Chapter 44 Son is a weed

Although Ma Youde was the clan leader, he was too selfish, and not all the members of the Ma family were afraid of him.

"Tsk tsk, what a tragedy! Don't be fooled by the clan chief's big house; he torments his wife every day. Such a beautiful flower, ruined by her..."

The villagers were abuzz with gossip. Everyone knew that if someone went to the yamen, they would come back severely punished, and perhaps never return.

The officials quickly took the person away and instructed the Chen family to bury Chen Dahua. As for what would happen next, they were to wait for the officials to notify them.

"Tingyun, if it weren't for you, Da Hua..."

Wang Jinhua hadn't woken up yet, and Chen Tieniu was an honest, simple man who couldn't speak properly; he just kept repeating the same few sentences over and over.

"Uncle, please accept my condolences. Although my cousin is gone, God will not let those who harmed her go unpunished. She can rest in peace now."

Xiao Qi comforted Chen Tieniu, explaining that the Chen family was going to hold a funeral. Because Chen Dahua's death was not honorable and she was a married woman who could not be buried in the Chen family's ancestral grave, it was best not to make too much of a fuss and not to hold a grand funeral.

This delay meant it was already dark.

Lin Yuesha became a guinea pig, and her throat became increasingly swollen and painful. The cold wind also made her feel a little dizzy.

Lin Yuesha didn't know how she got home. When she woke up, it was already the next day.

"Little girl, how are you?"

Just as Chen finished decocting a bowl of medicine and placed it on the kang table, she saw that her daughter had woken up.

After hearing Tingyun's account of what happened, Chen was so upset that she couldn't sleep all night, and her eyes are still red and swollen.

She rubbed her slightly swollen eyes and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

Mrs. Chen touched her daughter's forehead with her hand and found that the fever had subsided, which put her at ease. However, she couldn't bring herself to say a word of reproach.

If her daughter hadn't been hanged, Da Hua might have been convicted of suicide, which would have been a tremendous injustice!

"Mom, my throat hurts a little."

Lin Yuesha struggled to sit up, rubbing her throat. She seemed a little better than yesterday. She asked, "Mother, how did I get back from Majia Village yesterday?"

She remembered that after the officials left, she was about to go home when she suddenly felt dizzy and lost consciousness.

"It was your older brother who carried you back from Majia Village."

Chen sighed. After all, they weren't blood-related siblings, and there was a strict separation between men and women. However, the villagers didn't adhere to these rules too much. In urgent situations, people would act expediently, and no one would gossip.

"Where's my older brother?"

Lin Yuesha looked around. Xiao Qi wasn't in the house, and she didn't know if he was home or not. In any case, the Chen family thanked their stepbrother, and the officials treated him differently, while she was ignored.

“Your eldest brother went to town early this morning with your uncle’s family. Today, the county magistrate is holding a hearing to examine the case.”

Madam Chen wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "My little girl, I will definitely find you a good family."

Lin Yuesha: "..."

Her mother's thought process is jumping around way too fast! How did it get to her getting married? She's only twelve now, thirteen at the beginning of the year. Even if daughters in Chenjia Village get married early, it'll still take two or three years.

Lin Yuesha nuzzled her head against Chen Shi's chest and said, "Mother, I won't get married. I'll stay with you."

These were absolutely polite words, meant to comfort Ms. Chen.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Madam Chen nodded thoughtfully and said, "Alright."

Men in this world are often fickle, and women's lives are just as difficult after marriage. If they encounter such a ruthless family, wouldn't that be pushing their daughter into a fire pit? Besides, her little girl can't endure hardship.

Indeed, it is not easy for a woman to support her family, and she is bound to hear rumors. However, being said a few words will not cost her anything, and life will continue as usual.

It's better not to get married than to jump into a fire pit. Chen Dahua died tragically, and the Chen family was truly terrified.

Lin Yuesha: "..."

The weather was unusually nice, and cotton quilts were drying in the yard. Chen was tapping and banging them with a stick.

The family was poor and couldn't afford anything nice, except for the thick cotton quilts they used in winter. Every year, Chen would take them apart and air them out, removing any discolored cotton and adding some soft new cotton. She would air the quilts on sunny days to ensure they were soft and comfortable to sleep under.

"Cough cough."

Xiao Chenggui was physically weak, but on this rare sunny day, he sat on a chair in the courtyard to bask in the sun, which warmed him up considerably.

"Honey, what brings you out?"

Despite the strong sun, there was still a chilly wind. Chen was worried that Xiao Chenggui might catch a cold again and suffer from coughing all night.

"I'll sit for a while."

Xiao Chenggui shook his head, squinted at the door, and saw villagers passing by. He noticed that Granny Wang had a shifty look in her eyes and clearly wanted to come and inquire about something.

With Chen Shi alone in the courtyard, the others became bolder and tried to enter, but when Xiao Chenggui came out, they gave up the idea.

These days, villagers still have some respect for scholars.

"You didn't sleep at all last night, why don't you lie down and rest for a while?"

Seeing that Chen's eyes were swollen like walnuts, with dark circles under her eyes and a haggard appearance, Xiao Chenggui couldn't help but offer some advice.

"Yes, Dad is right. Mom, you stayed up late again last night, and your eyes are bloodshot."

Lin Yuesha took the stick from Chen's hand and imitated her movements, tapping and beating the quilt.

“I’m still uneasy because my older brother and Tingyun haven’t come back.”

Chen sighed and shook her head. Who knew that misfortune would befall her family like this? She was even more worried about her parents.

Her father, Old Man Chen, and mother, Zhao, had worried about her all their lives. Just when she finally found a good husband, trouble struck again with her elder brother, Chen Tieniu.

Upon receiving the news yesterday, the two elders fainted immediately, and today they insisted on going to the yamen with them.

No one has returned yet, and there's been no news from them.

“Mother, the evidence is conclusive. Jin has confessed everything truthfully. Yesterday, fearing that she might have a chance to collude with the Ma family, my eldest brother specially wrote a statement and had Jin sign and put her fingerprint on it.”

If Jin recants her testimony, she will be deceiving the officials and showing no respect for the county magistrate. Her crime will only be more serious than minor.

Therefore, based on this, Lin Yuesha estimated that the case was a done deal and there would be almost no changes.

After hearing this, Chen felt much relieved, and as her mind relaxed, she became sleepy.

After Chen took a nap, only Xiao Chenggui and Lin Yuesha were left alone in the courtyard. Xiao Chenggui took out a paper package from his pocket, handed it to Lin Yuesha, and said with a smile, "Little girl, this is some malt candy that your father asked your older brother to buy. Your mouth tastes bitter when you drink medicine, so eat a couple more pieces."

Finally, Xiao Chenggui added awkwardly, "Don't let your mother see this."

Seeing this, Chen would complain again about him being a pushover, as if she had become a stepmother, and that Xiao Chenggui was acting secretly. He loved Lin Yuesha more than his son.

He had always dreamed of having a daughter. Although the villagers always said all sorts of things about Lin Yuesha, in his eyes, she was perfect no matter what.

Once he recovers, he can open a school to teach children, and save the tuition fees he earns to give as a dowry for his daughter.

As for his son, let him go and earn his own money if he's capable!