Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“Why have you lost weight again? Have these days been tiring for you?” Han Yu frowned and said. He liked his daughter-in-law plump, as it made her look healthy and blessed. Especially since that childbirth, he had been determined to fatten her up, but it seemed to have little effect. Now, with the recent busyness, she had actually lost weight.

“In the future, you can just order the servants to handle household affairs. There’s no need to do everything yourself and wear yourself out—it’s not worth it.”

“I know, but this was the first time, and I was afraid the servants wouldn’t do it right, so I did it myself. Once there’s a set routine, naturally I’ll have the servants do it, and besides, these chores aren’t too tiring.”

“Busy all day and not tired, what did the doctor say? He asked you to nourish your body properly, yet you’re so disobedient.” Han Yu was somewhat angry and also helpless with his daughter-in-law’s nature. She liked to worry too much, and he, being busy all day, didn’t have the time to watch over her constantly, so he had no choice but to tell Aunt Li about it later.

With this in mind, Han Yu wouldn’t let Su Wenyue go to the kitchen anymore. Seeing that his daughter-in-law was still not behaving, he simply picked her up and carried her to bed. The couple had been busy these days, and it had been some time since they were intimate, but their playfulness took on a different flavor as they romped around.

Aunt Li had originally wanted to check on the kitchen matters that Madam had instructed her to after some time had passed and she had not seen anyone come by. Stopping at the door to ask, she heard noises from inside and her old face reddened, but she was happy about the master and madam’s affection. After all, the master’s rank was ever increasing, and he was no longer the countryside man looked down upon by others. Looking around, which somewhat powerful man did not have three wives and four concubines in his backyard? She was uncertain about what the master might do in the future and hoped that the madam would keep him reined in, so no vixen could take advantage of any vulnerability.

When Su Wenyue woke up, it was already evening. She moved her sore body slightly, biting her teeth with some resentment, “This jerk, he says to let her recuperate and not tire herself out, yet what happens? He himself winds up tormenting her quite a bit.”

“How are the three little guys doing? I hope they haven’t fussed. Have they been good?” The first thing Su Wenyue did upon waking was to ask about the three little ones. These days, she had been so busy that she’d somewhat neglected them. Even though she interacted with them every day, the time spent with them had diminished. But fortunately, the three little ones were well-behaved and rarely fussy.

“They’re all doing well. The master is playing with the young master and miss over there,” responded Nanny Xu.

Hearing Nanny Xu say so, a few smiles appeared on Su Wenyue’s face. Then she asked about the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, madam. As for the kitchen matters, you had already given instructions earlier. Seeing that you didn’t have time, this servant let them follow your previous orders. I believe there shouldn’t be any problems,” answered Aunt Li.

Hearing Aunt Li’s words, especially that she hadn’t had time, Su Wenyue, not so thick-skinned, blushed slightly—blamed Han Yu for that, in broad daylight no less.

A couple of days later, the jewelry that Su Wenyue had commissioned in the prefecture to be crafted was finished, and several craftsmen delivered it in person. Su Wenyue inspected the pieces and found them to be quite exquisite. They were the best craftsmanship available in the prefecture, all crafted following her initial designs without any mistakes, proof of the craftsmen’s considerable effort. However, after seeing the hairpin given by Han Yu, Su Wenyue felt that these pieces lacked vitality and had too much of a crafted feel by comparison. Everything suffers when compared, quality is immediately revealed with a comparison.

The jewelry was ready, but Su Wenyue did not immediately send it to her two cousins. She waited for the old master craftsman’s arrival, eager to hear his opinion. According to her calculations, he would arrive within a couple of days.

Han Yu had invited three other gold and silver craftsmen, whom Su Wenyue housed together in one courtyard. For the old master craftsman, Su Wenyue had arranged a separate small courtyard. Fortunately, their home was spacious enough, and they didn’t have to worry about running out of room. Even so, several courtyards remained unoccupied.

Although the old master craftsman was difficult to invite, once he arrived, he didn’t put on airs. Su Wenyue had prepared herself, knowing that generally those with true ability tended to carry some pride. But the man she met was a kindly old fellow, not too advanced in years, around fifty or so. His hair was completely white, yet his face appeared young; he was full of vigor and moved with a sprightly step—it was clear he practiced Kung Fu and had internal strength.

The craftsman’s surname was Cao, his given name Tan, and he was someone truly devoted to his craft, with little desire for fame or wealth. Otherwise, he would not have kept his extraordinary talents largely to himself, happy to work in obscurity under the Zhang Family. If the Zhang Family hadn’t encountered problems, Su Wenyue wouldn’t have gotten him so easily.

Master Cao had modest requirements, and Su Wenyue offered him the utmost sincerity, so he felt joining the Han Family was a good option. He would be well-fed and able to do what he loved every day without having to worry about other things. Previously reluctant to serve another family, he had owed a debt of gratitude to Old Master Zhang. But now with the permission of Zhang’s descendants, he had settled that debt and could dedicate himself to his craft without any qualms.

“Master Cao, these are some sets of jewelry I had commissioned a while ago. I would like to ask for your help in taking a look,” Su Wenyue said, signaling to the servant girl to bring up the jewelry and open the box.

Master Cao, upon seeing the jewelry in the box, immediately took them out for a closer inspection. His way of handling the jewelry was unlike other people—seemingly casual and effortless, yet careful not to damage it in any way.

After inspecting the jewelry, Master Cao nodded and then shook his head, “The designs of these pieces are really fine, I have to admire the talent behind them, despite being no less critical myself. However, the craftsmanship still needs improvement—these pieces appear delicate, but some parts are not firmly constructed, making them just delicate without the essence of liveliness, and too much craftsmanship makes them fail to be truly successful.”

Master Cao spoke dispassionately, and his last comment aligned with Su Wenyue’s own observations. She nodded, “I am honored by Master Cao’s commendation. I designed the patterns for this jewelry myself. In fact, after seeing the hairpin you made, I shared the same thoughts—the hairpin ranks as delicate but lacks a bit of vitality.”

Initially, Master Cao did not treat Su Wenyue as anything special, not much different from any other master, perhaps only seeing her as a more easygoing mistress. Learning that the designs were Su Wenyue’s, he viewed her in a new light.