Rebirth of a Farming Wife

The mother-in-law looked favourably upon her own sister and niece, but she understood the true nature of these two, otherwise, why would she make such a suggestion? Su Wenyue believed that she was not inherently a good person and maybe, if she felt generous one day, she might randomly do a good deed, but the recipient would definitely not be Yang Juxiang and her daughter. Jiang Chunlan, that woman, was always eyeing her husband—even though she clearly knew Han Yu had no interest, it was still extremely irritating!

“That’s exactly the point, out of all the sisters-in-law, it’s you, Fourth Daughter-in-law, who understands. You’re not like the Eldest Daughter-in-law, who is petty and counts every little thing. Even though my aunt did some inappropriate things, it wasn’t intentional. After all, no one would travel such a long way just to covet the little food in our house. Besides, she even brought out her most precious belongings as a welcome gift for you, Fourth Daughter-in-law. It’s not like what the Eldest Daughter-in-law thinks.”

Mrs. Yang felt that Su Wenyue’s words aligned closely with her own thoughts, so she spoke her mind completely, showing dissatisfaction with Mrs. Liu and appeared much more tolerant towards Yang Juxiang and her daughter.

Although Mrs. Yang was persuaded by Mrs. Liu, there is always a bias in everyone’s heart. In Mrs. Yang’s heart, her own sister outweighed the Eldest Daughter-in-law in importance, so her bias was natural. Su Wenyue knew this, which is why she did not step forward herself, letting Mrs. Liu take the lead. After all, Mrs. Liu was used to causing such scenes, and even if she gave no prompts, trouble would ensue. Su Wenyue saw this as ‘helping others for the joy of it’.

“Mother, every family has its difficulties. Sister-in-law is like this because she’s concerned about our family. These days, we’ve indeed been consuming quite a lot of food, and we still have to get through the days ahead; we can’t afford not to budget carefully. I do have the intention to help, but I’m afraid that using my dowry to supplement our expenses might give people the wrong impression, especially since rumors are already nasty enough, saying all sorts of things. Husband is so smart and capable, he’s not someone who relies on his wife’s parents’ home.”

Su Wenyue spoke with some anger, effectively blocking any potential arguments. Maybe her mother-in-law hadn’t considered touching her dowry, but Yang Juxiang and her daughter would surely instigate it. Even if she didn’t let them succeed, the mother-in-law would likely feel uncomfortable or upset in her heart. By bringing it up in advance, Su Wenyue had provided the most appropriate reason.

What did the mother-in-law care about the most? For the sake of her son’s reputation, she would not only refrain from laying hands on Su Wenyue’s dowry but would also ensure no one in the Han family had such thoughts. With this matter settled, Yang Juxiang and her daughter’s provocations would be futile and might even cause the mother-in-law to view them unfavorably, achieving a far better outcome than if Mrs. Liu had directly spoken ill of them.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, I get where you’re coming from. The village folks who speak shallowly just can’t stand to see my son do well. You should ignore what they say. Our Han family acts with integrity and wouldn’t lust after a daughter-in-law’s dowry,” Mrs. Yang soothed Su Wenyue whilst showing nonchalance, but Su Wenyue knew the mother-in-law did indeed care and took the words to heart.

“Yes, those who spread rumors are just envious of our family; I won’t take it to heart, mother, and you shouldn’t either. Now, you go ahead and enjoy your soup slowly; I need to get busy.” Having achieved her goal, Su Wenyue didn’t linger and decided it was better to spend time embroidering a few more flowers.

While Mrs. Yang felt troubled by many things, such as not having much spare silver and the necessity to purchase food for the household, as Han Yu still had to go hunting in the mountains, the responsibility of buying grain in the city was entrusted to the eldest son, Han Hu.

“Eldest child, here’s the silver for buying grain in the city. Make sure you hold on to it well,” Mrs. Yang said reluctantly, as she took a bunch of money out of the box that held their silver.

“Mother, buying grain in the city won’t cost so much; why are you giving me this much silver?” Han Hu, seeing such a large amount of money handed over by his mother, was puzzled. How much grain was he expected to buy? With such expenditure, their family wouldn’t make it to the autumn grain harvest, especially since the government had increased the rent by twenty percent this year.

Honestly, Han Hu also felt dissatisfaction with his aunt and cousin’s recent behaviors, but as a man and husband, he couldn’t be that petty. Regardless, they were still relatives, and hospitality was due.

“There’s a reason why I’m giving you this. Your grandmother’s birthday is coming up soon, and we need to go to the city to celebrate her longevity. Every year, the birthday package is sent from our house, and this year will be no exception. Aside from purchasing grain, you’ll also need to buy some extra flour,” Mrs. Yang spoke and sighed.

Han Hu was taken aback, remembering that the old lady’s birthday was approaching, which would mean a not insignificant expense for their family.

As for the Old Lady of the Han Family, who lived in the Main House in the county town, apart from Old Man Han, the other members of the Han family didn’t have much affection for her. After all, they usually didn’t live together, and she was particularly biased towards the Main House, looking down upon their countryside family as worthless. She would always find fault with them, especially with Mrs. Yang, the daughter-in-law, treating her with contempt and disdain.

The Old Lady didn’t have much regard for the Second House, but when it came to reaping benefits, she was absolutely uncompromising. Her grandson’s marriages — she only showed up when the eldest son took a wife, which, even though it wasn’t with gifts, was a sign of regard. After that one time, for any joyful occasion at home, the Old Lady never showed up again. The Main House also did the same, never sending a gift, not even for the sake of appearances. But whenever there was a need in the Main House, they were sure to involve the Second House, extracting benefits from them.

“The grandmother’s birthday is coming? All right, I’ll buy some extra flour, as making birthday packages will use quite a bit,” said Han Hu magnanimously. Though thinking about his grandmother and the eldest uncle’s family made him feel annoyed, he did what was expected without compromise, as they were still his elders.

“Right, you usually handle these things and you know what to do. The gifts for your grandmother can only be plenty, not lacking, otherwise, she might become restless. Weigh it out for yourself.”

When it came to the Old Lady of the Han Family, Su Wenyue had a vague impression, but she vaguely remembered such a person. In her previous life, she looked down upon Han Yu’s family, and the city relatives weren’t an exception. However, they weren’t any better, for they put on airs in front of her. Just thinking about the mother-in-law and eldest uncle’s attitudes indicated that the city family must be quite troublesome.

Su Wenyue mainly observed Han Hu’s reaction. It was normal for the mother-in-law to look displeased, as conflicts between mother and daughter-in-law were common. Her eldest uncle was not someone petty. Even towards Mrs. Wang, who had made many mistakes, he remained cordial. If something could make his expression sour, it was clear that the family in the city was no ordinary folks.

“Mother, I’ve been married into the family for quite some time now, and yet I had no idea that we had relatives in the county town. Husband, too, never mentioned it to me; if we bumped into them, it would be embarrassing not to recognize our own family.”