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Xiaodu Village—
In a dilapidated small courtyard, Du Qi was sitting at the doorway mending clothes, while Du Shi sat beside her, helping her sort the threads.
“You, you’re just too hot-tempered,” Du Qi said, her eyes lowered, hands busy as she kept working. “So much time has passed already. What’s the harm in enduring a bit more?”
“And besides… didn’t you say your sister-in-law brought her two daughters back? The older one’s already 13, and the younger one is 11, right?”
“Getting a wife isn’t cheap. Wouldn’t it be better to have Yong’er and Xuan’er marry her two daughters? Two daughters-in-law for free—how great would that be!”
Du Shi exploded at once. “What am I, a death-seeking fool trying to hang myself?”
“Now that Ye Daquan treats them like the apples of his eye, if they really became my daughters-in-law, wouldn’t they just walk all over me?”
“Am I marrying daughters-in-law or inviting ancestors into my house? If I have to put up with that humiliation, I’d rather bash my head in and have some peace!”
“You—” Du Qi set her needle down with a scowl. “Then tell me, what should we do now?”
“Your Ye family has always been biased toward her. You’re destined to never get the upper hand with her! Now you’ve even stormed off back to your parents’ house—do you really think they’ll come and fetch you? In the end, won’t you just sneak back with your tail between your legs?”
“You’re throwing your pride on the ground and letting people trample on it! At your age, how have you not figured this out yet?”
Du Shi gritted her teeth, silent and unwilling to respond.
Ever since returning to her parents’ home, she had regretted it. Everything her mother had said was true, and in the end, she was the one who looked bad.
At that moment, a thin, wiry man came in from outside, carrying two bundles of firewood. He frowned and said, “Sister, when are you going back?”
Hearing those words, Du Shi’s eyes filled with tears.
When Ye Caiping returned to her parents’ home, her two brothers went as far as borrowing money to ensure she had white rice to eat.
But when she, Du Shi, came back, she had only one bowl of coarse rice porridge, and her younger brother acted as though she had taken two big bites out of his own flesh.
Same blood, same family—how could the treatment be so vastly different?
“Elder Sister,” her sister-in-law said just then, stepping out of the kitchen with two wilted, drooping radishes in her hands.
“Early this morning, Daya wouldn’t stop coughing. Looks like she’s caught a cold. If you keep sharing a bed with her, I’m afraid you might get sick too. These radishes are all we have at home. Take them back with you to eat.”
Du Shi stared at the two withered radishes, her anger surging. Seeing her brother remain silent, an overwhelming wave of grievance crashed over her.
“What’s this?” Du Shi snapped. “Two lousy radishes, and you’re rushing to send me off before lunchtime, just because I ate half a bowl of porridge?”
“If it weren’t for the six taels of dowry money I gave you, do you think you would have married anyone? Now, after just one night, you’re trying to get rid of me! Don’t you have any conscience?”
The brother furrowed his brows. “What nonsense are you talking? When did I ever try to get rid of you?”
With that, he plopped down on a small bench and picked up the axe, chopping firewood in silence.
“Don’t go throwing dirt on our heads, big sister,” his sister-in-law said, hands on her hips. “I told you, Daya’s sick. If you catch her illness, no one will be happy about it.”
Du Qi’s face darkened. “Enough, all of you, shut up! It’s just one extra mouth to feed—how’s that going to make you lose any weight?”
The sister-in-law was taken aback, her usual polite words fading away, as she sulkily lowered her head.
“Mother, I’m just looking out for Big Sister. If you’re going to leave today, fine. But if you wait a few more days, won’t it just make things worse? What will the Ye family think of you then? They’ll say you’re completely unaware of your own position and still expecting them to come fetch you.”
Du Shi wanted to retort, but she had no comeback. What her sister-in-law said was the truth!
“Hey, in-laws, you’re here!” A voice suddenly rang out.
The Du family jumped in surprise. They looked up to see Old Madam Ye and Ye Daquan standing at the door.
“Oh my, in-laws and son-in-law, what brings you here!” Du Qi exclaimed, excitedly jumping up and quickly stepping forward to usher Old Madam Ye inside.
Ye Daquan chuckled awkwardly and followed behind.
“Yesterday, Daquan and his wife had a fight, and he made his wife so angry that she went back to her parents’ home,” said Old Lady Ye. “He’s just coming to pick her up, right?”
Du Qi was overjoyed at these words.
However, her sister-in-law’s expression was uneasy. Just now, she had belittled Du Shi, saying that her in-laws wouldn’t come to pick her up. But now, they were here. And Old Lady Ye had come herself.
Although she was happy that her elder sister-in-law was finally leaving, she felt embarrassed.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, your anger must have subsided by now. You can’t live without you at home. Come back with me,” Old Lady Ye said.
Du Qi breathed a sigh of relief. “Look, your husband and your mother-in-law have both come to pick you up. Go back, go back!”
Although Du Shi was still angry, her in-laws had come to pick her up, giving her a long staircase to climb down. So, she pursed her lips and said, “Then I’ll go back.”
Before leaving, Old Lady Ye stuffed two radishes and a big cabbage from the basket into Du Qi’s hands. “I brought you some vegetables. Don’t refuse them, my dear.”
There was a famine everywhere this year, and being able to bring some vegetables was already considered good.
Old Lady Ye felt sorry for her daughter-in-law, but how could she visit her relatives empty-handed?
Du Qi beamed. “These radishes are so juicy. You’re too kind.”
Her sister-in-law’s face turned red, and she quickly hid the two wrinkled radishes in her hands.
…
After saying goodbye to Du Qi and the others, Old Lady Ye and the three of them left.
Once they were outside Xiaodu Village, Old Lady Ye put on a stern face:
“Eldest daughter-in-law, although Daquan was wrong first, your temper is too much.”
“I know. You’re upset about Caiping. But I’m telling you, if it wasn’t for Caiping forcing Daquan and me, we wouldn’t have come to pick you up. Caiping has changed because of that blow.”
Although Old Lady Ye had given Du Shi enough face at the Du family, she still had to warn her.
Du Shi’s face was ashen as she followed behind.
She didn’t believe that people could change so easily.
Ye Caiping might have calmed down for a while because of being divorced. But old habits die hard. It wouldn’t be long before her tail and claws would show again.
However, no matter what happened to Ye Caiping in the future, it was indeed because of her that he was not embarrassed today.
Du Shi pursed her lips. “If she can’t find someone to marry in three months, I’ll give her another month, okay?”
Old Lady Ye was finally satisfied.
With an extra month, her daughter could choose carefully!
Old Lady Ye said, “It’s only a few months. Even if there are more conflicts, just endure it!”
“As long as she doesn’t cause trouble, I won’t bother her. But after she remarries, her room can’t be left as it is. Her room needs to be vacated for Yong Er to get married. Jin’er and her sister will live with Jin Hua and Yin Hua.”
Old Lady Ye thought about Ye Yong, who was already 19. He was poor, and if he didn’t even have a separate room, how could he find a wife?
Old Lady Ye sighed and nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
Du Shi breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, Yong Er finally had hope of finding a wife.
Ye Daquan frowned, feeling sorry for his sister having to give up her room.
But he also knew that the eldest son needed to get married. He couldn’t stay with his two brothers after marriage!
Note:
Characters
Other Characters:
Heigou – Ate poisonous roots
Heigou’s mother
Doctor Zhao
Zhao Facai – Neighbor
Village Head Ye- Sometime Ye Lizheng (Lizheng is a title that refers to Village Head/Chief)
Ye Bajin – Village Head’s Son
Fubao – Village Head’s Grandson
Places:
Qinghe Village: FL’s Village
Li Family Village
Great Zhou Dynasty