Chapter 71: Pretend to be confused while knowing exactly what’s going on
Mrs. Zhang knelt down on the ground immediately, both sincere and terrified, “Mother, don’t be angry, it’s all because your daughter-in-law is too foolish to grasp your meaning. Please, be angry no more.”
Mrs. Zhang admitted her mistake in time, and Mrs. He was not inclined to argue with her any further, but instead said, “As the saying goes, ‘the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother.’ Since I’m laid up and can’t get up, you’ll have to take care of the matter concerning Gaosheng yourself.”
Mrs. He then turned to Ye Jiu, “Jiujiu, take twenty coins from the cabinet and give them to your elder sister-in-law.”
Once Ye Jiu had taken out the money and handed it to Mrs. Zhang, Mrs. He spoke again, “Talk to Mrs. Wang, tell her to help find a gentle-natured girl with a kind family background. Once Gaosheng’s matter is settled, I’ll buy her a couple of big carp another day.”
“Alright, I know, Mother. But if Mrs. Wang asks why you didn’t go, I’m not sure how your daughter-in-law should answer,” Mrs. Zhang asked respectfully.
Mrs. He sneered, “They say family shame should not be spread abroad. Is there anyone here who doesn’t know about our family’s affairs? Since some people have become shameless, I can’t protect our name alone. If outsiders ask, just tell them the truth.”
After Mrs. Zhang left, Mrs. He suddenly sprang up from the kang and even glanced towards the outside of the door to check that indeed no one was there, then she felt at ease.
“Mother, your pretense of sickness is not convincing at all. It’s amazing you could fool your elder sister-in-law.” Especially when Mrs. He was scolding Mrs. Zhao, her voice was so strong, nothing like that of a sick person.
Mrs. He tapped her on the forehead, annoyed, “Whether your second sister-in-law sees through it or not, I don’t know, but your elder sister-in-law is far too shrewd to be deceived easily. She’s just pretending to be confused, that’s all.”
Indeed, within the family, Ye Jiu also felt that apart from Mrs. He, the only other person with notable intelligence was Mrs. Zhang.
At least she knew how to act appropriately, not offending the family head when she knew resistance was futile, avoiding those thankless tasks that were both unprofitable and unwelcome.
Mrs. He had a purpose for putting on the act of sickness today, including sending Mrs. Zhang to speak on behalf of Ye Gaosheng to the Wang Family, all part of her calculated plan.
As for the purpose of such actions, of course, Mrs. He would not be plotting without reason.
Mrs. He’s predictions were not the least bit wrong. After Mrs. Li left, I did not hurry to the mountain to gather firewood. Instead, I trembled with each step I took, and the villagers naturally couldn’t help but ask why I was out in such cold weather wearing so little. Thanks to Mrs. Li’s deliberate actions, Mrs. He quickly became an irritable and malicious old lady in the eyes of others.
Still, if it does not concern them personally, they’ll stay out of it. At most, they might gossip about Mrs. He, but no one would bother to purposely confront her just to assert their presence.
Mrs. Zhao was not one to sit still and be compliant, especially after being driven out by Mrs. He, she naturally felt the need to go outside and find someone to complain to.
Mrs. Zhao was quite straightforward and talkative, and she really had a few acquaintances in the village with whom she could speak.
No sooner had she gone out and sat down with a few old ladies than Mrs. Zhao couldn’t help but start to vent, “Our mother-in-law at home is so difficult to serve. She fell sick and can’t get up from the kang. We, as daughters-in-law, took care of her, only to be driven out. Can you believe that?”
“Oh, your aunt has always been in good health, how come she got so sick all of a sudden? And to the point of not being able to rise from the kang, how serious is it?”
“What else could it be but fury!” Mrs. Zhao, who loved to gossip, was spurred on by the response and smacked her thigh hard, “That Concubine Li of my father-in-law’s has been coaxing him into wanting to stuff the blankets. Just think, day by day, we don’t even have enough to eat – the children at home cry from hunger – where would we get the extra money for something like that? Of course, my mother-in-law was unwilling, and she ended up getting so angry over a quarrel at home that she made herself sick!”