Auntie Hua said, âI heard it clearly from afar. Zhu Mei-shi regretted selling Su Qingyue and wanted her to return to the Zhu Family and marry Zhu Nengwen. She specifically mentioned Dashanâs disadvantages, such as his illiteracy, and said that Su Qingyue looked down on Dashan. Thatâs when Dashan got angry.â
âSo thatâs what happened.â Li Wang-shi rolled her eyes. The Xiao family and Li family had been neighbors for decades, and now that the Xiao Family had become rich while the Li Family remained poor, she naturally felt uncomfortable. She was on good terms with Zhu Mei-shi, and when Zhu Mei-shi wanted to sell Su Qingyue before, she had asked her first due to their close relationship. When she didnât buy Su Qingyue, Zhu Mei-shi sold her to the Xiao family.
Comparing the Xiao familyâs success to the Zhu familyâs, she naturally hoped that the Zhu family would do better and spoke up in favor of the Zhu family. âAh, you donât know, when Su Qingyue was with the Zhu family, she really liked Zhu Nengwen. She admired that he was a well-read scholar. I heard from Zhu Mei-shi that once, Su Qingyue even took the initiative to sleep on Zhu Nengwenâs bed. She not only got driven away by him, but he also beat her.â
She paused and continued, âThereâs not a single good man in the Xiao family. In my opinion, if Zhu Nengwen were willing to lower his head, he would be much better than them. If he were to coax Su Qingyue, sheâd definitely be willing to go back with him to the Zhu family.â
Auntie Hua said, âI didnât have much contact with Su Qingyue when she was in the Zhu family. She would keep her distance from me, as if she was scared of strangers. But I dealt with her a while ago, and we even went to the neighboring village together. I went to have wedding wine, and she went to sell mushrooms. I donât think sheâll go back to the Zhu family.â
âHow can you be so sure?â Li Wang-shi didnât agree. âEveryone says that Dashan hasnât even consummated the marriage with Su Qingyue. Xiao Qinghe is a paralyzed guy, and who knows what heâs up to. Chuan is in poor health; it would be strange if she didnât go back to the Zhu family.â
âMind your own business.â Auntie Hua said and left.
Feeling snubbed, Li Wang-shi went back to her room with Li Yibao.
In the Zhu familyâs yard, Zhu Nengwen was reading a book non-stop. The more he read, the more he thought of Su Qingyueâs fair skin and graceful figure.
Despite her ugly face, he was starting to become attracted to her body.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
He also thought about the 300 taels of silver she earned. If they hadnât sold her, those 300 taels would be theirs!
Zhu Mei-shi entered the yard carrying a load of firewood, placed it in the corner, and glanced at her second son. âThereâs my second son, studying.â
Zhu Nengwen put away his book. âMomâs back. You donât look too good.â
Zhu Mei-shiâs wrinkles deepened from her frustration. âDid you hear about Su Qingyue earning 300 taels of silver and buying a carriage?â
âYes, I know.â
âYou know and yet youâre still so calm?â Zhu Mei-shi thumped her chest. âThat 300 taels of silver should be ours! If only Iâd known earlier, I wouldnât have sold that damned girl. Itâs killing me!â
Zhu Nengwen felt frustrated too. âI told you before not to sell her. She barely ate anything, just had a bite of food, and you often didnât give her enough to eat. It costs more to feed a dog than her. She could do embroidery and earn a few copper coins, handled all the chores at home, in the field, and everywhere else. She was diligent and hardworking. It would have been a good idea to keep her as a lowly maidservant. But you insisted on selling her.â
âYou canât blame me entirely.â Zhu Mei-shi was unhappy as well,