"You tell me first, in this era, men are destined to have a wider range of activities than women, and, living in your husband's family, your information is more important. My goodness, I'm going to be living under my mother-in-law's thumb from now on, in an era where you can't fight back or talk back!"
Mu Yi'an felt like she couldn't breathe. She hadn't gotten married in her mid-thirties or sixties because she didn't want to live that kind of life. Mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships, husband-wife relationships, mother-son relationships—these were all things she tried her best to avoid; she genuinely disliked them.
"Since we're here, let's make the best of it."
Compared to Mu Yi'an's resistance and despair, Jiang Shuyun accepted it quite quickly, mainly because this is a patriarchal society, and it is much easier for men than for women.
"Don't be hypocritical after getting the benefits. This is an era where it's perfectly legitimate to have multiple wives and concubines, an era where real men are the best."
"This is fucking annoying! Just tell me, what's going on with the Jiang family? I don't want to waste my energy searching my memory. If you push me too far, I might do something like that too. Da Lang, take your medicine!"
Jiang Shuyun looked at the irritable woman in front of her, quickly sorted out the information in her mind, and said that she should go home after she finished speaking. Running away was not the solution.
"Old Master Jiang was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations and had three sons and two daughters."
"You're really good at having children. Are they from the same mother? Do you have concubines or maids in your household?"
Mu Yi'an was unhappy inside, and she didn't hold back her words either.
"Mu Yi'an, I know you're upset and want to go back. But the reality is we can't go back. I've been accommodating you because I saw you crying so hard, and because we live in an era that's so unfavorable to women. Please adjust your attitude. We're not actually that close, and I'm not your punching bag. We're forced to live together because of some inexplicable circumstances. Please control your emotions."
Jiang Shuyun was about to explode. He had lived for over forty years. Although he was rather introverted and unwilling to interact with people, making him a complete homebody, he lived a very self-centered life and rarely accommodated others, including his parents.
"I'm sorry, let me adjust my mindset. I really couldn't control myself. I'm over thirty years old and have established myself in Yuncheng. I'm not an emotional person. It's just that things got out of my control."
Mu Yi'an was telling the truth; she was capable enough to live alone for so long.
"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. I'll continue."
Jiang Shuyun took a deep breath. He was also trying to adjust. No one could accept something like this with a pleasant mood; everyone was just trying to survive.
Since we didn't die, we should try our best to live.
"The Jiang family was a well-off family. Jiang's father ran a school, and Jiang's eldest brother, a student who had passed the preliminary examination, also educated the children. The original owner of this body was the second son, also a scholar who had just taken the provincial examination but failed. He had two younger sisters, one married and the other unmarried. He also had a younger brother who was married and worked in a merchant house in the county town. The family had not divided the property, but each daughter-in-law was in charge of her own dowry, and each branch of the family handed over 40% of their extra income, with the rest at their discretion. The family's education expenses were covered by public funds, and the rest were the responsibility of the individual family members."
That's about all the information Jiang Shuyun has compiled; they'll need to find out the rest gradually.
"I feel alright. I don't have to live the kind of life where I have to stretch every penny. It's a blessing in disguise."
Mu Yi'an's mind was blank. Information from the past and the present was intertwined, chaotic and without any clue.
"Are we going back now? How did they fall? Where did the original owner go? And why does my body feel strange, especially my chest? It's very swollen and painful. Did I fall on my chest instead of my head? I wonder if this era can cure it."
Mu Yi'an felt dizzy, whether from crying or from hitting her head.
Jiang Shuyun went through the process in her mind again, then stared at Mu Yi'an in disbelief.
"What's wrong with you? What's that expression? Did you think of something?"
"Um, Mu Yi'an, the reason your breasts are swollen is because, because you have a breastfeeding baby, six months old."
With a thud, Mu Yi'an sat down on the ground.
"What did you say, baby, nursing baby, I'm going to be a mother?"
"It's not that I'm going to be a mother, it's that I'm already a mother, and a mother of three children."
Mu Yi'an felt like she was hallucinating; someone was telling her she was a mother of three. She rolled her eyes, and suddenly felt even more dizzy.
"Please don't faint. Be strong. I'm a father of three now. You know, I'm a staunch advocate of not getting married or having children."
"Holy crap, I..."
Mu Yi'an was about to explode when she remembered what she had just said: you shouldn't complain to strangers. She swallowed the curse words that were about to come out of her mouth, feeling like she was choking.
"Let's go back. If we don't go back soon, our families will worry and think something has happened, making a big fuss."
Don't worry, we're not husband and wife now, we're comrades-in-arms, comrades who can entrust their backs to each other, comrades who will never betray each other..."
Mu Yi'an couldn't hear anything right now. She was thinking about the three babies crying for food at home. How much noise would three mouths make!
When Mu Yi'an lived in her hometown, she had to look after her younger brother and sometimes other relatives' children. It was really too much for her.
She cursed every swear word she knew in her mind: cursed God, cursed the five-star hotel that didn't live up to its name, cursed the elevator manufacturer, cursed the person who organized the meeting, cursed everyone and everything related to it.
"Mu Yi'an, let's look for it. I remember now. We went to your parents' house this time. When we came back, your mother brought us a lot of things. It should be around here."
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