Chapter 41 - 41: United in Hatred

Translator: 549690339

Mrs. Qian’s words became increasingly sorrowful, and she dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief, “Fang Ru turned fifteen today, just the age to discuss marriage. Who could have expected such a thing to happen, oh, oh!”

“Fang Ru is beautiful and bright, clever and alert. During her years at the Su Family, she’s grown even more attractive and composed in her actions, her judgment solid and measured. Suitors have practically worn down our threshold. It had been agreed that she would be engaged to the young master of a pharmacy in the County Town upon her return this autumn. Who would have thought an event like this would occur? Forget the arranged engagement, I fear that in the future, no decent families would want our daughter. After all, a servant driven out by her masters is seen as either flawed or of ill character by others.”

Mrs. Qian looked absolutely miserable, and Wang Decai, who had all this while been silent, grew increasingly somber. Wang Fangru’s eyes were swollen from crying, as the matter related to her future. Now everything had turned into such a mess, what was she to do! She, of all people, couldn’t possibly end up marrying an unworthy farmer like her cousin, could she? Unacceptable! She refused to accept her fate. It was all Wang Qianru’s fault. If it wasn’t for helping her, how would she have ended up in such a predicament? With these thoughts, Wang Fangru’s gaze filled with more resentment towards Wang Qianru.

It wasn’t as if Mrs. Qian was wrong. Fang Ru had always had it better than her from a young age, spoiled by their grandmother, and later even served as a servant girl in the Su Family. Wang Qianru had always harbored some dark thoughts, and now, seeing her self-important eldest uncle’s family plunged into gloom and Fang Ru, who always looked down on others, in such a pathetic state, she couldn’t help but feel a secret thrill. They had once looked down on her family, and knowing of her own engagement to Han Lin, they had scoffed, as if she only deserved a farmer. Turns out, how fortune turns!

However, Wang Qianru was always good at playing the part, and besides, her family was not in good circumstances either. They still needed to borrow money from her eldest uncle’s family, so she couldn’t show her true feelings. Seeing Fang Ru’s accusing eyes, she knew she had to redirect all the bitterness towards someone else; if not, her family would get nowhere today, let alone borrow any money.

“Eldest uncle, eldest aunt, cousin,” Wang Qianru said, “I’ve wronged you all. I didn’t realize Su Wenyue was so narrow-minded. It’s one thing for her to target me at every turn in the Han Family, but to not even spare my cousin is truly malicious. Do you think I would have returned today if not for Su Wenyue framing me, causing a rift between me and my mother-in-law? I was unable to stay with the Han Family and had no choice but to come back.” As she spoke, tears rimmed her eyes, her face the picture of sorrow, startling Mr. and Mrs. Wang Desheng.

They had been so preoccupied with worry for their son that they weren’t eating or sleeping properly, and had not thought to ask when their daughter returned. They hadn’t imagined that she was back because of mistreatment by her in-laws.

“My daughter, what happened? Is Miss Su really that malicious? Why would she target you? What kind of mistreatment have you suffered? Your father and I have been so worried about your brother that we hadn’t taken the time to ask you about your situation,” Mr. and Mrs. Wang Desheng asked with guilt and concern on their faces.

In the presence of her eldest uncle’s family, Wang Qianru spoke of her own misfortunes in the gravest terms in order to win their sympathy and unite them against a common enemy. She described the Han Family’s injustices in detail, and even Fang Ru, who previously resented Wang Qianru, now felt her cousin’s circumstances were pitiable. Just when she had started to live a good life, Miss Su’s entry into the Han Family brought her to a dire state, slapped by her mother-in-law and driven out. It seemed they were all victims of the Su Family.

“My poor daughter, the Han Family is too heartless. When they married you, they promised to treat you well, but it turns out the whole family is opportunistic. We must demand an explanation from them, and let them know the Wang Family can’t be bullied so easily!”

“Mother, please stop,” responded Mrs. Wang. “What’s done is done. In our standing, how can we possibly prevail over the Su Family?” Mrs. Wang had always been like this, preferring to show a demure front, especially for the sake of the image before her eldest uncle’s family.

“Cousin, you mustn’t let others cheer at our expense,” she said. “So what if Su

Wenyue is the Miss of the Su Family? Now that she’s married into the Han Family, she’s just a farmer’s wife. Technically she should be addressing you as

Sister-in-law. We might not be able to contend with the Su Family, but the Han Family is simply another peasant family. Let’s go to their door and demand justice. We from the Wang Family cannot be treated this way! Cousin, don’t worry. Our family will go with you. There’s strength in numbers. I refuse to believe the Han Family will not give us a satisfactory answer.”

The anger and resentment that Fang Ru held for being cast out by the Su Family found an outlet. She dared not confront the Su Family directly, but causing some trouble for Miss Su was definitely possible.

“Yeah, let’s do just that! Desheng, we know about the issues with your son, Chenglin, and we wanted to help. It’s just that, with Fang Ru being forced out of the Su Family and being dismissed without any wages, we have both elderly and kids to support at home and really don’t have much spare silver. Since Su Wenyue is a Miss of the Su Family, surely her dowry is substantial. Let’s take this chance to hit her where it hurts – it will be a relief for Qianru and will also help pay off Chenglin’s gambling debt, killing two birds with one stone.” Mrs. Wang sneered inwardly. It wasn’t because they didn’t have any silver; her eldest aunt was always calculating. Well, she knew the silver from eldest uncle’s house was not easily obtained. As long as they could pay off her big brother’s gambling debt, she didn’t care what means had to be used to obtain the needed silver.

Mr. and Mrs. Wang Desheng usually went along with their children’s opinions. So, after listening to Mrs. Qian’s proposition, they didn’t immediately respond but looked towards Wang Qianru.

Wang Qianru seemed to have made up her mind. “I agree with my eldest aunt. If it were just about me, I might let it pass because I’m just unlucky, having married into such a family as Han’s. But I cannot let this go for my cousin. This matter arose partly because of me, and if I don’t make Su Wenyue pay somehow, I won’t be able to face my cousin and aunt’s family. But not today; we must find big brother first, then confront them as a family.”

Wang Qianru had malign intentions but did care about her elder brother. While she wanted to deal with the Han Family as soon as possible to get some justice for herself, she was more worried about Wang Chenglin’s safety. At that moment, nobody knew where he had run off to. Although the Wang family searched together, they couldn’t find him, but to their relief Wang Chenglin returned on his own by evening.

Wang Qianru, learning more about the cause of the issues, felt even surer that Su Wenyue was linked to the troubles. Enraged, she couldn’t stand it..