Chapter 10: Anxious and Troubled

When Mr. and Mrs. Han Ping saw that Old Man Han had spoken, they reluctantly accepted the gift. Although Mrs. Li was thrilled and excited inside, she was still a bit worried and murmured softly, "Even with the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, Baofu won't know how to use them."

Seeing Mrs. Li like this, Han Ping gave her a displeased look, "Just hold onto the items for the child, there's no need for so much fussing."

Since Su Wenyue had given the writing materials, it was natural she had a plan in mind. When she heard Mrs. Li's grumbling, she didn't get upset. Su Wenyue understood Mrs. Li's worries—what parent doesn't plan for their children? It was only she, an incompetent mother, who had abandoned her own son and regretted it all her life. Her desire to live a good life with Han Yu was largely due to this reason; she always thought she could give birth to a sensible child once more and she was determined to make up for her past mistakes this lifetime, never to abandon him again.

"Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, when I was in the boudoir, my Father and Mother also hired a governess for me to learn to read and write. Although I didn't learn much, it's enough to give children a basic education. If Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law don't mind, I would like to volunteer to take on this task. Xiao Feng, Xiao Hua, and Xiao Cao can also join in and learn together."

Mr. and Mrs. Han Ping, hearing that Su Wenyue was willing to teach their son to read, were especially thrilled and happy, "Really? This is wonderful, Fourth younger sibling, I don't even know what to say. If Baofu can make something of himself in the future, it will all be thanks to you, Aunt. We'll make sure he takes good care of you!"

"What are you talking about, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law? We are family after all, and this is what I should do," she responded.

Not expecting that their own family could produce a scholar, it was with this thought at the beginning that Han Ping had resisted pressure and sent the Fourth child to a private school for a few years, but later on, they had no choice but to stop. Moved by the gesture, Old Man Han's face turned red with excitement, "That's excellent, Fourth Daughter-in-law, from now on you don't need to worry about anything at home, just set aside some time every day to educate Baofu. As the Third son and his wife said, if Baofu becomes successful, it'll all be thanks to you, Aunt. The whole old Han family will be grateful to you!"

"That goes without saying. As for the girls, there's no need for them to learn to read. After all, we are not so well-off that we can afford it. It's already difficult enough to provide for Baofu alone, our family really doesn't have the means for more."

Mrs. Han did think of asking Su Wenyue to teach a few girls some needle and thread skills. After all, although their skills were not bad, they only knew how to make clothes and mend things. How could they do something as skillful as embroidery? Not to mention in the Han household, even the village could hardly find a few who were skilled at embroidery. Otherwise, why would the embroideries sold at the Embroidery House be so expensive? It all relied on these fine crafts to make a living. Not to say, none could embroider as beautifully as Su Wenyue—it seemed she brought the very things to life, surpassing even the embroiderers at the Embroidery House. But since Su Wenyue had already agreed to teach Baofu, it was even harder for her to ask for additional favors.

Su Wenyue did have the ability, but did not volunteer to take on the task without being asked. Not everyone was as fortunate as she was, to be indulged by her Father and Mother, who had been willing to hire a governess for her. The village girls started helping with farm work as soon as they became sensible. She was not the Bodhisattva from the temple and couldn't take care of everything. She was willing to take care of Baofu because both Third child and his wife were sincere people, and Baofu was a well-behaved good boy.

When it came to the Third child Han Lin, the meeting gift seemed a bit thin, the red envelope light and fluttering. Su Wenyue did not expect there to be a banknote inside, as Han Lin had always been a bit flashy. His relationship with his brother Han Yu was the most indifferent, and with Mrs. Wang encouraging him, it was not hard to imagine he would not be overly generous towards Su Wenyue.

Without any change in her expression, Su Wenyue thanked them as usual. The third son and his wife did not yet have a child, so they saved on a gift for the child. Mrs. Wang watched as the boss and the Second Brother's families had received so many fine things from Su Wenyue, her eyes red with envy. It was just too bad she didn't have a child yet and couldn't partake in Su Wenyue's generosity. She was exceedingly frustrated.

The tea ceremony had been delayed and Mrs. Yang, very considerate, told Su Wenyue to go back to her room and rest. The New daughter-in-law had been busy for half a day and was surely tired. She should rest well and they would call her out for lunch at noon.

Su Wenyue had woken up early and been active all morning, sparring wits with Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Wang, which was indeed tiring. Without demur, she returned to her room. Passing by Han Yu, she did not even give him a glance, but went back to her room on her own.

Han Yu saw everything and felt bad. He had been impulsive and had said a few things he shouldn't have, which escalated to this point. Seeing Su Wenyue's attitude, she obviously didn't hold him in high regard, and now she seemed even colder towards him. Watching Su Wenyue walk away, Han Yu was torn about whether to follow her.

Seeing her eldest son standing there stupefied, Mrs. Yang felt a bit helpless about her dim-witted son and suggested, "Fourth brother, you don't need to do any work this morning. Spend some time at home with your wife. In the afternoon, take her to get familiar with the surroundings."

Mrs. Yang's arrangement was meant to bring the young couple closer. Considering the aggravation caused by the Eldest Daughter-in-law and the Third Daughter-in-law, the Fourth child had not only failed to support his wife, but had even sided with his sisters-in-law. The Fourth Daughter-in-law must have been holding a grudge. If they didn't clear things up soon, the relationship between the husband and wife could become even more strained. The Fourth child had always been so aloof. Now that he was married, why was he still behaving like that? How would that win over his wife's heart? None of her children made her worry-free.

Su Wenyue, knowing that Han Yu had followed her, didn't pay any attention, directly lying down on the bed in the room to rest as if he weren't there. It was Han Yu who couldn't hold back and spoke first.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked.

Without opening her eyes and without a word, Su Wenyue kept silent. After a long while, just as Han Yu was almost at the end of his patience, she finally spoke in a stiff tone devoid of emotion, "No, there's nothing to be angry about."

Still insisting she wasn't angry, but it was clear she was very upset, choosing to show a calm demeanor as a different way of expressing her anger. Su Wenyue, in this state, seemed strangely adorable to Han Yu and made him feel even more that he had truly gone too far. No matter the reason, he should have stood by his wife instead of making those reckless comments. It was normal for his wife to be upset.

"Lady Yue, I..." Han Yu began, wanting to explain something, but Su Wenyue interrupted him.

"I'm tired and would like to rest. Can we talk about this later?"

"I…" Han Yu wanted to continue but seeing Su Wenyue's weary face, he didn't have the heart to go on and carefully tucked in the corner of her blanket instead.

"Alright, you sleep well. I'll stay here with you, and when you wake up, we can have a good talk."