Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“It’s not that you shouldn’t use them at all. Otherwise, why would I have gone to the trouble of obtaining them? I just want you to keep them for your own use. Don’t foolishly keep everything for others. Even if you value loyalty and cherish your sworn brothers who’ve faced life and death with you, you should remember these were specially reserved for you by your wife. Would you really be willing to give away your wife’s thoughtful gesture to others?”

Su Wenyue had only discovered this tendency of Han Yu’s after he joined the military camp. While it might not be considered a flaw, and although he appeared shrewd and cunning when dealing with adversaries, leaving no worry that he might suffer a loss, he was extremely generous toward those loyal ‘brothers’ or subordinates.

“My wife’s thoughtfulness, naturally, cannot be given to others. Don’t worry, I’ll keep them safe,” Han Yu immediately promised, aware of why his wife had said this. Sometimes, it wasn’t just about currying favor. Only those who had experienced life in the military camp could understand the brotherhood of shared life and death. In the face of mortality, other concerns seemed trivial.

“Good to know,” Su Wenyue nodded in satisfaction, trusting his words. Although Han Yu could be extravagant for the sake of loyalty, she knew that for the things she personally handled, he would never willingly give them away to others.

Because Han Yu was to set off on an anti-bandit campaign the next day, he did not stay at home that night, taking with him the items prepared by Su Wenyue to the military camp.

“Boss, what’s with these two big carts of stuff?” Many people asked upon seeing Han Yu bring back so much, though they asked out of formality, their eyes clearly lit up, signaling they knew there was good stuff inside.

“These were prepared by your sister-in-law. She knows we haven’t received army provisions for a month, and with the cold weather and us heading out to fight bandits, she was worried you all might suffer from the cold and hunger. So she specially prepared these things for me to bring back, to ease some of the hardship,” Han Yu said openly, not taking the credit for himself but rather earning good repute for Su Wenyue in the camp. Not only his own men but also those in the entire Xinye military camp knew Han Yu had married a virtuous wife who used her dowry to procure food to aid the brothers in the camp.

“Sister-in-law is really great! Boss, how come you’re so lucky to have married such a virtuous daughter-in-law. You guys have no idea about my wife. She’s the stingiest. It was not easy to go back home once, and she only fed me two coarse grain buns and two bowls of thin porridge, which is even worse than the food here in camp. She spent all the remaining silver on buying fabric for pretty clothes. When I complained, she blamed me for being useless and nearly kicked me out the door, not even letting me into the room. I had to make do in the kitchen all night. Just looking forward to going home, and she wouldn’t even let me on the kang. What’s the point of comparisons? Some people just can’t be compared to others!” one rough man complained, his tone somehow triggering laughter despite his grievances, though there was also sympathy for him having such a wife.

“I say, Heizi, how can you be so incompetent, unable to even handle a woman? You deserve to sleep in the kitchen,” someone retorted, followed by another round of hearty laughter. Despite soon facing a life-or-death clash with bandits, there was no sense of tension in the air.

After seeing Han Yu off, Su Wenyue felt somewhat restless, even her concern for the children wasn’t as strong. She anxiously awaited news from Han Yu’s side, praying for his safe return, and hoping that her rebirth wouldn’t lead to any negative changes in his life trajectory.

The fact that Han Yu was fighting bandits was not kept a secret; everyone in the Han family, including Su Lanxin and Su Lanfang, knew about it, and seeing how worried Su Wenyue was, they came to console her.

“Cousin, don’t worry. Your husband will definitely come back safe. They’re just some inconsequential bandits. With cousin’s ability, he can easily take care of that gang,” Su Lanxin said.

“Indeed, he’ll take care of those bandits and avenge our cousin!” Su Lanfang chimed in before realizing something was off. If the bandits were so insignificant, how could they have injured their cousin? Still, it had been an accident, and Su Lanfang quickly explained.

“Our cousin was injured not because the bandits are formidable, but because Pei Yuhan, that witless girl who can only cry, held him back. He lost focus because of her for a moment, which is why he got hurt. So cousin, don’t worry, your husband will be fine, and he’ll capture those wicked bandits!”

Su Wenyue knew her cousins meant well, but they were ignorant of the specific circumstances and the intrigue, which is why they could take it so lightly. She wasn’t worried about mere bandit threats, for with Han Yu’s ability and tactics, handling some insignificant bandits wouldn’t be an issue. The problem was that these bandits had collusions with those in the military camp and the government, all ruthless and with venomous schemes, all too eager to take lives. It wasn’t simple to deal with them, but these things Su Wenyue couldn’t explain to her cousins.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just that it’s your brother-in-law’s first time in charge of such a big operation, I can’t help but be a bit anxious for him. It’s not a big deal. You girls go play, no need to stick around me. If you’re not busy, help me look after your nephews and niece more, that would be doing me a big favor,” Su Wenyue said, forcing a smile.

Seeing this, Su Lanxin and Su Lanfang didn’t stay much longer and went hand in hand to the children’s room, truly taking care of the little ones for Su Wenyue.

Su Wenyue, knowing this, felt even more affection for her two cousins.

“Madam, someone from the Li Mansion sent an invitation, saying that they are inviting you to attend Madam Li’s birthday feast tomorrow.”

Aunt Li knew Su Wenyue was preoccupied with worries about Han Yu’s safety and had not wanted to bother her with such matters, but given that it was not a decision for the servants to make, she had no choice but to bring the post over to report.

“Birthday feast? Tomorrow?” Su Wenyue frowned slightly upon hearing this, already sensing something was off. Taking the post and examining it, she confirmed that it was indeed set for tomorrow.

Madam Li’s invitation seemed to lack sincerity. Invitations to banquets are generally sent two or three days in advance, giving guests time to prepare, especially for a birthday feast; surely it must have been planned well in advance. So why was the invitation only sent now, with such short notice? Moreover, since Master Li and Han Yu had a long-standing rivalry, Su Wenyue couldn’t help feeling that the Li family had ulterior motives in sending the invitation at this time. But it would be impolite not to attend, especially during these critical days. Su Wenyue, internally conflicted, considered attending to probe for information, feeling it was better than waiting idly at home. If anything arose, she would be able to assist Han Yu promptly.