Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuqing frowned and looked at Chen Xiuer, who was still holding a knife. "Comrade Xiuer, what conflicts can't be discussed sitting down? Using a knife is never right!"

Upon hearing Granny Sun's words, the surrounding villagers, who were unaware of the situation, also began to discuss it amongst themselves:

"Hiss—taking hundreds of kilograms of grain back to her parents' home? That's a bit much for Chen Xiuer."

"Exactly! A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; how can she just move back to her parents' home like that?"

Chen Xiuer's face was filled with grief, indignation, and a mocking sneer. "Listen to this, everyone! What mother-in-law stirs up trouble and sows discord all day long? My mother came all the way from the city to take care of me during my postpartum period, bringing dozens of kilograms of cured meat and dried vegetables with her! For the past month, she's worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, taking care of the children and serving the elderly, and even working to earn work points for me! Now that she's going back, I'm giving her back the work points and food I earned over three months. What's wrong with that? Isn't that right?"

It's ridiculous that her mother, in order not to make things difficult for her or to prevent her brother and sister-in-law from nagging her for being unreasonable, went to the grain store in the county town today to buy grain to bring home and slap her, and she still hasn't returned.

"As for this wild boar meat! Wasn't it you who first insisted on sending half to your lazy, good-for-nothing older brothers' families? Since your Zhao family's meat can be given to your maternal uncles, isn't it reasonable for my mother, who worked hard for a month, to take half of the meat I earned with my work points?!"

Grandma Sun stubbornly retorted, "How can that be the same?! I'm giving meat to your husband's maternal uncle! They're all family! What kind of meat is it if you give it to your own family? That's meat from the Zhao family!"

"Pah!" Chen Xiuer spat angrily. "What family? How many times a year have your two brothers come to beg for our money? What have they ever helped us with? My mother came to help sincerely, bringing so much stuff and doing so much work. And now she's an outsider to you? So you're allowed to take advantage of your own family, but I'm not allowed to care about my own mother? Zhao Shupi, let me tell you, if my mother doesn't take this food and meat with her, I'm not finished with you! Let whoever wants to live like this go!"

Su Wanqing silently gave Chen Xiuer a thumbs up. Look at her, she truly deserves to be a future business tycoon. She really woke up after walking through the gates of hell!

Being a woman is already tough enough; when you're upset, you need to vent!

She admired Chen Xiuer's determination to cause chaos if she was not allowed to have an easy time. If all women in China could stand up for themselves like this when faced with injustice, would men still be able to bully women?

Liu Shuqing was completely bewildered.

The people at the educated youth settlement couldn't stand seeing the local grandmothers bullying the educated youth, especially Tian Dahua, so she stood up directly:

"I'm not trying to be mean, but Chen Zhiqing's mother personally came to take care of her during her postpartum period, bringing so much stuff and even helping with work. What's wrong with taking some food back with her? She's sacrificed so much!"

"Exactly! They're bullying us educated youth just because our families don't live here, aren't they? If Xiu'er were one of our own, she could just yell for her brother and father to come, and see if Grandma Sun would still dare to bully us like this!"

Some local older women also chimed in:

"A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl! So what if Chen Xiuer earned work points? She earned them at Old Zhao's house! She's part of Old Zhao's family! She shouldn't be giving grain to her parents' family!"

"Exactly! Isn't it expected that the wife's mother should come to take care of her during her postpartum period? And she wants to be paid?"

Seeing the scene escalating into chaos, Liu Shuqing shouted, "Alright, stop arguing! It's no big deal, Comrade Xiuer! I order you to put the knife away first! It's too dangerous! The rest you can discuss and resolve behind closed doors!"

"Discuss it yourselves? If I could discuss it, why would I need a knife? Tell me clearly now, the grain and meat must be taken back to my mother, or no one will have a good time!" Chen Xiuer held the knife up.

Hiding behind Liu Shuqing, Granny Sun grew bolder. "You won't get a single grain of rice or piece of meat for your family today! Son, if she dares to take her away, divorce her! Make her and that good-for-nothing girl get out of here! How will she survive after a divorce, with a child in tow? How will she support her child? These days, what decent family would want a woman who's had a child and has a daughter? She'll be all alone, crying out to heaven and earth, and then you'll be crying your eyes out!"

Chen Xiuer's hand, gripping the knife, froze, her face paling. This was her deepest fear and Achilles' heel. She wasn't alone; she had a newborn daughter to feed! If she really divorced, what would happen to her child? Would she suffer with her?

Seeing Chen Xiuer hesitate, Zhao Shupi offered a piece of advice with the tone of "I'm doing this for your own good":

"Yes, honey, don't be impulsive. We're family. Can't we sit down and talk things out? Just listen to my mom! If she makes me get a divorce, I... I can't help it! If I get divorced, at least I'm still a man, I can find someone else. What about you? If you take the child back to the educated youth settlement, you'll only be able to squeeze into that drafty mud-brick house with everyone else! You'll earn few work points, and you'll have to raise a child, it'll be so hard! Besides, in this rural area, what man would want to marry someone with a baby girl? Don't you care about your reputation?"

Chen Xiuer looked at Zhao Shupi with disappointment, hating that she didn't have independent financial means and no means of making a living! She wished there was another way, no matter how difficult, it would be better than being controlled by this family!

If we give her another year, or even just six months...

Seeing Chen Xiuer's momentum weaken, Granny Sun revealed a smug smile. When it comes to manipulating women, all you need to do is threaten them with their children and the bleak future after a divorce; few dare to disregard the consequences!

Some of the young wives in the crowd wore expressions of helpless sorrow, like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox. This is reality; power is stronger than people, and women often face such difficulties.

Su Wanqing also sighed as she watched.

Things eventually developed in this direction. Chen Xiuer held the knife but dared not strike, because she still had her daughter, and she had a weakness.

Su Wanqing finally stepped forward, patted Chen Xiuer, and said, "Xiuer, the family really should sit down and talk things out. What your mother-in-law and your husband said... does reflect some of the current realities."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shupi immediately chuckled and said, "Dr. Su is truly sensible!"

The next second, Su Wanqing said, "However, Xiuer, you don't need to worry too much. The country is currently vigorously developing production and revitalizing the economy, and everyone has seen the changes in our troupe. There will be more and more opportunities in the future."

"As you may have heard, our group has built two new rows of cultivation houses and improvement houses. Next, we will vigorously cultivate oyster mushrooms and supply them to the supply and marketing cooperative, which is also one of our group's sources of income. I happen to be short of someone who can carefully look after and manage the mushrooms 24 hours a day. This job can be done with children, and you can live in the cultivation house. As for work points, it's eight per day, and the group will also provide an additional three cents as a job allowance. Once I get busy in a couple of days and the formalities are completed, if you are willing, you can come and help me."