Font Size:
In the deep autumn weather, there was a slight chill in the early morning and evening, but the midday sun shone brightly, providing warmth.
Similar to the village setting, the women in this county town who engaged in needlework activities liked to gather together, assisting each other with their work while chatting.
Their conversations mostly revolved around neighborhood gossip or sharing information they had acquired.
For instance, the price of pork had dropped at one household, another was receiving ample and accurate measurements from the rice shop, and the fabric store had discounted fabric available.
Or they would discuss news like a girl getting married in one family, a young man finding success in another, or a household discovering new business opportunities.
Overall, they exchanged information, providing mutual support and assistance when needed.
This form of interaction was common among the grassroots population in the county town, where there was no protection from extended family networks.
Jiang Mixia was accustomed to such interactions, but as she passed by, she overheard snippets of their conversation.
“So, that’s the young wife who never seems to cook at home and rarely sees smoke rising from her kitchen.”
“Yes, that’s her. I saw her carrying a food container, probably just back from the restaurant.”
“I wonder what dishes she bought; they smell quite appetizing.”
“Feeling tempted to indulge, huh?”
“What indulgence? It’s not like they can’t afford meat at home. Let me tell you, don’t imitate her ways and waste money for no reason.” A woman named Niu pursed her lips.
“Whether it’s a waste or not, the dishes from those restaurants outside are indeed much tastier.”
“It’s true, but it’s also really expensive! Take meat dishes, for example. You can buy a chicken for just a few coins, but in a restaurant, they’ll stew it for you, and the price will be triple or quadruple. And don’t even get me started on vegetarian dishes; an eggplant costs just a few coins, but in a restaurant, they’ll charge you several dozen coins for one dish. It’s a rip-off. Doing something you could easily do yourself but being too lazy and spending money like this, what do you call that? It’s just…”
“You make a good point. As the old saying goes, a small mouth can devour a whole mountain. If you don’t control your eating habits, you could indeed ruin a household.”
“Look at her husband, clean and soft-spoken. It’s evident he can’t control her. It’s a pity. Such a good man stuck with a wasteful wife.”
Continuing, Niu added, “If I were that husband, I wouldn’t tolerate it for a day. Men work so hard to earn money, and she can’t even manage to be a good wife at home. He should quickly divorce her and send her away.”
Jiang Mixia thought to herself, “Every place has its gossips.”
Stepping back a couple of steps, Jiang Mixia stood in front of the gossiping women and asked, “Having a chat?”
Caught red-handed talking behind someone’s back, the women’s expressions turned sheepish, and they awkwardly chuckled for a while.
The eldest woman chuckled dryly a couple of times and said, “Just chatting, gossiping a bit. Oh, madamJiang, are you heading back for lunch?”
“Yes, planning to head back for lunch, but the dishes seemed bland. I was wondering why the food at the restaurant was so tasteless today, and now I understand the reason.”
Upon hearing Jiang Mixia’s words, the women looked at each other in confusion.
“What’s the reason?”
“All the salt, you’ve taken it all.” With that remark, Jiang Mixia left, leaving the women staring at each other, only snapping out of their daze when she entered her courtyard.
“What did she mean by that?”
“She’s saying we have nothing better to do!”
“Talking behind someone’s back and being caught by the person herself is embarrassing…”
“Why should it be embarrassing? If she acts like that, why can’t others comment on it?” Niu raised her voice indignantly. “If she acted like a virtuous wife, people wouldn’t have anything to say!”
Seeing Niu’s righteous indignation, the other women shrunk back.
In places where there are many women, there is much gossip and idle chatter.
Talking behind people’s backs was something they all knew wasn’t entirely right, but when gathered together, aside from gossiping, what else could they do?
They were merely commenting on how Mrs. Jiang spent money freely and wasn’t very good at managing the household, whereas Mrs. Niu’s words seemed particularly harsh.
Words like divorce and sending away a spouse were thrown around freely, as if Mrs. Jiang was spending Niu’s money.
After exchanging glances, they tacitly understood and each tidied up their sewing tools. “It’s getting late. Let’s hurry back to make dinner; the men will be returning home soon.”
Seeing no response to her remarks, Niu sniffed disdainfully, grabbed her belongings, and strode back home.
The remaining women huddled together.
“Why is Mrs. Niu so aggressive? She’s usually so refined and speaks gently. What’s gotten into her today?”
“I have no idea.” Someone shook their head. “Supposedly, Mrs. Niu’s husband is also a scholar, studying at the Wende Academy alongside Mrs. Jiang’s husband. Normally, classmates share a deep bond, so why is Mrs. Niu looking at Mrs. Jiang as if she were an enemy?”
“You might not know this, but people in the same field often end up as enemies. Classmates can have deep bonds if things go well, but if not…”
They can still end up as enemies.
Perhaps even worse than enemies.
As married women who had been in relationships for many years and understood the ways of the world, they all grasped this concept. They each made up their minds not to bring up Mrs. Jiang in front of Mrs. Niu again.
After tidying up their belongings, the women went back to their respective homes.
Smoke rose gently from the kitchen chimneys in each household, carrying the aroma of cooking.
Inside her kitchen, Mrs. Niu was busy working. Her five-year-old daughter, Zhang Daya, sucked on her fingers, drooling as she said, “Mom, I want meat.”
“Always eating, that’s all you think about. Where do you think we can afford to have meat every meal?” Mrs. Niu glared at Zhang Daya, her frustration evident. “If you’re so idle, go to the kitchen and start the fire!”
Zhang Daya pouted, holding back her tears, and took the fire poker from Mrs. Niu’s hand, adding more wood to the stove.
Watching Zhang Daya obediently tend to the fire, Mrs. Niu felt a wave of frustration.
During her pregnancy, with the baby kicking vigorously in her belly, she had assumed it would be a boy, only to give birth to a girl. This led to her husband, Zhang Yaosheng, still lamenting the lack of a male heir. Her in-laws also disapproved of her, to the extent that she didn’t even properly recover during her postpartum period, enduring physical pain.
Wanting to conceive a son sooner, she followed Zhang Yaosheng to the county town, renting this narrow little courtyard. It was a way to escape the constant harassment from her in-laws.
However, in the town, Zhang Yaosheng claimed he was burdened with studies, citing the inexpensive meals at the Wende Academy as a way to save money at home. He was often absent, leaving her alone.
Seeking help: How to overcome procrastination, daydreaming, and focus diligently on writing…