Chapter 121: Sister’s Happiness Is What Matters Most

After finishing all the pastries that needed to be made and seeing off Dusong, Duyun couldn’t stop smiling. Holding the payment Dusong had given her for twenty pounds of pastries—fifty yuan in total—she felt as if her heart was soaring. The crisp, brand-new ten-yuan bills made her incredibly happy.

“Quickly put the money away. What if you lose it?” Duzhi, who had never seen so much money in her life, watched nervously as Duyun fidgeted with the bills, afraid a gust of wind might blow them away.

“Sis, this is just the payment from the first two days. There are still over twenty more days to go. Your wedding will definitely be taken care of!” Duyun said with a bright smile. This was truly a fortunate turn of events—just when she was pondering how to find a legitimate way to earn money to support her income in this other world, here it was.

“Make sure to keep the money safe. If you’re worried about it, you can give it to Mom or Grandma to keep, but don’t spend it all on me. Save some for Big Brother and Second Brother when they get married,” Duzhi said, waving her hands anxiously at her sister’s words.

“Don’t worry, Sis. I know what I’m doing!” Duyun smiled sweetly, planning to keep half the money to start another little business and hand the other half to Grandma for safekeeping, so they wouldn’t have to worry about money all the time.

“Take a break now. Making over twenty pounds of pastries really wore me out,” Duyun said, tucking the money into her pocket and stretching lazily.

Because they had to make so many pastries, Duyun and Duzhi had gotten up early and worked until nearly noon. Although Duyun’s physical strength had improved considerably thanks to the energy crystal, she was genuinely exhausted.

“All right, go rest for a bit. I’ll get lunch ready,” Duzhi said, patting Duyun on the back and rubbing her shoulders before heading off to busy herself with cooking.

Watching her sister’s retreating figure, Duyun felt a pang of sadness. Duzhi, not yet twenty, was already preparing to marry and shoulder so many responsibilities and hardships—it was truly heartbreaking.

Thinking about her sister’s marriage, a sudden chill ran through Duyun. She had been so focused on making sure the wedding would be grand and proper that she hadn’t considered whether her sister would be happy after marriage.

Frowning slightly, Duyun realized she barely remembered what her future brother-in-law was like. No, she had to investigate carefully whether this marriage was truly reliable. If her sister was unwilling, then the wedding could not proceed. After all, her sister’s happiness was what mattered most!

Determined, Duyun decided to start by probing her sister for information. Hastily tidying her clothes, she made her way to the kitchen.

“Sis, you’re getting married in just a month. I’m really going to miss you!” Duyun said, pressing close to Duzhi’s busy form and leaning on her shoulder.

“Silly girl, every girl has to get married when she grows up!” Duzhi’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head shyly.

“Sis, what’s your fiancé like? I can’t seem to remember,” Duyun asked, noticing the blush but no displeasure on her sister’s face—only shyness. This reassured her somewhat. Remembering that her sister had secretly embroidered a bodice, Duyun began to think perhaps this marriage wasn’t as unreliable as she had feared.

“He’s a good person!” Duzhi blinked in surprise at Duyun’s question, then thought for a moment before softly replying.

“A good person?”

“Yes, he’s from Hexi Village, just down the street from our maternal grandmother’s house. When I was little and went there with Mom, I often played with him. He always treated me kindly and saved treats for me,” Duzhi explained. Among the girls in their family, only Duyun and Duzhi were close in age, and usually there was no one to chat with.

Maybe because she was nervous about the upcoming wedding or just pent-up emotion, shy Duzhi gradually began to recount stories of her and her fiancé Tang Jun’s childhood.

“Oh? You’ve known your fiancé since you were kids?” Duyun asked, a slight smile playing in her eyes as she pressed further.

“Yes, when we were about seven or eight. Back then he was so dark-skinned and skinny—like a tall, thin stalk. He’d come to grandma’s house wearing just big shorts, bare-chested. When he saw me, his mouth would open wide enough to fit an egg,” Duzhi said, laughing softly at the memory.

“Your fiancé was that amusing as a child?” Duyun noticed the rosy glow on her sister’s face and the laughter flickering in her eyes and brows—not a trace of regret, only full of hopeful anticipation. This made Duyun feel even more at ease; clearly, her sister was content with this match.

“Yeah, he was really fun! But I don’t know how he’s been lately. He joined the army the year before last, so he only comes home twice a year,” Duzhi said, her smile blossoming like spring flowers. She didn’t mind Duyun calling him “fiancé” directly and spoke about him openly, radiating happiness.

“Joined the army, huh? Then since your wedding is coming up soon, he’ll probably be home for it,” Duyun thought, feeling half her worries melt away. But she still didn’t dare trust her sister’s word alone. Whether this marriage was worth it depended on meeting the fiancé herself.

She planned to persuade their mother to visit their grandmother’s house soon, to secretly observe the fiancé’s character. The more she thought about it, the more promising the matter seemed, and her mood lifted as she coaxed Duzhi to tell more stories from their childhood.

It turned out that the bond between Duzhi and Tang Jun was more than just childhood acquaintances playing together.

When Duzhi was young, the Du family had just emerged from a famine, living in harsh conditions. Sometimes, when her mother had no choice, she would take the children to stay at her own mother’s house for a few days—both to save some food at home and to let the children eat better and avoid starving.

It was under these circumstances that Duzhi met Tang Jun. The Tang family’s situation was neither good nor bad, and as the eldest grandson, Tang Jun was favored by the old matriarch and often had snacks.

When he saw the thin little girl with nothing to eat, Tang Jun somehow decided not to eat the snacks himself anymore. Instead, he saved everything he got to share with the little sister.

Duzhi, usually very hungry, was naturally happy to accept the treats, and so the two children formed a strong friendship over these shared snacks.

As they grew closer, their feelings blossomed beyond friendship during those tender years, and their families happily approved. Finally, when it was time to arrange the marriage, Tang Jun asked his mother to visit their grandmother’s house and formally bring Duzhi into their family.

“Oh, so that’s why you went to grandma’s house so often!” Duyun exclaimed, finally understanding. Seeing the radiant glow on her sister’s face, she truly felt happy for her.