Chapter 365 Past Life: Climbing to a Higher Branch, Being Sweeped Out?
The Sheng family in Huai Shu Village, Qingzhou, is celebrating a joyous occasion—
An, who grew up in hardship, has married and moved to the city to enjoy a life of comfort!
This girl, An, was pitiful from a young age. Her mother died a few days after she was born, and her father, who had married into the family, didn't want her. She survived only because her grandparents fed her rice porridge every day, and she grew into a beautiful young woman.
She must have suffered too much in the past ten years or so, so even God couldn't bear to see her suffer and arranged a good marriage for her, marrying a talented, handsome, and well-off scholar from the city.
The scholar was incredibly handsome. On his wedding day, he came to the village to fetch his bride, leaving all the young women and wives in awe.
A few bachelors were so jealous that they secretly called her a male vixen; it was absolutely hilarious.
I've heard that this scholar is very good at studying and will pass the imperial examination sooner or later.
Tsk tsk, from now on An's daughter will be a scholar's wife, what a lucky life!
The only downside is that the scholar's father is seriously ill, and his eagerness to marry An Yatou is also intended to bring him good luck.
If the ritual isn't performed correctly, the joyous occasion could turn into a tragedy, and An Ya Tou would likely face a lot of gossip.
The villagers were very concerned about Sheng'an's situation after marriage. Every time Sheng'an returned to the village to visit her grandparents, they would pull her aside and ask her about her life at her husband's family home.
What? An Yatou set up a wonton stall on the street and goes out to sell wontons before dawn every day to earn money to hire doctors and buy medicine for her seriously ill father-in-law?
What? An Yatou's wonton business is getting better and better, and she's planning to save up money to open a small shop specializing in food business?
What?! An Yatou's scholar husband passed the imperial examination and became a top scholar! An Yatou has become a scholar's wife?
Tsk tsk, An girl is so lucky!
With the villagers watching, Sheng'an's snack shop opened.
In this life, she is a native farm girl. Without the superb buff of cooking skills, she has to rely on her talent to slowly figure out how to make snacks.
She is hygienic, generous with her ingredients, and the food tastes great, so her snack shop has a lot of repeat customers, and her business is booming.
In less than a month, she hired two quick and efficient people to do the work.
With this small food stall, Sheng'an was able to not only hire a doctor to treat her father-in-law's illness, but also provide for her husband's monthly expenses for writing materials, and even support the elderly grandparents in the village.
Seeing how hard she worked, from before dawn until the stars were out, her good friend Zhang Zhaodi felt very sorry for her and secretly reminded her behind Xu Jinnian's back:
“An’an, making money is important, but so is the relationship between husband and wife. You’re busy at the shop all day long, when will you be able to have a baby?”
Since taking over this shop, An'an has been so busy that she rarely has time to go back to the village.
Most of the time, it was the scholar who delivered silver and gifts to Grandpa and Grandma Sheng.
As he visited the village more often, he caught the eye of that shameless woman, Liu Huazhi. Every time the scholar went to the village, she would sidle up to him.
Although the scholar never gave Liu Huazhi a kind look, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't be seduced by her over time.
Especially after the scholar passed the imperial examination, gossip began to circulate in the village, saying that with his talent and good looks, he was a suitable match for a young lady from the city.
Once the scholar becomes a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, he will despise An'an's background, divorce her, and marry a woman from a more prominent family.
After hearing these words repeatedly, Zhang Zhaodi was more or less influenced and felt that her friend should have a child as soon as possible to solidify her position in her husband's family.
Even if Xu Jinnian intends to divorce his wife in the future, he will take good care of Sheng An for the sake of the child and will not be so heartless as to let her leave empty-handed.
Sheng An was completely oblivious to her friend's worries, and said somewhat helplessly when she heard her friend urging her to have children:
“My husband’s monthly expenses are considerable, and even though he copies books and writes for others whenever he has free time, the money he earns is extremely limited. If I give up my business and go home to have a baby, the whole family will starve.”
Seeing that Zhang Zhaodi wanted to say something, Sheng An comforted her instead:
“My husband and I have discussed it. We’re not in a rush to have a child. We’ll wait until my father-in-law recovers, my husband passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, and we won’t need me to support the family anymore. Then we can consider having a child.”
Having said all that, Zhang Zhaodi couldn't offer any more advice and could only leave with her worries.
Sheng An is too busy; he's so busy that he only gives himself one day off each month.
She was unaware that Liu Huazhi, who had been at odds with her since childhood, often said things that were detrimental to her in the village, saying that she, a peasant girl, was not good enough for a scholar and that she would be kicked out of her husband's family sooner or later.
They say her birth chart is too harsh, that she not only caused the death of her own mother but also her father-in-law. They say that someone as unlucky as her is destined to live a lonely and helpless life until she dies at home.
Marrying into the Xu family is nothing short of bringing disaster to them.
Liu Huazhi spread rumors and misled the villagers. Over time, she really brainwashed some of the unwise villagers, making them believe that Sheng'an would be abandoned by Xu Jinnian sooner or later.
Every time Sheng'an returned to the village, they would gather together to discuss it and bet on when she would be divorced.
On one occasion, the group was talking so loudly that Sheng An overheard them.
Sheng An wasn't one to swallow her anger. She turned around and walked straight up to those people, smiling as she spoke amidst their evasive gazes:
"You enjoy gossiping so much, huh? Well, I'll join in too. Uncle Li, you have five sons and only three small houses. Have you saved enough money to build them wedding homes?"
Aunt Zhao, your daughter has been married for seven or eight years. Her sisters-in-law, who are younger than her, have given birth to seven or eight children, but your daughter's belly has remained flat. Why don't you worry that your daughter will be divorced by her husband's family?
"Sister-in-law Zou, your eldest child is thirteen years old and still wets the bed and drools. You should take him to the doctor as soon as possible; this can't go on forever."
"..."
The people who felt their hearts had been touched turned green. They opened their mouths to scold Sheng An for meddling, but then remembered what they had said earlier and couldn't help but shut their mouths in embarrassment, silently gritting their teeth.
Seeing their disgusted expressions, Sheng An left satisfied.
She had barely reached her front door when her eyes were red from rubbing them. She rushed to Xu Jinnian, who was reading in the study, and looked at him with a wronged and bewildered expression, biting her lip.
Xu Jinnian immediately put down his book, took the woman's slightly trembling hand in one hand, and pulled her to sit on his lap with the other arm around her waist: "Who bullied you?"
Sheng An's eyes reddened even more, but she lowered her head and punched him in the chest: "I didn't say anything, how do you know it was someone else who bullied me and not you who made me sad?"
Xu Jinnian was taken aback, tightened his grip on her waist, and said in an even gentler voice, "I am foolish and need my wife's help to clear up my doubts."
Looking at the face before her, overflowing with tenderness and filled with her own eyes, Sheng An buried her face in his chest and said in a muffled voice, "Some people in the village say I'm not good enough for you, and that once you get to a better position, they'll definitely find someone else and kick me out."
Xu Jinnian's face darkened: "Nonsense!"
Seeing that the person in his arms seemed to believe him, a hint of anxiety appeared on his usually calm and composed face:
"My wife, my love for you is as clear as day and night. I have never had the thought of seeking a better match elsewhere. If I have uttered even the slightest lie, may my future come to an end here!"
Before he could finish speaking, a calloused hand covered his mouth.
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