Chapter 5: Only the Appearance

It was rumored that Hu Guifen had initially wanted to sell her to the old cripple.

Hu Yao had encountered the old cripple several times. Each time, he would scan her with a disturbing gaze. Whenever they crossed paths, even in public, his lascivious eyes were so blatant that it made her skin crawl.

He wasn’t even from their village, yet he would often wander around their village.

Once, when Hu Yao was washing her family’s clothes by the river and almost tripped while carrying a basin, he helped her up. His disrespectful and lewd smile made her hair stand on end.

She knew Hu Guifen disliked her, but she never imagined that she would actually sell her to the old cripple for money! It was clear she didn’t care about their mother-daughter relationship at all.

She could have refused the marriage, she had even talked to…

At this thought, Hu Yao’s eyes dimmed.

If it weren’t for Jiang Han’s interest in her appearance and his willingness to pay Hu Guifen more, her situation would be even worse.

“Boil it and give it to Yaoyao to eat!” Jiang Xiaochao’s childish voice brought her back to reality.

“Auntie will eat it too!”

Jiang Xiaochao finally caught the wild chicken in the yard, holding it tightly in his arms. No matter how much it struggled, he wouldn’t let go.

He even choked its neck with his small hand.

Lin Zhaodi smiled again: “Alright, I’ll take care of it after I finish washing the clothes.”

Hu Yao’s injury was serious, and Lin Zhaodi knew that the chicken was originally caught by Jiang Han for them. She had no objection to Jiang Xiaochao’s idea of boiling it.

“No need, it’s too much trouble. I can do it myself.”

Hearing Lin Zhaodi say she would wash their clothes, Hu Yao quickly refused. It was fine before when she didn’t know any better, but now that she had recovered, she couldn’t possibly let her take care of everything for her.

Hu Yao insisted on doing the laundry herself, and Lin Zhaodi could only give in reluctantly. They both took the basin of dirty clothes to the river to wash.

A few years ago, every household had received their own land, no longer working together in a collective. Their harvest depended on their own efforts.

Without so many rules and regulations, people were much more relaxed.

In the scorching heat of July, the early morning breeze was cool and the sunshine warm and comfortable.

Taking advantage of this good weather, the aunties and young wives of Bianshan Village gathered by the river to wash their clothes, gossiping about each other’s lives.

As soon as Hu Yao and Lin Zhaodi arrived, the volume of their conversations noticeably decreased. It was clear that most of the gossip was about them.

Hu Yao’s situation was special. She was married to Jiang Han, and she had always been the subject of gossip. Lin Zhaodi wasn’t much better either. She and Li Zhuangzhi had been married for years without a child. Li Zhuangzhi wasn’t a good man, and he had countless affairs. Everyone said it was because Lin Zhaodi couldn’t bear children that Li Zhuangzhi was running around.

At first, people whispered behind their backs, but it was true that Lin Zhaodi couldn’t have children. Which woman wouldn’t be gossiped about for not being able to bear children? Gradually, the gossip became more public, and Li Zhuangzhi’s infidelity was justified.

Lin Zhaodi’s eyes reddened with anger, but she was helpless. She had tried every remedy and every method, but her belly remained empty. She had argued with the gossipers, but after countless times, she became numb.

After all, she wasn’t like Hu Yao, who had a son to protect her. Her husband would at least shield her.

But she, because she couldn’t bear children, was treated with disdain and scorn in the Li family. Li Zhuangzhi, instead of protecting her, even blamed her for not giving him a son.

“Sister Zhaodi.”

After hearing several remarks about Lin Zhaodi being a hen that couldn’t lay eggs, Hu Yao furrowed her brow.

She had heard countless such foul and hurtful words since she was a child, but even now, Hu Yao didn’t understand why women, being of the same sex, could be so cruel and malicious towards each other.

Their environments were all similar, no one was better off than the other. Yet, they were obsessed with heaping their own misery onto each other, as if that would make them feel better.

If the other person was even worse off, they would feel even more smug.

Hu Yao often had this kind of thought. Sometimes, she would feel that she was different from them. She didn’t want to become like them for the rest of her life.

But the reality was that her situation was even worse.

Everything Hu’s family did to her, and her repeated futile attempts to resist, served as a stark reminder that she had to follow the tide. She was like most people, without any capital.

Those with capital could live brightly, live wonderfully.

The only thing she had was her outstanding appearance.

That was why Jiang Han had intercepted her from the old cripple, wasn’t it? She had no choice but to be like them…

In this era, what men valued in women was their appearance, temperament, and whether they could bear children. Most men wouldn’t be content with just one woman.

But for women, marriage was a lifelong event. Marrying the wrong person was no different from being born into the wrong family.

In an environment where education levels were low and most people’s minds were closed, the only things women could rely on for the rest of their lives were their husbands and children.

This inevitably became a source of comparison. If they couldn’t compare in terms of husbands, they would compare in terms of sons.

Which woman wasn’t a fool, spending her entire life revolving around her children and her husband?

Hu Yao felt the wound on her forehead throbbing again.

Those malicious words, though not directed at her, still made her uncomfortable.

“It’s okay, let’s go over here.” Lin Zhaodi forced a smile at her. She was too tired to argue with them now. She walked away with Hu Yao and found a spot to squat down and wash clothes.

“The cut on your forehead is quite big. If you wash your hair these days, you should be careful.”

Lin Zhaodi ignored the gossiping women in the distance.

The person, talking to Hu Yao about other things, still had a hint of shame and anger on her face.

“I know.” Hu Yao nodded lightly, then asked something else: “Zhaodi, do you know how I got this injury?”

Lin Zhaodi sighed softly: “I don’t know how you got it either. It’s all my fault for not paying attention yesterday, letting you…”

She paused slightly, seeing that Hu Yao’s complexion was fine, she continued: “After you gave birth to Xiaochao, your mother and the others kept coming over, always coaxing you with benefits. She is your mother after all, how could you not be moved, you followed them after a few words of coaxing.”

“Xiaochao wasn’t by your side yesterday either, he came crying to me and I only knew about it. Now it’s good, it’s a blessing in disguise. In the future, just live a good life. No matter what Brother Han does, he will protect you and Xiaochao…”