Chapter 239: Chapter 232 Won’t Leave_1 Chapter 239: Chapter 232 Won’t Leave_1 Ever since Chunxi was thrown out by Zhao Erhu last time, her son has recovered from his illness. She didn’t hold a grudge against Zhao Erhu, but she couldn’t stand Lin Yue, especially since Lin Yue’s family had hired workers several times without asking for her help—a favor they used to rely on, which also paid her well. Now, they didn’t even notify her, making Chunxi feel increasingly resentful. Whether it was out of jealousy or something else, she just didn’t want Lin Yue to live comfortably. However, she couldn’t come up with any plan to take her on, being a woman with no particular talents or means to face off against Lin Yue. When she heard that Lin Yue was planning to buy duck eggs to make salted eggs, Chunxi thought of this trick.
Chunxi’s scheme was indeed a bit mean, but it worked, and nobody discovered it. Sister Chunhua only noticed that Lin Yue had become distant from Chunxi lately, unaware of the issues between them, and so she didn’t take any particular precautions against Chunxi. Those duck eggs were taken back by Sister Chunhua.
Zhao Erhu’s family was bustling with activity, while at the same time, the old Zhao Family house was also unusually lively. Why? The daughter of the Wei Family, who had married into wealth as a concubine, hadn’t returned home for several years, but now she was back, and not just her—she came with the master of the house. This delighted the Wei Family terribly; the fact that the master had accompanied his daughter back home indicated she was favored in his household, and for the Wei family, this was a matter of great fortune.
“My child, I haven’t seen you for so many years, let your mother take a good look at you.” Wei Shi was excited to see her own daughter. She had only this one precious daughter, pampered since childhood. Initially, she had married her off to Wei Xingye to become a concubine in hopes of a life of luxury, wearing gold and silver. Should she bear him a son or a daughter, she might even get a share of the family wealth. But life in a wealthy household came with strict customs, and the concubines were tightly controlled by the main wife and rarely allowed out. Since her daughter entered the Wei Family, they had few chances to meet, and after she accompanied Wei Xingye to the Capital City, there was no news of her for years. Now that she suddenly returned, how could Wei Shi not be elated?
“Mother, I’m back. The master accompanied me to see you. It’s been several years, and you haven’t changed much,” Zhao Lingxiang said with tears in her eyes, finding herself at a loss for words.
Her mother had wanted a good life for her, not wanting her to marry a farmer and endure a life of simple meals and hard work, so she was betrothed to Wei Xingye as a concubine. She was initially happy, full of longing, and even dreamed of bearing a son one day to become the true mistress of the Wei household, commanding respect and living a life of luxury.
But the reality of being carried through a side door in a small sedan into the Wei Family without wearing a bright red wedding dress, without having a bridal chamber or wedding night, left her coldly becoming Wei Xingye’s woman. Later, subjected to the main wife’s pettiness and the jealousy of other wives and concubines, Zhao Yunxiang came to understand.
She realized that in a wealthy household, the status of a wife and a concubine were worlds apart—one in the heavens, the other beneath the earth. Being a concubine meant abiding by rules set by the main wife, at her beck and call. If one complained to the master, instead of justice, one would be blamed for not knowing one’s place, punished by the main wife, mocked by the servants, and without the hope of a child, one would lead a bleak existence in the shadows.
Now, decked out in gold and silver, she seemed well-favored and lived better than most. But who really knew what her life was like at home? Even this visit to her family was unexpected; she didn’t know what suddenly moved the master to accompany her. Zhao Lingxiang felt uncertain, yet she managed to smile. This was the sorrow of being a concubine, and she wondered if life would have been better had she married a farmer instead, surely it couldn’t be worse than now.
The master referred to by Zhao Lingxiang was named Wei Xingye, whose ancestral home was in Xin’an City. He had moved to the Capital City after making his fortune. The original plan was to develop his business in the Capital City, establish a name for his family, but in just a few years, he had offended someone, faced suppression in his business, and now he was returning because he could no longer continue his business in the city. Thus, he brought his family back to their ancestral home, intending to take root there.
Wanting to establish and expand his business in Xin’an City, Wei Xingye naturally sought connections with local powers upon his return. Learning about the relationship between Zhao Erhu and the Magistrate, he further discovered that Zhao Erhu and his own concubine were half-siblings, so he brought his concubine back to her natal family to strengthen ties.