CHAPTER 201: CHAPTER 201: DISCOVERING AUNT’S SECRET

201 Discovering Aunt’s Secret

Just then, Aunt came in to call everyone for dinner, providentially halting the imminent explosion.

However, the atmosphere at the men’s dinner table was far from peaceful; Wang Fugui’s overwhelming sense of superiority was insufferable.

The table with the women and children, by contrast, was quite harmonious. There was the joyous laughter of children scrambling for food and the murmur of conversation between Sun Mei and the two aunts by marriage. Sun Lan’s arrival, however, had made Zhao Guifen somewhat withdrawn.

But with Sun Mei and Zhao Zhitong acting as mediators, the atmosphere gradually thawed.

Finally, with Eldest Uncle and Uncle practically seething, the dinner concluded.

Following that, the women went to wash the dishes, the children continued to play in the courtyard, and the men resumed their chat and boasting in the living room.

During this time, Wang Fugui saw Sun Lan walking into the courtyard to pour out some water and got up to follow her.

He approached Sun Lan, glanced around, then dragged her out of the courtyard gate to behind the courtyard wall.

He immediately demanded, "Did you do what I asked you to do?"

Sun Lan lowered her head without a word.

Wang Fugui’s expression darkened. "You didn’t bring it up, did you?"

When Sun Lan remained silent, he twisted her arm sharply. "Did you mention it or not?" he snarled. "I’m talking to you! Are you mute?"

Sun Lan cried out in pain, "I’m sorry, my Lord. I was wrong."

Wang Fugui, looking as if she were a lost cause, released her arm. He glanced around before saying furiously, "While everyone is still here, go and ask! Do you hear me? If you don’t get the silver, you know your mother-in-law’s temper. When we get back, she’ll skin you alive!"

With a flick of his sleeves, he stormed back into the courtyard.

Tears welled in Sun Lan’s eyes as she stood outside the gate for a long, long time, not going back in.

She didn’t know how to bring it up and felt that she absolutely couldn’t ask for it.

Ever since she married, many years had passed without her returning to her maternal home for the New Year. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to return to her maternal home; every year, she longed to see her mother, to tell her she was sorry, that she had been wrong.

However, her mother-in-law wouldn’t allow her to visit her family.

Every New Year, when it was time to visit her own family, her mother-in-law would raise hell to stop her, accusing her of trying to take their family’s money to her maternal home.

Consequently, years had passed without her once returning to her maternal home.

This made her feel even more indebted to her mother, to the point where she eventually lost the courage to even face her.

This year, her mother-in-law had also initially forbidden her from visiting her maternal home for the New Year. But why did her mother-in-law suddenly agree?

This change of heart stemmed from the financial troubles plaguing the Wang Family’s business. Ever since old Mr. Wang, the head of the Wang Family, had aged and handed over the family business to Wang Fugui, it had started to decline.

By this year, the embroidery shop’s business had shrunk even further. Wang Fugui, who was hardly material for managing a business and also a lavish spender, had brought the shop to the brink of collapse.

Just then, Wang Fugui received a substantial order. If this order was completed, the Wang Family’s embroidery shop could be revived.

However, their embroidery shop lacked sufficient stock of the threads and fabrics needed for the order, necessitating a new purchase.

But Wang Fugui had squandered most of the family’s silver on brothels and carousing; there was no silver left to procure new stock.

Coincidentally, it was around this time they heard that her sister’s husband’s family had struck it rich. At the last Housewarming Banquet, they had tried to find out how the Zhao Dong family had made their fortune, but their inquiries yielded nothing, and Sun Lan had even received a scolding for it.

This time, the purpose behind allowing her to visit her maternal home for the New Year was precisely for her to ask her sister, Sun Mei, to lend them money.

But she knew that once the Wang Family got their hands on this silver, they would never repay her sister’s family.

Besides, she simply couldn’t bring herself to ask.

As she stood at the gate, agonizing over what to do, a sharp, caustic voice suddenly sounded, "Well, well, if it isn’t Granny Zhao’s youngest daughter? Tsk, tsk, is that horse carriage from your husband’s family?"

"No wonder they say Granny Zhao knows how to marry off her daughters! Her sons-in-law are all so accomplished—one’s a cripple, another beats his wife! HA HA HA, truly, every one of them is a fine son-in-law."

Sun Lan looked up to see Granny Guan and her daughter, Sun Ying, standing at their own doorway, sneering at her.

Evidently, they had witnessed Wang Fugui twisting her arm earlier.

Sun Ying continued her mockery, "Isn’t that right? But Sun Lan, doesn’t your husband’s family run an embroidery shop in the county town? They must be rolling in money by now, right? How is it that the gifts you brought are fewer than what your sister Sun Mei brought?"

Hearing this, Sun Lan’s face instantly turned crimson.

The gifts she brought today... she had secretly used her own savings to add two more items, unbeknownst to her mother-in-law.

Her miserly mother-in-law, unwilling to part with even a single copper coin, had given nothing.

Ultimately, because she was counting on Sun Lan to borrow money from her sister, her mother-in-law had grudgingly picked out a few of the most inferior items from their house for Sun Lan to load onto the carriage.

Seeing Sun Lan’s evidently unhappy circumstances, Sun Ying’s spirits instantly lifted; she couldn’t have been more pleased.

So, she continued to twist the knife: "Oh, that’s right! I heard you have a three-year-old son at home, don’t you? Why didn’t you bring him today?"

Granny Guan chimed in, "What nonsense are you spouting? Don’t you know? Sun Lan married into the Wang Family all those years ago and still hasn’t borne a child. Where would she get a son?"

Sun Ying covered her mouth, giggling. "Oh, Mother, that’s where you’re mistaken! Little Sister Sun Lan’s husband dotes on her so much, you see. He was afraid she’d go through a life-and-death ordeal giving birth, so he personally took two concubines for her. That child was born to one of his concubines, but isn’t that as good as Sun Lan’s child? Little Sister Sun Lan, you truly are blessed!"

Sun Lan was now trembling from head to toe.

Just then, Aunt’s incredibly sharp voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard.

"Well now, Sun Ying! If you put it that way, your good fortune is no less than our Sun Lan’s! I hear Scholar Chen dotes on you even more. He’s taking new concubines practically every day. Who knows how many he’s got by now, eh?"

With that, Aunt Liu strode out from the courtyard, a cleaver still in her hand, her eyes glinting murderously.

She continued to taunt Sun Ying, "You, of all people, should be enjoying such bliss! Your husband dotes on you so much he willingly takes concubines for you. You should just stop having children yourself and let the concubines bear them for you. Isn’t that wonderful? Oh, I almost forgot—I hear that concubine of his is pregnant now, isn’t she?"

Sun Ying looked about ready to explode with rage.

Her husband taking concubines had always been a sore spot for her. Now that Aunt Liu had laid it bare, Sun Ying’s expression turned exceedingly ugly.

Aunt Liu pressed on, "Tsk, tsk. Scholar Chen was the fine match you snatched from my niece Sun Mei, wasn’t he? He treats you so well indeed! No wonder you resorted to such despicable means to steal him. Not like my elder niece’s husband, who just works to earn money, support the family, shows filial piety to his mother-in-law, and is completely devoted to my niece.

"Oh, by the way, your information must be outdated. You probably don’t know yet that my elder niece’s husband received a plaque personally bestowed by the emperor just yesterday! I wonder, when will your Scholar Chen earn a provincial degree for your family, hmm?"