Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 78

Because of what had happened before, Wei Ying always felt guilty toward her eldest daughter. She feared that after marrying, Li Zhen would be looked down upon by her husband’s family, or worse, treated poorly by her husband because of it.

So when their second daughter, Li Shuang, had just gotten engaged, Wei Ying and her husband immediately began preparing her dowry. By now, they had managed to gather a good amount, enough to send Li Shuang off with a generous trousseau.

Meanwhile, Feng Qiufang’s eyes never left Madam Li, staring as though she were a living God of Wealth. In her heart she was already calculating carefully, determined that later she must demand a good sum of silver.

At the men’s table, Li Yin would occasionally cast furtive glances toward the women’s side. His gaze, however, was not random, it was fixed on Ying Su. He noticed how she remained quietly focused on her food, only pausing to serve the two children dishes. From start to finish, she spoke little.

After a long while, still unable to guess her identity, Li Yin probed his father, Li Zhi, who sat beside him. “Father, who is that young woman sitting next to Eldest Aunt? I don’t recall ever seeing her before.”

“What young woman?” Li Zhi asked casually, following his son’s gaze. When he realized Li Yin was referring to the widow, his face twisted in displeasure. “Stay away from her. She’s an ill-omened person. You don’t want to catch her misfortune!”

But that still didn’t answer who she was. Li Yin smiled obediently. “Yes, yes, of course. But Father, at least tell me who she is. That way I’ll know whom to avoid.”

Li Zhi snorted. “She’s the widow your late Second Cousin left behind. Your Eldest Aunt bought her years ago from a broker to marry your cousin in hopes of driving away his illness…”

Because Li Dalang was seated nearby, Li Zhi lowered his voice. “In the end, she only brought him death. Afterward she even gave birth to a questionable child. I heard her background isn’t clean either. You must keep your distance from her, or she’ll ruin your prospects.”

“So it’s her…” Li Yin’s thoughts wandered back to five years ago, when Second Cousin had married. In his mind rose the image of a figure dressed in crimson, the dazzling silhouette wrapped in a bright red bridal robe, her face hidden beneath a scarlet veil. 

That face, when finally revealed, had been breathtaking, so striking that even the gaudy red of the wedding dress could not drown it. On the contrary, she had eclipsed the red itself, her enchanting eyes and brows burning vivid in his memory.

To think five years had already passed. He stole another glance at Ying Su, feigning nonchalance. The face in his memory, once so dazzling, now seemed softer, more refined. Gone was the brazen allure; in its place, a serene elegance. She sat with her back straight as jade bamboo, radiating a natural grace untouched by the studied affectations of town girls.

She was so different now that he almost couldn’t recognize her.

Back then, he had been just a fifteen-year-old boy. Second Cousin was only a year older but had long been sickly, bedridden for years. Eldest Aunt had purchased Ying Su to marry him in a last attempt to ward off his fate.

On the wedding day, Li Yin had only glimpsed her from afar. Yet that single glance had lingered in his dreams countless times over the past five years. Though her bridal robes were no different from any other village bride’s, the vivid scarlet had etched itself into his heart like an unending pattern.

Perhaps because he was so young then, he had not realized how stunning she was. But later, that memory grew sharper, like a thorn lodged in his chest. Unconsciously, his left hand tightened inside his sleeve, while his chopsticks slowly lowered onto the table.

At the men’s table, Wang Dachui, already tipsy, leaned toward Li Dalang and asked casually,

“Brother Dalang, where is Sister-in-law Cuihua from?”

Li Dalang shook his head.

“I don’t know either.”

Wang Dachui scratched his head anxiously. He had already studied Shen Cuihua carefully earlier, but too many years had passed, he couldn’t be sure if she truly resembled the Shen family’s missing sister. If he guessed wrong, the Shen brothers’ hopes would be in vain.

“How can that be…”

Seeing his disbelief, Li Dalang explained,

“You don’t understand. My Second Brother was weak and sickly since childhood. Mother bought Cuihua from a broker to marry him in hopes of driving away his illness. But then Second Brother died soon after, and Cuihua herself fell ill. When she finally recovered, she’d lost her memory of the past. We’ve never known where she really came from.”

Wang Dachui’s heart leapt.

“When did Eldest Aunt buy her back then?”

His excitement made his voice louder than intended, drawing the table’s attention. Embarrassed, he lowered his head. Li Dalang narrowed his eyes, asking in a low voice,

“Why are you asking about Cuihua?”

Wang Dachui quickly waved his hands. “No reason… no reason, just curious, that’s all…”

But inwardly, his thoughts churned. If Cuihua truly was the Shen family’s lost sister, the Li family had after all paid money for her. They would hardly let her go easily.

The Shen brothers had suffered bitterly these years searching for their little sister. If this really was her, he couldn’t risk ruining their chance of reunion.

Uneasy and restless, Wang Dachui longed to leave immediately for Xiling Village to share the news with the Shen brothers.

By now, with Village Head Zhang drunk, the feast was winding down. Old Man Li asked Li Wei to escort the village head home. Elder Zhang also took his leave.

Once the outsiders were gone and only the Li family remained, Feng Qiufang could no longer restrain herself. She gave Li Zhi a meaningful look. He returned the signal, and she instantly understood.

Standing up, she cleared her throat. “Since today is Father’s birthday, I have something I’d like to ask Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Brother and Sister-in-law to help with.”

She paused, then continued, “Our Yin-ge’er is already twenty this year. From a young age, his father and I sent him to the finest academy in town. His studies are truly excellent, his teachers often praise him. But because the tongsheng exam requires recommendations, our Yin-ge’er has been delayed all this time. Those recommenders only put forward the sons of wealthy and powerful families.”

At this, Feng Qiufang dabbed her eyes. She knew better than anyone how talented her son was. Yet without money or influence, he had been barred from even entering the imperial exams.

“This year, Master Kong of the Chunqiu Academy is willing to write a recommendation letter for Yin-ge’er. But we must first honor those above him, it will take forty to fifty taels of silver. The amount is far too great. That’s why we must ask Eldest Sister-in-law, and Second Brother and Sister-in-law, to help us! Though we have been saving all these years, we are still far short of the sum…”

At the table, Li Yin’s expression grew uneasy. He knew his parents’ plan, but seeing them openly beg for silver still made him uncomfortable.

Second Sister Li Shuang whispered in shock,

“Auntie wants… wants us to give silver?”