Chapter 2: 2. Chapter 2: Moving

Chapter 2: Moving

Here it comes again! Old Master Wen felt a headache coming on.

"Stop!" Old Master Wen hurriedly stepped forward to pull Madam Wang away.

Madam Zhu took the opportunity to scratch Madam Wang’s face, leaving it bloodied. Just as she wanted to scratch her again, Old Master Wen roared at her: "Enough! Stop!"

What a disgrace!

Madam Zhu finally pulled back. She had important business to attend to and didn't want to waste time on this wretch.

Covering her face, Madam Zhu sat on the ground and wailed: "Wuwu, I can't go on like this! My whole family is going to be dragged down to ruin! Wuwu, why am I so unlucky? I married a man, bore him children, brought honor to his ancestors, and now that I’m being bullied, he doesn't protect me. Instead, he wants that plague-bringer to kill my whole family! Rather than being killed by others, I might as well die myself!"

Old Master Wen felt a throbbing in his head: "Can’t you speak properly? If there’s an issue, we can discuss it!" What did she mean by him not protecting her?

Madam Zhu stood up angrily, brushing herself off: "How am I not speaking properly? You want me to speak properly? Fine, I will! Old man, today, either you throw this plague-bringer out, or Madam Wang’s branch moves out. Otherwise, I’m taking my three sons to jump into the river! I absolutely cannot let this plague-bringer ruin my branch of the family."

Madam Wang’s family treated that plague-bringer like a precious pearl; they would never throw her away. Therefore, her goal was to drive Madam Wang’s family of wretches out!

But the old man was soft-hearted. They had clearly agreed on this before coming here, yet after being begged by that wretch Madam Wang, he had changed his mind! She had to force him!

Old Master Wen frowned. Liang-ge’er was doing very well in his studies; he was the hope for bringing honor to their ancestors.

But if the fourth branch moved out, where would they go? They had no money.

His money was all locked away by Madam Zhu; she would never take it out.

Was there a way to satisfy everyone?

Seeing the old man silent, Madam Zhu cried again: "Wuwu, poor Liang-ge’er, a scholar of top-rank talent, is going to be dragged down by this plague-bringer today! Madam Wang, if you don't throw this plague-bringer out, and my Liang-ge’er doesn't pass the imperial examination, I will never let you off!"

"Nuan-jie’er is not a plague-bringer! Keep your mouth clean!" Seeing her grandchildren being beaten and hearing Madam Zhu call her granddaughter a plague-bringer and a short-lived wretch, Madam Wang was also furious!

She wanted to move too; who wanted to look at Madam Zhu’s face?

Besides, what if Wen Liang didn't pass the exam and blamed it on her Nuan-jie’er?

Hmph, was the top scholar rank so easy to achieve?

But moving out—where to? She had no money on hand. Staying here, at least they had a woodshed to live in.

Even if it was right next to the pigsty, filled with the stench of pig manure.

Madam Wang felt anxious.

Wen Nuan lay on the bed, finally feeling less dizzy. She said weakly: "Move."

Madam Wu saw Wen Nuan’s lips move but didn't hear clearly what she said. She immediately leaned down to Wen Nuan’s ear and said gently: "Nuan-jie’er, what did you say? Do you want to drink water?"

"Move, we will move out. I don't want to delay Brother Liang from becoming the top scholar," Wen Nuan said, using all her strength.

Wen Nuan had transmigrated before Madam Zhu and Madam Wang started arguing; she had been awakened by the stench of pig manure.

She had been busy absorbing the original owner's memories, which was why she couldn't open her eyes, and she also needed to digest the fact that she had transmigrated.

She already knew she had transmigrated into a frail, sickly little farm girl. To pay for her medical treatment, her family had sold their house, fields, and even themselves, nearly destroying the family. That was why the villagers privately called her a plague-bringer, a debt-collector, a short-lived wretch, and a medicine jar.

From the original owner's memories, Wen Nuan judged that Liang-ge’er was definitely not top-scholar material! She wasn't going to take the blame for that!

Moreover, Madam Zhu and the first branch were too calculating. She could take this opportunity to move out, get rid of them, and then live a good life.

When Madam Wu heard clearly, her eyes grew moist. She looked at Madam Wang: "Mother, Nuan-jie’er says we should move!"

Just then, a tall man lifted the door curtain and stepped in, holding two packages of medicinal herbs wrapped in oil paper: "Then we move!"

He had heard everything outside. If Nuan-jie’er wanted to move, then they would move!

Wen Nuan turned to look. The man who walked in had a terrifying scar on his face, making him look a bit fierce, which didn't match the scholarly aura he exuded. From the original owner's memories, Wen Nuan knew this was her father, Wen Jiarui.

Madam Wang immediately said: "Fine, we move. If Nuan-jie’er wants to move, we will move out!"

Their family did whatever Nuan-jie’er said. The child had suffered so much, and no one knew how long she would live, so the whole family indulged her.

They would move out for a few days, and once Nuan-jie’er was stable, they would move back.

When Madam Zhu heard this, she was overjoyed, but she worried that after a few days, they would have nowhere to go and find an excuse to move back.

She immediately took out a tael of silver from her person and handed it over, feeling a bit of heartache: "This woodshed is yours; I’m buying it. Don't think about coming back to drag us down in the future!"

The main house, the side rooms, and the woodshed of the Wen residence were all built with Madam Wang’s dowry money. Now, even the woodshed was being lost.

Old Master Wen frowned upon hearing this. He wanted to say something, but Madam Zhu shot him a sharp look, and he shut his mouth.

Madam Wang hesitated. This... if she sold the woodshed, they wouldn't be able to come back and live here later.

Seeing her expression, Madam Zhu didn't give her time to think and immediately provoked her: "One tael of silver is enough to buy a woodshed! What? Want to linger and not leave? If this plague-bringer causes my Liang-ge’er to fail the imperial exam, can you afford to pay for it? Can you face the ancestors of the Wen family?"

Madam Wang couldn't stand being provoked. Hearing this, she snatched the silver from her hand and said angrily: "Who wants to linger? How have I failed the ancestors of the Wen family? I have more grandchildren than you do! Don't let me hear you call Nuan-jie’er a plague-bringer again, or I won't move!"

Always talking about the top scholar—was it that easy to become one? If so, the streets would be full of them!

If he didn't pass, they wanted to blame it on Nuan-jie’er? No way!

Madam Wang grumbled inwardly, but she didn't say it out loud; she wasn't the type to begrudge the younger generation.

"You do have many grandchildren, but not one of them is useful! Either sick or crippled! If you don't want to linger, then hurry up and move! You’ve taken the money, don't come back to drag us down!" Madam Zhu looked at Wen Nuan and the others with disdain—a nest of useless people!

She felt proud thinking about how promising her eldest grandson and granddaughter were.

"Shut your mouth!" Wen Jiarui was so angry his face turned black. What did she mean by "not one is useful, either sick or crippled"? His children were all excellent!

Madam Wang was infuriated by Madam Zhu: "Don't worry, even if our family ends up on the streets, we won't come back to drag you down! The river flows east for ten years, then west for ten years! Who can say what will happen in the future? Maybe my grandson will become the top scholar and bring honor to our ancestors! If that day comes, don't you dare come begging me!"

Although Madam Wang didn't think that day would come, she wouldn't lose face!

Wen Luo, being called a cripple, clenched his little fists. In the future, he would definitely make something of himself and be even more successful than Liang-ge’er!

"Sick or crippled?" Wen Nuan looked at Madam Zhu’s smugness, a small flame igniting in her eyes. Her body was too weak to even speak, so she wouldn't retort now, but she would wait and see.

"Heh, then rest assured, I wouldn't beg you even if I had to beg anyone else! Once you leave this woodshed, who knows if your family can even survive this winter! Bringing honor to your ancestors! If you can even build a house, I’ll call you my ancestor!"

Madam Wang’s face turned pale with anger, but knowing it was the truth, she stubbornly said: "Don't worry, we will definitely be living in a new house before winter!"

Madam Zhu just gave two mocking laughs; she couldn't be bothered to waste words: "Hurry up and pack your things, get out and live in your new house! If you can live in a blue-brick, tile-roofed house before winter, I’ll acknowledge you as my ancestor! And you must move out before dark!"

After saying this, she dragged her old man away, lest he secretly subsidize this wretch Madam Wang.

Old Master Wen wanted to say something to Madam Wang and the others, but he couldn't. He thought he would secretly help them later.

After Madam Zhu left, the family relaxed.

Madam Wang hurriedly looked at Wen Nuan: "Nuan-jie’er, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

She felt uncomfortable all over and had no strength, but Wen Nuan shook her head: "I’m fine, but my brother’s face hurts."

Wen Nuan looked at the little boy who had been slapped by Madam Zhu to save her. Half of his face was swollen, and he had even lost a tooth.

That was the original owner's younger brother, Wen Luo, seven years old. The little girl beside him was the original owner's younger sister, Wen Ran; they were twins.

Above the original owner were thirteen-year-old twin sisters, Wen Rou and Wen Xin, and twelve-year-old twin brothers, Wen Chun and Wen Hou.

The original owner was only eleven. Because Madam Wu’s first two pregnancies were too close together, when she became pregnant with the original owner, the second child hadn't even been weaned, and her body hadn't recovered, so the original owner was born prematurely, frail and sickly.

Madam Wang was the original owner's biological grandmother, Old Master Wen was her biological grandfather, and the Madam Zhu from earlier was Old Master Wen’s secondary wife. Because Madam Wang had no children for three years after marriage, he had taken a secondary wife.

Madam Zhu had given birth to three sons in a row, so she was confident and acted as if she were the primary wife.

Madam Wang only became pregnant when Madam Zhu was carrying her third son, giving birth to the twins: the original owner's father and aunt.

Hearing Wen Nuan’s words, Madam Wang remembered her little grandson. She hurriedly pulled Wen Luo into her arms, looking at his swollen face with heartache: "That murderous Madam Zhu! How can her heart be so black! She hit him so hard, even knocked out a tooth! Does it hurt, Luo-ge’er?"

If only she had an egg, she could roll it on his face, but her family didn't even have rice, let alone eggs.

Wen Luo grinned, though his expression was a bit twisted: "It doesn't hurt. I was about to lose that tooth anyway, it’s good it’s gone. As long as Third Sister is okay. Grandmother, where are we moving to?"

Wen Luo was over seven and starting to lose his baby teeth.

"You child." Madam Wang felt another pang of heartache. But where to move?

Madam Wang was worried.

Wen Nuan had already thought it through: "Grandmother, isn't there a grass shed at the end of the village? Let’s move there first! It’s not winter yet, so it’s not cold."

There was a grass shed at the end of the village, left behind by refugees who had stopped in Wen Village during the drought two years ago.

Wen Jiarui thought about it. He could find some brothers in the village to help him repair that grass shed. At least it would keep out the wind and rain, and they wouldn't be sleeping on the streets. So he made the final decision: "Then we move to the grass shed."

"I’ll go with Si-lang to tidy it up now. We can consider it our new house! Yan-niang, you and the children stay home to boil medicine for Nuan-jie’er, take care of her, and pack our luggage."

Madam Wang was a decisive person. She immediately let go of Wen Luo and went to find a broom, planning to move some things over so they wouldn't have to make too many trips.

She planned to move the pots, bowls, and chopsticks first.

Madam Wu hurriedly stood up from the bed: "Mother, let me and the children’s father go clean, you stay home and boil the medicine!"

Wen Ran and Wen Luo immediately said in unison: "Grandmother, I’ll go clean too, you stay home and take care of Third Sister!"

Wen Nuan watched them fighting to do the work, knowing they were a loving family, and felt secretly lucky to have encountered such a united and loving family: "I don't need anyone to take care of me, everyone go clean together! It will be faster."

"How can we not take care of you!" Madam Wang refused flatly. What if she wasn't watching Nuan-jie’er and she went to jump in the river again?

Wen Jiarui looked at the sky outside. It was just past noon, but it was already autumn, and it would get dark quickly. The cold dew would be heavy at night, and Nuan-jie’er absolutely could not be exposed to the cold; her body couldn't take it. That grass shed wasn't suitable for Nuan-jie’er; he needed to build a bamboo house.

There was plenty of bamboo in the village, so it wouldn't cost any money.

He thought for a moment and said: "Luo-ge’er is hurt, you and Grandmother stay in the room to take care of Nuan-jie’er. Ran-jie’er, you go with Mother and Father to clean the new house, okay?"

Wen Ran nodded obediently: "Okay, I want to clean the new house."

Wen Luo was dissatisfied. He puffed out his chest: "Father, I am a man, how can I let my sister go clean while I stay in the room? Ran-jie’er can stay and take care of Third Sister, I’ll go clean. My hands aren't hurt, and my face doesn't hurt anymore. Even if it did, I don't use my face to clean!"

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

Children of the poor take on responsibilities early. Although the two were only seven, they went up the mountain every day to pick up firewood to sell, earning money to buy medicine for Nuan-jie’er, and they could also cook and wash clothes.

Boys should shoulder more burdens than girls. Wen Jiarui nodded: "Fine, then Ran-jie’er and Grandmother stay home to take care of Nuan-jie’er, and we will go clean. Let’s move to the new house as soon as possible! Ran-jie’er, you are more careful, take good care of Third Sister, keep an eye on her, and if Third Sister feels uncomfortable, remember to tell Father immediately, okay?"

Hearing Wen Jiarui say she was careful, Wen Ran nodded happily, her childish voice saying: "Okay."

Madam Wang wanted to go, but she was worried that Nuan-jie’er might seek death again, and she was also worried that this was a "flash of light before death" (a final burst of energy before passing), and Ran-jie’er couldn't handle it alone.

Ah, phew, phew, phew!

What was she thinking? Nuan-jie’er was only eleven, she wouldn't have a "flash of light," and Nuan-jie’er wouldn't either!

She would definitely overcome her hardships!

Madam Wang said: "Then I’ll stay and boil the medicine, you all go."

After they agreed, the three of them went to tidy up the "new house."

Madam Wang touched Wen Nuan’s forehead and found it was no longer hot, finally feeling relieved: "Nuan-jie’er, get some sleep. If you feel uncomfortable, remember to tell Grandmother, okay? I’m going to boil your medicine now; after you take it, you’ll be better."

Wen Nuan nodded: "Okay."

Madam Wang instructed Wen Ran to look after Wen Nuan, then went out to boil the medicine.

"Okay!" Wen Ran sat on the bed very obediently, staring tightly at Wen Nuan, not even wanting to blink.

Wen Nuan: "..."

Wouldn't her eyes get sore like that?

But Wen Nuan knew she was worried about her seeking death, so she didn't dare to blink.

Thinking of the original owner's cause of death, Wen Nuan sighed: "Ran-jie’er, Third Sister is tired and wants to sleep. You should sleep for a while too!"

"I’m not tired, Third Sister, you sleep!" What if she fell asleep and Third Sister didn't, and she ran off to jump in the river?

She wouldn't sleep even if she were beaten to death!

Wen Nuan: "..."

The little girl couldn't hide her thoughts, and Wen Nuan saw it at a glance.

She sighed inwardly, closed her eyes, and began to organize the original owner's memories.

(End of chapter)