"Hmph, you still remember you're a widow, don't you? If you did, there wouldn't be so much to talk about. If you want to remarry, then go marry; if you don't, then stay home and behave yourself quietly. The way you act gives people too much to gossip about. Where does our Old Lin family's reputation stand? And you even demand I produce evidence—you actually have the nerve to say that? I'm too ashamed to listen," said Old Madam He, her mouth a flurry of sharp words.

"You also know the Old Lin family cares about reputation? After the mess your family caused, hasn't the Lin family's reputation already been utterly ruined?" Mrs. Zhou shot back with a sarcastic smile.

Mrs. Zhou's retort silenced Mrs. He, leaving her speechless, only able to glare at Mrs. Zhou through gritted teeth. Dong Yu, who had been sitting nearby, occasionally offering a small smile but otherwise silent, finally spoke up when Mrs. Zhou brought this up. She understood Mrs. Zhou was referring to her. She didn't argue but murmured softly, "Third Sister-in-law isn't wrong. What we did back then was out of line. But then again, Qing Shan and I shared feelings. I am married to Qing Shan now. Unless, Third Sister-in-law, you feel the same way? If so, Grandmother, our household will prepare a dowry for her."

Dong Yu's voice was light and soft, seemingly devoid of anger. Her words were an admission of her past, contrasting sharply with Mrs. He's current aggressive display. The tables had turned, presenting Mrs. Zhou with an unexpected dilemma.

Indeed, Mrs. Zhou was rendered speechless by Dong Yu’s statement, caught in a bind—whether to admit or deny, she froze. On the side, Mrs. Zhao had remained quiet throughout. Ordinarily, if Mrs. He had been this excessive, Mrs. Zhao would have intervened immediately. But this time, Mrs. Zhao likely felt Mrs. He had spoken her own unspoken thoughts; some things Mrs. Zhao found difficult to say openly, and Mrs. He saying them made it all the better.

On the other side, Hong Yun and Hong Xia sat with completely neutral expressions, clearly intending to take no sides. Finally, Mrs. Huang stepped in to mediate. "Eldest Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, stop arguing. We are all family. Why bring this up? It looks bad if this gets out, doesn't it? Look, it's getting late; why don't we all go back and eat?"

She glanced toward Mrs. Zhao as she finished speaking. Mrs. Zhao remained seated, as did everyone else. Mrs. Huang, helpless, sighed and sat down as well, making no further move. After a long silence, Hong Xia, who hadn't spoken, finally broke it: "Mother, I'm going back. I have work waiting for me, and staying here like this is pointless. This whole affair has nothing to do with me, so I’ll leave first." With that, Hong Xia stood up and walked out. Hong Yun, seeing Hong Xia's troubled expression, followed her out.

Hong Xia left without sparing a glance for anyone, walking straight past Mrs. Zhou. Watching Hong Xia depart like that, the anger in Mrs. Zhao's chest surged uncontrollably. She stood up, walked over to Mrs. Zhou, and suddenly delivered two sharp slaps across Mrs. Zhou’s face. Everyone was caught off guard; they had assumed Mrs. Zhao was also leaving after Hong Xia did, never expecting this move from her.

Mrs. Zhou was stunned by the blows, clutching her face and beginning to weep silently. Mrs. Huang and Lin He and the others all stood up. Mrs. Huang looked at Mrs. Zhao and said, "Mother, why did you strike Third Sister-in-law? If there's an issue, we can discuss it calmly."

"I don't want to talk to her anymore. It's one thing for her to flirt with men, but she also ruined our Hong Xia like this! Do you know how difficult Hong Xia's life has been these past two years? She toils all day at the hired hands' quarters, and in her free moments, she still has to look after the children. When she gets home at night, she collapses onto the bed exhausted. A woman raising two children alone, while also paying off debts—how hard is that? And she [Mrs. Zhou] is also a widow, she has everything, and even has a man helping her with the work. I finally managed to convince Hong Xia to find someone else, and she snatched him away! My poor daughter will probably never agree to find someone again; she’ll have to live like this for the rest of her life," Mrs. Zhao sobbed, her own tears flowing freely.

Mrs. Zhao's weeping left the others feeling uncertain about how to proceed. Everyone began to console her. Mrs. He deliberately added fuel to the fire: "Mother, just let her marry if she wants to. No one can stop Mrs. Zhou if she intends to remarry. Why be so agitated? After all, it's been so long since Third Brother died, she stopped being one of us a long time ago. Just let her go."

"Yes, Grandmother, please don't be upset; don't ruin your health. Please get up first," Yu'er also urged from the side.

Mrs. Huang squatted beside Mrs. Zhao, helping to lift her up. Mrs. Zhou stood silently crying next to Lin He. It was clear that at this point, Mrs. Zhou didn't know what to do. Lin He supported Mrs. Zhou to a nearby chair, wanting to say something, but it seemed anything she might say would be wrong, and this was hardly a matter for someone her age to discuss. Yet, she secretly thought it would be best for Mrs. Zhou to simply take this chance to remarry; Xiaoshan and Xiaoyun were grown now, and even if Mrs. Zhou didn't take them, the two children could manage on their own.

Lin He believed her mother, Mrs. Huang, thought the same way. She also persuaded Mrs. Zhao, saying, "Yes, Eldest Sister-in-law is right. Third Sister-in-law has been a widow for so many years now. Don't worry about her anymore. As long as Xiaoshan and Xiaoyun are settled, just let her do as she pleases." As Mrs. Huang spoke, she discreetly winked at Mrs. Zhou.

Mrs. Zhou saw the wink, but her mind was in chaos. First, she felt intensely humiliated; the two slaps from her mother-in-law didn't just hurt her face, they utterly destroyed her standing in front of everyone. Second, she truly didn't know what to do next. If she were to remarry now, after this public uproar, should she really go through with it? The two children were indeed older now. Furthermore, after this incident, she knew her mother-in-law would never look at her kindly again. If she stayed in the Old Lin family home, she would likely face harassment for the rest of her life.

Besides, she had held on for so many years, and she was tired—not physically, but emotionally. All these years without a man, she had to shoulder everything at home, and many people took advantage of her vulnerability. She was genuinely weary. Li Ping, that man, was indeed decent; he understood how to cherish someone, and he didn't mind that she had children—perhaps he could be a good match. At that moment, Mrs. Zhou was lost in painful reverie and despair, ignoring Mrs. Huang's gesture, standing there utterly motionless.

Mrs. Huang spent a long time placating Mrs. Zhao, offering a bushel of kind words. Every time Mrs. Zhao seemed ready to soften, Mrs. He and Dong Yu's brief remarks reignited her anger. In the end, Mrs. Zhao remained unappeased, becoming even more vehement: "For Mrs. Zhou to remarry, she'd have to walk over my dead body! And this incident isn't over yet; I won't let her off so easily."

Seeing that this course of action was not working, Mrs. Huang helped Mrs. Zhao into the house and sent Mrs. He's group away. She planned to try persuading her again once Mrs. Zhao had cooled down. After settling Mrs. Zhao, Mrs. Huang came out to comfort Mrs. Zhou: "Third Sister-in-law, don't take this too much to heart. I will continue to talk to Mother. You also think carefully about what you should do, and we can discuss it then."

Mrs. Zhou nodded and returned home.