Traveling through life as a widow: six sons to support her in her old age

Lan Qiyan pulled Qin Xiaozhi's hand away and did not respond for a long time.

Qin Xiaozhi looked at her worriedly, "Qi Yan, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me."

Lan Qiyan pulled Qin Xiaozhi out of the crowd and said, "Sister-in-law Xiaozhi, how did you know about this? I don't know anything about it."

Qin Xiaozhi sighed, "You live at the foot of the mountain, which is a bit far from the village, and your neighbors don't live close by.

You spend all day thinking about making money by selling vegetables and herbs instead of strolling around the village.

I guess you are the only one who doesn’t know about this now.”

"You all know?"

"more or less."

"No one objects, then?"

Qin Xiaozhi smiled, "Qi Yan, people say you are a bad person.

But I don't believe it. I accept six step-children and work hard for them every day. This is not something a bad person can do.

To be honest, I can't do that. You are really amazing."

Lan Qiyan: You should get to the point.

Lan Qiyan looked helpless, "I've already married you, I can't just watch the kids starve to death."

"I knew you were a good person."

Lan Qiyan: I’m not a good person, we are all just sticking together for warmth. Big sister, can you please get to the point?

Qin Xiaozhi kept talking about this and that, making Lan Qiyan feel drowsy.

When Lan Qiyan was about to have an in-depth conversation with Zhou Gong about butterflies, Qin Xiaozhi finally remembered what he wanted to talk to Lan Qiyan about.

"Hey, do you know? Usually, girls are sold to brothels. If they are good-looking, they can get at most ten taels. If they are for weddings, they can get fifty taels. Isn't that a profit?"

“But you will be buried with him. This is a life-threatening thing.” Lan Qiyan retorted.

Qin Xiaozhi laughed, "Qi Yan, you are so naive, do you think you can survive if you enter a brothel?

Under the training of those mothers, some would be beaten to death, some would be raped by their patrons… Alas, they would die too, and their deaths would be very miserable.

Those who were lucky enough to survive were also forced to receive customers every day, and when they got old and fell ill, the brothels would simply kick them out and leave them to fend for themselves.”

Seeing that Lan Qiyan found it hard to accept, she consoled him, "If the man who came to get married for the sake of getting married dies, Daya will be buried with him.

But think about it again, if that man hadn't died, Daya would have been very happy.

Even if I become a concubine, it is better than digging for food in the fields like us."

"Isn't this just gambling?"

Qin Xiaozhi smiled, "Life is a gamble. It all depends on who laughs last."

Lan Qiyan: This makes sense, but girls can’t have their own decisions on their own lives?

"The woman is really pitiful, she can't even decide her own life or death.

Alas, it’s a good thing that I don’t have a daughter, otherwise I’d be afraid that she would suffer after getting married.”

Qin Xiaozhi comforted her, "As the saying goes, obey your father at home, obey your husband after marriage, and obey your son after your husband's death.

Women, you have no say in life and death, Lan Qiyan, in fact, from another perspective, you are not pitiful. "

Lan Qiyan was stunned. She was indeed not pitiful. Lan Cunliang broke off the relationship with her, her husband's whereabouts were unknown, and her six sons all listened to her.

But she is just one of thousands of women.

But she was so sad for only three breaths when Yu Xiu stuffed a piece of candy into her mouth, "Mom, is it sweet? Is it delicious?"

“Sweet and very delicious.”

Qin Xiaozhi laughed, "Qi Yan, look how lucky you are. Your son is so filial."

Yu Xiu held her clothes tightly and said, "Aunt, my uncle Kun also looted a lot. You should go quickly. A group of old women are surrounding him."

Qin Xiaozhi rolled up his sleeves and said, "How ridiculous! Those are all mine. Qiyan, take a break. I'm going to fight now."

Lan Qiyan slapped the table and shook his legs, "Then hurry up, or else your man's pants will be taken away."

After Qin Xiaozhi left, Lan Qiyan took the children out of the Yu family's old house.

When the mother and her two children got home, they remembered that they had not called Old Lady Yu.

Yu Xiu took out all the candies, turned around and ran out, saying that he was going to pick up his grandmother.

"You guys keep the candies as snacks."

Yulin sat in the main room, looking at his mother lying on the bed with her arms and legs spread out.

"Speak frankly, little brat."

"Daya was sold to the eldest son of Mr. Li in the town to bring good luck. If the man is alive, she will be his concubine. If the man dies, she will be buried with him."

“Almost everyone in the village knows about it, except for our family. We are really isolated from the news.

From now on, let your second brother go to the village every day to have some fun and try to get the latest news as soon as possible."

"Mom, they also sold Xiaoya because she knew about her sister's affair and was about to run away from home, but was discovered by Yujin and Yuyin.

Liu Dani was beaten and then locked in a cellar and starved for three days.

"Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. Your uncle and aunt are really cruel."

"Mom, this is not the key issue."

"Which one is that?"

"There will be people in the village who will learn it. It's very valuable."

"Then what can we do? Unless we make them all rich and have endless money in their hands.

But there are so many poor farmers in the world, Yulin, how can you let everyone have money?

The practice of getting married for the sake of bringing good luck is practiced by all noble families and is tacitly accepted by everyone.

Brothels are still places allowed by the imperial court to operate, and this is a fact that small ants like you and me cannot change."

"Mom, are we just going to remain indifferent?"

Lan Qiyan smiled and said, "Do you have any solution? No, then this is the only way.

What else can we do? Daya is indeed pitiful, but she is also from the eldest house, and she also participated in bullying you.

Even if you are magnanimous and don't bother with her, how can you save her?

She has parents, why is it our turn?

Besides, we are unable to deal with the servants and thugs of Mr. Li’s family.”

Yulin lowered his head. He had nothing now.

Lan Qiyan stood up and walked to his side, "Yulin, everything depends on human efforts. Study hard and enter the official career in the future, maybe you can change everything."

Considering that the child was so sad, she decided to make a pie in the sky to give the child some hope.

Unexpectedly, Yulin was very serious, "Mom, I must improve the status of women in the future."

"Good boy, you have great ambitions. Mother supports you."

"Mom, this matter was arranged by my eldest aunt."

"Your aunt? Yu Miaomiao?"

"Yes, Xiaoya said that it was Da Ya and a man she didn't know who took Da Ya away."

"Are you sure it's not Zhu Dagui?"

"No, Xiaoya knows Zhu Dagui."

While the mother and son were reasoning with each other, Old Lady Yu ran back panting, "Yanyan, Yanyan, something happened again."

"Mom, please tell me slowly, who got into trouble and what happened. Where is Yu Xiu? Did he fight with anyone? Can he win? Did he suffer any loss? Do you want me to pick up a weapon?"

Old Lady Yu: Child, can you let me say something?

"Neither, it was the little girl who stole the silver and ran away."

Lan Qiyan's body trembled, "Why did you steal the silver?"

"Who knows, Yanyan... My dear grandchildren, where is your mother?"

The four brothers pointed to the door and said in unison, "It has flown away."