"Aunt is going too far!"
"Hmph, close to my aunt, distant to my mother-in-law. Now she often uses my mother-in-law's face to lecture me, and I can hardly sense the 'close relationship'."
Wang Qiaozhen lay on the couch, feeling aggrieved, irritable, and furious, her already tanned complexion becoming even darker.
A trusted maid knelt on the edge of the couch, fanning the prone figure with a palm-leaf fan, comforting her in a familiar tone, "The old lady is your aunt. The bond between aunt and niece will never change. No matter how virtuous and filial the Second Young Master's wife may be, she can't take your aunt away from you. Don't worry."
Wang Qiaozhen rolled over onto her back, curling her lips in disdain as she sneered, "Whether she fights for it or not, let her be. Everyone knows why Jiang Yushu is desperately trying to gain a reputation for being virtuous. It's because she was so shameless. Before she even got married, she boldly seduced my second brother and forcibly snatched my sister's husband away to marry into a marquisate. That caused a huge uproar and left her humiliated, so she's constantly trying to make amends."
"Alas, what a pity! The Marquis of Jingyang's Mansion suddenly collapsed. She used all her tricks, but she didn't enjoy a single day of wealth after entering the house. She was exiled with her whole family! Hahaha, all her efforts were in vain." Wang Qiaozhen sighed softly, but smiled with gloating pleasure.
The maid had served for years and was terrified of the Crown Prince's wife. Even if she were reduced to exile, she dared not disrespect her, fearing she would be tortured openly or covertly. She knelt, lowering her head and looking submissive, and echoed, "The Second Young Master's wife's reputation is indeed somewhat unpleasant. In fact, even if she is very virtuous and filial, her status cannot surpass yours."
Wang Qiaozhen glanced sideways, "Oh? Really?"
"Of course!" The maid had previously willingly served because of her status as a servant; now, she served willingly in the hope of a comfortable life. She fanned herself earnestly and flattered, "There's an order of seniority, and the eldest sister-in-law is the most respected. Besides the old lady, you're the one who has the final say in the Guo family. This order must not be disrupted."
Wang Qiaozhen finally calmed down after hearing this, but she kept saying, "Little girl, where have you forgotten the Second Young Master? The old Marquis gave him the position of head of the family before he died."
"The Second Young Master should naturally make the decisions on important matters outside. The ladies are in charge of the inner house, and there are also a set of old rules that cannot be messed up." The maid was respectful, observing the other party's words and expressions, and said only what the other party liked to hear, flattering him for a long time.
Wang Qiaozhen squinted her eyes, her anger flattered. She said lazily, "Forget it, let's not talk about her. It's so boring. My aunt has already written to ask Mu Shibo for help. I estimate that Jiang Yushu will move to Changping at the end of the month. Then there will be plenty of opportunities to expose her true colors. Tsk, as a mother-in-law, she is too worried, afraid that her second daughter-in-law will have a miscarriage while farming in Heqin Village!"
The maidservant kept fanning herself and echoed him.
The family, separated by two places, each living their own separate lives, communicated only through letters. Initially, their familiarity was not a problem, but Jiang Yushu was a new bride, and her time with her in-laws was short. Wang, unable to tolerate this, repeatedly reprimanded her lazy eldest daughter-in-law. Wang Qiaozhen, feeling wronged and unconvinced, blamed her younger sister-in-law's competitive nature and pretense of virtue, growing increasingly dissatisfied and the rift between them deepened.
Jiang Yushu was far away in Heqin and was completely unaware of the family affairs in Changping County. She was wholeheartedly managing her own family and busy with the military farming business.
Because I'm pregnant, I don't have as much energy as usual.
Jiang Yushu waited and waited, but Guo Honglei didn't come back. She yawned, then lay on the couch, saying tiredly, "He's been gone for a long time. I don't know what he was talking about with Zhuang Zhubu. I'm so sleepy. I'll take a nap first. When he comes back, Madam, call me."
"Okay. Go to sleep quickly. We still have work to do in the afternoon." Nanny Pan agreed immediately, closed the door and left.
After half an hour, the door was slowly pushed open. Guo Honglei walked straight to the bed, lifted the curtain, sat down on the edge of the bed, lowered his head and stared at his wife's sleeping face with a deep gaze.
After a long time, he leaned over and kissed her lips lightly, smiled, carefully closed the gauze curtain, picked up the small bag on the table, and left quietly.
Guo Honglei took a big step, and in a moment, he saw his wet nurse and younger brother.
"Second brother, you are leaving again. There are several interesting things at home that I haven't told you yet." Guo Hongzhe said listlessly.
After his father and brother passed away, the second son took over the family. Guo Honglei put his arm around his brother's shoulder and said seriously, "Save it for now. Next time you visit, you can tell me everything in one breath. It will be more interesting for me to listen to. What do you think?"
"Okay." Guo Hongzhe nodded helplessly.
"While I was away—"
"I know!" Guo Hongzhe interrupted and promised, "I will listen to my sister-in-law and do my best to share the household affairs."
Guo Honglei smiled, put his arm around his brother's shoulder, and rocked him gently, "Well, very good!"
"Where is the young lady?" asked Nanny Pan in confusion.
Guo Honglei replied, "I didn't disturb her. It was hot, so I let her sleep a little longer so she wouldn't lose energy teaching the students to farm."
"That's right." Nanny Pan agreed happily.
Guo Honglei suddenly stopped, smiled, and turned to ask, "Has mother heard the good news?"
"Fang Sheng confirmed the pregnancy right away. I can't read, so I asked the third young master to write a letter to announce the good news that night, so that the old lady could be happy too!" Nanny Pan said with a smile.
Guo Honglei nodded in satisfaction, "Okay."
After a while, the three of them walked into the main room.
Cao Hua put down his teacup when he heard footsteps. He could already see the affection between the young couple and suggested, "Why don't you return to camp tomorrow and spend the night at home? I've brought plenty of men with me, so I don't need your escort."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir." Guo Honglei pressed his sword and declined politely, "I would love to stay home longer, but I have unfinished business and cannot afford to delay."
Cao Hua smiled approvingly and walked out first, sighing, "Yes. I also want to stay and take care of my son. But I have an errand to attend to and must rush back to the camp as soon as possible."
Guo Honglei followed and comforted him, "Although my humble abode is simple and the food is plain, my family will do their best to take care of the wounded. You don't have to worry too much. Come visit us when you have time."
"That's the only way. But I'm sorry to trouble you." Cao Hua apologized.
Guo Honglei walked down the stairs. "Where? Normally, there are two brothers who are responsible for taking care of the wounded. My family only needs to provide shelter and three meals a day. It's not a big deal."
"And the doctor. Thanks to Doctor Fang, Xiao Da was able to save his life."
The group chatted as they walked, stepped out of the courtyard, said goodbye, mounted their horses and rode away.
So, when Jiang Yushu woke up, she only heard Nanny Pan's explanation and smiled helplessly because she did not manage to see her husband off.
When she finished her work that evening, she was about to go home, but Zhuang Song stopped her:
"Wait a minute!"
Jiang Yushu turned around, and Cuimei and Zou Gui turned back and asked in unison, "What's wrong?"
"There's something."
Zhuang Song waved his folding fan and spoke slowly and sternly, "Liu Laozhu stole sheep. He must be fined and ordered to cut grass for the sheep for a year to atone for his crime. But he always orders his son to work. This culprit is lazy and shows no remorse. This won't do. I've ordered that from now on, Liu Laozhu will provide grass for the sheep every day to serve as a warning to others. Let's see who dares to touch government property again!"
"So that's what it is. You decide, anyone can deliver the fodder."
Zhuang Song instructed: "Keep a close eye on him. If you find Liu Laozhu making his son suffer again, remember to tell me."
Jiang Yushu readily agreed, "Okay!" She didn't care at all about the fact that they were not friends.
The sky in July is covered with thick clouds.
As dusk fell, a few muffled thunders suddenly erupted from the clouds, followed by rumbling sounds and dazzling lightning. The wind blew violently and raindrops fell. The rain was like a curtain, sweeping across the mountain village like a torrential downpour.
"Oh, hahaha, it's raining heavily!" Cuimei ran into the house happily, rushed to the window and closed it quickly.
Jiang Yushu came out from behind the screen, holding a few folded clothes and neatly placing them in the closet. She said angrily, "Look how happy you are! It's like you've never seen rain before."
"It's too hot, and I can't sleep at night. I've been looking forward to rain for a long time."
Jiang Yushu closed the cabinet and said cheerfully, "A good rain knows when to fall! After this rain, the weather will gradually turn cooler and the soil will become moist. It's time to start planting. We can't delay any longer and need to avoid the late autumn frost."
"All right. The potatoes have sprouted anyway, and the fertilizer is ready. We can plant them anytime." Cuimei held a few letters in her hand and fanned them like a fan. Then she placed them on the table and said, "Miss, there are a few more letters."
"Oh? Let me see."
Jiang Yushu sat down, glanced around, and immediately frowned in surprise, "Huh?"
"What's the matter?" Cuimei came closer.
Jiang Yushu quickly tore open the envelope, pulled out the letter, lowered her head to examine it carefully, and replied in confusion, "Strange! This letter is actually from your second son's sister, and she specifically asked me to open it myself."
"The second young master's sister?" Cuimei was confused, tugging at the ends of her braid. "It's really strange. Oh, to think, I've never met her before. I still don't know what that noble daughter of a noble family looks like."
Jiang Yushu read through the entire sentence quickly and sighed, "I once asked out of curiosity, but I only knew that my eldest sister-in-law's maiden name was Huilan, her husband's surname was Feng, and her brother-in-law worked in the Hanlin Academy."
"Back then, her father and brother passed away, and her mother's family was exiled, but the eldest daughter never showed up. It was too cruel." Cuimei whispered.
Jiang Yushu read the letter, which filled two full pages, and said, "According to Brother-in-law Feng, she was six months pregnant at the time, and the fetus was unstable, so she had to stay in bed day and night to recuperate. If she really was unwell and couldn't get out of bed, I can't blame her."
"What did she say in the letter?" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Jiang Yushu sighed, "One is to greet my brother and his wife, and the other is to inquire about my mother's health."
"Could it be... that the old lady is angry and refuses to forgive her daughter?" Cuimei rolled her eyes.
Jiang Yushu put her sister-in-law's letter aside, opened the next one, and replied softly, "She didn't say, but I guess so."
"Of course she is! Otherwise, why would she ask her sister-in-law about her mother's health? She should have just written a letter to express her well-being. I guess the old lady is heartbroken and is ignoring her daughter."
Cuimei was naturally clever and quick-witted. She muttered, "I think it's not just the old lady, I'm afraid the eldest young lady's wife is also ignoring her. Otherwise, they are cousins who have known each other since childhood. What's inconvenient to ask? Why should she leave her cousin alone and get close to the stranger's sister-in-law instead?" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Jiang Yushu replied calmly, "They didn't try to get close to me. They were just asking me questions. We've never met before and have no friendship. There's no way we can get close."
"Who wrote this letter?" The room was dim. Cuimei blew out the lighter to light the lamp and moved the candlestick closer.
Jiang Yushu smiled. "Fourth brother, Hongxuan, is still a child at heart. He writes letters every now and then, always complaining about being bored, dull, and completely bored. He also wants to follow Azhe's example and come to Heqin to 'broaden his horizons.' But the old lady will never allow it. He should just stay in Changping."
"That's right! The youngest son, the eldest grandson, the lifeblood of the old lady. How could the old lady bear to let the fourth young master come to this chaotic place to suffer?" Cuimei spoke sharply.
As she was talking, Jiang Yushu opened the third letter. It contained only a few words, concise and to the point, and was written by her mother-in-law, Wang.
After reading it, she was stunned and couldn't come back to her senses for a long time, like a wooden man.
"girl?"
"Why are you so dazed?" Cuimei suddenly felt anxious and asked nervously, "Did something happen? Is everything okay?"
Jiang Yushu came back to her senses, her expression solemn as she slowly replied, "My mother-in-law said that I'm pregnant and shouldn't stay in a dangerous place. She has asked Uncle Mu for help and wants to move me to Changping County as soon as possible so that I can rest and recuperate safely. This will be good for the child."
"What?"
Cuimei was stunned and at a loss. "It's certainly a good thing for a mother-in-law to care about her daughter-in-law. But it's a pity that you promised Magistrate Pan 15 million kilograms of grain, and now the seeds haven't been planted yet. Can you still leave?"
Jiang Yushu slowly placed the letter on the table, pressing it firmly with her right palm. She replied sternly, "If I go back on my word and just walk away, what kind of person would I be? If I suddenly abandon my responsibilities, how will the county view the Guo family? They'll definitely blame me."
"Then, reject the old lady?"
Jiang Yushu nodded and said seriously, "I really can't get away right now, so I can only explain it in detail. I hope mother-in-law will understand."
Cuimei sighed helplessly, "Oh, there's nothing I can do. Then you can reply to the letter, I'm going to cook." She quickly thought it through, shook her braids, and left briskly.
The wind and rain continued, and the clatter of tiles on the roof made a loud noise, dispelling the sultry summer heat.
Jiang Yushu sat upright, staring out the window, her right hand firmly holding the three letters, thinking to herself:
Once I go to Changping, won’t I have to face my mother-in-law and sister-in-law every day?
At that time, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and the cooperation between sisters-in-law will not only be a problem but also a difficulty for me.
In her mind, she could deal with the chaos of war, endure the severe cold and heat, and plan the heavy task of farming... She gritted her teeth and swallowed a lot of hardships, but she could not and was unwilling to be a "virtuous and good daughter-in-law" that met her mother-in-law's wishes!
Jiang Yushu understood the character of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Exiled all the way north, within two and a half months, there were frequent unpleasantnesses between the mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, and sisters-in-law. The aunt and nephew joined forces to fight against the new daughter-in-law. She lost more than she won, and her face changed several times with anger. She tried to argue, but the other party was unreasonable.
Whenever Guo Honglei helps his wife, things get out of hand. Wang, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who are both superiors, start arguing with each other and criticize the young couple harshly.
The wind blew in through the window, causing the candlelight to flicker and the dark shadows of the furniture in the room to sway.
Jiang Yushu woke up as if from a dream, her eyes determined. She slapped the letter with her right palm, opened the drawer, and decisively stuffed the letter in. Then she slammed the drawer shut, thinking:
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
In any case, the longer you can delay, the better. Distant relatives make close enemies. If relatives don’t get along well with each other, it’s better to stay away from them!
A few days later, early morning.
Jiang Yushu, who was three months pregnant, got on a horse-drawn carriage and rushed to Liangang Town, a hundred miles away, to survey the arable land.
The wheels rumbled, sometimes on the official road, sometimes on the village road, never stopping for a moment.
In the dense forest, a group of burly men lay in ambush. The leader had a scar on his cheek, a hooked nose, brown hair, a sinister look in his eyes, and spoke in the language of the elk.
The author has something to say:
The problems between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and sisters-in-law, are more ferocious than a tiger and make people shudder at the mere mention of them...
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