Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“Oh, Uncle Han, Aunt, it looks like Fourth Son has sent back some holiday gifts. There are quite a few items and looking like an official really makes a difference. You can also enjoy the good life now.”

“Indeed, who in the village is as lucky as Uncle Han and Auntie? Fourth Son is the only one among us who has become an official, setting an example for our entire village.”

Now that the Han Family had prospered, flatterers were numerous. Although in private, many harbored their own schemes and not all were sincere. However, openly, nobody wanted to offend the Han Family anymore, even if some grumbled that Han Yu owed his success to his wife’s parents’ home and rose up only because of his daughter-in-law. These grumbles were no longer voiced loudly as in the past but instead whispered in secret. The commoners did not dare contend with an official lest they end up like the few who had been arrested and delivered to the government, unsure when they might be released.

With everyone flattering them in such a way, not to mention Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang, even the family of the main house was beaming with pride. Mrs. Liu generously invited everyone to drink tea and even took out a package of melon seeds.

“We’re all neighbors here, there’s no need to be polite. Our family doesn’t have much to offer, please help yourselves.”

Mrs. Yang, looking at her eldest daughter-in-law, for the first time felt that she could be presentable. This time, she didn’t disgrace herself.

Mrs. Liu’s newfound enlightenment was indeed high. With Han Yu becoming an official, she, as the sister-in-law, was also somewhat like the wife of an official and naturally couldn’t appear too stingy, to avoid being laughed at. Especially since she had seen the big bags and several exquisitely crafted boxes brought in by Xiao Xi with the servants, eager to know what precious items were inside, this small act of kindness was also easy for her to afford.

“Auntie, I see that Fourth Son has sent back quite a lot of holiday gifts. This is our first time seeing the gifts from an official’s family. Please, check out what Fourth Son has sent back and let us broaden our horizons too.” Everyone had seen the bags of items brought in by Han Yu’s servants and were curious about their contents.

When someone suggested this idea, the rest of the group joined in the clamor, all wanting to take a peek and broaden their horizons. Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang declined twice but it was not good to refuse too much, so they reluctantly agreed. At this point, Han Quan and the family of Han Lin also came over to the main house.

“Since the villagers all feel this way, there’s nothing in our family that can’t be seen by others. Let’s open it and have a look.”

Xier immediately agreed upon hearing this. The madam had taken the trouble to send so many things, and she was happy to let everyone know how kindly her mistress was and how much she honored her elders.

Xier first opened the package and took out the clothes tailored by Shu Xiang. Since Han Yu was an official now, Su Wenyue thought that her parents-in-law should have some more dignified clothes. Thus, these sets of clothes were made of silk, and, with Shu Xiang’s excellent craftsmanship, even the collars were decorated with silver threads, making the garments look even more luxurious.

When the clothes were taken out, not only the onlookers from the village but also Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang were dazzled; “This, this is too lavish. Such fine materials used to make clothes for us old folk, it’s quite wasteful!”

“Uncle Han, Aunt, these clothes are really beautiful. You should try them on to see if they fit?”

“Try them on? Well, let’s give it a try!” Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang had never worn such fine clothes in their lives. Coaxed by the crowd, they started to harbor some desire to do so.

Accompanied by a few familiar neighbors, Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang went back into their room to change into the clothes. It took them quite a while before they reemerged, having re-done their hair. Mrs. Yang also donned a slightly worn silver hairpin which made her look much more spirited.

The old couple, dressed in such fine attire, felt somewhat uneasy, afraid of soiling or wrinkling their clothes. They walked awkwardly, but the clothes really fit well, as if they were tailor-made, not an inch too big or too small. Seeing this, everyone had only praise to offer.

“It’s the Fourth Daughter-in-law’s filial piety. Since she married into the Han Family, this old lady has been getting new clothes non-stop. I don’t know what good deeds I did in past lives to deserve such a wonderful daughter-in-law.” Mrs. Yang generously praised Su Wenyue in front of everyone. Even if she favored her own son, she knew that such garments must have come from the daughter-in-law’s heart. Only the Fourth Daughter-in-law would be so attentive to remember the old couple’s sizes and tailor the clothes so perfectly, something that even gold and silver could not replace.

“Isn’t that the truth? The Fourth Son’s wife is truly filial. I heard she got pregnant within half a year after her arrival, surely a good sign, likely to bring prosperity to her husband and blessings to the old Han family. Now look at the days of the old Han family, they’re getting better and better.”

Mrs. Yang felt even more satisfied upon hearing this. She thought indeed, that was the case. The Fourth Daughter-in-law was naturally fortunate, born into a wealthy family like the Su Family, and now she had brought good fortune to her husband’s family too. She had never imagined that her son could become an official, and all this was thanks to the Fourth Daughter-in-law’s luck.

“Hey, Uncle Han, Aunt, why do the patterns on your clothes glisten under the light? Do you see it?” A villager pointed at Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang’s garments and exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s really something!” The villagers, with limited experiences, were amazed to see such a sight.

After allowing them to speculate enough, Xiao Xi revealed with grandeur, “There’s nothing unusual about that. The embroiderers used silver threads when they stitched the collars of the clothes. Under the sun, silver threads shine brightly, very pleasing to the eye.”

“So it’s made with silver threads! That’s a really expensive thing, made with actual silver. No wonder it looks so shiny and beautiful. Tsk, tsk, Fourth Son’s wife is truly generous with her parents-in-law.” Everyone praised Su Wenyue rather than attributing it to Han Yu. After all, Han Yu had not been an official for long and, even if he was qualified, money wouldn’t come so quickly. The fact that the Fourth Daughter-in-law brought a rich dowry was well known, but it still took a willingness to use silver threads for the stitching of her parents-in-law’s clothes. Who wouldn’t envy a family with such a caring daughter-in-law?

After examining the clothes, everyone surrounded the boxes of mooncakes for a while, admiring the clever ideas of the rich and wondering how much silver was spent just on the boxes alone. This time, Xiao Xi didn’t explain, and everyone assumed that these mooncakes were bought from the most famous snack shop in the city, so attractive and exquisite that it seemed a shame to eat them.

Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Liu, who were mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were afraid that such delicately crafted mooncake boxes would be damaged by the onlookers, so they guarded them closely; everyone could look, but not touch. They even handled the boxes with extra care when moving them themselves. The others understood and agreed that such precious items needed to be handled with care. On the other hand, Han Jincai and his son Han Hu were more relaxed, feeling a bit embarrassed watching the two ladies being so cautious. They expressed this with a few words.