After a pause, Chen Yanniang continued:
"Usually, Yao Qi went out to find odd jobs. I thought that as long as we worked hard together as a family, our lives would eventually get better.
After Chen Yanqiu came of age, I arranged a marriage for her. The man was a scholar named Ning Zhihong.
Although Ning Zhihong's family was rather poor, he was very handsome, and his character and scholarship were beyond reproach. With his talent and learning, he was bound to rise above the crowd someday.
I thought that if my younger sister married him then, she would suffer some hardship, but once Ning Zhihong placed high in the imperial examinations, her good days would begin.
But I never imagined that someone would poison Ning Zhihong out of jealousy over his talent, killing him outright.
Ning Zhihong's father intended to file a complaint at the Yamen, but before he even reached it, someone dragged him into an alley and beat him to death. His body wasn't discovered until the next day.
When Ning Zhihong's mother heard the news, her already frail body gave out. She couldn't catch her breath, and just like that, she was gone.
Chen Yanqiu was the only one left in the household.
When I learned what had happened, I was afraid she would be bullied as a widow, so I brought her into our home.
I invited a wolf into my own house!"
As everyone listened to Chen Yanniang's account, they grew even more contemptuous of Chen Yanqiu and Yao Qi.
Chen Yanniang sobbed so hard she could barely speak, pounding her chest as though only that could bring her some relief.
Song Yaoyao asked:
"Were the people who killed Ning Zhihong and his father brought to justice?"
"No, but that family later got their