The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 70 - Don’t You Have a Clue
70: Chapter 70: Don’t You Have a Clue?
70 -70: Don’t You Have a Clue?
“Your second sister-in-law fancies herself a city dweller and looks down on us peasant folk,” she said, “Since she doesn’t live with us anyway, I can’t be bothered with her.
All these years married to your second brother, and she has only given birth to a daughter, no son.
She can’t hold her head high in front of Mother, nor can she carry the air of a city lady.
If she dares to act haughty in front of me, I’ll threaten to have your third brother divorce her.”
“And your third sister-in-law’s family sought us out back in the day, but now they’ve fallen on hard times and can hardly afford to eat, let alone support their married daughter.”
It was only then that Wang Yongzhu truly understood the complex relationships within her family.
Old Granny Zhang, fearing her daughter did not understand, spoke directly and bluntly, “Zhuzhu, you should know, here in Qilidun, a mother-in-law like me is pretty decent.
Although I often scold them, it’s because they are disappointing.
If it were a malicious and ruthless one who pins her daughter-in-law daily with the needle from a shoe sole, squanders her dowry, incites the son to beat his wife, they would probably have been tortured to death!
Between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, when it comes down to it, it’s either the east wind overpowers the west wind, or the west wind overpowers the east wind.
If I’m not tough on them, should I let them climb on top of my head and nest?
To put it bluntly, they did not crawl out of my belly, their own parents don’t cherish or back them up, so why should I, as a mother-in-law, bother to care?
I have my own daughters.
It’s all about fate!
They must accept their lot!
Nobody else to blame!”
After hearing Old Granny Zhang’s words, Wang Yongzhu felt as if all her values were almost completely destroyed.
Her mind was a mess.
At one moment, she thought Old Granny Zhang made some sense.
After all, a mother-in-law is not one’s own mother and has no obligation to be tender-hearted toward you.
Then she came to her senses, no, that wasn’t right.
She was a successor of socialism, her will must be firm.
She could not let the feudal thinking in Old Granny Zhang’s words shake her convictions!
No matter how other families’ mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relations were, in her own home it was clearly a one-woman show run by Old Granny Zhang.
Neither her sons nor daughters-in-law dared defy her, okay?
However, in ancient times, relations between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law weren’t about whether the east wind overpowers the west wind, or vice versa; it was about ability, except that filial piety took precedence.
The mother-in-law, armed with the character for ‘filial’, naturally had an innate advantage.
…
Wang Yongzhu struggled internally between the old and new values, unable to come to terms and just sat there, lost in thought.
Old Granny Zhang knew that haste wouldn’t bring success, realizing that she might have been too eager today.
Seeing her daughter begin to get the gist, she wished she could impart all of her life’s experience to her.
Perhaps her daughter might not be able to take it all in at once.
Therefore, she let Wang Yongzhu be, thinking it would be worthwhile if her daughter took even a sentence or two to heart from today’s lecture.
After imparting a life lesson to her daughter, Old Granny Zhang worried about Wang Laozhu in the other room.
Lifting the curtain, she entered her own room to see Wang Laozhu lying in bed, seemingly deep in thought.
He only got up when he saw her come in, leaning against the wall, and spoke in a calm and unhurried manner, “While you should advise the daughter, why did you bring up all those old sesame seed and rotten millet affairs from the past?
Those old matters are long gone, aren’t they?
After you birthed the Eldest Brother, didn’t Mother stop mentioning anything?
Why do you still have to talk about it, how much more do you want to reproach?”
He had overheard the private conversation between mother and daughter.
Old Granny Zhang’s eyes widened in anger, “What’s wrong?
You men can do as you please, but I can’t speak about it?
Do you have any idea how much I suffered back then?
When I first married into your Wang Family, how did you all treat me?
How did your mother torment me?
You said I only came into the Wang Family wearing a single dress, said I was just a maid bought by the Wang Family to lay eggs, that I could stay if I bore you a son, and had to leave if I didn’t—plus my family had to pay compensation!
Pah!
As if the Wang Family could marry a virgin like me without spending a cent!
You treated me like an oxen or a horse, I served your mother by day and attended to you by night.
You know full well what kind of life I led, don’t you?”
As she spoke, even after so many years, the memory of those days brought tears to Old Granny Zhang’s eyes.
Wang Laozhu had merely spoken offhandedly, feeling that since both his parents had passed away, as their offspring, why should he bring up their faults?
Wouldn’t that be unfilial?
As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew trouble was brewing when he saw Old Granny Zhang’s eyes widen with anger.
Indeed, Old Granny Zhang’s words reminded him of the days when she first married into the family.
Reflecting on those days, he did feel a tinge of guilt and unease, because he had neglected her out of concern for the daughter left behind by his previous wife.
She went from a newlywed, shy bride who lifted her red veil, smiled timidly at him, and had eyes full of hopeful light, to a harsh and unyielding woman.
Therefore, over the years, partly because Old Granny Zhang had given birth to four sons, securing the family line, she was a great contributor to the Wang Family.
On the other hand, he indeed felt somewhat remorseful for his attitude towards his remarried wife, so for many years, he had been forbearing.
He had thought that Old Granny Zhang had long forgotten the matters of the past, only to realize that, many years later, when they were brought up again, his usually vociferous wife apparently still harbored unresolved feelings.
After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Laozhu sighed, “I wronged you in those days, and you suffered grievances. novelbuddy.cσ๓
Now, you’re a grandmother, so why do you still hold onto the past?
Aren’t you afraid the children will laugh?
Could it be that even in the afterlife, you’ll still hold these things against me?”
Old Granny Zhang let out a cold sneer, “What kind of person do you think I am?
I am but a maid bought with silver, how could I deserve to sleep in the same coffin or be buried in the same grave as you?
Your first wife is still waiting for you down there to reunite!”
Her words struck Wang Laozhu so deeply that he felt a twitch in his brow.
Wanting to say something, he realized nothing he could say would be right.
So he simply shut his mouth.
In another room, Wang Yongzhu overheard bits and pieces of the conversation and surmised that her parents were arguing because Old Granny Zhang was bringing up old matters to make a point to her.
Her heart grew increasingly warm with the thought that Old Granny Zhang had given all her tenderness to her daughter, Zhuzhu, without holding anything back.
As a daughter, Wang Yongzhu’s heart felt both warm and comforted.
She was about to go and check on them when she heard the courtyard door open, and her brothers Wang Yongfu, along with Jindou and Jinhoo, returned from the fields.
Lady Jiang had just finished cooking lunch and sent Jinhua to invite the elders and Wang Yongzhu to eat.
At the dining table, everyone had their own thoughts, especially Old Granny Zhang, who looked extremely unhappy.
Throughout the meal, no one dared to breathe too loudly and simply quietly finished their porridge.
Lady Lin, Lady Jiang, and Jinhua were all worried that Old Granny Zhang would vent her anger at them, their heads almost bowing under the table so that Old Granny Zhang couldn’t see them.
Wang Yongping was usually careless and lighthearted, but that day, his survival instinct was particularly strong.
Although he stopped himself from speaking several times, he ultimately managed to hold back.
However, to everyone’s surprise, although Old Granny Zhang looked furious, she didn’t scold anyone.
She just quietly finished her bowl of porridge, pushed the bowl onto the table, did not speak a word, and went back to her room to lie down.
