Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Runaway Cheap Husband
Main House
"Mom, the third brother has left, and the third sister-in-law just had her meal. Why didn't she react at all!" said Yang Chun, the eldest of the Yang Family.
"Dear father, this third brother's wife, I always feel something off about her. Wasn't it said that she is ugly, lazy, good for nothing, and quite unreasonable? But at first glance, she seems passable, quite polite towards us. She doesn't seem like an unreasonable person from the looks of it. It's just that she can't do housework; her being lazy might actually be true. You see, she went straight back to her room after eating without offering to help clean up."
"You said it yourself, they were just rumors. You can't judge a book by its cover." This family was full of naïve straightforward people, only the head of the family was somewhat shrewd and saw things more clearly. "I see this girl as good-natured. We should teach her more in the future. Maybe she and our third son could live happily together."
"Tomorrow is the day to formally present the bride. The third brother isn't here; how can we proceed?"
"Eldest, second, both of you should go hunting in the mountains and try to get some wild chickens or rabbits for the gift tomorrow. Mom will prepare twenty eggs, and we'll take out that jar of wine we made earlier; that'll be it, as we don't have much else! If it really doesn't work out tomorrow, we can let the youngest follow her back home."
"Dad, how can a younger brother-in-law follow his sister-in-law home! Wouldn't that be a laughing stock?"
"So? With your third brother gone, what else should we do? You go tomorrow. Luckily, the villagers don't know your third brother, so you could just pose as him."
"But her family is so fearsome; they might beat me to death!"
"......" The whole room fell silent, exchanging glances as though their eyes were saying, Youngest Brother, take good care of yourself and good luck!
Yulin Academy
"Brother Yang, yesterday was your joyful wedding day—how come you're already back at the Academy today?"
"Right, right, how's the new wife? I heard she is quite a beauty, hahaha!"
"Beautiful or not, when you close your eyes, they're all the same, hahaha!"
"Brother Yang has indeed married a good wife, hahaha!"
"That's so true."
......
......
A group of classmates surrounded him, making fun of him. They were all here to mock Yang Ming. So what if he was good at studying, a potential Top Scholar, or favored by the Academy's teachers? He still ended up being forced into a marriage with a notoriously ugly wife. Oh, how satisfying it was! They had to come and rub it in, every word dripping with mockery.
Yang Ming was suffering in silence, resenting the thought of the wife he had at home; it was enough to make his blood boil, considering forced marriage a tremendous disgrace. He planned to stay in the Academy for a few months first, letting his wife hang. She wanted to get married, right? He didn't believe someone like her could last in a rural setting. He was waiting for the day she couldn't stand it anymore and would leave on her own accord.
At this moment, Xiaoxiao was unaware of her cheap husband's scheme. After returning to her room, she started contemplating how to live her future life. First, she wanted to renovate her living space to make it habitable. Next, she needed to understand the current state of the country, and then the focus was on earning money to improve her quality of life. Once she had saved enough, she would travel the world. In an era devoid of mobile phones and computers, besides hiking and sightseeing, there wasn't much leisure activity to speak of. That's what she decided. Taking the silver from her dowry, she stepped out, determined to find someone who could tell her how much it was worth, because it was crucial for renovating her house!
Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Twenty Taels of Silver
"Sister-in-law, are you in the house?" Xiaoxiao walked to the yard and called out. "I have something to ask you."
"Third sister-in-law, what's the matter?" She only saw the elder sister-in-law emerge from the room on the left side, ah, looking at this yard. Not to mention her own house, which was merely a clay hut, the others were living in similar dwellings too. Improving the living quarters was just around the corner, huh.
"Sister-in-law, I want to tidy up and improve our living space. Can you help me see how much money I have? Oh! I mean, how many Silver Coins?" After saying that, she took out the Silver and also watched the elder sister-in-law's expression, thinking to herself that no matter the era, many people's relationships with their siblings had collapsed and marriages had fallen apart due to financial issues. If this family coveted her Silver Coin, it would mean that they were not to be associated with, and she also needed to think of a strategy to leave sooner rather than later.
"Third sister-in-law, did you hit your head? Why don't you even know how much Silver you have?" She saw her elder sister-in-law's eyes reflecting surprise and concern, but not greed. Xiaoxiao was satisfied and at the same time puzzled, "Sister-in-law, what do you mean by hitting my head? Could it be that I had a fall before?"
"Indeed, yesterday, you fell on the road while you were being welcomed into the family. Remember there was a light rain yesterday, and the road was not easy to walk on. The people carrying the bridal sedan chair in front slipped, and you were thrown out of the sedan chair. You said you weren't hurt, third sister-in-law, don't you remember?"
Xiaoxiao was still wondering. She had just slept at home and inexplicably time-traveled here. What happened to the original body? There must have been a catalyst. She hoped that the original body could travel to the modern world to help look after her mother. If her modern self was gone, her mother and family would be so saddened!
"Sister-in-law, I must have hit my head, as when I woke up in the new house, I could not remember many things. I only remember that my name is Zhong Xiaoxiao. You can treat me like I'm a newborn child, can't you? Teach me more, okay?" She playfully swayed her elder sister-in-law's arm with an innocent face.
"Injuring your brain is a serious matter, we'd better find a doctor, third sister-in-law."
"No need, no need, sister-in-law, I got the impression from what my husband said that my reputation wasn't very good before. Now that I've lost my memory, let's just pretend I'm a newborn child, and you can teach me how to behave from scratch. Let's not bother with a doctor. It's not something to boast about. It's better if you're the only one who knows! You haven't told me yet, how much is this worth?"
"You, well alright then. What you have here are twenty taels, which in our area could buy you four mu of land. If we were talking about living expenses, it could sustain the whole family for several years."
"So, I have quite a fortune here! Then I want to make several sets of clothes, get a cabinet, chairs, buy some writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstone, and a few books. Will that be enough?" Xiaoxiao thought to herself how generous her natal family was, able to provide enough to support a landlord's household for several years. She was eager to meet her natal family and see just how eminent they really were.
"Writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstone, and books are quite expensive. What do you need them for, to give to your third brother? You really care about him." The elder sister-in-law said with a smile.
"To give to him? Is he a Scholar?"
"Oh yes, you've forgotten that. Your third brother is indeed a Scholar, preparing for his official examinations."
"Are we close to the town here? If so, let's go have a look in town today!"
"From here to the town, it takes half an hour on foot. Today is market day. How about I call the second sister-in-law, and the three sisters-in-law can go for a stroll?"
"That's a deal."
Once she had called the second sister-in-law and informed her parents, the three women set out. On the way, Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded, "Sister-in-law, can we take a ride there?"
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