บท 11: Chapter 11: Differential Treatment
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Not knowing how long she had slept, Su Wenyue awoke to find Han Yu still sitting beside the bed, unchanged in his position, truly having watched over her the whole time, which gave her some comfort.
"Have you been sitting here all this time just to say something to me?" After a rest, Su Wenyue felt much more refreshed and was in a calmer mood, realizing she had been too anxious.
She knew what kind of person Han Yu was, both inside and out, a very indifferent man. Not to mention her, a wife who had just entered the family, with no prior interactions, even among the Han family members, he truly only valued his parents and his two elder brothers. Han Lin didn't even count, so changing such a person in a short time was impossible; it had to be done slowly. At the very least, compared to her previous life, Han Yu had shown her a bit more concern.
"I...I didn't mean to side with Sister-in-law and Third Sister-in-law earlier," Han Yu said, finally venting his thoughts and feeling much relieved. "I'm aware of their nature. It was just awkward to speak up for you in front of Father and Mother... In any case, it was my fault. But since you've married into the Han family, you are my wife; you shouldn't easily mention separation or divorce. I was really upset as well; that's why I said those harsh words."
Han Yu could feel a little better after expressing himself, even though it did seem to compromise his masculine pride to some extent. However, he was not an obstinate man. Although he didn't have strong feelings for Su Wenyue at the moment, he did have some favorable impressions of her and wasn't averse to the idea of spending a lifetime with her. Han Yu felt that communication with the woman he would likely spend his life with, would be beneficial for their future, but this was based on Su Wenyue's good behavior. In her previous life, Han Yu would never have considered this with a spoiled and clueless Su Wenyue.
"Fourth brother, Fourth sister-in-law, come out quick, it's time for lunch!" Just as Su Wenyue was about to respond to Han Yu's explanation, Mrs. Liu's voice sounded from outside, with a surprisingly kind and amicable tone. Apparently, those pairs of silver floral hairpins had done their job. Mrs. Liu, having gained an advantage, naturally treated Su Wenyue better, turning a deaf ear to Mrs. Wang's instigation and, without needing the mother-in-law's instructions, took the initiative to call the Fourth son and his wife for lunch.
"Let's go have lunch then, so as not to keep everyone waiting." Han Yu was still himself, even after the explanation and the expressed apology, he remained rigidly formal, especially in front of others. No sooner had he stepped out of the room than he reverted to his expressionless demeanor, causing Mrs. Yang to worry for her emotionally oblivious youngest son. How could the feelings between this young couple develop at this rate?
Su Wenyue nodded in agreement. Internal conflicts could be resolved slowly, and it was essential to maintain the good image she had managed to establish in front of her parents-in-law. Moreover, the fact that Han Yu had offered her that explanation was already a sign of sincerity, perhaps a promising start.
Of course, to teach Han Yu a lesson, or to make him understand that she was not to be trifed with, and that he should consider her perspective more before acting, Su Wenyue's attitude over the next few days remained tepid.
(Content harmonized)
The Han family was a typical peasant family, where everyone, regardless of gender or age, could be expected to do farm work. Su Wenyue had no intention of shirking these duties. Though she had never performed farm work while living with her mother's family, in her previous life, the stern yet gentle Mistress at the mansion punished her by making her do farm work at the Zhuangzi for months. There, under constant surveillance without even the allowance for a moment's rest to drink some water, she truly suffered. Now, doing farm work with the Han family members didn't seem like much at all.
"Fourth Daughter-in-law, there's no need for you to go. What would a lady raised in a wealthy family know about this 'work? Besides, you still have to enlighten Baofu, teach him to read and write. Go do your proper task, and leave the field work to us; we have plenty of people in the house and won't miss one less."
"Father, it's alright," Su Wenyue demurred. "Although I may not be skilled in farm work, everything can be learned with a bit of practice, and I'll make sure to find time to teach Baofu between work, without neglecting either duty." She didn't actually want to engage in such labor, but she also didn't want to give rise to gossip, considering the burning heat of the outside sun at that time.
"You'd better stay comfortably at home. What could you possibly help with out there? You'd be more likely to hinder than help!" Old Man Han had yet to respond when Han Yu interjected gruffly, his tone revealing his disdain, although it was clear to any discerning observer that Fourth child was simply showing concern for his wife.
"Lady Yue, just listen to Yuer and stay at home. Yuer is strong and works hard, better and faster than anyone else, so you can consider that he's done your share of the work," Mother-in-law Mrs. Yang said, in approval of her son's unusual initiation to care for his wife. It seemed the words she had spoken to Fourth child had not fallen on deaf ears. Yet, his tone... Well, a mother knows her own child, and for him to speak so protectively of his wife was not easy.
Hence, Han Yu's character wasn't entirely without its advantages. If any of the other three sons had spoken for their daughter-in-law in such a manner, Mrs. Yang would certainly have felt upset, as if her sons had put their wives before their mother. But for the emotionally inept Han Yu, it was evidently a case of favoritism.
Mrs. Liu didn't mind so much; currently, her sole aim was to ingratiate herself with Su Wenyue to benefit from her, so not having to do farm work was no issue for her. After all, how much could that delicate, pampered Miss truly accomplish even if she went?
Mrs. Wang's face had been sour since Old Man Han began speaking, and hearing Mrs. Yang's comments only made it sourer. Before Su Wenyue's arrival, she had prided herself on having the best family background among the sister-in-laws. Now with Su Wenyue in the family, she felt like a disregarded weed, with everyone fawning over Su Wenyue and paying her no heed.
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