Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 75: It Depends on Your Performance

Recently, quite a few villagers had sent matchmakers to propose marriage, but Xiao Xi wasn’t interested in any of them. Only a man as capable and promising as her own son could be a suitable master for Xiao Xi, and Mrs. Yang felt a sense of pride at this thought.

Jiang Chunlan felt increasingly uncomfortable when she heard Mrs. Yang speak this way. By the sound of it, could it be that her aunt thought even less of her compared to Su Wenyue’s servant girl?

“But she’s just a servant girl, Aunt, why are you praising her so much? If someone didn’t know better, they might think she was your actual niece.” Jiang Chunlan’s words betrayed her discontent with Mrs. Yang.

“Chunlan, how can you speak to your aunt like that? Have you forgotten all the rules I taught you?” Yang Juxiang was someone who knew how to read the room. She was aware that her daughter would gain nothing by behaving this way. She had come back this time hoping for the Han Family’s support, and there was no need to upset her eldest sister. In truth, Yang Juxiang and Jiang Chunlan harbored the same feelings of jealousy.

Mrs. Yang was not a fool; although she tended to be gullible and easily led, she could see Jiang Chunlan’s obvious discontent and felt even less happy about it. Her niece used to be quite sensible, but as she grew up, she seemed to become more and more unreasonable.

Nevertheless, Jiang Chunlan was just a niece, not her daughter. There were some matters Mrs. Yang couldn’t manage, nor did she want to, less her good intentions end up being criticized. This distancing between Mrs. Yang and Yang Juxiang and her daughter was actually due to her own son; otherwise, she would never have entertained such thoughts in the past.

“Alright, Juxiang, don’t scold Chunlan anymore. After all, she is still young and doesn’t understand things. You’ve been on the road all day. Why don’t you rest along with Juxiang for a while? We have plenty of time, and we sisters can talk later.”

With the way Jiang Chunlan was behaving, Mrs. Yang had lost her interest in chatting, feeling as if their sisterly bond had grown strained over the years, nothing like the close warmth they used to share when they were in their mother’s home.

“That sounds good. Now that you mention it, I am quite tired. I will take

Chunlan to rest first, and later we sisters can have a good chat,” said Yang Juxiang, pushing down her irritation and responding with a smile. She had thought her elder sister, despite being somewhat self-righteous, had always treated her well, but now it seemed she was just someone her elder sister could easily dismiss. Whatever kindness she had shown in the past, whatever help she had given, must have been delivered with a sense of charity, surely feeling very pleased with herself.

When Yang Juxiang and her daughter arrived at Xiao Xi’s room, they found it indeed tidy and comfortable, which only unsettled them further. Su Wenyue, who cherished Xiao Xi and didn’t want her to suffer following her, refused to allow Xiao Xi to feel aggrieved and had provided many additional comforts. To Yang Juxiang and her daughter, this didn’t seem right at all. It simply reminded them of the Han Family’s wealth, that even a servant’s room was so well-appointed. Had the chests in the room not been locked, Jiang Chunlan would have been tempted to sift through their contents.

With two extra people in the home, the atmosphere therein changed. Mrs. Li was naturally reticent and reserved, speaking little, while Mrs. Liu couldn’t stand Jiang Chunlan’s lady-like demeanor. Even the Fourth Daughter-in-law, who truly came from a wealthy family, didn’t behave like her. Moreover, Jiang Chunlan always had the nerve to hold a handkerchief between her fingers and look longingly at the Fourth child, a display unbecoming of an unmarried girl gazing at a grown man.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, you’d better be careful. Watch out for that shameless fox, or the Fourth child might be snatched away. I’ve never seen such a brazen girl,” said Mrs. Liu with disdain, glancing at Jiang Chunlan in the courtyard.

Su Wenyue was indifferent to Mrs. Liu’s remarks. She didn’t see Han Yu as particularly faithful, but he certainly had discerning taste and wouldn’t be interested in someone like Jiang Chunlan.

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry. My Husband isn’t that kind of man. Let her look all she wants. She is family, after all, and if we act improperly, it won’t look good to Mother,” she replied.

“You just don’t understand men, Fourth Daughter-in-law. No matter how upright they appear to be, deep down they’re all flirtatious. Jiang Chunlan might only be average-looking, but she’s young and lively, and an unmarried girl at that. If she’s set on seducing, what man wouldn’t take the bait? Don’t take it lightly; if that shameless fox succeeds, you’ll regret it when it’s too late,” warned Mrs. Liu.

As for Mrs. Liu’s opinions and perspectives, Su Wenyue just smiled without comment. At least Han Yu was not that sort of person, although how exactly that sort of person Han Yu was, Su Wenyue often felt she understood clearly, yet sometimes she found him quite puzzling.

As soon as Su Wenyue returned to her room, she was embraced by Han Yu, who gazed at his wife, who seemed lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about, so entranced? Earlier, I saw you whispering with Sister-in-law in the kitchen. She’s not the calm type and isn’t too clever. Don’t get mixed up in her nonsense. Spend less time with her from now on, lest you be led astray,” Han Yu said, furrowing his brow at the mention of Mrs. Liu. He had little patience for the gossiping women of the village who seemed to have nothing better to do than meddle and squabble over trivialities, and Mrs. Liu was a prime example. He was lucky to have married a wife so well-suited to him, and he couldn’t let anyone corrupt her.

“Not too clever,” Su Wenyue laughed softly. “So that’s what you think of Sister-in-law. What if she heard you?”

Seeing the mischievous smile on Su Wenyue’s face, Han Yu pinched her tender cheeks. “What if she did hear? Are you going to snitch to Sister-in-law? When did you become so friendly with her that you would betray your Husband?”

“Now you know. But don’t worry, I’m not that close to Sister-in-law. It’s just superficial politeness, not to the point of selling out my Husband,” Su Wenyue humorously replied to Han Yu’s teasing expression.

“So what you’re saying is, if you were close friends, you could sell out your Husband?” asked Han Yu, his look toward Su Wenyue clearly threatening.

Unfortunately for him, Su Wenyue didn’t take his threat seriously at all. “That depends on how well you behave.”

“I think you need a lesson!”….