Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“Father, Mother.” Han Yu and Su Wenyue dismounted the horse carriage, leaving their three children being held inside by the nanny. In such cold weather, even wrapped in blankets, they worried the children might catch a chill.

“Great, great, Fourth child, Fourth Daughter-in-law, we’ve finally waited for your return. The villagers are all waiting here especially for you. Quick, let’s go home; it’s cold outside, don’t catch a chill. Are the children in the carriage?” Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang could hardly wait to see their grandsons and granddaughter the moment they saw their son and daughter-in-law, eager for a glimpse of the three blessed little ones. It was the first time in their lives they had seen triplets with two boys. Fourth Daughter-in-law’s stomach was truly impressive, having brought two eldest grandsons to the old Han family in one go. They eagerly peered into the carriage.

“Yes, the nanny is holding them inside the carriage. It’s too cold outside, and the children are still so small; we worry they couldn’t withstand it,” Su Wenyue said with a smile, knowing the eagerness of her father-in-law and mother-in-law to see their grandchildren was only natural.

“That’s right; the children are small, and should be taken care of delicately. It’s so cold outside; don’t let my precious grandchildren freeze. We can talk more after we get home,” Mrs. Yang said, her eyes lingering on the carriage, unable to part from it. Old Man Han, on the other hand, knowing that his grandson had arrived, wasn’t fixated on the moment, instead, he addressed the villagers.

“Everyone listen, today my Fourth child is back. I’m grateful you think so highly of us to give us such an enthusiastic welcome. We have prepared meals at home. If you don’t dislike it, come to our house for lunch. It’s both to thank everyone for their kindness and to celebrate my Fourth child’s promotion in the military camp and his moving to the prefecture. Let’s all enjoy this together.”

In those days, it wasn’t easy just getting enough to eat. Thanks to Su Wenyue, the Han family hadn’t sold their food, and every month, Su Wenyue would send rice, flour, food, and silver to Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang, so they were living quite comfortably. Now that such a happy event had occurred, after discussing with the eldest son and his wife, they decided to prepare a few banquet tables and invite all the villagers for a meal. Fourth son and his wife weren’t in the village, and according to tradition, there should have been a feast for the eldest grandsons’ month-old celebration. Now, with Fourth child’s promotion, it was proper to invite everyone for a meal.

The old Han family home was just as bustling, a hive of activity. Mrs. Liu really invested in this event, slaughtering the New Year’s Pig ahead of time without any reluctance. Even Han Hu was surprised at how generous his wife, who usually haggled over every penny, was being this time. Mrs. Liu’s sister-in-law also came over early in the morning to help.

“Sister, don’t be too honest,” Mrs. Liu’s sister-in-law said when they were alone, knowing that although Mrs. Liu was quite generous toward her mother’s family, she also accused her of being stingy, and she truly had her younger sister-in-law’s best interests at heart, “Between slaughtering the New Year’s Pig and hosting the banquet, it will cost a lot. Life is getting tougher by the day, and you can’t just spend all your savings in a moment of excitement.”

“Sister-in-law, rest assured, I know what I’m doing; I won’t suffer a loss. I’m aware of what kind of people Fourth son and his wife are—they aren’t the type to take advantage of others. Be generous to them, and they will be even more generous to you. Just look at what they’ve done these past days. Although I may be a bit selfish, I know what’s good. If it wasn’t for Fourth Daughter-in-law, our family would have sold our food, and we wouldn’t be as comfortable as we are now. Moreover, since we divided the family, Fourth son and his wife have been supporting our Main House quite a bit, due mainly to Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law, but overall, our Main House has benefited.”

“As long as you have it figured out, I won’t say more. I always have your best interests in mind.”

“I know Sister-in-law means well. And look, when we slaughtered the pig today, I set aside two pieces of good fat in the kitchen for you; don’t forget to take it when you leave. I’m afraid I might forget it later with all the busyness,” Liu said, her treatment of her mother’s family leaving nothing to be desired.

“No need, raising a pig isn’t easy for anyone, and we’ll need to use quite a lot today, we still need to save some for New Year. If you really want to give me something, just save a couple of big bones; I can take them and make soup for your nephew,” Mrs. Liu Jin wasn’t a greedy person. She appreciated her younger sister-in-law’s kindness and didn’t want to take too much, making it difficult for her. If people saw her taking things from her husband’s family to help her mother’s family, even if her brother-in-law was generous, Liu still had Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law to think about.

“If Sister-in-law wants bones, I can get you a few. Take the meat as well, don’t worry. Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law know about it and have said it’s okay. Isn’t it normal to bring a few pounds of meat to mother’s family when slaughtering one’s own pig? Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law aren’t so stingy, and with Fourth son and his wife here, they won’t say anything about it.”

“Is that really so?” Mrs. Liu Jin was still a bit worried but also tempted, considering how long it had been since her family had tasted meat. She didn’t care for herself but pitied her husband and child.

“Sister-in-law, what are you saying? Would I lie to you? Right now, I’m the one in charge of the house. My mother-in-law only looks after her own things; she doesn’t bother with my affairs. Plus, when they become old and need care, they still have to rely on me, their daughter-in-law. The Old Lady is no fool; there’s no need for her to offend me over this—especially when I’m showing off how good I am today.”

“Well then, that’s great. With an official in the family, your days are getting better. After all, you, the younger sister, are the lucky one,” Mrs. Liu Jin said, feeling genuinely happy for Liu, knowing that the better her younger sister-in-law’s life was, the better it was for them too.

“When it comes to luck, it’s Fourth Daughter-in-law who is truly blessed. She was born into a wealthy family, married into our family and brought us wealth as well, and she’s so capable of bearing children. She seems so gentle and frail, but she gave birth to triplets, including two boys. Her status in the Han family is now solid. My mother-in-law now treats Fourth Daughter-in-law like a lucky star. She might have had some complaints before, but now she doesn’t care about those anymore. She wishes she could pamper her like a treasured baby, and even tells me to get closer to Fourth Daughter-in-law so I can rub off some of her luck and give our old Han family another grandson, lest the Main House really end up without an heir.” As Liu spoke of Su Wenyue, her eyes were filled with envy. Thinking of her own situation, having only birthed daughters so far, her expression turned to one of worry.