Chapter 316: Aunt Yang's Days
Unable to go back for the time being, Su Ruojin wrote a letter to her parents saying that she would go back in a few days so that they could rest assured. She then asked Uncle Hua Ping to inquire about the current living conditions of the Tang family and Aunt Yang.
Hua Ping acted quickly and figured out the situation in two days, then came back to tell Su Ruojin.
"The Tang family has now fallen to the bottom of the social ladder. The family has not split up, and the main source of income is the salaries of the men. However, the men have friends who take care of things for them, and the portion they can use to support the family is less than one-third of their salaries."
The highest-ranking person in the Tang family now is Aunt Yang's husband, Tang Erlang, a sixth-rank minor official. His salary is about fifteen taels. The other male members of the family are either idle or minor clerks who make hardly any taels a month. Now only one-third of his salary is spent at home. Isn't that too little?
When Su Yanli was an eighth-rank doctor, she earned about eleven taels of silver. Her father took all of it back for household expenses, and they still lived very tight every month. You can imagine how difficult life was for Aunt Yang.
Su Ruojin asked, "Does the Tang family have other sources of income?"
Hua Ping replied, "The old lady of the Tang family has two dowry shops. Except for Madam Yang, the other ladies in each room more or less have a small shop or hire maids to do embroidery work, laundry, etc., which can be considered a source of income."
There are dozens of people in the Tang family, and life is difficult.
"Except for Madam Yang, what does that mean?"
Hua Ping sighed, "The Tang family has fallen to the bottom, and all the blame has been put on Aunt Yang. The old lady of the Tang family has already plundered all her dowry shops and valuables. She now relies on embroidery work from the maid Yuanyang to make a living. It's no wonder that her sister couldn't bear it."
Hearing this, Su Ruojin felt heavy-hearted. Madam Yang was so capable. Logically, the eldest daughter she raised couldn't be bad. But she couldn't stand being bullied and suppressed by her husband's family.
They lived together when they were young, and Su Ruojin really felt sorry for Madam Yang.
"How many children does she have?"
"Three children, the two older ones are girls and the younger one is a boy."
"How does Chief Tang treat Aunt Yang?"
Hua Ping shook his head. "He lived a life like this, and he still had two concubines at home. He also slept with prostitutes outside. I heard he even kept a prostitute in Yanzhi Lane."
Su Ruojin gasped when she heard this, "Where did he get the money?"
"I didn't use my salary for household expenses. As a junior official in one of the six ministries, I had some gray income. Otherwise, it would be meaningless to bribe friends. But I spent all the money on eating, drinking and having fun with these people."
Su Ruojin took a deep breath. This was how the society was. The harder life got, the more people would give up and indulge themselves in a life of drunkenness and dream. It seemed that in this way he (she) would not be looked down upon, isolated and excluded. There were actually very few people like her father Su Yanli who were strong inside and went home immediately without paying attention to other people's opinions.
This mentality is even more obvious after Tang Zhushi fell from the middle class to the bottom of society. It seems that the only way he can live like before is to hang out with friends and maintain relationships.
But... thinking of this, Su Ruojin didn't know what to say.
Hua Ping saw that she had been silent for a long time, "Ajin, how are you going to help Madam Yang?"
As for the Yang family, Hua Ping used to go to the Su family all the time and knew the Su family as a neighbor. They had eaten together during the New Year and other festivals, so they had some feelings for each other.
Su Ruojin thought for a long time and said, "Besides the three legitimate children, does Master Tang have any illegitimate sons and daughters?"
Hua Ping nodded, "Yes, a lot of children." As if remembering something, he said, "I heard that the eldest son of Tang Zhushi has not been in good health. Old Madam Tang dislikes him very much. It is said that she wants to send the child to a temple to be raised, saying that this is the only way to raise the child."
Has it come to this?
Su Ruojin stood up uneasily, "Uncle Hua, have you found out whether the old lady wants to divorce Sister Yun?"
Hua Ping nodded, "I was just about to tell you."
Su Ruojin's eyes lit up. Was this really an opportunity?
"But Madam Yang couldn't bear to part with the child, so she refused."
Su Ruojin could understand this. Not to mention in ancient times, even in modern times there are many women who are reluctant to give up their children and spend their whole lives in despair.
But if we look at the essence of the matter, apart from the social attributes, the biggest obstacle that actually stops women from moving forward, besides giving their children a complete home, is the inability to be financially independent. Even in modern society, once a woman gets married, she is no longer part of her natal family or her husband's family. As long as she has a house and income, no woman will compromise.
How can I help Madam Yang?
Su Ruojin decided to go and see Madam Yang first.
"Uncle Hua, please help us make an appointment with Sister Yun."
Hua Ping nodded, turned around and walked out, took a few steps, then stopped and asked curiously, "How are you going to help?"
Su Ruojin grinned and said deliberately, "I won't tell you."
Hua Ping: ...Okay, he's not interested in knowing yet, he glared at the young lady, "I'll go back directly tonight, and come back to answer your letter tomorrow morning."
"I know. We are newlyweds."
Hua Ping's face turned red, and he pointed at the young lady, "Don't let me catch you."
Su Ruojin is not afraid!
On the morning of the second day, Su Ruojin met the gray-faced Madam Yang and her servant in a small teahouse near the Tang family.
Why were they able to see the master and servant? Because it was March, when the weather was still cold, and Madam Yang was sick. She thought it was her sister who came to see her, so the busy maid Yuanyang took the time to half-hugged her and helped her over.
When Su Ruojin saw this, tears of heartache fell, "Sister Yun, you..." How did you become like this?
In ancient times, a woman without a mother's family was worse than duckweed and was tortured by life.
In just a few years, the once lively and pretty maid Yuanyang had turned into a skinny servant, and the beautiful and intelligent Madam Yang had become a frail woman in her thirties or forties.
Madam Yang didn't expect that it was the capable second lady from her neighbor's house. Her gloomy eyes suddenly lit up, "Ajin?" She couldn't believe that the young lady who was going to marry into Prince Jin's Mansion would come to see her.
Su Ruojin hugged Aunt Yang of Cangcang and said, "I'm sorry, Sister Yun, I should come to see you more often."
Although they were neighbors, apart from the mother and younger sister who interacted with the Su family, the other members of the Yang family really had little interaction with the Su family, so Su Er Niang's words were both polite and affectionate.
Aunt Yang didn't blame her. She smiled with relief, "I'm already very happy to see Ah Jin. Did Ah Rong ask you to come here? Did something happen to her?"
Su Ruojin quickly shook her head, "She's fine, she's fine, I just want you to help me."
"I help you?"
Not only Aunt Yang felt incredible, but everyone around her was also shocked.
Yang Si Niang, who had just come in from the door, also looked at Su Ruojin in surprise.
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