Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 88

When Zhang Yun comes to visit, Zhang Shu and the others finally learn that Zhang wenjie has also passed the imperial examination. Someone should have informed them earlier, but since their own village has produced a juren, they’ve been too preoccupied to pay attention to anyone else’s success.

This time, Zhang Yun is dressed quite well. Scholar Zhang has decided to use a piece of silk gifted by a wealthy merchant to make a set of clothes for each family member.

Mother Zhang and Little Sister Zhang are not pleased with this decision. Silk! If only the three of them get new clothes, there will be half a piece left, which Little Sister Zhang could take as part of her dowry. How prestigious that would be!

But no one dares to object to Scholar Zhang’s decision—arguing with him would only lead to a long-winded lecture.

In this household, only Zhang Yun wholeheartedly worships him, so Scholar Zhang still shows some affection for her. As for his two daughters, he figures they might be useful in the future. When they have no money, there’s no point in thinking about such things, but now that they’re better off, it’s time to make plans.

Sitting in the main hall, Zhang Yun addresses them, “My husband said that although you didn’t help our family much, we must never forget our roots. Even poor relatives should be treated as honored guests. Tomorrow, our family is hosting a banquet. Father, Mother, Nephew Ah’shu, and Nephew’s husband—you should all come and enjoy yourselves.”

Zhang Shu eyes Zhang Yun, wanting to crack open her head and see what’s inside. She actually repeated Zhang Wenjie’s words and called them ‘poor relatives’?

Wasn’t she the one who had always been struggling and returning to her maternal home for help? Zhang Shu distinctly remembers a year when an autumn disaster strikes, and the Zhang family has to rely on them for food throughout the winter. And now, after all that generosity, these ungrateful people have the audacity to act superior.

Grandpa Zhang takes a long puff from his dry tobacco pipe and says, “The farm work is keeping us busy. Your mother and I can go, but Ah’shu and his husband will stay home.”

“Father, you’re really getting old and muddle-headed! This is a great honor for our Zhang family! If my own family doesn’t attend, people will say my husband has forgotten his roots!” Zhang Yun protests anxiously. The whole point of the banquet is to show off. Her family is small—if they don’t bring enough people to fill a table, others might assume her husband’s in-laws don’t approve of him.

Grandma Zhang looks at Zhang Yun in disappointment. The daughter who only cares about her husband’s reputation—she seems even more heartless than before. At least back then, she still has some sincerity.

“Aunt, don’t worry. We’ll go,” Zhang Shu says in a steady voice. Isn’t it just a chance for them to show off? Fine, then I’ll go and see what they’re so proud of.

Zhang Yun breathes a sigh of relief. Her reputation is tied to Zhang Wenjie—if he loses face, her mother-in-law will definitely scold her again.

After delivering the invitation, Zhang Yun returns home, beaming with joy. Villagers can’t help but ask her a few questions, and when they learn her husband has passed the imperial examination, they praise her luck, saying she will likely become an official’s wife.

Then, someone remarks that Zhang Shu’s family is surprisingly low-key—they haven’t even mentioned their son-in-law passing the exam. If we had a relative who became a juren, we’d be rushing to their house just to bask in their glory.

At home, Grandma Zhang frowns. “Ah’shu, why did you say we’d go? Your second uncle’s family will be there too. Your aunt is completely thoughtless, and that Zhang family has never taken us seriously. Your grandfather and I are elders, so we’ll be fine, but you young ones will probably be bullied.”

“Grandma, don’t worry. If I don’t provoke them, no one can bully me. But Mujin isn’t in good condition. Tomorrow, I’ll send him to my father-in-law’s place for the day,” Zhang Shu says. The journey will be rough, and if Li Mujin ends up getting upset, it could be bad for the baby.

With only a month left until the due date, everyone agrees.

The next morning, Zhang Shu personally takes Li Mujin back to his father’s house.

After explaining the situation to Li Aba, Zhang Shu leaves to take the elders to the banquet.

Watching Zhang Shu’s departing figure, Li Aba sighs, “Ah’shu is good in every way, but his maternal relatives are a real headache. His family is small—there won’t be anyone to support him in the future.”

Even though Li Aba’s own family isn’t particularly close-knit, they still have plenty of relatives and connections.

“Aba, don’t worry. We won’t be bullied,” Li Mujin reassures him. But in truth, he’s still a little worried that the three of them might suffer grievances.

That evening, when Zhang Shu comes to pick Li Mujin up, his face is emotionless. Li Aba and the others don’t press him for details.

But as soon as they leave the house, Zhang Shu fumes, “Those people are really too much!”

“What happened?” Li Mujin asks.

Zhang Shu takes a deep breath to calm himself. “Here’s what happened…”

That morning, Zhang Shu drove a bullock cart to the Zhang family’s house. A crowd is already gathered outside. Seeing his tall and sturdy frame, some people whisper among themselves.

“Who’s that? A relative of Yun Niang’s? He looks good—I wonder if he’s married?”

Zhang Shu hasn’t brought his husband with him, which leads to such speculation.

A sharp-faced woman with monkey-like cheeks scoffs, “That’s Yun Niang’s nephew, the son of the old family. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen him before. Even I, who live so close, have barely seen him a few times.”

“Oh? What kind of nephew never visits his aunt’s house?”

“Don’t mention it. They probably just look down on the poor and favor the rich. Didn’t you see? As soon as Scholar Zhang passed the examination, they rushed over here.”

“…”

Gossiping is always one-sided. Gradually, more and more people gather, and the voices grow louder. They have no sense of discretion whatsoever.

The expressions of the Zhang family members darken. If their own family hasn’t gone around talking, how would the neighbors even know? And from what they’re saying, it seems the second son of the Zhang family is somehow involved.

“Grandma, let them talk. You know, if someone gossips too much, the little ghosts in hell will use big scissors to cut out their tongue inch by inch after they die,” Zhang Shu says loudly, causing the surroundings to fall into sudden silence.

The women watch as Zhang Shu and the others walk into the Zhang family courtyard, their faces showing a hint of unease.

Inside the main hall, the Zhang family’s old matriarch sits, basking in the flattery of the elderly guests around her. Even when she sees Zhang Shu’s grandparents arrive, she doesn’t get up. She merely smiles and says, “In-laws, you’ve arrived? Yunniang is busy in the kitchen right now. Why don’t you go see her?”

“So this is how the Zhang family treats their guests? Inviting in-laws over only to send them straight to the kitchen? I wonder if your own nephews are in there serving food?” Zhang Shu looks at the old hag and speaks without politeness.

The old lady’s face darkens. Ever since her son passed the imperial examination, even the county officials have to show her some respect. No one dares to speak to her like this anymore! Her nephews are honored guests, completely different from these peasants!

“If the Zhang family hadn’t invited us, we wouldn’t have come to climb your social ladder. Since we’re clearly unwelcome, we’ll take our leave,” Zhang Shu says as he helps his grandmother up, preparing to leave. Why stay and endure humiliation?

“Wait! Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, please accept my formal bow,” a voice calls out.

Scholar Zhang steps out from the inner room, his face carrying a warm smile.

“Nephew, don’t be upset. My mother didn’t mean it. Surely you won’t argue with an old woman. Yunniang is in the kitchen giving instructions—I’ll have her come out right away,” he says smoothly.

Scholar Zhang’s pleasant demeanor makes it difficult to hold a grudge. Since he has taken the initiative to smooth things over, they let the matter drop and find a place to sit.

Zhang Yun soon comes out of the kitchen. She is pleased to see them, but her expression quickly turns dissatisfied. “Why didn’t nephew-in-law come?” she asks discontentedly.

Grandma Zhang frowns. “Mujin is heavily pregnant. Why should he come? The road is rough—what if something happened?”

Zhang Yun purses her lips. “It’s just pregnancy. What’s the big deal? When I was expecting my daughters, I worked in the fields every day, cooked in the kitchen, and never stopped moving. But I still gave birth safely, and the babies were healthy and strong.”

Grandma Zhang looks at her daughter, her expression filled with disappointment. Even now, she still thinks the Zhang family is in the right? Other families pamper their pregnant daughters, but Zhang Yun has worked like a servant throughout her pregnancy. And yet, she seems to take pride in it.

“When I gave birth to this daughter, was there water in my brain?” Grandma Zhang mutters under her breath. “How did I raise a child this foolish?”

“Where are Hua’er and Cao’er?” she asks instead, realizing she hasn’t seen her two granddaughters.

“Mother! Stop calling them that. My husband has given them proper names now—one is Zhang Zhi, and the other is Zhang Rui.” Zhang Yun says proudly. “He used to say girls didn’t need serious names, but now that he’s about to become an official, it would be embarrassing for the children to have such casual names.”

Zhang Shu finds his aunt’s pride baffling. Which child isn’t given a proper name at birth? Her daughters are already eight and five years old, yet they haven’t had real names until now. And now she’s celebrating as if receiving real names is some great honor.

A moment later, Zhang Yun brings her two daughters out. Their clothes are bright and clean, but their expressions remain dull, their eyes filled with quiet fear. Long-term oppression has made them timid. What’s the point of treating them well now?

“Grandpa, Grandma, Cousin,” they call softly.

At the very least, the two girls have some affection for their maternal relatives. In their few memories of visiting, they’ve been able to eat meat. At home, they have nothing but porridge and wild vegetables.

Grandma Zhang takes Hua’er’s small hands in hers and feels how rough they are. Clearly, she has done a lot of work. Cao’er’s hands are smoother—because most of the chores fall on her older sister.

When Zhang Yun was a child, Grandma Zhang never let her work so hard. But now, she has no pity for her own daughters. She is utterly devoted to a man who doesn’t care for her. What kind of mother neglects her own children like this?

After a while, the banquet begins.

At the main table sits a group of wealthy businessmen and local elites—no scholars. These are the people who have sent lavish gifts to the Zhang family. Since the Zhang family has accepted their gifts, they have no choice but to invite them. When they try to invite the scholars, they refuse upon realizing they’d have to share a table with merchants.

Scholar Zhang doesn’t mind. After all, those scholars haven’t given him any money. But these businessmen flatter him endlessly. If he wants to buy an official position, he will need their silver.

Zhang Shu and his family are seated at the second branch’s table. Everyone is present except for Zhang Yang. They exchange brief greetings before lapsing into silence, not a single word spoken at the table.

Meanwhile, at the next table, the Zhang family’s neighbors are greedily stuffing food into their bowls, as if afraid they won’t get their money’s worth. The way they eat looks more like a battle than a meal.

A teacher once said, birds of a feather flock together, and people sort themselves into groups.

As Zhang Shu observes the two different tables, he finally understands the true meaning of that phrase.