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Su Zhi had already retracted the spring water when she heard the door creak, feeling relieved. She wasn’t sure if others could see the spring water, contemplating the idea of conducting experiments with animals in the future.
“Wife, why are you sitting on the ground?”
As soon as Shen Zi’an entered, he noticed Su Zhi sitting on the floor without shoes. He swiftly walked over, lifted her up, and placed her on the bed, covering her with a blanket.
“Have you finished planting the wheat?” she inquired.
Su Zhi explained that she accidentally dropped something on the floor, diverting the conversation. Through their conversations over the past few days, she had learned that the area she was in was like the border region between North and South in ancient China, suitable for cultivating both corn and rice.
The Shen family had finished harvesting corn and had now begun planting wheat. With no machinery available, all the work was done manually, making it quite laborious.
Observing Shen Zi’an returning home every day covered in dust after working from dawn till dusk, Su Zhi felt a pang of discomfort. Despite his own exhaustion, he made sure to heat water for her daily baths while he only rinsed off with cold water, leaving her feeling uneasy.
“We’re done planting. The land at home isn’t too wide, so it’s not too tiring,” Shen Zi’an remarked, multitasking. Since Su Zhi mentioned the benefits of frequent baths for the skin, he had set up a simple stove in the house, brought a pot, and diligently heated water for her baths every day. This became his first task upon returning home each day – heating water. He prohibited Su Zhi from doing it herself, fearing that smoke and hot steam might be harmful to her skin. After she tried once, he insisted on keeping the firewood far away.
This situation weighed heavily on Su Zhi’s mind. She knew that Shen Zi’an had faced criticism from his family to ensure she had hot water. It was all due to the meddling of Sun Shi, who had caused a commotion over the value of a pot and firewood. Su Zhi even pondered whether Shen Zi’an had been manipulated into making additional contributions in exchange for peace and quiet later on.
Later on, Su Zhi promised Shen Zi’an that she wouldn’t heat water herself, allowing him to bring the firewood back. She realized that if the firewood remained elsewhere, Sun Shi might have taken it for herself to burn. Judging by Shen Zi’an’s expression, it seemed like this was indeed a possibility. Su Zhi was left speechless regarding Sun Shi’s actions.
Once the water was heated, Shen Zi’an poured it into a large wooden tub, preparing Su Zhi’s bath. With the nights darkening early and lamp oil being costly, especially considering Su Zhi was seen as the biggest spender in the Shen household, nearly being driven away, they were frugal with the lamp oil. Bathing had to be done while there was still daylight.
After Shen Zi’an left, despite being husband and wife, Su Zhi still felt awkward. Setting aside gender distinctions, she was uncomfortable due to her unattractive body and preferred not to be seen by others. Shen Zi’an noticed her reluctance from the very beginning and decided to leave during her baths. However, Su Zhi was aware that he waited outside the door for her.
After finishing her bath, Shen Zi’an emptied the water and went to prepare the meal. Since the incident with the bread rolls, he made sure to bring the food back to their room to eat.
As Shen Zi’an arrived, the meal was just ready, not yet served on the table.
Sun Shi was dishing out the porridge. Upon seeing Shen Zi’an, she sluggishly handed it over, while simultaneously tidying up in front of him, indicating that the responsibility for the Shen family’s firewood now fell to Shen Zi’an. As she filled Shen Zi’an’s bowl with porridge, she continued to mutter under her breath.
“Hmph, the fourth brother and his wife enjoy their meals alone every day, isn’t that delightful? Meanwhile, the rest of us have to share this tiny pot of watery porridge. Look at your nephews, they’re all so thin. Have some pity. Wasting firewood every day to heat water for her – can she wash herself into a celestial being? Country women aren’t that delicate! If we sold that firewood, we could get some white rice instead. That way, your nephews could have some proper meals and grow taller.”
Shen Zi’an remained composed, unfazed by Sun Shi’s comments. After living in this household for many years, he had grown accustomed to such behavior, treating it as mere background noise. He continued living his life the way he deemed fit.
Since the incident where Shen Zi’an retrieved the cornbread from her, Sun Shi no longer dared to snatch food from him and instead resorted to making snide remarks to unsettle him, also ensuring others in the household heard, fostering discontent.
Meanwhile, Wang Shi acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, taking the stir-fried cucumbers out without leaving any for Shen Zi’an.
“Sister-in-law, please leave some of the dish for me,” Shen Zi’an requested.
Observing that Wang Shi was taking away the stir-fried cucumbers, a dish Su Zhi enjoyed, Shen Zi’an stopped her. Despite Wang Shi’s displeasure, she begrudgingly scooped some into his bowl. Without acknowledging Shen Zi’an, she left with the dish in hand.
Sun Shi felt uncomfortable as she looked at the bowl of food. With a large household consisting of more than ten adults and just as many children, split into two dining tables, the portion that was taken belonged to the second table.
Typically, Sun Shi dined at the second table, not because she couldn’t make it to the first table, but because the second table was filled with children. She was quick to grab food to ensure she and her own children could have more. Now, with a portion of her food taken away, she would have to eat less, leading to discontent. She felt justified in her stance – Shen Zi’an usually didn’t eat at her table, so why was he now dividing her food?
Defending her position, Sun Shi voiced her concerns, but Shen Zi’an gave her a glance and said, “Sister-in-law, feel free to join our parents at their table. I’ll consider your portion mine, and you can have mine.”
Sun Shi naturally refused to listen. Even at her parents’ table, she wouldn’t dare be too aggressive about grabbing food. Losing some cucumbers from this table wasn’t a big deal, but it still left her feeling uneasy. Her pride made her grit her teeth, and then she noticed a young girl walking towards them.
“Zhu, it’s almost time for dinner. Why are you in the kitchen? Look at your clean face and your neat clothes, be careful not to get them dirty.”
The young girl was Shen Youfu’s youngest daughter, named Shen Zhu. She and the youngest son, Shen Ziju, were fraternal twins, which was considered very auspicious at the time, leading to both children being highly favored. Being the youngest, Shen Zhu was pampered and had grown accustomed to not doing chores, developing a spoiled nature. Her brothers doted on her, and her sisters-in-law were cautious around her. If anyone upset her, she would run to their parents to complain, and every time, regardless of who was right or wrong, she would be protected. This upbringing only fueled her stubborn and willful behavior.
Shen Zhu was dressed in a peach-colored dress, exuding a delicate and youthful charm. With a lively sparkle in her eyes and eyebrows, she embodied the vibrancy of her age. However, her eyes seemed exceptionally sharp, and upon entering the kitchen, she hesitated, as if afraid to soil her new shoes. Upon receiving compliments, her face lit up with a smile. Yet, as her gaze met Shen Zi’an’s, her smile faded momentarily. She called out to her fourth brother and then turned to speak to Sun Shi.
“Sister-in-law, this is my home. Why worry about getting it dirty? I came because Dad said you should use two eggs to make egg soup. Fifth brother isn’t feeling well today, so Dad asked for him to have something nutritious.”
Sun Shi felt displeased upon hearing this. Eggs in the household were typically sold for money, but it seemed that only the fifth son and Shen Zhu could enjoy them, which irked her. Despite her inner frustrations, she maintained a cheerful demeanor, agreeing to prepare the soup as requested.
“Zhu, you should eat well to improve your health. I noticed your complexion is a bit off, and your skin seems dry,” Sun Shi remarked.
“Really?” Shen Zhu, who cherished her appearance, grew anxious upon hearing about her complexion, immediately covering her face.
Sun Shi inwardly chuckled, reassuring her, “It’s nothing to worry about. Your skin is fine; it’s just the wind picking up in autumn. In my opinion, you should bathe more. I heard from your fourth brother that regular baths are beneficial for the skin. Look, he even prepared a large wooden tub for your sister-in-law, heating water daily. Why not ask him for one too? Since he’s already preparing for one person, it wouldn’t be much trouble to prepare for two!”
Shen Zhu turned to Shen Zi’an, pleading, “Fourth brother, could you please care for your little sister as well?”
Shen Zi’an calmly responded, “Your fourth sister-in-law needs assistance, and I have limited time. You’ll have to find another solution.”
Sun Shi, instigating from the side, remarked, “Oh, so the older brother finds it too troublesome to help his little sister with such a small matter. What kind of support can she expect from him in the future? Fourth brother, you only have Zhu as a sister. Is it too much to ask to gather a bit more firewood or fetch a bit more water for her?”
Shen Zi’an glanced at Sun Shi and suggested, “In that case, let the third brother handle it. I believe he has some free time, and since the third sister-in-law cares so much for Zhu, she’ll surely be content with this arrangement.”
Upon realizing the responsibility was being shifted to her husband, Sun Shi objected, saying, “Your third brother is busy these days with farm work, and his back has been bothering him. He can’t handle fetching water and chopping wood.”
Shen Zi’an countered, “You mentioned that fetching a bucket of water and a load of firewood isn’t much. I’m sure the third brother won’t refuse. Besides, it wouldn’t cost much to make a new bathing tub. Consider it a gift from the third brother to his sister.”
Shen Zhu, listening attentively, narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled at Sun Shi, saying, “Thank you to the third brother and third sister-in-law. Please hurry with the meal; I’ll head back now. Oh, and add an extra egg. Give the third brother a bowl too, as a thank you from me. I’ll go inform our parents; they’ll be pleased to see how caring my brother is.”
With that, Shen Zhu glanced at Shen Zi’an, smiling, and left.