CH 99.2

Zhao He glanced at the baby in the woman’s arms and said, “Are you going to wait with the baby outside? It’s cold today.” The woman, not sure what she was thinking, shoved the baby into Song Bazi’s arms and made up her mind. “We will wait here.”

“Then do as you wish.” Zhao He said, and walked away without looking back. In his heart, he said, ‘I was being kind. When Yunan comes back, it will already be good if you don’t run home crying.’

Wang Shijing’s ex-wife Song’s real name was Song Yuhua and she was from Qingshan Village. Because her family was poor and her mother died young, while her father was useless, she was never promised to others. Song Yuhua’s father, Song Bazi, seeing that his daughter could not get married was also anxious, so he asked around to find a candidate. 

Wang Shijing was notorious in Xiushui Village for not wanting to marry, because of his own mother. But since Qingshan Village and Xiushui Village were close to each other, the aunt who married in Qingshan Village asked Wang Shijing privately if he was willing. At that time, Wang Shijing didn’t have the heart to talk about love, but if there was a girl who was willing to marry him, he would marry her. Just like that, Wang Shijing married Song Yuhua.

The Song family was poor and Wang Shijing also had no money. Married to Wang Shijing, Song Yuhua lived a hard life in her in-laws house. At the beginning, Wang Shijing was still there to protect her so everything was better, but Wang Shijing left for two years of mandatory service. Song Yuhua became pregnant and gave birth, making her life even more difficult. 

Fortunately, after Wang Shijing came back, he privately gave her some money he had saved when he served. With her husband by her side, Song Yuhua’s life also became better. But Song Yuhua was always worried about her father, who was alone at home. Because Wang Shijing gave her money and never asked about it again, Song Yuhua gave the money to her father secretly. Fearing that her mother-in-law would know, Song Yuhua also instructed her father not to spend it in the village.

After his daughter got married, Song Bazi ate enough for the whole family by himself. After his daughter gave him money, not afraid of being missed by others, he took the money and left Qingshan Village to go outside to work. In the year Wang Shijing was forced to enter military service and sent to serve in the army, Song Bazi married a widow with a son. He then returned to the village and used all the remaining money to buy a few acres of land. Then in the middle of last year, the two of them had a son.

After Song Yuhua left the Wang family, Song Bazi was worried that they would come to find trouble with him. So not to mention seeing Wang Wang Qing and Nizi, he just rented his fields to other people in the village and took his wife and children to hide. 

A year ago, Song Bazi learned from the mouth of the same village people who also went out to work, that Wang Shijing had married a male wife, separated from the Wang family and earned a lot of money. Their family had now built a large mansion, bigger than the house of the richest man in Yongxiu County. Not only that, they were also sworn brothers with the county magistrate of Yongxiu County. There were also an endless stream of visitors to their house and they were making money every day.

After Song Bazi got the news, he hurriedly told his wife Song Jingshi. Since Wang Shijing separated from his family, Song Bazi and Song Jingshi returned to the village after thinking about it. The rumors in their village were even more impressive. Qingshan Village was close to Xiushui Village, so many people married over from Xiushui Village. When Song Bazi’s family returned to the village, his wife’s sour words came. 

Look how good Wang Shijing’s life was after he married a male wife. Now they had inexhaustible money, lived in a large house, while the county magistrate and the dean of the county school called them brother. Moreover, the husband and wife were so powerful that they overwhelmed Wang Shijing’s family so much that they couldn’t even hold their heads up. 

When Song Yuhua was Wang Shijing’s wife, let alone being bullied by her mother-in-law, she couldn’t even protect her own children. It was a blessing for Wang Shijing that Song Yuhua was gone, otherwise Wang Shijing would not be able to marry such a powerful wife.

Song Bazi felt very uncomfortable at first. Before Song Yuhua left the Wang family, she found her father and gave Song Bazi twenty taels of silver. Even Song Bazi didn’t know where his daughter had gone or whether she was dead or alive. Now that his former son-in-law was doing well and his grandson and granddaughter were also doing well, he could feel better about it. Originally, Song Bazi just felt upset about it, but his new wife, Song Jingshi’s mind was much more vigorous.

Song Yuhua might have run away, but in the end, it was all because of the Wang family’s bullying that she ran away. Now that Wang Shijing was rich, shouldn’t he help his former father-in-law’s family? Song Bazi was a wimp. He said that he was working outside, but he was only selling his strength, so he couldn’t earn much money. 

He was also only able to remarry because of the money Song Yuhua gave him. Song Jingshi also had some savings when she married him. Later, Song Yuhua gave him another twenty taels of silver. Coupled with Song Jingshi’s savings, his part-time labor money, and the land they rented, their life could be considered passable.

But Song Jingshi gave birth to another son. When Song Jingshi married Song Bazi, she brought a ten-year-old son with her. Now he was thirteen. In two years time it would be time for marriage, but times became bad. Song Bazi was getting older and his savings were spent, so their days were getting harder.  

Wang Shijing could give jobs to the whole Xiushui Village, so he shouldn’t wrong his father-in-law. Besides, Wang Qing and Wang Nizi were born from both Wang Shijing and Song Yuhua, so Wang Qing and Wang Nizi should call them grandpa, grandma, and uncle.

Song Jingshi kept urging Song Bazi to go to Wang Shijing (for money). Song Bazi didn’t dare, since he was actually quite afraid of his son-in-law all along. But he was a person without his own opinion that was also a coward, so after Song Jingshi quarreled with him a few times, he gave in. 

Originally they planned to come during the Chinese New Year, but they heard that the county magistrate and the dean of the county school lived in Wang Shijing’s house.  Not to mention that Song Bazi didn’t dare, Song Jingshi also didn’t dare. 

Then Shao Yunan fought with Old lady Wang and Wang Shijing directly separated from the Wang clan and recognized Elder Cen as his foster father, making the Song family retreat a little. But thinking of the need to find a wife for her son and that she also needed money for her newborn son in the future, Song Jingshi was not willing to let Wang Shijing off the hook.

This Song Jingshi also had some other ideas. Wang Shijing became the son of the dean of the county school, who also had his own private academy. Wouldn’t it mean that her youngest son would be able to study in a private school in the future without spending money? No matter how you thought about it, Song Jingshi felt that she couldn’t just break the relationship with Wang Shijing. She had lived through hard times and now that she had a chance to stop living a hard life, why shouldn’t she just seize it?

Regardless of the fact that her 8-month-old son was freezing outside, Song Jingshi once again told Song Bazi, “When Wang Shijing comes back, you have to show your status as the father-in-law. Song Yuhua was bullied by their Wang family to the point she wouldn’t be able to live if she didn’t run away. It was also Wang Shijing’s fault, so shouldn’t he pay our Song family some money? When you see Wang Qing and Nizi, you as their grandfather should also cry a bit. No matter how brave Wang Shijing’s wife is, how could he stop Wang Qing and Nizi from seeing their grandfather?”

Song Bazi swallowed in his throat and looked down. He didn’t dare to say anything. Song Jingshi glared at him in disgust and pinched his waist hard. “Look at you! If you want your son to be a poor loser like you in the future, you should just hide!”

Xiao Dayu, the son brought by Song Jingshi, was also a little worried and said in a low voice, “Mother, what if my brother-in-law’s new wife won’t let us in? People in the village say that my brother-in-law’s new wife is very fierce.”

“He dares!” Song Jingshi cheered up her son and herself. “It’s Wang Shijing who owes our Song family, but we don’t owe him. Your father hasn’t even asked him to settle the score for forcing your sister out.” Xiao Dayu lowered his head. “Song family, Song family. I am not from the Song family.”

Song Jingshi pinched her son’s ear hard, making him cry out in pain. “Mother, mother! It hurts!”

“You bastard! What are you talking about?”

“No, no, no. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything.” Song Jing’s hand was released and Xiao Dayu covered his ears, taking a few steps back.