As soon as they stepped into the Wang family home, Wang Wenhe’s wife Wang Qian, threw the pot of dirty water that she was carrying directly at the two of them, cursing. “This is the busy season, so why don’t you just stop. Why don’t you wait until the farming season is over!” It was the busiest time of the year for every family and Wang Qian, who didn’t like old lady Wang’s family, was furious when she saw them. Wang Chunxiu pulled her mother’s hand and said, “Auntie, my mother and I are looking for the patriarch for something, so we had no choice but to come here.”

Wang Qian said, “What for? Are you here to ask for money again or to ask for someone to plant your land? I will say it, so Chunxiu you should also talk to your brother Wang Zhisong. Your second brother and sister-in-law are not here, but you can’t expect others to do all the work in the field for you. My grandchild Wang Yan is only 10 years old, but he still knows how to help in the field. Your younger brother is old enough to be married, so what’s the point of hiding at home during the busy season? You are also of marriageable age, not to mention helping with the work, you should also have time to run the house. Otherwise your family will not be able to have spring grain.”

Wang Wenhe was not at home, so Wang Qian did not give old lady Wang and Wang Chunxiu any face. Wang Chunxiu was not able to reply, so old lady Wang directly said, “The patriarch is not here, so I will go to the field to look for him.”

“Go ahead and go.” Wang Qian was so annoyed with them that she immediately drove them away.

After meeting with Wang Qian, old lady Wang’s expression was dark and sullen as she took Wang Chunxiu to the field to look for Wang Wenhe. Halfway there, she ran into Wang Wenhe, who was returning home. Wang Wenhe also heard from others that old lady Wang had taken Wang Chunxiu to his house, so he was hurrying back.

As soon as they saw Wang Wenhe, Wang Chunxiu began to wipe her tears and old lady Wang also began to cry, making the surrounding farmers look over. Wang Wenhe was already impatient and brought them home while suppressing his temper. Wang Qian, who saw it, looked at them from the courtyard and scolded the two of them for not worrying about the busy farming season. Old lady Wang and Wang Chunxiu pretended not to hear her. But Wang Wenhe, whose time was also precious during the busy season, opened his mouth and asked, “What is it again? The farming season is busy. Why do I only see one person working on your family’s fields?”

Old lady Wang immediately cried and wiped her tears. “Patriarch, you have to find someone to help my family. What can Chunxiu and I do now that we are the only laborers in our family?” Wang Wenhe said with a black face, “Why can’t Chunxiu do anything? She is not a young lady of a big family. At this point can she still expect to become a young lady in the future? Whose daughter in the village doesn’t work in the field? When Wang Nizi was around, she had to help out in the field, but her Aunt can’t do it?”

Wang Chunxiu couldn’t hold back any longer and her tears began to drip one by one. Wang Wenhe was unwilling to let Wang Zhisong work in the fields, but he was very dismissive of Wang Chunxiu, who obviously came from a farming family, but still wanted to act like the rich lady. But old lady Wang’s face has always been invincible, so she only cried harder as she spoke. “Even if Chunxiu goes to work in the fields, how much work can she do? I would also have to pay her medical fee if she becomes exhausted. Patriarch, I don’t want to make a scene, but there is no one in my family who can work in the fields and no one who can help our family. But that family just bought a house and land, and also bought cattle and sheep. Even if they give me just 10 taels of silver I can go and hire people. He has money to give to the villagers, but not to me, his mother?”

Wang Chunxiu echoed, “My elder brother just spent quite a few taels of silver. If it hadn’t been for him, my second brother and sister-in-law would be able to work in the field now, so it wouldn’t be so difficult for our family.” Wang Wenhe held onto his anger and finally squeezed out a sentence. “Those people work for Shijing, so Shijing has to pay them. What does that have to do with giving you money? Are you going to deny the separation deed again? Do you still not have enough trouble?” Wang Chunxiu said, “How can this be trouble? No matter how the deed was written, can he really disown his parents? He can ignore me and Wang Zhisong, but he shouldn’t be able to ignore his own parents!”

Wang Wenhe stared at old lady Wang and said, “If you didn’t make a fuss about taking back the field and the house, would Wang Shijing have left you alone? Once the field and the house were taken away, you became unreasonable even if you were reasonable. If Wang Shijing were to act according to the deed, how can you ask him for money?” Without even thinking about it, old lady Wang said, “That’s not what I asked the patriarch to write, I didn’t agree to this separation at all.”

Wang Wenhe almost spat out a mouthful of blood. While Wang Qian kicked the door and pointed at old lady Wang scolding her. “You shameless old woman. How did you give birth to such a bunch of shameless people? You drove your own son out of the house and now you look for my family because you want his money. You old wench, why don’t you just die?” Wang Qian came up with a broom to beat her, making old lady Wang and Wang Chunxiu frightened by Wang Qian’s attitude. Old lady Wang shouted, “Patriarch! Control this crazy woman!” Wang Wenhe’s hand was shaking, but unexpectedly he did not yell at his wife, as the broom in Wang Qian’s hand struck old lady Wang and Wang Chunxiu mercilessly. Seeing that the patriarch did not care, old lady Wang grabbed the frightened Wang Chunxiu and ran out, while Wang Qian chased them all the way out. While Wang Wenhe slumped down on the stool, covered his face, and let out a long sigh.

Wang Qian beat old lady Wang and Wang Chunxiu so much that even the other people in the village started paying attention. But Wang Qian was not finished. Crossing her arms around her chest, she began to scold them, making the villagers aware of what was going on. A person in the field driving cattle found Wang Dali as soon as he heard the gossip, who with a bent back continued to work in silence.

Old lady Wang and Wang Chunxiu ran home in a state of distress, making Wang Zhisong immediately ask them what happened. Once he heard that the two not only looked for the patriarch’s support to no avail, but was also beaten by Wang Qian, Wang Zhisong’s expression became quite gloomy, taking several deep breaths. He was secretly supportive of his mother’s action, but on the surface he could only continue to persuade them not to go to Wang Shijing to ask for money. Since they couldn’t do it, their family should pay some money to the clan’s people to ask for their help with the fields. But as soon as old lady Wang heard this, she refused. It was only right for the people of the clan to help. Why should they give them money?

Now there was only Wang Dali plus a cow working in the field, while neither Wang Zhisong nor Wang Chunxiu wanted to help. Old lady Wang did not dare to bother the patriarch for the time being and would like to go to Wang Shijing to let out her frustrations, but there was still Shao Yunan. She was afraid that Shao Yunan would go to the county school again to make trouble, really finishing Wang Zhisong this time. Thinking about it for some time, old lady Wang finally asked Wang Chunxiu to go to Wang Shijing to ask for money. Wang Chunxiu was after all a girl and his younger sister. As soon as she heard this, Wang Chunxiu said she would rather die. She was really afraid that Shao Yunan would spread a rumor around that she was trying to seduce him.

Wang Chunxiu refused to go, however they had no choice but to do the work in the field. Otherwise, what would their family eat and drink next year? Old lady Wang was very angry and in the end she dragged Wang Chunxiu and Wang Zaizheng out and pulled Wang Zhisong in, asking them to go to the fields together. Old lady Wang didn’t want Wang Zhisong to become too tired. How could a person who would be a future first place winner do something as lowly as farm work? When Wang Chunxiu cried and refused to go, old lady Wang gave her a slap and dragged her together with Wang Zaizheng, who also cried and refused to go to the fields.

The Wang family’s affair became a joke again. Wang Wenhe was angry, but when he saw that Wang Dali was the only one in the Wang family’s field, along with old lady Wang, Wang Chunxiu, and Wang Zaizheng he called over people in the clan to help them, in his capacity as head of the clan. But to his surprise, not only was no one willing to help, but the people he thought wouldn’t be able to decline, flatly refused. Zhao Lizheng’s family paid them for red dates and hawthorn gathering, so all the families had to divide their manpower to pick red dates and hawthorn. There were also families who originally weren’t from Xiushui Village who needed to go back home to help with their own fields. 

Wang Shijing’s family paid them to help collect tea leaves, allowing many families to earn some money, so they really couldn’t spare any manpower. Helping with old lady Wang’s fields not only gave them no income, it didn’t even give them a mouthful of water. So if they had time for extra work, they might as well gather red dates and hawthorn to exchange for money.

Edited by: Jaisland

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