GD (QT) Chapter 11

Lin Pan couldn’t help but worry. “I wonder if Eldest Sister got delayed by something. In previous years, she would have been back by now.”

In Qingshan Village, married daughters usually returned to their parents’ home a bit early for the Mid-Autumn Festival to deliver gifts, as the actual festival day had to be spent at their in-laws’ house.

Lin Lai shared her concern. “Yeah, I wonder if that old woman is making things difficult for her and won’t let her come back.”

Thinking of their eldest sister’s sharp-tongued and shrewish mother-in-law, both sisters felt a wave of anxiety.

Lin Yu frowned as well.

In the original timeline, Lin Pan was sold to the widower Qian as a second wife. After years of serving the entire family while enduring beatings and abuse, she couldn’t take it anymore and threw herself down a well.

Once the eldest Lin brother’s family squandered Lin Pan’s dowry money and commission, they set their sights on the third brother’s family. Without Lin Yu crossing over into this body, Lin Laidi would have been sold into a remote mountain hollow to be a “shared wife.” That place was dirt-poor; several brothers would pool their money to buy one wife, and fearing she would run away, they kept her chained up.

But now that he was here, he would never let his two daughters suffer such a fate.

Lin Zhaodi, the eldest, was different. When he arrived, she had already been married for three years and had a daughter. Although the eldest Lin brother had pocketed her dowry, Zhaodi’s marriage had been arranged by her biological mother before she passed away. She married into the Sun family in the neighboring village. The Suns had three sons, and Zhaodi was married to the second.

Searching his memories, Lin Yu knew Zhaodi’s mother-in-law was a formidable woman. Her husband was unfavored and “foolishly filial”—he told her to endure everything, just as the original owner of Lin Yu’s body used to do.

With such a combination, one could imagine the life a daughter-in-law led.

Lin Yu spoke up: “If she hasn’t come back, then we will go to her door to see her.”

“Is… is that appropriate?” It was unheard of for parents to visit their married daughter’s home during Mid-Autumn.

Lin Yu said calmly, “She is my biological daughter. What’s inappropriate about a father missing his daughter and paying a visit? Pack a few gifts; if the Sun family receives goods, they won’t have much to say.”

Hearing this, Lin Pan and Lin Lai immediately began packing. Lin Pan put a bag of sugar and small bags of rice and flour into a basket. After a moment’s thought, she cut a half-slab of meat and added that too.

Seeing this, Lin Lai said, “Even if we send good things over, who knows if they’ll even reach Eldest Sister’s mouth.”

“Even if she can’t eat it, once the Suns see what we’ve brought, they might treat her a bit better.” Lin Pan was older and understood the ways of the world better than her younger sister.

Lin Yu didn’t object. He slung the back-basket over his shoulder. “Let’s go. Let’s get there early and see.”

…

The Sun family had not yet split their household. The Sun couple had three sons and three daughters; the sons were all married with children. Though the daughters had married out, the house was crowded with so many people living together.

Lin Zhaodi’s husband was slow of speech and mind. He wasn’t favored at home, and since Zhaodi had only given birth to a daughter since marrying in, Old Mrs. Sun was particularly critical and disliked her.

Normally, Zhaodi had to be up at the crack of dawn. Scrubbing pots, cooking, sweeping, and laundry—it was all her job. She didn’t trust leaving her daughter alone, and her mother-in-law refused to watch the child, so she had to work with the toddler strapped to her back.

By the end of the day, Zhaodi’s back was often so tired she couldn’t straighten up. Her back, which hadn’t recovered properly after childbirth, was constantly aching.

The day before, the three Sun daughters had come home to visit. Zhaodi had cooked the entire massive spread. The Sun family ate and drank their fill while chatting, but she could only eat leftovers. She was still scrubbing pots in the dark when her mother-in-law began scolding her for being slow, using “pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust” tactics.

Grievance filled Zhaodi’s heart. She went to her room wanting to cry to her husband, only to find him fast asleep, impossible to wake. Sitting at the edge of the bed, a sudden wave of sorrow washed over her.

Mid-Autumn was almost here, yet her mother-in-law hadn’t given her a single thing to take home. Was she expected to return to her parents’ house empty-handed?

Cradling her thin, small two-year-old daughter—who still couldn’t walk steadily—Zhaodi’s tears soaked her collar.

Hungry, exhausted, and heartbroken, Zhaodi found herself unable to get out of bed the next morning.

At the first light of dawn, Old Mrs. Sun began banging on things outside. “Sleep, sleep, all you know is sleep! Who marries a daughter-in-law to be an ancestor? The sun is up and you’re still not out here working. All day long you just want to crawl into a man’s crotch. If you’re so capable, why don’t you give me a grandson? What’s the use of only birthing money-losers?”

She hurled every foul and stinking insult imaginable. She didn’t sound like she was scolding a daughter-in-law; she sounded like she was cursing an enemy.

Zhaodi shivered and woke with a start. Beside her, her daughter began wailing at the top of her lungs.

Hearing the crying, Old Mrs. Sun’s cursing grew more vigorous. “The money-loser dares to cry! If I’d known, I would have stuffed you in the toilet and drowned you the moment you were born. Crying ghost, jinx! I work myself to death to raise you for nothing and you still cry!”

Zhaodi’s face turned pale. She scrambled to pick up her daughter to hush her.

Sun Erniu was also awakened. He said dully, “Why did you upset Mother again? Hurry up and get out there to work.”

The man’s words turned Zhaodi’s heart to ice. She could only tie her daughter to her back and walk out.

Old Mrs. Sun squinted her eyes and spat. “Cheap bones, lazy skin. You slack off if you aren’t scolded for even one day.”

Zhaodi kept her head down, not daring to talk back. Experience told her that she could only bow her head; otherwise, her mother-in-law’s words would only get nastier. She hurried into the kitchen to work, tears flowing silently.

Old Mrs. Sun didn’t leave. She sat by the door. “Clumsy thing. I shouldn’t have let you marry in. You’ve delayed me from holding a grandson for nothing.”

By the time breakfast was nearly ready, the Eldest Sister-in-law and the Third Brother’s wife finally got out of bed and came over.

Eldest Sister-in-law smiled. “Mother, you go sit outside and rest. We’ll take it from here.”

“Didn’t Mother want something sweet yesterday? My parents sent over a bag of brown sugar; I’ll fix a bowl of brown sugar water for Mother in a bit,” Third Brother’s wife added.

Both had sweet tongues and strong backing from their own families, keeping Old Mrs. Sun perfectly pleased. Most importantly, both had given birth to sons, which gave them confidence.

They entered the kitchen but didn’t actually work; they only took charge of ladling the porridge and carrying the bowls.

Seeing Zhaodi’s disheveled state behind the stove, the Eldest Sister-in-law curled her lip. “Hurry and wipe your face, or you’ll get scolded again.”

Third Brother’s wife said even more pointedly, “Second Sister-in-law, really now. You know Mother hates seeing a long face. Crying and wailing first thing in the morning… you’re making it look like someone is bullying you.”

Zhaodi remained silent, unable to say a word.

At the dining table, the men got the thick porridge while the women and children got the thin. When it came to Zhaodi, who had actually cooked the meal, she only had a bowl of watery gruel so thin you could see your reflection in it.

Zhaodi held her daughter and fed her a little, barely managing to fill her stomach with water.

While everyone was there, Zhaodi gathered her courage. “Mother, I want to go back to my parents’ home later.”

Old Mrs. Sun slammed her chopsticks down with a clack. “Go or don’t go, it’s up to you. I’m not stopping you.”

Zhaodi quickly lowered her head and whispered, “But I can’t exactly go back empty-handed.”

Old Mrs. Sun sneered. “Back then, you had the nerve to marry in empty-handed. How are you suddenly too embarrassed to go back empty-handed now? What, are you more precious than everyone else?”

Old Mrs. Sun began her tirade right there at the table. She started from how they’d paid the dowry but Zhaodi hadn’t brought back a single cent—not even a cotton quilt. Then she moved on to how Zhaodi had only birthed a daughter and hadn’t had another pregnancy even though the child was two.

Her incessant scolding was the only sound at the table. The others watched like they were seeing a play; no one spoke up for Zhaodi.

Sun Erniu’s head sank lower and lower. He nudged his wife. “Zhaodi, hurry and apologize to Mother.”

Zhaodi remained wooden. What was her “wrong”? Her mother-in-law simply saw that her family had no money and no influence, and that she had only produced a daughter. Thus, all the work in the house was hers, but none of the good things ever reached her.

When Old Mrs. Sun tired of shouting, she left the mess for Zhaodi to clean.

By the time Zhaodi wiped her tears and finished cleaning, a pile of dirty laundry had already been dumped in the yard. Eldest Sister-in-law threw her undergarments into the pile too. “Second Sister-in-law, wash these while you’re at it.”

Zhaodi said nothing. She simply sat down and began washing without a moment’s rest.

When Lin Yu arrived with Lin Pan and Lin Lai, they saw Old Mrs. Sun at the gate cracking melon seeds before they even entered. Looking further in, they saw the eldest daughter squatting and washing clothes with a child on her back.

“Eldest Sister!” Lin Lai called out urgently.

Old Mrs. Sun clearly saw them, but she didn’t even raise an eyelid. She even spat out a melon seed hull toward them.

“Father! Second Sister, Third Sister!” Zhaodi also saw who it was and stood up in pleasant surprise.

Unexpectedly, she stood up too fast. Her vision went black, and she collapsed.

“Eldest Sister!” Lin Pan screamed.

Lin Yu lunged forward in one stride to catch his daughter. “Zhaodi! Zhaodi, wake up!”

“Eldest Sister, are you okay? Don’t scare me!” Lin Pan and Lin Lai saw that her face was deathly pale, without a trace of color.

Zhaodi felt only darkness before her eyes. Her whole body was limp, and she couldn’t speak.

Seeing this, Old Mrs. Sun didn’t feel a shred of pity. Instead, she began shouting loudly, “Which daughter-in-law doesn’t wash clothes? Only you are so precious! You’re putting on an act just for washing some clothes? The body of a lady but the life of a servant—don’t you know your own place?”

Lin Yu recognized the symptoms of low blood sugar. He reached into his basket, took out some brown sugar, and pinched a bit into Zhaodi’s mouth.

“Xiaohua…” After a few mouthfuls of sugar, Zhaodi recovered slightly and moaned.

Lin Pan hurried to unbind her niece from Zhaodi’s back. She saw the little girl biting her finger in silence, so well-behaved and thin it made one’s heart ache. She took out a small pastry and gave it to the girl, who immediately hugged it and began gnawing.

Old Mrs. Sun’s eyes were glued to the back-basket. She stopped cracking seeds and stepped forward, reaching for it.

Lin Lai slapped her hand away. “My sister is in this state, and you haven’t even thought to call a doctor!”

“A country wife isn’t that precious. Call a doctor? Do you know how much a doctor costs? My family doesn’t have that kind of spare cash.”

Lin Lai looked at the pile of laundry. “My sister has to wash all these clothes by herself? How long is that supposed to take?”

Old Mrs. Sun spat out another seed hull. “If you feel for your sister, then help her wash. You’ll have to do this work anyway once you get married.”

“You…” Lin Lai’s face flushed with rage.

Lin Yu could see it clearly now. Old Mrs. Sun wasn’t just difficult and malicious—she didn’t respect them at all. They had entered the house, yet she offered no hospitality and even expected the sisters to do the chores.

Lin Yu gave a cold laugh. “Zhaodi, let’s go. Come home with Father.”