[Sandalwood, can be recycled!]
Tang Qiyue looked at the system notification, then at the sandalwood planks she had split on the ground. After some thought, she refused the system's suggested transaction.
It wasn't that she didn't want to exchange them for money, but the interdimensional trading system was her biggest secret, and she dared not reveal it. Even if she wanted to trade, she would wait until she was certain of her safety.
After collecting the broken planks from the floor, Tang Qiyue didn't sit idle. She opened all the dowry chests and began inventorying their contents. As she laid everything out, she realized just how despicable her father and stepmother were.
They had likely replaced her with Tang Chunlan, their biological daughter, after she ran away from the wedding. Many of the items in the chests were obviously impractical, meant only for appearances. The chests themselves would eventually be taken away, but the contents needed proper organization.
The Tang family's main business was fabric, so many of the chests were filled with it for aesthetic reasons—which turned out to be advantageous for Tang Qiyue. Sorting through everything, she found that cotton made up the majority, while silk was scarce.
Clearly, her stepmother was heartless, unwilling to set aside the good fabrics.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"
Zhan Chunying had been chased out by her mother but came to check on Tang Qiyue and Zhan Zeyi, worried the newcomers might feel awkward. Having someone around might make things less tense.
When Zhan Chunying entered the room, her eyes widened. The bed was covered in fabrics and miscellaneous items. She didn't even notice Zhan Zeyi at first.
Tang Qiyue invited her in and selected two pieces of brightly colored fabric that she thought the little girl would like.
"These two pieces have nice colors and are suitable for you. When the weather gets warmer, take them to the tailor to make a dress!"
The girl's eyes lit up. She had rarely received new clothes—most of her garments had been patched and mended by her mother's skilled hands. Tang Chunying's original plan to tease the sister-in-law vanished; she hugged the fabric excitedly.
"Sister-in-law, are you really giving these to me?"
Tang Qiyue pointed to the fabrics on the bed. "My family is in the fabric business. The largest part of my dowry was fabric, so giving you two pieces is no problem."
Zhan Chunying then realized Tang Qiyue came from a wealthy background, even if her class wasn't high. She wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but the two fabrics in her arms kept her quiet. She instead looked at Zhan Zeyi.
"Your brother said he went out to make a phone call. He should be back soon!"
Tang Qiyue didn't hide anything. She gestured to the remaining fabrics: "Take whatever you like. I'm going to live with your brother at the military base, so I can't take these!"
She wasn't showing off—reality forced her hand. While she could have the system reclaim everything, the dowry list was publicly available. Even if she explained why items disappeared, she didn't want Zhan Zeyi—already suspicious—to notice anything odd.
Zhan Chunying's eyes sparkled at the novelty of it all, but recalling her mother's lessons, she shook her head. "This is all your dowry. You should keep it. I'm happy with just two pieces!"
Having won over her sister-in-law, Tang Qiyue picked a piece of military green fabric from the bed. "This isn't large, but it can make a few crossbody bags. I noticed your bag yesterday was faded from washing, so let's make a new one. It's a small token of my appreciation."
Although she wanted to refuse, Zhan Chunying couldn't part with it. Recently, her friends had been hunting for this kind of fabric to make imitation military uniforms. While the piece was small, it could still make a top.
"Thank you, sister-in-law! What can I do to help? I'm strong, I can help you!"
The girl had completely let go of any dissatisfaction. Tang Qiyue didn't stand on ceremony either—tidying everything alone was impossible. She pulled Zhan Chunying along to help.
By the time the two finished organizing the bed, Zhan Zeyi returned with his comrades. Zhan Chunying, still a young girl, greeted them politely before slipping out.
Zhan Zeyi had just introduced his comrades to his mother. He now brought them to inspect Tang Qiyue's dowry chests and determine a proper way to take everything away.
"Chen Dazhuang, Hu Peng!"
Zhan Zeyi introduced his comrades to Tang Qiyue, who greeted them one by one.
Chen Dazhuang and Hu Peng were slightly embarrassed. They were used to fiery, formidable women, and seeing Tang Qiyue—a delicate beauty—left them unsure how to react.
Zhan Zeyi finally kicked both of them. "Look at the chests!"
Only then did the two men focus, no longer staring at Tang Qiyue. They wondered how a rough, unrefined guy like Zhan Zeyi had ended up with such a good wife. Regardless of class, she was beautiful!
Even as they felt envious, seeing the dowry chests and weighing them brought joy to their faces.
"Brother Zhan, are we really going to handle all of this?"
Hu Peng rubbed his hands in excitement. He and Chen Dazhuang knew well that after Zhan Zeyi was injured, the old leader, fearing for his life, had assigned him to a recruit company. Nominally recruits, they were actually selected from various camps to train Zhan Zeyi into an all-around soldier.
To cultivate an all-around talent, excellent equipment and food were crucial. Life was tough, and army rations were insufficient.
Recruits needed two or three pounds of rice per meal, sometimes even five, plus meat and eggs—they were practically starving.
If the recruits weren't desperate, they wouldn't have shamelessly approached the old leader under the guise of visiting relatives, pleading for money.
Little did they know, the old leader wasn't doing well either, struggling with limited funding. And now, Zhan Zeyi's clever wife had offered to donate supplies.
"Nonsense! This is my wife's dowry. Who do you think I'll donate it to?"
Zhan Zeyi boasted. Then realizing he had previously threatened to break off the engagement, he coughed awkwardly. "We're leaving the day after tomorrow. Whether you want to complain to the old leader or make a scene, get me a truckload of stuff. We have to take it away openly and properly!"
Hu Peng and Chen Dazhuang's faces flushed with excitement. They saluted Tang Qiyue in unison.
"Sister-in-law, from now on, you're our aunt! If Brother Zhan bullies you, I'll bring soldiers from my company to beat him up!"