Qin Jiao’s aunt, Qin Na, had married young and moved to the neighboring village.

Qin Na had inherited her indecisive nature from Qin Jiao’s grandmother. So when a match was arranged for her, she couldn’t tell if he was a good man or not, or even if she liked him, and ended up marrying in a daze.

Qin Jiao knew from her previous life that her aunt did not have a good life. After getting married, Qin Na had tried desperately to have a son to prove her worth, but she never conceived.

When she finally did manage to get pregnant, she had a fall and lost the baby.

It was said to have been a boy, and the loss caused Qin Na to fall gravely ill.

Because she was unable to have children, and on top of that, her husband was a heavy drinker who would beat and curse her at the slightest provocation.

In her previous life, Qin Na had considered divorce, but when she returned to her family home, no one supported her.

After that, Qin Jiao didn’t know the details, but she was certain the divorce never happened. In any case, her aunt’s life must have been exceedingly harsh.

Qin Jiao sat in the living room, listening to her aunt’s sobbing, fragmented account. It was about the same beating she’d received in the previous life.

"I went home first, but my mom and the others said it’s better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage. They told me to take care of myself, and maybe in a couple of years I’d have a child. They also said that since I’m almost thirty, it would be hard to remarry if I got divorced. I... I’m just so terrified of his beatings, so I decided to come ask my older brother and sister-in-law for help."

Su Yun asked, "What did your brother and sister-in-law say?"

"They told me to figure it out on my own." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Su Yun and Qin Zhonghui exchanged a look, understanding immediately. The others didn’t want to stick their necks out. With matters of divorce, if you encourage a couple to separate, you often end up taking the blame in the end.

They were in a difficult position as well. Qin Na was a truly pitiful sight, but divorce was a major affair. In those days, it was still very rare for people to get divorced.

But people in the countryside placed a huge emphasis on having children. If Qin Na truly couldn’t conceive, her life would likely become even harder.

Xiao Shi didn’t understand what was going on. He sat to the side with a book, occasionally sneaking glances at his aunt, who was crying so pitifully.

Qin Jiao handed her aunt a handkerchief. "When it comes to domestic abuse," she said, "there are only two options: zero times, or countless times."

Qin Na looked up at her niece, her eyes filled with tears.

Qin Jiao said, "Auntie, a woman’s worth isn’t defined by whether or not she can have children, or whether she can bear a son."

Qin Na bit her lip. "I love children, I really do. But I just can’t seem to have any."

"That isn’t necessarily your fault. Maybe he’s the one with a medical problem."

Qin Zhonghui hadn’t expected his daughter to be so blunt and cleared his throat. Qin Jiao, however, continued with a perfectly straight face. "We learned all about this in biology class. But let’s set aside the issue of having children. He hits you, Auntie. Even if you do have a son someday, what happens when he’s in a bad mood? He might start hitting both you and the child. Is that really the kind of life you want to continue living?"

Su Yun herself had endured her in-laws’ resentment for a long time for not bearing a son. She glanced at her husband, then finally turned to her sister-in-law. "Xiao Na, do you want a divorce?"

"I do," she whispered, "but I don’t know what I’d do afterward..." She had only graduated from elementary school. Before, she had always done farm work at home, and then she’d gotten married at nineteen. She didn’t know how to do anything else and felt like she didn’t understand anything about the world.

Qin Jiao chimed in, "Auntie, you’re not even thirty. You’re still young. There are night schools in the county town where you can learn a skill. At the very least, you could find a job and be able to support yourself."

Qin Na listened, stunned. Slowly, a light began to dawn in her eyes.