C9 The Relationship Between the Bai Family

Before Mrs. Zhao could speak, Mrs. Chen jumped in, "How can this work, Mu Jin? You can't lift or carry anything. What can you do? We're all busy with a ton of things to do, and we don't have time to clean up after you."

Bai Yun discreetly rolled her eyes. Mrs. Chen was known in the village as the butcher's daughter, notorious for her fiery temper. Even before she got married, she was the type to argue with the men in the village, wielding a cleaver. She was a complete self-serving individual.

Bai Yun and her brother, Bai Lian, were part of the Third Branch. Their father was naturally timid and avoided conflict, which made Mrs. Zhao look down on them. They had always been low in the family hierarchy. A few years ago, their father went hunting in the mountains, slipped, and fell off a cliff. When they found his remains, wild animals had already ravaged them, leaving only a few bones.

Their mother was frail and had no voice in the household. After their father's death, she was bullied even more. The two children were also honest and straightforward. Whenever Bai Lian went out to farm or hunt, the other branches would order their mother and Bai Yun around. Eventually, their mother worked herself into illness and, two winters ago, fell into an icy river while doing laundry and drowned.

With no elders to protect them, all the dirty and hard work naturally fell on the Third Branch. Mrs. Chen, knowing Mrs. Zhao's disdain for them, would always boss them around, with her and her daughter, Bai Shao, supervising rather than doing any work themselves.

The Bai family was considered one of the wealthier households in the village, though they weren't originally from there. Their ancestors had saved some money from a small business and, during wartime, moved to this area. They took advantage of the situation when others couldn't harvest or afford food, buying up a lot of land at low prices.

In town, they were once just humble merchants, but here they transformed into local gentry, boosting the Bai family's confidence. They even hired someone to build a house modeled after those of city officials, establishing their roots in the village.

A few years ago, old Mr. Bai fell ill and became bedridden, leaving the household under the control of his wife, Mrs. Zhao. In her youth, Mrs. Zhao was known as a formidable woman in the surrounding villages. Mr. Bai never dared to take a concubine, and naturally, the younger generation followed her lead in all matters.

Mu Jin, the daughter of a scholar, had come to the area with her father for his exams. She encountered danger in the woods and was rescued by Bai Yun's older brother, Bai Lian. With no money to continue their journey, her father married her off to Bai Lian in exchange for some travel funds.

Although Mu Jin was reluctant, in those times, marriages were arranged by parents and matchmakers, leaving her no choice. Her hands, skilled in writing and embroidery, were now tasked with managing household chores in the Bai family.

Fortunately, Mu Jin was literate, and since the Bai family had transitioned from merchants to farmers, none of them could read. Mrs. Zhao was keen on nurturing an educated person in the family, so she held Mu Jin in higher regard. Despite occasional scoldings, Mrs. Zhao entrusted Mu Jin with bookkeeping and mending, treating her better than the other granddaughters.

Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Chen are essentially cut from the same cloth, which is why they can't stand each other. Their relationship is far from harmonious. Mrs. Chen usually struts around with an air of superiority, but in front of her mother-in-law, she has to be all respectful, which has left her harboring resentment for quite some time. On the other hand, Mrs. Zhao can't stand Mrs. Chen's overbearing nature and her habit of always trying to dominate conversations.

Now, as the person she favors, Hibiscus, is speaking with her, Mrs. Zhao is already displeased with what Hibiscus is saying. Yet, before she can voice her thoughts, Mrs. Chen starts making a fuss, which irritates Mrs. Zhao. "Isn't it better if this family doesn't stand up for you?"