NOVEL NEXT Chapter 215: Sad
Chapter 215
They are pitiful, devoid of parental support and left solely to fend for themselves should they leave their husband's family.
Even sustaining their own lives is a difficulty, let alone having to support their children.
When the crowd heard the lady declare that she would never abandon her daughter, a stir of empathy swept through the ancient women, their eyes misting over with tears.
"Where are you? If you are around here, I can offer you a temporary refuge at my home," a woman, about the same age as the lady, inquired.
"This place looks familiar, let's go and take a look," a returning remark came from someone who recognized the background, rallying her acquaintances to join her in finding the lady.
"Come find me if you need money, come to Su Family in the southern Jiangnan, I'll give you five silver pieces a month. You and your daughter can live and eat with us for free," a richly dressed young miss from a wealthy family declared.
"You have such a little one, so pitiful. How can I bring you food if you don’t tell me where you are?" An elderly woman nearby sighed.
Out on the farmland;
The lady's father was fuming in angered disbelief when he heard his daughter pleading for assistance publicly.
"Haven't you got any shame? How dare you beg in front of everyone, you have disgraced our entire Yang family…!" He cursed furiously.
Beside him, the mother was caught in mixed emotions upon hearing her own daughter's predicament.
More often than not, she was overwhelmed with worry and broke down into tears in compassion and maternal empathy.
She could never muster the courage her daughter held. All she could do was sob softly, "Please stop yelling, our daughter did not elope with another man, they are spreading baseless rumors."
"Let's go and demand an explanation from them, ask why they accused our daughter of running off with a man."
"To see our daughter like this, it truly breaks my heart."
However, the father showed no signs of sympathy towards the sorrowful plea of his wife.
To him, his image and reputation far exceeded the worth of a daughter, who had not borne a son to carry on the family name.
In a fit of rage, he swung around and slapped her, "Stop with your incessant crying."
"From the very day she was married off, she was no longer part of our Yang family."
"She would rather die out in the open."
"What a marvellous daughter you've raised, has her mind broken? Life is not always smooth sailing, she didn't bear a son, wishes of her being displaced by her in-laws are too kind for her."
"She ought to be grateful and recognize the good deeds done for her. Yet, she dares to insult her mother-in-law, giving birth to such a disrespectful daughter, what an embarrassment."
The farmers working in the nearby fields could not help but intervene when they witnessed this haven of turmoil.
"Old Yang, stop cursing her. She is your daughter after all."
"Why not take a trip to bring your daughter and granddaughter back?"
"She's your daughter, whom you've worked hard to raise. Surely, you would not be willing to let her starve to death outside."
"To starve to death would serve her right. Even after being married, she's ought to die outside. Wait for me to fetch her, hah, not in your wildest dreams!" The father sneered, shaking his head in stubborn disapproval.
Faced with her husband's cold-hearted apathy, the mother opened her mouth to speak, but eventually, she found herself unable to utter a single word.
She cast her eyes downward, feeling for the first time that her entire life was a tragic one.
The concept of harmony between husband and wife, it was all about the husband being superior.
The idea of love for life, it was nothing but compromise and acceptance.
Respect, happiness, it was all a lie!!
At this moment, the always conservative mother suddenly had a terrible thought, how good it would be if men and women were equal......
Half an hour after Gu Sang closed the curtain
Someone nearby found the destitute woman with the child in the dilapidated temple.
The woman, startled to see five or six people rushing in, not knowing if they were good or evil, clutched her child and watched them distrustfully.
The incoming group gently asked, "Are you the girl we saw on the screen? We're here to help you after learning about your ordeal."
"We all met on our way here to find you. Please don't be scared. We're here out of goodwill."
A woman, probably in her forties, stepped forward. She looked at the woman and her child with compassion.
What she said next was so heart-wrenching that one couldn't help but cry, "Young sister, your child is still sick and needs to see a doctor. Don't worry about the expenses. Although we are not from wealthy families, we can pool some money together."
The woman, looking at several kindly smiling faces, felt her eyes reddening.
For the first time!
This was her first time feeling that this world could be benevolent!
Once they entered the city, the streets were bustling. Passersby would stop and stare at the woman in confusion and surprise.
The attention made the woman a bit uncomfortable, but she didn't escape.
When she decided to ask for help from the world on live-stream, Miss Gu had made the consequences very clear to her.
It was the other women who paid for sending the child to the doctor, and they also wanted to give her some money for living expenses.
But the woman firmly refused, telling them, "Thank you for helping pay for my daughter's medical expenses. I promise to pay you back."
"And as for the rest, I can't accept your money anymore. Miss Gu told me that money is for emergencies, not for poverty."
"I can't rely on your charity to live. I can earn money myself. I'm capable."
The woman's words drew even more admiration from the others.
Before, they felt compassion seeing how hard it was for a woman with a child. They were driven by a surge of sympathy to give her money.
But now, upon hearing the woman's words, they genuinely respected her.
In this world, it was hard for abandoned women.
"Sister, you can't live in that broken temple with a child anymore. It's not safe, and it gets cold at night. I think you should do this: come live in my house. I have a large room where we keep miscellaneous items. The room is large but doesn’t have windows or ventilation."
"As long as I have a place where I can take shelter from wind and rain, I am content. Thank you."
The woman, realizing that her daughter's illness could not be cured in a short time, did not refuse again.
Being homeless was bearable for her, but for the child, the cold wind at night was too much. It was so cold that it froze the skin.
The night was too dark. It made people's hearts panic, feeling as if they had fallen into an abyss.
With bravery, the woman said, "Before my daughter recovers from her illness, I must stay here for a while. She is frail and it is unwise to travel elsewhere until she has recovered."
"I am not sure about the taste preference of people here. Would it be acceptable if I sold pancakes and porridge on the streets?"
She sought their opinions, wishing to gauge the thoughts of the masses.
If she ran her own stall, she could always keep her child near.
As for losing face?
She hardly cared about saving face anymore, they were struggling to survive!