Chapter 8
As soon as Yingxiang said this, the courtyard fell silent.
Wen Ersao looked at Yingxiang in disbelief, while Liu Shi turned to look at her son, unable to believe it.
As for Wen Shi, recalling the stack of high-quality Xuan paper that Wen Xiang had given him a few days ago, he stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with complex emotions, but mostly with gratitude.
His family was unwilling to fully support his education, yet she was so considerate of him despite their short marriage.
“Mother, my husband is my hope for the future, so naturally I spend all my money on him. You know, cheap things for scholars are not good, so I can’t let my husband suffer. I saved up for a long time before I bought him some good things for studying.”
Liu was speechless for a moment, her face turning pale.
Actually, Yingxiang got that Xuan paper from signing in, but she didn't need it. The quality was so good that it would be a waste to sell it. Considering how good Wen Shi had been to her, she kept it for him.
What she signed for is naturally hers, so there's nothing wrong with saying she bought it.
"Thank you, my wife."
He spoke up when he heard this.
“My husband, we are already married, husband and wife are one, it is only right that we be together.”
Wen Shi entrusted the money to her for management, but Ying Xiang was not stupid, so naturally they kept it separate. Household expenses were not that high, and the two of them were not that particular. For now, she naturally kept her income herself.
Fortunately, the mother-in-law still had some sense of shame and didn't bring it up again.
At noon, Old Man Wen returned from the fields with his three sons, and the family began to eat.
Old Man Wen naturally remembered what the villagers had said about Yingxiang doing small business at the market. He was also eyeing the money. Unexpectedly, Liu Shi took his hand in private and said that all the money had been spent on his third son's education.
The couple naturally had no idea that it was actually the housekeeper, Yingxiang. Old Man Wen sighed and then fell silent. He had originally thought that the family would have an extra source of income, but it seemed that he had been thinking too much.
"The third child will also take the exam in the second half of this year. It's his first time, so there's no chance he'll pass. There will be a lot of expenses later on. The eldest child took the exam three times before he passed. It's good that they can support themselves."
Liu remained silent; what else could she say?
Wen Shi wasn't the honest and simple second son who listened to everything they said. The couple knew this perfectly well. He had always been lukewarm towards them, which showed that he resented them as well.
"He also found out about our land sale for the boss?"
"Um."
After Liu finished speaking, she lowered her head. They had already sold both sides, so what else could they do? Although the difference was huge, they were all doing it for the good of the family. He would understand sooner or later.
"Sigh, let's eat."
The meal was simple, but there was enough to eat. Yingxiang had eaten very well in town, so she didn't have high expectations for the trip back. She knew this in her heart, and Wenshi was even less so.
During this time, Yingxiang noticed that Wen Ersao seemed to be trying her best to endure it. To be honest, if she just kept quiet and secretly made a face, it wouldn't do any good.
Who cares about her feelings? Everyone has to live their own life.
In feudal times, life was already difficult for women. She sympathized with her, but there was nothing she could do to help her at the moment. In the end, she still had to awaken herself.
As for dealing with her in-laws, to be honest, she already has a child, and given the current situation of the Wen family, she has nothing to be afraid of.
Before they had finished eating, they heard a child crying inside. Wen Ersao hurriedly put down her chopsticks and ran inside. Liu frowned but didn't say anything.
As for Brother Wen, he followed closely behind.
"Let's clean up together."
Their child is a boy, not yet a year old, and is somewhat weak.
"Father, Mother, something terrible has happened! The child has a high fever and is burning hot all over."
In the kitchen, Yingxiang was washing dishes, while Liu Shi, standing to the side, didn't even lift her eyelids.
"Put a damp cloth on the child's forehead, and it will be fine in a while."
"Yuqin said she wanted to take the child to see a doctor."
"I'm a little anxious," said the second brother.
“What’s so interesting? Every child gets sick sometimes. I’ve taken care of your older brother’s child before. Listen to your mother.”
Liu disagreed, not to mention Old Man Wen standing to the side.
When Brother Wen came back asking for money, in addition to the sixty taels of silver, the old couple also gave him some money in private. That was for their two grandsons' school fees. Now the family is penniless and can only wait until after the autumn harvest to sell some of the grain.
But this year there's not much land, so how much can they sell? The old couple are worried, hoping their eldest son will pass the imperial examination soon.
When Wen Erge returned to the house, he was extremely anxious looking at his son who was crying incessantly due to a high fever. Yuqin, who was also Wen Ersao, was already preparing to take the child out.
"What's wrong?"
"Mother said to get a wet cloth for the child."
"It's no use. Don't you know our son? He won't get better without a doctor and acupuncture."
Yuqin was completely flustered by her son's crying and was in a bit of a panic. She felt heartbroken looking at her son and was just waiting to take the copper coins to the doctor's house.
Unexpectedly, Brother Wen Er didn't get the money.
"Don't you know your son's condition? What did the doctor say before? If we don't take him to see a doctor, what if he gets burned and becomes mentally disabled?"
Wen Ersao almost shouted these words out loud.
Inside the cramped room, accompanied by the child's cries, Wen Erge felt frustrated and helpless. He himself had no money; his parents had always managed the family's finances.
When Sister-in-law Wen saw the man's pathetic state, her dark face was filled with despair.
"Get out of the way."
She shouted and immediately picked up the child and walked outside.
In the courtyard, Wen Shi frowned upon seeing this scene. Old Man Wen turned his head away, and Second Sister-in-law Wen walked up to Liu Shi with the child in her arms.
“Mother, I took the child to see the doctor before. The doctor said that the child is not healthy and if he gets a high fever, he will need to be given acupuncture, otherwise he will be burned. Give me five copper coins.”
"Just wipe him with a damp cloth."
Liu looked at Yuqin with dissatisfaction. She didn't even have one copper coin, let alone five.
"Why do you raise your child so delicately? How can he grow up properly? Children should be raised simply so they can be healthy."
"Mother, what are you saying?"
Upon hearing this, Yuqin sniffed. As her son's cries grew weaker and weaker, she could hardly bear it anymore.
This is the child she carried for ten months and endured countless hardships to give birth to. Besides, the reason why the child is not healthy is because her family mistreated her.
Who would make their wife work in the fields when she's about to give birth, under the pretext of making it easier for her to deliver the baby?
"I've been through this before, and there are many things you don't understand. Don't go to the doctor so easily; it's not good for the child."
Yuqin's face looked rather pale, and Liu's tone softened.
"Mother, I want a copper coin."
The next second, Brother Wen also came out.
"Second son, take your son back."
Liu felt that her daughter-in-law was ungrateful and immediately said, "When she had a high fever, she just drank a few bowls of hot water and got through it, didn't she?"
"Don't touch my son."
Yuqin looked at Wen Erge and shouted loudly.
"Don't let people laugh at us."
Wen Shi looked at his father and said that he also felt that he should pay for it. His second brother and sister-in-law were very hardworking and had done a lot of work. Although his sister-in-law had a lot of ulterior motives, she was still an honest person.
Old Man Wen seemed not to have heard, while Liu Shi gave her third son a dissatisfied look.
"What are you laughing at? Just one sentence: no money to spare."
Yuqin was instantly filled with despair. She immediately hugged her child and began to cry. Her cries grew louder and louder, naturally attracting the attention of some passing villagers.
“The eldest son wanted to buy a house in the county and said he was short of money, so you sold the land without saying a word. But now my son is sick and you won’t even give him five copper coins.”
"Isn't he a member of the Wen family?"
Yuqin shouted loudly.
Seeing that the villagers were about to gather around, Liu felt ashamed. She immediately came out of the kitchen, snatched the child from Yuqin's arms, handed her to Wen Lao Er, and quickly closed the door to block most of the villagers' view. Then, without hesitation, she pushed Yuqin.
“My mother-in-law isn’t dead yet. I’m in charge of this family. If you don’t listen to me, go back to your parents’ home.”
Liu felt ashamed and raised her voice much louder.
Wen Ersao stood up, smiled at Liu Shi, and suddenly pushed her to the ground with great force. All of this happened very quickly.
The next second, Yuqin opened the door again, and Old Man Wen's face looked very ugly.
Yuqin began to cry loudly, remembering Yingxiang and her behavior on the day of her wedding, which the villagers had talked about quite a bit afterward.
She has suffered so much injustice over the years, what is there to fear now?
When Wen Erge saw the child in his arms, he quickly caught up with her and tried to stop her. Unexpectedly, Yuqin pushed him away as if she had taken a super pill. With the child in his arms, he almost fell.
At the same time, all the young women and wives in the village gathered around.
Everyone knows what Yuqin does every day, and they all praise her as a good daughter-in-law. Liu's face was already as ugly as it could be.
As Old Man Wen listened to his daughter-in-law's various accusations, he became extremely angry. He felt that his second daughter-in-law didn't want to live with him anymore.
Only Yingxiang silently gave her second sister-in-law a thumbs up. Well done! She should be willing to go all out. If you endure a family like this, you'll be stuck with it for life.
She was sitting by the stove.
“It’s so embarrassing to bring your second sister-in-law back.”
Old Man Wen looked at Wen Shi.
“Father, she is my second sister-in-law. Men and women should not touch each other.”
He refused outright upon hearing the news.
"Fellow villagers, you may not know this, but my husband is a wild man. Otherwise, why would he be neglected by his parents and work like an animal every day, never neglecting anything?"
Seeing that Wen Ersao's words were becoming increasingly offensive, Liu rushed forward, pushed her back with great effort, and immediately closed the door.
Then she raised her arm and slapped Yuqin to the ground, causing half of Yuqin's face to swell up immediately.
Yuqin came to her senses and buried her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Second sister-in-law, don't cry. I'll go and fetch a doctor for you."
Xiao Wu came to his senses and was about to go out when Liu Shi pulled him back.
"You are not allowed to go."
As the baby in her second brother's arms cried weaker and weaker, as if it was about to convulse, Yingxiang looked at her mother-in-law and felt that she had no words to say about it.
She couldn't bear to watch any longer; the child was innocent after all. She took a few copper coins from her bosom and handed them to Xiao Wu.
"Go quickly."
Wen Xiaowu took the copper coin, bypassed her mother, and ran outside immediately. Wen Shi watched this scene but didn't say anything.
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