Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 228 Zheng Sanniang's Choice

Li said, "Then Sanniang has to go back to her parents' home and listen to her parents' arrangements. She can either live with her child there or marry into another family."

Shen Yu was speechless. Is this what they call obey your father at home, obey your husband after marriage, and obey your son after your husband's death?

Can't women decide their own lives?

She didn't understand the laws at the time, but she couldn't help it.

I blurted out, "Sister Zheng, can't you live alone with your child? Make money on your own to support your child, and marry someone suitable if you meet one. If there's no suitable one, don't marry at all?"

Li and Jiang looked at each other.

Li explained: "It's not surprising that you don't understand. It's my fault that I didn't tell you about this before. Sanniang has a father and two brothers. It's not her turn to make the decision on marriage."

"Whether she gets married or not is up to her family to decide. Unless her family is willing to raise their daughter and grandchildren at home, that's another matter."

"We just wanted to help Sanniang avoid being sold to the gambling house. After the divorce, Sanniang can't keep it a secret from her parents. She has to go back eventually."

Shen Yu was silent.

If Lu Lang hadn't been there, she really wanted to ask Li if she would not be able to make the decision on her own marriage in the future.

Zheng Sanniang had been silent all this time, but now she seemed to have made up her mind. She suddenly put down the cup and knelt down in front of Shen Yu.

Shen Yu was just daydreaming when Zheng Sanniang knelt down and was shocked. He hurried to help Zheng Sanniang and said anxiously, "Sister Zheng, what are you doing? Why are you kneeling down again?"

Zheng Sanniang was very determined this time. She did not cry, but said calmly: "Miss, please accept me. Xiao Zhuzi and I will be your servants in the future. I don't want to go back to my parents' home."

Although Shen Yu's family had two helpers, Jiang and Zhou Dalang.

But both of them receive monthly wages and their relationship with Shen Yu is just an employment relationship.

Normally when they got along, Shen Yu treated the two of them as colleagues and friends on an equal footing, but never thought about the relationship between master and servant.

For a moment, she was at a loss as to how to accept a person being bought and sold like a commodity with a clearly marked price.

Shen Yu forced a smile and hurried to help Zheng Sanniang up: "Sister Zheng, please don't be like this. Although I paid for the money to get the deed back from the gambling house, you can work in my house and pay me back slowly with your wages. Why did you sign a deed with me and sell yourself to my family?"

Mrs. Li and Mrs. Jiang seemed to understand clearly and just looked at Zheng Sanniang with sympathy.

Zheng Sanniang smiled bitterly: "You are still young, and Madam Li loves you, but I am different."

"If I were still free and my parents were still alive, I would definitely be taken back to my mother's home."

"Although I have my parents, brother and sister-in-law at home, they won't agree to let Xiao Zhuzi and I live at home because of our poor family conditions. And they will also think I am a disgrace because of my reputation of being sold out by the Li family."

"My parents will find someone to marry me off as soon as possible."

At this point, Zheng Sanniang paused and said self-deprecatingly: "At my age, and having been married with children, I can probably only marry an older man as a concubine or be sold by my family to a wealthy family as a servant."

"What will happen to Xiao Zhuzi then? Even if his parents take care of him and raise him at home, can a child without his parents live well?"

Zheng Sanniang seemed to be asking Shen Yu, but also seemed to be asking herself.

She smiled bitterly and shook her head, looking at Shen Yu: "So, I would rather sign a contract with you and sell myself to your family."

"Mrs. Li and the girl are both good people. I am willing to work for the girl in my life. If Xiao Zhuzi can stay with the girl and grow up, I will be satisfied."

Shen Yu was silent. What Zheng Sanniang said was all true.

In ancient times, without money and status, women had a harder life than men.

Zheng Sanniang has probably thought very clearly about the future in the past few days. It is rare for her to speak so clearly and logically, striving to fight for the best future for herself and Xiao Zhuzi.

Zheng Sanniang stood up and bowed to Lu Lang, then said, "Mr. Lu, thank you for your help today. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Lu Lang waved his hand nonchalantly: "It's okay. Although Brother Song's family is quite wealthy, he is not a bad person. He is not the kind of person who only cares about money."

"It's good for you to follow Miss Shen. She cooks delicious food and is kind. She won't treat you badly."

"However, since you have followed her, you must put her first and serve the master wholeheartedly."

Shen Yu was a little embarrassed. She only wanted to be the boss, not the owner.

She looked at Li, who said with the air of the head of the family, "Let's do this. Although my family is not rich, it is better than letting Sanniang go home and be forced by his parents to marry an old man as a concubine."

"From now on, Sanniang, you should treat this shop as your own home. Let's run this shop well, make more money, eat and drink well, and we can talk about the future later."

Shen Yu suddenly realized that he had been thinking too complicatedly. Boss and employee, or master and servant, they were all the same to him.

Does it mean that after Zheng Sanniang signed the contract, I will really treat her as a servant? Just like Qixi, he is also a servant, but I have never looked down on him.

Shen Yu laughed at himself for being too stubborn, and said, "Mom is right. From now on, Sister Zheng and Xiao Zhuzi will be part of our family."

"Let's not talk about this anymore, Mr. Lu, thank you for helping Sister Zheng today."

"If I can't come up with so much money right now, Li Changgen will continue to pester me. It's better to cut the Gordian knot like this."

"I will give you the silver later. Tomorrow I will have to trouble you to give it to your classmate and re-sign the contract."

"Didn't you just say you were hungry? I'll cook for you today. What do you like to eat? Have dinner here and then go back with Qixi."

Lu Lang smiled slightly: "Miss Shen's cooking skills are impeccable. I like to eat whatever you cook."

Shen Yu smiled casually, thinking to himself, "You sound very easygoing, but I wonder if you really eat everything and are not picky."

Shen Yu thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Lu, you haven't eaten freshly fried meat skewers yet, you can try it later, it tastes better than cold ones."

Qi Xi had been standing by silently, but now he couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Master, it's true. I've been eating hot meat skewers these past two days."

"It's crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It's delicious. Especially the pork belly skewers, which are so satisfying to eat."

Lu Lang smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Miss Shen."

Li said, "I'll take Sanniang to wash up. She's been in a lot of trouble today. Look at her clothes, they're all covered in dirt."

After saying that, she and Jiang took Zheng Sanniang back to the room. It was probably because Li couldn't hold back her curiosity and wanted to ask what happened in Willow Lane.

Shen Yuze asked Lu Lang with a smile: "Do you want to go to Yucheng's room or sit here? It's just that the fumes here are a bit heavy."