After the frail beauty went to the countryside, she went crazy with scientific research.

Chapter 121, Episode 0125: Recuperating and Enjoying the Show (Part 3)
Li Dazhu and Granny Hua were very prolific; apart from the two girls who have since been reborn, they had a total of five sons and one daughter.

I don't know if it's retribution for the bad things I've done, but although I have many sons and grandsons, very few of them are 'obedient'. It's because my first four daughters-in-law were either strong-willed or their families were too powerful to offend.

When Wugen was to get married, Li Dazhu and his wife were very selective. They wanted someone who could give birth to a son, and whose family was easy to manage. They didn't want their daughters-in-law to end up like their previous daughters-in-law, whose parents couldn't make decisions for them.

The current wife of the fifth son is from Xiayang Brigade, which is the poorest family in Xiayang Brigade. Her parents are both very stubborn and have three older brothers and one older sister, each of whom has at least two sons.

Perfect!
Aunt Feng shifted her position, her tone slightly unsteady and agitated, "You all heard that Wu Gen's first child died from a fall, right?"

Everyone nodded, their expressions somewhat strange.

Not only is this her first pregnancy, but Wu Gen's wife is also an extraordinary person. They have been married for almost ten years and she has been pregnant seven times. Not to mention that this time she is still in the womb, the previous six pregnancies were all miraculously unsuccessful.

It's always one accident after another. This time it's been the longest pregnancy I've ever had. I'm already six months pregnant and my pregnancy is showing. There were two or three times before, and they had no idea what was going on before the baby was gone.

"I heard Da Ya secretly tell Wu Gen's wife that Wu Gen's wife's fall in the yard during her first pregnancy was not an accident at all. It was because Granny Hua heard from that old woman Ge from Xia Yang Brigade that Wu Gen's wife was carrying a girl and that she would bring bad luck to her husband's family. So, in the middle of the night, she poured water on the steps outside Wu Gen's wife's house."

[Grandma Ge, one of the midwives in Xiayang Brigade, whose ancestors were shamans.]

“It was the coldest time of the year, and the water would freeze as soon as it was poured in. When Wugen’s wife got up in the middle of the night, she wasn’t paying attention and stepped on the ice. That’s how the baby died.”

Wu Gen's wife's personality was just like her parents'; she was very timid. After losing her child, she was scolded by Old Lady Hua for a long time, but she never dared to utter a word. She felt very guilty and ate less and worked more, and she became thinner and thinner every day.

That day, Da Ya happened to be visiting her parents' home. She saw Old Lady Hua lingering outside the fifth room for a while when she got up in the middle of the night. At the time, she didn't think much of it, assuming that her mother was worried about her pregnant sister-in-law and went to check on her that night.

After a while, when Wu Gen's wife had an accident, Da Ya began to suspect the true purpose of Old Lady Hua's appearance at the door of the fifth house.

But after all, Grandma Hua was her own mother, and Wu Gen had a bad temper. She was afraid of being beaten, and she was also worried that telling the truth would affect her, so she kept it to herself.

When Wu Gen's wife became pregnant for the second time, one of Da Ya's sisters-in-law was from Zhongyang Brigade. When the sister-in-law went back to her parents' home, she met Old Lady Hua, who was going to see Granny Ge again. After returning home, she told Da Ya about it.

Da Ya thought to herself, "This is going to cause trouble. Granny Ge is a notorious troublemaker in the surrounding villages. She has harmed countless young wives with her nonsense and has even been criticized as a typical example. Why is her mother looking for Granny Ge?"
What else can it do?

Considering the recent events in her maternal family, the only thing that could be connected to Granny Ge was her fifth brother's wife's pregnancy.

She was a mother herself, and she wasn't a completely cold-hearted person. For the past six months since that night, she had been living in self-blame.

The more Da Ya thought about it, the more uneasy she became. The next day, she rushed to her parents' home, dragged Wu Gen's wife to a corner, and quietly told her about her doubts and worries.

"Does Wu Gen know about this?" Aunt Wu asked.

Aunt Feng pursed her lips and glanced at her sideways. "How could I not know? Don't let Wu Gen's big, fierce appearance fool you. He's really good to his wife. He always gives her all the food and drink he needs. After his wife's second pregnancy 'accident,' Wu Gen almost chopped Da Gen up with a kitchen knife."

No one found his desire to chop down Da Gen incomprehensible. Why? Because Li Dazhu and Old Lady Hua loved Li Da Gen the most. To be precise, Li Da Gen was their life.

"Their family is quite strange. My feeling is that Li Dagen is the biological son of Li Dazhu and Granny Hua, while the other four sons and one daughter were adopted. So they are just meant to leech off the eldest son's family."

“Dagen’s wife is fierce and a bit crazy. Old Mrs. Hua never dares to act like a mother-in-law in front of Dagen’s wife. Dagen’s wife has four daughters, all of whom are in school. Only these four children in their family go to school. Ergen’s youngest daughter is only four years old and is already sweeping the floor and cutting pig feed.”

“The only person working in the eldest son’s family is Dagen’s wife. Dagen takes nine out of ten days off, so he doesn’t count as working. But the eldest son’s family eats dry food. I also saw that Grandma Hua often secretly cooks special meals for the eldest son’s family.”

“Li Dagen is already in his forties or fifties, and I’ve seen him argue with his brothers several times, and then he’d end up crying in Grandma Hua’s arms.”

Not only did Aunt Wu and the others look on with an air of astonishment as they listened, but Lin Yuexi's lips twitched as she listened.

No wonder Aunt Feng looked disgusted when she said it; just imagining it made her eyes feel polluted. Wasn't that a male version of a white lotus?

The problem is, Li Dagen is really unattractive.

She could roughly guess the situation of Li Dazhu's family. The eldest son was spoiled rotten, while the others were taught from a young age to be filial to their parents. So, although the second, third, fourth, and fifth sons had always been treated unfairly, the idea that they should listen to their parents was ingrained in their bones. Their biggest act of resistance was to use their eldest brother to threaten their parents.

As for separating from the family and living independently, either they are blindly filial and have never even considered it, or they have thought about it but no one dares to bring it up.

They were all women, and apart from Lin Yuexi, they had all started as daughters-in-law. Being a daughter-in-law back then was not easy for any of them. The saying "after years of hardship, a daughter-in-law becomes a mother-in-law" perfectly describes them. The word "hardship" fully expresses their bitterness and suffering.

Hearing about the story of the five wives, everyone felt a deep sense of empathy.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat somber.

Aunt Lu nudged Aunt Feng's hand curiously, "Were all of the five daughters-in-law's children really caused by Old Lady Hua?"

If it's true, this isn't just mother and child; it's definitely a deep-seated feud.

Aunt Feng rolled her eyes, her accent flaring with anger. "How would I know? I can't possibly lie under their kang (heated brick bed) and eavesdrop. I only know that I overheard these things by chance. If I weren't familiar with you, I wouldn't have dared to bring up such uncertain things."

Everyone was trying not to laugh, but they also understood.

Although they love gossiping, they aren't the kind of gossipy old women. They only talk about things in the village when there's evidence and it's a done deal; they wouldn't bring up anything that's just speculation, unless they have a friendship of at least ten years with each other.

Fortunately, Aunt Wu knew how to lighten the mood, and didn't give Aunt Lu too much time to feel awkward. She quickly changed the subject and went to Aunt Liu's house at the village entrance.

Aunt Liu's family recently had a very happy event, something that would bring great honor to their ancestors!