Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 11981

But this time, Xiaohua wasn't even interested in bringing up the topic.

She turned around and said to Yang Ruoqing, "Sister, I'm going now. I'll stay at the grassland with Duo'er today. It's been a long time since we sisters have had a proper get-together."

"Hua'er, do you mean you're not coming home tonight? That won't do..." Mrs. Sun became anxious again.

Yang Huazhong also pulled out his pipe and looked at Xiaohua with a nervous expression. "Hua'er, you still have to come home tonight. Couples quarrel in bed and make up in bed. Some things are better talked out."

However, Xiaohua just shook her head, looking exhausted. "I'll come back first thing tomorrow morning."

She was in a bad mood today. She was worried that when she came back tonight and went to help with the chores in the second room, she would be met with all sorts of envious greetings and good-natured teasing from her aunts and sisters-in-law. She was afraid that she would lose control of her emotions and burst into tears, which would be terrible.

So, she's not coming back tonight.

"But Hua'er, the houses over at the grassland are simple. If you and your mother stay there overnight, there might not be enough bedding. Why don't you come home to sleep? You can always come back after dinner. We can ask your father and Da'an to come and pick you up then."

Sun was worried about leaving Xiaohua's mother and the others to stay overnight at the grassland, so she carefully discussed it with Xiaohua.

However, Xiaohua just shook her head, "I will bring the children back, but Jun'er will stay there."

Jun'er is still young, only two years old, and I can only feel at ease if he stays by my side.

Hearing this, Madam Sun was still uneasy and was about to say something more when Yang Ruoqing stopped her.

"Let Hua'er arrange it. It's good to get together with Duo'er. Lingling and Jiaojiao can share a bed, and we can free up another bed."

As Yang Ruoqing spoke, she winked at Madam Sun.

Yang Huazhong echoed Yang Ruoqing's words, saying, "It's alright to spend the night together, don't worry, Mom!"

Seeing that everyone had said so, Madam Sun could no longer insist. Thinking of something, she said to Xiao Hua, "Then you can stay with Duo'er tonight. Leave the help from the second branch to me. Don't worry."

These words brought a slight change to Xiaohua's numb expression. She glanced at Sun Shi with a hint of guilt, but ultimately said nothing. She simply nodded slightly, clutched the clothes in her hands, and walked out of the main room, out of the courtyard, and towards the pasture.

"It's freezing cold here, staying on the pasture... sigh!" After Xiao Hua left, Madam Sun no longer hid her worries.

"You're such a nag. Can't you just let Hua'er have her way this once?" Yang Huazhong grumbled, glancing at Sun Shi with annoyance.

Mrs. Sun said with a hint of grievance, "I was just worried that Jun'er is so young, he might catch a cold and get sick if he stays on the grassland."

"What about Jiaojiao and Rourou? They grew up on the grassland. No matter how simple the grassland is, at least there's a fire pit and bedding in the house. They're not sleeping on the streets. Why are you so worried? If you really love to worry, then go and take care of your eldest son's affairs. A doting mother spoils her son!"

“I, I…” Sun was speechless, feeling extremely aggrieved, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

Yang Ruoqing was at her wits' end watching her parents bicker. Because of Da'an's affair, her parents' marriage had been ruined for half their lives. Just look at how many times Yang Huazhong had uttered the phrase "a doting mother spoils her son" in the past few days.

"Mother, don't worry, Hua'er and Duo'er won't let Jun'er catch a cold." Yang Ruoqing held Sun's arm. "Besides, given Xiao Hua and Da'an's current situation, let's not force Hua'er to come back and live here. Let's give her some private space!"

"Sigh, that's all we can do." Madam Sun sighed. "My poor Hua'er, so diligent and devoted to the family, her heart and soul were all in Da'an, and this is how she ends up? Is it really true that a doting mother spoils her son? I've spoiled Da'an rotten?"

"That's right, you spoil him too much. And I'm worried about Xiao An too!" Yang Huazhong continued to condemn, his face full of dissatisfaction.

Sun was like a frustrated camel, burdened by Yang Huazhong's blame and complaints.

"Father, don't keep blaming my mother for spoiling her son after something happens!" Yang Ruoqing turned around, her tone serious.

“You are the child’s mother and father. If something goes wrong, you’ll say it’s because the mother spoils the child. What’s the point of having fathers like you? Are all fathers under the same roof just decorative vases?”

Yang Ruoqing's words left Yang Huazhong speechless and dumbfounded.

Madam Sun's gaze darted back and forth between Yang Huazhong and Yang Ruoqing. Upon hearing this, she panicked and quickly tugged at Yang Ruoqing's sleeve, "Qing'er, stop talking..."

Yang Ruoqing gave Sun a reassuring look and continued to say to Yang Huazhong, "Father, raising children is a joint responsibility between husband and wife. The credit is shared, and so is the responsibility. So I hope you can calmly discuss things with my mother, instead of being like most of the vulgar men in the village who, when they get angry, start to shift the blame to their wives. That's selfish!"

Yang Huazhong blushed with embarrassment after hearing Yang Ruoqing's words, and at the same time, he was also enlightened by them.

He sighed heavily and walked up to Madam Sun. "My dear wife, please don't hold it against me. I was just angry and spoke a bit harshly. That wasn't my intention. You've taken care of the family all these years and worked so hard."

Sun was somewhat flattered by Yang Huazhong's sudden courteous treatment. Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled and gently shook her head: "Father, please don't say that. Of course I know that's not what you meant."

Seeing her parents reconcile, Yang Ruoqing breathed a sigh of relief. The younger ones were already enough of a hassle for her; she didn't want the older ones to cause any more trouble.

"Let's go check on Da'an in the backyard. He hasn't come over for ages. I wonder what he's up to!" Yang Ruoqing said as she headed towards the backyard.

Yang Huazhong was also preparing to come along, but then Yang Huazhou's voice came from outside. Yang Huazhong said to Yang Ruoqing and Sun Shi, "Fifth Brother probably wants me to go to the second room to discuss the banquet. I won't go to Da'an's place for now. You two go and see."

"Let me reiterate my point to him: abort the child, return to our family, and we'll give Miss Ruan plenty of money to ensure she'll be well-off for the rest of her life!"

After saying this, Yang Huazhong loudly echoed Yang Huazhou outside the courtyard, grabbed his bulging tobacco bag from the table, and left.

Inside the room, Madam Sun asked Yang Ruoqing with a troubled expression, "Qing'er, besides this method, can't you really think of any other way?"

"Mom, what do you mean? You're not worried about the baby in Ruan Xiaowei's belly, are you?"

No one knows a mother better than her daughter. Sun's expression immediately confirmed Yang Ruoqing's guess.

"Mother, you must not soften your heart at a time like this. If you soften your heart, we will not be able to agree on our stance, and it will make Da'an waver as well."

“But Qing’er, that child is still our Da’an’s flesh and blood, our family’s grandson,” Madam Sun said in a low voice.

“If he were born, he would be a handsome child, a spirited baby like Fuwa. Do we really have to be so cruel as to kill him?” Sun asked again, her voice trembling slightly, out of reluctance.

Yang Ruoqing didn't entirely blame Sun for her thinking. As grandparents, who wouldn't want a large and prosperous family with many children and grandchildren?
"Mother, you mustn't have any compassion you shouldn't have! It will destroy the peace and happiness that Hua'er, Feng'er, Fuwa, and Jun'er have now!" Yang Ruoqing held Sun's shoulders, admonishing her very seriously. "While there's still time, be ruthless and stop it. If it's really born, it's a living, breathing human life, and you won't be able to do it!" She continued, "Then, when you see the situation of Hua'er and the others, when you see their broken relationship, when you see the children becoming estranged from Da'an, you'll have endless tears to shed and endless worries to bear!"

"Rather than prolonging the pain, it's better to end it quickly and decisively!"

In the backyard, in Da'an and Xiaohua's room, Da'an sat alone on the edge of the bed, bent over, his elbows supporting his knees, his face buried in his hands.

Yang Ruoqing didn't know how long Da'an had been in this pose, but she guessed it had been a while, because at first glance it gave people the feeling of a sculpture frozen in time.

At the feet of this sculpture, on the ground, were torn pieces of paper and handkerchiefs.

Seeing the mess on the ground, Yang Ruoqing and Madam Sun exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking even further.

Let's not even talk about the pieces of paper; let's talk about the torn handkerchief, which Xiaohua made for Da'an herself.

There was also a pair of scissors that had fallen to the ground, and a sachet that had been torn and thrown on the ground; those were also sewed by Xiaohua herself for Da'an.

In this era, the significance of sachets and pouches went far beyond their actual function; rather, they carried additional meanings.

It is common for affectionate young men and women, as well as loving couples, to exchange sachets and pouches.

Moreover, the different patterns and birds each represent different meanings. At this moment, the embroidered flowers on the torn sachet at my feet are clearly twin lotus flowers.

Twin lotus flowers symbolize the unity of husband and wife, and their eternal bond, but now they have been cut in half and thrown on the ground.

Yang Ruoqing frowned secretly. When everyone listened to the noises coming from the back room, they thought it was just the couple arguing in hushed tones.

Da'an apologized and explained to Xiaohua, then Xiaohua got a little angry, and they decided to give each other the silent treatment for a while.

However, judging from the situation on the battlefield, things were far beyond Yang Ruoqing's expectations. Xiao Hua seemed to have a good temper and be very patient, but in private she had already done such a violent thing, even using scissors.

To prevent such danger from happening again, Yang Ruoqing quickly picked up the scissors from the ground and placed them on the windowsill by the door, intending to take them with her when she left and not leave them in the house.

Sun walked to the bedside with a worried expression and placed her hand on Da'an's shoulder.

"Da'an," Madam Sun called softly, but Da'an did not respond.

"Da'an, your sister and I have come to see you," Madam Sun called out again, gently shaking Da'an's shoulder.

Da'an's body suddenly swayed, and he finally raised his head.

When Madam Sun saw Da'an's eyes, she couldn't help but gasp, "Da'an, you, you've been crying?"

Yang Ruoqing had just hidden the scissors and entered the house when she heard this. Following Sun's words, she looked towards Da'an.

Da'an's eyes were already red and swollen like peaches, and his pale face looked haggard. In just half a day, he seemed to have lost ten pounds!

"Da'an, what did you and Hua'er say?" Yang Ruoqing walked over and asked him.

Da'an's voice was terribly hoarse, and his throat seemed to be in pain when he spoke.

But he slowly recounted his previous conversation to his mother and sister, “...I apologized to her, and I promised her that when I return to Changhuaizhou this time, I will find a way to get rid of the child in Ruan Xiaowei’s belly, then give her some money and send her back to her ancestral home.”

"What about the flowers?" Yang Ruoqing asked again.

Da'an shook his head: "She didn't say anything, she just cried, and then cut up the sachet and handkerchief she gave me."

"I tried to take it away, and she held the scissors to her own neck, which terrified me!"

Not to mention Da'an, who was directly involved, being frightened, Yang Ruoqing and Sun Shi were also frightened when they heard this and imagined the scene at that time.

“I never imagined that flowers could have such a fierce side. I’ve never seen it before…” Mrs. Sun murmured.

Yang Ruoqing said, "It's clear how much of a blow and damage this incident caused her."

Sun remained silent, but in her heart she was thinking that if she really brought Ruan Xiaowei and the child into the Yang family, who knows what even more extreme things Hua'er might do.

After all, someone who easily bursts into tears when they feel wronged isn't so scary, because they just let their emotions slide over their skin.

A kind-hearted person who keeps everything bottled up inside, always considers the feelings of others but never their own, and only knows how to give selflessly, can unleash destructive and immeasurable consequences if they are hurt or attacked too much.

“Da’an, you’ve seen it all, haven’t you? Hua’er is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside.” Yang Ruoqing also put her hand on Da’an’s other shoulder.

"What happened today serves as a reminder to you and to all of us."

"You must pull back from the brink as soon as possible, or you will be doomed!"

utter ruin?

Da'an's eyes were bloodshot, as if he were savoring Yang Ruoqing's words, "utterly doomed."

He didn't understand it at all. After being so well-behaved for so many years, sometimes he actually wanted to rebel and do what he wanted to do according to his own feelings.

For example, in this world, it's very common for men to have multiple wives and concubines.

In his circle, which family doesn't have a harem of wives and concubines?

He is 30 years old this year, and has always kept Xiaohua as his only wife, fulfilling the promise he made when he was young to treat her, love her, and respect her, without ever having any other thoughts.

He truly never imagined he would meet Ruan Xiaowei, or become so infatuated. He's thirty years old this year, and he wanted to treat himself better. How did things turn out this way, with his family, leading to one mistake after another, into utter ruin?