Divorced by her husband's family and rejected by her own! She defiantly turned her life around

Bai Qiming was dressed in new clothes, with a big red flower on his chest. The carriage was decorated with big red "double happiness" characters on both sides, and the horse's head was tied with a red ribbon, making him look exceptionally festive.

Bai Qiming drove the carriage, with several of his cousins ​​from the Bai family and a few of his close friends in the village beside him. A group of children followed behind the carriage, shouting and laughing, "Let's go pick up the bride!"

At the Liu family's old house, Huang Lanhua, Ma Qiao'er, and Yu Guixiang were sitting in the room with Liu Bayue, talking to her about marrying into her husband's family, being filial to her parents-in-law, serving her husband well, and never forgetting her own family when her husband's family was doing well.

Someone outside shouted, "The groom has come to pick up the bride!"

Ma Qiao'er quickly ran out to see, and Yu Guixiang, supporting her back, also wanted to go out and take a look. "Yu Shi, why are you going to join in the fun? Don't get pushed around and hurt the baby in your belly."

"Mother, I'll just watch from afar, I won't go any closer." She wanted to see what the Bai family would use to fetch the bride—an oxcart or a cart pulled by people.

She looked closer and saw a carriage parked at the door. The carriage and horses were decorated very festively. The Bai family valued August so much that they even used a carriage to pick her up. It really made her look good. Wait, the Bai family is so poor, how could they afford to rent a carriage? It must have been Liu Siyue who lent it to the Bai family, just to make August look good.

Bah! She didn't even have a carriage to ride in on her own wedding, so why should she?

A group of children blocked the doorway, asking the groom for red envelopes. Bai Qiming gave one to each of them. The children immediately ran inside after receiving the red envelopes, but then blocked the doorway again, asking for more red envelopes. Bai Qiming gave one to each of them again before they entered the room. There they saw Liu Bayue sitting on the bed in a red dress, with a veil covering her head.

"August, I've come to pick you up. Let's go home."

"First, go to the main room to bid farewell to your parents."

Ma Qiao'er helped August, with Bai Qiming following beside them, as they entered the main room. Huang Lanhua and Liu Dahu sat in the main seats, kneeling and kowtowing. After kowtowing, they stood up, and Huang Lanhua took August's hand, saying, "My daughter, whom I raised with so much care, is leaving with someone else. I can't bear it!"

Liu Dahu said irritably, "Bai family brat, treat August well. If you don't treat her well, don't blame me for being impolite."

"That's right. If you treat my niece badly, we uncles won't stand for it."

Bai Qiming and Liu Bayue remained silent, letting them say whatever they wanted. After bidding farewell to their parents, Huang Lanhua carried a bowl of water to the door. Bai Qiming helped Bayue into the carriage and drove it away slowly.

As soon as the carriage left, Huang Lanhua threw a bowl of water out the door.

Now, apart from the people from the Liu family's old residence, everyone else in the family has gone to see the bride off.

The moment Liu Bayue sat in the carriage, she cried. She cried tears of joy. This was the day she had finally waited for. She had finally escaped the people of the old house. From now on, her days would be filled with laughter, not tears. When she had children in the future, she would raise them well and not let them follow the path she had walked or suffer the hardships she had endured.

Her silent tears soaked her wedding dress. She recalled what her mother and sister-in-law had told her and felt that they were shameless and disgusting. It was one thing for them to bully her before, but now that she was married, they still wanted to scheme against her and the Bai family.

They were being too optimistic and taking things for granted, expecting the Bai family to be their slaves.

Although Ma Qiao'er was only her third aunt, she told her how to live her life and that she should always take care of her own family and not let the people in the old house control her.

Bai Qiming drove the horse-drawn carriage slowly through the village, setting off a string of firecrackers every now and then.

A group of children followed behind, skipping and singing a nursery rhyme: "The gong rings a few times, the groom's family comes to fetch the bride, feet tread on a bucket full of gold, chopsticks shoot at the door god, brother carries the sedan chair on his back, sister-in-law locks the sedan chair door, the key is given to sister-in-law, I am from another family."

Bai Qiming drove the horse-drawn carriage around the village and finally arrived home. A group of villagers followed behind the carriage, crowding around it.

With a whip in one hand and a handful of straw in the other, Bai's mother had someone light it and quickly circled the carriage.

The matchmaker began chanting: "The bride alights from the sedan chair."

Bai Qiming stepped forward, lifted the curtain, and helped August down from the carriage.

"When the newlyweds enter the house, they step over a fire basin and a saddle to ward off disasters and evil spirits, ensuring peace and safety."

Bai Qiming used a red cloth to pull Liu Bayue across the brazier and over the saddle.

An elder of the Bai family brought out a large platter containing a mixture of peanuts, dates, candies, wedding cakes, and coins. He grabbed a handful and scattered it into the crowd, shouting, "Let's share in the joy and good fortune!"

Handfuls of joy and good fortune rained down, and adults and children alike eagerly grabbed them.

Mr. and Mrs. Bai sat in the main room, waiting for the newlyweds to kneel and bow. After the couple completed their ceremony, Liu Bayue was led into the bridal chamber.

The villagers outside were gossiping, "The Huang Lanhua family is so dishonest! They accepted so much money from the Bai family, but didn't give their daughter any dowry at all. Aren't they just ripping her off? How is she supposed to face the Bai family after August?!"

"Don't you know that family? They live off their daughter's blood."

"Which of their three daughters wasn't completely drained by them?"

"What exactly is the Bai family after by marrying the Liu family's daughter? Aren't they afraid of being entangled by the Liu family?"

"The Bai family has lost their minds. Five taels of silver can't buy them any decent wives. If it were me, I would never be related to someone like Liu Dahu by marriage. Just thinking about it makes me sick."

Mother Bai never expected that the people from the Liu family's old house would be so shameless. They didn't bring a single copper coin as dowry, and the wedding dress was made from red cloth that their family had sent. If they hadn't sent that piece of cloth, wouldn't August have had to wear old clothes when she got married?

Hearing the villagers' chatter, Bai's mother's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Liu Siyue stepped forward and said loudly, "Aunt Bai, as August's second sister, we are here to add to August's dowry. This is the dowry I have prepared for August."

Upon hearing that Liu Siyue had prepared a dowry for Liu Bayue, the villagers immediately perked up their ears and peeked inside on tiptoe. "Siyue, what dowry have you prepared for your sister Bayue? Tell us so we can all hear it and have some fun."

"Please be patient, everyone. I will explain everything to you one by one. There are 8 mu of top-quality paddy fields and 5 mu of dry land. These are the land deeds for the two plots of land, 20 taels of silver, and a silver hairpin."

The crowd erupted in commotion. "Wow~ The Bai family has married a golden nugget! They made the right choice in marrying this woman. They've turned their lives around in one fell swoop, and now they can eat wild vegetables like rice."

"Oh my, the Bai family's young master has such good taste! Everyone's so envious!"

Liu Yiyue also stepped forward, "I'll also give my little sister 20 taels of silver as a dowry."

Liu Ruyun carried two bolts of fine cotton cloth, and Madam Feng carried a box as she went in. "I've watched this child, August, grow up since she was little. Since she calls me Second Aunt, I'll also give the child some dowry: two bolts of cotton cloth, 10 taels of silver, and a silver hairpin."

The villagers exclaimed in surprise, "The Bai family has struck it rich! The dowry they gave them is several hundred taels of silver!"

Mother Bai looked proud and said with a smile, "These are all dowries given to August by her sister and second aunt. They are August's private property. How to deal with them and how to spend them is entirely up to August."

"Come, I'll take you to the new house and personally hand over the things to August."

Bai's mother led Liu Siyue and the others to the new house. "August, your sister and your second aunt's family have come to do your wedding."

"Let them stay with you in the new house; I'm going to greet the guests in the front."

In August, with her head covered by a veil, she sat on the edge of the bed and said, "Mother, you go ahead. My older sister and second aunt are here to keep me company."