My Groom Died on Our Wedding Night, So I Married His Younger Brother

Ancient rural life + marriage first, love later + imperial examinations + building wealth + a gentle, steady romance As the youngest daughter born to her parents late in life, He Qiaoying was cherished and pampered by her father from the moment she was born. But those days came to an abrupt end when her father passed away. Living with her gentle, timid mother under the thumb of her domineering eldest sister-in-law, she became as busy as a spinning top, never getting a moment's rest. When she came of age to marry, her sister-in-law arranged for her to wed a tall, strapping man. Her protests were useless, so she had no choice but to go along with it. Unexpectedly, on their wedding night, her husband tumbled down a slope. Without timely treatment, he soon passed away. Fortunately, her father- and mother-in-law were understanding and treated her like their own daughter. Her life was peaceful enough. Then, one night, an unexpected guest arrived at the house. A beautiful woman caressed her belly and said, “I'm carrying your late husband's child...” The Gu family was devastated. Their eldest son, the family's pillar, had died on his wedding night without leaving behind an heir. But life is full of surprises. A village widow showed up at their door, cradling her belly and saying she was carrying the eldest son's child. So Gu Boxuan, the younger brother, waited outside his widowed sister-in-law's door and said he would marry her and acknowledge his elder brother's child as his own.