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He Lizheng pointed at old lady Wu, who was sobbing on the ground, and instructed a few women spectating, “Drag her up and take her to the Wu household, she’s making a scene.”
Accompanied by Wang Cheng, Mrs. Li, and two guards, He Lizheng led the way to the Wu residence, followed by a group of curious villagers. Concerned for his father, Wang Xiaodi also tagged along.
The commotion outside finally subsided.
Observing the scene from the window, Chen Feng realized that the Wu family was like a parasite, intending to have Mrs. Wu support them for life. Even if the nine taels were repaid, they would find other ways to extract money.
Seeing Mrs. Wu’s heartfelt distress, Chen Feng comforted her, “Aunt, please don’t cry. Doctor Huang said you mustn’t strain your eyes or cry.”
Through tears, Mrs. Wu shared, “When I was young, my parents didn’t want me to marry, they wanted me to remain at home. They said I had learned my grandmother’s embroidery skills, so I belonged to the Wu family in life and death. At eighteen, I met my current husband, and I had to beg him shamelessly to marry me. I wanted to leave my parents, but they wouldn’t agree. I even attempted suicide before they relented, agreeing to a hundred taels for my marriage…”
Mrs. Wu’s grandmother, once a skilled embroiderer in a wealthy household, had offended the mistress of the house, resulting in her wrist being broken and being sold to Mrs. Wu’s grandfather.
Mrs. Wu’s grandfather, known as Wu Tuozi, was in his thirties and unmarried. He was overjoyed to have such a beautiful wife and treated her kindly, except for one night of forceful behavior. He watched her closely to prevent suicide attempts. After a month, she became pregnant, giving her hope and ending thoughts of suicide.
Their son was Mrs. Wu’s father, who grew up spoiled. He married a lazy wife, and the family relied on the elderly parents for sustenance through farming and embroidery work.
Although Mrs. Wu’s grandmother’s wrist healed, it remained less agile, limiting her embroidery work to earn modest income from local shops. Mrs. Wu, starting at the age of five, was taught by her grandmother and proved to be a quick learner, excelling in the craft.
By the age of fourteen, after her grandparents passed away, Mrs. Wu supported her parents and three younger brothers. Her embroidery work flourished, bringing wealth to the family, allowing them to build a better home and acquire more land. Mrs. Wu’s reputation spread, attracting suitors from neighboring villages.
Mrs. Wu’s parents were reluctant for their daughter to marry, as they relied on her for support. As Mrs. Wu grew older, they began pressuring her to remain single and care for them. Aware of her parents’ selfishness, Mrs. Wu resisted their demands and secretly sought a suitable match.
During a visit to her grandparents’ graves, Mrs. Wu encountered a traveller who harassed her. Wang Cheng, though disabled, brandished a knife and scared the man away, earning Mrs. Wu’s admiration for his honesty and kindness. Despite his disability and age, she confessed her feelings for him.
Chen Feng, hearing this story, couldn’t help but sigh at the cruel fate of many women in the feudal society.
However, Mrs. Wu’s resilience and cleverness prevailed as she refused to succumb to her parents’ control, eventually finding a husband. She proved to be more astute than her honest uncle and with her capable help, she hoped to improve their family’s circumstances.
While she could assist temporarily, she couldn’t support them indefinitely.
Initially, Chen Feng planned for her uncle’s family to prepare for a journey to the County the day after to accompany them. However, seeing the situation, they would have to return to the capital that afternoon. There were some vacant courtyards in the Marquis’s residence where they could stay for a couple of days.
She shared her thoughts with Mrs. Wu, who felt relieved and expressed joy at the prospect of reuniting with her sister-in-law and escaping their troubles. However, she worried about her stubborn father and whether they could settle their debts.
Assuring Mrs. Wu, Chen Feng confidently stated they would manage to settle everything.
In jest, she commented on the inability of the Wu’s household, let alone the unreasonable demands of the Wu family.
Doctor Huang emerged from another room, informing them that the prescription was ready and providing advice on Mrs. Wu’s diet and care. Chen Feng thanked the doctor, paid the consultation fee, and offered an additional two taels as a token of gratitude. She then instructed Yu Zhuo to accompany the doctor to retrieve the medicine and then to the market to find a servant. Given her uncle’s family’s ailments, they needed someone to assist them.
The aroma of cooking meat wafted through the air, causing Wang Xiaomei to drool in anticipation.
Observing the scene, Chen Feng was reminded of a similar moment with her son Dabao two years ago. She got up, took Wang Xiaomei to the kitchen, where the stewed tofu, pork liver, and pig head meat were ready. She had the servant dish out a small bowl for them to enjoy.
She handed the small bowl to Wang Xiaomei, smiling, “Enjoy.”
Wang Xiaomei smiled brightly, saying loudly, “Thank you, cousin.” before taking the bowl into the eastern room and telling Mrs. Wu, “Mother, eat meat, there’s plenty.”
Mrs. Wu chuckled, “I won’t eat, let the little one have it.”
After feeding Mrs. Wu two bites of meat, Wang Xiaomei began eating from the small bowl herself.
After about half an hour, Wang Cheng, Mrs. Li, and the others returned with joyful expressions.
Anxiously, Mrs. Wu asked, “Is it settled?”
Wang Cheng nodded, grinning, “Wife, we have finally settled our debts with your family. We no longer owe them a single coin, and you don’t have to do embroidery work anymore.”
Overjoyed, Mrs. Wu burst into tears.
Mrs. Li quietly explained the situation, indeed, old Wu was more difficult to handle than old Lady Wu. Even with He Lizheng’s presence, he cried and protested, claiming that their daughter had learned their ancestral craft and couldn’t neglect her family for her husband’s sake…
The guards threatened to take him to the magistrate for violating the laws of the Dachun Dynasty. He was warned of punishment and imprisonment, which finally made him produce the promissory note…
Chen Feng discussed her plan with Wang Cheng.
Understanding the situation, Wang Cheng agreed. He realized that once Chen Feng and her group left, the Wu family would likely cause trouble again. He wasn’t afraid for himself but worried about Mrs. Wu’s well-being.
They decided that since it was their final meal there, they would invite Li Zheng and others who had helped them for a drink. Chen Feng arranged for food for Wang Cheng’s family for two days, enough to host several tables.
As they couldn’t keep the small courtyard, fearing the shameless Wu family might occupy it, they decided to sell it through Li Zheng and later have the guards collect the money.
After the discussion, Wang Cheng and Wang Xiaodi went to invite guests, while the maids busied themselves with preparations.