The old Bai family had been going through a tough time lately, with illnesses and disabilities leading to unfortunate outcomes. If they didn’t eat something nourishing, she feared that their situation may worsen.
Thinking of Bai Naihan, Jiang Wenxiu’s gaze filled with sympathy. She had heard that Xia Yuhua, who used to frequently visit Bai Naihan, hadn’t come at all recently. Moreover, there were rumors in the village that Xia Yuhua was romantically involved with someone introduced by the Youth League.
Hearing this, Yun Qinghuan sighed, “Exactly! If we don’t take care of ourselves, it seems like each of our family members will fall ill. Fortunately, I had the courage to ask my parents for some money back then. After taking care of the family’s illnesses, there was a bit left. We bought half a kilogram of meat to taste, all thanks to Wen Song. He really treated my parents well during his lifetime, regularly sending money and meat to them. Otherwise, my parents probably wouldn’t have given me this money. It’s just that my parents…
“Ah!” Her expression became gloomy. “I just hope they won’t force me to remarry again. Otherwise, how can I face Wen Song?”
Even though she knew that Jiang Wenxiu was a decent person, familiarity didn’t necessarily mean knowing someone’s true intentions. Yun Qinghuan was cautious and indirectly informed her about Bai’s family difficulties, emphasizing that even the money for buying meat was hard to come by. She also clarified that the twenty yuan from her parents wasn’t a kind gesture but the result of Bai Wensong sending money to her maternal family. Her parents gave it to her out of embarrassment.
Now, her parents were pressuring her to remarry, which she found heartless.
Upon hearing Yun Qinghuan’s words, Jiang Wenxiu seemed to ponder. She turned to comfort her, “Qinghuan, relax. Things will definitely get better.”
“Hopefully, my parents won’t come and pressure me to remarry. I just want to raise An’an peacefully and let him grow up. It’s a way of honoring Wensong. Otherwise…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but Jiang Wenxiu understood her concerns. “Sister, don’t worry. You’re now a member of our Bai family village. If your parents really come, we won’t stand by and watch them take you away. We’ll definitely be on your side.”
They no longer addressed each other by name but rather affectionately, with Jiang Wenxiu calling Yun Qinghuan “sister.” Yun Qinghuan wiped away the nonexistent tears in her eyes and looked at Jiang Wenxiu with gratitude. “Sister, thank you so much.”
She then turned her gaze to the food Jiang Wenxiu was carrying. “Sister, are you taking this meal to Brother Guanglin?”
Guanglin, full name Bai Guanglin, was Jiang Wenxiu’s husband, and the two had been happily married for several years.
“Yes, he’s been busy all morning, and he must be hungry now.” When talking about her husband, Jiang Wenxiu’s eyes filled with a smile.
It was evident that she deeply cared for Bai Guanglin.
Well, Bai Guanglin was considered a good man in the village. When he married Jiang Wenxiu, they soon had a daughter named Jiaojiao. However, due to Jiang Wenxiu’s petite frame, she suffered physical injuries during childbirth, and for several years afterward, she couldn’t conceive again.
In a rural community that valued sons over daughters, this was a significant issue. She only gave birth to one daughter, and not having a son was akin to a hen that couldn’t lay eggs. Many in the village advised Bai Guanglin to divorce and remarry, including Jiang Wenxiu’s mother-in-law. This even made Jiang Wenxiu cry when she was still in postpartum recovery.
Fortunately, Bai Guanglin stood by her and didn’t divorce her. He always defended her when others criticized her. Although she married into the Bai family, it was considered a good match, and this at least comforted Jiang Wenxiu. However, she still felt resentful, intentionally naming her daughter Jiaojiao to spite her mother-in-law and those villagers who considered a daughter a financial loss.
She insisted on pampering her daughter to the heavens. If anyone dared to say her daughter was a financial burden in front of her, she would unleash a barrage of insults, claiming that sons were the real financial burden. After all, raising a son not only required supporting him until adulthood but also accumulating money for his future house, dowry, and even supporting him in raising his own children – a lifetime of toil.
In contrast, a daughter was like a thoughtful little cotton jacket. Besides helping with household chores, she could also bring a dowry when she got married. Despite people in the village criticizing her, calling her words absurd, and predicting a lonely old age without a son to care for her, Jiang Wenxiu remained resilient. She faced all the offensive comments head-on.
As time passed, nobody dared to speak ill of Jiang Wenxiu in front of her anymore, not even her mother-in-law, who had been intimidated by her strong-willed character. Even if they were displeased, they no longer dared to utter hurtful words.
At that time, Liu Yuzhi told the original host that Bai Guanglin could be considered a decent man. If he had divorced Jiang Wenxiu over this matter, even if some people refrained from commenting openly, they would gossip behind his back, calling him heartless. After all, Jiang Wenxiu suffered injuries while giving birth to their child, not due to pre-existing difficulties in conceiving.
Liu Yuzhi also added that Jiang Wenxiu was fortunate because she was both beautiful and intelligent. If Bai Guanglin had divorced her, it would be challenging for him to find someone with better conditions than Jiang Wenxiu. After all, Bai Guanglin’s family wasn’t exceptionally wealthy.
In reality, sometimes men are quite pragmatic.
Fortunately, Jiang Wenxiu’s luck turned around a few years ago when she unexpectedly became pregnant. This time, she gave birth to a son, bringing immense joy to her mother-in-law. They named the son “Gousheng,” and even though Jiang Wenxiu didn’t explicitly express her affection for the boy, it was evident that she held her head high.
Before, although she was eloquent, she still felt inferior to others due to her lack of a son, feeling sorry for Bai Guanglin.
At this moment, the two of them chatted as they walked forward, quickly reaching the fields.
On the other side, Liu Yuzhi had just returned the farming tools, wiped the sweat from her forehead with the towel hanging around her neck, and was ready to go back to cook.
She was drenched in sweat, and even her thin long sleeves were soaked, with the sun reddening her face.
Next to her, Zhang Yufen also wiped the sweat from her forehead. At this moment, her mother-in-law had brought lunch, and she planned to rest for a while in the shade, eat, and then continue working. Seeing Liu Yuzhi preparing to leave, she directly said, “Mother, are you going back? The lunch break is short. Your round trip will take a lot of time. Will you be able to finish your work later?”
If she couldn’t finish, the work points earned would be far less.
Liu Yuzhi smiled, “My daughter-in-law is sick, and my son is the way he is. There’s no one at home to cook. I have to rush back to prepare a meal. It’s okay; I’ll come back quickly. If necessary, I can return a bit later in the evening. I’ll manage to finish the work.”
Someone nearby couldn’t stand seeing this daughter-in-law being treated well, and sarcastically commented, “Isn’t the daughter-in-law here to serve the mother-in-law? Who has a daughter-in-law like you, serving her every day? You don’t even let her step on the field, and now you won’t even let her cook. Be careful, you might end up spoiling a brat. When she remarries, you’ll be the one crying!”
KNOWLEDGE CENTER
[Jiaojiao” (交交)
The name “Jiaojiao”, in this context, seems to be chosen with a sense of resentment or defiance. It’s not a standard given name but rather a name intentionally selected by Jiang Wenxiu to express her frustration and opposition to the prevailing view in the rural community that daughters were seen as a financial burden. The name might carry a nuance of rebelliousness or a desire to challenge societal expectations.]
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Translator Note
Next release
– Dec. 25 (4pm)
(There’ll be extra chapters for Christmas, stay tuned!)
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- Matthew 6:2
“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
