Hearing the implication in Wang Youbao’s words, An Jing was at a loss for words: "..."
Xiao Changyi, keeping a steady expression, put some greens into An Jing’s bowl and then faintly called out, "Wang Youbao."
Wang Youbao, who had been eating his radish with his head lowered, immediately looked up: "Hmm?"
Xiao Changyi said, "Eat."
"Oh, right." Wang Youbao immediately put the radish on the table and picked up his chopsticks to start eating.
An Jing thought to herself in silence, "...Compared to her husband, her friend seemed to hold such a low place in his heart..."
Although Wang Youbao was eating his meal, his head hung low again, his pace of eating slowed, and he exuded an air of dejection, again looking so wronged that it was obvious to anyone who saw him.
An Jing was so unsettled that she lost her appetite, but thinking that they would continue working the land in the afternoon and without a full meal, she certainly wouldn’t have the strength, she started eating again.
Xiao Changyi, for his part, seemed no different than usual, as if Wang Youbao’s state had absolutely no effect on him.
An Jing admired her husband for his demeanor; compared to him, she was much more emotional.
As soon as Wang Youbao finished the rice in his bowl, he put down his bowls and chopsticks and stopped eating; he continued to lower his head for a long while before speaking in a low voice: "My father has another son."
Although An Jing was curious how Landlord Wang, at seventy years old, could have another son, she wasn’t in a rush to ask why. She could see that Wang Youbao’s visit that day was actually to seek comfort from her and her husband, his two friends.
"It is the legitimate second son from my second uncle’s family, who is also my third cousin," Wang Youbao continued, "Madam is my father’s principal wife, and she has no children of her own, so even though my father has one son—me—I was born of a concubine. Madam looks down on me, doesn’t see me as her son, and doesn’t rely on me to look after her in her old age. She has always wanted to adopt a son from my second uncle’s family to be listed under her name, but my father never agreed."
Here, adoption usually happens when there are no sons, so with Landlord Wang already having a son like Wang Youbao, it seemed impossible that he would agree to adopt another from someone else’s family.
It was only upon hearing this that An Jing realized the son wasn’t born to Landlord Wang, but was adopted.
"But my father became sick again and got confused. Madam brought up the topic of adoption with him again and then, my father agreed..." Wang Youbao’s head hung even lower, "The ancestors have been informed, and the family tree has been altered. From now on, I am no longer my father’s only son."
An Jing silently added to herself: Moreover, the other person is older than you and is listed under the senior wife, which gives him more right to inherit everything from Landlord Wang.
An Jing originally wanted to tell Wang Youbao that this was clearly a move to take over the family fortune from him, but realizing that Wang Youbao was not so naive as to be unaware of it, she chose to say nothing. Instead, she asked, "How is your father now?"
"He’s hanging by a thread." After a pause, Wang Youbao’s voice choked up: "He’s probably not going to make it."
"Then why aren’t you by his bedside?" An Jing was extremely surprised. If Landlord Wang passed away in such a manner, Wang Youbao’s absence would be a huge regret.
Not to mention, Landlord Wang had doted on this son of his immensely in the past.
Wang Youbao finally couldn’t hold back; his eyes quickly reddened, and tears fell rapidly: "Madam and my new brother won’t let me stay... As a Commons Son, with my father in this state and no one backing me up, I have absolutely no status at home now..."
An Jing was very angry, but this was the harsh reality: a Commons Son could not compete with a legitimate heir.