The General's Delicious Wife Chapter 040: Big misunderstanding
If this has happened under the normal circumstances, being beaten up by Xue Li for no apparent justification, Feng Yong Yuan surely will not let this go peacefully and so easily.
But the days are different now that his wife is pregnant, staying at her mother's home, his brother-in-law could be coming over to pick up some things for his wife and ends up witnessing another woman opening the door. Such circumstances, he cannot say for sure, might lead to certain misunderstandings.
Thinking up to this point, Feng Yong Yuan can no longer sit still stay chill. Going back to his room and changing his clothes, he cannot be bothered with eating his breakfast and rushes to hire a carriage towards Seng Head Village.
Feng Yong Yuan is worried that Xue Li might have went home and said some things to make Xue Ping misunderstand. Biting down with determination, he forks out the money to hire the horse carriage and rushes the driver to go faster.
But strangely, on his journey towards Seng Head Village, he has not managed to catch up to Xue Li.
This has made Feng Yong Yuan even more anxious in his heart, pulling out another ten copper coins and pushing it to the driver. "Uncle, trouble you to go a bit faster, I have something really urgent!"
The driver becomes upset. "Brother, if not on the account of the large amount of money you are paying, I will not even be going to such a far away place! This is a new carriage of mine, this entire journey is such a bumpy ride and you are rushing me as if to my death, you are not considering the animal or the carriage! If you rush again, I will refund you and you can go there on your own!"
Feng Yong Yuan has no other way but to agree with what he has said. "Uncle, I am just really worried, my wife is pregnant, and she is staying at her mother's home, I am anxious to go see her!"
"I couldn't tell that you are actually someone who treasures his wife!" The driver hears his explanation and became milder in his temper but still tells him. "But this mountain road is not easy to travel on, we cannot go any faster!"
Feng Yong Yuan cannot help it after hearing that. He couldn't sit still during the entire trip as if he has grown a needle on his bottom.
At home, Madam Sheng calms Xue Ping down until she finally sleeps. However, she herself could not fall asleep, laying on the brick bed, tossing and turning, worrying about the Feng family's reaction.
Listening to Xue Liang Ping's thundering snores beside her, the fear in her heart grows exponentially. Watching the sun outside that has already risen high up in the sky, she decides to get up and find some chores to do in the yard while waiting for her eldest son to come back at the same time.
Who knows that before her son comes back, her son-in-law has arrived to answer her waiting.
Seeing Feng Yong Yuan's horse carriage stopping right outside their gates, Madam Sheng is struck dumb. Checking again the front and the back, she cannot find Xue Li's shadow.
Could it be that the two of them have separated on their journey.
When Feng Yong Yuan enters the yard, Madam Sheng asks in her surprise. "Aiya, what has happened to Son-in-law? Who is the one deserving a thousand slashes, to have beaten you up into this state?"
Feng Yong Yuan looks around after coming into the yard, seeing that the ox pen is empty, he becomes relieved and asks for verification. "Mother-in-law, has elder brother come back home?"
Madam Sheng's heart skips a beat in that moment, it appears that the two of them have encountered each other.
"Still, still not back yet!" Madam Sheng stumbles to reply. "Why did you not come back with him?"
Feng Yong Yuan cannot be bothered with his pride and image, anxious to explain. "Mother-in-law, elder brother came to find me today, but I am afraid he has misunderstood. I said I was going to hire a caretaker previously, it just happened that our neighbour has a niece who came from afar to search for a job, so she was introduced to do the washing and cooking, when elder brother arrived today, she happened to be opening the door, so elder brother misunderstood that I was up to no good behind Xue Ping's back, he left in anger before I could explain to elder brother, I was afraid Xue Ping might misunderstand and affect her health, so I quickly hired a carriage to come here and explain."
Then Madam Sheng understands everything that has happened, it truly frustrates her to the point of passing out.
As it appears, Xue Li who has gone into the town to deliver the message fails to tell her son-in-law the situation and ends up giving him a beating.
It is good now, he has chased all the way home, surely the news cannot be hidden from him any longer.
Madam Sheng wishes to give her son a good beating, but the most urgent matter right now is how to tell Feng Yong Yuan about Xue Ping's miscarriage.
"Da Li, that child has always been impatient, we all know what kind of person Son-in-law is, how would we misunderstand you like this! Don't be anxious, Son-in-law, have you eaten breakfast? I will go make something for you…"
Madam Sheng does not know how to open her mouth, subconsciously decides to extend the time a little longer.
Feng Yong Yuan sees how much his mother-in-law trusts him, his heart becomes completely relieved. The corner of his lips pulls onto his wounds and his mouth immediately splits into a wide grin.
"It will be better to eat something first, I shouldn't worry Da Ping by appearing before her in this manner."
Hearing his thoughts, Madam Sheng feels even more overwhelmed. Turning around to wipe off the corners of her eyes and dares not continue looking at her son-in-law. Hurriedly going into the house to cook a bowl of noodles for Feng Yong Yuan and being generous by adding in a fried egg.
Feng Yong Yuan is indeed hungry, sitting in the central hall and slurping up the noodles.
Madam Sheng goes into the room and pushes Xue Liang Ping to wake up, telling him everything nervously. "What do we do now? I don't even know how I should open my mouth, why don't you go out and talk to Son-in-law!"
The both of them are discussing in their room for a long time and they could not come up with a suitable solution. At this time, nobody notices that Madam Zhou has walked into the central hall with her huge belly bump.
"Brother-in-law is here!" Madam Zhou follows the aroma of the noodles here, seeing a big bowl of white flour noodles and the half bitten fried egg inside, she almost drools out.
Feng Yong Yuan usually looks down on the people in the Xue family and he carries himself arrogantly most of the time.
However, his wife is pregnant right now, so seeing Madam Zhou's belly bump, he cannot help but feel a compassion with this similarity. Nodding his head reservedly as a greeting.
Madam Zhou glances towards the kitchen and notices that there is only some noodles broth left in the wok, becoming increasing disappointed in her heart, she supports her back as she sits down and sighs. "Brother-in-law, with this kind of thing happening, everybody here feels terrible about it, you should also lighten your heart a little, in any case, you and Elder sister are still young, you will still have children in the future…"
Feng Yong Yuan takes another bite into the fried egg, then looks at Madam Zhou in surprise. Not catching on immediately. "What did you say?"
Madam Zhou thinks to herself that he can still be eating so deliciously when he has just lost his child, it seems like his usual good treatment towards elder sister is only but an act to show other people.
"I am saying that Elder sister's pregnancy is unstable in the first place, after receiving a fright last night and losing her child, she also feels extremely terrible, Brother-in-law should console Elder sister all the more."
"What? The child is lost?"
Feng Yong Yuan seems to have been struck by lightning after hearing that, lifting his head abruptly towards Madam Zhou with his mouth half open, the noodles he just stuffs into his mouth leaks out, making a dirty mess on the front of his clothes.
He is initially a person who cares so much about his own image, but now he is totally oblivious.
Madam Zhou jumps in a scare because of his manner, shrinking backwards and stuttering. "Why, Brother, Brother-in-law does not know this yet? About that, didn't Second brother go to town today before dawn to deliver the message?"
Feng Yong Yuan then comes to understand the reason Xue Li has come knocking on his doors so early in the morning, it turns out that such a big incident has happened.
His wife who is staying at her mother's home has a miscarriage in merely a few days' time, and his brother-in-law comes to deliver the news but before mentioning anything, has beaten himself up.
Feng Yong Yuan turns petulant in an instant almost to the point of coughing out blood, lifting his hand up and smashing that bowl of noodles in fury. "All of you from the old Xue family are bullies and are intolerable!"
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Translator Notes:
Translated by Yellow. Oct 2022.