Chapter 30: The Past of the Zhou Family

Lu Qiniang noticed that Xiao Yan seemed lost in thought, and assumed he was feeling awkward. She quickly pulled Erya by the hand.

“Who says there are no new clothes?” she smiled and said. “They’re inside the room. All three of you sisters have a set. Go ahead and try them on.”

“Huh? I have new clothes?”

Erya, excited, didn’t even ask where the clothes had come from, and rushed into the room, her feet tapping quickly on the floor.

A moment later, a surprised exclamation came from her room: “Ah! These are so beautiful! They’re just as nice as the ones I wore at the Zhou family!”

Lu Qiniang quietly said to Xiao Yan, “Everyone thinks others are living well, but every family has its own hardships. The way things are for you now, don’t blame others for not helping. Perhaps they also have their own difficulties.”

Xiao Yan didn’t respond.

What kind of difficulties could Yun Ting have?

His biggest trouble in life was probably not being able to find any hardship to endure.

Lu Qiniang was mistaken.

She thought that Yun Ting had refused to help her.

But in reality, from Erya’s words, it seemed that Yun Ting had been locked away by his family.

The one to be guarded against was probably herself.

Xiao Yan was beginning to understand what it meant to be a family.

“Relying on others doesn’t work. I’ve never thought of depending on anyone. If you lean on a mountain, it will collapse; if you rely on water, it will flow away. Neither is dependable.”

Lu Qiniang thought back to her own past.

She had once thought that with her father-in-law, who was a teacher, their family could live a respectable life. But then her father-in-law fell ill and never recovered.

She had thought her mother-in-law treated her like a daughter, making up for the maternal love she had lost. But after her father-in-law passed away, her mother-in-law fell into depression and passed away as well.

In the span of a year, she and Zhang Heyao had lost two of their elders.

She had once thought that Zhang Heyao could excel through his studies, even foolishly dreaming of a day when she would wear a phoenix coronet and a bridal gown.

But in the end…

The three of them had been reunited underground, leaving her alone in the world.

Thinking of her deceased loved ones, Lu Qiniang’s eyes reddened.

“Xiao Yan, you don’t need to worry. Since I’ve bought you, I’ll make sure I can support you. Don’t try to get in touch with people you knew before; everyone has their own struggles.”

She couldn’t bear to say more—how people elevate themselves while stepping on others, the coldness of human relations, these were things she had experienced herself.

Xiao Yan was already in a difficult situation; she didn’t want to add to his wounds.

Xiao Yan responded with a quiet “Mm”: “You’re right.”

It was his fault.

He had failed to be even half as strong as Lu Qiniang, a woman.

Lu Qiniang had never bowed her head to fate. No matter how difficult things got, she would carve her own path.

Now, he had been sold into slavery. If he wanted to earn money, he would have to rely on himself.

If Lu Qiniang, a woman, could work, why couldn’t he?

He would do whatever he was physically capable of, based on how much his body had recovered.

For example, right now, he could write. In the future, he could find work transcribing books, which should help supplement the household income.

Xiao Yan felt that Lu Qiniang was like a little sun, always warm.

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s not talk about it anymore. Erya’s just a kid, she doesn’t mean any harm. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Mm, it was my fault, making her run for nothing.”

As they were speaking, Erya came out in her new clothes, happily spinning around in the courtyard.

“Mother, do I look good?”

“You look great, my little ancestor. Don’t spin anymore, you’ll get dizzy and fall, and dirty your new clothes,” Lu Qiniang said with a laugh.

“Don’t worry, I’d never let my new clothes fall on the ground,” Erya stopped spinning, reached up to touch the embroidery on the collar, and then, belatedly, asked, “Mother, where did these new clothes come from? Did you secretly buy them for me earlier and not tell me, planning to surprise me for the New Year?”

Lu Qiniang answered vaguely, “Mm… as long as you’re happy.”

At that moment, Sanya, in high spirits, chimed in, “It wasn’t Mother who bought them. It was Wei Mama who had someone send them. We all have one. In my clothes, there’s even a sachet with pine nut candy inside! Second Sister, I’ll give you a piece!”

She was still holding a piece in her mouth, yet somehow managed to speak clearly despite having the candy in her mouth.

Erya immediately scowled, her face falling. “Who wants her stuff! Mother, we don’t want it, I’ll take it off and return it to her right now!”

Xiao Yan was surprised.

Now that she heard it was Wei Mama who sent it, she  refused to accept it?

Erya even turned her anger on Sanya. “Eat, eat, eat, all you know is to eat! Give me the sachet! We’ll return everything! We don’t want her dirty stuff!”

“Erya, what kind of talk is that? What’s dirty about it?” Lu Qiniang scolded gently.

She had been worried that Erya would blow up upon hearing Wei Mama’s name, but she hadn’t expected the girl’s reaction to be even stronger than she had imagined.

“I’m disgusted by her heart,” Erya spat, turning to go inside and take off her new clothes.

At that moment, Lu Qiniang grabbed her.

“Erya, I know you’re angry. But it’s been so long since that incident. And before it happened, didn’t I tell you we were leaving the Zhou family? It’s nothing. Anyway, we’ve already left.”

“Leaving doesn’t mean we should let people slander us!” Erya retorted, her voice sharp. “To put it another way, if you want to help her, that’s fine, but she didn’t even ask you, just threw her dirty water on you. I’ll never respect that old, stinking thing!”

“Erya.” Daya came out from the kitchen, frowning as she shook her head at her. “Take off the new clothes and come to the kitchen to help me. I have to cook and also make medicine for Mother. I can’t manage both.”

She coaxed Erya into her room, and the two girls whispered together, though what they were saying remained unclear.

Lu Qiniang sighed again, glancing at Xiao Yan, hesitant to speak.

Xiao Yan said, “If you don’t want to bring it up, there’s no need to. I won’t ask.”

Everyone has a past.

If talking about it just reopens old wounds, then it’s better to leave it be and let the healing continue.

“There’s nothing I don’t want to bring up. It’s actually just a small matter—let’s go inside and talk. You’re in poor health, you can’t keep standing out here.”

Once inside, Lu Qiniang briefly explained the entanglement between herself and Wei Mama.

“Actually, I was brought into the Zhou family by Wei Mama…”

The Zhou family, like many other prominent families, had a large household with intricate relationships.

Wei Mama was the personal maid of the First Madam, trusted by her, with a high status and respect from the servants.

The First Madam had come from a humble background, so she kept a tight hold on the master of the house, forbidding him from taking concubines.

However, the First Madam had trouble conceiving. Ten years of marriage had passed with no children.

Meanwhile, the Second and Third Houses had each borne several sons. The First Madam could not stand the comparison, and finally relented, allowing the master to take a concubine.

The concubine, however, proved fruitful. Within two months of entering the household, she became pregnant.

In no time, the First House experienced a double joy, and the master of the house was overwhelmed with happiness.

The concubine gave birth to a son, who was the Fifth Young Master of the Zhou family, Zhou Xiaoyao. Those close to the family called him “Yao Ge.”

Soon after, the First Madam gave birth to a son, Zhou Shijia, the Sixth Young Master of the Zhou family.

It’s worth noting that, in this generation, all the young masters were given names starting with the character “Shi,” except for Zhou Xiaoyao. This showed how much the First Madam resented the Fifth Young Master.

As for the concubine, after giving birth, she was immediately sold off by the First Madam.

The First Madam never bothered to hide her control over the master of the house.

Her frequent saying was, “I married above my station to live a life that satisfies me, not to endure humiliation and swallow my bitterness.”