After lunch, Qin Dashu led the family back to the wheat fields to continue intercropping corn and soybeans.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaoxiao sat beneath a tree, playing with little Qin Xiaozhi in her arms.
Everyone conveniently forgot about Qin Sanmu, who was still kneeling in the main hall and hadn’t been allowed to eat.
At that moment, Qin Sanmu’s stomach was growling so loudly it practically sang songs.
Yet his mother showed absolutely no intention of paying attention to him.
She was far too busy entertaining his daughter.
Sigh…
At this point, I’d rather she just beat me again.
The thought only made his stomach growl louder.
Growing up, Qin Sanmu had never known hunger.
By the time he was born, the family was already doing well.
His two older brothers had looked after him, and even when Madam Li was busy, she’d never let him go hungry.
Being forced to endure an empty stomach now was pure torture.
“Mother! Mother!”
Qin Sanmu finally called out from inside the hall.
“I know I was wrong, okay?”
Li Xiaoxiao didn’t even bother turning around.
“What exactly were you wrong about?”
The moment she responded, Qin Sanmu immediately seized the opportunity.
Like a vine climbing a pole, he scrambled over, dropped to his knees in front of her, and hugged her leg.
“Mother, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me!”
Li Xiaoxiao felt goosebumps instantly.
A huge grown man acting spoiled toward her was horrifying.
She kicked him away.
“I don’t think you know what you did wrong at all.”
“Mother~”
Qin Sanmu looked at her pitifully.
Li Xiaoxiao snorted.
“Let me ask you something.”
“When you wanted to marry Wang Guixiang, did your mother hire a matchmaker or not?”
“Weren’t we willing to offer ten taels of silver as a bride price?”
She jabbed a finger at him.
“Forget the village. Plenty of families in town wouldn’t spend that much marrying a wife.”
“Mother, why bring that up…”
“To knock some sense into your head.”
Li Xiaoxiao’s voice rose.
“But she looked down on you.”
“She said you had two older brothers.”
“She was afraid that after your mother died, you wouldn’t inherit much property.”
“She refused the marriage.”
“Then she went around telling people that your family had too many brothers and that any wife who married in would suffer because your mother favored one child over another.”
Qin Sanmu lowered his head.
He couldn’t deny it.
“In the end, who did she choose?”
Li Xiaoxiao continued mercilessly.
“A sickly only son from town whose family owned fifty mu of fertile land.”
“She’d rather marry that man than marry you.”
“Even though your family also owned fifty mu.”
“The only difference was that your family’s fifty mu would eventually be divided among three brothers.”
Qin Sanmu’s face turned red with embarrassment.
Unfortunately, Li Xiaoxiao wasn’t finished.
“Too bad her dreams of luxury didn’t work out.”
“Her husband died.”
“Then her in-laws sent her back.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Tell me.”
“How many widows do you know who get returned to their natal homes?”
“Even remarriage usually requires the approval of the husband’s family.”
“It’s normally arranged from the husband’s household.”
Her voice became colder.
“Yet her in-laws would rather recruit a son-in-law for their daughter than keep a perfectly legitimate daughter-in-law.”
“Have you ever wondered why?”
Without waiting for an answer, she said:
“Because her conduct is improper.”
Then she changed targets.
“When you married Li Wang’er, did I force you?”
“No.”
“I personally let you meet her first.”
“You spent days helping her family with work.”
“You agreed to the marriage willingly.”
“You brought her home.”
“She bore your child.”
Then Li Xiaoxiao pointed at his nose.
“And all it took was one ‘Brother Sanmu’ from Wang Guixiang for your brain to stop working.”
The more she spoke, the angrier she became.
Suddenly—
SMACK!
Another slap landed on Qin Sanmu’s head.
This time he didn’t even dare complain.
Everything his mother said was true.
“Li Wang’er is your lawful wife.”
“She came into this family through proper matchmakers and formal ceremonies.”
“She’s your pillow companion.”
“She’s the mother of your child.”
“She serves your unfilial self.”
“She serves me.”
“She serves this entire household.”
Li Xiaoxiao leaned forward.
“So tell me.”
“Why should she put up with this?”
“She didn’t crawl out of my womb either.”
She poked him in the chest.
“Remember this.”
“She is your wife.”
“You are husband and wife.”
“At any time and under any circumstances, you should trust her and respect her.”
“Not act like you did today.”
“One sweet ‘Brother Sanmu’ from Wang Guixiang and your heart turned to pig lard.”
“You actually demanded that your own wife apologize to another woman.”
Li Xiaoxiao’s voice thundered through the courtyard.
“As far as I’m concerned, even if Li Wang’er had beaten Wang Guixiang until her head split open—”
“My daughter-in-law would still have done a good job!”
Then she grabbed Qin Sanmu by the collar and hauled him upright.
Every word that followed was spoken slowly and clearly.
“Get rid of whatever feelings you still have for Wang Guixiang.”
“If you continue entangling yourself with her—”
“I can throw you out of this house with nothing but your bare backside.”
She shoved him away.
“Don’t forget.”
“I have more than one son.”
Still fuming, she added:
“This family can tolerate fierce women.”
“But absolutely not some flirtatious, shameless harlot marrying in.”
Then she dumped Qin Xiaozhi into Qin Sanmu’s arms.
Without another glance, she marched back into her room.
At the moment, merely looking at him irritated her.
She needed to visit her space and admire her corn, rice, and fruit trees to improve her mood.
Qin Sanmu remained kneeling in the courtyard the entire afternoon.
Holding his daughter, he didn’t even realize when she fell asleep.
No one knew what he was thinking.
More importantly—
No one particularly cared.
That evening, Qin Sanmu finally admitted his mistakes in front of the entire family.
He apologized to both Li Xiaoxiao and Li Wang’er.
Only then was he allowed to sit at the dinner table.
Unfortunately, Li Wang’er was still angry.
Very angry.
So angry, in fact, that when bedtime arrived she simply barred him from entering their room.
With nowhere to go, Qin Sanmu sought help from his second brother.
“Second Brother! Second Brother!”
He stood outside the door pleading.
“Can I squeeze in with you tonight?”
“Second Sister-in-law can sleep with the girls.”
Unfortunately, Qin Erlin was currently occupied with a matter of great importance.
He was working hard toward producing a son.
In his opinion, this required persistence and dedication.
Nothing was more annoying than interruptions.
Not even interruptions from his own brother.
Without hesitation he replied:
“Your second sister-in-law is already asleep.”
“Go ask Eldest Brother.”
Qin Sanmu could only leave.
Soon he arrived at Qin Dashu’s door.
Before the couple could even answer his request, two-year-old Qin Sanya burst into tears.
“No!”
“I want to sleep with Father and Mother!”
“I don’t want to sleep with my sisters!”
“Waaaaah!”
The room instantly descended into chaos.
Qin Dashu and his wife scrambled to comfort their youngest daughter.
“There, there…”
“Don’t cry…”
“Be good…”
Watching the scene, Qin Sanmu felt too embarrassed to continue asking.
“Never mind.”
He scratched his head.
“I’ll go ask Mother.”
After he left, Qin Dashu sighed.
He felt a little guilty.
His younger brother had always been fairly sensible.
Unfortunately, there genuinely wasn’t room.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaoxiao was in her room happily counting silver for entertainment.
The moment she heard knocking, she immediately stuffed the silver back into her storage pouch.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Mother!”
Qin Sanmu’s miserable voice came through the door.
“Could I borrow a quilt?”
“Your third daughter-in-law won’t let me into the room.”
Li Xiaoxiao let out a cold laugh.
She didn’t even consider opening the door.
“You deserve it.”
“I don’t have any extra quilts.”
“Go sleep in the woodshed.”
“There’s a pile of hay there.”
“You won’t freeze.”
“Mother~”
Qin Sanmu sounded even more aggrieved.
“Get lost.”
“Stop annoying me.”
“If you don’t want the haystack, sleep in the pigsty.”
Standing outside the door, Qin Sanmu sighed.
She really is my biological mother…
There was no help to be found.
Lowering his head, he trudged toward the woodshed.
Lying atop the haystack, he stared at the ceiling in misery.
His heart was filled with regret.
After all…
What he really wanted was to be sleeping beside his soft, warm wife.