The Dong Family didn't have any, but she did. Having made up her mind, Li Mingwei invited Yun Sister to embroider flowers with her early next morning.
She didn't beat around the bush, pulled Yun Sister into the room, made sure no one was outside, and asked directly: "I just heard from Sister Chunhua yesterday that you are getting married so far away. I wanted to ask if you really want to get married. If not, I can help you think of a way to return the betrothal gifts."
Yun Sister was stunned for a moment, somewhat moved. She held Li Mingwei's hand in return: "I appreciate your kindness, but you don't have it easy yourself. Don't worry about me."
Yun Sister knew Li Mingwei had skills to make some money, but she still lived in the utility room at the Dong Family. That small utility room was even worse than her room with her sister. How could she bear to ask her for more help?
Not knowing how to explain, Li Mingwei could only say: "Don't worry about me. I have money."
But Yun Sister still shook her head.
In order to prove her capability, Li Mingwei had no choice but to take out the gold hairpin for Yun Sister to see: "Look, I really have money. Feel free to ask if you need help."
"This, this is gold?" Yun Sister covered her mouth in surprise, even holding the gold hairpin with some tremor. In her life, the most valuable jewelry she had seen was the silver hairpin her mother brought for her dowry. But that couldn't compare with what was in front of her eyes now.
"It's gold, real gold!"
Touching the pearls inlaid on it, Yun Sister opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound.
It took her quite a while to regain some sanity. She asked: "Where did you get this from?"
"It was part of my dowry."
Yun Sister shook her head again and again: "Then I really can't take it!"
"I didn't say I would give it to you!" It was the dowry her grandfather-in-law gave her. How could she easily give it away!
Li Mingwei said, "I just wanted to tell you that I do have some money. If you don't want to get married, no matter how much betrothal gift your family has received, we can somehow gather money to return it."
Yun Sister fell silent for a while, seemingly lost in thoughts. Then she sat down heavily on the bed and said in a resigned manner, "I should just get married."
"Matchmaker Chen said the groom's family is quite well off. Although I haven't seen them with my own eyes and don't know if that's true or false, but the amount of betrothal gift they offered is really high. With this money, my two younger brothers don't need to worry too much."
Li Mingwei didn't understand: "What about you! Are you really willing to marry a man you've never met?"
"So what if I'm not willing? Would another one necessarily be better? Being picky doesn't mean there won't be any problems. Whether my marriage will be good or not is just like other girls - fifty-fifty. No need to fuss over it."
The more Yun Sister spoke, the more determined she became. She straightened her back, gripped Li Mingwei's hands tightly, and said: "I know you mean well, but some things are not as simple as you see them."
"Mingwei, I've been the Meng family's Eldest Sister for long enough. This identity has brought me too much burden. Consider this betrothal gift the last thing I'll do for them before I get married and liberated."
In the eyes of outsiders, Yun Sister was a very competent Eldest Sister - selfless and gentle, always tolerant and yielding to her younger siblings, letting them have the best food and clothing.
In front of her parents, she was also an exceptionally filial daughter, obediently doing whatever tasks she could to avoid tiring her parents out.
Everyone saw Yun Sister as an extremely good person. Only she herself knew the confusion and struggle deep down - she didn't do those things voluntarily. She even resented her siblings for taking away what originally belonged to her.
Ever since childhood, her parents only told her that as the eldest sister, she should yield to her younger siblings. It was as if she was shackled by those words. Any slightest resistance would make her parents look at her like she had done something terribly unfilial.
Only by being good to her siblings could she get her parents' approving gaze and praises. Just for those inexplicable things, she had been going against her own wishes for many years.
Now, she could finally get some liberation.
Tears brimmed Li Mingwei's eyes. She never knew Yun Sister had such bewilderment and struggle inside. Just like everyone else, she also thought Sister Yun was so good, so good!
She choked and said grievingly: "Sister Yun~"
The two held each other tightly and cried their hearts out until they almost fainted.
Li Mingwei even had the impulse to take Yun Sister away - away from the family fetters here. With the wide world out there, she could let her roam freely.
Yun Sister wiped her slightly swollen eyes and gently declined with a faint smile: "I don't have the heart to do that, nor the ability. Please don't worry about me. What I'm doing now is what I want to do."
"Rest assured, I will definitely come back to see you."
Li Mingwei bit her lips tightly until the tender skin bled a little. Her mind was a complete mess now, unable to think clearly about the truth behind Yun Sister's words at all.
She only remembered Yun Sister's promise to come back. She must create the conditions for Yun Sister to come back.
Mr. Jin had just paid her the teaching fee for next month. She counted the money in her hand and shook her head.
Mr. Jin laughed: "What's wrong? Did this old fellow with blurred eyesight count it wrong for you?"
"No." Li Mingwei shook her head again. She put the money back into her pocket, lowered her eyes and asked, "Mr. Jin, do you know where Qingshan Village is?"
"Qingshan Village?" Mr. Jin tried to recall. There indeed was such a place. "Is it the Qingshan Village south to the county seat?"
"Yes, I also heard it takes two days to walk there from here, with an overnight stay in the county seat in between."
"Hmm, then it must be that Qingshan Village." Although Mr. Jin had never been there himself, he had heard of it. It's quite far. He looked up at Li Mingwei: "Why did you suddenly ask about this place?"
Li Mingwei pouted a little: "Sister Yun is getting married there after the New Year."
"I see." Seeing Li Mingwei look somewhat unhappy, Mr. Jin comforted with a smile: "Don't worry. Although Qingshan Village is just a village, it has quite a large population. Some families there may even be wealthier than those here in our small town."
"Yes, the betrothal gift is twenty taels of silver, quite rich indeed."
Although it couldn't compare to the lavish dowry she received at her wedding, it was already very high by local standards. When Dong Shan married Wang Chunhua, the betrothal gift was only ten taels. In their village, even five or eight taels would suffice for other girls' weddings.
"Not bad then. Why the dissatisfied face?"
Li Mingwei gritted her teeth: "I think Sister Yun deserves better!"
Mr. Jin laughed out loud. When he walked past her, he knocked her little head and said: "My child, don't be too greedy. You think Yun Sister deserves better, but the groom's family probably also feels their son deserves better. Given the Meng family's status, twenty taels of silver betrothal gift is already very good."
Li Mingwei naturally understood that. But it was because she felt Yun Sister was ill-treated, not that she looked down upon the groom's family.
This family had never truly cared for her or asked what she really wanted. Yet she still had to contribute so much to this family.
