Chapter 6: Making a Scene_2
Translator: 549690339
"Who says it doesn't matter? That year, when the government was conscripting soldiers, your grandpa, your eldest uncle, and your dad were all old enough to serve. But your grandpa was the head of the family and couldn't leave. Your eldest uncle had just married your eldest aunt, and she was newly pregnant, so he couldn't go either. Only your dad was left, unmarried but betrothed to our family. So your dad was conscripted and went to the battlefield. He fought bravely and earned military merits, and later came back to marry me. Two months into our marriage, he went back to the barracks and didn't return until you turned one year old. Then there was Wenchang, and over the years, he only came back once every two or three years. Who would have thought that now he would die on the battlefield? Tell me, if it's not their family's fault, then whose is it? If someone else had gone to the battlefield instead of your dad, he wouldn't have died," Mrs. Wei glared at Mrs. Xue with intense bitterness.
Jinghan stood by, speechless, thinking how could she blame this on her family? It was out of helplessness that her second uncle had been sent to be a soldier. Was it supposed to be her father who should have gone to the battlefield? No wonder her mother and grandparents were so patient with her second aunt; it turns out this was the reason.
"Mrs. Wencheng, you can't say that. Imperial conscription is something no one can avoid. At the time, your husband volunteered, and later, when he had the chance to leave the barracks, wasn't it you who said to let him stay, as the annual silver was not inconsiderable? Couldn't he have earned that much at home?" The old lady couldn't stand listening anymore and spoke up. "All the silver he brought back over the years has been in your hands; we didn't take a penny." The Xu family always felt guilty for the second son, so over the years, they let Mrs. Wei have her way without arguing, yet now she was making such accusations.
"I don't care about all that. All I know is that my man is dead, and it's their fault. I am going to demand compensation from them," Mrs. Wei, unable to argue with the old lady's logic, shamelessly resorted to playing the victim.
"Sigh, let's all stop the commotion and calm down. Second daughter-in-law, you should stop this too. When Zhiyong was conscripted, our two families broke off the engagement. It was you who waited for Zhiyong, waiting for him to return to get married. We understand that, and we appreciate your sincerity, which is why we've treated you better than our own daughter over the years. But what's the use of bringing all this up now? We need to summon our spirits and bury Zhiyong properly, and we must raise Wencheng and Wenchang to be men of standing—that's what is right," the old master finally spoke. "Old woman, collect those pieces of silver and save them for later to get wives for Wencheng and Wenchang. We must ensure these two boys grow up properly and establish their own families."
Upon hearing the old master's words, Mrs. Chen prepared to collect the silver when Mrs. Wei suddenly stepped forward and grabbed it all into her arms. "This is the silver left by my husband; why should you take it? You still have sons and daughters unmarried, who knows if you will use this money? No, I will keep it. I don't trust you," Mrs. Wei said, clutching the silver tightly.
The old master sighed deeply and agreed, "Alright, you keep it then. Wencheng and Wenchang are your sons; it's only right that you hold on to it."
Mrs. Wei hurriedly scooped up all the silver and carried it back to her room, hiding it.
The old lady, seeing Mrs. Wei's actions, also sighed and said nothing more. Mrs. Xue covered her face where she had been scratched earlier, and it stung painfully, "Mother, I'm going to wash my face; I won't be able to work the fields today anyway. Let's all take a rest, there's still my second brother's affairs to deal with." With that, she took her four children back to their rooms in the east wing.
Back in the east wing, Jinghan and Jingya looked at the red marks on their mother's face, and tears came again. "Why would the second aunt do this? She just came at mother without understanding the situation. What does uncle going to the battlefield have to do with mother?" Jinghan muttered.
"Jinghan, there's no reasoning in this situation, and I've been tolerating her for many years because of it. I didn't expect your uncle to end up like this, sigh. We're all family; don't be like her," said Mrs. Xue with a resigned sigh. Having married into the Xu family for over a decade, she had always felt guilty about this matter, which was why she had endured Mrs. Wei's behavior.
"Mother, what about the future? Now that my second uncle is gone, will my second aunt remarry?" Jinghan asked, puzzled, for she really didn't understand the customs of this era.
"Our customs here don't forbid a widow to remarry. However, since your second aunt was willing to wait for your second uncle for so many years, she should also be able to keep to widowhood for him, right? I can't be sure about this either," Mrs. Xue shook her head, uncertain about Mrs. Wei's intentions. Mrs. Wei was only twenty-seven, too young to be a widow. It seemed cruel to expect such a young woman to remain one.
"Let's not worry ourselves too much; let's just take life one day at a time," Wenhan remarked.
The women continued to chat back and forth until Zhixin came in from outside. Mrs. Xue saw him and asked, "How did the arrangements go?"
"I've sent the message, and the date is set; Grandpa Sun said it would be best to bury him on the twelfth of April. We have our family burial ground so we can bury him there. The only thing we're missing now is the coffin, but I've told the messenger to inform the fourth brother to figure something out and buy one in town," Zhixin reported to his wife. "But with spring planting coming up, this tragedy will likely delay it. Let our family go down to the fields tomorrow, for if we delay planting, what will we do for food the rest of the year?"
"Alright, we'll do as you say. Jingya and Jinghan can go too; even if it's just sowing seeds, it's okay to take it slow. We really can't afford to fall behind during the planting season," said Mrs. Xue, looking up at her two daughters. "Girls, you'll have to work the fields this year, so don't complain about being tired."
Jingya and Jinghan both smiled, "Mother, we won't complain, you can count on us."
Only then did Zhixin notice the red marks on his wife's face, "What happened here? Why are there such long scratches?"
Jinghan recounted the earlier incident to their father. Zhixin became angry and insisted on confronting Mrs. Wei. It was only after Mrs. Xue held him back, saying, "Father, let it be. You see, she's grieving enough as it is," that he decided against it.
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