Chapter 113 Tragedy

After hearing what Li Da Xiong and Li Da Sao had to say, everyone in the Li family felt uneasy. No wonder when Li San Niang asked earlier, Li Da Xiong said they had to finish their meal first, otherwise they really wouldn't be able to eat.

"It's all my fault, Third Sister. My elder brother and sister-in-law suffered such injustice at the Wang family's house. I apologize to them."

How could Sister-in-law Li really let Li San Niang bow her head and pay her respects? She had raised her daughter from a baby to adulthood, and watched her get married and have children. She truly couldn't bear to let Li San Niang suffer even the slightest grievance.

Sister-in-law Li grabbed Li San Niang's arm and gently patted her shoulder: "You, you know I can't bear to part with you, yet you still do this. Doesn't it make me feel sorry for you?"

Li San Niang received a glare from Li Da Sao, but she was happy on the surface, feeling fortunate that her sister-in-law was not angry and that her sister-in-law was a magnanimous person.

"Alright, your sister-in-law and I both know that the Wang family is just like that old woman Wang and Wang Erlang's new wife, who can't stand you. That's why they treat your sister-in-law and me like this. But what do their actions have to do with you?"

Like his sister-in-law, Brother Li couldn't bear to see his younger sister, whom he had doted on since childhood, feeling anxious and heartbroken.

"Elder brother, I know that you and sister-in-law care about me, but precisely because I know this, I feel that you and sister-in-law should not suffer this injustice. This time, it is because of the Mid-Autumn Festival that the eldest son of the family must go as the representative to deliver the festival gifts."

On Mid-Autumn Festival, I'll still go to the Wang family's house by myself with Dewdrop. I refuse to believe they'll dare to treat me badly if I go there in person!

If they dare to do that, I'll flip the table!

Nobody should get away with this!

Li San Niang said she was going to the Wang family to overturn the table. Li's father frowned when he heard this, and Li's mother also looked displeased.

Li Ersao, who rarely spoke in such situations, handed Xiao Wulang to Li Erxiong and stood up anxiously, saying to Li Sanniang, "That won't do!"

Li San Niang had anticipated that her mother and sister-in-law would disagree, but she hadn't expected her second sister-in-law to speak up first.

Because of her rural background, Li Ersao usually felt somewhat inferior in the Li family and rarely spoke in front of others, fearing that she might say something wrong due to her lack of education and embarrass herself.

But at this moment, Li Ersao couldn't care less about anything else. She quickly walked over to Li Sanniang, grabbed her hand, and said in a fast-paced voice, "No, Sanniang, you can't take Luzhu'er to the Wang family alone!"

Faced with Li San Niang's questioning gaze, Li Er Sao was so anxious that she couldn't find the right words to say. Finally, she sighed, turned around, bowed to Li's father and mother, and said, "Father and Mother, you must not let San Niang take Lu Zhu'er to the Wang family alone!"

After saying this, Li Ersao paused for a moment before continuing, "I know that Third Sister is capable, and I believe that if Third Sister suffers any injustice at the Wang family, she will not tolerate it. If she says she will overturn the table, she will definitely be able to. But no matter how capable Third Sister is, she is still a weak woman. How can she manage to take Luzhu to the Wang family alone?"

Everyone understood that Li Ersao's words had a hidden meaning, so Li Dasao pulled her to sit down. Li Sanniang filled her teacup to seven-tenths full and handed the steaming red date tea to Li Ersao.

Li Erxiong, holding Xiao Wulang, said softly to Li Ersao, "Lanniang, take your time, there's no rush. We're all family, just say what you want to say."

Then everyone listened to Li Ersao tell a very tragic story in a straightforward manner, a story that made listeners sad and brought tears to their eyes.

Li Ersao's family home was in Shilipo, outside Chang'an City. Before she married into the Li family, she was highly regarded by her grandfather because she was the eldest granddaughter. He often took her to visit relatives in various places when she was young.

Life in the countryside is hard; people can only eat well during weddings, funerals, and festivals.

Therefore, the children who are taken to the feast at this time are the most fortunate.

When Li Ersao was ten years old, her grandfather took her to her aunt's house to attend her cousin's wedding banquet. The banquet was very impressive, and Li Ersao ate with great relish.

But when the following year came, her grandfather was invited over again, saying that her cousin wanted to take her daughter home for a divorce.

How could a marriage that seemed like a perfect match between a handsome man and a beautiful woman end up like this in just one year?

It was also because Li Ersao's father-in-law was the village head of Shilipo, a large village, and had some influence in the countryside that he was invited to be a witness. This was to support her cousin's family and ensure that they wouldn't be bullied by the groom's family.

When Old Man Wu returned home and heard what he had to say, everyone realized that the man his cousin had married was a man who did not love his mother!

My cousin and I were able to have a child only because we took medicine on our wedding night.

At that time, Li Ersao was not young anymore, only eleven or twelve years old, and her marriage prospects were becoming more apparent.

Therefore, Old Man Wu did not prevent Li Ersao from hearing about her cousin's affairs. Instead, he specifically asked Li Ersao's mother to tell her the whole story in detail.

It was quite a coincidence that my cousin became pregnant on her wedding night. Even now, almost a year after the baby was born, my cousin has never had sexual relations with her husband again.

At first, my cousin felt that she wasn't being bothered during her pregnancy and even after giving birth and completing two postpartum periods, because her husband was considerate of her. But now that her child is almost a year old, she still can't have sex, which means there's a big problem.

However, in this matter, the woman was at a disadvantage. Even though the Tang Dynasty's social atmosphere was not overly restrictive towards women, it was not open enough to allow the matter of sexual relations to be discussed openly.

You said if she spoke frankly, people would think she was promiscuous, like a prostitute in a brothel. But if she spoke tactfully, the man would pretend he didn't understand at all. My cousin was both angry and ashamed.

Since my cousin got more pregnant, the two of them have been sleeping in separate rooms. After nearly a year of not being close, my cousin naturally noticed that something was wrong.

The turning point came when my cousin went to the man's bedroom one day to collect dirty clothes and bedding that needed to be washed for the new season. She found a picture book under the mattress.

My cousin was just curious, so she started flipping through the pages. But when she randomly opened a page and saw the pictures, she was so shocked that she covered her mouth to keep from making a sound.

The drawing depicts two naked men, one in front and one behind.

At this point, the cousin understood why her husband was unwilling to have sex with her.

My cousin made a quick decision, packed a bundle of valuables she had brought with her when she got married, and took her child, who would be one year old in a few days, home.

When my cousin returned home, she told her parents, brother, and sister-in-law about it. The whole family was shocked, so it was only natural that she took her daughter and divorced her.

This kind of man is not worth wasting your whole life on.

Fortunately, the Tang Dynasty encouraged women to remarry, and in some places, even thrice.

The groom was in the wrong from the start, and my cousin's brother brought back the dowry and returned the bride price in full.

However, the man's father was still somewhat conscientious and only asked for half of the dowry, saying that the other half would be used for his cousin's expenses in raising her child.

Of course, the daughter born to the two would not have her surname changed.

The matter should have ended there; the man never showed up from the time his cousin asked for a divorce until the divorce was finalized.

However, the child still takes the man's surname, and the government requires that the child must spend the Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day at the man's house every year.

Just like the dewdrop at this moment, following Li San Niang's request to divorce and return home.