It's just annoying.
Why not take the proper main road and instead choose these crooked and evil paths? If he doesn't fall, who will?
“Mother,” Jiang Nuan really didn’t know any of this, “If that’s really the case, why doesn’t he just bring her back? Whether it’s taking her in or marrying her, it’s better than keeping her outside as a mistress.”
In an era when polygamy was legal, the status of mistresses was far lower than one could imagine.
The child born to a woman is called a "woman born to a man," and not only does she have no right to inherit, but she can't even get a household registration. Even if she is brought into the household, she is treated like a servant, let alone having any chance of taking the imperial examinations or entering officialdom.
"It must be that the woman's identity is difficult to handle," Old Mrs. Huang said, pursing her lips. "If she were really from an honest family, given his personality, he would have married her in a hurry long ago."
However, even if he were willing to marry her, she might not be willing to marry him.
I know my own body best, especially with this kind of illness. Sooner or later, the truth will come out. Rather than marrying into the family and being tormented, I might as well swindle some money and live a carefree life outside.
Whether or not one can live a carefree life is debatable.
"Identity is difficult to handle?" Jiang Nuan frowned in thought. "Has Mother guessed anything?"
"There are only a few possibilities," Old Mrs. Huang said dismissively. "Either the girl has a defect, which can almost be ruled out, as he has high standards and such a person would not be worthy of his attention. Another possibility is her status; perhaps she is a widow, perhaps she was sold, or perhaps she has a grudge against the Huang family that is difficult to deal with. In short, it's always one of these few possibilities."
However, she felt that it might be more than one taboo that had been violated, otherwise her grandson would not have hidden the person so well.
But she didn't intend to say these things aloud.
I still harbored a sliver of hope that my grandson wouldn't be so low.
“Mother,” Madam Xie frowned deeply, clearly disgusted, “we must find this person. It’s her own business to be promiscuous, but it’s very inappropriate to let her continue to harm more people.”
"Why drag them out?" the old woman disagreed. "It takes two to tango. Neither the men nor the women are good people. The one who dies is one less menace."
“They deserved to die,” Xie said, biting her lip. “But they still have families who need medical treatment and medicine, and they have to spend money on funerals. They just left and left, leaving behind orphans and widows to suffer.”
“That’s true,” the old lady said, then turned to look at Jiang Nuan. “Ya Ya, what do you think we should do about this?”
"Let's investigate," Jiang Nuan stated her reasoning. "No matter what, we can't continue like this, remaining in the dark."
They treasured Huangshan, but these people treated it like a fly had been swallowed.
Whether it's a human or a ghost, we have to bring them out and take a look.
"Isn't it too late?" Jin asked weakly. "My cousin has consulted so many famous doctors, yet he still looks like a ghost. That woman is probably long gone."
This disease affects both people, but it will only be more severe for the woman.
“It would be better if he were really dead,” Old Mrs. Jiang, who hadn’t said a word, sneered. “So much time has passed, who knows how many more people he has harmed.”
Especially the unmarried young men in the village, who are young and full of vigor, are most susceptible to being provoked.
Such a scourge, even if you drag it to the pond, you'd be worried it would just pollute the water.
"Mother, don't be angry," Jiang Nuan gently comforted her. "Perhaps we've misunderstood. The young lady really has her own reasons."
"I also hope it's a misunderstanding."
After all, encountering something like this is really upsetting.
After discussing it, Jiang Nuan sent people to investigate.
Although there is no evidence, those who could meet with Huang Shan in secret every day must be people from the villages around Huangjiakou. If we search them one by one, we will surely find some clues.
Sure enough, by noon the next day, the area had been identified.
"Dingjia Village?" Old Mrs. Huang was momentarily dazed. "If it's them, then I won't find it strange."
The people in that village have no bottom line; perhaps "desperate to the point of desperation" would be a more accurate description.
Dingjia Village is located right next to Huangjiakou, but it does not have the same advantageous conditions as Huangjiakou.
I don't know what the Ding family ancestors were thinking, choosing to settle in a low-lying area. Not only is the soil weak, but it's also very prone to flooding.
Every year during the rainy season in June and July, the crops need to be irrigated every day. If it rains for even a few more days, the harvest will be greatly reduced. This has been the case almost every year.
In contrast, Huangjiakou can make a living by crossing the ferry at this time of year, supplementing their family income.
Perhaps the contrast was too stark, which is why the Ding family went so far as to launch several armed clashes in an attempt to find a way to make money.
Unfortunately, the Huang family wasn't stupid; they refused to back down even if it cost them several lives.
As Grandma Huang slowly uttered these words, Jiang Nuan blinked in disbelief, "Just because of this?"
Such a serious matter as armed conflict was caused by nothing more than jealousy.
This made her feel very disheartened.
“That’s right,” Jin said, puzzled. “If the location is bad, just move. There are plenty of wastelands available. Why insist on staying here?”
“It’s not that easy,” the old lady shook her head. “They have no power or influence, and they can’t even get past the government.”
These children are easily dealt with because the government treats them kindly, but that's a complete misconception.
They're the kind of people who won't budge until they've got something in their pocket. Why would they help with something so important without any benefit or reason?
“If it’s money for bribes,” Jiang Nuan said, puzzled, “the whole village should be able to come up with it if they pool their resources.”
“It’s not that simple,” Old Mrs. Huang explained slowly. “Dingjia Village is a bit lacking, but all their assets are here. To start a new place, they would have to move their ancestral graves, build houses, reclaim wasteland, and worry about their children getting married. It’s better to maintain the status quo.”
“No,” Jiang Nuan really didn’t understand, “It didn’t say they had to move all of them at once. First, build houses, clear the land, and then do it little by little. If it doesn’t work in a year, then it will take ten years. It’s better than just waiting to die.”
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, even Old Lady Huang felt embarrassed.
"I don't know what they're thinking either."
Well, actually, she didn't expect to be able to do that either.
After all, in everyone's understanding, migration means ants moving house, the whole colony moving out, and no one ever moves out little by little.
“So,” Xie said with a complicated expression, “their poverty is not without reason.”
They couldn't even think of something so simple, and instead they fought to the death with the Huang family. Not only did they gain nothing, but they also lost several lives.
She hadn't really felt anything about these things before, after all, injuries and deaths were common in armed conflicts, and it was something that should be done for the benefit of the clan.
But hearing this today, I suddenly feel that these people died so unjustly.
They had better methods, but they wasted their lives on the most useless things.
"So, we should use our brains more when we encounter problems," Jiang Nuan's feelings were also complicated. "As long as we don't give up, there are always more solutions than problems."
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