The Lady’s Sickly Husband

Sister Fang found that their new daughter-in-law was so sensible and had a mild personality and nodded, “I believe brother Tiansong is blessed with a good wife.”

Certainly aunt Wangsan was satisfied with her son, but she replied modestly, “He is not good as you. Our Tiansong doing part-time jobs every day and painstakingly earns only four or five hundred cents each month. Sister, I heard that you now work at Mrs. Ning’s home? You only do your work in the morning and enjoy your time in the afternoon, without rain or wind, earning several hundred cents every month…”

“Because we are fellow villagers. Mrs. Ning is a kind-hearted person. If she can earn money, she won’t treat us bad.”

“How lucky you are! An easy job and good money. You can still have time to take care of your family.”

“That’s not really the case. Although now we only work in the morning, tofu sells well recently, so we are very busy. Sometimes sister Guihua and I barely finish the work on time. The job is far from easy. However, Mrs. Ning told me that if there is someone proper, she wants to hire more people to share the workload.”

How tiring could it be to work in the kitchen?! Aunt Wangsan had planned to say something by her identity as a senior. Suddenly an idea occurred to her and her eyes began to glare.

Hire people? Mrs. Ning wanted more workers?

Now it was winter and almost everyone stayed idle at home. Men went out to do hard physical labors while women did needlework or wove cloth to earn a little more money for household expense. But which wife could earn hundreds of cents per month by needlework or cloth-weaving?

In the past, that sister Guihua was best at needlework in the village. It was said that she did it day and night and her eyes nearly turned blind, but she still couldn’t make several hundred cents a month.

Aunt Wangsan rolled her eyes for a few rounds, gently coughed, “Sister. Do you think I can do it?” After putting the question, she then felt it improper, adding, “If I’m too old, what about Chunyan? She’s very clever and quick-handed. Chunyan, Chunyan…”

“Yes…coming!” Chunyan had already finished the washing in the kitchen and was listening very carefully to their conversation. Hearing that Mrs. Ning was going to hire more people, she got so anxious and wished her mother-in-law could say something.

Upon hearing her mother-in-law’s calling, she walked out excitedly, “Mom, what can I help you?”

“Sister, look at her. Isn’t she a clever one?”

Sister Fang appeared flustered and helpless, “Aunt…I…I…alas, aunt, don’t blame me, but I wanted to recommend my sister-in-law.”

“Who doesn’t your brother-in-law? She’s the niece of your mother-in-law and a spoiled daughter by her mother. Heaven know why your mother-in-law likes her so much! Don’t you remember the incident of splitting family property? They treated you and your husband so bad, what a kind person you are to still think on their behalf!”

Seeing sister Fang was hesitating, aunt Wangsan added fuel, “If you really let your sister-in-law to work with you, then Mrs. Ning’s kitchen will definitely play martial arts every day. Even you don’t think for yourself, you should consider Mrs. Ning, right?”

“She couldn’t act like that…?” Sister Fang wavered.

“Of course she will! In my view, it’s settled. I owe you one. Help me to talk Mrs. Ning into it…”

Sister Fang had no choice, “Well, then I’ll recommend Chunyan. As for whether it will succeed, it depends on her own fate. I’ll talk to Mrs. Ning tonight. You go to her house in the morning, earlier. If she agrees, very likely, the wage can be counted from tomorrow.”

“Great…thank you. Chunyan and I will arrive on time tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, sister Fang…”

The moment sister Fang left, elder Wangsan stepped out from the inner room and took a seat on the chair in the middle of the living room, murmuring, “Is it proper? The other day, my older brother was just punished to reflect himself in the ancestral hall just because of Ning. Today you voluntarily curdle up with her, is it…”

The joy on aunt Wangsan and Chunyan was instantly put off by elder Wangsan’s wet blanket.

Usually major decisions would be made by her father-in-law, so hearing his words, Chunyan felt her heart plummeting and retreated with disappointment behind her mother-in-law. She was an obedient woman who listened to whatever her parents-in-law told her and never dared to talk back.

However, aunt Wangsan hit the ceiling by the wet blanket, “What improper? Your older brother is an village elder, but what benefit he brought to our family? You did everything cautiously to think on his behalf and to defend his reputation. Speaking of restoring ancestral hall, is there one time that we aren’t the one donating most money and doing most work? Whenever the village in need, is there one time that our two sons didn’t work hard? But what good did we get?”

Elder Wangsan didn’t expect that his wife reacted so agitatedly, and the words on the tip of his tongue drew back.

Probably aunt Wangsan had these thoughts on her mind for too long. With a sneer, she poured out everything, “You can’t refute me uh? This is a rare opportunity. It’s okay that I’ve tolerated for my whole life, but what about our children and grandchildren? What should they do in the future? This time, you mustn’t stand in the way.”

“You, you…” Elder Wangsan was annoyed too, but he couldn’t find a word to argue with her. There was no parent who didn’t wish his/ her children good, so he himself was in a dilemma.

“What? I’m not going out to sell myself. I just go to work. Whoever is the boss is the same. I was always beat or cursed working at the Zhao family in the Zhao village. And they always deduct or delay my wage…”

The more she said, the more agitated she became, “This broken house leaks water every time it rains. It should be repaired along ago. And Tiansong, it’s time to find him a wife. Soon in the future, we’ll have grandchildren. Tell me, which thing needs no money? …”

Wang Tiansong and Wang Xiaolei also gathered in the living room, the former holding the mother and the latter comforting the father.

“Mom, please don’t. It’s all my fault. I’m too useless and let you worry about us.” Wang Tiansong blamed himself and he sounded sobbing.

Aunt Wangsan cried, and Chunyan came over to gently pat on her mother-in-law’s back and comfort her in soft voice.

Wang Tiansong gave a grateful look to his wife and turned to his father, “Dad, uncle was punished because of Ning. Wise people know it clearly. Zhao Ergou and his wife were too disgusting, and uncle wanted to seek mercy for them because they are relatives…”

“Right. Let my sister-in-law go to work, so that our family can make more money. In the future when I have a nephew, we have money to raise him…”

“Alas! I’m an old man. Do what you want. Just don’t lose face for our family.”

…

Next day at dawn, aunt Wangsan took Chunyan to Ning house.

Mo Qianxue treated them politely and found that Chunyan was indeed as good as sister Fang had told her. A nice and hard-working person that didn’t talk much. So after telling her a few words and promising to give her a salary of six cents per month, Mo Qianxue decided to employ Chunyan.

Aunt Wangsan was overjoyed and jumped her way back home to report this good news. Mo Qianxue and sister Fang exchanged a smile.