Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“Anyway, I’m not going. You all know that I’m the sort who can’t carry weight on my shoulders or back. To enlist would be to throw away my life, not to mention my wife is pregnant and needs someone to care for her.” Han Lin was always fond of shirking his duties, and at this juncture, he was even less likely to volunteer.

“What do you mean no one is there to take care of her? Who provides for your wife’s food and drink every day? What have you actually done? I don’t know how our old Han family ended up with such a lazy bum. Even if you were conscripted, you’d just cause trouble. Camp discipline is much stricter than home, and no one will be able to save you then. Still, since you are my son, I cannot bear to send you. The selection will have to come from one of your other three brothers.”

“What I mean is that the eldest can’t go. We, his elderly parents, depend on him to take care of us in old age. As the eldest son, he needs to hold up the family.” Mrs. Yang’s heart favored her youngest son, but in Old Man Han’s eyes as the family head, the eldest son was clearly exempted.

Mrs. Li became anxious upon hearing this, a rare look of worry spreading across her face. If the father-in-law’s intention was to exempt the eldest and the third son was well known for being unreliable and often threw tantrums, it was highly likely that the duty would fall on someone else. Considering how her own father and mother didn’t care for her and she was the most honest, wouldn’t the burden then fall upon her? If that came true, how could she, a woman, carry on with children to care for?

That was what Mrs. Li thought, her face not only filled with worry, but her eyes also brimming with tears. However, since no final decision was made, she dared not voice her opinions. She just felt aggrieved in her heart.

“Father, we’re all your sons. Even if I’m not here, my second brother and the others can still carry on. Why don’t I go? As the big brother, I should be the one to step up when there’s trouble.” The room was filled with silent worry, and suddenly Han Hu spoke up. True to his role as the eldest brother, he was not only generous in normal times, but also demonstrated a spirit of sacrifice when it mattered most.

Hearing Han Hu say this, both Mrs. Li and Han Lin couldn’t help but reveal a hint of relief on their faces. Mrs. Liu had been initially content with her father-in-law’s words and had reassured herself, never expecting her own husband to suddenly volunteer. She immediately became distressed and started to wail.

“You heartless man! We don’t have a son in our part of the house, and if you go to the army and something happens, what will your wife and children do? Who will carry on the family lineage of our main house? Wuu, wuu, wuu, if you really dare to go, I won’t have any reason to live. Wuu, wuu, wuu, why are our lives so miserable, being burdened with such an irresponsible man? You only ever think of your brothers; when have you ever considered your own wife and children? Heaven, how are we supposed to live like this!”

Mrs. Liu’s voice was loud, and her weeping so piercing that not only their own courtyard, but even the neighbors could hear her. Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang were already frustrated and had a headache due to Mrs. Liu’s wailing. Han Hu was also not looking too pleased; his wife only knew how to hold him back, always keen on taking advantage yet unable to bear any loss, and she never acted like a proper sister-in-law.

“Enough, you short-sighted woman! The decision I’ve made is not up for discussion by you!”

Mrs. Liu was not one to listen to Han Hu and became even more agitated.

“Why can’t I speak? Have you ever treated me like your wife? Do you think by doing this you’ll earn anyone’s gratitude? They’ll just think you’re a fool. What kind of rubbish eldest brother are you? They’ve never respected you.”

Seeing Mrs. Liu cross the line, Mrs. Yang finally spoke up to stop her, “Mrs. Liu, shut your mouth. Why are you making such a fuss? I’m not dead yet. Stand quietly to the side! You couldn’t even bear a son after all these years, and now you have the nerve to make a scene. If it were any other family, a daughter-in-law like you would have been sent away by now. We still haven’t decided who will go. If you keep shouting, pack your things and go back to your mother’s family. We have no place for a daughter-in-law like you.”

Mrs. Yang was also distressed and agitated. Which of her sons wasn’t her own flesh and blood? Venting her frustrations on Mrs. Liu seemed to be her only outlet.

Mrs. Liu, who was already on shaky ground, was initially unwilling for her husband to foolishly volunteer, but after being reprimanded by her mother-in-law, she fell silent, standing to the side without a word. Yet, she was far from relaxed, determined to cause a scene if things didn’t go her way. Going into battle was a matter of life and death, and even though a war had yet to start, conscription was preparation for combat. She absolutely could not let her husband take such a risk.

“Maybe it should be me who goes. As the boss of the family, there are many responsibilities that rely on the big brother, and to date, he has no children to continue the family line. It wouldn’t be right to have the eldest’s branch cut off. Our family is only left with my son, and even if something were to happen, Brother Fu could inherit and carry on the line,” Han Quan, the second brother, finally spoke up after a long silence. Although he didn’t want to leave his wife and child, he thought about it and concluded that he was the most suitable candidate— at least in the worst-case scenario, their lineage wouldn’t be at risk.

Before Han Quan could finish speaking, Mrs. Li couldn’t hold back her tears, overwhelmed with sorrow. Unlike Mrs. Liu, who was brazen and dared to openly object, Mrs. Li could only express her emotions in this way.

With Mrs. Li crying, no one else spoke, and the atmosphere in the room grew even quieter. The sisters-in-law, though somewhat sympathetic to Mrs. Li, didn’t dare to add their own comments at this time. If it wasn’t the second brother who went, their own husbands would bear the burden, and none of them wished for that.

Su Wenyue considered offering a few words of comfort to Mrs. Li but ultimately held back. After all, it wouldn’t be Han Quan who would go. If it weren’t for her good mental state and experience from a previous life, she might have been the one crying now. Speaking without careful consideration might disrupt Han Yu’s plan.

“Fourth child, what do you think?” Old Man Han asked once more. Compared to the second son, Old Man Han actually preferred the fourth son to take on the responsibility. After all, the fourth child had good physical skills and was quick-witted, which meant a better chance of surviving on the battlefield, and possibly even a chance for a future. However, it still depended on the fourth child’s own thoughts, as forcing him to leave his newlywed wife and going off to war was indeed cruel. Besides, it was doubtful that the Su family would agree.

Although Mrs. Yang favored her youngest son, she remained silent at this time, looking towards him to hear his thoughts.

“To be honest, I am the most suitable candidate for this task. However, I am now a married man and can’t be at ease leaving Lady Yue alone. Even when I’ve been home these days, all sorts of troubles have arisen, causing Lady Yue much distress. If I were not at home, I don’t even want to think about it.” Han Yu wasn’t shy about expressing his concern for his wife at this point.

Mrs. Yang felt uncomfortable but could not show it right then. Her son seemed to lack ambition, his heart set on his wife. How could he achieve anything significant?