Chapter 16: Regret_1

Han Juniang stood for a long time, looking at the bustling Jiang Family home, her heart filled with jealousy and resentment.

Why weren't the twin boys hers? Why did the newcomer have such good luck, adopting a girl and even having it bring him twin boys?

How was she worse than that woman who had been sterile for ten years?

The more Han Juniang thought about it, the more upset she became, the more indignant she felt, almost shedding tears on the spot.

People passing by whispered amongst themselves, and some even called out loud, "Isn't this Chen Second Auntie? Are you here to give congratulations, why don't you go in?"

The Han Family stiffened, stuttered: "I-I'm just passing by." After saying that, she turned and left.

Walking quickly away, as if a ghost were chasing her from behind.

Halfway, she encountered several village women, talking about Jiang Family's gossip.

"Today, I finally saw Jiang's twins, oh my, they're so handsome. Fair and chubby, their small arms are like lotus roots."

"Indeed, the woman can finally hold her head high. Didn't conceive for ten years, didn't expect to conceive twins when she finally did. And they're both sons, wow."

"That's why you really can't judge a book by its cover, the old clam can also produce pearls. Those who said Jiang would have no descendants will have to bite their tongues now."

"Exactly."

"Hey, it's also Jiang's good luck to adopt a fairy child. If it weren't for Yingbao, would she have been able to conceive? Hmph!"

"Well, that's not necessarily true."

"How is it not? Even the Divine Witch Song said that Yingbao is a lucky doll. Whoever adopted her would be blessed."

"Really, did old lady Song really say that?"

"Indeed, she even said that the day Jiang adopted Yingbao, there was a divine light shining upon his house."

"Really? Did you witness it?"

"I didn't see it myself, but is not the deer that follows Yingbao around all day evidence enough? In our area, which other child can command such a big deer?"

"Oh my, now that you mention it, Yingbao really does seem like a fairy child. So fair and pretty, just like a painting, not like the children in our village.

They say she could speak before she was one, even recognize some characters now. Who in our village has a girl who can do that?"

"Indeed."

"Oh, I wonder who Yingbao's biological parents are. To abandon such a gifted child, I wonder if they'll regret it later."

"They'll definitely regret it. They'd be green with envy."

"Regret is useless now!"

"True."

A woman lowered her voice: "Hey, do you think Yingbao could be from Chen Erlang's family in West Village?"

Another woman slapped her thigh, "Now that you mention it, the timing of Chen's wife giving birth and finding Yingbao does line up. Oh my, the Chen family have had three or four girls in a row, they really could have abandoned a child. Karma is really catching up to them…"

As they were enthusiastically chatting, they suddenly noticed someone standing not far away. It was Han from Chen Erlang in West Village, they quickly nudged each other, winked, and stopped talking.

After a moment of silence, a woman said: "I'm off, I still need to go to Jiang's house for the One Month celebration. I can't chat with you anymore."

"You better hurry, my husband's already there, he's probably seated by now."

"I have to get back too, haven't cooked the meal at home yet."

The crowd dispersed, leaving Han alone from a distance.

This time, Han Juniang truly began to cry.

She hurried home, flopped onto her bed and sobbed for a long time.

Chen Changping entered the room and upon seeing his wife like this, couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

Wiping her tears, Han looked at her husband and said: "Erlang, can we take the child back?"

Chen Changping furrowed his brow, "What child?"

"Just... Just the one you abandoned." Han Family wiped her eyes.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Chen Changping's face reddened in an instant, he angrily said, "That child is already dead! Do you understand? Dead!" Having said that, he stormed off with a sweep of his sleeve.

Han Family was stunned for a while, her face growing paler and paler, her fingers clenching the front of her dress, grief swelling in her heart.

Actually, whether they had that child was not important at all, the main thing was she was unsure in her heart whether she could ever give birth to a son in the future.

What would happen if she could never give birth to a son?

Even though she had the support of her younger sister and brother-in-law in the county town, it was hard to ensure that her husband would not abandon her in the future.

If her husband did really leave her, what would she do? Where could she seek refuge?

Her parents had long passed away, she had no brothers in her maiden family, although her only younger sister could provide some help, she could not help her for the rest of her life, could she?

The more Han Juniang thought about it, the more frightened she was, and the more anxious she became.

At this moment, her seven-year-old daughter peeked her head in from behind the curtain, timidly saying, "Mom, Grandma wants you to go and fetch water, there is no water left in the pot at home."

Upon hearing this, Han Family was instantly infuriated. She jumped up, picked up a bamboo stick and began hitting her daughter on the head while yelling, "Worthless wretch! Now, even you are bossing around your mother! Can't you fetch the water yourself? What's the use of having you! What's the use of having you!"

The older daughter was crying out in pain, covering her head with her hands, but she didn't dare to dodge. Because she knew that the more she dodged, the more furiously her mother would beat her.

"What in the world are you doing?" The mother-in-law, Feng Family from Chen, rushed over, pointing at Han Family and shouting, "What, you even beat your child for just a water-fetching task, who are you trying to show your temper to? Who were you just cursing at now? Rebelling against you, huh?"

Han Family ignored her mother-in-law and continued to beat her daughter, "Worthless creature! Why don't you just die! I should just kill you."

"Second Son! Second Son! Where the hell have you died off to?"

Furious, Chen Feng Family stamped her feet. After shouting for her second son for a long time and seeing that he did not show up, she swore, "Shameless jerk! Daring to curse the mother-in-law behind her back now! Second Son! You unfilial son! Look at what you have spoiled your wife into!"

Seeing that her mother-in-law was genuinely angry and fearful of further enraging her husband, Han Family threw down her bamboo pole, hung her head, and moved towards the stove. She picked up two buckets and a carrying pole and left the house.

The moment Chen Feng Family saw that her daughter-in-law was giving in, she too stopped cursing, she turned her head to glance at her granddaughter who was huddled on the ground, sobbing miserably, and furrowed her brow, "Are you a fool? When your mom beats you, you don't know to run farther away? Utterly useless! Everyone is such a worry!"

She huffily rushed back to her room, only to see her old man leisurely playing with the purple clay teapot their eldest son brought back. Indignant, she said, "You sure know how to take it easy. Didn't you hear the ruckus outside?"

"The matters concerning our children and grandchildren should be left to them."

Old Chen Changping was completely unconcerned, "The more we interfere, the more complaints we'll receive."

"Easier said than done!" Chen Feng Family was still seething with anger. "Han Family beats the child every day until they're wailing, tarnishing our family's reputation. Hmph! She can't even give birth to a son but dares to be so domineering, nobody has a temper as bad as her."

"You deal with her." Old Chen Changping gave his wife a side glance, "The more you meddle, the more you'll worry. Be careful not to overdo it and harm your health. We're all old bones now, how many years can we live? Why bother worrying so much."

"I would rather not worry."

Chen Feng Family sat down with a huff by the kang bed, "But if she keeps acting like this, she will ruin Second Son's luck."

Old Chen Changping kept quiet, his heart full of dissatisfaction towards his second daughter-in-law.

Indeed, for the past few years, his second son had always been down on his luck, failing the county examination several times. He wasn't sure if it was because of his daughter-in-law's misfortune.

Not able to give birth to a male child was one thing, after all, his own Chen Family didn't lack grandsons, but this woman's temper was growing bigger and bigger, and her entire person was gloomy. It was as if someone owed her a thousand coins, was very ominous to look at.

The old couple both fell silent.

After a good while, Chen Feng Family softly asked, "Old man, do you think that child the Jiang Family from East Village picked up is Second Son's?"

Old Chen Changping gave his wife a sideway glance, "What does it matter whether it is or not?"

The child was already abandoned, it was just a girl, why would they even bring it up.

Chen Feng Family pondered for a while, then said in a hushed tone, "Haven't you heard? The whole village is spreading that Jiang Family's third son picked up a lucky child. They're even saying that she's the reincarnation of the Fairy Child under Guanyin."

"Don't listen to such nonsense." Old Chen Changping certainly did not believe this kind of rumor. "Where on earth is there a Fairy Child? It's just a young girl. If she was really that miraculous, his Jiang Family wouldn't be so poor."

"So what if they're poor?" Chen Feng Family shot a sideways glance at her husband, "That's because they were ruined by his daughter-in-law years ago. Any money they made was spent at the medicine shop."