The Little Farmer's Widow

[Gentle sister-in-law x tough older brother]

Wanniang was the young wife of the Xue family in Xinghua Village. The family she married into was small and poor.

Aside from her husband, there was an older brother-in-law she had never met. She'd heard he had joined the army years ago and died in battle far away.

Her husband was a peddler who traveled from village to village. He also tended a few small fields, and their life was comfortable enough.

But then he suddenly died of an illness, leaving Wanniang without a child.

She was a widow, and the family nearly stripped her of everything.

Just when she had nowhere left to turn, her brother-in-law, who had been reported dead in battle, returned.

Wanniang trembled as she said, "Thank you for taking me in, Brother."

_

Xue Qingshan returned from the army to find his mother had passed away and his only younger brother had died of illness. All that remained was his widowed sister-in-law.

His uncles and other elders all said that she was a widow and had given the Xue family no heir, so they might as well drive her out.

But he also heard that her own family wouldn't take her back now that she was a married woman.

Xue Qingshan made his decision on the spot: as long as he had food to eat, she would never go hungry. He would raise her as his younger sister.

How much could one little woman possibly eat?

Later, that woman was always calling him "Big Brother" with shining eyes, gently bringing him water and wiping away his sweat.

Xue Qingshan stared at her fair, delicate face, his gaze lingering on her longer and longer.

Theme: Building wealth and a better life