Chapter 62: Letting Go

  Qizhen'er brought in a basin of water and asked Ye Baiju to help Sunshi wipe her body. It was hot now, and even if she didn't move, she would still sweat all over.

  Ye Baiji also knew that Sun Shi was depressed, so she wiped her body with a towel while comforting her: "Mother, why are you thinking like this? If you die, how can we sisters live on? He's already thinking of taking a concubine now that you're still here. If you really leave, we won't even be as good as your daughter Zhen'er and her brother. Can you bear to see others bullying your daughter?"

  No matter how hard Ye Baiji tried to persuade her, Sun Shi remained unresponsive. Seeing this, Ye Baiji couldn't help but choke back a sob.

  Zi Zhen'er felt uncomfortable in her heart. When a family is not harmonious, the ones who suffer the most are women and children. Ye Baiju and Ye Baixi were already quite old, but they still had to rely on others for their livelihood. Ye Baixi was better off, following the third house around every day, at least she had some stability, but Ye Baiju was not so lucky, she was already engaged, if no one helped her out, her whole life would be ruined.

  "Bai Zhi sister, go wash your face. Auntie wouldn't feel comfortable seeing you like this either." Qizhen said persuasively.

  Ye Baiji didn't want to go out, but seeing her mother like this, she felt heavy in her heart too. Going out for some fresh air would be good.

  The curtain on the door fell, and Qizhen'er sat down at the edge of the bed, holding a bowl of water to feed Sunshi in small mouthfuls, saying: "Auntie, I'm young and may have misspoken, don't blame me."

  Sun's family was desperate to save her, but she couldn't swallow water or medicine. Qizhen didn't rush either, placing the bowl on a nearby table and saying slowly: "When my mother gave birth to Tiger, it was a difficult labor." She paused before continuing: "My mother had a good body, and having children shouldn't have been a problem, but even the best body can't withstand abuse. She was seven or eight months pregnant with Tiger and still working hard in the fields and by the stove."

  Sun heard this and her eyes flashed for a moment, then returned to calmness.

  Qī Zhēn ér seemed to have not noticed Sūn shì's abnormality, and continued to chatter: "I actually lied, I and Hǔ zǐ are not here to rely on Uncle. My father is the third son at home, I only have two uncles and a younger aunt, where can I find an uncle to rely on? My father doesn't please Grandpa and Grandma, at home he's like his name, a diligent cow who buries his head in work. My mother has a gentle temperament, just like your second sister-in-law, only knowing how to be a good wife and mother, thinking about family harmony. But can things in life really go so smoothly?"

  "My great aunt was strong-willed and a bit sharp-tongued, she still bullied my younger brother and me after my mother passed away. My father couldn't bear to see us suffer, so he worked himself to the bone, but ended up getting sick from overwork and left with my mother within two or three years. Great aunt, you can imagine what kind of life I and Tiger were living at home without any support."

  Sun raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, looking at Zhen'er with pity.

  "My great aunt wanted to sell me as a servant, so she planned to let her son push Hu Zi down the mountain. If I hadn't accidentally found out about this, Hu Zi and I would have been separated forever." Qi Zhen'er said quietly, her tone calm but unable to conceal the turmoil in her heart.

  "My grandparents are still alive, and they dare to treat me like this, why? Isn't it because we have no one to care for us, no one to love us!" Qizhen'er said with hatred, turning her head to look at Sunshi, her two eyes staring straight into hers. "Auntie, think about what will happen to Bai Zhi after you leave? She's already 14 years old, and after the new year, she'll be able to get engaged. If you leave, she'll have to observe mourning for three years, and by then she'll be a 17-year-old young woman. Even if she looks good, when it comes time to discuss marriage, won't people still hesitate?"

  "Besides, as soon as you leave, Second Uncle will immediately find another stepmother for me. He even took in Liao Wu's sister, who is not a good person, so how can I expect him to find someone kind and genuine who truly cares for my Baizhi?"

  "There's also Third Aunt, who is sweet-tongued but bitter-hearted. She has been plotting against the second house all along. Once my sister Bai Zhi finishes her mourning period and it becomes difficult to find a good marriage for her, she will definitely sell my sister off to pave the way for her own family. I can bring Hu Zi with me, traversing mountains and rivers, fearless of life and death, but what about my sister Bai Zhi? Can she do that? Second Aunt, don't you really care about my sister Bai Zhi? Are you willing to let her be ruined for the rest of her life?"

  Qī Zhēn ér stared straight at Sūn shì, not allowing her to evade, and asked sternly. A mother loves her children, how can she bear them suffering?

  Ye Baiji had been standing at the door for a while, and when she heard what Qi Zhen'er said to Sun Shi, tears began to fall from her eyes. She couldn't bear it anymore, so she rushed in and threw herself beside the bed, grabbing Sun Shi's hand and shouting: "Mother, open your eyes and look at me! Are you really willing to abandon us and let others bully us? If you don't want to live, I'll accompany you, so we can avoid a life worse than death later on."

  Madam Sun had been crying all along, and now that she heard Ye Bai Zhi say this, she finally regained her senses. She hugged Ye Bai Zhi tightly and exclaimed: "Zhi-er, your mother didn't expect it either! Your father wants to divorce me, he wants to divorce me!"

  Zi Zhen'er knew that the crux of the matter had always been here, Sun Shi was just heard by Ye Shixie wanting to divorce her, and she was depressed and sought death with all her heart.

  "Your daughter has been divorced, how will you two sisters live in the future?" Sun Shi cried out.

  If she were to be divorced, the Ye sisters would be ostracized and would have a hard time finding husbands. Even if they did get married, they would be looked down upon for the rest of their lives. If she were to die before being divorced, no matter what, the Ye sisters would definitely be the ones receiving sympathy from others. Plus, with Eldest Sister-in-law Mao being fair-minded, their future marriages wouldn't be too bad either.

  The Sun family thought it was good, but they also overlooked a lot. The house next door is always separated by a wall, and the Mao family is just the elder sister-in-law of Ye Bai Zhi and others. Once the family is divided, it becomes two families. They can only refer to Ye Bai Zhi's marriage, and in the end, the decision-maker is still Ye Shi Xian, as well as Ye Shi Xian's future wife. As for Ye Shi Xian's true intentions, he probably also wants to sell off his sisters Ye Bai Zhi to get money for gambling.

  "Grandpa said that if Second Uncle still wants to divorce you, he will drive Second Uncle out. Don't worry, Second Aunt, with Grandpa here, Second Uncle definitely won't be able to divorce you." Qizhen comforted her.

  Sun's eyes lit up, and she looked at Qi Zhen'er with anticipation, asking uncertainly: "Really?" Who would have believed that her father-in-law would treat his daughter-in-law better than his own son?

  Ye Baiji saw that her mother was getting angry again, and hastily nodded: "Really, I also heard Grandpa say it. He said that if Father is still so useless, he will drive him out too, we are still the Ye family's people." This gave them a guarantee of livelihood.

  Sun's family heard, tears flowed more happily, this is extreme joy. Cry, cry out and feel better, Qi Zhen'er didn't stop her either, went out the door to Ye Baiwei's house, leaving space for the mother and daughter to vent their emotions.

  Ye Baiwei was embroidering her wedding dress in the room, while Hu Zi had already fallen asleep on her bed, his cheeks flushed with sleep, looking adorable. Ye Baiwei held her embroidery needle, sewing two stitches before glancing at Hu Zi, then picked up a fan to gently blow air or shoo away mosquitoes for him.

  Zhen'er stood at the door, looking at Ye Baiwei's tranquil appearance, and sincerely wished her to marry a good man.

  Ye Baiji had told her that Ye Baiwei was not only beautiful, but also gentle and kind, famous as a beauty in the surrounding villages. Moreover, their family had a pharmacy in the county town and owned a lot of land, so when she was 14 years old, many people came to propose marriage.

  Mrs. Mao's father was a scholar, and he had some literary talent. At that time, it was because of Mr. Ye's kindness and Ye Shiwen's integrity that he married his daughter to him. Afterwards, it proved that Old Master Mao's vision was not bad. After Mrs. Mao married over, she won the liking of her father-in-law and mother-in-law, as well as the respect of her husband. Later, although they returned to the countryside, their life was still very comfortable. Therefore, she also hoped that her own daughter could marry a good family like her, and have a smooth life all her life.

  Among many suitors, she finally found one that she liked. The other party was also a scholar, with a good family background and character, but his family was a bit poor. His grandmother, parents were all present, with an older sister above, and a younger sister and brother below. The family had only four acres of land, two acres of paddy fields, after paying the land rent, they could barely make ends meet.

  The Mao family was not one to despise the poor and love the rich, they looked at that scholar from afar, saw that his family was harmonious, he himself was also a responsible person, so they decided on this marriage. Who knew, soon after the engagement, the scholar's grandmother passed away, and the mourning period lasted for three years.

  Three years had passed, and Ye Baiwei was now seventeen or eighteen years old. Although she was a bit older, the Ma family had never thought of canceling the engagement, because that scholar's family all looked up to Ye Baiwei. No matter how poor their family conditions were, they would not be short of gifts during festivals and holidays, so although the marriage had been delayed for three years, the relationship between the two families had become even closer.

  Ye Baiwei sat quietly, with a serene beauty like a lady in a painting. A slight frown or smile could captivate one's heart and soul. She wasn't the kind of beauty that was widely praised by worldly people; rather, she had an inner purity and gentle beauty that radiated from within.