The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 20 If she marries...

Hui Niang stumbled backward, nearly losing her footing.

The word "beast" brought tears to her eyes, and her fingertips trembled with anger.

She couldn't bear to hear Zhuang Mei utter even the slightest insult to Wei Shen.

"Don't push your luck."

After Zhuang Mei's outburst, everyone turned to look.

However, Zhuang Mei was not ashamed but proud, raising her chin high.

"Our mother lives with us, but we never see you give her any money as a sign of filial piety. How can you have the nerve to say that? Our mother doesn't only have us, her money-grubbing sons!"

"I'd like to see what you bought!"

Zhuang Mei rushed over and lifted the cloth covering Hui Niang's basket.

When he saw the few bones with the meat removed and the meager pig intestines inside, his eyes filled with disdain, and he took a few steps back in disgust.

"You actually eat things nobody wants? What, you've run out of money? Ready to cry poor again?"

"Let me tell you, don't come to the main house to borrow money. We don't want to plug your bottomless pit."

She deliberately tried to scare Hui Niang: "I was thinking that I would suffer a little because you all feel sorry for me. But since everyone is here today, I'll say this now: after Wei Shen dies, even if you turn around and kneel down to beg me, I will not agree to adopt a son."

Her words struck right to the heart.

Hui Niang's face turned deathly pale.

Just then, a clear and melodious laugh was heard.

Everyone looked over in confusion.

Yu Tingwan replied perfunctorily, "I'm sorry."

"I couldn't help myself when I saw someone with thick skin."

Zhuang Mei glared at her.

She knew how sharp Yu Tingwan's tongue was. Just as she was about to curse, Wang Shi, who had come to buy pig's blood, stopped her.

"Don't bother with her."

Wang sneered: "She didn't mention you. If you take it to heart, what if she casually says something like 'Don't take it personally'? You'll just be a laughing stock."

She understands Yu Tingwan's cunning tactics perfectly!
Zhuang Mei thought it made a lot of sense.

But Yu Tingwan slowly uttered an "ah".

"Can……"

She didn't play by the rules: "I'm talking about her."

Wang: ? ? ?
Zhuang Mei: !!!
She rolled up her sleeves: "You little bitch..."

The village head came out of the house.

"What are you arguing about?"

The only people here who don't need to give Zhuang Mei any face are Yu Tingwan and the village head. Yu Tingwan is stubborn, and the village head has his age and status to consider.

"Is what Wan Niang said wrong? Have you forgotten how you knelt on the ground and begged Hui Niang back then? Aren't you ashamed!"

"You didn't want your son to be drafted, so you spent money to treat the constables from the yamen who came down to register the names to drinks, and just put your nephew's name in the list. If I didn't bring up what happened back then, would you have forgotten all about it? How can you have the nerve to argue with her here?"

His mention of it reminded the older women as well.

It was a snowy day back then.

Zhuang Mei was nothing like her usual arrogant self. She unusually humbled herself and knelt before the nearly collapsing Hui Niang.

"I was wrong about this, but I couldn't help it. Being a soldier is tough; one wrong move and you could lose your life. Your Wei Shen is always jumping around and even fishing in the river. He's clearly a good candidate for martial arts."

Even the gentlest of them all, Hui Niang, suddenly raised her hand and slapped her hard across the face as if possessed.

"So my son deserves it?"

"You can't bear to see your own son die, so you push Ah Lang out?"

Wei Shenke is two years younger than Wei Qintian.
Zhuang Mei's expression changed.

"This... happened so many years ago, what's the point of bringing it up?"

Seeing this, some people shook their heads repeatedly.

"So you knew you were in the wrong."

"It's been a while since Wei Jia's son returned, and I haven't seen the eldest branch of the family go to visit him. That's really not right."

"Yes, Qintian is married now and a father. But his cousin was injured like that..." As long as there were no vested interests involved, the village head was still exceptionally fair and willing to uphold justice.

He said with a stern face, "Heaven is watching what people do. Aren't you afraid of retribution? That's not how you eat off someone's family's property."

Zhuang Mei said with dissatisfaction, "It's just a quarrel between women, nothing serious."

"Even if you're the village head, it's none of your business."

The village head wasn't angry; he couldn't be bothered to argue with such a unreasonable person.

"If you're not happy about it, then have your man come and argue with me!"

"Your mother-in-law is the same. The young man from the Wei family needs to rest. Does she act like a grandmother, going over there every day to make a fuss?"

Zhuang Mei couldn't stand this insult, so she stomped her feet and said some harsh words to Hui Niang.

"Just wait for me."

What's so great about being a village head!
She turned and ran outside, wanting to go back and find someone to back her up.

Yu Tingwan seemed to be deep in thought.

It's easy to see how much Wei Shouzhong and his wife value Wei Shen these days.

She was just puzzled.

"If the name is wrong, you can report it to the authorities."

Why was Wei Shen chosen to take over in the end?
Upon hearing this, Li Lian, who was closest to her, shook her head: "It's not that simple."

Seeing the girl's eyes, as clear as autumn water, looking at her, Li Lian was willing to explain to her: "Back then, the Shoucai couple and Old Lady Wei kept it a secret."

When the time comes, those on the list must go to the government office, which will then forward the list to higher authorities.

The higher-ups will conduct intensive training, and various military camps will send people over one after another to select those who are chosen.

"On the day I went to the yamen, the eldest son and his wife accompanied me. Old Madam Wei said that since we were brothers, she asked Wei Shen to come along to see me off as well."

Who would have thought there would be something fishy and scheming involved?

Who would have thought that Wei Shen would never return?

Wei Qintian, who was supposed to be recruited into the army, returned with his parents instead.

"By the time Hui Niang chased after him to the yamen, Wei Shen had already been sent away."

"How can you make a scene about something like this?"

Yu Tingwan understood.

The village head's granddaughter-in-law, who was holding her child, was confused: "Why can't we go to the yamen to make a scene?"

Before Li Lian could even speak, Yu Tingwan said gently, "Recruiting soldiers is no small matter. If the wrong person is chosen, it's considered dereliction of duty on the part of the county magistrate. How could he possibly accept this case?"

“If Aunt Hui and the others don’t care and really have the guts to cause trouble in the military camp, the entire Wei family will probably lose their heads as well.”

The Wei family did not split up.

The second wife won't benefit from this either.

"Wei Shen's departure to the military camp is a done deal and cannot be changed. Aunt Hui also has a daughter. Old Madam Wei dared to be so bold because she had calculated these two points."

Li Lian was surprised by Yu Tingwan's insightful observations and quick understanding.

She sighed, "If you were a man, you probably wouldn't be any worse than Yaozu."

Yu Tingwan smiled, seemingly lost in thought.

So on the third day, the neighbor made sauerkraut and pig intestines.

She didn't know how Hui Niang made it, but there wasn't a trace of strange smell. The fragrance was exceptionally strong, directly hitting Yu Tingwan's nose.

It looked delicious, and it really whetted her appetite.

We've run out of mushrooms, and all we have left are boiled wild vegetables.

If left out for too long, the wild vegetables will wilt and lose their flavor.

She carried the small, broken pot to the yard and sat down. Looking towards the neighboring house, she could only see a high wall separating the two houses.

The little girl hung her head in dejection and fell into a long silence.

For the first time, I had thoughts I shouldn't have.

If she marries Wei Shen, will she be able to eat pig intestines too?

(End of this chapter)