Yu Chun held Cao Fang in the main hall. The voices of the two grown men talking in the courtyard drifted in like the wind—impossible to avoid.
“Power on, power on, power on—”
“Why did you two start fighting?”
“Father-in-law, you don’t know. My mother—you know her—her health has never been good. Though I earned some money in my early years, it all went into the ancestral home. My younger brother married into his wife’s family. After my parents pass away, everything will belong to his two children. Now that we’re in the middle of war, if something happens, we can only rely on my parents and brothers for support.”
“What you say makes sense. One must be filial to one’s parents. Not to mention a cart of grain—even giving everything to the elders would be right. But you have two children at home. If everything is given away, how will the children live?”
“We have enough grain stored for two years. Besides, A Jin and I bought thirty mu of land and a pond. Once we return home and plant crops, next spring’s harvest will naturally repay us. Otherwise, if ties are cut and the grain is gone, won’t the whole family—including you—starve?”
“You’re right. When her mother returns, I’ll speak to her. This was her fault. One must be filial to parents—how can one argue over such things? Next time, just scold her—don’t raise your hands, or people will laugh.”
“If only Chun were as reasonable as you. She stays at home taking care of the children—when has she ever been asked to earn money outside? Everything she eats and uses comes from me. I alone support not only myself but also my parents—more than ten people in total. Is that easy? Can’t I at least come home and rest in comfort? Day after day—if this life can go on, then fine; if not, forget it. Living alone would be more carefree!”
“You mustn’t act out of anger, my worthy son-in-law. You and Chun have two children. Even if not for her, then for the children—you can’t say such things lightly. I’ll scold her later and make sure you get justice!”
“Fengjie: Hmph. If a man like this fell into my hands, I’d make sure he knew how many eyes the King of Hell has.”
“Yingchun: What he says is reasonable. He supports the whole family and hasn’t gone around flirting outside—it’s rare. Saying more would be excessive.”
“Fengjie: Second Sister, spare me!”
“Li Wan: You be quiet. Which of Second Sister’s words are unreasonable? Not everyone is like you—turning the household into boiling chaos. How would that survive in troubled times? Even her parents and brothers now depend on this man—can they afford to offend him?”
“Xiangyun: Exactly. What he says makes sense. He earns a lot of money and grain—shouldn’t he give some to his parents?”
“Baoyu: Sister Yun is right!”
“Fengjie: This is exactly the foolish talk of people who’ve never managed a household!”
“Baoyu: Sister Feng, explain it to us!”
“Fengjie: Cao Jie said a lot, but it boils down to three points. First, he claims he supports Yu Chun. Second, filial piety to parents is justified. Third, he and his brother will farm and repay it. I can’t be bothered to elaborate—ask your Bao Sister or your Lin Sister.”
“Baoyu: Bao Sister, please enlighten us. It’s rare for us all to gather—if we can help Yu Chun live better, it may save several lives!”
“Daiyu: I don’t understand these matters—Bao Sister, please explain.”
“Baochai: Feng summed it up well. First, this man says he supports the family, but in reality, they only have enough for basic living. All real assets are with his parents, and the benefits go to his brother’s household. Chun labors endlessly every day, bears children, and even little Cao Rong’s schooling is barely paid for. So who is truly supporting the family?”
“Xiangyun: Exactly! I knew something felt off about his words. What else?”
“Second, filial piety is indeed correct—but raising children and caring for one’s wife is also a man’s duty. His parents failed to prepare grain in advance and now find prices too high, so they want to take theirs. What about later? In war, people have starved to death clutching gold. The An Lushan Rebellion will last nearly a decade—there is never too much grain. If not for storage limits and spoilage, even more would be needed. His parents have money, and his sister-in-law spends freely on luxuries for her children—why shouldn’t they buy their own grain? There is no such thing as letting one’s wife and children starve while feeding parents delicacies. If that were acceptable, this civilization would have perished long ago!”
“Fengjie: As expected of a scholar—your reasoning comes in layers.”
“Baochai: Third, the promise to repay next year—that’s just empty talk. Grain now costs 200 coins per dou. What if next year, after peace, it drops to ten? Or rises to 2,000? Can the two brothers even protect the harvest of thirty mu in wartime? Besides, the sister-in-law’s spending today already equals Cao Rong’s tuition—why don’t they help their nephew study? Their luxury comes from squeezing the elder brother. People like this will never repay. In wartime, they would let their brother’s family die to sustain themselves. Cao Rong and Cao Fang might even end up as servants.”
“Fengjie: Exactly. Yu Chun may be foolish, but she has some foresight—just too foolish!”
“Chun: I just feel it’s unfair. I’m angry. I really didn’t think that far. Please help me—I can’t bear the consequences!”
“……”
“Daiyu: Now we rise and fall together. Feng can scold later. Baochai should think of a solution, and Sister-in-law can offer advice. Chun is pitiful, but not without merit.”
“Fengjie: Her father said it right—she chose this man. This is her fate!”
“Daiyu: Being lovestruck isn’t a crime deserving death! Haven’t you helped your own husband plenty?”
“Fengjie: This must be dealt with. Otherwise, no amount of savings will be enough—they’ll squander it all. Believe it or not, if grain rises to 2,000 coins, his brothers will sell everything and still come crying poor!”
“Fengjie: No man is good. As for that heartless one of mine—never mind. Men only respond to利益. If you want to move him, speak to his利益. Arguing is useless—start from what benefits him!”
“Baoyu: Sister Feng is right!”
The group fell silent.
Right—Baoyu despised men.
“Li Wan: Enough. Since fate has brought us together, we’ll help you. Men respond better to softness than force. You’ve hurt his pride—no matter how right you are, he won’t listen. Teach your wife in public, your son in private—teaching your husband is the same. Do you understand?”
“Chun: Huh?”
“Fengjie: Call you foolish and you won’t believe it. Think before you speak—ten thoughts, one word. Hurry and think!”
“Chun: Huh? You’re all talking so fast—I need time to understand.”
“Daiyu: Chun, summarize what everyone said. Use Sister-in-law’s tone to present Baochai’s reasoning. Think it through before speaking. Don’t criticize his parents or brothers—only speak of his gains and losses.”
“Chun: Oh, I see now!”
Yu Chun fell silent.
Suddenly, she felt that if the original Yu Chun had truly been like her, then perhaps being beaten to death might not have been entirely undeserved.