When the Qian family first arrived in the Northern Wastelands, they all had a hard time. After all, back on the road, Wu Yu and his people had arranged daily rations, so no one had to worry about food. But now, they had to find their own way to earn money and feed themselves.
It was currently January in the Northern Wastelands, and it wasn't yet time for farming. On the surface, the Qian family only had one tael of silver, which was all that Qian Mingwen had—passed on to him by his father, Qian Shouzheng, before he died.
As for the silver on Sun Juanfang, the Qian family was very envious, but they dared not even ask for it. The last time someone tried to covet her things, they ended up with a splitting headache. No one was foolish enough to try again.
And Li Yuexi? She was even more unwilling to part with her money. She had never intended to support Old Madam Qian and this bunch of freeloaders. Ever since the winter coat incident, Li Yuexi had seen through the Qian family completely and would never bring out her own savings again. The only reason she was still staying with them was because she couldn't bear to leave her daughter.
But the Qian family had a new rule now: if you don't work, you don't eat. It was made to prevent anyone from being lazy or trying to freeload.
So, the Qian women started doing embroidery to earn money. Qian Mingwen, who was literate and knew arithmetic, found work as a clerk at a tavern.
Sun Juanfang also did embroidery—but she only spent a little time each day making handkerchiefs or knots, just enough to cover food for herself and her daughter. Nothing more.
The reason she was willing to do even that much was to keep up the original host's embroidery skills—she didn't want to become rusty and lose her touch.
Sometimes, when she was in a bad mood, she would just buy food instead of making it herself. The Qian family didn't dare say a word because she was spending money from her natal family.
Only Old Madam Qian felt deeply uncomfortable. Her body wasn't as strong as it used to be, but it still stung to see her once-meek second daughter-in-law now living more comfortably than she was herself.
What bothered her the most was the thought that Sun Juanfang might remarry. Just thinking about this vixen escaping her control made the old woman seethe.
No, she couldn't think about this woman anymore. Just thinking about her for a little while gave Old Madam Qian another splitting headache.
That evening, she pretended to be affectionate and pulled Ting-jie'er close. "Oh, my poor Ting-jie'er. So young and already fatherless. I think your mother is going to remarry soon and abandon you. Then you'll be a wild child with no parents!"
She even grabbed a rough cloth handkerchief and theatrically dabbed at her eyes where there were no tears at all.
On the side, Qian Mingluan joined in, saying, "Your mother will definitely leave you. You better be good and listen to Grandma and Auntie, or we'll sell you to the brothel."
She was deliberately threatening her niece. Seeing the little girl eat well and dress warmly every day while she herself suffered, Qian Mingluan felt indignant. So, she took the opportunity to pour more oil on the fire.
No matter how obedient Ting-jie'er was, being separated from her mother for the past few nights had made her insecure. Now, hearing her grandmother and aunt's twisted words, she became even more frightened.
The child couldn't hold back her emotions and later ran to Sun Juanfang in tears, sobbing, "Mom, are you going to remarry? Will you leave me behind?"
Sun Juanfang was stunned by the sudden question, then quickly realized someone must have been stirring up trouble in front of her daughter.
Seeing Old Madam Qian behind her, looking awkward, Sun Juanfang immediately had a suspect.
"Who told you such nonsense? Wherever I go, I'll take you with me. From now on, you'll sleep with Mommy again. You don't have to worry anymore, okay?"
Ting-jie'er instantly smiled through her tears. She knew her mother loved her and would never leave her behind. Grandma and Auntie were liars. As long as she was with her mother, she feared nothing.
That very night, Old Madam Qian suddenly had a seizure—what the ancients called "great seizure" (an old term for stroke). Her mouth and nose twisted, and she couldn't speak coherently. Her body was paralyzed.
The Qian family was thrown into chaos. At first, they took care of her out of filial piety, but after a while, they only made sure she didn't starve. No one cleaned her filth.
As for Qian Mingluan, her face broke out in large pustules a few days later. The sores kept spreading, and the family couldn't afford treatment. In the end, she had to wear a headscarf whenever she went out.
This was all Sun Juanfang's doing. She knew this little sister-in-law prized her appearance above all else, so she put a face-ruining poison in her meals. Without the antidote, Qian Mingluan would live the rest of her life disfigured.
And who could blame her? Qian Mingluan had actually considered selling Ting-jie'er to a brothel. Such a venomous idea couldn't go unpunished.
Sun Juanfang had deliberately designed each punishment based on what the person valued most.
The system was a bit confused. Its host had always been swift and ruthless. Why was she suddenly being soft-hearted with Old Madam Qian? Sticking to its usual habit of asking when in doubt, it spoke up:
"Host, that old woman just tried to drive a wedge between you and Ting-jie'er. Why didn't you just kill her?"
"You don't understand. If I kill her, I'll have to observe a mourning period just for her. I only have two more months left before I finish the mourning period for Qian Mingwu and Qian Shouzheng. I don't want to add another six months."
Fair enough. The system hadn't considered the issue of mourning. Human customs were really inconvenient—nothing like being a care-free system.
After that, Sun Juanfang began quietly observing potential "convenient husbands." Even if he was just a tool, she still wanted to be careful in choosing.
She hoped the man had no direct relatives, didn't visit brothels, and had no children of his own.
Whether or not he had been married before didn't matter—after all, this body had also been married once.
Because her criteria were strict, it took over a month of secret investigation before she narrowed it down to two candidates:
One was Xu Dayong, a butcher in the east of town. Honest and clean, though his looks didn't match the current fashion for refined men—he was a bit rugged. He had a wife once, who allegedly ran off with a peddler. Out of male pride, he never remarried.
The other was Li Cheng, the county executioner. It was said his aura of death was too heavy. Three women who had been engaged to him all died mysteriously before marriage. Since then, no one had dared speak of marriage to him again. He was always unkempt and bearded, and though in his twenties, no one had seen his true face.
Given the limitations, these were the best choices Sun Juanfang could find. As for their own preferences—well, that didn't seem very important. She was confident she could make any man marry her.
Now, there was just one question:
Which tool husband should she choose?