Chapter 312: Xiao Wu’s Wife
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
No one knows what tricks Jiang Gui used to get the matchmaker’s attention on Jiang Hong. When the matchmaker returned to tell the man about her, he surprisingly agreed but had one condition: Jiang Hong must have her own house in the village.
For the sake of climbing the social ladder and associating with city folks, Jiang Gui, of course, was willing to build a house for his daughter.
He had an idea in mind: if he could claim Jiang Chuan’s house for himself, he would save a considerable sum of money. That’s why he sneaked into Jiang Chuan’s house at night, trying to steal the deed.
When that failed, he came up with another scheme, going to Zhou Fang’s house in the morning to request a plot of land.
Xiao Li, being a man, wasn’t particularly privy to the intricate details of the Jiang family’s internal affairs. In reality, Jiang Gui’s wife and Jiang’s second brother’s wife even had a quarrel over this.
The second brother’s wife believed that since Jiang Hong was not very attractive, when the potential suitor eventually saw her, he would surely reject her. It would be better to marry off her own daughter instead. Hearing this, Jiang Gui’s wife, of course, wasn’t pleased, leading the two to have a heated argument in the courtyard.
Old Master Jiang wouldn’t tolerate their antics and directly drove both women out of the house, declaring that if they continued to quarrel, they would be asked to divorce and go back to their families.
This finally made the two quiet down.
But the second brother’s wife couldn’t stomach this humiliation. Every day, she whispered in Jiang’s second brother’s ear, trying to persuade him to separate from the family.
Jiang Hua had the same thought.
Ever since Jiang Chuan left the family, the second branch of the old Jiang family had taken over all the responsibilities of the Jiang family. Jiang Hua finally realized how badly Third Brother was bullied every time. However, Jiang Hua was different from Jiang Chuan. At least they would resist and seek benefits for themselves, unlike Jiang Chuan, who was meek and resigned.
Now with the opportunity to marry into the city, Old Master Jiang didn’t consider Jiang Hua’s beautiful daughter, but instead intended to marry off the unpleasant-looking and hot-tempered Jiang Hong. This made Jiang Hua see the true colors of his elderly parents.
In their hearts, only the eldest son, Jiang Gui, was their true son. Jiang Hua and Jiang Chuan were just tools for work. Staying in the Jiang family would eventually lead to the same fate as Jiang Chuan: exploited to the last drop, even selling off his daughter.
Thus, there was a tumult in the old Jiang family these days, with the eldest and second brothers quarreling about whose daughter should be married off, and the second brother wanting to separate from the family.
Now, Zhang Ling’s heart was entirely on the side of Jiang Chuan’s family. She eagerly hoped that the second household would split soon. Once the Zhang family moved in, she felt hopeful about her future days.
After Xiao Li finished sharing that story, he brought up another matter. “Sister-in-law, the day before yesterday, Xiao Wu’s wife gave birth to a boy. The village chief granted Xiao Wu leave. I’m covering for him these two days, so 1 might not be at home during the daytime. 1 wanted to inform you in advance.”
Zhou Lan exclaimed in surprise, “That’s wonderful news! It’s a pity we were away and missed it. We’ll visit them in person tomorrow.”
Xiao Wu, Xiao Li, and Jiang Chuan had a close relationship. When they used to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange items, Xiao Wu had often helped Jiang Chuan. A birth is a significant event in someone’s life, and it’s customary to pay a visit.
Zhou Lan had met Xiao Wu’s wife before but not frequently, probably because she deliberately avoided Zhou Lan.
Zhou Lan’s impression of her was of a pretty woman from the countryside with a sharp tongue.
There were many gossipy women in the village who enjoyed discussing other families’ affairs. Zhou Lan had also heard some rumors, saying Xiao Wu’s wife, Yang Liu, had always looked down on Jiang Chuan’s family. She frequently argued with Xiao Wu at home, forbidding him from interacting with Jiang Chuan.
Houses in the countryside aren’t soundproof. If an argument becomes heated, the neighbors can hear it.
Moreover, Xiao Wu wasn’t articulate. When Yang Liu scolded him, he often didn’t know how to retort and would silently endure. Once Yang Liu vented her frustrations, she would naturally stop. Therefore, village women often said that Xiao Wu was henpecked.
That night, Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan discussed what gifts they should bring for their visit. After pondering, Jiang Chuan called over Jiang Xia.
“Daughter, how are the medicinal herbs in your interspace growing?”
Jiang Xia replied, “They are still in the growth phase, but they’re doing well. They can now thrive when planted in the village’s soil.”
True to Jiang Xia’s nature, with just one sentence, she guessed Jiang Chuan’s intention. He probably wanted to gift the medicinal herb saplings to Xiao Wu for planting.
Moreover, Jiang Chuan had always harbored the idea of developing medicinal fields in the village. By turning the village into a medicinal herb production base and having a pillar industry, so the village could develop.
It was raining heavily in the village today, and the soil had been watered thoroughly. It was the most suitable place to grow vegetables.
“Money shouldn’t be wasted. Even though giving milk to children is the most appropriate, people in the village have rarely seen milk. Suddenly producing a box of milk might arouse suspicion. It’s best to give herbal medicine instead..”