Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Not only was Su Wenyue delighted to see Xiao Xi, but the other Han family members were equally so. The only discordant note was Mrs. Wang who, during this period, had been keeping a low profile and staying in her room whenever possible, which is why the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious, except for the disdainful glances from Yang Juxiang and her daughter. In their eyes, Xiao Xi was nothing more than a servant.

“Xiao Xi, you’re back, that’s wonderful!” Mrs. Liu looked at Xiao Xi with joy, which confused Xiao Xi a bit. Even though the Miss had bestowed some small favors upon Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Liu had never been very nice to her; she was just a bit better than Mrs. Wang. Having suddenly become so enthusiastic, Xiao Xi found it somewhat hard to accept.

Su Wenyue caught the surprised expression on Xiao Xi’s face and naturally knew why Mrs. Liu was behaving this way. She found it somewhat amusing. Mrs. Liu could be endearingly straightforward at times, though, of course, some people found it detestable.

“Xiao Xi, your room is currently occupied by Aunt and cousin, and there are no other rooms available at home. I will arrange a room for you with a village neighbor later. You can stay there for the time being,” Su Wenyue said. She hadn’t expected Xiao Xi to return at this time and could only make temporary living arrangements for her; it hadn’t crossed her mind to make Xiao Xi share a room with Yang Juxiang and her daughter.

Su Wenyue knew Xiao Xi’s nature well. Although she could seem very feisty on the surface, that was only when she was upholding her principles. As long as Yang Juxiang and her daughter didn’t provoke her directly, she would endure any bullying from them in silence, given that Xiao Xi’s status in the Han family was no more than an outsider, and she didn’t want to cause any trouble for Su Wenyue. She was indeed a loyal and pitiable servant girl.

Xiao Xi had noticed the addition of the mother and daughter to the home and, judging by their behavior, was well aware they weren’t benevolent characters. Thus, she wasn’t surprised by her Miss’s words and, after responding, she began to move her things from the horse carriage into Su Wenyue’s room.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, she’s just a servant; why are you so concerned about her? You wasted the effort to arrange a room for her in the neighbor’s home. Let her sleep on a mat in our room; we shouldn’t spoil the servants!” Yang Juxiang had not interacted much with Xiao Xi, but she disliked her just by observing her demeanor — dressed so brightly, like some Miss from a wealthy family. And knowing that Xiao Xi was Su Wenyue’s servant girl made her like her even less.

When Su Wenyue heard Yang Juxiang’s words, her face grew visibly upset. She could tolerate Yang Juxiang and her daughter targeting her, shrugging off their scorn and mockery, but she would not allow them to mistreat Xiao Xi. Her voice turned colder than it ever had before.

“Aunt, you are mistaken; Xiao Xi is not a servant of our family. She has redeemed herself. She stays with the Han family now only out of the years of affection between us. Moreover, all her living expenses while in the Han family are covered by me and not a single penny comes from the Han family resources. Even my mother-in-law has no objections; are you trying to provoke me now?”

Seeing Su Wenyue standing up to her over a servant girl and taking such an unprecedentedly firm stance made Yang Juxiang angry, but the severe look in her eyes made her feel somewhat insecure, especially the icy look from Han Yu that sent chills down her spine. Bolstered by Mrs. Yang’s presence, however, she felt somewhat braver.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, what are you saying? I am your elder. My words are meant for your good; you really don’t appreciate it.”

“Oh? Is that so, Aunt? You’re doing this for my good! I honestly couldn’t tell. I thought you were deliberately picking a fight with me, which is why you’re making things difficult for Xiao Xi,” Su Wenyue said with an air of surprise, though her face showed something different, her lips curling into a cold smirk.

“How could that be? I’m just worried that you, Nephew’s Daughter-in-law, are too young to know better, potentially being bullied by others. I really mean well,” Yang Juxiang said with an awkward expression, her words not what she initially wanted to say. After catching the increasingly icy look from Han Yu, who stood behind Su Wenyue, his eyes narrowing in a clear threat, she swiftly changed her tune.

In the Han family, the one Yang Juxiang feared most was this Fourth nephew. Although Han Yu had never actually done anything to her, she felt an irrational fear of him. Sometimes just a look or a glance from him was enough to give her a chilling sensation. Hence, even when making difficulties for Su Wenyue, Yang Juxiang and her daughter would try to avoid Han Yu as much as possible — one out of a sense of weakness and fear, and the other not wanting to leave a bad impression in front of Han Yu.

“In that case, I should thank you, Aunt. But, you really don’t need to worry about such matters in the future. Xiao Xi grew up with me from a young age; I know her character quite well. She has lived with the Han family for some time, and I believe everyone is familiar with her character as well.”

“Yes, Juhuang, you’re mistaken. Xiao Xi is genuinely good. Not only is she clever, but she also works diligently and efficiently, knows the rules, and even can read and write. A servant girl from a wealthy family really is different – she can’t be compared to the girls in our farmer community,” said Mrs. Yang, who truly liked Xiao Xi. Her words reflected her sincere thoughts. To her, none of the village girls taken together could match Xiao Xi, nor were any of the Han family daughters-in-law as capable as she was. If it weren’t for the fact that all her sons were already married, she would have even considered taking Xiao Xi as her own daughter-in-law.

Having initially intended to make things difficult for Xiao Xi and thereby distress Su Wenyue, Yang Juxiang and her daughter realized this tactic wouldn’t work with everyone in the Han family standing up for Xiao Xi. While the others weren’t paying attention, she rolled her eyes at Xiao Xi and went inside.

Seeing that Yang Juxiang and her daughter had left, Mrs. Liu sent a scornful look their way and then turned her attention back to the horse carriage.

“Xiao Xi’s return is indeed timely. Tomorrow, we can go to the County Town by horse carriage. Fourth Daughter-in-law, you wouldn’t mind lending the carriage to our family for the trip, would you?” Although Mrs. Liu was happy, she remembered that Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang had said that it belonged to Su Wenyue’s mother’s family and their family couldn’t use it.

If it were any ordinary day, Mrs. Yang would have scolded Mrs. Liu for such a comment. However, surprisingly, she said nothing at this time, obviously agreeing with Mrs. Liu’s suggestion.

All these years, feeling looked down upon and stepped on by the Old lady of Han family and the people of Main House had caused much frustration and resentment in Mrs. Yang. But for various reasons, she had to endure it and was sick of the suppression. And who doesn’t have the desire to show off? Now, finally having a daughter-in-law of such fine background, beautiful and obedient — any of these qualities was enough to outshine the Main House. Earlier in the kitchen, when Mrs. Liu made those remarks, Mrs. Yang was present too. Though she found Mrs. Liu’s words a bit too blunt, they were rare musings that aligned with her own. If only Fourth Daughter-in-law could outdo the people of Main House once and for all, their Second House might finally get a chance to turn the tables after suffering for so many years.