Chapter 2 It’s better to rely on yourself than on others

Xiaotao stood dazed by the doorframe, wiping her tears and snot.

Wei Shuyi saw her like this and asked, "What happened, Xiaotao?"

Xiaotao sobbed, "I just went to get some charcoal, but they chased me out. They didn't get any, and they beat me."

Wei Shuyi: "So Xiaodie is getting it for you now, right?"

Xiaotao nodded.

Wei Shuyi sighed and waved to Xiaotao. Xiaotao ran over, shaking her head. Wei Shuyi wiped her tears and asked softly, "Where did they hit you?"

Xiaotao scratched her back with her backhand.

Wei Shuyi asked her to turn around, lifted her clothes, and examined her. Sure enough, he saw two pink marks on her skinny back.

Minglan, standing nearby, also saw that it must have been from a stick or something, and she clenched her fist. Wei Shuyi blew on Xiaotao's back, then gently rubbed it a few times, saying, "Blow it, rub it, and the pain will go away. It's okay."

Minglan sighed inwardly, having forgotten that Lin Qinshuang was the head of the household and was currently performing a ritual on Wei Xiaoniang.

It was because she had gone to her father to argue for charcoal, hoping to expose Lin Qinshuang's misdeeds of withholding funds, that Lin Qinshuang had turned against them. Not only had she set a trap that left them in utter agony, but she had also driven Xiaodie out of the house and ultimately cost her mother two lives.

When she was young, she had blamed everything on herself, believing it was her own impulsiveness that had caused the trouble. But later, she gradually realized that the blame lay with her unkind father.

The Wang family had sent Wei Shuyi to the Sheng Mansion to help Madam Wang and share Lin Xiaoniang's favor. Wei Xiaoniang was a beautiful woman, and her family had once been a scholarly family. She exuded an air of elegance that was exactly what Sheng Hong wanted. Not only did she enter the Sheng residence, but he also fell deeply in love with her. Unfortunately, Madam Wang was a naive woman. Seeing Sheng Hong repeatedly visit Wei Xiaoniang's room, she became displeased and found lame excuses to publicly punish her several times. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she had given birth to a girl.

Wei Xiaoniang knew she was being used as a pawn by the Wang family, but seeing Madam Wang's behavior, she knew she was not capable of achieving anything. After being secretly framed by Lin Qinshuang several times, she gradually distanced herself from Sheng Hong, wanting only to protect her child and the people in her room, and simply to survive in the Sheng residence. Sheng Hong, seeing her always indifferent attitude towards him, assumed it was simply a change in temperament due to her first pregnancy. Coupled with Lin Qinshuang's persistent seduction, she returned to her usual self.

Unexpectedly, seven years later, Sheng Hong, while drunk, got Wei Xiaoniang pregnant again.

Now, Madam Wang and Lin Qinshuang were both furious, taking turns to trip Wei Xiaoniang up, one openly, the other covertly, causing her to suffer. Wei Shuyi, exhausted and mentally strained by the double-edged attack, even experienced her period. To protect herself, she kept her distance from Sheng Hong.

Although Sheng Hong admired Wei Xiaoniang's beauty, he also disliked her prim and distant demeanor. After that night, he never stayed with her again. Lin Qinshuang, fearing further neglect from Sheng Hong, somehow learned some brothel-smoking skills, captivating him to the point of being rocked in bed day and night, seemingly ready to give birth to another Sheng Ba Zi.

Fortunately, at this critical juncture, the Earl of Zhongqin's residence arrived with a proposal!

Sheng Hong, realizing that marrying his eldest daughter would solidify his career upon returning to Beijing, was so overjoyed that he forgot all about Lin Qinshuang and focused solely on negotiating and securing the marriage. He spent the entire fortnight in Madam Wang's room.

But seeing Lin Qinshuang weeping daily, he felt guilty and, using Hualan's marriage and Madam Sheng's illness as excuses, shifted the reins of the household from Madam Wang to Lin Qinshuang. This not only made Madam Wang a laughingstock, but also gave Lin Qinshuang the opportunity to punish Wei Xiaoniang. Sheng Hong knew, of course, that Lin Qinshuang wouldn't treat Wei Xiaoniang kindly, but he didn't mind. He was even a little pleased, because it showed his Shuang'er cared deeply for him. As long as they didn't get out of hand and didn't delay their marriage to the Earl of Zhongqin, Wei Xiaoniang's suffering was nothing to worry about.

Lin Qinshuang was well aware of this, so at first, she only skimped on daily expenses.

To keep Wei Xiaoniang safe, she endured Lin Qinshuang's various harassments. But Lin Qinshuang, realizing she was being cautious, intensified her demands, cutting her monthly salary in half or even completely omitting it. Her food rations were intermittent, and now she'd even gone so far as to deny her the charcoal needed for winter heating for several days in a row. Thinking of this, Minglan sighed and said, "Xiaotao, don't argue with those people anymore. Run away if you see something wrong. If we can't get charcoal, we can't get it. Let's wear more clothes and sleep together at night, so it won't be so cold."

Xiaotao nodded, seeming to understand. Wei Shuyi looked at Minglan in surprise—this girl had always been competitive, so why had she suddenly changed her ways today?

Minglan looked at Wei Shuyi calmly and said, "Mother, what's most important is that we're together as a family. Surviving well is what's most important. Food, clothing, and other expenses don't matter."

Wei Shuyi's eyes instantly filled with tears. In delight, he hugged Minglan, repeatedly exclaiming, "My Minglan has grown up! My Minglan has grown up!"

Minglan gently stroked Wei Shuyi's back and said, "Mother, I was ignorant before. I didn't understand your good intentions. I made you worry so much even when you were pregnant with my brother. I was unfilial! I won't be that way again." Willful, I'll listen to Mother."

After a moment of affection, Wei Shuyi suddenly asked, "Why did Ming'er think Mother was pregnant with a boy?"

Minglan: "I had a long dream. It was in my dream."

Wei Shuyi smiled and scratched Minglan's nose. "Dreams don't count. Don't ever mention this in front of anyone else. Whether it's a boy or a girl, it's Mother's baby."

She didn't know the gender of her baby; even doctors couldn't tell, so how could she know?

Although folk legends said there were miraculous doctors who could determine the gender of a fetus, she had never encountered one. If she rashly let others know she was pregnant with a boy, it would likely bring disaster.

Minglan, thinking of this, said to Wei Shuyi seriously, "Don't worry, Mother, it was all a dream. I won't say a word to anyone." She turned to Xiaotao, "Xiaotao won't say a word to anyone either."

Xiaotao's eyes widened and she nodded solemnly. Wei Shuyi felt her daughter had truly grown up, suddenly understanding so much overnight, which filled her with immense joy.

But then she realized that perhaps it was because she had endured so much with him that she had attained enlightenment so early, and she felt a pang of sadness.

Just as she was feeling a mixture of emotions, Xiaodie arrived with a basin of charcoal.

Minglan glanced at the contents and shook her head, saying, "Sister Xiaodie, don't light it! This is charcoal for the stove fire. The ash is so thick it'll choke my mother."

Xiaodie was puzzled, "No way! Aren't they all charcoal?"

Minglan patiently replied, "The charcoal used in the stove is black. House charcoal is refined from the stove charcoal, so it's lighter and harder. It has a layer of silvery-white ash on the surface. Do you see a hint of white ash in your hand?"

Xiaodie examined it carefully and, as expected, discovered the problem. Her face was covered in charcoal black, and her expression darkened even further. She cursed, "No wonder I was saying it was so much darker than the charcoal I used to hold." They've sunk so much, and I thought they had a change of heart and gave us good charcoal! That bastard is so ruthless! Young lady, let's tell the master! They've really gone too far!"

Before Wei Shuyi could speak, Minglan spoke first, "It's charcoal, use it. Since we can't burn it indoors, just use it to boil water and fill the hot water bottle. Why yell at us so loudly and make a fool of ourselves? Father is an official, a judge. Lin Qinshuang has been humiliating us for so long, and he certainly can't hide it from you. But has he ever come to see us? Has he ever asked about it? Don't even think about arguing. It's useless. Instead of asking others, it's better to ask for help from yourself."