Life of Country Folks in the City during the Song Dynasty

The concubine who was sent home

Northern Song Dynasty.

Dongshan Village, in the countryside of Yangzhou Prefecture.

At this moment, a loud wail was coming from a farmhouse at the edge of the village, attracting the neighbors to gather around. However, they dared not go in, only peeking out from the half-open gate and whispering among themselves.

"Second sister, you died so young! If I had known you would die like this, I would have rather kept you in the chamber pot after you were born! All those eighteen years of hard work have gone to waste... Oh, my second sister, you poor, unfortunate daughter..."

When Gu Zao vaguely woke up, she heard this sharp sound, as if someone was shaking her head vigorously, which made her very uncomfortable.

She struggled to open her eyes slightly and was shocked to see a burly middle-aged woman lying on her head, her face covered in snot and tears, looking quite ridiculous.

She tried to move, but felt a burning pain in her neck. Before she could figure out what was happening, she heard a clear, girlish voice beside her, seemingly blaming her: "Mother, Second Sister has fallen to this state because of you! If you hadn't been greedy and sold her to someone as a concubine two years ago, would she be in this state today? Stop crying and begging, quickly call the village doctor Hu to see if there's any hope for her."

Gu Zao glanced over and saw that the speaker was a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a very pretty appearance. However, the pink and green jacket she was wearing looked faded because it had been washed and worn for many years.

As the girl spoke, she nudged a boy of about ten years old standing beside her, urging him, "Awu, quickly go and fetch Doctor Hu!"

The boy, called A-Wu, had tears in his eyes and seemed somewhat frightened. He glanced at the woman who was still wailing and then turned to leave.

The woman who had been crying moments before was now jumping three feet high, grabbing the little girl and launching into a tirade: "That twenty strings of cash you got from selling her was all taken by your damned father to live a life of luxury in Yangzhou! I didn't even see a scrap of oil! Why are you blaming me now? My second wife became a concubine to Master Li in the city, and she's decked out in gold and silver. Who in the village can compare to her in such a life of luxury? If anyone's to blame, it's her bad luck—she killed her husband and then, blinded by greed, seduced the wife's father!" "You son, in the end you were stripped naked and kicked out! It's a miracle you weren't sold to a brothel in the city by that wife! You little hussy, you urged your brother to call a doctor, do you think your parents have any money left after working the fields all day? Second sister is dead, you should be thinking about how to hold her funeral... Oh, second sister, I gave you such a beautiful face, and you didn't help your parents at all, instead you just stayed home! Oh, my second sister, my flesh and blood…"

The woman cursed, ignoring the filth of the muddy ground, and plopped down on it, slapping her thighs as she continued to yell, sometimes loudly, sometimes softly.

The little girl's eyes were already glistening with tears after being scolded like that, but she held back her tears by clenching her teeth and not uttering a sound.

Gu Zao finally began to understand; it turned out she had also caught up with the wave of time travel and arrived here. She glanced sideways at the pile of rough hemp rope on the ground and felt a pain in her throat; presumably, the person who had just died must have hanged himself.

Just as she was hesitating whether to get up, A-Wu pointed at her and shouted with surprise, "Mother, Third Sister, Second Sister isn't dead! I just saw her eyelids move!"

As soon as the child finished speaking, the little girl rushed over and touched Gu Zao's nose. The woman stopped crying, scrambled to her feet, shoved the little girl aside, and began slapping Gu Zao's face hard.

Gu Zao felt a sharp pain and noticed that the woman's hands still had residue from when she blew her nose. She quickly opened her eyes and sat up.

The woman stood there for a long time before bursting into laughter through her tears. But soon she pointed at Gu Zao's nose and started cursing: "You slut, you've lost your reputation and come home without thinking about how to make a living. You're always crying, unable to carry a load or lift water. Today you even tried to hang yourself, forcing your parents to rush back from the fields without even picking up their hoes. If anyone steals those hoes, I'll skin you alive when I get back!" As she cursed, she hurriedly made her way out.

Gu Zao just kept her head down and let her scold her. When she finally turned around and went out the door, and got into the courtyard, she angrily chased away the people who were gathering to watch the commotion. Only then did she look up and smile at her third sister and A Wu, who were watching her happily.

She looked around. It was a farmhouse with blue bricks and yellow mud. In front was a yard with several rows of cabbage, scallions, and chives. Next to it was a pigsty with two white-skinned, black-spotted pigs snorting inside. There was a main room, then a kitchen, and then three bedrooms. She guessed she and the little girl would share one, A-Wu would share another, and the shrewish woman, her mother, would have a separate room. Judging from the furnishings, it seemed to be a dilapidated farmhouse.

Before long, Gu had already pieced together most of the situation from the little girl. It turned out that the male head of the household, Gu Er, who was also her father, had died of a sudden illness last year. His mother, Fang, had given birth to three daughters and one son. Gu's eldest sister had married long ago and moved to Tokyo with her husband's family a few years ago. They hadn't been in touch for several years. Gu's second sister, who was herself, had been sold to a wealthy man named Li in the city as a concubine when she was sixteen two years ago. However, the man died before the new year, and Li's wife used the excuse that she had seduced her son to beat her and drive her out. But she hanged herself a few days after returning home.

"Second sister, Mother worked hard cultivating five acres of land all by herself. Seeing you being kicked out like this, she got angry and scolded you a few times. Just bear with it. Why do you have to be so upset?"

The third sister looked at Gu Zao and earnestly advised her.

Gu Zao smiled, then glanced at her younger brother Gu Qingwu beside her. She was about to ask something more when she saw a woman of about forty years old enter the courtyard. Her cheeks were painted pink, her hair was wrapped in a yellow cloth, she wore a vest, and she was carrying a cool umbrella.

Matchmaker!

This was Gu Zao's first reaction.

Could it be that, having learned that she had been sent home, well-informed matchmakers rushed over to arrange a marriage for her?

The matchmaker, however, was very outgoing. She looked around the courtyard gate for a few moments, and when no one came out, she went into the main room and greeted Gu Zao and his two siblings.

As soon as the matchmaker entered, her eyes were fixed on Gu Zao, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Without a word, she rushed over, lifted Gu Zao's skirt, glanced at her, and then clicked her tongue and shook her head, saying, "Oh dear, what a pity that such a beautiful face was born with such big feet. If they had been bound from a young age, she would have been a precious princess!"

Gu Zao glanced at the matchmaker, pondering how to respond, when her third sister brought over a stool and invited the matchmaker to sit down: "Mother Li, you have time to come today, may I ask what brings you here?"

The matchmaker glanced sideways at the third sister and muttered to herself, "It's such a hot day, and there's not even a cup of tea or fruit to offer. All that walking has been for nothing."

The third sister blushed, glanced in the direction of the kitchen, but remained silent.

Gu knew that there was no tea or fruit that the matchmaker, Li Mama, had mentioned at home. Seeing that Li Mama's words and actions were quite detestable, Gu couldn't help but speak up and say, "Awu, your mother is thirsty. Go and see if there is any water left in the jar and scoop some out."

Mother Li shook her head hurriedly and called out to Gu Qingwu: "Hey, who wants to drink your cold water? Go and call your mother back. The Wan family from Wanqiao Village sent me here."

Gu Zao hadn't quite understood what was happening when she saw her third sister lower her head slightly, her eyes showing a hint of shyness.

Gu Qingwu glanced at Gu Zao, and seeing her nod, he dashed out of the courtyard to catch up with Madam Fang.

While waiting, Li's mother crossed her legs and glanced sideways at the Gu family's belongings, her disdain quite evident.

The third sister was already sitting to one side, holding an embroidery piece in her hand, and was embroidering with her head down. However, it was clear that she was somewhat distracted, and she would occasionally look up at the door.

Before long, Gu Zao heard a series of footsteps outside the courtyard gate. It turned out that Fang Shi had returned. It seemed that she had been caught up with by Gu Qingwu before she even reached the fields.

Upon seeing the matchmaker, Fang, without even wiping her sweat, immediately put on a big smile and rushed in.

"Oh dear, Mother Li is here! It's so hot, you must be exhausted!" She glanced at Gu Zao, her brows furrowing, and began to scold, "Second sister, why are you just sitting there like a corpse? You didn't even offer Mother Li tea!"

Gu Zao responded with a murmur, but remained seated.

Fang ignored her and turned to Li Mama, a fawning smile on her face: "Li Mama, did you come here today because someone has taken a fancy to my second sister? Let me tell you, Li Mama, my daughter is one of the most beautiful women in the world, even more beautiful than the delicate young ladies of Yangzhou. It's just a pity that she had a hard life and had to return home. Now she doesn't expect to be rich and powerful anymore. As long as the family has a few acres of land and some money, she can marry anyone as a second wife, and that will be enough for her to have someone to rely on for the rest of her life..."

Li's mother spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground, then giggled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Old woman Gu, how dare you say that? Everyone knows your second sister is the one who caused Mr. Li's death and seduced that young master of the Li family. That's why the first wife beat her and stripped her clothes off and kicked her out. A second wife? You're dreaming! If someone takes a fancy to her, she should obediently be a concubine for a few years and wait until she gives birth to a son. That's the proper way!"

Fang was rendered speechless by her scolding, her face turning red and white in turns. After a long while, she awkwardly smiled and asked, "Since it's not for Second Sister, may I ask what brings Mother Li here?"

Mother Li snorted before saying, "The Wan family from Wanqiao Village asked me to come here to cancel the marriage between their eldest son and your third sister. Here, this is your family's marriage certificate. I'm returning it to you, and I would also like you to return the Wan family's marriage certificate as well."

Gu Zao was startled and looked at Gu Sanjie, only to see that her face was pale, and she was holding an embroidery needle in her hand, completely motionless.

At first, Fang didn't react. After a while, the smile on her face froze. Suddenly, she jumped up, her eyes wide, and pointed at Li Mama's nose, shouting, "You old hag! You've got nothing better to do than cause trouble! I thought you came for my second sister, but it turns out you have ill intentions and want to break up my third sister's marriage! My third sister's marriage to the elde

……