to say to her eldest sister, so she reluctantly followed Er Ya out.

Not far from the Wu family's house, Madam Wu spoke directly: "I heard your family found a Solomon's Seal on the mountain today. How old is it?"

Daya's eyes blinked: "My dad said it should have been around for two years."

Mr. Wu was somewhat disappointed; two years' worth of money wasn't much.

Jiang Chengzong asked from the side, "How did you learn to find medicinal herbs?"

Da Ya didn't hide anything: "A few days ago, my third sister bought a book with pictures of herbs in it, and that's how I found them."

Jiang Chengzong nodded thoughtfully, then stepped forward and took Daya's hand: "Daya, my parents are getting old, and my schooling will cost a lot of money. In the future, could you use the money from selling the herbs you find in the mountains to pay for my schooling?"

Holy crap, that's so shameless!

Wang Yiyi immediately wanted to rush out and ask the Jiang family how shameless they were.

Er Ya's expression also changed; her brother-in-law seemed a little different from what she had imagined.

But she still held onto Wang Yiyi tightly: "Let's hear what our eldest sister has to say."

Rushing out now will only make things more embarrassing for the older sister.

Wang Yi had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue squatting in the corner.

Seeing that Da Ya remained silent, Jiang Chengzong immediately raised his hand and swore: "I swear that when I make something of myself, I will never let you down, nor will I let down my parents-in-law. What is my parents' share, your parents' share will also be yours. I will also do my best in helping my younger siblings with their marriages in the future."

Madam Wu also chimed in, "It's all my and your Uncle Jiang's fault for being so incompetent. How about this: you give half of the money to Chengzong for his studies, and the other half to your parents. Even if you get married in the future, this rule will remain unchanged."

Daya broke free from Jiang Chengzong's hand and revealed a polite smile: "A woman follows her husband after marriage. This rule cannot be changed. After the marriage, the husband's family will naturally take precedence."

Just as Wu Shi smiled slightly, she continued, "But if she's not married yet and is already rushing to give herself to her husband's family, she'll be looked down upon. Chengzong is destined for great things, and we can't let people gossip about him because of this."

Before the Jiang family members could react, she turned to Jiang Chengzong and said, "Chengzong, I've heard that you can earn a lot of money by writing letters and copying books for others, or by working as an accountant. I believe that with your abilities, you can earn even more, and it will also fulfill your filial piety. When you become a high-ranking official in the future, this will be a wonderful story."

After hearing these words, Wang Yi couldn't help but applaud Daya. If the Jiang family had any sense of shame, they would never bring up the past again.

Jiang Chengzong's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and walked away without looking back.

Mrs. Wu was so angry that she stomped her feet and said, "You'll regret this." Then she chased after her son.

Jiang Mantun sighed and turned to leave.

After watching the three leave, Da Ya turned around and went home as well.

Seeing Wang Yiyi and Er Ya in the corner, he was startled: "How long have you been eavesdropping?"

Er Ya's eyes were red: "Big sister, let's not marry brother-in-law anymore. Let Mother find you someone else."

Daya remained calm, seemingly unconcerned about the matter, and even smiled, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? Our two families are already engaged. They only said these things because they consider me family. You'll understand when you have a husband."

Er Ya stubbornly declared, "I'd rather not marry into a family like this."

Daya tapped her forehead: "Nonsense."

He added, "Don't tell our parents about this, so they won't worry."

Seeing Daya's calm demeanor, Wang Yiyi couldn't help but feel sorry for her. This was definitely not the first time she had encountered something like this; she had been enduring it all for the sake of her family.

She looked up at Daya, her face resolute: "Eldest sister, if you don't want to marry into the Jiang family, we'll call off the engagement. Parents won't let you suffer this injustice."

Daya smiled and said, "It doesn't matter who you marry. Jiang Chengzong is a scholar, after all. You're just a child, so don't worry about adult matters."

She couldn't back out of this relationship.

If she were to break off the engagement, it would be a minor matter if her reputation were ruined; what would happen to the reputations of her younger siblings? Besides, only if she married Jiang Chengzong could she possibly secure good marriages for her younger siblings and provide a good life for her parents.

As the daughter of a hunter, Jiang Chengzong was the best marriage she could hope for. Her younger sisters might not know this, but she couldn't be unaware of it.

Knowing she couldn't persuade her otherwise, Wang Yiyi could only hold Daya's hand and say, "Big sister, I support whatever decision you make."

Er Ya, standing nearby, also grabbed Da Ya's other hand: "Me too."

Daya squeezed her two younger sisters' hands. "Let's go home."

When Li saw the three of them return together, she laughed and said, "When your eldest sister gets married, you two can go with her as part of her dowry."

Wang Yiyi went over and tugged at her sleeve: "Then let eldest sister not get married."

Li's expression immediately changed: "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll definitely beat you."

Wang Yiyi immediately hid behind Daya. Li Shi didn't really intend to hit her. She turned to Daya and said, "I just discussed it with your father. We'll sell this Huangjing (Polygonatum) and use half of the money to pay for Chengzong's education. Our family is still doing alright, so we can't let his studies be delayed."

When the Jiang family spoke up, she was a little angry and didn't reply. But the more she thought about it, the more she regretted it. This put Da Ya in a difficult position. What would the Jiang family think of Da Ya?

Daya said, "Mother, no need. Chengzong just told me that he found a job copying books, which is enough for him to study. We don't even know how much Huangjing will sell for yet. We still need to save it for my older brother to get married."

Mrs. Li was a little worried: "Won't this interfere with his studies? You dug up this Polygonatum, so the money should belong to you. Your father and I will figure out how to pay for your older brother's wedding."

Da Ya said, "Cheng Zong and I are not married yet. If he spends his future wife's family's money on his studies, it will not be good for his future reputation, and people will gossip about him."

Upon hearing this, Li Shi stopped insisting. "Oh dear, how come I didn't think of that? This money can be used as part of your dowry."

This time, Da Ya nodded.

The family discussed for a while, how much to sell the pheasant for tomorrow, how much to sell the Solomon's seal for, and what else they needed to buy for the house. They didn't go to rest until it was completely dark.

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