flstandardbreds Chapter 104 Sadness
Chapter 104 Sadness
The arguing stopped abruptly.
Overjoyed, the second wife burst into tears and rushed over, crying, "My son, my Chun'er, you've finally come to see your mother! I'm about to die, it's good that you're here. You must seek justice for your mother!"
Holding her son, she began to ramble on, badmouthing her husband and Zisu. She also recounted how miserable she was, how she had to cook and do laundry every day, and how she had to dig for wild vegetables, making herself sound as pitiful as possible.
Jiang Chun listened with great impatience.
Because, upon closer listening, all the things she said were unreasonable, she was just being difficult and making trouble, and she seemed exceptionally narrow-minded.
Oh my goodness, what happened to his mother?
Even after her family was raided and she was exiled, she not only failed to mature but became increasingly unreasonable! In particular, her attitude and views towards Zisu were simply outrageous and utterly unreasonable!
"Mother, stop talking. I've been walking for five days, and I'm exhausted and thirsty. Can you let me go and let me have a drink of water?" His patience finally ran out, and his attitude became less than friendly.
"Huh? Why have you been gone for five days? Good heavens, why are your clothes so dirty and tattered?" The second wife released her son, looked up, and was so frightened that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.
Jiang Chun said weakly, "Of course it's because I was also exiled! Mother, you said before that I should take you to the army camp to enjoy a good life, but I can't do that! I'm so thirsty, do you have any cool boiled water? Give me a bowl!"
The second wife was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears: "Oh dear, heavens! Why has my Chun'er been exiled too? Heavens! This is not fair! How could my Chun'er be exiled?!"
Jiang Shichang couldn't help but roll his eyes. The Jiang family's property was confiscated and they were exiled, so it was perfectly normal for Chun'er to be exiled as well!
Jiang Chun had no choice but to find a bowl, scoop water from the water vat, and gulp it down to quench his thirst.
After quenching my thirst, my stomach started growling again.
Jiang Shichang sighed, "Good child, rest for a while. Dad will make you a bowl of wild vegetable and mushroom soup. By the way, go in that direction, there's a stream there. Go to the stream, find a place with trees to shelter you, take a bath, and change into clean clothes. Don't worry, there's no one around here. Hua'er went to Zisu's house, so don't worry about anyone going to the stream."
Jiang Chun asked in confusion, "What's going on? Why was there only one house built? What about Uncle's family and Zisu's family? Why don't they live in the same place?" The blue brick house in front of them looked newly built, and it should have been built by the Jiang family themselves.
Jiang Shichang sighed: "Go take a bath and change your clothes first. I'll tell you everything in detail later. It can't be explained in just a few words. Oh, by the way, I'll get you a set of your second brother's clothes. You can wear them for a couple of days."
Jiang Chun brought a change of clothes and went to the stream.
Sure enough, there was no one around, and there was one place that was completely hidden by dense bushes and vines, so even if there were people on the shore, they could not see the people in the water.
Jiang Chun confidently waded into the stream and washed himself thoroughly from head to toe. It was midday, and the water was cool but not icy. Jiang Chun, who spent most of his time in the military camp, taking cold showers year-round, didn't feel the chill.
Jiang Shichang knew his son's bathing habits well; otherwise, he wouldn't have let him bathe in the stream. Besides that, there was also the fact that they only had a little firewood left, just enough to cook a pot of wild vegetable and mushroom soup. They were waiting for Jiang Yong to return with firewood for the next meal.
After taking a shower and returning home, Jiang Chun drank a wild vegetable and mushroom soup, and only then did most of her fatigue disappear.
After finishing his meal, Jiang Chun put down his chopsticks and looked at his father: "Father, I've finished eating. Now you can tell me. Please tell me what exactly happened, why we were exiled together, but Uncle and Zisu's family aren't here?"
Jiang Shichang: "Let's go for a walk in the backyard!"
The father and son got up and went to the backyard.
Jiang Shichang sat down in the pavilion and said to his son, "Your eldest uncle's family and Zisu's family built their houses about a mile away. Originally, the families planned to build their houses together and be neighbors. However, your mother..."
He told his son everything about his wife's attitude and behavior towards Zisu, and even told his son about what happened on the way to exile.
Jiang Chun was speechless for a long time after hearing this.
His mother, his biological mother, has become like this!
This was simply unbelievable to him!
In my memory, my mother was beautiful, kind, intelligent, and generous. However, in my father's description, she was vicious, cruel, narrow-minded, and detestable!
If his mother is indeed like that, then he cannot protect her. He can still be a dutiful son and fulfill his responsibilities as a son, but he cannot condone his mother's treatment of Zisu.
Zisu was a great benefactor to the Jiang family. The Jiang family was guilty of wrongdoing and bore full responsibility for Zisu's family's exile. However, his mother's ungrateful behavior was utterly incomprehensible to him.
Mother, what is on your mind right now?!
Not only did she fail to repay her benefactor, but she even called Zisu a lowly servant, a wretched girl, a jinx, and a jinx. This is utterly repaying kindness with enmity; she's treating her benefactor as an enemy! How could Mother do such a thing?!
Jiang Chun's heart felt like it was being slowly cut by a dull knife, the pain unbearable. Why couldn't his mother be a little kinder to Zisu, even just a tiny bit? In his current state, how could he possibly have the face to pursue Zisu?
Returning from the backyard, Jiang Chun was hungry again. Luckily, there was still half a pot of wild vegetable and mushroom soup left. Jiang Chun drank two more bowls, and her stomach finally stopped growling.
After watching his son drink the wild vegetable and mushroom soup, Jiang Shichang said, "Chun'er, are you still hungry? If you are, I'll go to Zisu's house to ask for some food, or I can call your sister back to cook!"
"What? My sister is cooking? What is Mother doing?" Jiang Chun looked at her mother in surprise and couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Shichang: "Your mother thought that cooking was a servant's job and she disdained to learn it. There was no other way but to let your younger sister do it. Your younger sister had lived in Xiaoshitan for three months before and learned to cook from Zisu."
"Mom! What are you doing? How old is my sister? It's not that she can't learn, but why don't you help her with the chores?" Jiang Chun's voice involuntarily rose.
The second wife's smile froze. She looked at Jiang Chun in disbelief: "Chun'er, are you going to blame me too? I've never cooked before. How am I supposed to learn? If I cook and do chores, my hands will become rough and ugly. Then your father will be even less willing to look at me!"
Jiang Chun was stunned and stared at her mother in disbelief.
Jiang Shichang sneered: "If you are thrifty, love your children, and are busy with household chores, I will still think highly of you and respect you from the bottom of my heart! You know that doing housework will make your hands rough and ugly, but don't you know that Hua'er is not even eleven years old yet, and her hands won't become rough and ugly from doing housework?"
She's still a child, yet she has to cook for the whole family, wash so many clothes, and go out to gather wild vegetables and firewood. And you, her mother, all you do is wait to be fed and watered all day long. Even if your hands were whiter and softer than a three-year-old's, I wouldn't give you a second glance!
The second wife hurriedly defended herself: "I helped pick and wash the vegetables, and I also washed our clothes! I didn't do nothing; I even helped clean the room!"
Jiang Shichang snorted: "But, Hua'er washes Yong'er and Yan'er's clothes! She also washes the dishes and chopsticks! Hua'er goes out to dig wild vegetables and collect firewood every day. At this time, don't you know to help Hua'er wash the clothes of the three siblings?"
And another thing, everyone washes their clothes by the stream, but you, you actually scoop water from the water vat to wash them! Who fetches the water from the vat? It's Hua'er who does it! The way you do it, it would be better if she did all the laundry herself, at least she wouldn't have to grit her teeth and carry extra buckets of water every day!
Unbelievable! My mother actually did this!
Jiang Chun was filled with sorrow and grief. He looked at his mother, his eyes filled with pain: "Mother, how could you do this? How could you become like this?!"
Poor flowers!
Jiang Shichang: "Before the Zisu family moved away, Zisu and several maids cooked. After the Zisu family moved away, the Princess and Hua'er cooked. After the Princess moved away, Hua'er had to cook all by herself!"
Jiang Chun couldn't help but sigh: "What? Mother, my aunt is a princess, and she can cook, so why can't you? Mother, now our family has become a military household, no longer a noble family! You have to learn to do housework, otherwise, how will we survive in the Northwest? In the future, if Hua'er gets married, will our family eat raw rice?"
The second wife scoffed, "What princess? She's no longer a princess! Besides, before Hua'er gets married, don't you have to get married yourself? Once you're married, your wife can take over the cooking!"
Jiang Chun: "Mother, since you know that Aunt is no longer the Princess, are you still a noblewoman? In the eyes of the world, you are no longer a lady, but an exiled prisoner! Besides, I have been exiled, where would a good girl be willing to marry me?"
Jiang Shichang: "Originally, the men from our families were supposed to work on the city wall and carry stones. The women, who were twelve years old or older, were supposed to each cultivate thirty mu of land within a month and a half. Later, because Zisu discovered coal and knew how to make kilns, she donated the coal and the kiln-making method to the General Banner. My uncle, Zisu's uncle, and I were able to get easier work in return."
The task of clearing wasteland has been greatly reduced; the family only needs to clear ten acres before next spring's planting. However, your mother scolded Zisu severely because Yong'er still insisted on carrying stones—her words were so awful that even your father is embarrassed to repeat them to you! Because of this, Zisu moved away in a fit of anger! Later, your mother said some strange things that even angered the Princess, causing her to leave! Now, our family lives here all alone, all thanks to your mother!
Jiang Shichang became increasingly angry as he spoke, unable to stop.
Jiang Chun felt increasingly ashamed as she listened, her heart turning cold.
That's it, it seems there's absolutely no chance for him and Zisu!
Jiang Chun sighed and said to his father, "Father, don't go to Zisu's house to ask for food. It's too embarrassing! I can cook. I learned to cook in the army camp. How about this, you take me to collect firewood and dig up some wild vegetables while you're at it."
The second wife quickly dissuaded him, saying, "Your second brother went to gather firewood; today is his day off. Hua'er went to dig for wild vegetables and pick mushrooms; you don't need to go either! You are a general; why should you condescend to do these lowly jobs!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shichang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "By the way, Chun'er, how did you find this place? And why are you in such a disheveled state?"
Jiang Chun: "Father, the reason I came here was all because Song Qiang framed me. He gave me fifty lashes, and after my wounds had almost healed, the Prince of Qi issued an edict to exile me here according to Song Qiang's wishes. I wasn't even allowed to hitch a ride on an oxcart on the way! Tomorrow, I have to report for duty and start picking stones!"
He paused, then looked at his mother meaningfully: "So, I'm no longer a general, but a lowly military household member. Mother, watch your words in the future, lest you become a laughingstock! Besides, gathering firewood and digging for wild vegetables aren't jobs for the lowly. Your son did plenty of that kind of work in the army!"