Her son, however foolish, was still her own flesh and blood, wasn’t he? Lady Ma agreed verbally, but her heart was bleeding. Her son was no beast; why should he be locked up? From that moment on, she dared not leave her son’s side even for a step. All the household chores were neglected, and working the fields was out of the question.
Their younger son was a constant worry, and, inconveniently, the older son was no less troublesome. Apart from coming home at the end of each month for silver, he hardly ever returned. And now, the year was ending and the school had closed for holidays, yet Lin Yongcheng still hadn’t come home.
All the hopes of Lin Jiazhong and his wife now lay with their eldest son. To ensure he had enough silver to continue his studies, Lin Jiazhong had already sold several parcels of their land. And yet, the boy seemed to show no progress, leaving them to wonder what he was even learning at school.
With so many troubles at home, Lin Jiazhong and his wife were constantly at each other’s throats, hardly able to go a day without quarreling.
While the main house was in turmoil, the third branch was no quieter. Ever since Lin Jiaxiao found a job in town, he rarely returned home. Initially, he came back every five days, but then it became once a fortnight, and now it had grown to a month without a single visit.
Lin Jiaxiao lied to Li Feng’e, claiming he worked at the Jin Mansion, where strict rules prevented him from coming home often. Li Feng’e believed him, and although he seldom came home, the fact that he always brought silver back was probably the only thing that pleased her.
But what dissatisfied her most was that, whereas before Lin Jiaxiao had been insatiable upon seeing her, as if he had been starved of meat, now he seemed utterly unfazed, even after a month apart.
In the past, it was he who was desperate, and she deliberately held back. But now the tables had completely turned. Li Feng’e was so frustrated she turned red-faced and even broke out in rash; meanwhile, Lin Jiaxiao acted as if nothing was amiss, feigning ignorance. When pushed to the brink, he would complain about being too tired from work and accuse her of a lack of understanding.
This infuriated Li Feng’e, but considering the difficulty in earning money, she held back from saying anything. Who would have thought that at year’s end, after Lin Jiaxiao had been home for four or five days, he still hadn’t touched her, not even bothering to buy her a piece of jewelry. In previous years, no matter their financial situation, he had always bought her a piece of jewelry for New Year’s.
Li Feng’e could no longer control her anger and severely berated Lin Jiaxiao.
Normally, Lin Jiaxiao would have taken the scolding without a word of retort, but perhaps starting to earn money had stiffened his spine, and he actually began to argue back.
Li Feng’e was startled, and in a frenzy, she started flailing her fists towards Lin Jiaxiao, cursing as she struck him, "You heartless man! I’ve borne you two sons, and still, you’re not satisfied and dare to argue with me? I’ll beat the heartlessness out of you!"
Initially, the words from Li Feng’e made Lin Jiaxiao blush with shame, but no matter how patient he was, he couldn’t withstand her furious assault.
When Li Feng’e’s nails scratched across Lin Jiaxiao’s face, he finally lost his patience and reached up to block her flailing arms.
Unexpectedly, that slight motion caused a disaster!
A pale pink handkerchief fluttered out from Lin Jiaxiao’s sleeve and gently fell between Li Feng’e’s legs, gathered on the kang bed.
That handkerchief proved more powerful than any persuasion; Li Feng’e’s ranting and beating abruptly ceased, and the room fell so silent one could nearly hear their own heartbeat.
Lin Jiaxiao indeed heard his own heart pounding, faster and more chaotically by the second.
Lin Jiaxiao instinctively reached for the handkerchief.
Li Feng’e’s voice cut through the silence sharply, making Lin Jiaxiao flinch, his outstretched hand freezing in place.
"What, what is this?" Holding the handkerchief dumbfoundedly, Li Feng’e felt her mind going blank, especially after smelling the remnant perfume on it. She could hear the heavy thud of her heart, so weighty, so profound, so painful.
Lin Jiaxiao stammered, at a loss for words, filled with immense regret, knowing this was something he should have never brought home.
The silence in the room became terrifying. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream shattered the quiet.
In the kitchen, Lady Yang was hunched over a stool, hearing the pig-like screams of Lin Jiaxiao and Li Feng’e’s hysterical rage, she shook her head dismissively.
There they go again, quarreling. They fought when they had no money, and they’re still fighting now that they do. It’s a pity for their two little grandsons.