Chapter 2
Old Man Wen looked at Wen Shi and asked, and the room fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at Wen Shi curiously. Wen Shi glanced at his father and spoke in a normal, indifferent tone.
"I have no idea."
Upon hearing this, Wen Ersao's face turned somewhat ugly. Back then, because her dowry was less than that of her eldest sister-in-law, she was looked down upon by her mother-in-law. Although her father-in-law didn't say anything, he must have looked down on her in his heart as well.
She was naturally curious about Yingxiang's dowry, but hearing this was a bit too much; what did she mean by not knowing?
How could he not know about his wife's dowry?
The couple definitely wanted to keep it for themselves. Right now, the Wen family is living together, and whatever money they earn or any good things they get, they have to hand it over.
Her dowry consisted of a basket of eggs and two sets of coarse cloth clothes. The clothes were new, but her mother-in-law took them all. She only ate a bowl of egg custard on the morning of her wedding, and never had any more eggs after that.
She didn't want to give him everything, thinking that just one set of clothes would be enough, but the man sold her out in front of his parents.
The old woman glanced at her son, sighed helplessly, and said matter-of-factly, "I know you're a scholar who cares about your reputation. I'll ask around later. We live together as a family, so our things should be kept together."
She saw the locked box that was delivered yesterday. Yingxiang's family wasn't poor, so there must be valuables inside. Since her mother-in-law was still alive, it was naturally her responsibility to take care of it.
Before long, Yingxiang came in with a smile and called everyone to go to the courtyard for dinner.
The men and women naturally sat at separate tables. The Wen family members looked at the golden and crispy pancakes on the plate and exchanged bewildered glances.
Such a big pancake, how much flour did she use? You know, the best things in the Wen family are either saved to sell for money, or they are only eaten when the parents celebrate their birthdays or when the eldest brother's family comes back for the New Year.
Wen Ersao stared blankly at Yingxiang, whose delicate face was adorned with a smile, radiating innocence and enthusiasm.
"Please sit down, everyone. When I was at my parents' house, they always praised me for my cooking skills. From now on, I'll take care of the cooking, so you won't have to go into the kitchen, Second Sister-in-law."
Wen Ersao glanced at her mother-in-law out of the corner of her eye. Her mother-in-law, Liu, had a face that was darker than the bottom of a pot, and Wen Laodi was in no better shape.
Only the youngest brother of the Wen family, Wen Xiaowu, sat down excitedly, picked up a slice of guokui (a type of flatbread), and eagerly put it into his mouth.
"Third sister-in-law, this pancake is so delicious! How did you make it? It tastes much better than the ones Second sister-in-law and Mother made before."
After saying that, he wolfed down one piece and then went to eat a second one.
Wen Shi looked at his wife, not too surprised; the teeth marks on her shoulder still ached faintly.
"I added eggs to the flour and fried it with lard. If you like it, Fifth Brother, I'll make it for you again tomorrow."
Hearing that eggs were used, Liu's gaze towards Yingxiang became even more unfriendly. If it weren't for the people coming and going outside, she would have started cursing. This spendthrift! It's not like we have mountains of gold and silver in the house, yet she dares to eat like this.
Old Man Wen was also feeling bad, thinking that his daughter-in-law was terrible at managing a household. However, he was concerned about his reputation, so he told everyone to sit down and eat.
The food was delicious and was quickly devoured. Yingxiang ate very fast, having developed a knack for it. After eating her fill, she looked completely satisfied.
"Second sister-in-law, I'll wash the dishes in a bit, you can rest."
Yingxiang smiled. She wasn't stupid; she had already gleaned some information from the family's expressions: some were shocked and confused, some were indifferent, and some were curious. It didn't matter; she wasn't afraid.
Second Sister-in-law Wen nodded and ate another piece of bread. In the past, there was not much food at home, and if you were slow, you would not get any. But Yingxiang made a really big amount today, and they had almost finished eating, with quite a lot left.
"Third son's wife, come to your mother's room when you're done tidying up. I have something to tell you."
Liu tried her best to suppress her anger and spoke calmly.
"good."
Yingxiang picked up her bowl and chopsticks to go to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Everyone else was also getting ready to go to work in the fields. Wenshi had a few days off because of his wedding, but he couldn't just stay home and do nothing.
Yingxiang picked up her bowl and chopsticks, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, she suddenly twisted her body, causing the bowl and chopsticks in her hand to fall to the ground, fortunately without breaking.
Seeing this, Liu glanced at her second son's wife, Wen Ersao lowered her head, and hurried over to tidy up.
"Come with me now."
Old Man Wen didn't care about women's affairs; Liu Shi took care of them. He didn't even look over here, and took his sons to the fields. Wen's second sister-in-law was tidying up, and at the same time, she was listening intently, curious about how Liu Shi would deal with this daughter-in-law.
Whether she rushed back to her parents' home or gave a good scolding, Liu, the mother-in-law, appeared kind on the surface, but she was quite formidable in private.
After Yingxiang followed them into the main house of the Wen family, she immediately turned around and closed the door. Liu took a breath and looked at Yingxiang with eyes that clearly said, "You do have some sense."
"Third son's wife, kneel down."
She looked at Yingxiang with a cold expression. Whether Yingxiang did it intentionally or unintentionally today, she made her, the mother-in-law, uncomfortable. Therefore, she had to teach her a lesson in order to establish her authority.
Liu leaned back in her chair. Yingxiang looked at her, her mind raced, and the next second, she closed her eyes and lay down on the ground.
"I really didn't realize you had this ability. Get up, or don't blame me for being impolite."
At this point, Liu could no longer tolerate it. This daughter-in-law had gone too far, wasting money and disobeying her parents; she would never allow it.
Yingxiang remained motionless. Just as she was about to kick, Yingxiang seemed to anticipate her move and rolled away. She missed her kick and almost fell, looking quite disheveled.
Yingxiang stood up and patted the dirt off her clothes.
"Mother, we're all family. What are you doing? How can you lay a hand on me? Xiang'er is timid and you're really going to scare her."
After Yingxiang finished speaking, she blinked and pretended to be afraid. When Liu saw her like this, she couldn't help but feel even more disgusted and thought she was cunning.
"You little rascal, if I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't know your own limitations."
Yingxiang sneered, and the next second she opened the door and ran out. Wen Ersao saw the commotion from the kitchen and was somewhat shocked, but also more curious about what would happen next. She wondered who would win between the two.
As soon as the door opened, Liu naturally became more reserved, subconsciously placing her hands at her sides.
"Don't force me to send you back to your parents' home."
This was a killer move. Yingxiang glanced at Liu Shi and sighed inwardly that this mother-in-law was too difficult to serve and had too many problems, but this threat was useless against her.
“Mother, it’s not like we don’t have the means. Why can’t we eat and drink? How can you say that your daughter-in-law is a spendthrift? My husband works so hard studying, and my second brother, father, and sister-in-law all have to work every day.”
Upon hearing Yingxiang's words, Liu was taken aback, while Wen Ersao secretly nodded in agreement.
They did a lot of work, but they always got all the best food and benefits. All the good things went to the eldest son's wife. Although the eldest son's wife had achieved official rank, she didn't help them out.
The eldest son lives in the county with his wife and children. He didn't give any of the gifts and favors he received back to his family.
Under the pretext of needing money for errands, she brought a lot of money from home when she went to study in the county after the New Year, saying she needed it to rent a house. Her parents-in-law secretly gave her a certain amount of money.
He always says that he will support his whole family when he becomes an official, but he hasn't even become an official yet and he's already unwilling to support his whole family. If he becomes an official in the future, it will probably be even more impossible.
Wen Ersao may look weak and honest, but she has her own plans.
Her husband is really useless, and this third son's wife doesn't seem like she'll stay put. If only she would be the one to suggest dividing the family property first.
Once the family is properly separated, she can support her own children's education. She can just work harder. She can't rely on the eldest son. If things continue like this, it will drag the whole family down. She can only do what is right for him.
Suddenly, the sound of a child crying came from inside the house. Sister-in-law Wen put down what she was doing and hurriedly went in to comfort the child.
In the courtyard, Liu was so angry at Yingxiang's words that she almost jumped up.
"What are you saying? You're a spendthrift. Why are you bringing up Lao San and the others? I've never wronged them."
"You glutton, get out of here."
Upon hearing this, Yingxiang turned to leave, but then, as if remembering something, she stopped and, under Liu's somewhat shocked gaze, returned to her room, carrying the dowry chest she had brought with her, and walked out together.
When Liu saw this, she almost fainted from anger. She never expected that the woman would actually dare to leave.
She wanted her to beg her on her knees.
Inside the house, Wen Ersao was comforting the child in her arms. Seeing this scene, she felt secretly pleased. Serves her right, she did everything, but in her mother-in-law's eyes, she was not as good as the eloquent eldest daughter-in-law.
Now things are really messed up. The third son's wife is a glutton and doesn't want to do any work. Let's see what we do next.
Yingxiang didn't go far with the box in her arms. Her intuition told her that she couldn't stay in this house for long, and she couldn't show weakness, or she would be taken advantage of.
She's not stupid, nor does she like selfless dedication.
When she arrived at the village entrance, many old women sitting there stared at her curiously. Yingxiang sat down as if nothing had happened, holding the box in her arms without moving, her eyes red and looking rather pitiful.
"Isn't this Wen Laosan's newlywed wife?"
"What are you doing here?"
Gradually, people gathered around, but Yingxiang didn't say anything. She just sat there, no matter how they tried to talk to her, she didn't say a word, and occasionally she would cry out.
Before long, many villagers came over and formed a circle around her. They looked at Yingxiang and wondered why she was crying and why she was sitting there all alone.
Everyone was talking at once, and the village chief, who was not far away, saw this scene and immediately stepped forward.
As the villagers gathered, he was afraid something might happen; if a fight broke out, that would be terrible. Under the lush tree, Yingxiang looked up at the village chief, her eyes red and visibly pitiful.
"What's going on? Isn't there any chores to do at home? What are you doing?"
The village chief scolded Yingxiang a few times, wanting her to go back.
Yingxiang glanced at him and cried even louder, making the scene even more lively.
"Go back to work."
The village chief turned and told everyone to leave, then strode towards the fields. Before long, Old Man Wen, the village chief, and Wen Shi arrived.
The three looked at her. Yingxiang wiped away her tears and put the things aside.
"Husband, Father, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'm asking to leave now, and I beg you to give me a letter of divorce."
Yingxiang cried and sobbed, her fair face covered in tears.
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