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Seeing several men glaring at her menacingly, old lady Wu felt a bit intimidated at first. However, reminding herself that she was Wang Cheng’s mother-in-law, she quickly regained her composure. With a sharp tone, she declared, “I am your Young Madam’s uncle’s mother-in-law, and also the elder of your Young Madam. Offending me means offending your Master and your Young Madam.”
The guards were adept at reading people’s expressions. As the maid signaled her disapproval of the woman, they understood the Young Madam’s intentions. One of them retorted, “You, a country woman, dare to claim superiority as our Young Madam’s elder? Do you even know that our Young Madam is a titled noblewoman? How dare you! Leave and do not disturb our Young Madam’s peace.”
Upon hearing the woman’s prestigious status, old lady Wu was eager to please the distinguished guests even more.
At that moment, Wang Cheng and Mrs. Li emerged.
Seeing Wang Cheng, old lady Wu exclaimed, “Son-in-law, you’re finally out. Hurry, let your niece come to my house, how can your humble dwelling accommodate a titled noblewoman?”
Wang Cheng glanced at old lady Wu and replied, “Mother-in-law, let’s go, we’ll head to your house.” He strode purposefully towards the door.
Observing that only a woman in her forties followed Wang Cheng, old lady Wu realized she wasn’t related to him, despite her lavish attire.
To make a good impression on the titled noblewoman inside, old lady Wu boldly declared, “Why just these few people? Where is your niece? She must come along. Let’s also bring my daughter, grandson, and granddaughter. Those two little rascals are craving meat so much, let them have a good meal today.”
As Wang Cheng reached the doorway, he turned to Mrs. Wu and said, “My niece doesn’t want to go anywhere, and neither do my wife and the others. My niece has bought plenty of meat for them. I will go to my mother-in-law’s house to repay the nine taels, and our families will finally be even. My wife won’t have to do embroidery anymore.”
Thinking about settling the debts with the Wu family brought relief to Wang Cheng, but the thought of his wife’s illness weighed heavily on his heart.
Mrs. Wu’s heart sank, not only did her son-in-law refuse to entertain esteemed guests, but he also wanted to settle their debts. This went against her and her husband’s expectations. Anxiously, she exclaimed, “Son-in-law, climbing up the social ladder doesn’t mean you can neglect my daughter’s duty to her parents. What do you mean by settling debts? What do you mean? You’re being heartless.”
Sadly, Wang Cheng explained, “The doctor in the capital is treating my wife. He mentioned that due to overexertion during her postpartum period, she developed consumption. Without proper treatment, she may not live past two years.” His voice quivered as he continued, “You sold your daughter for a hundred taels, plus interest, totaling a hundred and twenty-six taels. She has been straining her eyes with embroidery work, unable to rest even during her postpartum period… The doctor said she can’t continue with embroidery work.”
The villagers gathered outside the fence heard Wang Cheng’s words and were familiar with the situation, sparking various discussions.
“That old Wu family is despicable, how could they force their own daughter like this? Selling her for a hundred taels is cruel enough, adding interest on top of it.”
“They are heartless, building such a big house, buying so much land. Sacrificing their daughter to support the whole family, it’s all about profit.”
“Not just one generation, but several generations are benefiting from her sacrifice! Dozens of people in the family, what work don’t they do? They’re just waiting for this daughter to bring money home.”
“She was such a talented daughter, intelligent and skilled. She could have excelled at the Linglong Embroidery Workshop, bringing honor to our village girls. If the old Wu family had treated her well and not pressured her so much, who knows what beautiful embroidery she could have created. It’s a pity.”
…
old lady Wu was horrified to hear that her daughter couldn’t continue with embroidery work. Disregarding the presence of guests, she exclaimed, “How can my daughter not embroider anymore! Son-in-law, originally, it was agreed that my eldest daughter would take care of herself. You came to propose, and my husband and I agreed, so how can you forget your debt of gratitude? Let me tell you, my daughter learned her skills from her grandmother at home, it’s our family’s craft. When a woman marries into your family, her skills still belong to her family.”
Witnessing such shamelessness, Mrs. Li was irate and felt like giving her a piece of her mind. Stepping forward, she scolded, “To be so cruel, for personal desires, to force your own daughter into servitude. To be so domineering and audacious, claiming that ‘after marriage, skills should remain with the woman’s family.’ As the saying goes, when you marry, you follow your husband’s family. Lady Wu married Master Wang, becoming part of the Wang family, her possessions are now her husband’s, not her family’s. How can her skills still belong to her family after marriage? Should we chop off her hands and leave them with her family? Today, I am truly enlightened!”
Yu Zhuo also arrived, suggesting, “Mrs. Li, there’s no need to argue with this greedy, wicked woman. Get the village headman, let’s go to the Wu family and settle the accounts. If the Wu family refuses, we’ll go directly to the county office and seek the magistrate’s decision. Let the magistrate see how there are such shameless troublemakers within his jurisdiction.”
Wang Xiaodi volunteered to find the village headman.
Old lady Wu then turned to Wang Cheng, crying loudly, “Son-in-law, now that you have wealthy relatives, you should acknowledge your in-laws. How dare you act arrogantly and try to sever ties between our families…”
The two women pushed her away, warning, “If you dare lay a hand on Master Wang again, we won’t be so forgiving.”
Old lady Wu sat on the ground, sobbing.
After hearing old lady Wu’s accusations, Wang Cheng felt deeply saddened. It dawned on him that they intended for his wife to support them for life. Ignoring old lady Wu, he politely addressed the onlookers, “My family has been here for nine years. I have no relatives, and I am often away. My wife and children have been cared for by our neighbors.”
With a bow, Wang Cheng expressed his gratitude. He couldn’t comprehend why his life had been so harsh, with his biological parents, step-parents, and even his wife’s parents treating him poorly… Thankfully, he found his sister again and now had a niece.
Accompanied by Wang Xiaodi, the village headman arrived at the Wang residence, having heard the details from the young man. He greeted the guards in the courtyard and then turned his attention to old lady Wu, remarking, “My home is far, and I was unaware of the esteemed guests at the Wang residence. Please forgive my ignorance. Apart from Mrs. Wu (Wang Cheng’s Wife), who is decent, the rest of the Wu family is idle and incompetent. Let’s go to the Wu household now, I am well aware of both families’ situations and can serve as a witness.”