Da Zhou Tianhe Yuannian, mid-February.
There is still sporadic snow in the fields that has not melted, and two figures, one big and one small, are squatting by the field to dig wild vegetables.
The three-year-old girl is wearing an earmuff made of gray rabbit fur. Her chubby little hands are holding a fat and tender shepherd's purse, and her little face is smiling like a flower. "Aunt! Good, big shepherd's purse!"
Wu took the shepherd's purse and praised with a smile: "Changan is still capable."
The girl's smile became brighter and brighter, and she turned around to look for wild vegetables, muttering: "Find, more shepherd's purse, make dumplings, and Aunt Changan will eat them."
Wu looked at her with pity and sighed softly.
Not long after Changan's biological mother gave birth to her, she was introduced by her mother-in-law's sister to a government official in the county to be a wet nurse.
At that time, she had just married into the Song family and took on the task of taking care of little Changan.
However, when Chang'an was less than one year old, her biological father Song Erxiao was conscripted to serve in the army, and there was no news for more than two years.
She lost her biological mother at a young age, and then her biological father, and was looked down upon by the Song family.
If she had not kept her by her side and taken good care of her, she would not have lived to be three years old.
Wu smoothed her hair that was blown by the wind and tucked it behind her ears.
This morning, her mother-in-law asked her to take Chang'an out to dig shepherd's purse, saying that shepherd's purse in early spring is the freshest and tenderest, and her father-in-law wants to eat shepherd's purse dumplings.
She knew that this was all a way for her mother-in-law to torture her.
Today's wind is particularly strong, carrying the biting cold of winter, and it blows on people's faces like a knife. As an adult, she can still bear it, but how can three-year-old Chang'an withstand it?
But she can't leave her in the hands of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
If she is not here, little Chang'an will not know how they will abuse her.
Helplessly, she had to put on everything she could wear and bring her to pick shepherd's purse in this freezing cold.
Thinking of her kind-looking but bitter mother-in-law, Wu felt chilled to the bone.
She shrank her neck, put her frozen hands to her mouth and blew, and asked the little kid who was busy digging wild vegetables: "Chang'an, are you cold?"
Little Chang'an subconsciously put away her hands that were frozen like carrots and shook her head: "No, not cold." But her little nose was already running.
She wiped it with her sleeve and tried her best to smile.
She was so happy to be able to go out and play with her aunt today. She didn't feel cold at all. It would be great if she didn't go back. She didn't want to see the terrible grandmother and the little aunt who loved to pinch people.
"Come here, Third Aunt will warm you up." Wu came over and squatted in front of her, stuffed Chang'an's little hand under her armpits, "Is it warmer?"
Chang'an put his face in his aunt's arms and nodded.
At this time, two women came, carrying bamboo baskets, and it seemed that they were also here to dig wild vegetables.
A dark-faced woman saw Wu and shouted, "Aunt, why are you still in the field? Go back and take a look. Someone has brought something back. It must be Chang'an's mother who sent someone to bring it."
The whole village knew that Chang'an's mother Jiang was a wet nurse in the county. Because she brought back a bag of children's clothes and a lot of silver every six months, the whole village envied her.
"Really?" Wu stood up immediately and bowed to the dark-faced woman, "Thank you, sister-in-law Qian, I will go back now."
Then she picked up the bamboo basket, put the small sickle and shovel into the basket, and took Chang'an by the hand and hurried back.
But little Chang'an had short legs and couldn't walk fast at all, so Wu simply picked her up and walked quickly towards the new house.
The black-faced woman watched them go away, sighed, and said to the woman next to her: "Just wait and see, the things that Jiang brought will most likely fall into the hands of her stepmother-in-law. Poor Chang'an, he has never worn a new piece of clothing sewn by his own mother since he was a child."
"That's right, I see that old woman's grandchildren are all wearing new fabrics that we have never seen before. And look at what Chang'an is wearing? Patches upon patches, if you don't know, you would think he is a wild child picked up from Song Baqi's house."
The square-faced woman squatted down, shoveled a shepherd's purse, shook off the dirt, and threw it into the basket next to her. "Poor thing, he has no father and no mother. Even if the third aunt takes care of him, what's the use? Sanshun's wife is not in charge of the family. She has no money or cloth. She has to live under the mood of her stepmother-in-law. How can she take care of her little niece? Sigh..."
The old Song became a stepfather after marrying his second wife. He ignored his two biological sons and recognized the son brought by the second wife as the eldest son. He also changed his name to Song Jizu.
Tsk tsk, look at this name. If the clan leader hadn't stopped him, the old Song was going to add Song Jizu to the Song family tree.
"Hey, what do you think the old Song was thinking? Not only did he rank his biological son as the second son, but he also sent him to conscription. At that time, Jiang should have sent back a lot of money, which was enough to buy a night watchman for Erxiao."
The black-faced woman glanced in the direction of Songjia Village.
The five tiled houses of the old Song family stood at the entrance of the village, which was particularly eye-catching.
His family was very poor before, just like most families in the village.
Since Jiang went out to be a wet nurse, the Song old man's family suddenly became excited. Not only did they build a big tiled house, but Mrs. Zhao and her husband were also dressed in fancy clothes. They went out to the market and visit relatives. They were more generous than the wives of rich people.
Many old women in the village tried to get close to Mrs. Zhao, and wanted her to introduce a wet nurse to their daughters-in-law who had just given birth.
The square-faced woman sneered: "The old woman has a black heart. As soon as Song Erlang left, she urged the old man Song to build five big tiled houses at the entrance of the village.
As soon as they were built, she hurriedly took her children to live in, leaving Chang'an and her uncle and aunt in the dilapidated old house."
Who doesn't understand the old woman's evil thoughts? Isn't it because she is afraid that Song Erlang will take half of the family property at home?
Although the clan doesn't care about his family affairs, the clan leader and the elders will not watch the old man Song divide the Song family's property with foreign bastards!
"Hasn't his family been divided yet? Why did they leave Song Sanshun and his wife alone in the old house?" The black-faced woman dug up a few shepherd's purses and asked curiously.
The square-faced woman: "The old woman wants to divide it, but how can the clan let her do whatever she wants?"
When Zhao moved to the new house, the clan leader went to ask in person, but the old woman swore to heaven and earth that it was not a division of the family.
She also said that because there was not enough room at home and the old girl was going to get married, it was not good for her to live with her uncle and aunt, so she moved to the new house temporarily, and when Song Erxiao came back, she would redistribute the house.
But anyone with a discerning eye knew that it was still unclear whether Song Erxiao could come back.
It is difficult for an honest official to judge family affairs. The old woman insisted that it was not a division of the family. The clan leader had no choice but to make a harsh statement, asking Old Man Song to leave two new houses, one for Song Erxiao and one for Song Sanshun, otherwise he would write a letter to inform Erxiao's wife Jiang, after all, she paid for the house.
Old man Song agreed verbally, but he still let his son Song Sanshun and his wife live in the old house, just eating together every day.
Of course, the work of the new house was also undertaken by Sanshun's wife Wu.
Like fetching water, washing clothes and cooking, all fell on Sanshun's wife, and Sanshun also did the work in the fields.
On the other hand, Mrs. Zhao's family was really like a young master and a young lady, everyone was very leisurely, and didn't have to do anything.
"Oh, the old hag is so calculating. In a few years, when her grandson gets married, won't he occupy those two rooms?"
The black-faced woman shook her head and sighed: "Jiang is so careless. She worked so hard to save money, but ended up giving it away to outsiders. Her own children were left with nothing to eat and nothing to wear.
Alas, why does she trust the old hag so much? She hasn't come back to see him for three years. Doesn't she miss her children at all?"
The square-faced woman said: "I heard that Jiang followed the master's family to the capital two years ago, which is hundreds of miles away from here. It is said that the master of the master's family can't live without her, so he has never come back."
What if she comes back? Unless she takes her daughter away, the child will have to stay in Old Man Song's house and suffer?
Fortunately, Sanshun's wife is kind and righteous. She has always loved Chang'an as her own daughter and left all the delicious food to Chang'an, otherwise the child would have died many times.
The two women sighed for a while and looked in the direction of the Song family again.
The Song family must have cut meat and poured wine to entertain the guests today. They might even send Changan and Sanshun's wife away from the guests.
Sanshun's wife is also a fool. She just lets her mother-in-law control her and doesn't know how to resist.
(End of this chapter)