Chapter 60: Chapter 60

"Host, judging by this situation, aren't those two about to break up?"

Watching the drama unfold with equal enthusiasm, the system asked worriedly within the mental space. It knew full well how much its host wanted these two to happily stay together forever.

Remembering how that Liu fellow had previously set his sights on its host, the system wished it could beat him to death right then and there.

Pah! Heartless scumbag!

"Relax, they won't." Happily munching on fresh grapes, An Ning spoke with certainty.

"Simple - because Liu still needs to take the imperial exams next year!" An Ning said with a smile. "Do you know why they say 'poor scholar'? Just the travel expenses for taking these exams cost at least ten taels of silver. Do you think that Liu fellow can afford that?"

Unable to afford the silver.

Naturally he'd need to find someone to leech off of. No matter what, Second Ya was still an embroiderer in the county town, earning at least half a tael monthly. Moreover, as another Xie family daughter, even if Second Ya was unpleasant, for the sake of her younger sister Third Ya, they'd have to maintain appearances.

Even Xie the Second could see this clearly. Hadn't they all noticed how Aunt Xie was rolling her eyes so hard they might get stuck? She might as well have directly cursed how their shrewd Xie family could produce such a blind fool!

As expected, An Ning's prediction proved correct. The very next day after Xie the Second issued his ultimatum, Widow Lu arrived smiling with a matchmaker, her earlier hesitation nowhere to be seen.

As a widow who had single-handedly raised a son to adulthood and funded his education, Widow Lu was far more than just sharp-tongued.

With her well-dressed son who knew when to bend, a mother who could switch between wielding knives and playing the smiling tiger, plus a devoted wife like Xie Second Ya who lived only for her husband - this family could produce endless drama without An Ning needing to lift a finger.

Especially since in this lifetime, thanks to An Ning's early intervention, Second Ya hadn't managed to save a single copper coin over the years.

Fearing Second Ya's stubbornness might affect other girls' marriage prospects, the Xie family hastily married her off before New Year's, well before Third Ya's wedding date.

With the Liu family's meager finances, the wedding couldn't have been simpler. Rumor had it when Widow Lu saw the bride's dowry on the wedding day, her face turned black as charcoal.

For Third Ya's wedding, An Ning not only gifted a fine jade hairpin as additional dowry but also compiled the annotated study materials previously used for Chubby Boy, repaying her cousin's years of support.

Of course, Eldest Ya had received a copy earlier too. But back then, those notes hadn't carried nearly as much weight.

Third Ya's in-laws were among the county's well-off families, owning two shops and wanting nothing. Naturally they planned to educate future generations to climb the social ladder.

Seeing these materials, the already pleased Huang family grinned from ear to ear, mentally elevating their daughter-in-law's status.

The notes were valuable, but more importantly - what did this imply about the sisters' relationship?

Hearing their daughter-in-law had once studied with that talented cousin, if she could learn even a fraction and gain some connections, their Huang family would benefit immensely.

Such obvious favoritism spoke volumes. Yet none among the guests, including Xie Village locals who only knew bits of the story, thought An Ning was at fault.

They simply concluded Second Ya lacked sense, foolishly offending the family's rising star.

Just like in the original timeline where no one believed the lofty magistrate's wife would target a mere farm girl - they'd simply thought Fourth Ya was unlucky, unable to curry favor with her successful cousin.

Some had even speculated, given the original's beauty, whether she'd done something to deserve her cousin's disdain.

Sipping her tea, An Ning wasn't surprised.

This was the privilege of status - when you held power and value, people would justify all your actions, good or bad, placing blame elsewhere.

That's why An Ning always avoided meaningless conflicts - they only lowered one's standing without benefit.

As always, principles mattered less than interests.

Indeed, right after the wedding banquet, Widow Lu stormed off grim-faced. Whatever happened that day, from then on Second Ya worked dawn to dusk at the embroidery workshop, then took on extra piecework at night.

Her hands turned raw and red in winter's cold. Were it not for needing them intact to earn money, she'd likely have been assigned all the household chores too.

But this concerned An Ning not at all. By spring's third month, amidst blooming flowers and singing birds, An Ning married into the Lin family.

On her wedding night, feeling her husband's obvious inexperience, An Ning paused before slowly relaxing.

Happy? Certainly - who'd want an extra person in their space?

Touched? Not in the slightest.

Afterwards, sensing her temporary husband's unexpectedly gentle, attentive and even eager attitude, a drowsy An Ning could only think...

Her nominal husband was quite determined to elevate his family's status.

Impressive willpower!

Plus, his stamina wasn't bad either.

That 1.8-meter frame wasn't just for show.

This assessment proved accurate later. Though new brides typically served their mother-in-law meals for the first few days, before An Ning could rise, Master Lin had already smilingly motioned for her to sit.

"Now that you've joined our family, daughter-in-law, just sit. Our Lin family doesn't stand on such pointless formalities..."

"Your mother likes sleeping in. Skip today - you youngsters needn't come so early hereafter."

Master Lin said this with such sincerity, one might believe him, ignoring Madam Lin's livid expression.

Truthfully, Madam Jiang was grinding her teeth in fury.

No such rules? Then what had she been doing, rising before dawn daily to serve her mother-in-law?

If not the Lin family's rules, were they the Jiang family's?

If she liked sleeping in, hadn't that old woman upstairs preferred it too?

What infuriated Madam Jiang more was her new daughter-in-law sitting down without even token refusal, smiling sweetly.

"Thank you for your consideration, Father."

Well, this cold-looking daughter-in-law certainly had thick skin!