In the evening, Yao's father and elder brother Yao returned in the sunset.
They were all very happy to learn that Yao Chunnuan had woken up, but because the Wang family issue had not been resolved, their happiness was short-lived.
Yao Da Ge seemed to be starving. Seeing the sesame cake Yao Chunnuan had placed in the cupboard, he couldn't help but break off half of it to eat. When he handed the other half to Yao's father, Yao's father waved it away and just gulped down a large bowl of water.
Yao's mother felt distressed when she saw this. It was obvious that even when doing business in the city, she was reluctant to spend money on food and drink. She quickly asked Yao's wife to cook dinner.
Yao's father thought that his father and elder brother were coming over, so he quickly asked them to burn more.
Yao Chunnuan stayed in the yard to help pick vegetables.
Not long after, Grandfather Yao and Uncle Yao arrived as expected.
Grandfather Yao was over sixty, thin and gaunt, with a long face and a prominent nose. His eyes, though not dull, occasionally gleamed with a gleam of brilliance. Uncle Yao, on the other hand, was a bit more portly, his features bearing a resemblance to Grandfather Yao's. Perhaps because he had been village chief for so long, he had acquired a certain dignity.
Yao Chunnuan discovered that the Yao family members all had good looks, with regular facial features, and Yao Chunnuan was the best among them. She almost combined the advantages of her parents. Otherwise, when the Yao family asked for repayment for their favor, the Wang family would not have accepted it so easily.
The Yao family's original ancestral home is unknown, but it is known that they have lived in Jinniu Village for four or five generations. The villagers are all related to each other, and the Yao family members of these past two or three generations have all been quite successful, enjoying considerable prestige within the village.
By the time her grandfather's generation came around, because he had been the head of the village for more than ten years, the family's population and wealth prospered.
Not to mention the elders before her grandfather who are no longer around, her grandfather's generation had three sons and one daughter. Her uncle had good emotional intelligence and IQ, so he inherited the position of village head. Now, her grandparents live with her uncle's family. Her father was the second child, and his family arranged for him to learn the craft of carpentry. Her aunt married the eldest son of the cloth shop owner in the next town. Her uncle was very talented in studying and passed the Tongsheng exam at the age of sixteen. Unfortunately, he was killed by bandits on the way to the exam. Because he didn't get married, he didn't even leave a bloodline. When this happened, the Yao family was very sad.
Her eldest uncle had three sons and two daughters, her father had two sons and two daughters, and some of her brothers and cousins were married and had children.
Let’s not talk about Uncle Yao for now. In her family, her eldest sister married in the next village, and her second brother and his wife took their children to the town.
The family was prosperous and their fortunes were good. Over the years, her uncle's family and hers had each acquired a lot of land. Her uncle's family owned nearly fifty acres, and her family only had about ten acres less than her uncle's family.
Previously, her family was a little worse off than her uncle's family, but after the original owner married into the Wang family, the situation reversed.
When the original owner got married, she took 70% of the betrothal gifts from the Wang family, leaving 30% for her family. Thanks to this, the family had enough money to buy a shop with a backyard in town and do some small business. At this time, the couple stayed in town to gather information.
Yao Chunnuan, an only child, secretly marveled at the large population in her family.
While waiting for dinner, the men didn't talk about the Wang family, but instead talked about work in the fields. It would take a while to explain the Wang family's affairs, so they would discuss them in detail after dinner.
The Yao family's dinner was cooked very quickly. Soon, Yao's mother asked Yao's eldest brother to set up a table in the yard.
Mrs. Yao wiped her hands and said, "Mom, Xingzi hasn't come back yet. She must be at Xiangcao's house. I'll go over and call her."
Yao's mother shouted, "Come back! Why are you shouting? It's already so late, and you still don't know how to go home? You need adults to invite you to dinner, so you might as well not eat!" The house has been so messy these past two days, and that damn girl is still thinking about her own things and not sharing the burden of the family at all. It's so infuriating.
His mother scolded her daughter, but Brother Yao didn't say a word. It was almost dark and he still hadn't returned home. It was really outrageous.
After Mrs. Yao fell silent and stopped insisting on calling for help, Mother Yao just cursed a few times and that was it.
Today, they slaughtered an old hen and made a pot of soup. At noon, Yao's mother specially served Yao Chunnuan a large bowl, and she added some water to the remaining soup. Meanwhile, Yao's mother had her sister-in-law stir-fry a large plate of vegetables, a dish of scrambled eggs with leeks, and a large bowl of pickled mustard greens. The staple food was multi-grain porridge, which was quite thick. Everyone in the family received a bowl of chicken soup and two or three pieces of chicken. This was excellent food in Jinniu Village.
Mrs. Yao looked at the empty pot of chicken soup, glanced at her mother-in-law with a stern face, and didn't dare to say a word.
They ate dinner quickly, then Yao's mother cleaned up the dishes and Yao's wife took Hu Zi to take a bath.
Grandfather Yao and several others entered the main room. The matter concerned Yao Chunnuan, and she was fortunate enough to sit in on it.
They summarized all the information they had obtained and finally came to the conclusion that the situation was not optimistic.
Yao's father lowered his voice and said, "I heard today that the government will bring them to trial soon."
Uncle Yao was surprised to hear this. "So soon?" As the village head, he had more opportunities to interact with the government than ordinary villagers, and he knew a little bit about the intricacies of the government. The Wang and Wei cases had only been a few days from the time they occurred to the time they were about to be concluded!
Yao Chunnuan thought to herself, how could it not be quick? This matter ultimately comes down to a struggle for imperial power. The case involving the Wang family simply cannot withstand scrutiny, so of course the person above wants a quick resolution.
The scene fell silent for a moment. These signs indicated that there was little chance of a reversal for the Wang family.
"Never mind, it's better this way. Once the arrow is shot, there's no turning back. Now that we've brought Ah Nuan back, there's no chance of going back." Although Fugui is gone, at least he's not involved anymore. This was the only way Father Yao could comfort himself.
Yao Chunnuan could understand their entanglement and reluctance. But to be honest, the Wang family was involved in matters that ordinary people like them could not get involved in. They were lucky to be able to take shelter during the strong wind and rain.
"By the way, Nuan, we met Deputy Commander Deng today, which made it particularly easy for us to get information. Before leaving, he asked about you and gave you some medicinal herbs, asking you to take care of yourself." As he spoke, Brother Yao brought out a rectangular wooden box.
When I opened it, I saw several medicinal herbs inside, which looked quite valuable. Just the two small ginsengs alone were about twenty years old.
Father Yao nodded. "Deputy Commander Deng is indeed a good man. It was thanks to his leniency that we were able to pick up Ah Nuan from the prison that day."
Everyone looked at Yao Chunnuan. They were all adults, and Deputy Commander Deng's actions showed that he was interested in her.
Yao Chunnuan was stunned. That Deputy Commander Deng was the one the original owner later married?
At this moment, Grandfather Yao's eyes flashed, and then he lifted his eyelids and looked at her, "A Nuan, what do you think?"
Yao Chunnuan was a little confused when she was suddenly called out. Her grandfather was asking her what she thought of Deputy Commander Deng, but it didn't seem like it.
"Let me be clear, Nuan. After this matter with the Wang family is settled, what kind of person do you want to marry?"
Yao Chunnuan vaguely understood what he meant and said with a wry smile, "Do I have any other choice?"
Grandfather Yao nodded. "It seems you understand. However, there are still choices."
Father Yao couldn't sit still any longer. "Dad, isn't it too early to talk about this now?"
Yao's grandfather said, "Maybe it's a little early to bring this up, but this is the situation. We have to make plans early."
They've already offended the Wang family. A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Their relationship with the Wang family is complex and complicated, and they might attack them at any moment. Therefore, the Yao family must find another backer. Currently, Deputy Commander Deng is the best choice. After all, a county magistrate is not as good as the current one.
Grandfather Yao continued, "Let's move on to your choice. It's either Wang Lang or Deputy Commander Deng. Ah Nuan, who do you choose?"
The Wang family's situation was dire, but their crimes were not punishable by death. As the saying goes, even a rotten boat still has a little bit of iron in it; as long as it's alive, there's hope. No one could be sure whether the Wang family would ever make a comeback. Therefore, the choice they made now was crucial.
Yao's father and others were stunned. Wasn't Wang Jiagang out? Why was there still something going on with the Wang family?
Yao Chunnuan was also puzzled. Could she still go back to him? Would she do it raw?
Grandfather Yao explained, "When we brought you home that day, you were unconscious. We heard that other women had divorced and were able to return home safely and escape imprisonment, so we decided to tell the officer that you should also divorce Wang Lang. We didn't know what you were thinking."
After he said that, everyone understood.
What the old man meant was that if she had chosen Wang Lang, there would still be room for maneuver. After all, she was unconscious at the time, so he could just put the blame for their separation on them.
"A Nuan, don't blame your family. From the moment you decided to marry into the Wang family for wealth, there was no turning back." After saying this, Grandfather Yao closed his eyes and waited for her to make a choice.
Grandfather Yao wasn't entirely at peace, but he believed he'd done all he could. The Wei family was taking a gamble, and the Yao family had to take a gamble, too. The person they were with day and night was Hao Nuan. They were making a marriage, not an enemy, and her wishes were paramount. Furthermore, he couldn't see which option was better. Therefore, Ah Nuan was the key; who would be the winner depended on her choice.
Yao Chunnuan sighed softly. Grandfather Yao considered the problem so comprehensively, which could be considered as far-sightedness.
Most importantly, it wasn't easy for them either. They helped her get a divorce and tried their best to pull her out of the swamp of the Wang family. Of course, they loved her, but she wasn't the only child in the family, and there were so many other family members to take care of. She couldn't transfer all the pressure to her family.
As for who to choose, she will not go back to the Wang family. As for Deputy Commander Deng, we will talk about it later.
She had never thought of being exiled with the Wang family. She didn't have such high sentiments.
She didn't believe that by enduring more than a decade of hardship in exile, she would ultimately become a wife of her husband. Wang Baochuan endured eighteen years in the cold kiln, but what was the result? There were countless men who could only share poverty, not wealth. How could we be sure Wang Lang wasn't one of them? Besides, Wang Lang didn't have deep feelings for the original owner.
Even if a wife truly could achieve her husband's status, the prerequisite was that she could survive and see his return as king. But was that even possible? After all, in the end, the entire Wang family was wiped out, save for Wang Lang. She didn't think she could be the only one. She hadn't forgotten that she was pregnant, and she might die on the road to exile. Even wealth and honor require a lifetime to enjoy.
As for the child in her belly, she thought about it for a day and decided not to abort it. She made this decision because, firstly, she didn't trust the ancient abortion pills. Even in later times, abortion was still very dangerous, potentially resulting in a double death or even loss of fertility. Secondly, wasn't it because Wang Lang, after turning evil, hated her for aborting his flesh and blood, extinct in the Wang family, that he wanted to kill her? She kept this bloodline as a trump card. She was such a realistic person.
She had carefully weighed the pros and cons today and decided to stay in the capital. The capital had always been the cultural and economic center of a country, and was undoubtedly far superior to the border regions in every way. She didn't believe she couldn't develop a powerful force, one that wouldn't be feared even by Wang Lang's return.
Of course, even if the final result is not as expected, it doesn't matter. Isn't she still the only bloodline of the Wang family? The ending shouldn't be too bad.
"I will never go back to the Wang family."
After Yao Chunnuan said this, everyone understood her choice.
It must be said that her choice made the king's father and eldest brother breathe a sigh of relief.
Grandfather Yao nodded, "That's it."
Uncle Yao also thought this was a good choice. The benefits were visible, and the Wang family was still taking too much risk.
"In that case, are we still going to the city tomorrow?" Yao Dalang asked. He felt that since he had already made his choice, there was no need to worry about the Wang family's affairs.
Grandfather Yao frowned.
Yao Chunnuan continued, "Go, why not? Grandfather, I want to pack some things and go to the prison. We're husband and wife, after all. We can't be so cold and indifferent." Even if she didn't intend to share the hardships with Wang Lang, she still hoped to do something to try to resolve the grudge between them and prevent the Wang family from holding a grudge against her. And, if she was right, her mortal enemy was also in prison, and she wanted to go and see him.
Grandfather Yao pondered, a person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. In the past six months, too many things have happened, and the image of their Yao family has been a bit damaged. It is indeed necessary to do this face-saving project.
Uncle Yao said, "Isn't this a bad idea?" He was worried that if his niece went to visit the Wang family in prison and Deputy Commander Deng found out, he would think she was deeply in love with Wang Lang or something.
Uncle Yao expressed his concerns.
Yao Chunnuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, uncle. If he really has feelings for me, he will feel more at ease and accept me more when he knows what I'm doing." Even if a person has dark thoughts, he will still hope that the people around him are affectionate, righteous and upright.
"Alright, since you want to go, then go ahead." Grandfather Yao said this to Yao Chunnuan, then turned to talk to Uncle Yao and Father Yao, "After Ah Nuan has seen the people, we'll see what their attitude is. If they're good, we'll use some money to bribe them and make things easier for the Wang family in jail. If they hate us to death, then forget it."
That's the reality.
Uncle Yao nodded in understanding.
No one's wealth comes from the wind. Well, although the Yao family made a profit when Ah Nuan married into the Wang family, it was a small profit. The Wang family said they would keep 30% of the betrothal gift and take 70% back, but how could they be stingy when marrying off their daughter? So, after all the arrangements, they actually spent 10%. In other words, only 20% of their money went to the Yao family. Now that Ah Nuan is in this situation, shouldn't his brother's family contribute some, or even most, of this money to help her plan?
Yao's father and elder brother Yao said nothing, as if they were used to it.
In this way, it was decided that Yao Chunnuan would visit the Wang family in prison.
Watching this scene, Yao Chunnuan found it somewhat amusing. She had always known she wasn't a traditionally good person. She was unsparing when it came to fighting and scrambling, and when it came to using tactics. Of course, she wasn't breaking the law. Otherwise, how could she, with no connections, no connections, and only a 211 university degree, have risen to a senior executive position at the tender age of 28?
She herself was like this, so seeing the Yao family like this, she felt very familiar. In other words, it was confirmed through eye contact that they were undoubtedly a family, and they were all bad and wicked.
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