Extra Chapter 7: Shameful Sun Covering Silk Sleeves, Sad Spring Laziness to Put on Makeup (Extra Chapter of the Taiwan Edition)
Che Sanniang has been traveling around with her parents since she was a child. A blind fortune teller ate half of her steamed bun and decided to give her a fortune-telling. The fortune-teller said: Che, you will be toiled all your life. Even if you become rich and powerful in the future, you will still have to work hard.
Che Sanniang looked on with disdain.
Who is fooling whom? We are all from the underworld. She only knows her fancy moves and the blind man only knows his eloquence. They all make a living by deceiving others. Who doesn't know who else's background? No one would believe his nonsense. Who would continue to work hard after becoming rich?
A long time later, when she recalled this incident, she couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth - what the blind man said was really right.
Her childhood was poor, though. Even at a young age, she had to cook, wash clothes, and care for her sick mother. Sometimes, she even had to accompany her father to market and attract customers, which in turn cultivated her spirited and capable character. Many people admired her for her quick wit and ability, and many proposed marriages to her.
When she was nineteen, her father passed away. As a lowly pawnshop girl, she didn't dare to observe any formalities, especially in mourning. So she took her frail mother and married a humble gang member named Shi Keng. She called her husband "Big Stone".
There is a small stone with a runny nose next to the big stone.
The two brothers lost their father and mother at a young age and depended on each other for survival. However, Dashitou was a man after all, and he was so busy earning money to support his family that he had no time to take care of his children. The little boy was thin and yellow, wearing ill-fitting clothes and shoes that were too big for him. His hands were covered with chilblains, but he would giggle and call her sister. Che Sanniang felt distressed and raised him as if he were her own son.
Her husband was a steady and experienced man, always able to handle the big issues, but she needed his support and constant reminders for the smaller matters. When the gang members had problems, he would consult with them, and she was the first to respond. When the brothers were away on the road and there were family emergencies, she, as the eldest sister-in-law, couldn't shirk her responsibility. The couple worked hard together, and she was always concerned about everything, carefully considering everything, fearing that Dashi would make a mistake. Throughout the year, both at home and abroad, she was even busier than her husband.
Many people joked that although she called Dashitou the head of the family, in fact she could be considered half of his family.
After working so hard, I finally built a business, and now it’s time to worry about my younger brother’s marriage.
Little Shitou has been influenced by his brother and sister-in-law since he was a child. He doesn't like those timid girls who are kept in seclusion, and he also looks down on the girls from poor families in the market. When Che Sanniang really got angry, she found one according to her own bold and experienced personality. After seeing the girl, Little Shitou said with a bitter face, "I feel like I'm facing my mother. I'm afraid I dare not even enter the bridal chamber." - Che Sanniang was so angry that she clapped her hands!
Seeing that Xiao Shitou was getting older, and thinking that she and her husband had only two girls, the future of the family line would depend on this little brother, but she didn't know where her future brothers and sisters-in-law were. Che Sanniang was so anxious that blisters appeared on her mouth.
Finally, God had a blessing. That year, Xiao Shitou came forward shyly and said that he had fallen in love with a girl. Che Sanniang was overjoyed. After asking carefully, she found out that she was the personal maid of Mr. Gu's new wife.
The husband was still hesitating, thinking that his family was now well-known and influential, with both money and power. It wouldn't be difficult for him to marry a daughter from a respectable and scholarly family, but he could also ask for a servant...? !
Che Sanniang, however, was far more astute than her husband. She was a prostitute, a young woman who had been exposed to the world since she was young. And what was her husband's background? At best, he could be called a "hero," but at worst, he was just a small-time hoodlum from the canal docks. If she really married a sister-in-law from a well-off family, not to mention their different personalities, she wondered if they could even get along. And if there was ever a future feud between the two families, and if the sister-in-law relied on her superior background and refused to give in, how would it end?
It would be better to marry a maid. Firstly, the sisters-in-law have similar backgrounds, and she is a reliable sister-in-law. Secondly, it can establish a relationship with the Gu Marquis's Mansion, killing two birds with one stone. Isn't that wonderful? Shi Keng always listened to his wife and loved his younger brother. After a few persuasion, he was convinced and promised to bring his wife and younger brother with him when he returned to the capital so that he could propose marriage to the Gu Mansion.
…
A year and a half later, the bride arrived, and the Shi family celebrated with great fanfare. The couple lived in harmony, treating their brother and sister-in-law with even greater respect and filial piety than before, and even the driver, Sanniang, felt warmly welcomed. As for the other aspects of the sister-in-law's behavior... what could be said?
When she first entered the house, Che Sanniang was worried that her sister-in-law, though a maid, had come from the side of the mistress of a wealthy family and had managed things and managed people before. What would she do if she wanted the power of stewardship? It wasn't that she was unwilling to let go, but how could she trust a newcomer?
It turned out that not only was she worrying too much, but she was also thinking too much.
My brother's wife is a kind and honest person, almost a little stupid.
If she was asked to get a bottle of soy sauce, she would never embezzle two cents to buy candy; if she was asked to watch her two nieces and not let them make trouble, she would stare at them with wide eyes and would not move an inch until her sister-in-law had finished calling her; if she was asked to pay the servants their monthly wages, she would not miss a single penny.
When Sanniang was checking the accounts, her sister-in-law would grind ink and spread paper; when Sanniang summoned the housekeeper's wife to handle matters, she would pour tea and fan them; when Sanniang was free, she would talk to the wives of her fellow gang members, while she would cheerfully eat melon seeds beside them. She was always cheerful, obedient, and docile, always asking for her decision on matters big and small, never having any of her own agenda.
One time, when the Shi brothers were away, Sanniang wanted to go out again and asked her to manage the household for half a month. Her sister-in-law immediately burst into tears and grabbed her sleeves, crying like a little cat. "Sister-in-law, what should I do now that you're not here? Please take me with you. I'll be obedient. Don't leave me alone. Don't let me make decisions... I'm stupid. What if I get sold?"
Sanniang was so angry that she cursed, "Why are you so stupid?!"
My sister-in-law said blankly: "When we came out, Madam told me to just listen to my sister-in-law from now on."
Sanniang refused to give up: "I have to learn to make my own decisions! I'm already married!"
The sister-in-law smiled foolishly: "Why should I make my own decisions when my sister-in-law is here?"
Sanniang angrily said, "What if the family splits up in the future? Who are you going to ask for the decision?"
"Sister-in-law doesn't want me anymore?!" My sister-in-law was shocked and burst into tears immediately.
Sanniang was frightened by the torrent of tears and had to try her best to persuade him, saying that she had no such intentions. Afterwards, she sighed deeply, feeling that she had given birth to an extra daughter, but daughters could always get married, while this sister-in-law was obviously determined to stay with him for life.
Apart from the fact that she likes to take the blame, the sister-in-law is pretty good. She can sew, cook, and make soup. The two daughters like this silly aunt, and learn etiquette and needlework from her. They often stay together and chatter, just like three sisters.
The next year after her brother's wife came into the family, she gave birth to a big, fat boy. After that, they had a string of girls and boys, and the Shi family, which had always had a small population, immediately became prosperous. Sanniang was worried that the young couple wouldn't be able to raise the children properly, so she often came to help. Unexpectedly, her brother's wife was a stickler, and she simply handed the children over to her, helping out without worrying about anything.
"In the future, the children will all be close to me and will ignore you as their mother!" Sanniang threatened viciously.
The sister-in-law immediately leaned on her shoulders and said coquettishly: "I also kiss my sister-in-law, we all kiss my sister-in-law, my sister-in-law is the best."
Sanniang could only sigh to the sky.
…
After her two daughters got married, Sanniang decided to have a good talk with her sister-in-law.
"You can't always rely on me. It's time to make your own decisions," she said earnestly. "I'll get old one day. If your brother and I are gone, who will you rely on?"
My sister-in-law was still naive and innocent, with not a single worry-wrinkle on her rosy, plump face. She said with a smile, "At that time? At that time, the wives of the eldest and second brothers would have come into the family, right? Let them take care of it."
Sanniang choked with anger: "What if the wives bully you?"
My sister-in-law waved her hand nonchalantly: "It's okay, I've already thought about it. When the children have all started their own families and careers, I will return to serve Madam and stay with her forever. With Madam around, I won't be afraid of anyone bullying me."
Sanniang glared at him, her eyes as bright as bells: "You, you, what did you say...?"
My sister-in-law said with a look of longing, "I have admired Mama Fang since I was a child. From a very young age, I have thought that it would be great if I could be like Mama Fang and serve Madam until she grows old."
"Wait, wait, wait a minute." Sanniang, who had been sharp all her life, was finally dumbfounded. "I remember that Fang Madam, she lost her husband in middle age and then went back to serve the old lady of the Sheng family."
My sister-in-law blinked and tilted her head, saying, "Maybe, maybe... I was a widow at that time, so who knows..."
Before Che Sanniang could say anything, a roar came from behind her—"You cursed me to death!" Shi Xiaodi stood angrily at the door. Then the couple started their monthly quarrel again.
Che Sanniang looked at the roof helplessly - forget it, she had to stop the fight again.
Many years ago, she knew that she could no longer have children. She thought that after her daughter got married, she and her husband would inevitably be lonely in their old age. Alas, look at how lonely they are!
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