SLH | Chapter 20

Ruan Family in Xiahe Village

The next morning, after breakfast, the three of them packed up and headed to Xiahe Village. Before leaving, Song Tingzhu took two poetry collections from the bookshelf to bring along.

It was Song Tingzhu’s first time leaving Yunxi Village. Along the way, he curiously looked around, noticing the vast wheat fields that swayed like waves in the breeze, making him feel relaxed.

No wonder Song Rui’er liked to go out with her girlfriends for outings; it was so refreshing that even the body felt lighter.

“Wife, have some water.” Liu Hu took a bamboo flask from the basket and handed it over.

After walking for a long time, Song Tingzhu’s throat was indeed a bit dry. He reached out to take the bamboo flask and smiled at the man, thanking him, “Thank you, husband.”

“You are my wife; it’s what I should do.”

Ruan Xiulian, seeing the couple so affectionate, showed a gratified smile on her face.

“Zhu Ge’er, if you’re tired, let Huzi carry you. We’ve only walked halfway, don’t push yourself too hard and tire yourself out.”

“Got it, mom.”

Song Tingzhu wasn’t pretentious. After walking for a while, he felt a bit exhausted and climbed onto his husband’s broad and sturdy back, letting him carry him for a bit.

Liu Hu, strong and robust, didn’t slow down at all while carrying someone. In fact, he walked even faster, even prompting mother-in-law Ruan Xiulian to quicken her pace.

Only then did Song Tingzhu realize that his husband and mother-in-law had deliberately slowed down to match his pace.

After a short while, the outline of Xiahe Village gradually became clear.

“Isn’t this Ruan Family’s eldest, Xiulian?” An elderly woman in the field recognized Ruan Xiulian, hunched over and called out loudly, “Xiulian, is that you?”

“Yes, auntie, it’s me.” Ruan Xiulian greeted with a smile.

The old woman, however, wasn’t polite and started lecturing, “You child, why haven’t you visited your parents for so long? You were the most filial girl in the area before you got married. Everyone praised you, saying you were the best. How come after getting married, you don’t recognize your own parents anymore?”

Ruan Xiulian’s face turned a bit unpleasant, “Auntie, what are you talking about? How could a child not recognize their parents? It’s just that the family was busy recently, and I really couldn’t find the time.”

“Your family only has that small plot of land, how busy can you be?”

The old woman was relentless, her tone almost harsh.

Song Tingzhu frowned as he listened and quietly asked the man beside him, “Husband, is this old woman a family elder?”

Seeing Liu Hu shake his head, he stepped forward to support his mother-in-law’s arm and smiled at the old woman, “This granny, is all this field yours?”

The old woman straightened her back, “Of course.”

Song Tingzhu was first surprised, then said with some pity, “How come you’re the only one working in the field? Where are your children?”

“They…”

Song Tingzhu didn’t give the old woman a chance to speak, “No matter how busy they are, it’s unreasonable to leave all the field work to you, an elderly woman close to fifty. It’s too unfilial.”

The old woman was hit where it hurt, and with her hands on her hips, raised her voice, “What do you, an outsider, know? My son is a manager at a tavern in town, earning a lot of money. This little work at home can be done by this old woman. He’s making big money; he doesn’t need to worry about these small things.”

Song Tingzhu looked sincere, “Your son is really impressive, being a manager at a tavern, earning at least one and a half taels of silver a month. But even so, he shouldn’t leave all the field work to you. Even if he doesn’t have time, he could spend some silver to hire someone to help you.”

He sighed, “In the end, it’s still unfilial.”

The old woman was rendered speechless by his words, her wrinkled face showing a colorful expression, unable to find words to refute. Finally, she was so angry that she started cursing at the three of them.

“This old Sun woman is at it again, cursing at people. Yesterday she just finished with the Li family, and today she can’t stop. Why doesn’t the village head do something about it? Letting this old hag curse every day, if people from other villages see, they’ll think all of Xiahe Village is full of shrews. How will the girls and young men in the village get married in the future?”

“Who isn’t saying that? Hey, look at the one being cursed by the old Sun woman, isn’t that Chunhua’s eldest, Xiulian?”

The two old women in front were unabashedly scrutinizing. When the three passed by, they called out to them.

“Oh, it really is Changhe’s eldest daughter, Xiulian!”

“Aunt Wang, Aunt Zheng.” Ruan Xiulian stopped and responded with a smile.

Aunt Wang and Aunt Zheng were old friends with Li Chunhua for decades. The three Ruan siblings were practically watched over by these two, just like their own daughters. Although they hadn’t seen each other for years, there was still a sense of closeness.

“Are you back to visit your mother?”

Aunt Zheng was good-natured, but Aunt Wang wasn’t so polite with her words.

“Your mother has been unwell for some time now, and you’re just now coming back to visit. Could it be true, like what Liu Laopo said, that you see your mother and two brothers as burdens and want to cut ties with the family?”

“Why say such things?” Aunt Zheng quickly pulled her old friend, “Xiulian, your mother has been unwell these past few days. Since you’re back, go see her quickly. Chunhua has been talking about you for the past two years. There’s no grudge between mother and child that can’t be resolved. Once you talk it out, everything will be fine.”

Ruan Xiulian forced a smile, “Yes, I’ll head back now. Aunt Wang, Aunt Zheng, you both take care.”

Song Tingzhu noticed his mother-in-law’s unhappy expression and stepped forward to support her, frowning as he said, “Mother, just now, I heard Aunt Wang mention Liu Cuie. It seems the strained relationship with grandfather’s family might have something to do with the west courtyard.”

Ruan Xiulian wasn’t sure what had gone wrong between them. She wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but her second and younger brothers wouldn’t even let her in the door. Without entering the courtyard, how could she resolve the misunderstanding?

Ruan Xiulian was worried and didn’t have much hope for this visit. Her younger brother was determined not to recognize her as his sister anymore. Her second brother was indecisive, and after their parents stopped managing affairs, it was always her younger brother who made the decisions. As long as he didn’t agree, she couldn’t get in.

As for the grain issue, it seemed another solution was needed. Today, as long as she could see her parents, it would be good.

“Mother, don’t worry. I have a way to let you see grandfather and grandmother.”

Ruan Xiulian’s face lit up with joy, “Really? Zhu Ge’er, do you really have a way?”

Song Tingzhu nodded.

As they spoke, they arrived at the Ruan family. Ruan Xiulian hesitated at the closed courtyard door, and it was Song Tingzhu who stepped forward to knock.

“Coming.”

“This voice sounds unfamiliar. I don’t remember having such a relative.”

Ruan Erniu didn’t go to work today and was chopping wood in the courtyard. Hearing the knock, he put down his work and muttered as he walked to the courtyard door.

When he opened the door and saw who it was, Ruan Erniu’s face immediately darkened.

“Big sister, go back. You’re not welcome here.” He said, trying to close the door.

Song Tingzhu had already inquired about the appearance and temperament of his uncles from his little sister. The two had distinct personalities, easy to tell apart.

The eldest uncle was honest and straightforward, but once he decided on something, not even eight horses could pull him back. His husband took after his eldest uncle.

The younger uncle was quick-witted and had a fiery temper. His elder brother Liu Meng had a temperament similar to the younger uncle. The person before him was the hot-tempered younger uncle.

Song Tingzhu seized the moment and, before the door could close, closed his eyes and fell backward.

The younger uncle was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. The trick of feigning weakness would surely work.

“Wife!”

Liu Hu, seeing his wife suddenly faint, was filled with anxiety on his honest face.

Ruan Xiulian was also flustered, “He was fine all the way here, how did he suddenly faint?”

She turned to Ruan Erniu for help, “This is Huzi’s husband, Zhu Ge’er. Zhu Ge’er isn’t well; he probably got tired on the way. I won’t go in. Let Zhu Ge’er and Huzi in. I’ll go find a doctor.”

Ruan Erniu still wore a dark face, but his heart had softened. He was hesitating when someone came out of the house, quickly walking to his side.

“What are you standing there for? Didn’t you see Zhu Ge’er faint?”

Ruan Erniu frowned and gruffly said, “Wife, why did you come out?”

Wu Erniu glared at her man and complained, “If I didn’t come out, big sister would have been driven away by you again.”

She pushed open the courtyard door, first happily calling out to her big sister, then turning to Liu Hu, “Huzi, quickly carry your husband inside. There’s no doctor in the village. Let your younger uncle borrow an ox cart from the village head to fetch a doctor from town.”

“Cough, cough”””

Song Tingzhu was pretending, aiming to get inside the Ruan family gate. Hearing his younger aunt urging his younger uncle to fetch a doctor, he quickly coughed lightly and “woke up.”

Wu Erniu, seeing this, was delighted, “He’s awake, he’s awake.”

Ruan Erniu asked from the side, “Do we still need to fetch a doctor?”

“No need to fetch a doctor, younger uncle.” Song Tingzhu, supported by his husband, said weakly, “Tingzhu is fine, just a bit tired and needs to rest for a while.”

Wu Erniu quickly said, “Huzi, quickly help your husband inside. Big sister, come too. Erniu, go call our father back. Let your second sister-in-law and Youjin and Youyin’s wives cook a few good dishes for lunch, so the whole family can have a good time.”

Seeing Ruan Xiulian standing with her basket, Wu Erniu warmly took her arm and pulled her into the courtyard.

As they walked, she said, “Mother hasn’t been eating or sleeping well these past few days. She just fell asleep this morning, so let’s not wake her. We’ll take big sister to see her when she wakes up.”

Ruan Xiulian nodded, hesitatingly asking, “When did mother fall ill? Why didn’t anyone send word to our house?”

Ruan Erniu stood by with a cold face, snorting, “Pretending to be kind.”

Wu Erniu glared at him, “What are you standing here for? Didn’t I tell you to go call father?”

“I’ll go after you get inside.”

Ruan Erniu insisted on sending them inside the house. Wu Erniu couldn’t argue, so she let him be. Once inside the main room, Ruan Erniu finally left the courtyard to find someone.

“Sister-in-law, you look pale. Are you unwell?” Ruan Xiulian asked with concern, noticing Wu Erniu’s pale face.

Wu Erniu raised a hand to her stomach, “It’s nothing, just that the child couldn’t be kept.”

She spoke lightly, but Ruan Xiulian knew she wasn’t as indifferent as she appeared.

Her younger sister-in-law had difficulty conceiving. In all these years, she had only given birth to Jinning and Mingchuan. Now, having finally conceived again, the child was lost. It would be difficult to conceive again in the future.

Author’s Note:
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Brewing wine requires manpower, and Tingzhu is working on it~