Walking home, Zhenniang made up her mind—she couldn’t let the Tian family do whatever they wanted. If they wanted to break off the engagement, fine. If they wanted the betrothal gifts returned, that was acceptable too, but they needed to give her time. They couldn’t use the return of betrothal gifts as an excuse to demand her death. However, this kind of situation depended on whether her parents could withstand the pressure.
Lost in these thoughts, Li Zhenniang entered her home.
“Dalang, you still have time before work. Come help me fertilize and prepare the mulberry field first. We’ll be getting silkworms soon, and if the mulberry trees aren’t well-tended, the silkworms won’t survive,” Madam Zhao called to Li Dalang, who was crouching by the door drinking corn porridge. Dalang worked as a laborer at the oil mill, doing hard physical work.
The mulberry field was the Li family’s only piece of hillside land. Their three annual silk harvests depended entirely on this field—though of course, Madam Zhao never hesitated to steal mulberry leaves from others’ fields as well.
“Mm,” Li Dalang nodded, standing to swallow his last mouthful of porridge.
“Mother-in-law, I need to discuss something with you,” Madam Du, who was combing her hair by the door, blinked and approached Madam Zhao in a fawning manner.
“What is it? Just say it, don’t act strange,” Madam Zhao watched Madam Du warily, knowing from experience that she must want something.
“The owner wants to sell the oil mill where Dalang works. My brothers all work there too, and they’re thinking of buying it. Dalang and I want to contribute a share, so I was hoping to borrow some money from you,” Madam Du said.
Madam Zhao’s eyes immediately widened—asking for money was like asking for her life. She gritted her teeth and coldly regarded Madam Du: “Can’t you see how poor we are already?”
“I was thinking about Second Miss’s betrothal gifts from the Tian family. Since the wedding won’t be for another two years, we could borrow from that temporarily,” Madam Du smiled.
“Pah! Get that idea out of your head! You know what your husband is like, and what your brothers are like. Never mind that those betrothal gifts have already been used to pay debts—even if we had them, I wouldn’t invest in this scheme. It would be like throwing meat buns to a dog—gone forever!” Madam Zhao snapped.
“Mother-in-law, how can you say that? My brothers agreed to let us invest precisely because they see how difficult our life is. They mean well,” Madam Du said, looking hurt.
“Enough! We don’t need that kind of goodwill,” Madam Zhao waved her hand, wearing an expression that brooked no further discussion.
Zhenniang had heard all this upon entering and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Though she’d decided not to let the Tian family have their way, she wasn’t sure how things would develop. They needed to prepare the betrothal gifts. She’d been worrying about this the whole way home, wondering how much was left, only to find her sister-in-law already eyeing what remained.
“Mother, how much of the betrothal gifts are left?” Zhenniang asked her mother as she placed the copper kettle in a straw-woven insulated bucket and handed the sleeping Xiaoguan back to Madam Du.
“What? Are you after the betrothal gifts too? Have you no shame?” Madam Zhao was scolding everyone she saw now, never having a peaceful moment.
“When my life is at stake, what’s there to be ashamed of?” Li Zhenniang replied coldly.
Hearing her second daughter’s words, Madam Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Li Zhenniang told her about Tian Benchang falling off the cliff at Huangshan, then added, “I heard the Tian family has announced that if we don’t return the betrothal gifts, they’ll make me join him in death. It’s up to you what to do.”
This news stunned everyone in the room.
“Is this true?” Madam Zhao asked with wide eyes.
“There’s no smoke without fire. We can verify it by asking at the Tian residence,” Li Zhenniang replied.
Seeing Zhenniang’s expression, Madam Zhao feared it was likely true, but still feeling uncertain, she sent Li Dalang to inquire about the Tian family. He returned shortly with a troubled face: “Mother, it’s true.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao’s face changed dramatically. As everyone had guessed, Li Jingfu had already gambled away all the betrothal gifts. Even the last bracelet she had hidden away had been found by Li Jingfu and lost at the gambling house last night.
Realizing her daughter’s life was now at risk, she suddenly turned and rushed into the room, pouncing on the still-lying Li Jingfu, beating and kicking him: “You worthless wretch! I’ll fight you to the death!”
“What’s going on? What’s going on? Have you gone mad, woman?” Li Jingfu, suddenly awakened by Madam Zhao’s attack, grew angry and forcefully pushed her off the bed.
“It’s all because of you, you good-for-nothing! All you do is gamble, gamble, gamble! Now you’ve lost all of Zhenniang’s betrothal gifts. Tian Benchang is dead, and the Tian family wants to break the engagement and have the gifts returned. If we don’t return them, they’ll make Zhenniang join him in death. You give me back my daughter’s life!” Madam Zhao jumped back on the bed, kicking and biting Li Jingfu.
Li Jingfu defended himself against Madam Zhao’s assault while trying to understand what had happened. When he finally grasped the situation, he grew defiant: “Bah! The engagement was mutual! If Tian Benchang was unlucky and couldn’t enjoy the blessing of having our daughter, that’s his fate. If they want to break the engagement, fine, but there’s no way they’re getting the betrothal gifts back. We didn’t ask to break it off!”
“Hah! What use is your tough talk now? Can you make the Tian family agree? If they use force, what will happen to Zhenniang? You worthless man, I’ll teach you to gamble!” Madam Zhao pounced on him again. Though she was a woman, she understood the Tian family wouldn’t let this matter rest.
“It’s all your fault, woman! I said long ago to forget about this marriage. The Tian family looked down on us, but you insisted on pursuing them. Now look what’s happened—it’s all because of you!” Li Jingfu, annoyed by Madam Zhao’s beating, shouted back.
“Blame me? I did it all for Zhenniang’s sake! Marrying well means having food to eat and clothes to wear. Did you want Zhenniang to live the same kind of life as me? Besides, you’re the one who gambled us into debt. If I didn’t find ways to get money, how could we survive?” Madam Zhao cried and cursed. Then her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
“Quickly, quickly! Dalang, go get the doctor!” Seeing Madam Zhao’s condition, Li Jingfu panicked and hurriedly sent for the physician.
Zhenniang quickly poured a cup of hot water, while little Xiaoguan in her sister-in-law’s arms, awakened by the commotion, began crying loudly. The scene descended into complete chaos.
This was truly how poverty drove people mad.
Soon the doctor arrived and said it was just anger affecting her heart—she needed good rest.
“Dalang, go bring your grandparents back. Tell them the family is falling apart and we need them to take charge,” Madam Zhao’s first words upon waking were to her eldest son, deliberately ignoring Li Jingfu. Li Jingfu darkened his face and said, “Absolutely not.”
“Why not? If you can produce the betrothal gifts, if you can go settle things with the Tian family right now, then I won’t say this. Otherwise, don’t stop me,” Madam Zhao said coldly.
“I’m thinking of you! You and my mother don’t get along—I’m worried she’ll make things difficult for you. Besides, where would they stay?” Li Jingfu tried to placate his wife.
“Pah! Don’t try that with me! Yes, your mother and I don’t get along, but that’s because the men in this family are useless! All these years, your mother has been badmouthing me everywhere, everyone says I can’t live with my in-laws. Do you know how many people point fingers at me? Look into your own heart—was it really because of me that Father refused to live with us? Wasn’t it because of you, you wastrel? He was afraid you’d squander his last bit of funeral savings. Today we’ll use this chance to bring your parents back. I can’t hold this family together anymore. As for where to live, there’s still the woodshed in the back. Clean it up and Zhenniang and I will live there. Your parents can take our room with Xi’er, and you can go wherever you please!” Madam Zhao seemed utterly dispirited.
Li Jingfu was left speechless by his wife’s words. He turned to the still-stunned Li Dalang and shouted, “Didn’t you hear your mother? Go quickly!”
Li Dalang responded and hurried out.
Madam Du muttered to herself, clearly unhappy—one mother-in-law was already hard enough to deal with, and now there would be another. But she couldn’t stop it, so she could only take Xiaoguan back to her room.
Seeing Madam Zhao’s dark expression, Li Jingfu couldn’t bear to stay in the room. He shrugged and made to leave.
“Where are you going now?” Madam Zhao glared at him.
“Didn’t you tell me to go wherever I please?” Li Jingfu muttered, turning to leave.
“How did I end up married to such a man?” Madam Zhao cursed again but could do nothing about her husband. She turned to see her daughter looking at her thoughtfully.
“What are you looking at?” Madam Zhao snapped.
“Mother, aren’t you afraid Grandmother will make life difficult for you when she moves in?” Li Zhenniang probed. She’d often heard her mother curse her grandmother.
“This is all for your sake!” Madam Zhao glared.
“Thank you, Mother,” Li Zhenniang smiled and cupped her hands, though internally she thought that if her mother hadn’t forced the marriage in the first place, none of this would have happened. Still, at least Madam Zhao hadn’t abandoned her for money’s sake, and Zhenniang felt unexpectedly closer to her mother.
“You poor child, you must have been born under an unlucky star. How could a perfectly healthy person just fall off a cliff?” Madam Zhao sighed, shaking her head. Such a wealthy merchant family as the Tians—opportunities like that were rare. She had worked so hard to secure it.
Li Zhenniang giggled and dodged away: “Mother, marrying into a family like the Tians might not have brought happiness anyway.”