Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Hey, call your father out here. What's going on? I've already lost face for you all; you think you can just disregard me, right?"
Seeing the couple from Summer Forest getting bolder by the minute, You's expression turned sour, her face wrinkled like a bitter melon. She stretched her neck to peek inside the house and shouted with her hands on her hips.
Meanwhile, Zhou Guilian had been scanning the room since she entered, her eyes sparkling with various glimmers, wishing that everything in sight belonged to her.
"Zhou's wife, please show some respect. If you have no shame, then neither do trees have bark. This house belongs to the Xia Family and has nothing to do with your Zhou family. Also, please understand your place; there is no father of yours here, nor any relatives of yours. Don't open your eyes and spout nonsense about kinship."
Aunt Xia was furious. Looking at the malicious expressions on the mother and daughter duo, she felt uneasy. She thought about how hard their family had worked to survive, how the children had suffered and barely escaped death. Today, she would not back down; when she spoke, she showed no mercy.
"Hey, what do you think you are in this house? Just a yellow-faced woman who married in here, barking orders at me? What right do you have?"
You was as stubborn as a pig that feared no boiling water. The more the Xia couple refused to give her face, the more she used it as an excuse to provoke them. The couple trembled with anger, wishing they could slap her a few times. They had seen shamelessness before but never to this extent.
"Second Uncle, Aunt Er, we mean no harm; we just want to find some work to fill our bellies. Look at your family; you're wealthy beyond measure and wouldn't miss a few coins. Besides, your Workshop is so busy every day; we just want to help out."
Zhou Guilian hadn't been to Town in quite some time but had heard plenty about how booming the Xia Family's supermarket business was. Some even said they were making gold daily. She couldn't even fathom how much that was worth. In truth, it was all her grandmother and parents' fault; if they had only given the Xia Family a meal back then, today's wealth wouldn't belong to them but to her instead. If that had happened, she wouldn't have been kicked out like this, and the Xia Family wouldn't have been so heartless either. After much deliberation, she finally decided to swallow her pride and speak up while tightly clutching her mother's sleeve.
She feared that her mother might ruin her plans; she didn't want to return to a life of hunger with a useless father. Her mother and grandmother were both lazy women; if things continued this way, they would starve sooner or later.
"This bunch is so good at begging; why not go around Town asking other shops for help? My Xia Family only takes in those with a conscience; those lacking virtue will ruin our fortune. We can't afford employees like you."
At that moment, Xia Muxin finally stepped out after overhearing enough of the conversation. Seeing the mother and daughter pair, she smirked and coldly remarked.
Having witnessed the downfall of the Wang family and the Feng family's changes in fortune, it seemed that the Zhou family had made no progress at all. Even after reaching such a low point, their shamelessness remained intact along with their wicked hearts. It seemed hopeless for them; if they were allowed into her Workshop, it would be like letting a rat spoil a pot of porridge—a price she couldn't afford to pay. Besides, Zhou Guilian was older than her by a year and had already passed fifteen. Recently, she heard someone came looking for marriage; initially agreeing well enough, but upon inquiry found out that the suitor's family was merely an ordinary farming household. Disdainful of their poor conditions, they rejected the match altogether. This matter had been hotly discussed among several sisters at the Workshop for days; it was impossible for her not to know as everyone laughed about how Zhou Guilian would never marry now because of it. The suitor's family was furious over this rejection.
The young man's mother wasn't easygoing either; she had quite a sharp tongue that couldn't stay quiet. In less than ten days, everyone in several nearby villages knew about Zhou Guilian being a good-for-nothing from Daimiao Village.
The men in the village who needed to marry were quite fearful of her, worried that if she took a liking to them, they would drag their families into trouble.
"Muxin Sister, I know that our family has done many wrongs to yours in the past, but isn't it true that families shouldn't hold grudges overnight? Besides, you have helped everyone in this village eat and wear new clothes. Even that poor fellow, Er Dan, is building a new house to marry. Are you really going to just watch your Uncle's family suffer without even a meal?"
Mrs. You knew that this family was under Xia Muxin's influence, so she changed her tone, trying to sound pitiful and flattering.
"That's true. Who told you to marry such a useless man? Whether or not you can eat has nothing to do with my Xia Family. You should go find Zhou Yousheng. By the way, he appears at the Fragrant Drunken Pavilion every day at a quarter past noon. Remember not to miss it."
Who was Xia Muxin? She had quickly grasped Mrs. You's weakness. No matter how arrogant Mrs. You was, she was still a daughter-in-law of the Zhou family. Moreover, Zhou Yousheng's character was truly questionable. With Muxin's hint today, this family would have enough trouble.
Sure enough, after hearing Xia Muxin's words, Mrs. You could no longer contain herself. Ignoring Zhou Guilian, who was still in a daze, she pushed her aside and muttered curses as she stumbled out the door. Seeing that no one from the Xia Family paid her any attention, Zhou Guilian's eyes flickered. Without Mrs. You's support, she couldn't bear the pressure of so many gazes and quickly ran out as well.
"Python Brother, next time keep your eyes wide open. If someone like that comes in, just kick them out immediately. If they act shamelessly, show them some consequences."
As people left, Xia Muxin stepped outside and noticed Python Brother's family watching her with glee, as if saying, "Little Muxin, it's been a while since we've seen you so imposing; how nostalgic..." Xia Muxin rolled her eyes at them and huffed in annoyance.
The Golden Python was increasingly disregarding her; his family was happily nestled in their small house with food and drink aplenty. She felt a twinge of jealousy towards Crimson Plague.
Meanwhile, Mrs. You rushed home and began rummaging through her wardrobe for what she considered her best clothes. She styled her hair, inserted hairpins, and washed her face.
"What are you doing? Dressing up so flamboyantly? Are you going to attract customers?"
The Wu Family had been waiting in the yard for news from the two women, dreaming of how the You Clan Mother and Daughter would return with good food and drink for them. However, Mrs. You stormed in without greeting anyone and slammed the door shut behind her. She seemed pleased with herself; it appeared she had found a way to make a living. But when Zhou Guilian returned looking pale and unresponsive to questions, Mrs. You glared at her with irritation as she emerged from changing clothes.
"Mother! My life is so miserable! Zhou Yousheng goes to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion every day! What are we supposed to do? I'm going to find him and reason with him! If he feels like abandoning this family, then let him! We don't depend on him anyway; he can just divorce me and kick us out!"
Seeing the Wu Family's faces turn cold made Mrs. You burst into tears of grievance.
"What did you say? That ungrateful son! I will go with you; I will beat that ungrateful son!"
Upon hearing such drastic words from Mrs. You, the Wu Family became anxious. If Mrs. You were divorced, she certainly wouldn't care about their daily meals anymore. How would they survive? Relying on her other two sons was nothing short of a dream; they worked tirelessly for their family already and barely had enough food—just some hard bread that could knock out a dog! She certainly didn't want that life for herself.
As soon as she entered her own house, she quickly changed into appropriate clothing and tidied her hair.
"Gui Lian, make sure to cook the rice at home. We'll be back for dinner tonight."
Before leaving, she reminded the sulking Zhou Guilian nearby.
Zhou Guilian watched the hurried backs of the two and felt frustrated. There was only one bowl of rice left in the house, and cooking it would barely make enough porridge for four people. Moreover, they hadn’t planted any vegetables this year because Feng Liulang was the county magistrate. His mother and wife could find all sorts of vegetables outside, but since Feng Liulang had fallen into trouble, they no longer enjoyed such privileges. Many villagers even avoided them, pointing fingers and laughing openly.
Thinking about this, she decided to go to Zhou Cailian's place to get some vegetables; otherwise, they wouldn't have anything to eat with their porridge that night.
When Zhou Guilian arrived at the Feng Family's home, Zhou Cailian was hanging clothes to dry. There was a large basin full of clothes from the whole family. Four-Mao Uncle was weaving baskets nearby, Feng Wu sat at the door in a daze, while Feng San Niang was dressed flamboyantly, singing and dancing in the yard.
"Good, not bad! Come here, this is a reward from the magistrate's mother for you all."
"Haha, it’s not expensive! My son has made something of himself; he’s a magistrate now."
"Come on, have a piece of candy."
"Haha, this outfit was bought by my son; isn’t it beautiful?"
"Here’s something for you; eat more."
Behind her were six little clay figures made from mud. After dancing and singing for a while, she began giving out silver coins and candies to those little figures. Zhou Guilian, curious, thought these were real coins and candies. She approached to take a closer look, her eyes filled with greed. However, upon closer inspection, she realized that what was being given out were just pebbles.
Only then did she fully believe that Feng San Niang had truly gone mad.
"Oh! Gui Lian is here! Aren't you busy inside? Come in and sit down."
Four Mao was the first to notice her; he put down his work and invited her inside.
Zhou Cailian slowly turned her head, gave her a fleeting glance without any change in expression, and then turned back to hang clothes.
Zhou Guilian found herself in a difficult situation, unable to approach the Feng Family for help.
"The house is a bit messy, just sit anywhere," she said.
However, she did not expect Zhou Cailian to pass by after hanging up the laundry and casually say this to her. For some reason, Zhou Guilian felt her eyes welling up. Looking at Zhou Cailian, who seemed far more mature than her age and had calloused hands, she even felt a lump in her throat.
After a moment's hesitation, she followed her into the house.
Four Mao brought her a cup of plain water. Everything in the house remained the same; the things that needed replacing had been changed when Feng Liulang was the county magistrate. Compared to an average household, their furniture was more complete, and everything was brand new.
"Let's have lunch here; it's been a while since you sisters gathered," Feng San Niang said excitedly. With this, Four Mao finally had someone to talk to at home. Feng Wu was always listless and silent, spending his days smoking at the door after meals. Four Mao would weave bamboo baskets to sell in town, while all other household chores fell on Zhou Cailian. He always felt guilty towards this child; they had struggled to keep one child alive, and if Zhou Cailian could marry off someday, he would never stand in her way—he couldn't delay her life.
Zhou Guilian initially wanted to decline but realized there was only one bowl of rice at home waiting for her grandmother and mother to return and cook dinner. Moreover, there were no vegetables at all. Even if she went back, she would still end up hungry. So she hesitantly agreed.
Zhou Cailian merely glanced at her without any extra expression or emotional fluctuation. Calmly, she said she would go cook and directly tied on an apron before heading to the kitchen.
Seeing her go into the kitchen, Four Mao wasn't much of a conversationalist either. Zhou Guilian, feeling restless, looked around before standing up and saying:
"Uncle, I’ll go help Cai Lian."
Four Mao gave her a puzzled look but nodded with a smile.
Entering the kitchen, Zhou Cailian was chopping vegetables. The rice was already washed and cooking in the pot. She was cutting tofu, green onions, and ginger shreds.
Next to her was a basin of washed water spinach and a bowl containing a piece of cured meat along with some garlic cloves.
Just looking at it made Zhou Guilian swallow hard.
"Can you start a fire? If so, lend a hand."
Zhou Cailian said lightly as she noticed Zhou Guilian greedily staring at the bowl of cured meat.
It must be said that she had indeed changed into a different person. Life had worn her down, and after going through so much, she no longer held any expectations for this world. Family and in-laws were nothing but nonsense; only by relying on herself could she avoid starving or freezing to death.
Thus, as time passed, she became increasingly calm. Perhaps life was meant to be this way; she had merely experienced a grand dream that did not belong to her. Once she woke from that dream, everything returned to zero, and everything depended on her own efforts.
As for Zhou Guilian, her Second Sister, whether it was hate or malice, it no longer mattered. At least she could be thankful that it was not her who married into this family.
"Ah... oh... yes... yes..."
Zhou Guilian took a while to respond, stammering out a few words before squatting by the stove and starting to add firewood.
In fact, it was still early; many villagers were busy in the fields and had yet to return.
With Zhou Guilian tending the fire, Zhou Cailian worked even faster, quickly preparing three dishes. Before long, she called everyone to eat.
Looking at the bowl full of steaming white rice, Zhou Guilian's eyes widened. It had been months since she had eaten such fragrant rice, and she couldn't help but wolf it down without regard for her image.
Logically speaking, now that their fields had been returned to them, as long as they planted everything and deducted taxes, there would be more than enough food for the family. However, every mainstay of the Zhou family was lazy; they had rented out two-thirds of their land to others just to earn a little pocket money. Not long after, that money was spent completely. With no money left, they couldn't fill their stomachs. As it stood now, her family was the poorest in Daimiao Village. With Xia Muxin's Workshop up and running, every household was eating steamed rice and even meat. The children were growing like seedlings.
"Call Dad back. If we all work together honestly in the fields, we won't go hungry."
Seeing Zhou Guilian eat like a starving ghost, Zhou Cailian finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Their family had many members and enough land; as long as they were willing to plant, there would definitely be enough food for the year instead of having to scrounge for meals like this.
Instantly, Zhou Guilian's face turned red. After finishing one bowl of rice, she felt too embarrassed to ask for a second and instead ate heartily from the dishes until she finished an entire bowl of water spinach soup before finally feeling full.
"Uncle, your water spinach is really tender. I want to pick some to take back for Grandma and Mom to taste."
Of course, she did not take Zhou Cailian's words to heart. After putting down her bowl and chopsticks, she wiped her mouth contentedly and smiled at Four Mao.
At this time of year, Water Spinach was the main side dish. As long as there was enough moisture, it grew quickly, and every household had it in abundance, often feeding the excess to pigs. After hearing Zhou Guilian's words, Four Mao was momentarily stunned, then remembered Zhou Yousheng's family and understood. She enthusiastically pointed to her backyard:
"Look, it's right over there. You can pick it yourself."
Four Mao was naturally honest and straightforward. She had always been under the thumb of Feng San Niang; otherwise, Feng Liulang wouldn't have turned out this way. She felt a heavy responsibility for it. If her husband had been a bit more assertive, Liulang wouldn't have gone astray, and their family wouldn't be so fragmented. Fortunately, Zhou Cailian was good at managing the household, and life was going quite well now. She just hoped that one day Liulang would return and live a simple life with them—no need for him to become an official; just being a regular citizen living peacefully by their side would be enough.
Upon hearing Four Mao's words, Zhou Guilian's eyes lit up, and she dashed toward the backyard. By the time she came back, her hands were full of a bundle of Water Spinach. Not to mention one meal; they could eat for three days without finishing it.
Zhou Cailian stared at her, her mouth moved slightly before she sighed and let it go.
Zhou Guilian didn't even say thank you; she hugged the vegetables and ran straight home, afraid that Four Mao might suddenly change her mind.
Meanwhile, in Town, a fierce confrontation was unfolding between the Wu Family and the girls from Drunken Fragrance Pavilion along with the madam.
"Those gaudy girls! Hurry up and bring my husband out; otherwise, I will report you to the authorities!"
Youshi glared at the dozen or so scantily clad girls with heavy makeup, gritting her teeth in anger. She wished she could tear Zhou Yousheng apart. Her family was starving at home while he was out gallivanting.
"Who are you calling? Money talks here; who is your husband?"
The madam's face turned pale as she saw these two out-of-place farmers causing a scene at her establishment. The entrance was crowded; with such a ruckus, no married man would dare visit her place again. If one man did it, others would follow; which woman would want to see her husband indulging in debauchery? If this angered everyone, she'd have to close up shop for good.
She resolutely denied knowing the person they mentioned.
What a joke! Zhou Yousheng was a regular here. Although he might not spend much each month, he brought plenty of wealthy young men along.
Who would turn down money like that?
"Oh dear, what kind of sin have I committed? I'm already over sixty, and my son is completely captivated by these vixens. We haven't had rice in the house for days, and the children are so hungry they can't even get out of bed. What’s the point of me living on with this old body? I might as well die right here at the door."
Seeing that the old woman was formidable, the Wu Family sat down on the ground, pounding their chests and crying out. The sound was deafening; not only did the old woman frown, but even the onlookers covered their ears.
But more than anything, there was sympathy. This was Town, and few recognized the Wu Family or the You Family. With such a commotion, it was clear that their men were no good, abandoning their wives for these vixens, even disregarding their own mothers. Instantly, the blame shifted towards the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.
Especially among the group of women, they began to point and loudly insult them.
After all, how many men could resist temptation? Few came just to enjoy a drink and listen to music; they were all drawn in by these girls.
While the outside was in an uproar, Zhou Yousheng was like a headless fly inside, darting around desperately looking for a way out.
After all, if he lost face in front of everyone on this street, he would never be able to show his face again.
"Master Zhou, mother wants you to go out; it's getting chaotic out there, and she won't protect you anymore."
- End of Chapter -
Comment 0 Comment Count