I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Accepting Punishment

Father and son walked one after the other, moving in silence along the rural path.

The dew soaked the hems of their trousers. Occasionally, when they encountered villagers heading to the fields early, Wu Duofu would nod and offer a vague greeting, and Wu Ya followed suit.

He looked at his father’s hands, covered in thick calluses, and then at his own hands—which, though roughened significantly since his soul-transmigration, were still “fine-skinned and tender” by comparison. He groaned inwardly, knowing his hands were likely to suffer today.

On the other side, Li Qiaoqiao had also risen.

She washed up quickly and, concerned about Zhang Jinhua’s health, walked light-footedly toward the main house.

Just as she reached the base of the window, she heard Zhang Jinhua’s voice from inside. It lacked its usual vigor but remained sharp. It was clear her body was recovering, though her temper hadn’t improved one bit.

Li Qiaoqiao peeked inside quietly.

She saw Zhang Jinhua leaning against the head of the kàng bed, her hair combed meticulously. Her face was still somewhat pale, but her eyes were like knives, scraping over the two daughters-in-law standing before the bed.

Mrs. Wei and Mrs. Yuan stood with their hands lowered, not daring to breathe loudly.

Mrs. Wei held a coarse ceramic bowl of warm water, while Mrs. Yuan held a cloth; they had clearly just finished serving their mother-in-law’s morning wash.

“Hmph. What are you ‘jinxes’ doing standing there like pillars? Are you unhappy because this old woman didn’t manage to die?” Zhang Jinhua said with drooping eyelids, her tone thick with sarcasm.

Mrs. Yuan lowered her head even further, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, her voice as faint as a mosquito: “Mother, please don’t say that. This daughter-in-law wouldn’t dare…”

“Wouldn’t dare? I think you dare quite a lot!” Zhang Jinhua suddenly raised her voice, making Mrs. Yuan flinch. “Weren’t you all quite talkative yesterday? Eh? Especially you, Wei!”

Her gaze was like a torch, suddenly firing toward Mrs. Wei: “What? Do you think because I’m sick and old and useless, I can’t control you anymore? Do you think our Wu family temple is too small to hold a great Buddha like you?”

Mrs. Wei’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly forced a smile: “Mother, what are you saying? This daughter-in-law would never dare have such thoughts! Yesterday, my heart was clouded by greed and I spoke nonsense. Please don’t take it to heart; it’s not worth getting sick over…”

As she spoke, she used the corner of her eye to gauge her mother-in-law’s expression.

“You wouldn’t dare?” Zhang Jinhua sneered, ignoring the flattery. Instead, she swept her gaze over both daughters-in-law. “I think you’ve forgotten the rules of our Wu family! Forgotten what filial piety means! Do you think because this old woman can’t lift a stick anymore, she can’t deal with you?”

“I want you both to weigh the words ‘Letter of Divorce’ carefully in your minds! Our Wu family has no room for wives who disrespect their in-laws and fail in their duties!”

The words “Divorce the wife” were like a heavy hammer slamming into Mrs. Yuan’s heart.

Her maternal family was dirt poor, and she had only birthed two daughters; she already lacked confidence in her husband’s home. Now, her face turned white with terror, her legs went soft, and she wished she could kneel immediately to swear her loyalty.

Yet, she was afraid that the more she said, the more mistakes she would make, so she could only bite her lip hard as tears welled in her eyes.

Mrs. Wei was also panicking, but compared to Mrs. Yuan, she felt secure as the wife of the eldest branch and the mother of sons. She felt her mother-in-law wouldn’t really divorce her.

Seeing the situation turn sour, she immediately knelt with a “thud.”

“Mother! All the faults are mine! You can beat me or scold me, but please don’t upset yourself! Yesterday I was just muddled for a moment and my mouth ran wild. I never meant to disrespect you!”

Mrs. Wei kowtowed, her voice trembling with tears, sounding incredibly earnest. “If you are angry, punish me however you like, but please don’t mention those two words. If word gets out, how will Canghai face people in the future…”

She cleverly brought up her eldest son, Wu Canghai.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jinhua didn’t take the bait. Instead, she seemed ignited by an even greater fury: “Bah! Don’t use my eldest grandson as an excuse! Now you know what to think of him? What were you thinking when you defied me yesterday? I think you are just selfish, only caring about your own little schemes!”

The more she spoke, the angrier she became, pointing at Mrs. Wei’s nose and scolding: “Your eldest branch has the most people and consumes the most! Tiezhu is an honest blockhead who only knows how to work hard. Between Canghai, Qinglin, and Zhexun, you have three growing boys eating us out of house and home!

If it weren’t for the whole family tightening our belts and saving every penny to support him, could Canghai go to town to study? Not only are you ungrateful, you dare complain about the family being poor? You dare give me an attitude?”

Mrs. Wei broke into a cold sweat under the scolding, kowtowing repeatedly: “This daughter-in-law wouldn’t dare. I know my mistake, I truly know my mistake!”

Zhang Jinhua was a bit breathless from scolding and took a moment to recover: “I think you truly feel that our Wu family has wronged you. Since that’s the case, I’m not some evil mother-in-law who will stop you from pursuing a better future.”

Mrs. Wei and Mrs. Yuan both looked up at her with uncertainty and alarm.

Zhang Jinhua said slowly: “How about this? Today, you pack your things and take your man, Tiezhu, and your two precious sons, especially the scholar, Canghai and go back to your Wei Village to live.

Let your capable parents and brothers support the four of you. Perhaps they can support him until he becomes a Scholar or a Provincial Graduate to bring glory to the Wei family name. That way, staying in our poor, broken house won’t delay your bright futures!”

These words were like a bolt from the blue, instantly dazing Mrs. Wei.

Go back to her mother’s house? Take her husband and sons to her parents? How was that any different from being divorced and kicked out?

She knew exactly what the situation was at her parents’ home. Her brothers and sisters-in-law were stingy, and her parents were biased. There was no way they would take in a family of four to eat and stay for free.

Furthermore, her Canghai was supposed to study and earn a degree! If he became a son dependent on his maternal family, and word got out, how could he take the imperial examinations?

How would his classmates and the examiners look at him? His future would be completely destroyed!

At the thought of her son’s bright future being cut short, Mrs. Wei was scared out of her wits.

“Mother! Mother! I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong!” Mrs. Wei no longer cared about her dignity, kowtowing heavily until her forehead quickly turned red. “I won’t go back to my mother’s house! Not even in death! I am a member of the Wu family! Mother, you can punish me however you like, just please don’t drive us away! Canghai is a grandson of the Wu family; his future depends on the help of his grandparents and uncles! I beg of you, Mother!”

Zhang Jinhua watched her kowtow and pleaded for mercy with cold eyes, the resentment in her heart finally venting by half.

She let Mrs. Wei languish for a good while before speaking in a leisurely tone: “Since you know you’re wrong, you must remember the lesson. What’s the use of just kowtowing?”

Mrs. Wei looked up immediately, as if grabbing a life-saving straw: “Mother, say the word. I’ll accept any punishment! I won’t have a single complaint!”

Zhang Jinhua hummed and glanced out the window: “The vegetable garden in the backyard needs fertilizing. Those two buckets of manure water go carry them today and water the whole garden. You aren’t allowed to eat until you’ve finished.”

Carrying manure?

Mrs. Wei felt her vision go dark.

She had been married into the Wu family for over ten years. Because she was the eldest daughter-in-law and had birthed sons, she prided herself on her status. This kind of dirty, tiring, and smelly heavy labor was always pushed onto the second branch or that poor little thing, Li Qiaoqiao. She hadn’t so much as touched it with her little finger.

But, compared to being kicked back to her parents’ house and destroying her son’s future, what was carrying manure?

“Yes… yes, Mother. I’ll go right now…” Mrs. Wei’s voice trembled, but she dared not hesitate for a second. She scrambled up, her face pale, and stumbled toward the backyard.