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The onlookers began to whisper among themselves, their words shifting as those who had just been discussing Loudmouth’s status as a child bride quickly turned to criticize Da Qiangzi who was kneeling on the ground.

The words that Loudmouth had been holding back for so long finally burst forth, bringing her immense satisfaction. She gave Da Qiangzi one last look, "We’ve already divorced, and the record is there at the Yamen. If you keep pestering me for no reason, don’t blame me for being rude!"

After speaking, she didn’t even bother to roll her eyes at him again; Loudmouth turned and walked away.

Liuzi and Liang Zi stood to the side, looking at Da Qiangzi who was kneeling, slightly dazed, revealing a mischievously alluring smile, "Brother Qiangzi, Seventh Sister has left, aren’t you going to chase after her?

Go on, chase her! Catch up and you can pester her all you want; it will give us a reason to beat you! Hehe."

Seeing Liuzi and Liang Zi’s eager postures, Da Qiangzi couldn’t help but shrink his neck. He awkwardly scrambled up and staggered through the crowd to run outside, while running he couldn’t help but turn his head back and shout, "Ah Qi, I’ll come back, I will make you forgive me!"

Glancing at Liuzi who was waving his fists, Da Qiangzi ran even faster.

Liuzi laughed heartily, advising him, "Watch your step, whoa, that fall looked really painful! Haha."

With the commotion caused by Da Qiangzi, not many people were coming to Rice Flower Fragrance to buy pastries anymore.

Sitting on a chair, Loudmouth didn’t feel much relief after her outburst; inexplicably, a pain emerged in her heart.

After enduring others’ comments and gossip for many years, she had finally said everything today.

Loudmouth, crying, began to ramble about the hardship of raising her son alone over the years, which left Aunt Chen and others with tears streaming down their faces, feeling immensely sympathetic.

"Ah Qi, stop crying. Your sons are grown now, and you’ve made it through.

That scoundrel has gotten his comeuppance.

Our good days are ahead of us; don’t cry, please," Aunt Chen said while wiping her own tears and dabbing at Loudmouth’s tears with a handkerchief.

She was trying to comfort her, but she ended up crying even more herself.

Fifth Sister Bai had only married last year, and now she was pregnant. Having a child herself, she could understand even more the responsibilities and difficulties of being a mother.

"Seventh Sister, you’ve had a hard time these years, raising two sons on your own, being both mother and father to them.

Thankfully, your sons are filial. In a couple of years, we’ll find you two daughters-in-law to bring into the family, and then you can sit back and enjoy your grandchildren; no need to suffer anymore!

What’s more, now you have Silver; you’re not worried about the dowry for your sons’ weddings, are you? Better off without that man!"

If this had been in the past, Loudmouth might have worried about the dowry to find wives for her sons, but not anymore. Her time spent at Rice Flower Fragrance had earned her enough for her son’s marriages and even for her own retirement. Besides, didn’t she still have two sons?

Both her sons were exceedingly filial; every time they got paid, they gave her every penny without fail. If Da Qiangzi thought he could use the sons to threaten her, he was sorely mistaken!

Loudmouth wiped her tears and nodded.

Sister-in-law Luo, who had been silent up to that point, suddenly had tears in her eyes, but her tone was as brash as usual, "What do you all know? You all have children, spouses; one of you just got married. How would you understand the suffering of a home without a man?"

If anyone could truly sympathize with Loudmouth’s pain, it was Sister-in-law Luo. The only difference between their fates was that one’s husband had run away, while the other’s had died.

Sister-in-law Luo’s husband had died of illness when their son was three years old.

Her brother-in-law then concocted rumors that she was a husband-killer to seize the house left by his brother.

Poor Sister-in-law Luo, a widowed woman, had to fight against her brother-in-law while raising her young son, turning the once gentle and meek woman into a sharp-tongued and fierce shrew.

Whose fault was it other than not having a man in the house to rely on?

Seeing Sister-in-law Luo suddenly speak up, Aunt Chen and Fifth Sister Bai fell silent.

Loudmouth took her hand and patted it, choking up, "Sister, you’ve had it tough too."

Sister-in-law Luo’s tears circled in her eyes as she gave a heartbreaking smile, "Seventh Sister, I’m going to say something you might not like to hear.

When I saw Da Qiangzi come back just now, I was actually a little happy!

Every night when I go to bed, I touch the empty spot beside me and think, if only my man hadn’t died from illness but had run off with another woman like your Da Qiangzi, at least I’d have the hope that he might realize his mistake someday and come back to us mother and son!

But Seventh Sister, he’s dead, dead. When someone dies, all hope dies with them. "