Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Grandma Han was able to show so much warmth in part because she considered Su Wenyue’s background, and also because Su Wenyue was just a granddaughter-in-law, with a generation separating them, which greatly reduced potential conflicts, unlike with Mrs. Yang, whom Grandma would never take to, as mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws are natural enemies.

As for the goodwill Grandma Han extended, Su Wenyue was unmoved. Being from the Second House, how could she possibly defect and side with Grandma Han? She must be foolish to think so, especially since what flickered in the old lady’s eyes was clearly some sort of desire and greed, not genuine fondness.

“There’s no need, Grandma. Mother-in-law has already gone to the kitchen to work, and it wouldn’t make sense for me, as her daughter-in-law, to take a rest. Therefore, I can only appreciate your kindness in my heart,” Su Wenyue replied.

Mrs. Yang was initially worried at seeing Grandma Han treat the Fourth Daughter-in-law with such uncharacteristic warmth and cordiality, fearing the Fourth Daughter-in-law might not see Grandma Han’s true nature and be coaxed over to her side. Hearing the Fourth Daughter-in-law speak as she did relieved Mrs. Yang, and she increasingly felt that they had chosen the right daughter-in-law for the Fourth child. Not only was she smart and filial, but she was also clear-headed when it mattered most, unlike the Main House’s eldest nephew’s wife, who was always currying favor with the old lady, resulting in daily conflicts with the stepmother and leading to incessant unrest.

Though Grandma Han’s motives were impure, she had been very kind to Su Wenyue, yet the granddaughter-in-law was not the least bit grateful and didn’t give her any face in front of the daughter-in-law. Grandma Han’s expression immediately soured.

“Pfft!” At that moment, someone couldn’t help but let out a laugh. People from the Second House looked at each other, realizing none of them was the source of the sound. It turned out to be Mrs. Han Wang, who had intended to go to the kitchen but had stopped for some reason. Seeing her mother-in-law fawn over her granddaughter-in-law and get rejected, she couldn’t help laughing.

Mrs. Han Wang, confident in the secure status she held in the Han Family for having borne two sons, wasn’t particularly afraid of her mother-in-law. However, she found the old hag utterly detestable, not only because she supported her husband’s sons from his former wife against her but also because the old woman often used filial piety to oppress her, causing her no small amount of trouble. Seeing her mother-in-law rebuffed, Mrs. Han Wang couldn’t be happier.

“Oh dear, it’s to die for, I tell you. Some people here have really lost face, haven’t they? They were eyeing someone else’s property, hoping to gain an advantage. They eagerly sought favor, only to be utterly ignored,” she exclaimed.

Mrs. Han Wang’s words were blunt, almost as forthright as Mrs. Liu’s. However, Mrs. Liu, left with only two daughters, lacked backing and thus, didn’t dare to be so impudent in front of her mother-in-law. Conversely, Mrs. Han Wang did not hold back, leaving no face for her mother-in-law. After all, even if there were benefits to reap, they wouldn’t come her way, so she might as well give her mother-in-law a piece of her mind.

The Han Family really did harbor all sorts of characters. Daughters-in-law from the Second House all had a twinkle of amusement in their eyes, and Mrs. Yang felt as though she had finally taken a profound breath of relief after so many years.

“Humph, ungrateful things, all of you! Why are you still standing around? Hurry up and help in the kitchen. You think you can live off handouts?” Perhaps knowing that she wouldn’t gain any advantage from Su Wenyue, Grandma Han naturally withdrew her previous benevolence. As for Yang Juxiang and her daughter, who were now present among the people from the Second House, Grandma Han barely noticed them at the moment, dismissing them as destitute and unworthy of her attention.

Yang Juxiang and her mother’s expressions were equally displeased. They had come with the intention of enjoying free meals, as it was Grandma Han’s birthday and there were sure to be many delicacies. They had thought, at the very least, the birthday package from Eldest Sister’s family looked good. But they didn’t expect to be treated like servants by the people of the Main House and asked to help in the kitchen. It was outrageous.

Yang Juxiang and her mother had heard that the people from the Main House were difficult to deal with, but they followed nonetheless, thinking that as guests, whereas they might not be welcomed warmly, the worst they would face was cold treatment. Little did they anticipate that the Main House would be so embarrassingly dismissive.

Daughters-in-law from the Second House went into the kitchen to lend a hand, while the children followed a few men to the backyard to chop wood. It seemed as if the Main House had been waiting for them to come and work today, piling half a courtyard’s worth of firewood, surely to last for several months. Although firewood was cheap, half a courtyard’s worth would have cost quite a sum of silver. Concerned about the expense, Grandma Han fancied that if she could get the people from the Second House to chop and deliver the wood, she could save that silver. However, as the Main House and Second House had formally split, she would need a suitable excuse to justify this.

The men from the Second House, except for Han Lin, were not the petty kind and were robust and hearty. It amounted to nothing more than extra physical labor. Rather than enduring Grandma Han’s complaints, they preferred to work harder to enjoy some peace. After all, it only happened once or twice a year. Without a word of complaint, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The children, accustomed to farm work from a young age, aided in the less demanding tasks with ease.

Su Wenyue followed her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law into the kitchen, where several daughters-in-law from the Main House were already present. The Main House’s internal relations were somewhat complicated; Han Jinbiao had three sons and one daughter in total. The eldest son and daughter were from his first wife, while the two younger sons were from his current wife, Mrs. Han Wang, and aside from the youngest son, the other two children were married.

Apart from Mrs. Han Wang and her two daughters-in-law, working in the kitchen was an already married daughter of Grandma Han. Grandma Han actually had two daughters, married into different households—one in the County Town and the other in a different village. Given Grandma Han’s nature, one could imagine their respective treatments were not the same.

When the Main House’s mother-in-law and daughters-in-law saw Su Wenyue and the others come in, it was Mrs. Han Wang who greeted them, while the others treated the people from the Second House as if they were invisible. However, Grandma Han’s Eldest Daughter, Han Ying, warmly called out to Mrs. Yang as her younger sister-in-law and greeted the other nieces-in-law until receiving a snort of disdain from the Main House, at which point Han Ying lowered her head and returned to her work.

“Second Uncle, you lot must be tired after all that work. I’ve brought some water for you. Have a drink before you continue,” offered Han Fang, who was treated relatively well by the Main House thanks to her big brother, and wasn’t asked to work upon returning. She was kind-hearted, very different from the people of the Main House, and did not agree with their attitude towards the Second House. Unable to help with the heavy labor, she carried over water for them instead.

“Fang’er, thank you. You really are considerate,” the men from the Han family, led by Old Man Han, accepted the water with a touch of remorse, acknowledging that the girl from the Main House was one of the few who hadn’t gone astray.

“Fourth Cousin, I was too busy to attend your wedding, and it has weighed on me. This is a small gift from me, with the hope that you and my Cousin-in-law will have a blessed future,” said Han Fang, passing a small cloth package to Han Yu. In reality, it wasn’t that she had been too occupied to go; it was just inconvenient due to the Main House’s attitudes. Otherwise, her stepmother would have had yet more to nag about.