“Sister, you should hurry home and wash up. You smell awful.”
Ye Yao held her nose, looking as if she were about to retch.
Ye Hanzhu could not afford to bicker with her. Hurriedly shielding her face with her hands, she stumbled and ran toward home.
It was filthy. She had to get clean immediately.
If Xie Moyan were to see her in such a ghostly state, how could he possibly still want to kiss her?
The complaint obviously couldn’t be made now, and Ye Hanzhu felt an extreme hatred toward Ye Yao in her heart.
With malicious eyes, she thought: Tomorrow, when we return to my parents’ home, I will surely make Ye Yao lose all face!
Ye Yao, meanwhile, was happily sipping a small bowl of sugar water.
She couldn’t rest for too long. Otherwise, if all the farm work fell onto Madam Wang, the woman would definitely come looking for trouble later.
However, having dealt with Ye Hanzhu just now, she felt she had vented some of her pent-up frustration. For the moment, she felt that even the hunger was not so unbearable.
As the sun set, cooking smoke curled up from the village, and the scent of food wafted everywhere.
Suddenly forced to work all day, Ye Yao was still not accustomed to the labor and felt so exhausted that she just wanted to collapse and sleep.
Even the usually sharp-tongued Madam Wang had no energy to nitpick at this moment. After downing two large bowls of mixed-grain porridge, she went back to her room to rest.
Ye Yao checked the woodshed, but Xie Hanshuo had not yet returned.
A trace of disappointment flashed across her face, and she lethargically returned to her room to sleep alone.
The next day, when she woke up, Ye Yao remembered what day it was.
According to village custom, today was the day to return to the bride’s parents’ home.
When she went out dressed properly, Ye Hanzhu and Xie Moyan were already waiting at the gate.
Ye Hanzhu put on an air of sisterly affection: “Sister, let’s go together today.”
“The younger brother-in-law is truly something else; he isn’t even accompanying you on such an important day as returning to your parents’ home. Sister, don’t be sad. I will explain it to Father and Mother for you. I’m sure they won’t blame you.”
Although Ye Hanzhu spoke words of sympathy and pity, the look in her eyes—waiting to see a joke—could not be hidden at all.
Ye Yao sneered inwardly, her gaze shifting toward Xie Moyan.
He was the same as in her past life. For this visit, he only brought a basket of eggs and a hand-copied book of The Three Character Classic.
He said that since he knew their younger brother, Ye Yuanshu, wanted to learn to read and be enlightened, he had specifically copied it to give to him.
Books were precious, and studying was not easy.
Even as a hand-copied manuscript, this was considered a decent gift in the countryside.
It had been the same in her previous life.
She and Xie Moyan had returned home with the eggs and the manuscript. Although Concubine Liu (her mother) looked down on such a meager gift, compared to Xie Hanshuo—who didn’t even show his face—it was ultimately much better.
In her past life, Xie Hanshuo hadn’t accompanied Ye Hanzhu home at all.
Concubine Liu had been so angry she cursed her daughter for being blind, choosing such a bastard who wouldn’t even step over the threshold of the Ye family—could he ever treat her well in the future?
Ye Hanzhu had also regretted her choices deeply, crying and making scenes at home for several days, later becoming the laughingstock of the entire village.
Now, this turn of events had fallen to her.
Ye Yao sighed softly in her heart.
Very well. Since I am here, I will make the best of it.
Seeing that Xie Hanshuo was not there, Xie Moyan could only say helplessly, “Sister-in-law, you’ve been wronged. When Second Brother returns, I will certainly have a serious talk with him.”
Ye Hanzhu held onto Xie Moyan’s arm, her face filled with unconcealable pride.
Hmph, when we get back, I will tell my mother that Ye Yao and the second son of the Xie family haven’t consummated the marriage, and let her spread the word.
I want to see what face Ye Yao will have to face others in the future!
The suffering I endured in my past life—now it’s Ye Yao’s turn to have a good taste of it!
Along the way, the gleeful, schadenfreude expression on Ye Hanzhu’s face never faded.
She mocked and ridiculed Ye Yao incessantly. After all, she had finally caught Ye Yao in a streak of bad luck; how could she pass up such a good opportunity?
Remembering how Ye Yao had made her fall into the foul-smelling mud yesterday, she was determined to make Ye Yao pay back with interest today and make her suffer an even greater humiliation!
“Sister, for the younger brother-in-law to treat you this way, you are truly pathetic.”
“When we get home, I will tell Mother. If nothing else, I’ll have her come over and reason with him for you.”
Ye Hanzhu fanned the flames with her words, but in her heart, she was eager for Ye Yao to make a scene—the bigger the scene, the better; the more ridiculous, the more exciting.
Ye Yao shook off her hand, her expression indifferent, “Thank you, sister, for your kindness. As for reasoning, there is no need.”
Did Ye Hanzhu think she was a fool?
How could Concubine Liu possibly stand up for her?
Ye Yao continued walking forward with a blank expression.
In her past life, she had climbed from a farm girl to a First-Rank Lady of honor; she had endured more ridicule and cold stares than she could count. What was a simple return visit to her parents’ home compared to that?
Even if Xie Hanshuo didn’t come, she had ways to preserve her dignity.
Ye Yao’s gaze was calm and composed, so much so that even Xie Moyan, who was walking in front, couldn’t help but look back at her twice.
No crying, no making a scene—this sister-in-law is someone who has her wits about her.
Seeing this, Ye Hanzhu bit her lip in frustration and chased after them: “Sister, I am doing this entirely for your own good. The younger brother-in-law won’t even accompany you to your parents’ home—how will you live your life from now on?”
“That bastard, the second son of the Xie family… when we get home, I will definitely report him to Father and Mother, and have them decide for you…”
She was still rambling on when the three of them reached the entrance of the village.
Ye Yao was getting incredibly annoyed. She quickened her pace, and not paying attention for a moment, she slammed her forehead hard into a solid chest.
She gave a muffled grunt of pain, then immediately heard a man’s displeased voice resonate from above:
“Walking without looking where you’re going—why are you so reckless?”
The tone was so familiar that Ye Yao almost thought it was an illusion.
She looked up, exclaiming in astonishment:
“Xie Hanshuo… why are you here?”
Xie Hanshuo furrowed his brow, thinking her question was rather foolish, so he replied crossly: “Who else would it be if not me? I am your husband. Whether you like it or not, I have to be the one accompanying you to your parents’ home today.”
“I am naturally willing!”
Ye Yao had assumed he wouldn’t come. Who would have thought that the situation would take such a turn—he actually hadn’t forgotten about the visit.
Seeing Xie Hanshuo appear, Xie Moyan was also quite surprised.
His brother’s temperament had always been rebellious. The fact that he was willing to accompany Ye Yao now at least showed that he acknowledged this wife in his heart.
But for some reason, Xie Moyan felt strangely uneasy.
He spoke in a flat tone: “It’s good that Second Brother is here. Sister-in-law has been waiting for you. In the future, conduct yourself properly so others don’t have to worry about you.”
Xie Hanshuo grunted an acknowledgment, his gaze sweeping over the eggs in Xie Moyan’s hands, then falling upon Ye Yao’s empty hands. His thick brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes grew dark and unreadable.
He couldn’t say he was fond of this eldest brother; he merely maintained the expected brotherly harmony and followed the rules.
All these years, he had never argued with his mother or his eldest brother.
Before his father passed away, he had passed down his hunting skills to him, intending for him to take good care of the family.
Therefore, Xie Hanshuo felt it was his duty to contribute more.
It was just that sometimes, his mother’s favoritism was truly too much, and he would inevitably feel some displeasure.
But with his temperament, he wouldn’t just suffer in silence.
Today, not only had he come, but he was also carrying things.
Xie Hanshuo raised his hands to show Ye Yao: “This is the gift I prepared for the return visit. I caught these on the mountain yesterday.”
In his hands, he was carrying two pheasants and a fat rabbit.
Seeing this, Ye Yao was slightly stunned: “You… this…”
Usually, a return gift in the countryside consisted of nothing more than cakes made of eggs; if the family was slightly better off, they might cut half a jin of pork, which was already considered decent.
But this gift from Xie Hanshuo was truly far too generous!