Chapter 132 Extra Chapter 5: The Story of Shen Tang's Parents
Chapter 132 Extra Chapter 5: The Story of Shen Tang's Parents
Shen's father was the poorest in the entire village of Shenjia. His mother was always frail and sickly, his younger sister was young, and he needed to go to school, which required expensive things like writing materials.
The family's food supply was barely sustained by his father pulling an oxcart, selling vegetables, and hunting, and they also incurred a lot of debt.
Everyone in the village knows about their family situation and usually takes good care of them.
Shen's mother lived not far from their home, and every now and then she would send them some food to help them out.
Later, when they reached the age of first love, the two somehow fell for each other.
When Shen's parents found out, they were met with a stern refusal.
Given the Shen family's situation, it's fine to help them out as neighbors, but if she were to marry into the family, it would be a bottomless pit. They only have one daughter, and they've always cherished and doted on her.
How could they bear to let them knowingly push their daughter into a fire pit when they knew the Shen family was in such a state?
But at that time, Shen's mother's heart was entirely devoted to Shen's father. She went on a hunger strike at home and cried and insisted that she would marry no one but him.
Ultimately, out of love for their daughter, they relented and agreed to the marriage.
After marrying Shen's father, Shen's mother was dutiful to her parents-in-law, took care of her younger sister, and devoted herself to managing the household, which was very hard work.
Shen's mother had a pair of skillful hands for making pastries. Every day, she would carry a load of pastries to the county to sell them. All the money she earned was used for the family's expenses and Shen's father's school expenses.
Shen's father was grateful for her kindness and held her hand, promising that he would never let her down after he passed the imperial examinations.
They had Shen Tang when their relationship was at its best. Shen Tang's mother was a gentle and resilient person, and Shen Tang's father was a scholar who rarely lost his temper.
Although their family's life was difficult at that time, it was peaceful and warm.
Shen's mother's pastries were so delicious that they caught the eye of a restaurant owner, who then discussed a long-term business partnership with her.
Shen's mother was quite shrewd in business and wanted to expand her pastry business. After careful consideration, she borrowed some money from her family and opened a shop in the county.
After Chen's mother's pastry business gained a reputation, business improved more and more, and their family's situation got better and better.
The year after Shen's father took over the shop, he also passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), and was appointed as the registrar of Tianshui County.
The county magistrate highly valued Shen's father's abilities and placed great hopes on him.
After the magistrate's term expired, he strongly recommended Shen Fu to become the new magistrate of Tianshui County.
After Shen's father took office as county magistrate, he had more and more official duties and social engagements, and often returned home drunk in the middle of the night.
Shen's mother tried to dissuade him, but Shen's father shut her down with a remark that matters of officialdom were not something a woman like her could understand.
So his mother stopped trying to persuade him and just prepared hangover soup and warm porridge for him every day, waiting for him to come back.
The Shen family's situation is getting better and better, but the relationship between Shen's father and mother suddenly develops cracks.
Mr. Shen became increasingly impatient with Mrs. Shen, and he even criticized her pastry shop business, saying it was beneath her dignity. He said that she was now an official's wife, and that showing her face in public all day was embarrassing for him and making him a laughingstock among his colleagues.
Chen's mother felt bitter inside. Their family had gradually built their fortune thanks to her pastry shop, but now the person who had once appreciated his hard work was saying that she had disgraced him.
Despite feeling deeply wronged, Mother Shen ultimately had to close the shop with a heavy heart.
However, their relationship did not improve as a result. Shen's father became increasingly critical of her, as if he had changed into a different person overnight.
They had a heated argument when Mrs. He entered the room.
The grievances and resentments that had been building up in Shen's mother's heart surged up, and she angrily said to him, "Shen Zhengyuan, you promised me that you would never take a concubine in this lifetime, what do you mean by this now!"
“Since I married you, I have been dutiful to my parents-in-law, taken care of my sister, and obeyed you in everything. I have worked hard day and night for the Shen family’s business, and I have never complained. I believe I have done nothing wrong.”
"What right do you have to treat me like this now! Do you even have a heart?!"
"That's enough!" Seeing the disgust on her face, Shen's father scolded, "Now that you've married into the Shen family, these are the things you should do as a daughter-in-law."
"Besides, what man doesn't take concubines? You say you've done nothing wrong, but you're wrong for not being able to give birth to a son."
"Do you want my Shen family line to end because I don't want to take a concubine?!"
Shen's mother never expected that the person who had once been gentle to her and promised to be good to her for life would turn out to be like this.
When she was pregnant with Chen Tang, she fainted from overwork, which led to premature birth and damaged her health, making her unable to conceive again.
At that time, he held her hand and said that their daughter was also good. His daughter was considerate and didn't require her to have too much burden. He said that the three of them could just live a good life together.
But now, he accuses her of not being able to give birth to a son.
Looking at the man in front of her, Chen's mother felt only disappointment and hatred in her eyes, and she slapped him hard.
This slap completely shattered the last vestiges of their friendship.
After that, Shen's father never came to Shen's mother's room again. Shen Tang was too young at the time to know what had happened between the adults.
She just felt that her father hadn't come to see her for a long time, so she asked her mother where her father was and why he didn't come to see her.
But her mother held her without saying a word, only weeping bitterly.
Soon after, Shen's mother fell ill. Shen's father, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, finally appeared, but only stayed for a short while. He told Shen's mother, who was lying in bed, to take good care of herself and then left.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Shen Tang hurriedly called out "Father" several times from behind, but he did not turn around.
After learning that she was ill, Madam He came to Shen's mother's place every day, but she didn't really care about her. Instead, she kept telling her how good Shen's father was to her and how much he cared for her.
The more she spoke, the more tormented Shen's mother became, and the more she felt sorry for her past self.
Ultimately, due to excessive worry and emotional distress, Shen's mother's condition worsened, and she passed away not long afterward.
When Shen Tang was little, she didn't understand why her father, who had always doted on her and granted her every wish, would ignore her after she was bullied by Madam He.
It wasn't until he grew older that he learned that after his father's affections changed, he abandoned his mother and his daughter at the same time.
As his official position rose higher and higher, the sycophantic voices around him increased, elevating him to an even higher status.
Those difficult days, when only one woman, Chen Mu, could survive, became increasingly unbearable and unbearable to face.
The more successful he is now, the more he is reminded of his lowly past when he looks at Shen's mother and Shen Tang.
Therefore, he cruelly abandoned both the mother and daughter.
When Shen's father wanted to give her to the prefect as a concubine, Shen Tang's last feelings for him vanished at that moment.
He was no longer her father.
Her father may have died at the same time as her mother.
【End of extra】
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Sisters, don't believe the nonsense men spout about how a virtuous wife can help you achieve great things. They're just talking rubbish.
It's better to help yourself than to help others; only what you hold in your own hands is real.
Some readers have expressed a desire for a spin-off story about He Jinzhou and Shen Tang, but they both have their own happy lives now, so I won't be writing about them separately.
Thank you for your support! Hope to see you again next time!
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