Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 622 - 320 Climbing Up_1
Lian Jizu said he wanted to divorce Lady Chiang, and Lady Chiang called out for Zhao Xiue to come and explain things clearly. Lian Manman slightly raised her eyebrows, Lian Jizu’s intention to divorce Lady Chiang was related to Zhao Xiue! This was indeed intriguing.
This matter, neither Lian Manman nor Lian Zhizhi felt it was appropriate to step forward.
Lady Chiang arrived at the entrance of the east wing and called for Zhao Xiue. However, the east wing remained deathly silent, and had Lian Manman not seen Zhao Xiue’s figure earlier, she might have thought Zhao Xiue was not even in the room.
Seeing no response from Zhao Xiue, Lady Chiang called out again, but still there was no reply. Lady Chiang turned her head and gave Lian Jizu a look. Lian Jizu was standing by the vegetable garden below and did not continue to walk outside the gate.
Having followed Lian Shouren, Lian Jizu had very rarely lived in the village after he had grown up. Those of the same age in the village were already married with children, living the repetitive life of farmers generation after generation. Even those who had played together as children had grown distant due to infrequent contact and differences in status.
Thus, in the village, Lian Jizu had no friends with whom he could share intimate thoughts or dissipate his boredom. This was why, in a fit of anger, he thought about leaving but ended up only pacing in the courtyard.
Perhaps, he also knew that it was not appropriate to publicize this matter outside, as the saying goes, "one should not air one’s dirty laundry in public."
Seeing that Lian Jizu hadn’t left, Lady Chiang felt slightly reassured and regained some rationality. Initially, she wanted to bring Zhao Xiue out to clarify things, but now she also realized that it was not wise to let others know about the matter. Regardless of the final outcome, it would do harm to her reputation and bring no benefit.
With this in mind, Lady Chiang lifted her hand to lift the curtain of the east wing’s door and entered.
It was the early summer when tenant farmers changed to beaded curtains. The beads used for these curtains were not the jade or agate beads used in the boudoirs of wealthy families, nor were they the glass or plastic beads of later times, but a type of seed grown by the farmers themselves.
The seed came from a plant called by Lady Zhang as "grain beans," which grew with green stalks resembling sorghum and broomcorn millet. The ears looked like broomcorn millet, and encased within were beans in their natural state, also referred to as "grain beans." The husks could be removed, and after drying, these beans became very smooth and hard. Like lotus seeds, grain beans had a core that could be removed with a thick needle, enabling the beans to be strung together with thread.
That year, Lady Zhang had found some grain bean seeds and planted a small patch outside the vegetable garden, planning to use the harvested beans in the fall to string together a few door curtains.
In Thirty Mile Camp, tenant farmers used these grain bean strung curtains during summer. The clever and skillful wives and daughters of tenant farmers could make all kinds of patterns with the beans. These curtains not only allowed for good air circulation and kept mosquitoes at bay, but also made a pleasing sound when blown by the wind.
Lady Chiang, fueled by anger, pulled down most of the beaded curtain with too much force.
"Hey, sister-in-law, you nearly scared me to death with that noise! What on earth are you doing?" Zhao Xiue’s voice came from the east wing, "Seeing me pregnant and uncomfortable, you can’t scare me like that, can you? As the saying goes, if you don’t respect the monk, respect the Buddha. Even if you don’t consider my relationship with your brother Erlang, you should at least think of your nephew."
Zhao Xiue’s composure frustrated Lady Chiang even more.
"Zhao Xiue, how dare you say such things. What did you tell Niuniu’s father just now? You’re always stirring up trouble, and as the eldest sister-in-law, I’ve tolerated you and haven’t stooped to your level. But now you’re taking advantage of me? I haven’t provoked you, so why are you so malicious? Did you see it with your own eyes, or did you catch them red-handed? Fabricating such allegations for no reason, aren’t you afraid of retribution? Even if you harm us, what good will it do for you? When could the Old Lian Family possibly be yours alone to dominate?"
Lady Chiang, furious, stepped forward to grab Zhao Xiue and started scolding her word by word.
"Unless you explain today’s incident clearly, I won’t let this go. Come on, let’s go to our mother-in-law and, in front of Niuniu’s father and the entire Lian Family, we’ll confront each other. Making baseless accusations, you’re not afraid of ending up in Tongue-Ripping Hell."
Lady Chiang too began to curse, though her language was more civilized compared to that of Lady Zhou, Zhao Xiue, and others. A civilized tongue could still deliver very harsh curses.
