The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 399: Can’t Survive Anymore

Chapter 399: Chapter 399: Can’t Survive Anymore

She said she couldn’t bear the load, hoping her nephew and niece would help, but those who usually ran about quickly as if they were flying, all suddenly seemed to have changed faces. None were willing to help, either citing other matters or showing impatience.

Her sister-in-law even scolded her, accusing her of acting like a delicate lady of a wealthy household. Weren’t they all rural maids, unable to carry ten pounds of grain? She might as well stop eating altogether, for what use was there in keeping such useless beings alive?

Having no other choice, Song Chunhua carried the ten pounds of grain home, clueless about what to do. She swallowed her pride and asked a neighbor for help, managing to exchange it for five pounds of coarse rice.

She noticed that the firewood at home was also running low, which had never been an issue before; the house had always had a full supply stacked up.

Song Chunhua went back to ask her brother and nephews for some firewood, but her sister-in-law cursed her and turned her away.

She berated her for always coming back to her parental home as a married aunt, asking for this and that, shamelessly. Just because she helped pay off some gambling debts, did she have to be so troublesome? She had asked for rice the day before yesterday, firewood today, and would she be asking for their very lives tomorrow?

Her sister-in-law told Song Chunhua to have some dignity. If she could endure, then endure; if she could save, then save. Her brother and nephews had their own families to take care of and couldn’t manage to look after a married aunt.

She shouldn’t return to her parental home frequently to invite disdain.

Song Chunhua, who never knew how to retort, was scolded by her sister-in-law until her face turned purple. Covering her face, she cried all the way back home.

Lacking the strength to gather firewood, she made do by cooking a pot of porridge every day, scraping by from morning till night.

Although she often had headaches and fevers previously, and couldn’t get out of bed, subsisting on one meal of porridge a day, she surprisingly did not fall ill.

Nasty rumors began to circulate outside, accusing her of faking her sickness, saying she was even crueler than a stepmother! By pretending to be ill, she made her young son hunt to support the family, and now that her own son had been sold, her health miraculously improved with three meals of thin rice soup.

Song Chunhua felt wronged but didn’t know where to begin to explain herself.

These past few days, she had finished the last of the coarse rice she had been cooking into porridge. Desperate, she could only go to the Song Family to ask for help, hoping to get back some silver to buy rice or something, wouldn’t that be good?

When she arrived and opened her mouth to speak, her own father slapped her, cursing her as heartless, unfilial, and a thankless creature.

She wanted to take back the silver that belonged to the family? Didn’t she know it had all been spent to pay off gambling debts? Was she trying to drive her parents or her brother to their deaths?

When Song Chunhua cried that she couldn’t go on with life, Old Mother Song scolded her for being foolish. If she couldn’t survive, she should seek her own son, for it wasn’t as though she didn’t have one.

Song Chunhua explained that she had already written a Letter of Severance and had no face to seek him out.

Old Mother Song then angrily pinched her, cursing while pinching, saying that the flesh that fell from her own body, even if sold, was still a mother. If Song Chongjin dared not to take care of her, she would go to the Yamen and cry injustice.

She also mentioned that giving her ten pounds of grain last time was already the pinnacle of kindness; where was it heard that a married daughter still needed the care of her father, mother, or brother and sister-in-law? It was a complete joke.

Old Mother Song told Song Chunhua to leave, either to go home to die or to go find Song Chongjin.

Song Chunhua returned home dejectedly, covered in bruises, and cried on her bed for a whole day and night.

It was then that she understood the parental home she thought she could rely on was utterly unreliable when it truly mattered.

It was already too late now, and she had no face to seek out Song Chongjin.

Yet at this moment, hearing the sound of firecrackers outside, plus the scenes described by those women, her heart couldn’t help but stir again.

Song Chunhua gritted her teeth, and from somewhere, she summoned a new burst of strength to rise from her bed and head towards the Wang Family.

Several women in the courtyard saw her and, knowing she was headed to the Wang Family, followed behind to watch the excitement.

Song Chunhua could hear the commotion of the Wang Family’s celebration from afar and smell the aroma of food and wine.

As she looked, she saw the banquet laid out even outside the courtyard, with the scent of meat enticingly wafting into her nostrils.

Song Chunhua, hungry and anxious, hurried her steps towards the Wang Family Courtyard.

People noticed her from a distance; those helping out attempted to stop her—it was a day of great joy for the family, and what else could Song Chunhua be there for but to cause trouble?

They tried to persuade her to leave, but Song Chunhua would not budge, her hunger so intense that even the helpers could hear her stomach growling.

Taking her aside, they served her some food, and as she ate, they tried to reason with her, "Chunhua, no offense, but you really shouldn’t have come today! You’ve had your meal, so better head back soon! If you go inside, what impression would that make? Many respectable guests have come today. If you show up, you’ll embarrass the Wang Family, and Chongjin’s life will be harder, won’t it? After all, you gave birth to him and he even sold himself to provide for you. Can’t you leave him this little bit of dignity? Right?"

Song Chunhua only paid attention to the mention of many respectable guests and felt a stirring in her heart.

After gulping down the food with big mouthfuls, how delicious it was, Song Chunhua hadn’t tasted such savory dishes in a long time.

Only after two bowls of rice did she finally feel full.

Wiping her mouth, she said, "Sister-in-law, after all, I’m his birth mother. I’m not here to create a scene. As you said, I did give birth to him; now that he’s getting engaged, can’t I, his mother, come and have a look?"

The helping women grew frustrated, "Chunhua, don’t go too far! You signed the Disownment Document, and you took the silver. What, now you want to go back on your word? We gave you two bowls of rice out of respect for the fact that you gave birth to him, and that’s already very kind! Eat up and leave. If you do, we all save face, and everyone’s happy. Surely you don’t want to stir trouble on such an auspicious day?"

At this moment, Song Chunhua had only one thought: she couldn’t go on living like this. The Song Family was no longer an option; she didn’t want to die. She had to survive! And that meant finding Song Chongjin. She could apologize to Song Chongjin, admit she was wrong, ask for his forgiveness. She wouldn’t demand anything else, just to return to how things were before, and she would never say another word.

Fueled by the meal, she felt invigorated. Spotting an opportunity, Chunhua slipped into the courtyard.

Just at that moment, Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu were coming out to thank the Lizheng’s table and Shopkeeper Wu’s table for their hospitality.

Song Chunhua eyed the deep red garments of Wang Yongzhu and the two shimmering gold hairpins on her head. Having once been in the company of a Noble Patron, she had seen a bit of the world and knew the value of those hairpins.

Looking at her son, whom she hadn’t seen in some time—he was in a fine robe, his demeanor filled with subdued joy—she could hardly recognize him.

Most people in the courtyard knew Song Chunhua, and as soon as she barged in, the whole place fell silent.

Although Shopkeeper Wu’s table didn’t know her, they sensed the strange atmosphere and set down their wine cups to look over.

Old Granny Zhang was busy in the kitchen when Jinguan suddenly rushed in, exclaiming, "Granny, it’s bad! The cruel birth mother of our master is here!"

Immediately, a frown creased her brow. How dare that wretched Song Chunhua show up today? If she disrupted her daughter’s big day, she would have to take that wretch’s life!

Grabbing a kitchen knife, she charged out.

No sooner had she left the kitchen than she saw Song Chongjin looking impassively at Song Chunhua, as if at a stranger: "What are you doing here?"