Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Thirty Years on the East Bank, Thirty Years on the West Bank
Mother Qin exchanged a glance with Xiao Li and laughed: "Auntie, I often hear you say that my little Li resembles the old lady of the second house of the Wen Family. Your words have piqued my curiosity about that old lady.
Why don’t you tell me about her to satisfy my curiosity..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li hurriedly looked nervously at Xu Fenglian.
Old Lady Zhen listened to Mother Qin, smiling as she said: "You, you’re already a grandmother, yet still so curious."
After saying this to Mother Qin, Old Lady Zhen turned to Xu Fenglian and said: "Old friend, why don’t you talk about her? She always stayed within your family, so others don’t know her affairs. Even when I was young, I was very curious about her..."
Xu Fenglian shook her head with a smile, "Do you think only outsiders don’t know about her? Even we, the collateral branches of the Wen Family, don’t know much about her!
I only heard a little about her during my time in the Wen Family and met her once or twice.
As for her appearance, see if your granddaughter-in-law looks good, and you’ll know if she was beautiful or not?
Regarding her temperament, I heard from a servant of the main family that she was a very gentle and kind person.
She was a very talented individual; I heard she was much like ancient women, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Moreover, she was well-versed in tea ceremony and flower arrangement, living a very elegant life.
Before marrying into the Wen Family, she lived abroad and no one knows how she came to know our Wen Second Brother.
Old sister, you also know some things about our Wen Family. My Wen Second Brother had a hard time in the Wen Family in early years, and she came from the Bai Family.
With her status and position, she could have married much better, yet she ended up marrying my Wen Second Brother, who had an awkward status.
When my Wen Second Brother got married, he was afraid that the first house would ruin it, so they didn’t even hold a banquet and directly registered the marriage.
Nowadays, the young people registering directly without a banquet is common.
But it was rare at that time, especially in big families like ours. Bai Ruoqing started enduring grievances as soon as she married my Wen Second Brother.
No one knows why the Bai Family and my second sister-in-law endured this unfairness.
Most importantly, in those days, the first and second houses of the Wen Family married in rapid succession.
The marriage of my Wen Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law was cold and quiet, whereas the first house held a grand banquet, and everyone with some connection to the Wen Family attended.
I also heard from the main family that the Wen First Sister-in-law, Cheng Jue, and Bai Ruoqing were very close sisters when they were abroad.
The people of the Wen Family’s main house thought that the relationship of these two new sisters-in-law might ease the relationship between the two houses...
But it was unclear why, after Cheng Jue married into the Wen Family, she not only didn’t help her once good sister ease the relationship between the Wen Family’s first and second houses but targeted her instead.
I once saw Second Sister-in-law being targeted at a family banquet.
Second Sister-in-law had a relatively calm personality, and when targeted, she didn’t care, not even raising an eyelid.
My elder sister-in-law intended to disgrace her, but she completely ignored it, eventually leaving my sister-in-law exasperated instead.
I married into the family later than the two of them, so I don’t know how the good relationship between these two sisters became so bad back then?
Anyway, the first house of the Wen Family previously put a lot of pressure on the second house, making life tough for Second Sister-in-law in our Wen Family.
I am married into the collateral branch of the Wen Family, yet I live a little more freely than she does."
Old Lady Zhen nodded in agreement, "That’s true, you just observe your Second Sister-in-law’s absence at banquets to know she doesn’t have an easy life...
The second house of the Wen Family’s hardships aren’t merely known within your family. Even we, outsiders, hear some of it.
Old sister, today there’s no one else, so I dare to say something that might upset you. Over the years, your Wen Family’s first house has gone a bit too far.
I just returned to the country, but I’ve learned a lot about the domestic situation recently. Your Wen Family’s first house is gradually weakening now.
Truly, it fulfills the saying that fortunes change every thirty years.
It’s uncertain how the second house will treat the people of the first house."
Xu Fenglian shook her head helplessly, "The enmity between the two houses is deep-rooted. My Wen Second Brother has two children, and the grandchildren are of good temperament.
But the first house went too far back then, forcing the second house to fail to protect even their only daughter. With this thorn, it’s impossible for the two houses to coexist peacefully."
Xiao Li, hearing this sentence, knew who Xu Fenglian was referring to and listened more intently.
Old Lady Zhen wondered aloud: "Speaking of this daughter of the Wen Family’s second house, I’ve never seen her.
There were vague rumors from your Wen Family suggesting she was indiscreet...
But later, there was no news of her at all, as if she disappeared completely."
Xu Fenglian nodded, "It’s not surprising you haven’t met that child; like my Second Sister-in-law, she didn’t attend banquets.
When she was outside, she never said she was from the Wen Family, and if anyone asked about her surname, whether she was a Wen, she’d only say she wasn’t...
Speaking of it, that child is pitiful too.
I met her a few times at the main house, and her character was like my Second Sister-in-law’s. How could such a girl be indiscreet?
Clearly, the people of the first house wanted to malign her, yet they reversed the blame onto her.
I can’t divulge the details of this matter to outsiders; it’s a Wen Family secret and cannot be mentioned.
I can only say that the child’s fate is bitter, and who knows how she has been all these years..."
Xiao Li was listening attentively, hoping to soon uncover her mother’s past, but Xu Fenglian abruptly veiled it with secrecy. This truly frustrated her.
However, it wasn’t a total loss today. At least she confirmed that her mother did have a conflict with the first house back then.
Moreover, from what Old Lady Wen said, her mother had not been seldom bullied by the first house.
At this moment, Xiao Li suddenly wanted to investigate the events of the past; she wanted to know what her mother had endured back then.
Feeling a sudden heaviness in her heart, Xiao Li no longer wanted to stay and forced a smile, "Grandma, my lady, mom, I’m a bit thirsty. I want to go out for some water, do you want any?"
Seeing Xiao Li, Mother Qin realized she was unsettled by her mother-in-law’s story and needed some air, so she shook her head, "I’m not thirsty, you may go!"
Old Lady Zhen and Old Lady Wen also declined, so Xiao Li left first.
Stepping outside, Xiao Li took a deep breath to ease the bitterness in her heart...
After calming down slightly, Xiao Li intended to grab a glass of juice. If possible, she would prefer to drink alcohol, but unfortunately, she couldn’t because of some medication for her shoulder...
As Xiao Li approached the beverage area and before her hand could reach the juice, she heard a detestable voice...