Chapter 38 Wang Luosheng hits a wall
Shen Lin said: “Grandfather, the Yang family helped me to break all the corn. I have no way to repay them. I can only use Su Wan’s ox cart to repay them.”
“And I often help my uncle’s family with work. I don’t owe them anything, so naturally I don’t need to repay them.”
“I don’t think a grandfather would want his grandson to be someone who doesn’t repay a favor.”
Su Wan was very pleased that this filial son and grandson of feudal society finally understood the truth.
Old Woman Shen came forward and said unreasonably: “I don’t know what kind of favors or returns are, I only know that filial piety is greater than heaven, you have to listen to me and your grandfather.”
Shen Lin said: “I have done ten times more than my uncle. If this is still unfilial, then I will do the same as my uncle in the future.”
“The rules of propriety in the world are not just about observing filial piety. I am loyal to the emperor and the country, I support my mother, and I have a family. If my grandparents don’t allow me to do other things, they are asking me to be disloyal, unfilial, heartless and ungrateful. From now on, if my grandparents make such unreasonable requests again, I will not obey them.”
After Shen Lin finished speaking, he pulled the reins of the ox and, ignoring the old man Shen yelling behind him, pulled the ox cart towards the river. Su Wan and Shen Yaya took a few steps and then jumped onto the ox cart.
Shen Lin also sat on the ox cart and started driving.
As the sun set, the ox cart swayed slowly. Shen Lin fed the oxen by the river and then loaded some fodder onto the cart so that the oxen could eat slowly when they returned.
After doing all this, Shen Lin and Su Wan took Shen Yaya to send the ox cart to the next village. The family in the next village also raised cattle for their own use. There were some people in the countryside who shamelessly asked him to borrow the ox cart, but no one rented the ox cart from him.
The family was very happy to receive the fifteen cents from Su Wan for renting the cattle and the ox cart. Seeing that Su Wan and Shen Lin had already fed the cattle with water and grass, they said, “You who rent cattle and ox carts are more attentive than those who borrowed from me. They borrowed the cattle and returned them, and they didn’t care whether the cattle had enough to drink or eat.”
“In the future, if you want to rent oxen and ox carts, come to me again. I can give you a lower price.”
Shen Lin and Su Wan thanked the owner of the cart with a smile, and went back to Qingshi Village.
Wang Luosheng came back from school today and waited in the backyard for Su Wan to appear so that he could ask her to come over and ask about her wages.
Wang Luosheng waited and waited, but Su Wan didn’t appear in the backyard. Wang Luosheng left the Wang family and came to the main gate of the Shen family. Seeing that the main gate of the Shen family was locked, Wang Luosheng took a chair and sat at the gate of his yard, staring at the road ahead all the time. Fortunately, he saw Su Wan as soon as she appeared.
Wang Luosheng waited and waited until the sun had completely set, then he saw Shen Lin, Su Wan and Shen Yaya walking back together.
The picture of the three people was harmonious, like a young couple leading a child. Wang Luosheng suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
When Wang Luosheng saw Su Wan and Shen Lin walking towards him with Shen Yaya from a distance, he felt a little uncomfortable.
Come to think of it, it was all Su Wan’s fault that she fainted in the street. If she hadn’t fainted, would the Wang family have been able to sever ties with her so easily? She would have stayed in the Wang family, or helped the Wang family work in the Duan family to earn wages. Judging from her current appearance, he would be willing to marry her as a concubine in the future.
Although Wang Luosheng knew that he had married Su Wan as his wife and Yang Yunyan as his concubine in his previous life, which had wronged Yang Yunyan, as long as he handled it properly and made Yang Yunyan his wife and Su Wan his concubine in this life, then wouldn’t all the conflicts in his previous life be gone?
Wang Luosheng also saw that Su Wan was completely different from before. Now Wang Luosheng did not hate Su Wan in his heart. In fact, many times, Wang Luosheng would even think that it would not be impossible if Su Wan could be by his side to add to his charm.
Su Wan also saw Wang Luosheng sitting near the gate of the Wang family, but Su Wan acted as if she didn’t see him. She held Shen Yaya’s hand and followed Shen Lin closely.
“Cough, cough, cough,” Wang Luosheng thought Su Wan didn’t see him, so he coughed a few times on purpose.
Su Wan pretended not to hear anything and followed Shen Lin into the Shen family’s front door. Wang Luosheng couldn’t hold back and called out, “Su Wan.”
However, Su Wan still acted as if she didn’t hear anything, and both feet had already stepped into the Shen family’s gate.
Wang Luosheng got anxious and ran out of his house, shouting towards the Shen family’s door: “Su Wan.”
Shen Lin stopped closing the gate.
Wang Luosheng called out again: “Su Wan.”
Su Wan frowned, her tone a little impatient: “What’s wrong, Young Master Wang?”
Su Wan called him Young Master Wang. In the past, Su Wan called Wang Luosheng “Brother Luosheng”, which was very affectionate. In the past, whenever Su Wan called Wang Luosheng, Wang Luosheng felt annoyed. At this time, when Su Wan called Wang Luosheng “Young Master Wang”, Wang Luosheng felt even more lost.
“I want to tell you something.” Wang Luosheng’s tone was very gentle.
Su Wan stood inside the half-open door of the Shen family: “Young Master Wang, if you have anything to say, just talk here.”
Wang Luosheng’s tone became a little gentler: “It’s probably not convenient to talk about it here.”
Su Wan listened and said, “Men and women should be separated. Things that cannot be said in public are not suitable to be said in private. If Young Master Wang has nothing else to say, I will go back.”
Su Wan said this and was about to close the door.
Wang Luosheng hurried forward, closed the door of Shen’s house, and said, “Sister Su Wan, I really have something to tell you.”
In the past, Wang Luosheng had never called Su Wan “sister”. They both always called Su Wan’s name in a condescending and bossy manner. But this time, when Wang Luosheng called Su Wan “sister”, there was actually a hint of flattery in his tone.
Seeing this, Shen Lin was about to go into the house.
Su Wan stopped Shen Lin and said, “Brother Shen Lin, please wait for me. There is nothing you cannot hear when Young Master Wang talks to me.”
Wang Luosheng was anxious. The reason he came to find Su Wan was because he listened to his mother and came to ask Su Wan how much wages she had left and to get her wages back.
A few days ago, Mrs Wang was counting on the wages, so she bought new clothes and new things, all on credit, and hired a maid, which Mrs Wang first moved from the Wang family’s savings. Now, the time for Mrs Wang to pay the clothing shop and other shops is coming, and Mrs Wang can see that Su Wan is in good spirits and has no signs of weakness, so Mrs Wang sent Wang Luosheng to collect Su Wan’s wages.
Of course, Mrs Wang also specifically told Wang Luosheng to pretend to be gentle and caring to Su Wan, so that Su Wan would be immediately touched and would want to continue to work hard for the Wang family.
Wang Luosheng didn’t need Mrs Wang’s special instructions to be gentle to Su Wan. He had seen Su Wan by chance during these days. Whenever he saw Su Wan, his attitude would unconsciously soften. Therefore, Wang Luosheng’s gentleness at this moment was definitely not fake.
Wang Luosheng felt a headache when he saw that Su Wan would not let Shen Lin leave. If Shen Lin was there, he would really feel embarrassed to mention the issue of wages to Su Wan.
But since he had already called Su Wan over, he had to say something. Wang Luosheng said, “How have you been these days? Have you had enough to eat and wear warm clothes? Mother and sister are very worried about you.”
Su Wan sneered in her heart. She was worried that she would cut off all ties with her when she heard that she fainted on the road and owed money to the pharmacy. She was worried that she would not say hello or come to the Shen family to see her these days. This worry must be about her money.
Su Wan said, “I eat well and live well at Brother Shen’s house. Aunt Wang and Luo Xue don’t have to worry. Young Master Wang, don’t worry too.”
Su Wan closed the door again, and Wang Luosheng hurriedly opened it: “Sister Su Wan, I have something else to say to you.”
Su Wan said: “Master Wang, there were rumors that we were engaged before. Although it has been clarified now, it is best to avoid suspicion in the future, so that others will not think that we are really engaged.”
Su Wan said this and completely closed the door of the Shen family.
Wang Luosheng knocked on the door again, but it was no use. Su Wan, Shen Lin and Shen Yaya had already returned to their rooms.
Wang Luosheng complained bitterly. He had originally planned to talk to Su Wan about her wages, but he had no chance to do so just now. It seemed that he would have to wait until next time.
Wang Luosheng returned home dejectedly, secretly pondering what Su Wan had just said. Wang Luosheng thought to himself that Su Wan must have guessed that he now had a lover. After all, he had asked Su Wan to cook some food for Yang Yunyan to please her before. Wang Luosheng thought to himself that Su Wan must have done this for his own good, to prevent rumors between him and her from affecting his future marriage.
However, this delayed him from asking her for his wages. Wang Luosheng thought about it and decided that he had to leave school early tomorrow and discuss the wages with Su Wan outside where Shen Lin was not around.
Shen Lin, Su Wan and Shen Yaya returned to the house, but unexpectedly, Mrs Shen had prepared a pot of coarse grain porridge for them.
Mrs Shen hadn’t been in the kitchen for two years since she caught a cold in her legs, and now she was cooking a pot of porridge.
Shen Lin, Su Wan, and Shen Yaya were all very surprised. Mrs Shen was still sitting on the kang, smiling and saying to the three of them, “I don’t know why, but these past few days, I’ve felt my legs getting stronger every day. This afternoon, you weren’t here, and Lin’er’s grandparents were yelling outside. I was a little worried, and suddenly I felt some strength in my legs, so I went downstairs to walk around. Unexpectedly, I could still walk.”
“Before, Wanwan said that my leg would get better, and I just thought she was comforting me. Now it seems that my leg is indeed much better than before.”
Shen Yaya said: “Since Sister Su Wan came, good things seem to happen in our family every day.”
Mrs Shen also said: “Yes, ever since Su Wan moved in, I feel like life seems to be getting better day by day.”
Su Wan smiled and said, “Then I won’t be polite. Just consider it as a bit of good luck. However, although my aunt’s leg has improved a little, there is no reason for it to get better. After Brother Shen Lin finishes the autumn harvest, we’d better go to Qingzhou Prefecture to take a look.”
Su Wan had been a neighbor of Shen Lin’s family before, so she naturally knew that Shen Lin had invited all the doctors in Qingyun County Clinic for Shen’s help, but none of them could cure Shen’s leg. It was precisely because of the consultation with all the doctors in Qingyun County that Shen Lin’s family had become so destitute now.
Shen Lin also nodded: “It is indeed necessary to go to Qingzhou Prefecture for a visit. If we can find a good doctor, it would be best if the disease can be cured.”
“When the autumn harvest comes, we will have money. This year’s harvest will be used to treat my mother’s illness. As for the future, I will go to the county town to work and earn some money, which I think will be enough to feed our family.”
Su Wan said, “The harvest from the fields is so small, and Grandpa Shen and Grandma Shen want some money as a tribute. I don’t know if it’s enough for Aunt Shen to go to Qingzhou Prefecture for medical treatment.”
Shen Lin said: “From now on, I will not pay money to my grandparents. My father has always paid money for his work over the years, and he has already repaid my grandparents for their kindness in raising me.”
Su Wan was very pleased that Shen Lin finally stopped being foolishly filial.
Su Wan had money, so naturally he could use it to pay for Mrs Shen’s medical treatment. The reason why Su Wan did not mention her own money was to make Shen Lin clearly realize that the money was not enough for his own use, and there was no extra money to give to those irrelevant people. Shen Lin was able to realize this, and Su Wan’s efforts were not in vain.
Mrs Shen felt a little uncomfortable and hesitated to ask if this was inappropriate. Mrs Shen was kind. In fact, Shen Lin’s previous filial piety to his grandparents was also largely related to Mrs Shen’s education.
When Shen Lin heard his mother say this, he told Mrs Shen about what Old Man Shen and Old Woman Shen had done over the years. It was really harsh for their grandparents to do this.
Mrs Shen said: “I know they are overdoing it, but if you ignore them, people will inevitably say you are unfilial.”
Shen Lin asked back: “I have been following the wishes of my grandparents all these years, but I have also gained a reputation of being unfilial. Since both filial piety and unfilial piety are unfilial, I might as well be truly unfilial in the future.”
