Chapter 33

“‘I’m not sure.’ Fan Jin frowned slightly, hesitating as he said, ‘I’ve traveled to Nanning Prefecture and Huanning Prefecture for my studies and exams, but as a poor scholar, I don’t think I would be a target for robbery.’

Even if there were malicious people with sudden ill intent, they would target solitary rich merchants rather than poor scholars.

Fan Jin spoke implicitly, but Shuiqing understood.

She looked at the gentle and refined Fan Jin, who exuded an air of a scholar and seemed easy to bully.

Such a person, carrying a batch of valuable herbs or returning to town with money… would be no different from a fat sheep.

‘Forget it, let’s sell the herbs here in Guangning Prefecture first. We can think of other ways to make money later.’

Fan Jin listened to Shuiqing.

His son was young, his daughter would be in danger if taken out, and he was not afraid to travel alone. He just worried about not making money and losing the herbs.

Shuiqing noticed Fan Jin’s relieved expression. She had several ways to make money in mind, but they all involved doing business.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants – throughout history, merchants have always had low status, with various policies favoring agriculture over commerce. The Ming Dynasty she belonged to was no exception.

Merchants couldn’t hold official positions and even faced restrictions on marriage.

Their activities of gathering and selling herbs and collecting a bit of Euryale seed in the village still fell within the agricultural scope. If they openly opened a shop and conducted cross-regional trade, it would not only ruin Fan Jin’s prospects but also affect the family’s children.

Moreover, Fan Jin wasn’t suited for business.

He preferred reading and literary work.

Shuiqing then thought of herself. As Fan Jin’s wife, they were bound together, and she couldn’t do business openly.

She could only cultivate the next generation well and see if any of the five children had a talent for business… if worst came to worst, she could send them out. Well, she wasn’t their biological mother, after all – she was ruthless…

Late at night, lying in the thatched cottage, Shuiqing tossed and turned, realizing why such cottages had been phased out – they were neither warm in winter nor cool in summer. Besides blocking wind and rain, they had no advantages.

As she tossed and turned, she felt a familiar warmth beneath her.

Recognizing the feeling, she quickly got up without disturbing her two daughters on the wooden bed opposite and quietly went outside.

Of the three thatched cottages, one stored food and other items, one housed her and her daughters, and one was shared by Fan Jin and their three sons.

She went to the simple toilet enclosed by a fence, lifted her clothes, and confirmed it.

Skillfully, she opened the online store, spent two thousand points to unlock daily necessities, found what she needed, and put it on.

Looking at the remaining balance of less than eight thousand, she sighed worriedly.

She hoped that during this period, no one would fall ill or encounter any unexpected problems…

·

Early in the morning, at least for Shuiqing, it was early.

The noisy sounds woke her up.

With a face full of irritation, she pushed open the door to see who was howling outside the house so early.

‘Grandma, don’t cry. Mom didn’t sleep well last night. Let her sleep a little longer,’ Yan Qiu, with furrowed brows, patiently advised.

Fan’s mother slapped her thigh and cried louder, ‘My poor son, getting up before dawn to transcribe books in the prefecture city, while his wife is still lazing in bed after sunrise. My son’s life is so hard!

I, as a mother-in-law, want to enter my son’s house, but I’m blocked by the grandchildren I raised. They’re all ungrateful. Why is my life so miserable!’

Shuiqing understood.

She thought, did Fan’s mother learn this or was it instinctive? How could she be just like some mothers-in-law in China?

Fan He hurriedly explained, ‘Grandma, Mom was tired yesterday and accidentally overslept today. Usually, she…’

‘No need to explain. I deliberately slept in. Not only did I get up late yesterday and today, but I’ll also get up whenever I want in the future!’

‘Why? This is my house. Do I need others’ permission to sleep?’ Shuiqing interrupted her eldest son’s explanation, speaking straightforwardly.

Fan’s mother didn’t expect her daughter-in-law to be so direct and was at a loss for words.

After a moment, she pointed at Shuiqing and scolded, ‘Don’t think that just because your family came yesterday and built a thatched cottage, you’re something special!

A worthless thatched cottage, what’s there to show off?’

‘If it’s worthless, then mother-in-law, build me another one,’ Shuiqing said with a yawn.

Fan’s mother: …she meant that Hu’s family shouldn’t be arrogant or overbearing!

‘Sister-in-law, since the families are separated, how can you let mother-in-law build another house?’ came a disapproving voice from the side.

Shuiqing looked over. Oh, her sister-in-law was here too.

This sister-in-law wasn’t particularly harmonious or filial with Fan’s mother when she wasn’t around, but as soon as she was present, Sun Jinhua tried her best to show how obedient and respectful she was to her mother-in-law.

Shuiqing deliberately elongated her tone, ‘Oh, we’re separated?’

Sun Jinhua’s face darkened.

Fan’s mother’s expression also darkened, ‘My son is my responsibility. As for you, married women should follow their husbands. This is the Fan family, not the Hu family!

You think you can act high and mighty in the Fan family and bully my son? See how I deal with you.’

Yan Qiu and Fan He looked tense, quietly moving to stand in front of Shuiqing.

Seeing the children’s actions, Shuiqing pulled them behind her and asked, ‘Why does mother-in-law only say half the words?’

Fan’s mother was puzzled.

Shuiqing continued, ‘Married women should follow their husbands. I remember the next part is if the husband dies, they follow their sons. Since father-in-law is gone, shouldn’t mother-in-law listen to her son?

Also, this house was built by my family. If mother-in-law wants to distinguish so clearly between the Fan and Hu families, just tell your son not to enter this house when he returns.

Or, if you don’t want to build a house for your son, you can take him back to live with you. I’m sure his elder brother and sister-in-law won’t object, right?’

Fan’s mother trembled with anger, ‘You, you…’

The thatched cottage seemed indeed irrefutable. Hu the butcher was not easy to deal with. Living by slaughtering pigs, he had a fierce temperament. If he made his daughter move out of the house he built, he wouldn’t let it go!

But if she took her second son back to live with them… after the separation, their rooms were immediately given to the golden grandchildren. If she made her grandsons move out, they would hate her.

Sun Jinhua, afraid that the separated family might return, quickly said, ‘Sister-in-law, don’t say that. How can we separate the couple? What kind of people would that make us?’

‘Alright, we don’t have much food at home, so we won’t keep mother-in-law and sister-in-law for breakfast,’ Shuiqing waved, clearly indicating it was time to leave.

Fan’s mother, who intended to give a stern warning, found herself speechless. Instead of a submissive daughter-in-law begging her, she faced a straightforward rebuttal.

Feeling frustrated, she left with Sun Jinhua, who complained on the way, ‘I told you that the second daughter-in-law is different now, but you didn’t believe me!

Now, look, we came for nothing.’

Fan’s mother thought she hadn’t performed well on the day of the separation. She had prepared her words, determined to suppress the second daughter-in-law, but to no avail.

Taking a deep breath, she said viciously, ‘Let’s go find your eldest cousin!’

She couldn’t let Hu Shuiqing use rice to trade for Euryale seeds anymore!”