Chapter 286: Scrounging
"What’s most important for a girl? Her reputation! If a girl stays quiet and keeps to her home, embroidering and sewing every day without stepping outside, such a daughter will be liked by her future in-laws and men, and will have good suitors coming to propose marriage."
"Your mother indulged you in the past, and you couldn’t do anything at home, never sewed a stitch and only knew how to play all day; she still put you in charge of the family’s silver coin—what kind of behavior is that?"
"Little sister, you’re not young anymore. Which girl your age doesn’t have a household of her own? But look at you, finally settling a marriage, only to have it cancelled! You already had an unfavorable reputation; with this fuss, if you don’t restrain yourself, how will you marry in the future?"
"Right now, the most important thing for you is to get married. What kind of image is it for a grown woman to remain unmarried at home? Matters of managing the household, business, silver coins—that’s none of your concern, just leave it to Father and your brothers to handle. If Father and your brothers are doing well, then you’ll have support when you marry, won’t you?"
"Listen to your elder sister: for the next half year, don’t go out. Learn some needlework, cooking, laundry, and take care of a few nephews at home. These are the proper matters for a girl to handle. By then, once your reputation improves a bit, your big sister guarantees to find you a good family! When the time comes, Father will also provide you with a generous dowry. If you marry into a family and respect your in-laws, treat your sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law well, and have a few children, then you’ll be firmly established, and life will be smooth." Wang Yongzhen felt she had worried herself sick over her natal family and this sister.
Wang Yongzhu touched her chin and sneered, "I had no idea that elder sister spent her days worrying so much for our natal family. Since elder sister cares so much, why didn’t you step up and think of the family when you made Father so angry he suffered a stroke and spat blood? Instead, you just left? Leaving behind a mess for Mother and Jinhoo, a child barely grown up?"
"When the Wang Family was about to fall apart and had nothing to eat, you elder siblings each had your own difficulties and expected me, the younger sister, to manage everything. Now that the family’s days are better, you find me, the younger sister, too meddlesome?"
"Mother indulged me, and her indulgence helped me support the entire Wang Family! If Mother had taught me what elder sister is saying, when disaster struck our family, why would I recklessly strive to save people and earn money? I should have just stayed home, cried, and made noise! Oh, right, I could have taken the opportunity to find a family to marry into. Once married, I’m like water poured out, I wouldn’t have to care about the natal family anymore! Isn’t that what elder sister did? Isn’t it, elder sister?"
Wang Yongzhen was ashamed, angry, and in a panic. This maid, with her remarks, was just like their mother, her words sharp as a knife without mercy.