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A trusted connection in the village pointed him toward some construction tools. From laying the foundation to raising the walls, everything was taken care of, saving the Tang family – which wasn’t large to begin with – some trouble. Even though spending a little more to delegate the cooking duties may not be ideal, the outcome is favorable in a way – the Tang family had no women, only a little girl named Tang Yuxin, who was still in primary school, and the two big men couldn’t possibly be expected to cook. All things taken care of, there was no need to worry anymore.

As the construction of the house was underway, it was time to broach the subject of marriage.

The matter concerning Zhang Xiangcao had already sparked some unfavorable rumors in the village, most of which targeted Zhang Xiangcao: Why should a young man work for a divorced widow like you? What business do you have exploiting a bachelor like that?

Zhang Xiangcao found herself speechless – she didn’t truly understand or expect this. When Tang Zhijun had come to help, she didn’t know. When she did, work on the land was almost complete. She was grateful to Tang Zhijun; he was a good man who had helped her and her daughter a lot.

However, she couldn’t risk damaging his reputation. So she stayed at home, grappling with her worries as she held Sisi, slave to despair and devoid of even the courage to keep living.

Existence perplexed her – why should life be so hard?

Each time she contemplated suicide, a glance at her daughter Sisi would spur her to grit her teeth and fight to survive, determined to raise Sisi no matter what it took.

“Knock, knock…” came a knock on the door.

She carefully tucked her daughter into bed, tidied her hair, and opened the door. The sight that greeted her left her at a loss.

Standing there was Aunt Yao from the village.

Aunt Yao was known for matchmaking. She had a close bond with Zhang Xiangcao’s deceased mother, and had maintained a sisterly relationship with her all her life. Over the years, she had never forgotten Zhang Xiangcao, providing her with suitable suitors whenever they come by, but none of them wanted Sisi. She couldn’t possibly abandon her daughter and remarry, could she?

“Auntie, come on in,” she said, opening the door to let Aunt Yao in.

Zhang Xiangcao’s house was barren, without anything valuable. Being the sole matriarch with a young child made life difficult; her toil and labor served to barely fill their stomachs.

Aunt Yao sighed. Each encounter with Zhang Xiangcao left her heart-heavy. Zhang was a good girl possessing both kindness and beauty. Had she married someone in the village, she wouldn’t be living such a life, often going hungry and threadbare.

“Xiangcao, I’ve found a prospective partner for you.”

“As you know, before your mother passed away, her biggest worry was your future. Please listen to me this time; you just can’t drag your feet.”

“Auntie, I won’t marry anyone who doesn’t want Sisi,” Zhang Xiangcao replied calmly. She had expected these words from Aunt Yao and was resigned to her fate.

She walked over to the heat source, touching her daughter’s face tenderly. Her poor daughter, who due to her useless mother, had never tasted good food. Skinny like a little monkey, Sisi was almost three, yet she couldn’t speak a word.