Chapter 62: Jiang Fourth Girl

“Sister-in-law, you really have nothing better to do! Me disciplining my child—what’s it to you? Fourth Girl, if you don’t want to eat, then don’t eat! Get outside and stand!”

Zhou Gai’er’s eyes bulged as she cursed at her daughter.

Jiang Fourth Girl, eyes red, bolted out the door.

“Useless wretch, I raised you only for you to waste my money. All you ever do is make me angry—why don’t you just drop dead already…”

Bang!

Mid-curse, Jiang Guangyi slammed his chopsticks on the table.

Zhou Gai’er immediately shut her mouth.

“Lin’gu, keep your wife in check. Back when she gave birth to four daughters in a row, I spared her only for your sake. I didn’t cast her out. But now she grows more and more insolent. If she makes trouble again, this household will not keep her.”

His cold tone made Zhou Gai’er shiver, not daring to raise her head.

“All right, all right, Lin’gu finally came home—why all this fuss? Second Daughter-in-law, you talk too much. How can you speak to your sister-in-law like that? Eat your meal. It’s rare we’re all gathered together. Tomorrow Lin’gu must return to town.”

Chen Qiujü had been pretending not to notice, but once the old man spoke up, she quickly joined in to mediate.

The elderly couple had only two sons:

The elder, Jiang Linfeng, was honest and taciturn, but very filial—he stayed home to farm.
The younger, Jiang Lingu, was clever, had studied in his youth, and now worked in town as a bookkeeper, returning only once every half month.

The parents clearly favored the younger son’s family.

Zhou Gai’er had been Jiang Lingu’s own choice for a wife. For his sake, the old couple always indulged her—hence why she dared to talk back to her elder sister-in-law at the dinner table.

“Mother, I’m weary from always traveling back and forth. Fortunately, the shopkeeper values me—he’s assigned me a larger house. This time, I plan to bring my wife and son to town. Yao’er will turn three next year—it’s time he begins his studies.

I’m literate, so I can teach him daily. Once he turns six, I’ll no longer be able to keep up; then we’ll send him to a private school. Father, what do you think?”

Jiang Lingu directly shifted the topic.

Only those who had studied knew the importance of education.

Watching his only son grow, his true purpose in returning home was to take his wife and child back with him.

“That’s good, but living costs in town are high. What will you all eat?”

Jiang Guangyi, who had just been furious, calmed down the instant he heard his son was being favored by the shopkeeper. Now he worried about how his family would manage in town.

“The shop provides meals—two a day, enough for me. But no more than that. As for Gai’er and Yao’er, we’ll need your help. This time, I’ll take more grain back, and please give me some silver too. I need to buy teaching materials for Yao’er’s studies.”

The moment he mentioned money, Zhou Baiyun set her chopsticks down.

“Brother-in-law, the household isn’t well-off with grain either. Yao’er is only two—he can’t even articulate clearly yet. Isn’t it a bit much to start his studies so early? And Sister-in-law can’t do anything useful. What would she do in town?

If she stays here, at least she can help in the fields and around the house. Why not wait two or three years before you bring them? Wouldn’t that be better?”

Zhou Baiyun wasn’t foolish.

Her husband was too honest, always suffering losses without complaint.

But she refused to sit quietly while others took advantage.

“Men are speaking—why are you butting in? Linfeng, control your wife.”

Before Jiang Lingu could reply, Jiang Guangyi’s face darkened.

“Father, my wife speaks reason.”

For the first time, the honest Jiang Linfeng spoke in support of his wife.

After all, being honest didn’t mean he was stupid.

If people kept trampling him, he wouldn’t keep swallowing it.

“I’ll say this—if my younger brother wants to take his wife and son to town, then we should split the household. All these years, this family has relied on us for the work. Anyone would grow bitter at that.

You’ve been a bookkeeper in town, but never once handed over your wages. Yet every visit, you carry away so much grain. Father, you spent heavily for him to study, while I remained illiterate.

Tell me, where’s the fairness in this? Why is it that your two-year-old son deserves schooling, while my nine-year-old must stay behind and toil in the fields? On what grounds? You live the easy life alone, and now you want to drag your whole family to town?”

With her husband backing her, Zhou Baiyun pressed harder.

Zhou Gai’er couldn’t hold back either, and the two sisters-in-law began to argue.

The quarrel grew louder and louder—until it spilled beyond the house.

At the wall corner outside, Jiang Fourth Girl clutched her ears, then bolted toward the end of the village.

It was already dusk.

The evening glow burned red across the sky.

She ran past Jiang Fubao’s house, all the way to the riverside—just as Jiang Fubao spotted her.

By then, the Jiang household had finished supper, and family members were strolling about. The children had scattered to play with their little friends.

Seeing Jiang Fourth Girl’s tear-stained, bruised face, Jiang Fubao felt uneasy.

She slipped out quietly and trailed her.

This child she didn’t dislike—in the original host’s memory, the two often talked and played together. They were of similar age.

“Wuuu… River God Grandpa, I don’t want to live anymore. Mother always beats me. I’m clearly so obedient, yet even Third Sister bullies me, dumping all the chores on me. I’m so tired… River God Grandpa, please take me away…”

From afar, Jiang Fubao heard the girl’s sobs.

She saw her edging closer to the riverbank—just two more steps and she would fall in.

Though the water wasn’t deep, the riverbed stones were slippery.

It was hard to stand upright.

A fall could mean drowning—even Jiang Third Girl at age seven had once swallowed a bellyful of water, let alone little Jiang Fourth Girl at only five.

“Fourth Sister! Don’t go further—it’s dangerous!” Jiang Fubao, afraid she might truly give up, shouted quickly.

“Fubao? Why are you here?”

Startled, Jiang Fourth Girl turned, eyes wide in surprise.

“I saw you crying, so I followed. Who bullied you?”

Dashing forward, Jiang Fubao grabbed her arm and dragged her several steps back before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

“Third Sister told Mother I stole food from my little brother. But I didn’t—it was Third Sister who ate it! Mother didn’t believe me, said I lied, and hit me with the laundry stick. It hurt so bad—my nose even bled. No matter how I cried, she wouldn’t stop. Only Eldest Aunt saved me.

Fubao, when you fell into the river, did you see River God Grandpa? The grannies in the village say each river has a River God. Can you ask him for me? Ask him to take me away. I don’t want to stay home anymore…”

Sniffling, she spoke with a choked, weeping voice.

Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, red and puffy.

“There’s no River God in the river—it’s just what adults say to trick children. Don’t believe it. Here, have some candy—it’s really sweet.”