stingy landlady

Chapter 219 The Li Sisters (1)

Sun suppressed her curiosity and nodded in agreement:

"Don't worry, Guizhi! I won't even tell your fourth uncle! I'll just tell everyone that she caught a cold and needs someone to take care of her! I'll take my needle and thread with me and chat with her while I work."

"Keep her in a good mood, stop her from overthinking, and she'll recover faster if she doesn't feel pent up!"

"Alright! Fourth Aunt is very thoughtful! Let's do as Fourth Aunt says and try to comfort her! I'll go home to check on her and bring Jinxiu over with me so we can take care of Eldest Sister together!"

It was harvest season at Dazhu's house; the summer wheat harvest had begun. What made Dazhu even happier was that Aunt Lan was pregnant—already four months along! The pregnancy was stable. Dazhu was visiting Aunt Lan even more frequently!

Li was both happy and worried! She was happy that Lan's pregnancy might be a son, meaning Wang Dazhu and she would finally have an heir. But she was also worried about being an old woman who couldn't bear a son and was therefore not favored. Especially since Dazhu's exclusive favor towards Lan was something Li didn't want to see.

When Li's third sister came last time, she happened to run into Granny Jiang proposing marriage, and she didn't get to talk to Li alone and left empty-handed.

These past few days, she'd used the excuse of going to Li's village to cool off and visit her younger sister, which is why she came to Dazhu's house again. Li and her third sister spoke behind closed doors:

"Third sister! You said that before we took a concubine, I didn't think Dazhu was anything special! I was just thinking of finding a woman to give him a son so I could explain myself and avoid people gossiping behind my back that Dazhu and I were childless."

Third Sister! Don't laugh at me! This is the first time I've ever felt jealous since having four children! Every time Dazhu goes into Aunt Lan's room, my heart races like a cat's claws!

The third sister of the Li family tapped Li's head with her hand and said:

"You! You take Dazhu too seriously! There's no solution to this kind of thing! You just have to figure it out yourself! What man doesn't cheat!"

This is only one wife and one concubine! There are those who have taken in several concubines and mistresses, and the wife would drink several large jugs of jealousy just from that!

Fourth Sister, being too jealous will make you prone to enviousness. You need to learn to be more tolerant! Stop thinking about Dazhu's favoritism towards his concubine! You need to learn some art of balance!

You forgot what I told my fifth sister during the New Year? This man dotes on only one concubine, right? I'll find him one or two more! Let those concubines fight over his favor and hurt each other!

You, as the matriarch, can just sit back and wait for them to give birth to sons; then they'll all have to call you "Mother!"

Li scratched her head and said anxiously:

"Third Sister! My heart is breaking! I can't even handle one of these! If I find two more, how can I possibly survive?! I... sigh!"

Looking at the disappointing Li Shi, the third sister of the Li family said earnestly:

"Fourth Sister! I won't hide it from you! Every woman goes through this period! How many couples are truly as good as those in the plays, living a life of one love and devotion!"

Which woman doesn't want a man who truly loves her? But we're not lucky enough to have that kind of luck!

Don't go around making a scene! You still have several daughters who aren't married yet! As a housewife, you have so much to do! Don't just act on a whim every day!

"Third Sister! Sometimes I think, if I hadn't forced Dazhu to take a concubine, none of this would have happened! I've shot myself in the foot!"

The third sister of the Li family was displeased upon hearing this and said:

"Don't you even remember why you took a concubine in the first place? It's because you were living a good life. Your second and third sons, and Dazhu's brothers, are all eyeing you covetously, ready to devour your entire family!"

Oh! You sacrificed one thing to have a son, and now you're regretting it? You should at least figure out which is more important!

Li stammered:

"Now Erzhu's family doesn't have that idea anymore! The third brother's family has also learned their lesson! Only I'm left who just can't figure it out!"

Third Sister! You tell me, that slut is already pregnant, and she's still trying to seduce men in her room! It's like she can't stand being without a man for even a day!

The third sister of the Li family said angrily:

"What's the big deal? Just buy two more young and beautiful girls and let them seduce Dazhu! You're just sitting on the sidelines, aren't you?"

"Take good care of those who are on your side. Those who aren't, you can beat or sell them off—the contract of servitude is in your hands, so aren't you the one who calls the shots? You're incredibly stupid!"

Li was also somewhat annoyed by the insults he received.

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for teaching me, Third Sister! I don't have Aunt Lan's indenture, so I've always been unsure. And in this family, nobody will tell me, so I suspect it might be in Dazhu's hands!"

Or it's in Gui Hong's or Gui Zhi's hands.

The third sister of the Li family asked curiously:

"The eldest is called Guixiang! The second and third are Guihong and Guizhi? Hey! Fourth sister! I heard that Dazhu knows a very powerful person, someone that even the county magistrate and the county assistant dare not offend."

Is that true?

Li pursed her lips, then chuckled:

"Third sister! My husband Dazhu is a farmer who makes a living by working the land. You've seen him spending all his time around our land! He rarely even goes to the fast food stalls in the town. How could he possibly know people from the county town or the prefectural city!"

"Are you sure you're not mistaken about that important person? If Dazhu knew him, wouldn't he have told me?"

The third sister of the Li family no longer trusted the Li family much, and asked again:

"Fourth Sister! Where are your Second and Third Misses? I've come several times but haven't seen them. And where is Guixiang? I haven't seen her."

"Don't you have a little girl? What, did you give her away?"

Upon hearing that Guixiang was being asked, Li quickly evaded the question:

"Gui Xiang is busy! Little one has been taken away by her third sister to find someone to teach her to read and learn manners! Gui Hong and Gui Zhi are doing needlework in Huang Hua Village!"

They can earn a few hundred coins a month for pocket money! Anyway, they save what they earn themselves. They don't ask me for money, so I'm happy to let them earn some dowry money!

"They're doing needlework in Huanghua Village! I passed through that village on my way here, and it wasn't this big a few years ago. It's really taken off in the last two years, with more people and quite a few houses built!"

Fourth Sister! How did they end up working there! Don't worry about a few unmarried young girls going to work alone! Make sure they don't get kidnapped!

Li said awkwardly:

"Third sister! It's not easy for us farmers to earn a little money. I don't think as much as you do! I was just thinking that there are plenty of young girls and young wives who are going to work together, so what could possibly happen!"

Besides, my third daughter, Guizhi, is always running back home. My second daughter, Guihong, is engaged too! That leaves only my fourth daughter, a little girl who's only a few years old. She's all girls; what's there to be afraid of when she learns to read a few words?

The third sister of the Li family raised an eyelid and said in surprise:

"Oh! Gui Xiang isn't engaged yet, but the second brother Gui Hong is already engaged? Which family is she engaged to? How is her family doing? Do you even know their background?"