Chapter 1564 - 1553: Honest Fool

Chapter 1564: Chapter 1553: Honest Fool

However, no matter how reluctant Wang Hong was, she still had to go to the fields. After all, the grains there couldn’t just be left unharvested. If it really rained in a few days like Aunt Wang said, it would be bad. After all, those are real grains.

Old Lady Wang actually thought similarly to her eldest daughter-in-law: if the third son is sick, does it mean the third daughter-in-law won’t work? But seeing the third daughter-in-law looking so lost, even breaking the bowl while feeding the third son water, the wrinkles on Old Lady Wang’s brow could kill a few mosquitoes.

Not to mention, although her third son was as weak as anything, he kept holding his wife’s hand very tightly, and even fetching water was done by the eldest granddaughter Ye Congying.

No matter how biased Old Lady Wang was, at this moment she didn’t want people to say she was ignoring the sick Ye Laosan and forcing the third daughter-in-law to work, so she could only let Niu Xue Mei take care of Ye Qiu in the room while she went to cook.

Ever since the third daughter-in-law came into the family, Old Lady Wang rarely cooked a full meal. It’s not that she wouldn’t do it, but every time she bought meat, she would cook it herself, firstly afraid Niu Xue Mei might waste it, and also afraid the third son’s family might steal some. Generally, farming families prepare breakfast and lunch together during autumn harvest, so as not to delay work, so it’s quite a hefty task.

She couldn’t order her old man around, and the eldest son’s family was out in the fields. As for the fourth, he had always been her little heart’s delight, and she couldn’t bear to make him work; besides, even if she tried to order him, he wouldn’t comply. The little granddaughter was only three and couldn’t help, and the eldest granddaughter had to fetch water for the third son from time to time. For a moment, she was left to manage the stove herself, all flustered.

As Old Lady Wang cooked that meal, she grew angrier and angrier, finally deciding to make two fewer dishes. Moreover, she hadn’t done such work for a while and didn’t get the cooking time right, so the two dishes came out poorly.

Old Lady Wang secretly blamed the third son’s family for being restless, but she didn’t think about how much more work Niu Xue Mei did every day alone. Not only did she have to wake up early to cook for the whole family, but she also had to cut pig grass to feed pigs, clean pig and chicken coops, do laundry, wash dishes, sweep the yard, and then work in the fields with Ye Qiu.

Now look how little Old Lady Wang did, yet she didn’t sympathize with Niu Xue Mei’s usual hardships. Instead, she scolded Ye Qiu for being sick at the wrong time. I’ve really never seen such a mother.

When Ye Chun and Wang Hong returned from working all morning, what awaited them were the two burnt dishes. But they couldn’t not eat them being hungry; at least one of them still had eggs in it. Just then, the Divine Woman arrived, and without checking on Ye Qiu, picked up a bowl and started eating.

So when Ye Congying came to serve her parents rice, all that was left on the table were some wilted vegetable leaves and broth. No matter how burnt, none of the eggs were left.

The Ye Family didn’t care if the sick person Ye Qiu had anything to eat. The concerned Third Aunt next door sighed again and again, then watched as the Divine Woman finished eating, wiped her mouth, and began to make strange gestures, muttering something incomprehensible.

She held a peach wood sword, pointing here and there, making everyone dumbfounded for a moment. Then, slightly out of breath, she put away the sword, solemnly saying, "Ye Laosan has attracted something unclean. Otherwise, how could a healthy person turn into this overnight? But don’t worry, I’ve already subdued the evil ghost today. After two more times, it can be completely eliminated."

"Is it really an evil ghost?" Wang Hong took a fearful step back, skeptical, and said, "Divine Woman, can’t you get rid of the evil ghost all at once? Why twice more?"

In fact, Wang Hong just didn’t want the Divine Woman to eat two more meals at their place, which is why she asked so doubtfully.

Seeing the disbelief on the faces of others in the Ye Family, the Divine Woman immediately pulled a long face: "If you don’t believe me, why did you invite me? In that case, go to the county and get a doctor, see if spending tens or hundreds of taels can save him."

Upon hearing it would cost so much money, Wang Hong was immediately at a loss for words, pondering why she should take out so much money for nothing for the third son’s family?

Yet she forgot that their family of four didn’t spend little silver themselves daily. Just Ye Conghui alone needs thirty taels a year, not to mention her vanity, using the excuse of going to the county to deliver food to their son, buying several sets of clothes and shoes each year. Wasn’t this money earned by the third son’s family instead of the two of them, given their usual lazy demeanor?

And now that the third son is ill and spending money is a legitimate reason, are you just going to watch the person get critically ill?

Although Third Aunt Wang inwardly criticized, with Old Lady Wang unwilling to get a doctor for the third son, she couldn’t say anything. Her sighs grew even heavier.

The Divine Woman sneered internally, thinking how could she not know the mentality of those who invite her to perform rituals regularly? They simply don’t want to spend money on doctors, right? Whenever someone questioned her, she would say this, leaving them speechless.

"Are you sure after three rituals, the evil ghost will be driven away?" Old Lady Wang asked sharply.

The Divine Woman swayed her head and said matter-of-factly, "I can only say I’ll do my best. If you don’t believe it, I just won’t come next time."

"Come now, how can the rituals be unfinished now?" Wang Hong chimed in, "Isn’t it just two meals? It’s fine."

Old Lady Wang said nothing after hearing that, apparently agreeing with her eldest daughter-in-law. Compared to an unknown amount of money for a doctor, feeding the Divine Woman two meals was no big deal.

The Divine Woman left, humming and hawing. Looking at Ye Qiu, who was no longer in good spirits, Niu Xue Mei cried until her eyes were swollen. If one initially thought she was pretending, seeing Ye Qiu looking so critically ill all the time made her anxious, secretly wondering if what they’ve done indeed called the evil. She could only hope the Divine Woman was true to her word and could exorcise the evil ghost.

Old Lady Wang, not wanting to get a doctor, was somewhat ashamed to face her third son, and impatiently told Niu Xue Mei, "Take good care of your man. Should anything happen, I will send you back to your parent’s house."

Niu Xue Mei cried even harder. Stepping out, Third Aunt Wang sighed again, thinking how Old Lady Wang was truly out of line: not only did she not treat her son properly, but there was no decent food for him to eat. How could a sick person hold on? The eldest son and his wife acted like starved ghosts who had reincarnated; would leaving some edible food for your sick brother and his caring sister-in-law and niece make you starve to death?

Though Third Aunt Wang wasn’t much of a talker, her daughter-in-law was, and after hearing news from Third Aunt Wang about the Ye Family, she broadcasted it like a loudspeaker, further tarnishing Old Lady Wang and Ye Chun’s image in the village.

Everyone pitied Ye Qiu for having such an ordeal, also shaking their heads and criticizing Niu Xue Mei as being useless. Your man is in such a state; even if you must fight with the family, you should get something for him to supplement him. If he truly fails, you’ll have no standing in the family, and what about your two daughters?