That day when I was contemplating my new book, I received a call from Sun Li.

His voice was filled with sobs: "Come pick up Sun Qin, my, my parents passed away."

A sense of foreboding crept over me.

Although Sun Li was grieving, he explained the situation to me.

His parents died from eating poisonous mushrooms.

Even though I didn't want to see Sun Qin, Sun Li needed to handle his parents' affairs, so I had to make the trip.

I drove to the countryside, a very backward estate where even after rain, the roads were still muddy.

When I married Sun Li, my mother-in-law didn't like me, calling me a city girl, delicate.

To test me, on our wedding day, she made me kowtow to all the relatives. At that time, blinded by love, I kowtowed hundreds of times during the entire wedding, my legs went weak.

Just married, following customs, I stayed at the estate for a while.

Women here had no status; if a new bride gave birth to a girl, she would be criticized by relatives. Only boys were valued.

The environment here was suffocating, so shortly after, I dragged Sun Li back to the city.

After giving birth to Sun Qin, my mother-in-law never showed me a kind face.

Now, that stern mother-in-law lay motionless in the coffin.

Sun Li knelt in front of the memorial tablet, crying uncontrollably, Li Hui also weeping softly beside him, but showing no signs of sorrow.

Li Hui had been married into the family for a short time and had no emotional connection with the in-laws.

Glancing around, I found Sun Qin in a corner, looking pale and thin, with disheveled hair.

As soon as she saw me, she rushed over: "Mom."

I coldly avoided her: "Your dad asked me to pick you up."

Sun Qin seemed oddly satisfied with this response.

Perhaps because I was dressed nicely, Sun Li glanced at me before leaving.

I didn't take Sun Qin home but found a hotel in town.

Tomorrow, the elders would be buried, and as the eldest grandchild, Sun Qin naturally had to attend.

I arranged a separate room for Sun Qin, staying in the room next door, locking all doors and windows, feeling uneasy and securing them even more.