A Good Country Wife

"Well, your father’s word is law, and even mother doesn’t dare to disobey. I’m just worried about you; looking at your father, he doesn’t seem the faithful type. With so many wives and concubines, a woman’s prime years are but a few, and once you age and lose your beauty, what man will still cherish you? You have to think for yourself and getting a son out of the way early is the priority."

The Wei Family had previously given Mrs. Wei a good reason to be disgraced. She was still feeling uncomfortable and was wondering if it had been the right decision to send her daughter to become a concubine in the Wei Residence. Still, had it not been for the marriage to Old Master Wei, how could her daughter live such a luxurious life adorned with gold and silver? It was only because her daughter had not yet produced a son that she held no status in front of Old Master Wei. Once there was a son, everything would be better.

"Mother, how could I not know what you’re saying? But I’ve tried so many remedies and medications to conceive, and none of them has worked. What else can I do?" Zhao Lingxiang said with a hint of distress on her face. She stopped the conversation when she saw someone coming toward the kitchen, sat down gracefully, and adjusted the golden hairpin on her head, presenting the image of a proper, well-to-do lady.

"Mother, I’ve asked again, and Erhu still says he can’t come. I think we might as well forget it. Since they don’t want to come, why should we honor them so? It’s like we’re begging them," Jin Family said, coming over from Erhu’s house with a stomach full of fire. That family was really too ungrateful. When she had visited, they had made her stand outside the door without even the courtesy of an invitation to come in for tea. Truly, they had no sense of manners.

"Mother, father rarely comes back, and he just wants to have a family meal. It wouldn’t be right without Erhu and his family. I think Erhu is becoming estranged from us. Why don’t you go and invite them yourself?" Zhao Lingxiang spoke sweetly in front of the Jin Family, but Mrs. Wei understood the underlying message: Old Master Wei was probably back because of Erhu. If they couldn’t manage this small task, Zhao Lingxiang wouldn’t look good in front of Old Master Wei.

Mrs. Wei was usually one to show off, and now that her wealthy son-in-law had come, she was eager to flaunt their status in front of the village. She was reluctant to lower herself to personally invite Erhu’s family for dinner. If Erhu didn’t come, her son-in-law might be displeased with her daughter. Considering Zhao Dahuo and his wife had good relations with Erhu’s family, she called Mrs. Liu, Dahuo’s wife, and asked her to invite them.