Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 76

Chapter 76

Because of the eight taels of silver, Grandma Zhao had always been looked down upon at home. The Zhao family believed she had been sold to them.
Zhang Yuan said coldly, “My sister has been toiling and suffering in your house for years, that has more than repaid the eight taels of silver. She has worked like an ox and a horse, even the greatest debt would have been paid off. With a wicked old woman like you around, how can she have a good life!”

Mrs. Zhao, hearing him call her a wicked old woman, gasped for air, her wrinkled face contorted, her triangular eyes revealing a fierce glare. “You from that ruined family, if our Zhao family hadn’t married Xi Ge’er (Grandma Zhao), your sick mother probably wouldn’t have had money for a proper burial, and you, a suckling child, would have starved to death. Now you have the nerve to stand in my house and curse me!”

Grandma Zhao didn’t want to escalate the situation and tried to calm her brother down. “Yuan’er, don’t say anymore, just focus on yourself, I can manage here.”

Zhang Yuan couldn’t bear to see her suffer under this wicked old woman any longer. “Sister, just come home with me, we’ll live a good life together from now on, I can support you.”

Grandma Zhao still didn’t know he had become a Xiucai. “How can you study without money? I…”

Zhang Yuan said, “I’ve already become a Xiucai, and I’ll be taking the Juren exam soon. I’ll definitely work hard for you. We don’t have to endure this anymore.”

A Xiucai not only received a monthly stipend of two qian, but he could also work as an official in the government office, a better life than others.

Hearing that Zhang Yuan had become a Xiucai, Grandma Zhao’s tears fell, and she said with joy, “Is it true?! My brother is so promising! Your future is bright!”

All her years of embroidering handkerchiefs and sewing clothes to save money for her brother’s education had not been in vain.

Mrs. Zhao, hearing that the Zhang family boy had actually become a Xiucai, her arrogance deflated. She, an old woman from the countryside, had never seen much of the world, let alone a Xiucai, and she was naturally afraid of those with official status.

Zhang Yuan wiped his sister’s tears and said to the old woman, “My sister will not stay in your house any longer. I will take care of her from now on. Don’t even think about divorcing her, we’ll just have a formal separation. I’ll write the separation agreement and give it to you to sign. If you don’t agree, I’ll sue you in court!”

Grandma Zhao, hearing this, was overjoyed. Her life was finally turning around!

Mrs. Zhao didn’t dare to argue with Zhang Yuan anymore. If he passed the next exam, he would become a real official, capable of crushing her. She could only swallow her anger and remain silent.

Zhang Yuan then took his sister and walked out of the Zhao family’s house with his head held high. Grandma Zhao, for the first time, walked out of that house with her back straight. When she first entered, she had been bent over.

Many people gathered at the door, watching, and Grandma Zhao wiped her tears, her emotions complex.

Zhang Yuan patted his sister’s hand. It wasn’t the hand of a young woman, covered in calluses and old scars. He felt a pang of guilt, he would definitely repay his only relative in this life!

“Sister, hold your head high and come home with me. We’ll live a dignified and respectable life from now on! If that family comes begging for you again, let them kneel and ask.”

Grandma Zhao nodded. “Alright, as long as we’re together, the Zhang family will continue, and there’s hope for our future.”

As Ye Xi was sweeping the courtyard, he heard someone calling him from outside. He looked up and saw Grandma Zhao.

He quickly dusted himself off and went to open the door. “Grandma Zhao, please come in and sit down.”

Grandma Zhao and her younger brother, Zhang Yuan, stood outside the fence. Zhang Yuan bowed to Ye Xi in the manner of a scholar, making Ye Xi feel a bit awkward, and he quickly bowed back.

Grandma Zhao held Ye Xi’s hand and smiled. “I’m leaving with my brother, I came to say goodbye to you.”

Ye Xi smiled. “I just heard that your brother has become a Xiucai, congratulations, Grandma Zhao!”

Grandma Zhao’s eyes welled up with tears of joy. “He’s promising, now that he’s a Xiucai, his future is bright, he’s taking me back with him, I don’t have to suffer anymore.”

Ye Xi was also happy for her. He knew her life had been difficult, enduring hardship for so many years, with a husband who didn’t care for her, no hope at all.

“Thank you for listening to my complaints the other day, I haven’t had anyone to talk to for a long time, it was suffocating. You’re so kind and considerate, I couldn’t help but pour out my heart to you, and you didn’t even mind.”

If it were anyone else, they would have been impatient long ago. After talking to Ye Xi that day, she felt much better.

Ye Xi said, “You were willing to share your thoughts with me, you trust me, Zhao Grandma Zhao. Your life will be better from now on.”

Grandma Zhao smiled. “Yes, I didn’t expect to see this day. That day my mother-in-law accused me of stealing money and scolded me so harshly that I wanted to die. I was sitting by the well, about to jump in, when you happened to pass by and encountered the dog, and I came out to chase it away. If it weren’t for you, I might have already jumped in. You talked to me and even helped me find the lost money, I’m so grateful to you, Xi Ge’er (Ye Xi), you’ll definitely be blessed with good fortune.”

Ye Xi was startled, he hadn’t realized he had unknowingly saved Grandma Zhao’s life. “Then I wish you happiness and good fortune in the future, Grandma Zhao.”

They chatted for a few more words, and then Grandma Zhao left with her brother.

Lin Jiangshan returned after helping Ye Shan release the fish fry. When he came back to get a hoe, he saw his husband sitting in the courtyard, picking vegetables, a smile on his face, and he asked, “My husband is very happy about my brother releasing the fish today.”

Ye Xi put the cleaned vegetables in the basket and smiled. “I’m happy for my brother, and also for others. Life is getting better and better, there’s always hope.”

Lin Jiangshan was confused by his words, and Ye Xi told him about Grandma Zhao’s story.

“My husband is kind and good-hearted, that’s why you accidentally helped Grandma Zhao and accumulated good karma. You’ll definitely be blessed in the future.”

Ye Xi, stirring the pot with a bamboo stick, smiled. “Aren’t I already enjoying good fortune? I married you, and now we have land and a cow.”

Lin Jiangshan hugged his husband from behind. “Then I’ll have to save more money and buy more land, to make my husband even happier!”

The results of the spring imperial exam were posted at the county government office, on red paper with black ink, the names of the successful candidates written in bold strokes.

There were only about a hundred scholars from the surrounding ten villages and eight towns, and only a few became Xiucai, the list short and easy to read.

Cao Bin squeezed through the crowd and scanned the list several times, wishing he could see through the red paper, but he couldn’t find his name.

He gritted his teeth, in disbelief. How could he not have become a Xiucai! He considered himself the best in writing and poetry, what was wrong? He failed, while that poor Zhang Yuan from the same private school passed!

The more he thought about it, the more resentful he became. His wealthy classmates, knowing this, came over and put their arms around his shoulders, comforting him. “The examiner this time is blind, he doesn’t recognize talent, he doesn’t appreciate your literary skills, Brother Cao. Don’t take it to heart, let’s go drinking, you can take the exam again next time. That Zhang Yuan just got lucky, how could he pass? He’s definitely not as good as you, Brother Cao!”

Cao Bin also felt the same way. He just thought he had been unlucky recently, first marrying that shrew, then getting scratched on the face by his former fiancée, Xi Ge’er (Ye Xi), almost unable to explain himself at home, then fainting in a mass grave after encountering a ghost, and now failing the exam, everything was going wrong.

“A new courtesan, Miss Lan, who appreciates art and literature, has arrived at the Xianghua Brothel. She’s said to be good at relieving boredom and worries. Let’s go and see her, Brother Cao, maybe it will bring you good luck. Once you’re free of worries, everything will be fine.”

“Yes, yes, who cares about the spring imperial exam, having fun now is more important!”

The group went to the brothel to drink again.

Yao-ge’er, at home, knowing that Cao Bin had failed the exam, was furious, smashing pots and bowls. He had thought Cao Bin would definitely pass, since he had said his teacher praised his talent. He hadn’t expected that the praise was not for him.

Mother Cao also felt sorry for her bowls and dishes and was about to scold Yao-ge’er when a washbasin flew out of the room, almost hitting her on the back.

She was afraid of him and didn’t dare to approach, only peeking from the doorway. Yao-ge’er was ruthless, and she wouldn’t have a good outcome if she fought him. He would grab her hair and bang her head against the door, or pinch her where no one could see.

“Fine, I bought firecrackers, thinking I would set them off to celebrate, I didn’t expect it was all wishful thinking, he didn’t pass!”

Yao-ge’er, his belly large, stormed out of the room, threw Cao Bin’s books all over the courtyard, and cursed, “I was counting on him to become a Xiucai and bring honor to our family! Turns out he’s just a useless pretty boy! I was blind, I should have married a country bumpkin, at least he would have provided for me, instead of this one who’s always out, fooling around!”

Mother Cao said, “It’s because you have such a bad temper, my son is afraid of you and doesn’t want to come home. If you were gentle and considerate, he would want to come back!”

Yao-ge’er glared at her, his eyes bulging. “You old hag, you dare to blame me? Your son is heartless, and your family is a nest of vipers! If he hadn’t been attracted to my looks and had an affair with me, how would I have gotten pregnant and married into your family? Speaking of which, you treated me so shabbily at our wedding, I’ll remember this for the rest of my life! Don’t think you can have a peaceful life!”

Mother Cao was filled with regret, why did she let this shrew into their family? He controlled the whole family, and her son was so scared of him that he didn’t dare to come home. She couldn’t even divorce him, he would just cause a scene at the village, the private school, and the government office, he was truly a menace, they couldn’t do anything about him.

“I must have been blinded by greed, breaking off the engagement with the Ye family. Although Xi Ge’er (Ye Xi) burned his face, he was gentle, virtuous, and a good housekeeper.”

This touched a raw nerve in Yao-ge’er. He had always been competing with Ye Xi, and it was this resentment that made him determined to marry into the Cao family. Hearing this now, he was even more furious, his hands on his hips, his belly protruding, and he sneered, “Who’s to blame? Isn’t it because you’re so snobbish? Let me tell you, now that I’ve married into your family, don’t even think about the past. I’m in charge of this family now. When my husband comes back, I’ll watch him day and night, make him study, and make sure he becomes a Xiucai! I’ll see if I can’t control him!”

Just as he finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through his belly, and he clutched his stomach. “Oh no, I think I’m going into labor! What are you standing there for? It’s your Cao family’s child, hurry up and get a midwife!”

Mother Cao, seeing that he was about to give birth, hurried to get a midwife. This was her grandson!

After the midwife arrived, Yao-ge’er was in labor for a whole day and night and finally gave birth to a young man. Cao Bin hadn’t returned home.

Hearing that it was a young man, the Cao family’s faces fell. Yao-ge’er had been so sure he was carrying a son, and they had been providing him with good food and drinks, but now it was a young man.

Mother Cao didn’t even make him a bowl of brown sugar and egg soup, just glanced at him and went back to her room. Yao-ge’er, holding his child, lay in bed, gritting his teeth. After his confinement, he would definitely settle the score with this family.