Old Mrs. Bai shot You Jingui a disdainful look. “This is all you’re getting. Not a copper more.”
You Jingui was indignant.
That large silver ingot sat right there on the table, shimmering brilliantly in the light reflected from the snow outside. Who didn’t love silver? You Jingui, in particular, adored it. During her years as a scholar’s wife, she hadn’t managed to get her hands on a single cent of the tuition fees her husband earned. The mere thought of it infuriated her.
“Grandmother, I’m carrying your great-granddaughter. Please, just give me a little more.”
That old hag is truly stingy, she thought.
She was so old, yet she refused to step down, micromanaging the household every day. How much rice, flour, grain, or oil they consumed was entirely up to her. You Jingui wished her own mother-in-law, Mrs. Zhen, would step up and manage the house; with Mrs. Zhen’s soft temperament, You Jingui was confident she could wheedle the money out of her.
Old Mrs. Bai glanced at You Jingui’s belly and let out a cold chuckle. “Don’t go waving that flag yet. Talk to me after the baby is born. Do you really think this family would mistreat you?”
“But this is only a few hundred coins. Grandmother, why don’t you just give me two taels of silver?”
She wondered if the old woman would take the hint. She wasn’t asking for much—just the two taels of tuition money her husband had brought in. She wasn’t a fool; if she didn’t claim it now, all that money would undoubtedly end up being spent on that little brat.
You Jingui glanced at Little Fuyuan, who was nestled on the bed in a grey squirrel fur cloak. The life that kid lived was practically that of a young lady from a wealthy estate.
“Two taels of silver? You certainly have a vivid imagination! Do you have any idea how many meals of millet and white flour these four or five hundred coins can buy for this family? Your father is a tofu maker—don’t you know how many beans this could buy? If you think it’s too little, don’t take it at all.”
Old Mrs. Bai’s tone was as hard as stone. She knew exactly what You Jingui meant by asking for two taels; she wanted to control the money Bai Er-zhuang earned.
Not a chance. The Bai family had not split into separate households yet. Everyone worked themselves to the bone for the collective good. The years of tightening their belts to pay for Bai Er-zhuang’s education were still fresh in her mind. The money borrowed for his imperial examinations in the provincial capital hadn’t even been fully repaid.
You Jingui was left speechless by Old Mrs. Bai’s rebuke.
She had wanted to go to town and live like her third sister—buying scented soap, eating snacks, getting a few hairpins, and picking out flowery cloth for new clothes. A few hundred coins truly wasn’t enough for that.
Seeing her daughter-in-law clashing with the grandmother, Mrs. Zhen felt her heart sink. It was a mother-in-law’s duty to manage her daughter-in-law; she couldn’t let Old Mrs. Bai handle everything.
“Second daughter-in-law, how can you speak to Grandmother like that? Your grandmother handles everything for this family. For years, she’s had to practically split every copper in half just to make ends meet. We still have to pay back the silver borrowed for Er-zhuang’s studies. If the family truly comes into great wealth, do you think we wouldn’t let you spend it?”
Mrs. Zhen laid out the facts plainly for You Jingui.
You Jingui remained silent, twisting her handkerchief. She knew all of this, but what did it have to do with her? It wasn’t as if she owed the money. However, she also knew the Bai family was in debt every year, and the fact that they were willing to give the daughters-in-law private spending money now that they had some was already quite generous. Given Old Mrs. Bai’s usual frugality, several hundred coins was a windfall; even the Village Chief’s daughter-in-law might not have that much to her name.
In this village, any wife who could control hundreds of coins would be the envy of everyone.
But then again, she was a scholar’s wife—she wasn’t the same as these “mud-legged” peasant wives.
Little Fuyuan lay on the bed, her eyes darting back and forth.
Having silver in the house was supposed to be a happy occasion. Grandmother, Father, Mother, the eldest brother and sister-in-law, and the nephews had all been celebrating in a warm, familial atmosphere. Why did the second sister-in-law have to ruin the mood the moment she opened her mouth?
Is this second sister-in-law a professional assassin of family harmony?
Look how angry she made Grandmother, and even her usually gentle Mother looked upset. Her father couldn’t easily discipline a daughter-in-law, and the eldest brother and his wife found it awkward to speak up.
It looks like it’s my turn to perform, Little Fuyuan thought. After all, she was a member of the Bai family. She wasn’t the “family darling” for nothing; she had to contribute to the household’s peace.
Little Fuyuan’s eyes darted, her pink little face scrunched up, and her mouth pouted—
She began to wail at You Jingui.
“Waa… waa…”
“Waa… waa…”
Little Fuyuan’s crying was louder than before, as if she intended to blow the roof off the house. More importantly, the cry carried an emotion that everyone could recognize: grievance.
“What’s wrong now? Why is she crying again?” Before Mrs. Zhen could even react, Bai Muban was out of his seat. He scooped her into his arms, hushing and rocking her.
The soft little person in his arms was howling until her face was beet red. Bai Muban’s heart ached, and he was at a total loss. In fact, the moment she started crying, the entire Bai family was consumed with worry—everyone, that is, except You Jingui.
“What’s wrong with Little Sister?”
“What happened to Auntie?”
“Is she hungry?” Xie Chuntao asked, rushing to get the goat’s milk.
Having dealt with Little Fuyuan’s crying fit the day before, Mrs. Zhen and Old Mrs. Bai were heart-broken but relatively steady.
“Second daughter-in-law, get out of here right now,” Old Mrs. Bai said, giving You Jingui no face at all.
It’s this troublemaker again. Her aura just doesn’t sit right with my granddaughter.
You Jingui was so angry she could have spat blood. What did a baby’s crying have to do with her? She was sitting by the door, miles away from the kid—how could she be in the way?
Fine, I’ll leave! Who wants to stay in the main room and look at Old Mrs. Bai’s sour face anyway? Her side room wasn’t bad, and it had a charcoal fire now too.
Clutching her hundreds of coins, You Jingui lifted the curtain and stormed out.
The second she stepped out the door, Little Fuyuan’s crying stopped instantly.
It was uncanny!
You Jingui was fuming. This basically “confirmed” that she had done something to her sister-in-law. What could she have done? She’d only glared at the kid a few times. She refused to believe a baby’s crying was because of her.
With that thought, You Jingui lifted the curtain again. She only poked her head in, her body still outside, but the moment Little Fuyuan caught a glimpse of her at the door—
“Waa… waa…”
Little Fuyuan began to wail again, just as loudly as before.
You Jingui froze, her hand still holding the curtain, staring at Little Fuyuan in stunned silence. Everyone in the main room turned as one to look at her. Their gazes were far from friendly.
You Jingui gave an awkward laugh. “My sister-in-law is…”
“Mother, did you secretly pinch Auntie?” San-lang asked with innocent curiosity.
San-lang genuinely believed his mother had pinched her. Once, at his maternal grandmother’s house, his maternal aunt and his mother had gotten into an argument, and the aunt had accused his mother of always pinching her when they were children. With his mother’s temper, if she could pinch her own sister, she could certainly pinch her sister-in-law.
Bai Da-zhuang and Xie Chuntao exchanged a glance; San-lang had asked exactly what they were wondering.
“You little brat! Have you learned how to frame your own mother?” You Jingui was nearly ready to explode. My own kid only knows how to help outsiders. Just you wait—I’m going to give you a beating once we’re away from the rest of the family.
“Father, I didn’t!” Faced with Bai Muban’s blazing glare, You Jingui was so frustrated she wanted to cry herself. Her father-in-law usually never interfered in daughter-in-law matters, but he looked truly furious this time. When a quiet man gets angry, it’s terrifying; You Jingui was actually a bit afraid of Bai Muban.
“Second Sister-in-law, you definitely did something to her. Otherwise, why would she cry the moment she sees you?” Bai Zhaomei said crossly. This sister-in-law of his had a track record; she had schemed to get his second brother to marry her, so why wouldn’t she be capable of being mean to his sister?
Little Fuyuan gave a mental thumbs-up to San-lang and her fifth brother. Well said!
“Waa… waa…” She continued to cry in cooperation.
You Jingui ground her teeth in fury, feeling like the legendary Dou E—wronged and unable to clear her name despite having a mouth to speak.
“Are you still not leaving? Do you want your sister to cry until she loses consciousness?” Old Mrs. Bai said, further cementing the fact that You Jingui was the cause of the distress.
You Jingui felt so victimized she wanted to jump into a river. “I didn’t do a thing to her! Believe it or not!” Her voice cracked with rage.
“Waa… waa…”
Little Fuyuan continued to stare straight at her while crying. You Jingui felt a surge of frustrated blood rise to her chest. Not daring to glare back at the baby, she stomped her foot and ran off.
With a final “ga,” Little Fuyuan stopped crying immediately.
A collective sigh of relief echoed through the main room.
“San-lang, go and follow your mother,” Mrs. Zhen instructed her grandson. No matter what, You Jingui was pregnant. Even if she didn’t like her daughter-in-law, she had to care for the child in her womb.
San-lang hesitated; he was afraid his mother would beat him.
“I’ll go,” Xie Chuntao said, standing up.
Regardless of how her sister-in-law behaved, she chose to remember the respect her brother-in-law showed her. She had to look out for the unborn child of the second household. Moreover, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Bai family, it was her responsibility to maintain family harmony.