The Chinese New Year was just a few days away, and Han Ze thought it was time to go to Yue's house to give New Year gifts, so he asked Wang Caiwei to go to the town to buy some things. The family had enough money this year, so he asked her to prepare more New Year gifts.
Wang Caiwei still shook her head and refused. This year, the family had more money than in previous years. Jinxiu had learned needlework for more than a year, and in the past six months, she was able to embroider some handkerchiefs and purses to sell. She used all the copper coins she earned to supplement the family income. The money that her husband earned from copying books was hardly spent. She saved it all. It was for her husband to use for the imperial examination next year. The family was poor but the journey was rich. Her husband had to bring enough money with him to Yangcheng. He couldn't spend it carelessly.
Han Ze raised his eyebrows and asked her in confusion: "What's wrong?"
Wang Caiwei lowered her head and explained in a low voice: "My parents' family doesn't lack those New Year gifts. It's a token of my thought whether I give more or less. They won't care."
She knew in her heart that her parents only cared about their son-in-law's status and position. If her husband passed the imperial examination, they would be happy even if they didn't give him anything.
Han Ze laughed: "What they have is theirs, what we give is our thoughts. After all, you have passed the imperial examination this year, so let's prepare more gifts for the New Year."
Wang Caiwei wanted to say something, but Han Ze said, "It will take several months to go to Yangcheng for the exam. During this time, I can copy another set of books. I won't be short of money."
Wang Caiwei thought about it, gritted her teeth and said, "Then send one more chicken, okay?"
Han Ze: “…”
Wang Caiwei didn't notice her husband's strange behavior, and continued, "Mother has raised chickens for several years, and she gave them all to us as New Year gifts. She even sold all the eggs laid by the hens, and she didn't eat any eggs or chicken. Now that we have money, we can go to the town and buy two chickens. We can kill the chickens at home and the whole family can have a bite."
Han Ze was impressed that Wang Caiwei had no selfish thoughts in her heart, which was rare. He said, "As you wish."
When Mrs. Han heard that her son and daughter-in-law were going to the town to buy New Year gifts for their parents-in-law, she changed into the new clothes made by her eldest daughter-in-law and said, "I'll go with you. Second and third daughters-in-law haven't prepared any New Year gifts for their parents yet, so I'll buy some for them as well."
Zheng and Wu didn't feel anything after hearing what their mother-in-law said. Every year, the annual gifts for their parents' families were prepared by their mother-in-law, and they would not ask about it. Their mother-in-law would not treat them unfairly.
Old lady Han walked in front, and Han Ze and Wang Caiwei followed behind her. When they reached the village entrance, she stood there and refused to move. Han Ze asked her, "Mother, why don't you move?"
Old Lady Han puffed out her chest and said proudly, "Let's go by oxcart. The oxcart will not arrive until later."
She was now the mother of a scholar, and it was only two cents, so she was willing to give it. Moreover, even if she was reluctant, she couldn't let her son, a scholar, walk. What if he got tired
Han Ze's handsome face was full of smiles. "Okay, let's go by ox cart."
After waiting for a while, Uncle Han came over driving a ox cart. The ox cart was not big, and fortunately there were not many people going to the town to attend the market, so it was just the right size for the three of them to sit on.
Mrs. Han wiped the stool with her hand and sat down very carefully. Mrs. Li in the ox cart saw her new clothes and said with a smile, "Auntie Han, are you wearing new clothes?"
It is usually difficult for country people to make a piece of clothing. Even during festivals, if they have no money, they will not lavishly make a piece of clothing.
Han Ze has not been in good health in recent years, and the family has a lot of foreign debts. The clothes of the whole family are all patched up. Mrs. Han hasn't made new clothes for several years. When Han Ze took the exam for the scholar, he bought a lot of cloth. Mrs. Han made most of it for Han Ze. After all, he was going to the county school and couldn't wear patched clothes anymore. The rest was left for the children to make clothes. The daughters-in-law had no objection to this distribution.
Old lady Han held her head high and said proudly, "My eldest son's wife made this for me."
Mrs. Li looked envious: "It's really beautiful."
It is very beautiful. The material was chosen by Han Ze. It is bright and suitable for young people to wear. At first, Wang Caiwei thought that the fabric was a bit bright and not suitable for her mother-in-law, but Han Ze insisted. Unexpectedly, the clothes made by Han Ze looked very good on her mother-in-law. Wang Caiwei thought that her husband was a scholar and had a good eye.
Old lady Han raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "The cloth was bought in the county town. If you like it, you can ask my wife from Dalang to bring you a piece of cloth."
Mrs. Li waved her hands and said enviously, "I don't have a son who is a scholar like you. How can I afford to buy cloth? I can't even have enough food."
Old Mrs. Han wanted to say a few more words, but when she heard others say that they couldn't even get enough to eat, she decided not to show off any more for fear of making others feel uncomfortable. She could only sigh regretfully and keep the words to herself. She thought that next time she wanted to show off, she would have to find a family similar to hers to show off to, otherwise, there would be no point in showing off.
Han Ze and Wang Caiwei looked at each other. They realized that their mother was not here to go to the market, but to show off her new clothes.
When they arrived in town, they went to buy chickens first. Old Lady Han tried to stop them, saying, "We already have chickens at home. Why buy chickens? It's a waste of money."
There's nothing wrong with having that money, why do you have to buy a chicken
Wang Caiwei knew her mother would stop her, so she hurriedly explained, "I've been raising chickens for a year, so I should try some chicken. How can I give away the chickens I raise every year?"
Old Mrs. Han was very pleased, and felt that her daughter-in-law was more considerate than her daughter. Thinking of her daughter, she felt heartbroken again, so she quickly stopped talking and said, "What's so delicious about the chicken? There's not much meat. It's better to cut a pound of meat and eat it. It's more oily and juicy."
Wang Caiwei disagreed. How could the taste of chicken be the same as the taste of pork? Before Mrs. Han could stop her, Wang Caiwei sighed and said, "My husband will take the provincial examination next year. Let's use our chickens to nourish him. The chickens my mother raises are fat and nourishing."
When Mrs. Han heard this, she said decisively, "You are right. All the old hens in the village are not as fat as the chickens raised by my mother. Han Ze's study is very time-consuming. Everything in the county town is expensive. When you return home, you should eat more and go back to your mother's house to kill chickens."
Wang Caiwei smiled. Whenever it came to her husband, her mother-in-law would compromise unconditionally. It worked every time. After buying the chicken, Wang Caiwei thought that Jinxiu had embroidered a lot of handkerchiefs and purses these days, so she took them to the embroidery shop to sell. It was not appropriate to carry the chicken to the embroidery shop, so she entrusted the chicken to an acquaintance. When they arrived at the embroidery shop, they paused. Wang Xu was talking to the owner of the embroidery shop, obviously buying embroidery products.
Wang Caiwei called out, "Mom!"
Wang Xu didn't expect to see her daughter and son-in-law here. She asked, "Why are you in town today? Why didn't you go home?"
There was some resentment in his tone. The old man had been waiting for his daughter and son-in-law to come home for several days, but they didn't show up. He was very unhappy with everyone, especially her. He felt that it was because she didn't lend money to his daughter that his daughter and son-in-law became distant from them. Only when Caixia and her husband came yesterday did his face look a little better.
Wang Caiwei didn't pay attention to her tone, but said, "I'll give you the New Year gifts later."
Wang Xu looked around and didn't see any children. She was upset again: "Where are the children? Why didn't you bring them here?"
Wang Caiwei smiled and said, "My husband has assigned them a task to copy Chinese characters at home."
Before Wang Xu could ask something, Old Lady Han came out from behind her son and said with a smile, "Mother-in-law, you are here too. What a coincidence."
Wang Xu then looked at her and said apologetically, "I was just talking to Caiwei." Then she looked at her and praised, "This dress is really nice, the color is beautiful."
The Wang family was a cloth merchant family, so they had no shortage of clothes. It was rare for her to see her mother-in-law dressed like this, so her eyes lit up and she casually complimented her.
"Caiwei made this for me, so it must look good. Caiwei's hands are always skillful."
Hearing this, Old Lady Han puffed out her chest and thought to herself, this is the clothes your daughter made for me, but she didn't make it for you. It feels like eating a piece of ice in the middle of summer. I feel so refreshed. You look down on my son, but you didn't even lend me money when my daughter came to you to borrow it. You have such a cruel mother, and you deserve it for not being affectionate to me. Fortunately, my son has worked hard and is now a scholar.
You don't love your daughter, so I will love her now that she is married into our family. I love her, and she is filial to me. In the future, my son will pass the imperial examination and live a happy life. No matter how envious you are, it's useless. Han Ze is not your son.
Wang Xu felt even more frustrated. What did Han Ze's mother mean? Was she showing off in front of her? Would she be short of clothes to wear? She was indeed short of clothes. What she was short of was the clothes made by her daughter herself, and the closeness of her daughter. Her daughter could make clothes for her mother-in-law, but was unwilling to make a dress for her own mother. She must be blaming her.
Even so, she couldn't say anything. Her daughter was already married, and if someone didn't want to make clothes for her, she couldn't ask for it. She forced a smile and said, "Caiwei has been skillful since she was young."
Old Lady Han continued, "She is not only skillful, but also sensible, filial and considerate. She said that all the chickens I raised were given away, and I worked hard for a year but didn't get to eat a single bite of chicken. She insisted on keeping the chickens so that I could taste what the chickens I raised myself tasted like. You see, even if I gave birth to this child myself, she wouldn't be as heartwarming as me."
Wang Caiwei's face was filled with shame. Was her the one her mother-in-law was praising
Normally, she should be happy when her mother-in-law praised her daughter, but Wang Xu felt that she could not keep the smile on her face. Her daughter was caring in her husband's family, but she hurt them so much in her parents' family. Not to mention making clothes for them, she didn't even come to town to see them after coming back from the county town for so long. It's true that a married daughter is like water spilled...
Seeing her mother-in-law's expression changing again and again, Old Lady Han shut up at the right time to avoid pushing her mother-in-law into a corner and causing her to bully her daughter-in-law again.
Liu Xiucai and Wang Caixia came to the Wang family yesterday to deliver New Year gifts. Thinking that Han Ze had not come yet, they planned to wait at home for two days. Liu Xiucai still wanted to get closer to Han Ze.
Ever since he learned that Han Ze had won the first place in the year-end examination in the county school, he knew that Han Ze was a man of real talent. Even so, he had nothing to worry about. After all, compared to Han Ze, he had already studied in the county school for four years.
The reason why he stayed here to wait for him was that he thought that as brothers-in-law, they would take care of each other in Yangcheng. After all, the Liu family might have some reputation in the county, but they had no power in Yangcheng, so he dared not be arrogant.
Han Ze felt that neither his original self nor he could be like-minded friends with Liu Xiucai. They could just interact as before. There was no need to get closer. Both sides would feel uncomfortable. If Wang Caixia felt uncomfortable, Wang Caiwei would certainly not feel comfortable either.
So when he arrived at Wang's house, he did not talk to Mr. Liu alone, but sat in his seat as he did last year. He did not become arrogant just because he passed the imperial examination, but listened to them with a smile. If they asked him a question, he would answer, and if they did not ask him a question, he would just sit there and listen to them talk.
Liu Xiucai smiled bitterly. They were all scholars, and he knew better than anyone how proud scholars were. Han Ze did not respond to his intentional approach, and he could not say anything. After all, that was how he treated Han Ze before.
What he didn't expect was that Han Ze was so proud and unwilling to accept any grievances. He was so arrogant in the Yue family. With such a temper, how could he survive in the officialdom in the future? Han Ze was not a concern, but he overestimated him. Thinking of this, since he was unwilling to get close to him, he didn't need to force it. There were several classmates in the county who went to participate in the provincial examination. They could go together, so there was nothing to worry about.
Han Ze's attitude made Mr. Wang very helpless. After all, as a son-in-law, he did nothing and fulfilled all the necessary etiquette. He could do nothing but sigh. His sons were not good at studying. Only his youngest son was okay at studying, but he was just okay. He was not as talented as Han Ze, or even as good as his eldest son-in-law. It was still unknown whether he could achieve success in the imperial examination. Even if he did, it would be good to have someone to rely on.
I didn't expect Han Ze to be so stubborn that he didn't even want the financial support from his father-in-law. I don't know if he is really capable or just arrogant. If he is really capable, it's fine. But if he is arrogant, I don't think he will achieve much in the future. As his son said, he already has a son-in-law who is a scholar. Since Han Ze doesn't want to get close to them, there is no need to force him.
This New Year, the Han family celebrated a very lively time, and Han Daya, who was far away in the county next door, sat in front of the door of her rented house, guarding a stove, staring blankly at the stars in the sky. Suddenly, there was a violent knock on the door. She was startled and hurriedly hid in the house and snuggled into the quilt, tears streaming down her face. She knew that those people were just knocking on her door to scare her. Even so, she was very scared, fearing that they would break in one day. What should she, a woman, do then
Until this moment, she felt a little regret in her heart, regretting that she had drugged Han Ze, which led to the current situation. But she knew that regret was useless, and what had been done was done. Even if she lived again, there was no regret medicine in the world, and she could not live again. But even if she was harassed every day, she did not want to die. She had not seen her children get married, so how could she die
Even if she lives a miserable life, she will continue to live. Thinking of this, she secretly made a decision and clenched her fists. She will go back to Xiaohan Village after the New Year. Even if the villagers hate her and exclude her, she will go back. At least in Xiaohan Village, the villagers will exclude her for the sake of the Han family. No one dares to really bully her. As a woman, she is much safer.
Han Ze did not ask where Han Daya went after the divorce, and he did not even ask too much about her divorce. No one in his family told him, for fear that he would think too much. Even the villagers avoided mentioning Han Daya in front of him. He just pretended that this elder sister did not exist. He was a victim who had been harmed by his elder sister, and if he still cared about her affairs, it would be too unfair to his original self.
The family was having New Year's Eve dinner when Han Daya and several of her children suddenly came to the Han family's house. This was the first time they had stepped into the Han family's door since their mother was exposed for drugging Han Ze. The whole family fell silent, not understanding why these children came on New Year's Day.
Mrs. Han subconsciously looked at Han Ze's reaction, but Han Ze didn't react. It was true that Han Daya was very hateful and drugged the original body, causing the original body to faint in the examination room every time. But the children did nothing wrong, and he didn't blame the children for Han Daya's mistakes. They underestimated him too much.
Han Youtian and Han Sanlang did not speak, and neither did Wang Caiwei and her three sisters-in-law. As for the children, the elders did not speak, so they had no right to speak. So the whole family was silent, and just looked at the three siblings in silence.
When the three children saw that their grandparents ignored them, their eyes turned red.
Han Ze sighed and said gently, "Come in."
It’s New Year’s Day, I can’t just watch my children cry.
Old lady Han felt relieved and secretly cursed herself for making a fuss. Didn't she know her son's temper? How could he be so mean to the child? Although she hated her daughter for drugging her son, she really couldn't bear to let her grandchildren go. She smiled and waved, "Your uncle asked you to come in, come in quickly."
Wang Dahai's face also relaxed, and he pulled his younger brother and sister into the house. Old Lady Han hugged Wang Chunxue tightly and asked softly, "Come here, have you told your grandparents and dad?"
Wang Dahai lowered his head and shook his head slightly.
Old lady Han frowned. It wasn't that she didn't like them coming home, but it was Chinese New Year. Why did they go to another family's house instead of spending the New Year at home? And they hadn't told their family yet. This was unreasonable. She asked, "What happened?"
Wang Chunxue whispered, "That woman beat us."
Old Lady Han was shocked: "Are you saying that your stepmother beat you?"
The three children nodded.
Old Lady Han frowned and asked, "Why did she hit you? Did you make a mistake?"
Wang Dahai shook his head and whispered, "She said we stole food, but it was obviously not us who ate it, but her own children who ate it, yet she wanted to frame us."
Old Lady Han asked loudly, "What about your grandparents and your father? Don't they care about anything?"
Wang Chunxue said, "Dad said that our stepmother is pregnant with a little brother, and asked us to be considerate of the little brother and not to make our stepmother angry."
Old Lady Han sneered, "Where are your grandparents? Don't you care?"
Wang Dahai said, "My stepmother said that I was vicious and poisoned my own brother..." At this point he glanced at Han Ze and continued, "We are all bad at heart, so you have to discipline us well, so that when we grow up we won't poison our brothers and sisters and harm the whole family."
"Bullshit!" Old Lady Han jumped up and down, "Your mother is your uncle's sister, and your uncle is a scholar. Could he be a bad guy too?"
Wang Dahai shook his head. His uncle was certainly not a bad person. He had always respected his uncle the most. That was why he could not understand why his mother wanted to harm his uncle, and harm others and themselves. If she had not drugged his uncle, his father would not have divorced her, and they would not have been away from their mother at such a young age. Their home was also occupied by an outsider, and that home was no longer the same as before. Even if they had done nothing, their father, grandparents chose to believe an outsider instead of their grandchildren. There was no place for them in that home. He was very confused now and did not know what to do in the future. He could only come to his grandmother's house for help.
As they were talking, Doctor Wang and his brother-in-law came in a hurry. Now they could no longer be called Brother-in-law Wang, but Doctor Wang. When Old Lady Han saw them, she became angry and asked, "It's New Year's Day and I don't want to get angry with you, but the children have been wronged, and you, as grandfathers and fathers, don't care, but we, as grandmothers, can't just ignore it."
Doctor Wang frowned slightly and said, "Mother..."
Old Lady Han interrupted him abruptly and said with a dark face: "You and Daya have already divorced. I am not your mother-in-law. Don't call me mom."
Doctor Wang was stunned, then changed his tone: "Auntie, no one has made the children angry, and they have not been wronged. They stole food, and if we don't teach them a lesson, they won't grow up in the wrong way."
Old Mrs. Han snorted, "Don't say that the child didn't steal the food. Even if he did eat something, it was from his own family, not someone else's, so it can't be considered stealing."
Doctor Wang was about to say something, but Doctor Wang said hurriedly, "You are right, you are right. It is unreasonable to eat something at home and be accused of stealing."
Doctor Wang looked at his father. They didn't say that at home. Doctor Wang pretended not to see his eyes. What did the brat know? He said that at home just to deliberately provoke the children and make them come to the Han family for help to see if the Han family would take care of the children. Now that he knew their attitude, he had an idea in his mind.
Han Ze is now a scholar and may pass the imperial examination in the future. Although his son has remarried, he does not want to be alienated from the Han family. His grandchildren are the bridge that maintains their relationship.
At that moment, Doctor Wang assured Mrs. Han: "The children are with us, and we will not let them suffer any grievances. The stepmother is just a stepmother. With me and their grandmother here, we will never let her discipline the children again."
Before Mrs. Han could say anything else, Han Youtian interrupted her: "We are relieved with your promise. If the children make mistakes, teach them well and don't beat them at will. This is not disciplining the children, this is child abuse."
Doctor Wang said hurriedly, "Yes, yes, yes."
After sending the Wang family away, the family's good mood was ruined. Han Ze said, "Since everything is fine, there is no need for parents to worry. With Doctor Wang here, the children will not be wronged. Besides, we are so close, if anything happens, you can take care of it."
When Mrs. Han thought about it, she realized that this made sense, so she put her worries aside and the house became lively again.
After the New Year, Han Ze and his family packed their bags and returned to the county town. Back in the county town, they began intensive studies again. As the autumn examination approached, Han Ze clearly felt that the atmosphere in the county school was becoming tense. Even Wang Ziwen and Zhao Zhengzheng asked their family members to come and take care of them so that their studies would not be delayed due to their own trivial matters.
The provincial examination started on August 10th. It would take six days and six nights to get from the county to Yangcheng. After discussing with Wang Ziwen and Zhao Zhengxiu, Han Ze decided to go to Yangcheng in early July and rent a small courtyard temporarily. In case they went too late and couldn't rent a suitable house. Wang Ziwen hadn't married yet, so his mother decided to accompany him to Yangcheng to take care of him. Zhao Zhengxiu's wife also planned to accompany him.
Wang Caiwei had to stay in the county to take care of several children and could not accompany him, so she could only write a letter to ask Han Erlang to come and accompany his elder brother to Yangcheng.
Unexpectedly, Zheng also came along.
Another half year passed, and she missed her son so much that she couldn't help but come to see him. Seeing that her son's food and accommodation were better than at home, and that he was more polite and sensible than during the Chinese New Year, she felt so sad that the child had grown up without her knowing.
Zheng secretly wiped her eyes, turned around and said to Wang Caiwei: "Sister-in-law, you accompany brother to Yangcheng, I will take care of the children here."
Her sister-in-law has raised her son for more than a year, and now it's time for her to contribute.
Han Jilang was stunned: "What about me?"
Zheng waved her hand and said, "You go too. They are all women and it is not easy for them to show up in public. My eldest brother and his friends are going to take the exam. It would be good for a man to help them run around."
Wang Caiwei frowned: "But in the county town, you are unfamiliar with the place, even buying vegetables is difficult..."
Granny Lu was also at Han's house. When she heard what they said, she smiled and said, "Nothing will go wrong with me here. You can go to Yangcheng."
Wang Caiwei was moved, and felt relieved with Grandma Lu around.
Han Ze shook his head helplessly. Before he, the examinee, could even open his mouth, they had already made the arrangements. He asked, "You have all made the arrangements, what about me?"
Wang Caiwei said as a matter of course: "You just need to focus on the exam."
Zheng also said, "Yes, big brother, we are here, just focus on the exam and don't ask about anything, so as not to delay the exam."
Han Ze shook his head in amusement, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
The author has something to say: Good night!
Thank you to the following dear ones:
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