Chapter 58: Zhao Zheng's Idea

Hearing this, Zhang Xiao'e let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly fetched a wooden basin of hot water.

Zhao Zheng put on an act of going down to the cellar, where he spent a dozen or so copper coins to purchase some cotton swabs, povidone-iodine, and Yunnan Baiyao powder.

The whole affair was quite simple. During the day, Wu Yueying had returned home to find her children missing.

Wang Dazhi lied to her, claiming they had gone out to play, but by evening the children still hadn't returned, so Wu Yueying went out to search for them.

She learned from fellow villagers that her children had been sold to the Zhong family as servants two days prior. Upon hearing this, Wu Yueying completely broke down. The usually submissive Wu Yueying returned home and started a physical altercation with Wang Dazhi.

However, she was no match for a man, especially with her parents-in-law pitching in to help, and she was beaten to the miserable state she was in now.

Had the villagers not found it unbearable and stepped in to pull them apart, Wu Yueying likely would have been beaten to death on the spot.

Although she survived, Zhao Zheng could tell that her heart had already died.

"Sister Yueying, you must not do anything foolish. Death cannot solve problems," Zhang Xiao'e said as she gently wiped the wounds, tears of heartache streaming down her face.

"Then what reason do I have to live?" Wu Yueying asked numbly. "Both Huahua and Xiaocao are gone, and my heart is dead as well..."

Zhao Zheng sat nearby, disinfecting her wounds with povidone-iodine before applying the Yunnan Baiyao powder. "They merely went to the Zhong family, they aren't dead. If you die, they will truly be slaves and maids for the rest of their lives without a single day to get ahead."

"Will my being alive make any difference?" Despair permeated every fiber of Wu Yueying's being. Wang Dazhi had already taken the money and signed the contract. Even Xu Youde, who usually acted like a lackey for the Zhong family, had stepped forward to advise Wang Dazhi not to sell his daughters, but Wang Dazhi refused to listen, selling his own flesh and blood. Just thinking about it felt like having thousands of arrows pierce her heart.

"Find a way to make money and buy the children back," Zhao Zheng said.

A flicker of strange emotion crossed Wu Yueying's eyes, but it quickly faded into darkness. "That's three taels of silver. When on earth would I ever be able to earn that much?"

Two little girls sold for three taels of silver—was that a lot?

It was pitifully little.

And yet, if the Zhong family hadn't cared about their reputation, they might not have even paid three taels.

In this day and age, families selling their children were a dime a dozen; as long as they got a single bite to eat, they asked for nothing else.

Everyone knew that being sold as slaves and maids to the wealthy landlords was a bitter life, but at the very least, it offered a way to survive, didn't it?

Such was the mindset of people at the bottom—a dead end that served as their only retreat.

"If you stay in the Wang family, you will never earn three taels of silver in your lifetime. But if you draw a clear line between yourself and the Wang family, things might be different."

Zhao Zheng said calmly, "With your capability, as long as you work hard for two years, saving up three taels of silver is only a matter of time."

"However, since the Zhong family bought your daughters for three taels of silver, if you want to buy them back, they will surely demand double or even more."

"Those people are soul-devouring fiends. If you aren't willing to bleed, don't even dream of buying your daughters back!"

Zhang Xiao'e's eyes widened in shock. "Father-in-law, are you saying you want Sister Yueying to separate from the Wang family?"

"Not a complete separation, but living apart while remaining in the household," Zhao Zheng replied.

Hearing such unorthodox words made Yang Zhaodi's scalp tingle; to her, this was far too daring.

A married daughter was like spilled water; once she entered a man's household, she belonged to them. Only a husband had the right to cast off his wife—since when could a woman talk about leaving the household?

Wu Yueying's eyes, however, lit up. She straightened her posture and asked, "Uncle Zhao, is that really possible?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Zhao Zheng said. "Of course, that is on the condition that you yourself are willing!"

"I am willing, of course I'm willing. I've had enough of this kind of life," Wu Yueying said with bitter hatred. "All these years, they've beaten me, scolded me, and humiliated me in every possible way, and I've endured it all. It was my fault for lacking the ability to bear a son, and I felt I owed his Wang family.

"But they had no right to sell my daughters! Those are the roots of my life; for them, I wouldn't even care about my life!"

Zhao Zheng had no intention of dismantling Wu Yueying's ideological shackles; every era came with its own information cocoon.

Had this been the modern era, she could have simply divorced and taken the children away.

However, in the Great Kang Dynasty, where the husband was the supreme authority, such an action was deemed heretical, and there was no soil on this land for it to survive.

Instead, she would be treated as an outcast, and even the laws of the state wouldn't help her.

Therefore, if he was going to help, he had to ensure Wu Yueying's reputation remained untarnished, otherwise she would not be able to take a single step forward in the future.

"Uncle Zhao, as long as you can help me, I will be your beast of burden and serve you for the rest of my life!" Wu Yueying knelt on the kang bed, treating Zhao Zheng as her absolute last straw of hope.

Zhao Zheng did not accept the kowtow. He walked aside and said, "Times are hard right now, families selling their children are everywhere, and people starving to death is a common occurrence. Your two daughters going to the Zhong family at least guarantees them a bowl of food, even if they aren't fully full. In the Wang family, they get one meal a day and still go hungry—the children were practically on the verge of starvation."

"The root cause is that Wang Dazhi's family values boys over girls. Even if you manage to buy the children back, would they ever have a chance to grow up in such a household?"

"Therefore, from my perspective, this is actually an opportunity for you and your two daughters. If you seize this opportunity, whether the three of you are bullied or go hungry in the future will at least be something you willingly endure."

"If you fail to seize this opportunity, even if you were to die, you wouldn't be able to save your children. The Wang family will not let you go; they will simply drag you back to bear more children, and they won't stop until you give birth to a son."

Zhao Zheng's words were ice-cold, yet they reflected a cruel reality.

In this era, women held virtually no status, and a woman incapable of bearing a son was bound to be despised by everyone.

"I know all of this, but I have no other way." No matter how gentle on the outside yet strong on the inside Wu Yueying was, she was completely lost at this moment. In total panic, she grabbed Zhao Zheng's hand and pleaded, "Uncle Zhao, I beg you, please help me!"

Zhang Xiao'e no longer dared to speak up. A matter of this magnitude, once meddled with, could very well bring even greater trouble upon their household.

Yang Zhaodi also frowned deeply.

For Zhao Zheng, helping her was simple; it was merely a matter of a few taels of silver, which he could easily produce. But what about afterwards?

Wu Yueying would still be Wang Dazhi's wife unless she left the small mountain village and completely severed ties with Wang Dazhi.

Therefore, to be a good person without implicating oneself or leaving any loose ends, one had to strike at the Wang family's Achilles' heel.

With this thought in mind, he said to Yang Zhaodi and Zhang Xiao'e, "You two go outside first. I need to speak with Yueying privately!"

Zhang Xiao'e was momentarily stunned, failing to understand why her father-in-law was sending her away.

Yang Zhaodi, however, took Zhang Xiao'e by the arm and led her outside, closing the bedroom door behind them.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

Zhao Zheng said, "Yueying, I think you should first go back to your maiden home to seek help, and then..."

Wu Yueying listened very intently. "Will this really work?"

"Whether it works or not, I have a way to cover your back. But if you don't follow my method, even if you manage to earn the silver to buy them back, you still won't be able to change the present situation for you and your daughters!"