Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“Grandma, what other purpose could I possibly have? I’m only thinking about our family. Third Brother still hasn’t taken a daughter-in-law. Despite many matches, none have materialized. It’s not that Third Brother is picky; it’s that others are turning him down. He’s not getting any younger, and it wouldn’t be good to delay this matter any longer. I think Xiao Xi is quite a good match. Although she comes from a servant girl background, she’s good in both appearance and other aspects, certainly better than an average girl.”

Mrs. Zhou naturally didn’t genuinely care about her husband’s half-brother. She was merely considering that if this marriage came to fruition, Xiao Xi was no more than Han Yu’s wife’s servant girl, easy to take into their home, thus saving on a dowry. The family would save a substantial sum of silver, and most of the benefits would go to her husband. Even though she spoke highly of Xiao Xi, Mrs. Zhou actually looked down on her for being a servant, thinking it would be easier to control a daughter-in-law of lower status.

When the Old Lady first heard Mrs. Zhou’s proposal, her brow furrowed deeply. She didn’t care much for the Second House, but she had always been keen on the Main House. Whether it was her eldest grandson, whom she favored, or her younger grandson, who often delighted her, both were her direct descendants. How could she accept a servant girl for them? Mrs. Zhou’s notion was too preposterous.

However, after hearing Mrs. Zhou out, the Old Lady wavered. What her granddaughter-in-law said made sense. For some reason, the matters of matchmaking had always been particularly unsuccessful for her younger grandson. Now that he was almost twenty and somewhat older, if they delayed any further, arranging a marriage would become even more difficult.

Having been with the Old Lady for so long, Mrs. Zhou knew her better than anyone. Seeing the Old Lady’s reaction, she knew her proposal had struck a chord, although the concern about Xiao Xi’s status lingered. She needed to stoke the fire further.

“Grandma, I know what concerns you. Even if Xiao Xi is a servant girl, she comes from the Su Family. Moreover, as Miss Su’s main maid, her position is different from ordinary maids. And the Su Family is no ordinary wealthy family, but a notably affluent one. Regarding my husband’s work — it may sound dignified — but in the end, he is merely serving the Su family’s master.”

“What? You’re saying Brother Ping’s boss is also helping the Su Family with their business? How come I’ve never heard of this?” The Old Lady was hearing this for the first time, which both surprised and displeased her. It was evident from her tight grip on the Main House’s finances that she was a woman with a strong need for control. Now, hearing about her favorite grandson’s matters from his wife instead of being in the know herself made her uncomfortable.

“I just heard about it from my husband. Men’s affairs from outside are normally not discussed with us women, and besides, we did not know Brother Yu’s wife would turn out to be Miss Su. We wouldn’t have thought in that direction, and even if told about the Su Family, we wouldn’t understand.”

With Mrs. Zhou soothing her, the Old Lady’s expression softened. Aside from anything else, Mrs. Zhou had a real knack for pacifying the Old Lady. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have held her own for so many years against her stepmother-in-law. Most of it was due to the Old Lady’s favor, while another part owed to Han Ping outshining the sons of the other two stepmothers, solidifying her position by intentionally downplaying Mrs. Han Wang.

“It was my husband who mentioned Brother Yu’s wife being Miss Su, prompting me to pass the word to Grandma. We should be polite to Brother Yu’s wife; if she becomes unhappy and complains to her mother’s family, my husband could lose his job.”

Some of Mrs. Zhou’s words were indeed Han Ping’s cautions. In the past, when Han Ping heard that the Fourth child of the Second House had married a young rich lady, he thought it was just a rumor with no substance and didn’t care. To him, the rural relatives of the Second House didn’t warrant his attention, especially since Grandma didn’t favor Second Uncle’s family. But he hadn’t expected Brother Yu’s marriage to be genuinely to a rich young lady from the Su Family, and not only that, she was the Su Family’s only direct Daughter.

Han Ping was, after all, working under the Su Family. Although just a small steward, he had heard things about the family. He knew that the Old Master and both Young Masters particularly doted on their legitimate Daughter, whom he dared not offend. Remembering Grandma’s temperament and her attitude towards the Second House, he had had his wife relay the message.

“Is it really that serious? Our Brother Ping got his position from his ability, not luck. Even if Brother Yu’s wife is indeed Miss Su, she’s just a married daughter, and a married daughter is like water poured away. The Su Family may not regard her highly and might not dismiss someone as capable as our Brother Ping for her sake. It would be the Su Family’s loss.”

Over the years, the Old Lady had been pampered, and she socialized mostly with lower-status, undistinguished people. In their eyes, Han Ping’s position as a steward was already impressive, seeking favor with the Old Lady, flattering her ceaselessly. The Old Lady, buoyed by such praise, had grown a bit conceited, genuinely believing her grandson to be significant and that the Su Family relied on him for income.

Mrs. Zhou was somewhat speechless hearing the Old Lady’s opinion. The Old Lady was overestimating Han Ping, thinking of him too highly. She, his wife, was not so blinded by flattery to lose all self-awareness. She knew full well that her husband was merely a minor steward, and that the Su Family could replace him with just one word. If dismissed, he wouldn’t even have a plea. Yet, even though she thought this, her words couldn’t betray such fears. If she frightened the Old Lady, Xiao Xi’s issue would be hard to handle.

Although Mrs. Zhou felt intimidated by Su Wenyue’s status, she did not hold the same regard for Xiao Xi, the servant girl. Intent on having her way, she considered securing a good end for a mere servant girl lucky. Besides, Xiao Xi might even be thankful to her.

“Grandma, since my husband has instructed us so, we should heed him. Whether she’s married or not, Brother Yu’s wife is still the Su Family’s Daughter. We should show her respect and build a good relationship. There’s no harm in that, and should we manage to engage Xiao Xi with Third Brother, our ties to the Su Family might grow stronger. The Su Family is no ordinary household; getting on their good side would certainly benefit us.”

“How can you say that? She’s just a servant girl. If she were Miss Su herself, we could leverage that connection, but it’s a shame the Old man showed bias, giving such a fine daughter-in-law to Brother Yu. What good is a servant girl?”

The Old Lady clearly had her doubts about Mrs. Zhou’s words, her tone containing a hint of skepticism.