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墨書 Inktalez
Xiaqiao Village has seen both good and bad events over the past year, which have been quite exhausting for everyone. However, life must go on, and as the weather gradually turns colder, people have started to stop mentioning Li Jinfeng and Ruyi.
Xiao Lihua made dumplings and sent them to the old house. Now that Wang Clan is bedridden, even though there were past grievances, she felt it necessary to check in, as she was the mother of her husband and the grandmother of her son.
Wang Clan's temper has become increasingly strange. Since Ruyi's death, she has grown resentful towards her four sons. She blames Xie Youkang and Xie Youhe for betraying Ruyi, while Xie Youshun and Xie Youtai captured Ruyi and handed her over to the officials. Now, apart from Auspicious, she curses her other sons and daughters-in-law whenever she sees them, gesturing angrily as if to scratch them. As a result, they avoid getting close to her, and even the Fang Family only cooks and does laundry before handing everything over to Auspicious.
Xie Shengcai often remains silent when he sees Wang Clan in such a pitiful state. He feels resentment towards both Wang Clan and himself, regretting that he spoiled Ruyi and allowed her to be too indulged. Now that this has happened, he cannot turn back time, and his regret torments him, visibly aging him.
Xiao Lihua does not mind Wang Clan's attitude; she only fulfills her obligations. After dropping off the dumplings and exchanging a few words with her father-in-law, she took her leave.
“Sister Four, are you leaving? Stay a little longer,” said Fang Family, smiling with an unmistakable eagerness to please. With Ruyi gone, they no longer had a financial support system. Their family was doing better than Xie Youshun's family, but now their reputation in the village was poor. They hoped to mend their standing by getting along with Fourth Brother, so they were particularly flattering towards Xie Youshun's family, especially towards Xiao Lihua.
Xiao Lihua replied lightly, “I can't stay; I just brought the dumplings over. My family is waiting for me to eat.”
“Then you should head back; take your time on the road.”
After seeing Xiao Lihua to the door, Fang Family turned back, muttering that there weren't enough dumplings for the old couple and that she still needed to cook.
“Mom, haven't you made dinner yet? I'm starving!”
“Stop saying such nonsense! Starving to death? When you were studying, I never saw you so anxious. Let me tell you: study hard! If you can't pass the exam and become a scholar, I'll let you starve for three days and nights!”
Ziwen frowned and said, “Mom, then maybe I shouldn't study anymore; I don't want to go hungry.”
Upon hearing this, Fang Family slapped him across the face and scolded, “Useless! Even Zi Wu, who is younger than you, studies better than you do. If you can't keep up with him, just wait for him to look down on you! Your mother worked hard to spend Silver on your education; if you don't want to study anymore, then give back all the money I've spent on you!”
Ziwen, rubbing his shoulder where he was hit, said, “Studying isn't fun anyway. Besides, it was you who wanted me to study in the first place. Now that I don't want to anymore, you might as well save that Silver for business.”
When Fang Family heard him say he wanted to do business instead of studying, she raised her hand again to hit him. Terrified, Ziwen ran into the house and slammed the door shut. Fang Family shouted after him that if he had any guts he shouldn't come out for dinner before going off to cook herself. Thinking about how her father-in-law was enjoying delicious dumplings while they couldn't even have any at home made her feel even worse as she tossed things around noisily.
As Xiao Lihua walked along, a donkey cart passed by her side. The driver called out “Sister Xie,” and she recognized him as Auspicious's second uncle, Bai Er. There was also a young girl sitting in the cart; she looked ordinary but had jet-black hair and fair skin with bright eyes.
Since Xiao Lihua did not have a good relationship with Auspicious, naturally her ties with Auspicious's in-laws were not great either. However, since he greeted her first, she responded politely before continuing on her way.
Bai Er saw that Xiao Lihua had no intention of continuing the conversation and stopped talking. He knew that Xie Youshun's family was doing well now and wanted to establish a connection, but it was clearly hopeless, so he chose not to be annoying. He had heard that provoking Xiao Lihua was far worse than angering Xie Youshun.
When Xiao Lihua returned home, she found Xie Youshun cooking dumplings with their two sons. As soon as she walked in, he said, "You're back just in time; the dumplings are ready!"
Little Stone immediately went to get chopsticks and bowls, while Little Wood obediently climbed onto his chair.
The family of four enjoyed the hot and fragrant dumplings while chatting and laughing. After finishing their meal, the two children asked to go out to play. Xiao Lihua warned them not to run around too much to avoid stomachaches before letting them go.
Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua sat together, one reading and the other making clothes for the children. From time to time, Xie Youshun would share interesting parts from his book with Xiao Lihua, who would offer her opinions, prompting him to nod in agreement. Their relationship grew even deeper.
Such afternoons were always warm and cozy, and they least wanted someone to interrupt them. However, trouble soon arrived when Stone and Wood ran back, saying that Aunt's family was causing a commotion.
Xie Youshun frowned. He wasn't concerned about his sister Auspicious at the moment, but he couldn't remain indifferent knowing something was wrong at her home. He asked Little Stone, "What happened? Why is Aunt hitting people?"
Little Stone shook his head and replied, "Aunt just cursed Uncle as not being human and hit Uncle's second brother and the people he brought along, calling them fox spirits."
Little Wood added, "Uncle's second brother said Uncle needs to have a son now. Mom, is Aunt going to have a baby?"
Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua exchanged glances. Xiao Lihua said, "I saw Bai Er driving a donkey cart when I came back; there was a girl with him."
Xie Youshun understood immediately. If Auspicious were truly pregnant, she wouldn't be causing such a scene. This was Bai Da causing trouble again. That heartless man dared to find another woman while still living in his wife's house. Even if Auspicious couldn't have children, they could adopt or foster one. If he really wanted a child with another woman, he should go through Auspicious first; sneaking around like this was unacceptable!
Seeing Xie Youshun's expression, Xiao Lihua knew he wanted to check it out. She let him go because even though her relationship with Auspicious wasn't good, she didn't want another woman appearing in her family; that would be a slap in the face for the Xie Family and could lead to more trouble in the future. It was better to nip this issue in the bud!
When Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua arrived, they found Second Brother and Second Sister already there. The commotion caused by Auspicious had not been kept secret; everyone knew that Bai Da had gotten involved with his second brother's cousin and had caused a child to come into the picture. Many people speculated that this time Auspicious's family would indeed face serious trouble; how could Bai Da abandon this child? If he wanted a child, he would have to keep this woman as well—Auspicious certainly wouldn't agree!
"Big sister, please let me stay! I will serve you like a cow or horse! I don't eat much and don't need nice clothes; just let me stay! Brother Bai still likes you; he only got together with me because he was drunk! I won't disturb your life together; I'll make sure to keep my distance." The girl clung pitifully behind Bai Er as she spoke to Auspicious. Although she looked ordinary, when she cried, she appeared quite pitiful—many who heard her felt sorry for her.
However, Xiao Lihua did not feel sorry for the girl at all. No matter how she looked at her, she felt her tears were fake. The girl tightly grasped Bai Er's hand and pressed closely against him with an overly pitiful gaze directed at him; it seemed clear that her relationship with Bai Er was more than just casual compared to her connection with Bai Da. Having come from modern times and experienced many years of television dramas, Xiao Lihua recognized something was off.
Auspicious was furious and rushed over to hit her but was stopped by Bai Da.
Bai Da was both surprised and delighted to know he was going to have a son. How could he not want a son? When he returned to see his mother and younger brother, he had an affair with this girl after drinking. He was also scared, afraid that Auspicious would find out; he didn't want to lose his current life. So he gave her some money and never went back, but unexpectedly, this woman came looking for him! He had been with Auspicious for many years without children, and now that they finally had one, he lost it. Yet with this woman, he conceived in just one encounter; he wanted this son.
However, he needed Auspicious's consent. Bai Da didn't want to give up on Auspicious, after all, they had been married for many years, and they had settled in this village with a child from First Wife. Auspicious had a brother from her maternal family who could help them have a better future.
Auspicious fiercely struck Bai Da. How could she accept this woman and this child? But Bai Da knelt before her, and she didn’t want to leave him either. She felt wronged and didn’t know what to do. When she saw Second Brother and Fourth Brother, it was like finding her backbone; she cried and asked them to support her.
Auspicious cried in the arms of Zi Clan, who could only comfort her while helplessly looking at Xiao Lihua.
Xiao Lihua thought that no matter how bad Auspicious was, she was still part of the Xie Family, and they couldn’t let anyone bully her. So she quietly approached Xie Youshun and shared her discoveries and thoughts.
Xie Youshun felt relieved; if what his wife guessed was true, then this matter could still be salvaged. He coldly smiled at Bai Er and said, “Bai Er, not only did you scheme against us, but you also plotted against your own elder brother. Is your heart completely black? The child in Xia's belly is definitely yours. If you want your elder brother to help raise the child, just say so directly. Why do you think you can shove both the adult and the child onto him without asking if he’s willing or if your Sister-in-law is okay with it?”
Bai Er widened his eyes and said, “Xie Fourth Brother, what are you talking about? You can’t say such things!”
Bai Da was also dumbfounded. He knew that Xie Youshun wasn’t someone who would speak nonsense. Since he said it, there must be some truth to it. Thinking back, Xia had been living at his second brother's house for quite some time; they spent more time together than he did with her. It seemed that when he returned home, his siblings didn’t treat Xia well either. Now that he thought about it, their gazes were like those looking at a vixen! The more Bai Da thought about it, the more he felt he might have been deceived.
Bai Er still refused to admit it.
Xiao Lihua said, “Do you really think no one knows about this? Someone in your village knows about your affair with Xia, and I happened to hear about it. I’m too lazy to get involved in your family’s mess, but blaming it on me won’t work!”
When Bai Er heard this, he truly believed that someone from the village discovered his affair with Xia, which meant it was no longer a secret. He thought that his elder brother wouldn’t be able to deceive him anymore. He felt deflated like a punctured balloon, realizing that he had offended both his elder brother and sister-in-law as well as the entire Xie Family. More importantly, when he returned home, his wife would definitely cause a scene; what was he going to do?
Bai Da glared at Bai Er, asking if it was true. When Bai Er remained silent, Auspicious went over and grabbed his collar angrily demanding answers while also wanting to hit Xia. With no way out, Bai Er had no choice but to admit it.
The outcome of this farce was that Bai Er, dejectedly took Xia away from Xiaqiao Village. Bai Da told him never to return again. He thought that he wouldn’t go back home either; he didn’t believe that his mother didn’t know about this affair. She was colluding with his second brother to deceive him into helping raise a son and a woman for him; in the end, they might even take away his inheritance. He felt utterly disheartened.
After this incident, Bai Da put in a lot of effort to seek forgiveness from Auspicious, who eventually forgave him.
At home, however, there was chaos in Bai Er’s household. His wife refused to accept that her cousin was with her man. But since there was a child in her cousin's belly, in the end, she learned from Auspicious's past actions and forced the child out of Xia. However, this only angered both Bai Er and his mother-in-law. Ultimately, Xia wasn’t sent away but instead became a concubine because having lost the child made her hate her cousin deeply. From then on, these two cousins turned the house of the Bai Er family into a battlefield with no day of peace.
Upon learning of this situation, Auspicious scolded them for their misfortune. After experiencing all of this, she realized that no matter what happened, she had to rely on her maternal family members. She discovered that both Second Brother and Fourth Brother were reliable brothers; although they were still cold towards her, she knew they cared for her deep down and began treating them sincerely along with their wives and children.
Wang Clan listened to Auspicious talk about this matter, and their attitude towards the sons and Daughter-in-law improved a little. Xie Shengcai looked at his children and felt a bit more at ease, thinking that he would let them be as they wished in the future, as long as they helped each other in times of difficulty. He admonished his eldest son, third son, and eldest daughter, telling them not to cause trouble anymore and to live well. The three families nodded in agreement.
The entire Xie Family, regardless of their true feelings, appeared harmonious on the surface.
Life in Xiaqiao Village was getting better and better. Xie Youshun's family successfully raised fish in the Paddy Field, with a bountiful harvest of rice and fresh fish. Every household was raising pigs, and some families even raised rabbits and chickens, making it a well-known prosperous village within a hundred miles.
Xie Youshun's family had become very wealthy, owning hundreds of acres of fertile land and several shops in town. They also had considerable savings at home. To make it easier for their son to study, they built a school and hired a teacher, so the village's children no longer had to travel to other villages for education. Everyone had long stopped showing jealousy and expressed gratitude instead. Even Sister Zhu began to greet Xiao Lihua with a smile, hoping that Xiao Lihua would no longer hold grudges against her and that she could also find ways to prosper, improving her own family's situation.
Zi Wu continued his studies; he was very intelligent and had great hopes of succeeding in the imperial examination. Xie Youtai and his wife were diligently saving Silver for the large amount he would need in the future. Although they were tired, they smiled every day.
However, Ziwen was unwilling to study anymore; he secretly went to town to work as a waiter, claiming he wanted to become a restaurant owner. This infuriated the Fang Family. After being brought back several times, he ran away again until finally Xie Youkang said to let him be. The Fang Family even fell ill because they felt embarrassed about it and stayed home for quite some time.
Xie Youhe had become much more honest now, mainly because his wife was no longer causing trouble. She constantly spoke about karma, which made him afraid to do any bad deeds. Additionally, since their two sons were saved by their second uncle Fourth Uncle, they wished they could be like those two families' sons. He couldn't speak ill of them; if his sons heard him, they would scold him. To ensure he would still be supported by his sons in the future, he needed to maintain good relationships with his brothers while avoiding any tricks.
Bai Da and Auspicious lived a stable life without causing any more trouble. Apart from Xie Youshun's family, the other three brothers were trying hard to reconnect with them. The couple thought of ways to please both adults and children. The villagers began to suspect whether they intended to take back Stone and Wood, but of course, they did not have the courage; those two children were indeed Xiao Lihua's lifeblood!
“Li Hua, I’m pregnant again!”
“Li Hua, I’m pregnant too!”
Yang Cao and Zhang Lianxiang came together to find Xiao Lihua, bringing good news that both of them were unexpectedly pregnant at the same time. Upon hearing this, Xiao Lihua felt extremely envious; she also wanted another child but hadn’t seen any signs yet. Yang Cao and Zhang Lianxiang urged her not to worry, saying it would happen soon. Just a few days after that conversation, while preparing fish, Xiao Lihua felt nauseous and discovered from Zhao Physician that she was already two months pregnant.
When Xie Youshun found out, he was overjoyed. Little Stone Little Wood happily exclaimed that he would have a younger sister now, treating Xiao Lihua like porcelain as they protected her carefully.
The four members of the Xie Family all hoped for a daughter. Yumiang had already given birth to a son and joked about becoming in-laws in the future. Yang Cao also hoped she would truly have a son so she could compete too. Even Zhang Lianxiang, who wanted a daughter, was tempted to have another son instead; these three women began comparing notes.
“No one is allowed to lay hands on my precious daughter!” Xie Youshun said with wide eyes.
“Don’t think about my sister!” Little Stone said.
“Our sister is ours!” Little Wood pouted defiantly, insisting that no one should take her away.
Xiao Lihua rubbed her belly and thought, "Baby, you will be a happy little one in the future. Even if you are not a little girl, you will still be very happy."
More than seven months later, Yang Cao happily gave birth to a son, making the village chief's family extremely joyful. Dog Egg was also excited, saying he would play with his younger brother in the future. Now, Dog Egg, who studied every day, wanted to read to his brother. Zhang Lianxiang ended up not giving birth to a daughter but a son instead. Copper Coin felt somewhat disappointed; he had been hearing about having a little sister from Mu and Shi every day and wanted one too. However, he was only disappointed for a while before running off to see Xiao Lihua, hoping that his aunt had given birth to his sister.
Amid everyone's anticipation, Xiao Lihua gave birth to a daughter weighing six pounds and six ounces. Xie Youshun was very happy, saying it was auspicious and decided to give her the nickname Liu Er.
When Liu Er turned one month old, there was a grand celebration. The villagers did not say much, but Hua Heng brought Xiao Ziyi, Zhao Linting came with Mei Hua, and Xiao Dashu brought his mother-in-law, wife, and son.
Hua Heng had already taken care of his family's matters and was now focused on living a simple life with Xiao Ziyi.
Zhao Linting and Mei Hua were very affectionate.
Xiao Dashu had become the wealthiest family in their village, with everyone dressed very well but still maintaining simplicity.
Some business acquaintances also came, bringing many congratulatory gifts.
Once everyone left, the family could finally rest. They collapsed onto the kang, while only Liu Er was full of energy, cooing like a little snowball.
Xiao Lihua looked at her daughter, at her two sons playing with her, and at her husband gazing at her gently. She felt very content. She thought that her life had finally reached fulfillment and hoped that life would continue to be this fulfilling until the end of her days.
(THE END)
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