Fierce “Husband”

“This bread with jam tastes really good.” Jiang Kangning swallowed the bread contentedly and sighed. “Big Brother having the two of you as brothers is really a blessing.”

“Daddy, the bread is delicious.” Nizi took a bite and murmured, “Tomorrow I want to bring it to the teacher to eat.”

“No problem. In the morning, Daddy will bake one so you and your brother can bring it to your teacher and the Dean to eat. We don’t have much jam left at home, so tell your teacher it’s also good with honey.”

“Yes!” Guo Ziyu, Guo Zimu, and Wang Qing all kept quiet as they ate the bread with cinnamon and red date jam in big bites. When moving to the new house, the few families who obtained benefits from Shao Yunan not only sent gifts, but also sheep, piglets, chickens, ducks, and other livestock. So now Shao Yunan no longer had to buy them. The pair of sheep he and Wang Shijing bought before also just got pregnant. Aunt Wang sent a sheep that was already pregnant which had just given birth, so Shao Yunan made bread with sheep’s milk and also cooked cinnamon red bean sheep’s milk soup. 

Seeing that Jiang Kangning liked the bread, Shao Yunan said, “Big Brother, before you go back at night, I will make you two loaves of this bread. Since it’s cold outside, it will not go bad so you can eat it in the next few days.” Jiang Kangning, who hadn’t stopped talking, said, “The goat milk one is not necessary, my cook can’t make it taste like this after all. When Big Brother is off, he will come over to eat, then you can make this bread and snacks for me.”

“Then you can take some honey. Shijing brought over some good honey, so you can drink it in the morning on an empty stomach.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Kangning was not polite with Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing. Even though Jiang Kangning was older than Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan, he was very fond of sweets. Wang Shijing did not like to eat things that were too sweet, so Shao Yunan prepared special bread for him. Wang Shijing also only tasted a spoonful of Shao Yunan’s goat’s milk soup, as he ate the bread with millet porridge and pickled vegetables. Shao Yunan didn’t mind that he just ate what he liked. 

Shao Yunan’s family didn’t have a rule of staying quiet while eating, so even though Jiang Kangning was with them, they also didn’t follow this rule. All five of them were eating when Uncle Zhou came in. Aunt Zhou also came in from  outside. “Shijing, Yunan, Wang Chunxiu is here, just outside the door.”

Uncle Zhou, Aunt Zhou, and Zhou Tianbao came over every morning after eating to help, and ate here at noon and in the evening. Sometimes Shao Yunan also let them come over for breakfast. Today, since he was baking bread, Shao Yunan let them come over to eat breakfast.

Guo Ziyu and Guo Zimu both considered themselves as the Wang family’s underlings. If there were no outsiders, they would eat at the same table with Shao Yunan at his request. But if there were people around, they would both strictly abide by the rules of the underlings and never shared the table with their ‘master’.  Shao Yunan tried to convince them several times but to no avail, so he just let them be. Since Jiang Kangning came over, the two of them ate together with Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou. 

As soon as he heard that Wang Chunxiu came, Shao Yunan said straight out that it was a bad omen. While Jiang Kangning just elegantly picked up a piece of bread and asked, “Did she say anything about it?” Aunt Zhou answered with disdain. “She said she made some dish that she wanted to send over. Ziyu didn’t dare to let her in.”

“If you don’t have anything to offer, you’re an adulterer.” Shao Yunan coldly snorted. “Tell her that she is not welcome here. If she doesn’t leave, let her stand outside the door.” Aunt Zhou replied, “If she stays outside, I’m afraid someone will gossip about you and Shijing.”

“Just tell that since we are both men in this house and we’re not close to her, there is no reason for her to come up here? I’m just avoiding suspicion. If her brother was home it would still be fine, but if her brother isn’t home when she comes to the door, can I let her in or not? Why don’t we just never let her in?”

Aunt Zhou nodded at that. “Yes. What’s with her coming over… she is still an unmarried girl? You and Shijing separated from that family a long time ago, so I will go talk to her.” Aunt Zhou immediately left, while Shao Yunan looked at Wang Shijing. “What is she trying to do?” Wang Shijing shook his head, “I don’t know, I don’t care.” 

Jiang Kangning, on the other hand, said with clarity, “Either she is after your money or she is trying to use you as an excuse to see me.” Shao Yunan, “What do you mean?” Jiang Kangning said calmly, “This big brother is not married yet.”

“…” Shao Yunan held his breath in his chest and then coughed. Wang Shijing hurriedly patted his back, as Wang Qing and Wang Nizi both looked at their eldest uncle in confusion. After finally recovering, Shao Yunan said, “Fuck. You mustn’t let her in, it’s too dangerous!”

“I’ve seen many people like this.” Jiang Kangning narrowed his eyes. “How old is she?”

“Seventeen.”

“Well, it’s time to get married…” What do you mean? Shao Yunan looked at his elder brother’s expression and only thought of one word – devilish! “Big brother, are you… no?” You wouldn’t be so blind, would you? Jiang Kangning glared at him, “I’m not that blind.” Shao Yunan patted his chest. “You just scared the hell out of me.”

Wang Shijing nodded at the two children’s bowls. “Eat.” Wang Qing and Wang Nizi hurriedly lowered their heads and focused on their rice. Jiang Kangning didn’t say what he meant by asking that, but Shao Yunan already felt that something was going to happen. Wang Shijing didn’t say anything about the conversation between Jiang Kangning and his wife. He could see Wang Chunxiu’s eyes full of calculations. He had already turned cold to his so-called relatives. Wang Chunxiu could freeze outside, if she wanted.

Aunt Zhou was not as vicious as fourth aunt Wang. Because of her son, she and Uncle Zhou had little status in the village, but since Wang Shijing hired her son to plant the fields and now hired their family to work, Aunt Zhou also gained a lot of strength. She was not as unforgiving as fourth aunt Wang who would ridicule Wang Chunxiu for impure purposes. 

She still bluntly said that Wang Chunxiu was a grown up and if she came time after time, she would only invite onlookers’ gossip. This family was made up of men, not to mention that their family had already separated. If Wang Chunxiu was smart, she should stay at home and do needlework, since she was already at the right age for marriage. After Aunt Zhou finished, she closed the door, ignoring Wang Chunxiu’s embarrassed face.

Wang Chunxiu at first did not leave the door, trying to play the pity card, but Aunt Zhou still said that she wouldn’t let her inside. Wang Chunxiu froze outside the door for almost half an hour, before she couldn’t hold it anymore. Then wiping her tears, she finally went back. 

Wang Chunxiu thought that she as a girl was rejected by her elder brother and sister-in-law, even if she had wronged her elder brother in the past, the village people should pity her seeing her being treated like this. She was determined to climb up her elder brother’s family. On the way back to the village, Wang Chunxiu also took the initiative to ‘grieve,’ saying that she wanted to give her eldest brother and sister-in-law a dish she prepared, but her eldest brother and sister-in-law would not let her in. 

It’s a pity that only a few people sympathized with her, while some even laughed at her. This made Wang Chunxiu very embarrassed, but she didn’t show it on her face. Compared to being the county magistrate’s wife, this ridicule was nothing. 

When Wang Chunxiu returned home, Old Lady Wang immediately asked, “Have you seen the magistrate?” Wang Chunxiu complained, “I stood outside for half an hour and they didn’t even let me in.”

“What?!” Old Lady Wang became angry after hearing it. “He is really a star of misfortune. I’ll go find him!”

“Mother!” Wang Zhisong came out of his room with a tantrum. “Can you stop it?! The county magistrate is in their house!” Then he looked at Wang Chunxiu. “Sister, stop having these thoughts in your head. Big brother listens to Shao Yunan and Shao Yunan has made it clear that he does not want to interact with us. Even if you go every day, he will not let you in. It will only annoy the county magistrate.”

Wang Zhisong had already sobered up. Shao Yunan was not an easy person to handle and now he had the county magistrate as a backer, as well as a lord, who he didn’t know where he came from. They better not make any troubles, until he obtained fame and became an official.

Old Lady Wang slapped the table and said angrily, “No matter how powerful Shao Yunan is, he is still a daughter-in-law of the Wang family. Your eldest brother is just as useless as your father. It’s only been a short time since he got married and he already let that little slut get a hold of him. If your eldest brother was more formidable, would he dare to do this? I am his mother! You are his brother! Chunxiu is his sister! He recognized the county magistrate as his righteous brother and he knows the dean of the county school, so he should help you and Chunxiu! He’s blinded by that bitch! Mother will open his eyes!”

Wang Chunxiu helped out. “Wasn’t that just asking Wang Qing and Nizi to do some work? Big brother is too small-minded. Saying I’m going to sell Nizi is over the top gossip, but he still believed it. It will only do good to our family, if I become the county magistrate’s wife! If you can go to the Imperial Academy, won’t their family’s future support be even greater? Why can’t Big Brother understand? An outsider can never be as trusted as true family.”

Wang Zhisong’s face was cold. “Mother, sister, do you really think that Big Brother is being manipulated by Shao Yunan and that’s why he disowned us? Mother, don’t forget that it was Big Brother that brought the 20 taels of silver for breaking off the relationship to Zhao Yuande. The day they moved to the new house, you couldn’t see what Big Brother was thinking? Don’t deceive yourself.”

“He dares to disown me as his mother!? That 20 taels of silver should be his filial piety to me!” There is absolutely no such thing as thin skin in Old Lady Wang. Wang Chunxiu was not a foolish person, but she needed to seize that tiny bit of hope. She would rather lie to herself that her big brother was manipulated by Shao Yunan, than not be willing to recognize them.

Faced with such a stubborn sister and unconvinced mother, Wang Zhisong impatiently said, “Even if big brother is controlled by Shao Yunan, every time you see Shao Yunan, you are either scolding or cursing him. Then how can Shao Yunan treat you and our family? If you don’t believe it’s what Big Brother means, then try to be nice to Shao Yunan and see if Big Brother will change his mind! But mother, no matter what you do, you must remember that if my child student status is taken away once more, I really won’t be able to take the examination and become an official. If that’s the case, I’d rather die!”

Leaving a harsh sentence, Wang Zhisong opened the door and entered the room. Wang Chunxiu rolled her eyes, as she grabbed her mother’s hand. “Yes, mother, Zhisong is right. You should treat Shao Yunan a little better. Don’t always scold him, then Shao Yunan can no longer be cold to us for the sake of his reputation, right? If he really does, he would really be unreasonable. At that time, you could also say that he is unfilial and the villagers would be on our side. If we made a big deal out of it, big brother might even divorce him. Then in the future, Big Brother… wouldn’t mother have the final say?”

Old Lady Wang was unwilling. “Then I have to coax that unlucky star bitch?”

“Just for show, Mother. Don’t you want to move into the big house? Don’t you want to have a lot of money to spend? Don’t you want to be a rich lady and be waited on?” How could Old Lady Wang not want to. She had been dreaming about it!

Seeing her mother faltering, Wang Chunxiu stepped up. “Mother, you should listen to me and Zhisong. Big Brother is your son. As long as there is no Shao Yunan, it is easy for you to make Big Brother come back. Even if Big Brother can’t divorce Shao Yunan, as long as you can get Shao Yunan to accept us now, I and Wang Zhisong later… one will be the county magistrate’s wife and the other a scholar and future high-ranking official. At that time, Eldest Brother will have no choice but to surrender. Are you afraid that there will be no time for you to relieve your anger then?”

“I want to kill him when I see him!” Old Lady Wang clenched her fist. “Mother, for the sake of me and Wang Zhisong, bear with it for now. I am seventeen years old. My marriage cannot be delayed any longer.”

Old Lady Wang’s mind was pounding, as Wang Chunxiu persuaded her over and over again. In the end, Old Lady Wang gritted her teeth unwillingly, nodding. “Yes, I’ll listen to you. Take this dish and I will go with you.” Thinking that the eldest son’s family fortune and the big mansion would become her own in the future, Old Lady Wang suppressed her dislike of Shao Yunan and the eldest son and finally became willing to listen to her son and daughter.

Wang Chunxiu hurriedly said, “Forget about it today. The county magistrate is there. I’ve already been there, so I am afraid it will only annoy the magistrate if I go there again. When the magistrate leaves, we will go there again. First befriend Shao Yunan and then talk with him about my marriage with the county magistrate.”

“… That’s fine.” Old Lady Wang was now the most afraid of the county magistrate. As soon as she heard the magistrate was over there, she became weak in the legs. It was best not to meet the county magistrate. Inside the house, Wang Zhisong’s eyes sank.