Therefore, Eldest Sister-in-law Lin simply gave up the idea of finding a husband for her sister-in-law and began to use her as a long-term laborer who didn’t cost a penny.
Initially, Lady Lin felt somewhat embarrassed to be eating and living at her brother and sister-in-law’s home for free, even though it was her parents’ home. But as a married woman who returns to her parents’ house, she lacked confidence.
So she took to cooking and laundry, grabbing any household chore she could do.
Later, when her sister-in-law sent her to the fields to work, she was reluctant. But, without having found a man of her own and with nowhere else to go, she had to endure it.
But Lady Lin hadn’t expected that the Lin Family, which had not yet split its household, would rely on her alone for their several acres of land. No matter how capable she was, she was still a woman, and her physical strength could not keep up.
The most hateful thing was that Eldest Sister-in-law Lin set her daily work at the same level as that of other families’ men; she had to prepare breakfast for the whole family every morning, only get half a vegetable bun to eat with cold water before heading to the fields.
At noon, she had to rush back home to clean up the dishes and wash the entire family’s clothes.
Once she finished that, she had to head back to the fields to continue working until it got dark. She didn’t even have time to drink water before preparing the entire family’s dinner.
For dinner, she also only got half a vegetable bun with a bowl of rice soup so watery she could see her reflection in it.
After the Lin family had cooled off in the courtyard or gone to bed, she still had to wash dishes in the dark before she could sleep.
At first, she compressed with her nieces in the Lin Family home, but then they began complaining that it was too hot and that her snoring kept them from sleeping.
Eldest Sister-in-law Lin then moved her to the firewood shed to sleep, claiming it was cooler there at night.
Night after night, Lady Lin was bitten by mosquitoes until her body was covered in welts and her eyes were swollen. Unable to endure it any longer, Lady Lin went to plead with Old Madam Lin, her birth mother, hoping for her own mother’s help.
But Old Madam Lin turned a deaf ear, pretending not to hear. When she couldn’t avoid it, she simply said she now relied on her son and daughter-in-law for support and couldn’t speak out for Lady Lin. If she angered them and got herself thrown out, how would she survive?
She urged Lady Lin to be patient, saying that once her brother and sister-in-law found a man for her, things would get better.
When Lady Lin pleaded more, Old Madam Lin grew angry, accusing her of being unfilial for not listening to her own mother and brother and sister-in-law. She was a person without a support system, fortunate that her brother and sister-in-law still held familial affection to take her in and feed her, and she should not be picky.
She also scolded Lady Lin, saying she had become light-headed after a few good days at the Wang Family, thinking herself an important figure. She told her to work obediently, otherwise, she would inform her brother and sister-in-law.
Night after night, Lady Lin shed tears in the firewood shed, and thinking back to her time with the Wang Family, she felt the days she once thought unbearable were nothing compared to her current plight.
At least with the Wang Family, she was well-fed, warm, and could even save some private money.
Although her mother-in-law scolded her, she didn’t force her to skimp on food like her brother and sister-in-law did.
At the Wang Family, even if she worked in the fields, the men took over the heaviest and dirtiest tasks. Aside from washing her own family’s clothes, she didn’t have to do anything else.
The very thought of Wang Yongfu and the children filled her with even more regret.
She had no face to return to the Wang Family; even if she did, her man and children probably wouldn’t recognize her anyway.
She endured, bided her time, and hoped—to remarry, even if to a very poor man. She would accept it just to leave the Lin Family and get away from her brother and sister-in-law; she was ready to endure any hardship.
But then she overheard her eldest and second sisters-in-law discussing how they decided not to find a man for her, since she wouldn’t command a good bride price.
It was better to keep her at home to be ordered around like a maid, which could last for decades.
That way, they would have someone to do both the household and field work. It was perfect, as long as she didn’t starve to death!
Lady Lin felt both scared and chilled to the bone.
When she angrily refused to work in the fields and do any chores, her two brothers and birth mother nearly beat her to death with brooms.
In the end, only after Eldest Sister-in-law Lin expressed concern that they might damage Lady Lin beyond working capacity did her brothers stop.
Eldest Sister-in-law Lin threatened Lady Lin, warning that if she ever refused to work again out of spite, they would sell her to a family in the mountains. Poor families in the mountains desperately sought wives, and they would spend all they had to buy one for several brothers to share.
Thinking of that scene, Lady Lin shuddered all over.
She had thought about running away, but there were always people watching at home every day, and as soon as she stepped out, several nieces and nephews would take turns to keep an eye on her.
When she was at home, the front door was definitely locked.
Lady Lin thought she would be locked up by the Lin Family for the rest of her life and be at their beck and call like an ox or horse.
However, today, after hearing the news from the Wang Family, Lady Lin couldn’t help but feel that thought surge up in her mind again.
Having chosen an auspicious day, the Auspicious Dye Workshop finally opened for business.
Shopkeeper Wu spared no expense in inviting all the prestigious figures of the town, including Old Man Wu and his son Wu Zhongbao.
Firecrackers went off from morning till noon, and countless children took the lulls to look for firecrackers that hadn’t been completely set off.
The entrance to the dye workshop was bustling with excitement.
Wang Yongzhu was, after all, a shareholder of the Auspicious Dye Workshop, and naturally attended the opening.
Today, she had dressed up especially for the occasion.
She wore a simple dye-patterned blue dress with white flowers, and her hair, usually casually tied into a braid, was for once styled into double buns, adorned with a cloud-patterned gemstone hairpin bestowed by the ladies in the palace, with red gemstones sparkling amidst her dark hair.
With this outfit, not to mention others, Old Granny Zhang was almost stunned; she wished she could adorn her own daughter with all the jewelry bestowed by the ladies in the palace, as that would truly emanate an imposing aura.
Wang Yongzhu flatly refused, joking aside, those things were too valuable; not to mention whether they looked good or not, losing one would break her heart, wouldn’t it?
Upon hearing this, Old Granny Zhang realized that was sensible and gave up the idea.
Song Chongjin, also an invited guest of honor at the event, saw Wang Yongzhu looking and a flash of admiration crossed his eyes.
Wang Yongzhu naturally noticed the admiration in Song Chongjin’s eyes. Ever since his friendliness toward her had risen to amiable goodwill, it seemed he no longer hid his expressions from her.
This made Wang Yongzhu somewhat uncomfortable.
She really wanted to ask Song Chongjin why after being stuck at that level of friendliness for so long, he suddenly had a change of heart?
After thinking about it, she chickened out; what if he reverted his friendliness after being asked about it?
So, she pretended not to notice.
She looked around and, among this group of people, besides Song Chongjin, Shopkeeper Wu, and Old Man Wu with his son, she didn’t recognize anyone else.
Old Man Wu was busy socializing with Wu Zhongbao, she had nothing to say to Song Chongjin, so she looked around.
Huh? Did she spot a familiar face?
Steward Lu also saw Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin; he nodded at them both and exchanged a few pleasantries with the people around before coming over.
The three greeted each other.
Then she heard Xiao Tiantian’s voice in her mind, "A time-limited task has been released: Ensure the successful opening of the dye workshop. The fabric dyed by the host must sell well. The task is limited to 24 hours. Completing the task will yield 10 points. Does the host accept this task?"
Could she even decline it?
Wang Yongzhu chose to accept.